CHAPTER TWENTY NINE.
A COURSE OF STUDY INTERRUPTED.
In the early part of January, 1812--about fifteen months after thescenes detailed as occurring near the hacienda Las Palmas--two men mighthave been seen face to face--one seated behind a rude deal table coveredwith charts and letters--the other standing in front, hat in hand.
This tableau was within a tent--the least ragged and largest, among anumber of others that formed an encampment on the banks of the riverSabana, at a short distance from the port of Acapulco.
The person seated wore upon his head a checked cotton kerchief while hisshoulders were covered with a _jaqueta_ of white linen. It would havebeen difficult for any one not knowing him, to recognise in thisplainly-dressed individual the commander-in-chief of the insurgent armyencamped around, and still more difficult perhaps to have believed thathe was the _ci-devant_ "cura" of Caracuaro, Don Jose Maria Morelos yPavon. And yet it was he.
Yes, the humble curate had raised the standard of independence in thesouthern provinces; had long been carrying it with success; and at thismoment he was commander-in-chief of the insurgent forces besiegingAcapulco--that very town he had been ironically empowered to take.
But notwithstanding the eccentric changes which civil war produces inthe situations of men, the reader cannot be otherwise than greatlyastonished when told, that the gentleman who stood in front of Morelos,encased in the somewhat elegant uniform of a lieutenant of cavalry, wasthe _ci-devant_ student of theology--Don Cornelio Lantejas.
By what magical interference had the timid student of theology beentransformed into an officer of dragoons--in the army of the insurgents,too, towards whose cause he had shown himself but indifferentlyaffected?
To explain this unexpected metamorphosis, it will be necessary to enterinto some details, continuing the history of the student from the timewhen we left him on a fevered couch in the hacienda of Las Palmas, tillthat hour when we find him in the marquee of the insurgent general.
It may be stated, in advance, however, that the extraordinarytransformation which we have noticed, was entirely owing to a new act ofparsimonious economy upon the part of Don Cornelio's father, conductinghim into a series of perilous mishaps and desperate dangers, to whichhis adventure with the jaguars and rattlesnakes, while suspended betweenthe two tamarinds, was nothing more, according to the simile of SanchoPanza, than "_tortus y pan pintado_" (couleur de rose). To proceed,then, with the promised details.
On recovering from his temporary illness, the student travelled on tothe dwelling of his uncle. He had been mounted in a more becomingmanner, on a fine young horse, which Don Mariano--who owned somethousands of the like--had presented to him.
Having sounded the dispositions of the uncle, according to instructions,he made all haste in returning to his father's house; which he reachedin less than half the time he had employed upon his previous journey.Too soon, perhaps; for, had he been delayed, as before, two months uponthe route, he might have escaped the series of frightful perils throughwhich he was afterwards compelled to pass.
Before setting out on his mission to the bachelor uncle, he had finishedhis preliminary studies for the ecclesiastical calling; and it onlyremained for him to return to the college, and present his thesis beforethe faculty of examiners, to take out his orders. For this purpose itwas necessary he should repair to Valladolid, where the university was.To make the journey, his father now provided him with an old she-mule ofa most unamiable disposition, which he had obtained in exchange for theyoung horse--the gift of Don Mariano--with a goodly number of dollars in"boot."
Thus mounted, the student started on his new journey--carrying with himthe paternal blessing, and a long chapter of instructions, as to how heshould manage his mule, and keep himself clear of all meddling withinsurrectionary matters.
After journeying for two days along the route to Valladolid, he hadarrived within sight of the straggling huts that compose the little_pueblita_ of Caracuaro, when three horsemen appeared upon the road infront, and riding towards him.
The student was at the moment occupied in passing through his mind therudiments of his theological education--which he had gained from a crowdof books; and which, with some uneasiness, he found had been well nighdriven out of his head by his late adventures in the South.
Just at that moment, when he was paying not the slightest attention tohis mule, the skittish animal, frightened by the approach of thehorsemen, threw up her hind quarters, and pitched her rider upon theroad. As the latter fell, his head came in contact with a large stone,and with such violence as to deprive him of consciousness.
On coming to his senses again, he found himself seated against the bankof the causeway, his head badly bruised, and above all without his mule.The animal, profiting by the opportunity when the three horsemen hadalighted to look after her spilt rider, had headed about, and taken theback track at full gallop!
Of the three horsemen, one appeared to be the master, and the other twohis attendants.
"My son!" said the first, addressing the student, "your situation,without being dangerous, is nevertheless sufficiently serious. You willstand in need of that which you cannot obtain in the poor village ofCaracuaro, which is, moreover, nearly two leagues distant. The bestthing you can do is to mount behind one of my attendants, and ride backwith us to the hacienda of San Diego, which we shall reach in an hour.Your mule has taken that direction; and I shall have her caught for youby the _vaqueros_ of the hacienda. You will need a day or two ofrepose, which you can there obtain. Afterwards you can resume yourroute. Where were you going?"
"To Valladolid," replied Lantejas. "I was on my way to the University,to enter into holy orders."
"Indeed! then we are of the same robe," rejoined the horseman with asmile. "I myself am the unworthy curate of Caracuaro--Don Jose MariaMorelos--a name, I presume, you have never heard before."
In truth the afterwards illustrious Morelos was at this time entirelyunknown to fame, and of course Don Cornelio had never heard his name.
The student was no little astonished at the appearance of the man whohad thus announced himself as the _cura_ of Caracuaro. For one of theclerical calling his costume was altogether singular--to say nothing ofits being rather shabby. A double-barrelled gun, with one barrelbroken, hung from his saddle-bow, and an old rusty sabre in a commonleathern scabbard dangled against his horse's side.
The two domestics were still more plainly attired; and each carried inhis hand a huge brass blunderbuss!
"And you, Senor padre?" inquired the student in turn. "Where are yougoing, may I ask?"
"I? Well," replied the _cura_, smiling as he spoke, "just as I havetold you--to the hacienda of San Diego. After that to Acapulco--tocapture the town and citadel in obedience to an order I have received."
Such were at this time the equipment and warlike resources of thegeneral, whose name afterwards obtained such heroic renown!
His response caused the candidate for holy orders to open his eyes tothe widest. He fancied that in the confusion of his head he had notclearly comprehended the meaning of the _cura's_ speech; and hepreferred this fancy to the alternative of supposing that the worthypriest of Caracuaro was himself suffering from mental aberration.
"What! you an insurgent?" inquired Lantejas, not without someapprehension.
"Very true. I am, and have been for a long time."
As neither upon the head of the _cura_, nor yet of his two servants,there appeared those diabolical ornaments which had been promised themby the Lord Bishop of Oajaca, Don Cornelio began to think that perhapsall insurgents were not delivered over to the devil; and, as there wasno alternative, he accepted the offer made to him, and mounted behindone of the attendants. He had made up his mind, however, not toaccompany the curate of Caracuaro further than the hacienda of SanDiego, and to make as short a stay as possible in such suspiciouscompany. But he had scarcely completed this satisfactory arrangementwith his conscience, when the burning rays of the sun
shining down uponhis head, caused a ferment in his brain of so strange a character--thatnot only did the idea of this insurrection, excited by priests, appearright and natural, but he commenced chanting at the top of his voice asort of improvised war song, in which the King of Spain was mentioned inno very eulogistic terms!
From that time, till his arrival at the hacienda of San Diego, thestudent was altogether unconscious of what passed--and for several daysafter, during which he remained under the influence of a burning fever.He had only a vague remembrance of ugly dreams, in which he appearedconstantly surrounded by armed men, and as if he was tossing about on astormy sea!
At length his consciousness returned, and on looking around he wasastonished to find himself in a small and poorly furnished chamber. Henow remembered his tumble from the mule, and his encounter with the_cura_ of Caracuaro. Finally, feeling himself strong enough to risefrom his couch, he got up, and staggered towards the window--for thepurpose of ascertaining the nature of a noisy tumult that was heardoutside.
The courtyard under the window was filled with armed men--some afoot,others on horseback. Lances with gay pennons, sabres, guns, and otherweapons were seen on all sides, glancing under the sunbeams. The horseswere rearing and neighing--the men talking loudly--in short, the sceneresembled the temporary halt of a _corps d'armee_.
His weakness soon compelled the invalid to return to his couch, where helay awaiting impatiently--the more so that he was half-famished withhunger--the coming of some one who could give him an explanation of thestrange circumstances by which he was surrounded.
Shortly after, a man entered the chamber, whom the student recognised asone of the attendants of the _cura_ of Caracuaro. This man had come, onthe part of his master, to inquire, the state of the invalid's health.
"Where am I, friend? tell me that," said Lantejas, after having answeredthe inquiries of the servant.
"At the hacienda of San Luis."
The student summoned all his recollections; but these only carried himas far as the hacienda of San Diego.
"You must be mistaken?" said he. "It is the hacienda of San Diego, isit not?"
"Oh, no," replied the domestic. "We left San Diego yesterday; we wereno longer safe there. What folly of you, senor, to act as you did! Nomatter how good a patriot one may be, it's not necessary to proclaim itfrom the housetops."
"I do not comprehend you, my good friend," said Lantejas. "Perhaps itis the fever that is still troubling my head."
"What I have said is clear enough," rejoined the domestic. "We wereobliged to quit San Diego, where the royalist troops would have arrestedus--on account of the loud declaration of his political opinions made bya certain Don Cornelio Lantejas."
"Cornelio Lantejas!" cried the student, in a tone of anguish, "whythat's myself!"
"_Por Dios_! I well know that. Your honour took good care everybodyshould know your name: since out of the window of the hacienda youshouted with all your voice--proclaiming my master Generalissimo of allthe insurgent forces; and we had the greatest difficulty to hinder youfrom marching upon Madrid."
"Madrid--in Spain?"
"Bah! two hundred leagues of sea was nothing to you to traverse. `_Itis I_!' you cried, `_I, Cornelio Lantejas, who take upon me to strikedown the tyrant_!' In fine, we were obliged to decamp, bringing youwith us in a litter--for my master would not abandon so zealous apartisan, who had compromised himself, moreover, in the good cause.Well, we have arrived here at San Luis; where, thanks to a strong bodyof men who have joined us, you may have an opportunity of proclaimingyour patriotism as loudly as you please. For yourself, it can do nofurther harm, since, no doubt, there is a price placed upon your headbefore this time."
The student listened with horror, and completely stupefied, to thisaccount of his actions.
"And now, cavallero," continued the domestic, "my master, whom you werethe first to proclaim Generalissimo, has not permitted you to go withoutyour reward. He has appointed you an _alferez_, and named you to be hisaide-de-camp. You will find your commission under the pillow."
Saying this, the servant left the room, leaving the unhappy _alferez_crushed beneath the weight of the astounding disclosures he had made tohim.