CHAPTER FIFTY SIX.
THE BANDIT CAMP.
The bivouac fires appearing by the ford of the Ostuta were those ofArroyo and his guerilla.
At sunrise, this temporary encampment of the guerilleros presented ascene sufficiently animated and picturesque. A hundred men might beseen occupying themselves in grooming their horses. This they did inthe most primitive fashion, some rubbing them down with bunches of drygrass, others with the first stone that offered, while still others,mounted on the bare backs of the animals, were swimming them through thestream, in order to wash and refresh them. On the bank the saddles wereplaced in a sort of irregular alignment, in the midst of bales of goodslaid open, and of which only the coverings remained upon the ground, totell of plunder taken from some unfortunate _arriero_.
On the right bank of the river--that side on which lay the hacienda SanCarlos--was the principal encampment. There stood a large,rudely-shaped tent, constructed out of the covers of the despoiledpackages--pieces of coarse hempen canvas and sack cloth, woven from thefibres of the maguey.
Two guerilleros, armed from head to foot, with carbines, swords,pistols, and knives, mounted guard on each side of it, pacing to andfro, but at such a distance from the tent that neither could hear whatmight be said within.
This rude marquee was the head-quarters of the two leaders, Arroyo andBocardo, both of whom were at that moment inside. They were seated uponthe skulls of bullocks, which served them for chairs, each smoking acigarette rolled in the husk of Indian corn. From the attitudepresented by Arroyo--his eyes bent upon the ground, which was cut up bythe long heavy rowels of his spurs, it was evident that his astuteassociate was employing arguments to influence him to some deed ofcrime.
"Most certainly," said the latter, with an air of drollery, "I amdisposed to do justice to the good qualities of the Senora Arroyo; theyare truly admirable. When a man is wounded, she volunteers to sprinklered pepper over his wounds. Nothing can be more touching than the wayshe intercedes for the prisoners we condemn to death--that is, that theymay be put to death as slowly as may be--I mean as gently as possible."
"Ah, that is not selfishness on her part," interrupted the husband."She does so to please me rather than herself--poor thing."
"True, she is greatly devoted to you--a worthy woman, indeed! Still,camarado," continued Bocardo with a hesitation that told he had finishedspeaking the praises of Madame Arroyo; "you will acknowledge she isneither young nor very pretty."
"Well--say she is old and ugly," answered Arroyo, "she suits my purposefor all that."
"That's strange enough."
"It's less strange than you think for. I have my reasons. She shareswith me the execration of the public; and if I were a widower--"
"You would have to bear it all on your own shoulders. Bah! they arebroad enough for that!"
"True," replied Arroyo, flattered at the compliment, "but you, _amigo_,have also a share of that load. It isn't often that the name of Arroyois cursed, without that of Bocardo being mixed up in the malediction."
"Ah, there are too many lying tongues in this world!"
"Besides," continued the brigand, returning to the subject of MadameArroyo, "I have another good reason for wishing that no harm should cometo my wife. She is in possession of a scapulary, blessed by the Pope ofRome; which has the wonderful power of causing the husband of whateverwoman may carry it to die at the same time that his wife does."
"Oh!" rejoined Bocardo in a tone of repudiation, "I did not mean thatyou should kill the Senora Arroyo--nothing of the kind. My idea is thatshe should be sent to a convent of penitents, where she might occupy hertime in praying for the salvation of her soul, as well as that of herhusband. Then replace her by a pretty young damsel, with eyes and hairas black as night, lips as red as the flowers of the grenadine, and skinas white as the _floripondio_. Now you can tell what for the lasthalf-hour I have been killing myself to make you comprehend."
"And do you know of such a pretty young damsel?" inquired Arroyo afteran interval of silence, which proved that the arguments of his associatewere not lost upon him.
"Of course I do, and so do you as well--one that you could lay yourhands on at any moment."
"Where?"
"Where? At the hacienda of San Carlos. Where else should she be?"
"You mean the Dona Marianita de Silva?"
"Precisely so."
"_Mil demonios, camarado_! Do you intend us to save every hacienda inthe country? Of course it is for the sake of pillaging the house, thatyou wish me to possess myself of its mistress?"
"The owner of San Carlos is a Spaniard," rejoined Bocardo, withoutmaking any direct reply to the insinuation of his associate. "It wouldsurely be no great crime to take either the wife or property of a_Gachupino_."
"Hold, _amigo_! that Gachupino is as great a friend to the insurgentcause as you or I. He has furnished us with provisions, and--"
"True; but he does it out of pure fear. How can you suppose that anyone is a true insurgent, who has chests filled with bags of dollars,drawers crammed with silver plate, and besides," added Bocardo toconceal his true designs, "such a pretty young wife by his side. Bah!we were fools that we did not also take Don Mariano's two daughters fromhim, at the same time that we disembarrassed him of his plate. Weshould have been better off now, and I too should have possessed abeautiful creature, whereas I am still a solitary bachelor. But it's myluck, camarado, always to sacrifice my own interests to yours!"
"Look here, Bocardo!" said the brigand leader after a moment of pensivesilence, in which he appeared to reflect upon the proposals of hisastute associate, "we shall get ourselves into trouble, if we carry onin this fashion. It may end in our being hunted down like a pair ofwild beasts."
"We have a hundred and fifty devoted followers," simply replied theother, "every one of them brave and true as his dagger."
"Well!" said Arroyo, still speaking in a reflective tone, "I do not say,but--I shall think it over."
The eyes of Bocardo flashed with a fierce joy as he perceived theundecided bearing of his associate. Well knew he that, before the endof that day, he should be able to obtain Arroyo's full consent andco-operation in the dark and terrible deed he had designed toaccomplish.