CHAPTER FIFTY NINE.
A CARELESS SEARCH.
Most of the guerilleros of the band of Arroyo were country-people--rancheros, vaqueros, and the like. Many of them, from their habits oflife, were skilled in following the tracks of animals. It was notlikely, therefore, they should fail to discover the place where theColonel had turned off from the road; and in reality they perceived it,and there came to a halt. The uncertain light of the moon, however,hindered them from following his tracks through the underwood; and,unable to guess the direction he had taken, they remained for someminutes deliberating on what was best to be done.
To go forward in a body would be to diminish the chances of finding histraces--more especially if they proceeded on horseback. It wasresolved, therefore, that all should dismount; and, separating intotwos, thus scour the thicket in front. Afterwards, if unsuccessful intheir search, they were to reunite in the glade where they had picketedtheir horses.
This resolution was carried out; and in pairs the guerilleros scatteredoff into the wood.
Although adopting all necessary measures of prudence, on account of theterrible name of him they were in search of, at first the pursuersconscientiously performed their work. By little and little, however,their ardour became abated; and then a very similar idea presenteditself to the minds of all of them at the same time. They rememberedhow easily the Colonel had overcome his two adversaries, the videttes;and it now occurred to them that _they_ had acted very rashly in thusweakening their strength by division.
As it would never do to return at once to the appointed rendezvous, eachcouple perceived the necessity of allowing some time to elapse beforegoing back, for the sake of saving appearances. They continued theirsearch, therefore; but rather by way of passing the time than with anyardour in the accomplishment of their original design.
"_Carrambo_! what a lovely moon!" remarked Pepe Lobos to his partner inthe search; "it gives me an idea--"
"That the Colonel may see us before we discover him?" interrupted hiscompanion.
"Bah! nothing of the kind," rejoined Pepe; "that devil of a royalist isnot to be found. What I was thinking of is, that, since it is almost asclear as daylight, there's a good opportunity for your showing me thatwhich you have so long promised."
"What is it, camarado?"
"The trick of cards by which one may always win an _albur_ at monte."
"Of course I cannot show you without having the cards."
"But I have them, hombre--a brand-new pack too."
"Ah! it is easier to do that trick with an old pack," replied Pepe'scomrade with a knowing shrug of the shoulders. "However, since I havepromised you, and, as you justly remark, there is no chance of findingthis royalist colonel, I agree to your request."
The two insurgents seated themselves on the turf--in a spot where themoon fell with a clear light--and Pepe Lobos, having drawn a pack ofcards from his pocket, the lesson commenced. Between the ardour of themaster and the docility of the pupil, the lesson was prolonged to such atime, that the Colonel, asleep between his two branches, could havedreamt all the dreams that might present themselves to his imaginationbefore either of these worthies was likely to awaken him.
Not far distant two others of the searchers put in practice, as regardsDon Rafael, a very similar courtesy.
"So, Suarez," said the first of these two to the other, "five hundreddollars, isn't it, that the Captain promises the man who may take thisroyalist colonel alive?"
"Yes," replied Suarez, "five hundred dollars, and a good round sum itis. But should one get an arm shot off, or a leg disabled, in capturingthe _demonio_, will the Captain allow anything extra for that, do youthink?"
"Ah! I can't say. I should fancy so."
"Well, then, hear me, friend Suarez. I have no doubt it will be a goodthing; and for you who are married and have a family to support, thisfive hundred dollars would be a windfall. I am single, and don'trequire it. I am therefore willing to surrender my chance to you, andyou can look for the Colonel by yourself."
Saying this, the soldier stretched himself along the grass, and disposedhimself for a sleep.
"For the last two nights," continued he, "I haven't had a wink, and Ican't keep my eyes open any longer. When you have captured the Colonel,come back and rouse me; but, whether you take him or no, mind you, goodSuarez, come this way and wake me before daylight--else I may sleep toolong."
"Coward!" exclaimed Suarez, "I shall keep on without you, and get thereward for myself."
The answer to these remarks was a loud snore, for Suarez' comrade hadfallen asleep on the instant.
Of the ten enemies of Don Rafael three had thus withdrawn themselvesfrom the pursuit.
Two others, at no great distance off, held the following conversation.
"_Santissima_!" exclaimed one, looking up to the sky. "Did you ever seea moon so ridiculously clear? This Royalist Colonel, if hidden abouthere, cannot fail to see us."
"That would be unfortunate," rejoined the second. "If he should see us,he would be certain to make off."
"Ah! hum!" muttered the first speaker, "I'm not so sure about that: he'snot one of the kind that cares about making off. Have you heard how helifted Panchito Jolas out of his stirrups?"
"Yes; I have myself had some falls from a horse, but when I think ofpoor Jolas it makes my blood run cold. _Ave Maria_! did you not hearsomething?"
The two searchers stopped in their tracks, and stood listening: with farmore fear in their hearts than could be in that of him for whom theywere searching.
It was only a false alarm; but it had the effect of causing them tobetray to one another the dread with which the fame of the Colonel hadinspired them. The mask thus removed, mutual confidence becameestablished between the two; and both were equally agreed upon theprudence of at once returning to the appointed rendezvous.
The other four pursuers continued to advance; but with such easynonchalance that in two or three hours afterwards eight of the ten hadreturned to the glade, all equally unsuccessful in their search.
As to the two who were still missing the reason for their absence wassimple enough. As soon as Suarez had parted from his somnolentcompanion, the thought occurred to him that since the latter, only asingle man, was so careful of his life, he, being married, and with afamily, had still greater reason for being careful of his. Having givenhis companion a proof of his courage, which had cost him nothing, heresolved to imitate the latter in another respect. After going ahundred paces farther, he also stretched himself along the grass, andentered into the land of dreams--perhaps dreaming of his wife; and howupon his bed of moss he was enjoying the good fortune of escaping fromher ill temper. Before falling asleep he had promised himself to awakeat an early hour, and after rousing his companion to abuse him for hiscowardice.
Unfortunately for Suarez, he reckoned without his host, when supposinghe could awake himself; and both he and his partner slept, until longafter the other eight had reassembled at the rendezvous, and commenceddeliberating upon a more earnest prosecution of the search.
The moon had already gone down, and the day was beginning to dawn. Thegrey light falling upon the group of insurgent horsemen--dressed intheir half-military, half-peasant costumes, soiled and tattered by longcampaigning--presented a tableau of the most picturesque character.
Around the glade, their horses, tied to the trees, were endeavouring tosatisfy their hunger by gnawing at the leaves and twigs. Even thismiserable pasture was scarce attainable, on account of the bitts whichthe animals still had in their mouths, and which were heard constantlyclanking between their teeth. The eight insurgents had seatedthemselves in the centre of the glade; and with their carbines restingacross their knees, and their daggers sticking in their boot tops, werelistening to the discourse of Pepe Lobos.
"Suarez and Pacheco will never return," continued Pepe, in answer to theconjectures of his comrades. "It is as good as certain that thisColonel of Beelzebub has settled the affair with both
--just as he didwith poor Panchito Jolas; and since we have searched all night withoutfinding any trace--"
"We explored our route with the greatest care!" interrupted one of thebeaters who had exhibited the greatest dread of encountering theColonel.
"We have done the same," added Pepe Lobos. "Ask my partner there.Although his trace has escaped our observation, it is evident theRoyalist is somewhere in this wood--else what has become of Suarez andPacheco? Yes, he is in it yet, be assured; and my advice is that we goback to the place where he left the main road, and follow the track ofhis horse from there. That will be the more likely plan to bring us tothe place where he is at this minute."
The other seven gave in their consent to this plan, and it was resolvedthat it should be carried into execution.
"As for the reward of five hundred dollars," continued Pepe Lobos,"that's all very well. But I say vengeance before everything; and wewill do better to kill this fierce devil at once. A fig for the bounty,say I!"
"Perhaps the Captain will pay one half, if we bring him in dead?"suggested one of the insurgents.
"When we have ascertained exactly where he is hid," continued Pepe,without heeding the suggestion, "we can then separate into two partiesof four each. One can approach from one side, and the other party inthe opposite direction. We shall thus have him between us; and letwhoever sets eye on him fire at him as at a mad dog. That is the onlyway to make sure; besides, if he should be only wounded and we can carryhim to camp with a little life in him, we shall still be entitled to thereward."
The counsel of Pepe Lobos met with a universal approbation; and it wasfinally resolved that as soon as day had fairly broken, they should allreturn to the main road and recommence the search.
Just as the sun commenced gilding the lofty summits of the palm-trees,the eight guerilleros scattered themselves along the road to examine thehoof tracks, and if possible discover the point at which Don Rafael hadturned off into the woods. This was by no means so easily accomplished:for the ground was now trodden by their own horses in such a fashionthat it seemed impossible to distinguish which of the trails was that ofthe Royalist dragoon. A native of Europe would have examined them invain; but to a vaquero of Mexico, a gaucho of Chili, or in fact a nativepeasant of any part of Spanish-America, it was simply a work of time andpatience. In fact, scarce ten minutes had passed, before Pepe Loboscalled to his comrades to announce that he had discovered the track theywere in search of.
Besides the hoof-prints of a horse, a twig broken from the branch of atree, and some fresh leaves of sassafras laurel lying upon the ground,showed clearly the place where Don Rafael had passed through theunderwood.
After following his trail for some paces, all believed that the fugitivecould not be far distant from the spot. The two parties were thenformed: one to advance directly on the trail, the other to make acircuit and enter the thicket from the opposite direction.
While the latter was executing the movement agreed upon, the four menwho composed it came suddenly upon the horsemen whom Arroyo had sent inpursuit of Juan de Zapote and the fugitive messenger. By their knownwatchword the two parties of insurgents recognised each other; and,after joining their forces, they agreed to separate again into threebodies, and thus advance towards the spot where it was conjectured DonRafael might be hidden. Four parties were now closing in upon a commoncentre; and just in that centre stood the great cedrela in which DonRafael had ensconced himself.
As all four were acting under a common understanding that the RoyalistColonel was to be shot down upon sight, it will be perceived that theposition of Don Rafael was now one of imminent danger. The very leastmisfortune that seemed to menace him would be to have the opportunity todie sword in hand--fighting to the death: for this would be farpreferable to falling into the hands of his pitiless foeman, the brigandArroyo. With the Royalist Colonel it was in reality a moment of extremeperil.