CHAPTER SEVENTY.
NEWS SWEET AND SAD.
From the middle of the cane-brake where Don Rafael had found shelter, hewas able through the stems of the bamboos to see the camp of Arroyo andhis bandits. He could note many of the movements passing within theirlines; and at length perceived the guerilleros striking their tents, andriding off in a body from the banks of the river.
He still kept his place, however, until the night had fairly come on,and then wading back to the high bank where the bamboo thicketcommenced, he looked out upon the open space between the river and theedge of the forest.
At first, all was silent along the bank of the stream; but shortly afterthree horsemen were seen riding past, and not far behind them two othermen followed, also on horseback.
The first party were Don Cornelio and his companions, making for theford of the river. The other horsemen were two of Arroyo's _guerilla_--who, by his orders, had remained near the hacienda Del Valle, for thepurpose of taking down the heads of his three followers nailed over thegate--should an opportunity offer for their so doing. They had foundthe opportunity--as already known--and it was they who had passed DonCornelio at the ford, and whose ambiguous speech had caused a differenceof opinion, as to its meaning, between the Captain and Clara.
The first care of Don Rafael, as soon as he believed the road to beclear, was to recover his horse--which he had left tied in a thicket inthe woods.
Like his master, Roncador had escaped the researches of the bandits; butso weak was he with thirst and hunger, that Don Rafael had doubtswhether the poor animal would be able to carry him. It was necessarythat he should take the horse to the river, in order to water him. Thisrequired to be done by stealth; for, although Don Rafael had witnessedthe departure of the guerilleros from the ford, he did not know whetherthose who blockaded the hacienda had also gone away.
After giving Roncador his drink, just as he was leading the horse up thebank again, he perceived a man coming from the direction of the ford.As this man was on foot and alone, Don Rafael resolved to stop andquestion him. Sabre in hand, therefore, he placed himself in front ofthe pedestrian.
The latter, thus assailed by a man with a naked sword--and who wascovered from head to foot with a coating of mud--was almost frightenedout of his senses.
"Oh, Lord!" he cried, "help a poor servant who is seeking assistance forhis master!"
"Who is your master?" demanded Don Rafael.
"Don Fernando Lacarra," answered the man.
"Of the hacienda San Carlos?"
"_Si, Senor_. You know him?"
"Yes: is he in any danger?"
"Alas!" replied this servant, "the hacienda is pillaged by guerilleros;and, just as I was leaving it, I heard the groans of my poor masterunder the lash of their Captain Arroyo--"
"Again this villain!" muttered Don Rafael, interrupting the narratorwith his angry soliloquy.
"Ah! he is always committing some crime," rejoined the servant.
"And your mistress--the Dona Marianita--what of her?"
"It was to make him tell where she was concealed that Arroyo wasflogging my master," replied the man. "Fortunately I was able to gether out of the way, by assisting her to descend from the window of thechamber where they had hidden her. Afterwards I got off myself, and amnow on my way to the hacienda Del Valle, in hopes of getting assistancefrom its brave defenders, who themselves never violate the laws of war."
"But how will you get in there? Are not some of Arroyo's guerillerosstill besieging the place?"
"No, Senor. The whole band is now at San Carlos."
"Good!" exclaimed the Colonel. "Come along with me, and I promise you aprompt and bloody vengeance."
Without further explaining himself, Don Rafael leaped upon his horse,directing the domestic to mount behind him, and then started off at arapid trot in the direction of Del Valle.
"Where did you leave your mistress?" inquired Don Rafael, as they rodeon.
"In truth, sir," replied the domestic, "I was so confused when she leftme, that I did not think of reminding her to fly to Del Valle. I onlytold her to make into the woods near San Carlos. But the most importantmatter was for her to get out of the reach of Arroyo; and I hope shewill be safe in the chapparal. Poor young creature! She was so happythis morning. She was expecting on this very night the arrival of herfather and sister--neither of whom she has seen for a long time."
The Colonel could not hinder himself from shuddering.
"Are you sure that it is to-night that Don Mariano and Dona Gertrudisare expected at San Carlos?" he inquired, with a tone of anxiety in hisvoice.
"Yes; a letter had reached my master to say so. God forbid that they,too, should fall into the hands of these merciless men! They say, too,that Arroyo is an old servant of Don Mariano."
"Let us hope they may not come!" said the Colonel, with a chokingeffort.
"It may be," continued the domestic, "that the illness of Dona Gertrudismay detain them a day or two on the journey. That would be the luckiestthing that could happen."
"What say you? is Dona Gertrudis ill!"
"Senor!" exclaimed the domestic, "you, who appear to know the family,are you ignorant that Dona Gertrudis is only the shadow of her formerself, and that some secret grief is wasting her away? But, Senor, whydo you tremble?" inquired the man, who, with his arm round his waist,felt the nervous agitation of Don Rafael's body.
"Oh, nothing," replied the latter; "but tell me--does any one know thecause of her grief?"
"Rather say, who is there who don't know it, Senor? Dona Gertrudis wasin love with a young officer; and so fondly, that it is said she cut offthe whole of her beautiful hair, as a sacrifice to the Holy Virgin, forsaving his life on an occasion when he was in danger! And yet for allthis, he who was thus loved proved faithless, and deserted her!"
"Well?" mechanically interposed Don Rafael.
"Well," continued the servant, "the poor young lady is dying on accountof being so deserted--dying by inches; but surely--why, Senor, you arecertainly ill? I feel your heart beating against my hand as if it wouldleap out of your bosom!"
"It is true," answered Don Rafael, in a husky voice. "I am subject tosevere palpitations; but presently--" The Colonel, for support, fellback against the domestic, his herculean strength having yielded to thepowerful emotions which were passing within him. "Presently," hecontinued, "I shall get over it. I feel better already. Go on withyour history. This man--this officer--did he ever tell Dona Gertrudisthat he no longer loved her? Does he love any other?"
"I do not know," was the response of the domestic.
"Could she not have sent him word--say by some means agreed upon--whichshould bring him back to her from the farthest corner of the earth?Perhaps then--"
Don Rafael could not finish what he intended to have said. A brighthope, long time suppressed, began to spring up within his heart, andwith such force, that he feared to know the truth--lest it should becrushed on the instant.
"Senor, you ask me more than I am able to answer," rejoined thedomestic. "I have told you all I know of this sad story!"
Heaving a deep sigh, the Colonel remained for some moments silent.After a while, he resumed the conversation, by putting a question, theanswer to which might terminate his doubts.
"Have you ever heard the name of this young officer?"
"No," replied the domestic; "but were I in his place, I should not leavethis young lady to die, for one lovelier I never beheld in all my life."
These were the last words spoken on either side: for at that moment thevoices of the sentinels, challenging from the walls of the hacienda, putan end to the conversation.
"Say to Lieutenant Veraegui," commanded Don Rafael, in reply to thechallenge, "that it is Colonel Tres-Villas."
The sound of the trumpets inside soon after signalised the joy felt bythe garrison at the return of their old commandant, while the domesticof Don Fernando flung himself promptly to the ground, asking a thousandpardo
ns for not recognising the quality of his _compagnon de cheval_.
"It is I who have most reason to feel obliged," said Don Rafael."Remain here till I see you again. I may, perhaps, need you for animportant message."
The domestic bowed respectfully, taking hold of the bridle of DonRafael's horse, while the Lieutenant Veraegui, the _alferez_, withseveral soldiers of the garrison, came forth with torches tocongratulate their superior officer on his escape from the dangers thathad so lately surrounded him.
As soon as their first greetings had been exchanged, Veraegui informedthe Colonel that they were just about preparing to start upon anexpedition against the banditti of Arroyo.
"You know where they are, then?" said Don Rafael.
"Not the precise spot. But it is not difficult to find the traces ofthese gentry," replied Catalan.
"True," rejoined the Colonel. "But I chance to know their whereabouts.They are just now at the hacienda of San Carlos. This faithful servant,who is holding my horse, has lately escaped from them, and come to begyour assistance to rescue his master from the brutal outrages they areat this moment inflicting upon him. Lieutenant Veraegui! see that yourmen are provided with a sufficient quantity of ropes. Let a piece ofordnance be mounted upon the back of a mule: we shall, no doubt, requireit to force open the gate."
"But, Senor Colonel, what do you want with the ropes?" inquired theLieutenant, with a significant smile.
"For the execution of these brigands. We shall hang them to the lastman, my dear Veraegui."
"Good!" assented the Catalan, in a joyous accent, "and this time by theheels, I hope. I shall never forgive myself for my foolishindulgence--"
"What! you have spared some of them?" interrupted Don Rafael.
"I have been too merciful to four whom I captured yesterday--in hangingthem by the necks. But, by the way, Colonel, now I think of it, two oddfellows came in a while ago, who say that they wish to speak with you."
"I cannot receive them now," answered Don Rafael, little suspecting thesupreme happiness their message would have given him. "I shall see themon my return. We have already wasted too much time, while the worthyproprietor of San Carlos is no doubt counting the minutes in anguish. Ishall not even stay to change my dress; so haste, and get your men uponhorseback."
"Sound `Boots and saddles!'" cried the Lieutenant, hurrying into thecourtyard to give further orders; while Don Rafael, under the pretext ofbeing alone for a few minutes, walked out into the garden, and directedhis steps towards the spot where, two years before, he had deposited theremains of his father in the tomb.
His spirit once more excited by the revelations made by the domestic ofDon Fernando, he felt he needed a moment of prayer to strengthen him forthis final effort for the punishment of his father's assassins. Themurder of his father had been for him a terrible blow, but, as timepassed, even this grief, by little and little, had become appeased.
Far different was it with that other passion--which neither time, norabsence, nor the constant changing of scene, nor the duties of an activecampaign, had been able to eradicate from his bosom.
He now knew that Gertrudis reciprocated his ardent love--that she wasdying of it; and, in the midst of the mournful joy which this news hadproduced, he could have forgotten that his father's death was not yetavenged, as he had sworn it should be. One of the assassins was at nogreat distance from him, and yet he could scarcely restrain himself fromyielding to the almost irresistible desire of galloping direct toOajaca, where he supposed Gertrudis to be, and then, flinging himself ather feet, confessing that, without her, he could no longer live.
It was to steel his soul against this temptation, and enable him to keepthe oath he had sworn, that Don Rafael now repaired to his father'sgrave.