CHAPTER IV.
INSIDE THE HACIENDA.
Although since the beginning of the civil war the Hacienda del Barriohad frequently served as headquarters for the insurgents of New Spain,and, for this reason, had sustained several regular sieges from thegovernment troops, who twice took it by storm, still, in the interiorat least, but slight changes had taken place since the time when wefirst introduced the reader to it.
Still this house, which at that time was almost a country mansion,had become a real fortress, a deep and wide fosse had been dug roundthat side of the walls which might be accessible, and the threateningmuzzles of several heavy guns peeped out of the embrasures, to avoid asurprise and defend the approaches to the hacienda. The trees had beenfelled for a radius of nearly a mile all round, the scarped path whichran round the hill and led to the gateway had been dug up in severalplaces so as to render the approach still more difficult, and thedrawbridge had been placed in working order.
On entering the hacienda the adventurers and travellers were receivedby a caballero, who paid them the greatest attention. It was theproprietor of the hacienda, Don Anibal de Saldibar. The eleven yearswhich had elapsed since our prologue had produced but very slighteffect on his vigorous organization. A few wrinkles had formed on thehacendero's wide forehead, here and there a few threads of silver weremingled with his black hair, but that was all. He was still upright,and his eye was bright as ever. He and Don Aurelio had been longacquainted, and appeared to feel a sincere friendship for each other.
"You and the gentlemen who accompany you are welcome," Don Anibalexclaimed as he warmly pressed his friend's hand; "you could not havearrived more opportunely. Had it not been for you, I know not howmatters would have ended."
"Well, I hope," Don Aurelio said, warmly returning the pressure; "arewe the first at the meeting?"
"On my word, nearly so, there are very few persons here as yet. Youknow how difficult the communications are, and what a system ofespionage Senor Apodaca, his Excellency the Viceroy of New Spain, hasinvented. It is a perfect inquisition. Every suspicious individual isimmediately arrested, so that our friends are obliged to act with thegreatest prudence."
"In fact, we have unhappily reached that point when one half thepopulation plays the spy on the other."
"Well, enough on this head for the present. You and your friends mustneed rest. Allow me to conduct you myself to the cuartos which havebeen prepared for you by my orders."
"On my word, I confess to you that I accept your offer with the samefrankness in which it is made."
Don Anibal then led his guests to spacious and rather comfortablefurnished apartments, where he left them at liberty to behave as theythought proper, informing them that refreshments would be brought themdirectly; then he left them, in order to receive other persons whoarrived at the hacienda at the moment. In fact, scarce had Don Aniballeft, ere the door opened to make way for several footmen, loaded withtrays covered with refreshments of every description. The Sumach, afterbivouacking his adventurers in a corral, rejoined Don Aurelio, withwhom remained only one of his servants, namely, Viscachu, in whom heseemed to have the greatest confidence.
Our four friends, that is to say, Don Aurelio, Moonshine, the Sumach,and Viscachu, sat down to the table, and did honour to the refreshmentssent by Don Anibal, in a manner which would have assuredly pleased him,had he seen it. Viscachu, doubtless through humility, was seated alittle away; he alone ate moderately, rather as a man who does not wishto be guilty of want of courtesy, than as a man who had just riddenten leagues, and whose appetite must have been sharpened by recentand vigorous exercise. When the travellers' hunger was appeased, theconversation, which had, at, the outset, been languishing, became moreanimated, and naturally turned on the master of the house in which theguests were assembled. Moonshine, after lighting his pipe, addressedDon Aurelio.
"Will you allow me," he said to him, "to ask you a few questions withreference to our host?"
"I see no reason why you should not," the Mexican replied; "I shall beeven pleased to give you all the information you wish about him that Iam in a position to supply."
"These questions will be quite general," the Canadian continued. "Myfriend and I are strangers, and as it is probable that circumstanceswill oblige us to make a rather lengthened stay in this country, Iconfess to you that we should be glad to have certain information aboutpersons with whom chance may bring us into contact, which will enableus to act toward them in such a way as will not hurt either theirfeelings or their interests."
"The fact is," Oliver Clary said in support, interrupting his wordswith numerous puffs of smoke, "the country is so extraordinary, allthat goes on in it so far surpasses anything I have hitherto seen, thatI am quite of my countryman and friend's opinion."
"As you please. To begin, I presume that you would like to knowsomething about our host."
"You have hit it, caballero," both men said, with a polite bow.
"Nothing is easier, the more so because I am a distant relative ofDon Anibal, and am better able than most persons to give you theinformation you require."
"Excellent," the Sumach said, as he threw himself lazily back in hischair.
"I think nothing equal to a good story after a jolly breakfast," saidMoonshine, as he rested his elbows on the table, and prepared to listen.
Don Aurelio delicately rolled a husk cigarette between his fingers, litit, and then went on as follows:--
"It is scarce midday," he said; "it is probable that we shall not bedisturbed till four o'clock, for Don Anibal is at this moment occupiedin receiving the numerous visitors who are arriving from all parts ofthe province. We have four hours before us, which we cannot employbetter; so listen to me."
After this sort of introduction, the Mexican summoned up hisrecollections for a few minutes, and then went on like a man preparedto tell a long story:--
"Don Anibal Heredia Gomez de Alvarado y Saldibar is what we call inthis country a _Cristiano viejo_, that is to say, his blood has nevercrossed, during ages, with that of the Indians; he is descended ina straight line from that famous Don Pedro de Alvarado to whom DonHernando Cortes entrusted the government and command of the city ofMexico, when he was compelled to proceed to Veracruz, to fight DonPamfilo de Narvaez, whom Don Diego Velasquez, Governor of Cuba, sentagainst him, and who passed with all his men under the flag of theconqueror. You will see from this rapid sketch that Don Anibal comesfrom a good stock. When Hernando Cortes had completed the conquestof Mexico, he divided the vast territory among all his lieutenants.Don Pedro de Alvarado, owing to his fidelity to the Conquistador,was naturally the best provided for, and he soon found himself inpossession of an enormous fortune. This fortune, being well managed,augmented in the course of time, and thus at the present day Don Anibalis not only one of the richest landowners in New Spain, but in thewhole world. This colossal fortune was further increased, some sixteenyears back, by Don Anibal's marriage with Dona Emilia de Aguilar, mycousin, sixth removed. Dona Emilia was at that period seventeen yearsof age, and one of the loveliest girls in the province."
Don Aurelio paused for a few seconds, and then continued--
"Here there is a grand gap, not in my recollection, but in theinformation I have been able to collect. At the period to which Iallude some interesting business forced me to make a voyage to theHavana, so that I only heard on my return that Don Anibal had drawnon himself the hatred of certain Indians established on his estates;that these Indians, expelled by him, had sworn to avenge themselves,which they tried several times, but unsuccessfully. While this wasgoing on, Hidalgo, the cure of Dolores, raised the standard of revolt,and summoning the population under arms, began that long war ofindependence which is not yet terminated. Although of Spanish origin,Don Anibal, whose whole fortune consists of land and mines, and whomthe triumph of the revolution would irremediably ruin if he obstinatelyremained faithful to the Spanish government, either through interest orconviction, or through these motives united, joined the insurrectio
n,and became one of its most devoted adherents. The house in which weare at this moment, perfectly situated, as you can see, and tolerablywell fortified to resist a surprise, has several times served asheadquarters for the insurgents. Once was Don Anibal surprised suddenlyby the Spaniards; the hacienda was so completely and rapidly investedthat Don Anibal had not the time, as he had intended, to send DonaEmilia and her child, who was then hardly eighteen months old, to LeonaVicario. Both, therefore, remained with him, and then a frightfulaffair, which has never been properly cleared up, took place. A snakewas conveyed into the garden of the hacienda by an Indian, as was foundby the trail discovered on the sand, and the bag of tapir hide heleft behind. How this Indian contrived to elude the vigilance of thesentinels no one ever knew. Still it is a fact that this snake, withoutdoing the slightest hurt to the infant, attacked the nurse, whosemilk it sucked with a horrible frenzy. The wretched girl died almostimmediately after in fearful convulsions, and Dona Emilia, who was awitness of the tragedy, not having the strength to endure it, went mad."
"Oh!" the hearers exclaimed, with a terror mingled with horror, "thatis fearful."
"Is it not?" Don Aurelio said sadly.
"And what became of the unhappy mother?" Moonshine asked with interest.
"Did she remain mad?" the adventurer added.
"No," the Mexican continued, "the unfortunate lady recovered herreason, or, at least, after two years of assiduous care, she appearedto do so, for, since the scene I have described to you, she hasconstantly suffered from terrible crises, which succeed each other witha strength and energy that continually grow greater."
"Poor woman!" Viscachu muttered.
"Oh, yes, poor woman!" Don Aurelio continued. "Don Anibal, althoughhe would not let it be seen, adored his wife. The misfortune whichburst on him like a thunderclap, by revealing to him all the immensityof his passion, deprived him of the strength any longer to concealit. All the time that Dona Emilia's madness lasted, the devotion andself-denial he displayed were sublime. When she at length recovered hersenses, he ordered all his servants not to restrain her in any way, butto let her act as she pleased, without even questioning or troublingher. A strange change had taken place in Dona Emilia's character; thiswoman or girl--for she was hardly eighteen years of age when themisfortune happened--so kind, gentle, timid, and graceful, became alioness thirsting for carnage, only dreaming of combats, and having onefixed idea, that of incessantly pursuing the redskins, and pitilesslydestroying them wherever she met them. Employing the liberty herhusband granted her, she frequently disappeared from the hacienda forwhole weeks, taking her daughter with her, from whom she never parts,and whom she has trained in her own feelings of hatred and revenge; andboth remained absent all this time, and no one was able to discoverwhat became of them, or what they were doing; then the mother anddaughter would return with smiling faces and tranquil demeanour, as ifnothing extraordinary had occurred."
"And now?" Moonshine interrupted.
"I believe that the same thing goes on now," the Mexican continued,"and that Dona Emilia has not given up her wanderings. Don Anibal,whom her absence terribly alarmed, has tried several times to preventthem, but he found that the precautions he took to keep his wife athome rendered her so unhappy that he preferred letting her act as shethought. However, for some reason unknown to me, the Indians feel sucha superstitious terror of her that her mere appearance suffices to putthem to flight, however numerous they may be, as has been witnessed onseveral occasions."
"It is extraordinary," Oliver Clary muttered.
"And the young lady?" Moonshine asked.
"She is now nearly fifteen years of age, and her name is Diana. Sheis an exquisite creature, light and graceful, fair-haired, and hereyes reflect the blue of heaven; but, beneath this delicate appearanceshe conceals an indomitable energy, and an incredible firmness ofcharacter. Educated by her mother, as I told you, she adores and onlyobeys her, although she has a deep and sincere friendship for herfather, and evinces the greatest respect for him. Still, Don Anibal,I feel persuaded, however energetic he may be, would not venture tocontend with her, for he would be certain beforehand of defeat. Theyoung lady is, therefore, quite her own mistress, and hence neverleaves her mother; but the singular thing is that these two females,who understand each other so thoroughly, have admitted a third personto their friendship."
"A third," the Canadian said; "who is it?"
"That is the strangest thing of all; he is a tall, well-built, powerfulyoung fellow of about two and twenty, whom Don Anibal brought back sometwelve or thirteen years ago from an expedition against the Indians,and there is every reason for believing that he is a redskin himself.This person's name, or rather the name given him, is Melchior Diaz.Gifted with prodigious strength and unequalled activity and Excellencyin all manly exercises, this young man is the darling of Don Anibal,who sees with secret despair the approaching extinction of his name,for he has no son, and is, consequently, the last of his race. Hence hehas bestowed on this young man, who, I must allow, is in every respectworthy of it, through the goodness of his heart and the rectitude ofhis mind, the affection he would feel for a real son; on the otherhand, being forced to consent to leave his wife and daughter theirliberty, he is glad to know they have such a devoted defender, forMelchior accompanies them in all their expeditions. Several times DonAnibal has tried to obtain from the young man some information asto their nature, but the latter has been impenetrable, intrenchinghimself behind the oath he says he has taken never to reveal anythingthat relates to Dona Emilia. Now, how is it that this lady, whohas such an inveterate hatred for the Indians, has taken into herfriendship this young man, who, I repeat, is assuredly a redskin, andis so attached to him that she will not let him leave her for a moment?"
"And what does Dona Diana think of this young man?" the hunter asked.
"Diana is a child knowing nothing of life; she believes that Melchioris her brother, for they were brought up together, and she feels afrank friendship for him."
"But the young man," Moonshine said searchingly, "does he know that heis not Dona Diana's brother?"
"I am not aware, but it is probable that Don Anibal or Dona Emilia hasinformed him of his origin."
"Is he at the hacienda at this moment?" the Sumach asked.
"I cannot tell you. I have not been here for several months, and so donot know what is going on. But I hear a footstep in the corridor, and Idoubt not but that we are going to be interrupted."
In truth, a light footstep was audible on the outside, coming nearerand nearer to the room in which the travellers were. At length the dooropened, and a peon appeared.
"Pardon, senores," he said, after bowing ceremoniously, "Don Anibal deSaldibar, my master, requests you to follow me to the grand hall, whereall the caballeros are assembled."
"We are at Don Anibal's orders," Don Aurelio said, as he rose.
His companions imitated him, and all four went out after the servant.