La fièvre d'or. English

  II.--EL MESON DE SAN JUAN.

  A great deal has been written about the cool and inhospitable way inwhich Spanish and Sicilian landlords receive the travellers whomProvidence sends them; but it is evident to us that those who write insuch wise are not acquainted, even by hearsay, with the _mesoneros_ orMexican hosts. Were it so, they would doubtlessly, at their own riskand peril, have rehabilitated those worthy fellows, to discharge thewhole weight of their indignation on the _huespedes_ of New Spain.

  It is a justice to render to the Spanish and Sicilian landlords, that ifthey are utterly unable to satisfy in any way the exigencies oftravellers, by giving the latter the provisions they demand, still theygreet them with so affable a countenance, and veil their refusal undersuch an exquisite politeness, that in nine cases out of ten thetraveller is compelled to allow that he was himself to blame for notlaying in the necessary provisions, and therefore sups on apologies.

  In Mexico things are very different. On the few high roads formerlyconstructed by the Spaniards, and which the neglect of the differentgovernments that succeeded them has left in such a state that they willsoon disappear completely, there stand, at long distances from eachother, vast buildings which resemble fortresses, for they are nearly allsurrounded by embattled and loopholed walls. These buildings are the_mesones_, or inns.

  The interior is composed, first, of an enormous court, with a _noria_,or well, intended to water the horses. Corrals for the beasts of burdenoccupy the four corners of this yard. In a separate building are thetravellers' _cuartos_; that is to say, miserable dens furnished onlywith a frame of oak, covered with a cowhide, which serves as a bed.These cuartos are numbered, and all open on long corridors. Eachtraveller is obliged to bring with him the indispensable bedding, forthe host only supplies the alfalfa for the horses' provender, and waterfrom the noria.

  It was about ten at night when Colonel Guerrero arrived at the door ofthe meson of San Juan, which was hermetically closed. Upon the repeatedblows dealt by one of the servants, a wicket pierced in the wall, abouttwo paces from the gate, at length opened; an ill-tempered face wasvisible, and a rough voice shouted,--

  "Who dares to make such a disturbance at the gate of so honest andrespectable a meson as this?"

  "Travellers have arrived, Don Cristoval Saccaplata," the colonelanswered. "Come, open quickly, for we have made a long journey, and aretired."

  "Hum! They all say the same thing," the host growled. "What do I carefor that? I shall not open, it is too late; so go your way, and Heavenprotect you!"

  And he prepared to close the wicket.

  "One moment. Confound you!" the colonel shouted, "you will not let usbivouac in front of your door? That would not be at all honourable foryou."

  "Bah! A night is soon passed," the host replied with a grin; "besides,you can go on to the meson del Salto: they will open to you there."

  "Don't you know that is eight miles off?"

  "Of course I do."

  "Come, open, Senor Saccaplata: you would not have the barbarity to leaveus out here?"

  "Why not?"

  "Because, if you do open, you will be rewarded in a way which you willnot repent of."

  "Yes, yes, all travellers are the same; they make plenty of promises solong as they are outside; but once in, they are not in a hurry to untietheir purse-strings."

  "That will not be the case with us."

  "How do I know?" the _huesped_ said, shrugging his shoulders. "My houseis full; I have no room left."

  "We will find some, dear Saccaplata."

  "Halloh! Who are you, pray, who know me so well? Maybe you are one ofthose _caballeros de la noche_ who have been ransacking the country forsome time past."

  "You are mistaken grossly, and I will prove it to you," the colonelanswered, anxious to cut short this open-air conversation. "Take thatfirst," he said, throwing two ounces through the wicket; "and now, toprevent any misunderstanding, know that I am Don Sebastian Guerrero."

  The worthy landlord was only sensible to one argument--that which thecolonel had so judiciously employed to overcome his resistance. Hestooped, picked up the two ounces, which disappeared in a second, andagain addressing the travellers, but this time with a tone which hestrove to render more amiable,--

  "Come," he said, "I must e'en do what you wish, I am too good-hearted.You have provisions, I hope?"

  "We have everything we require."

  "All the better, for I could not have supplied you. Do not be impatient;I am coming down."

  He disappeared from the wicket, and within five minutes could be heardunbarring the door, growling fearfully the while. The travellers thenentered the yard of the meson. The huesped had lied like the truelandlord he was; he only had in the house two or three muleteers withtheir animals, and three travellers, who, by their dress, seemed to behacenderos from the vicinity.

  "Halloh!" Don Sebastian shouted, "someone to take my horse."

  "If you begin in that way we shall not be friends long," the huespedsaid in the sharp tone he had previously employed. "Here, everyone, bigor little, waits on himself, and attends to his own horse."

  The colonel was far from being of a patient temper. If he had previouslyendured the host's insolence, it was solely because it was impossible tochastise him; but that reason no longer existed. Sharply dismounting, hedrew his pistols from his holsters, thrust them in his belt, and walkingboldly toward Senor Saccaplata, seized him by the collar and shook himroughly.

  "Listen, master rogue!" he said to him. "A truce to your insolence, andwait on me, unless you would repent it."

  The host was so amazed at this brusque way of replying to him, and thisassault on his inviolability, that for a moment he remained dumb throughconfusion and wrath. His face became crimson, his eyes rolled, and he atlength shouted in a strangled voice,--

  "Help! Help me! Such an insult! By the body of Christ, I will notoverlook it! Leave my house at once!"

  "I shall not go," the colonel answered peaceably, but firmly; "and youwill attend to me immediately."

  "Oh! We shall see that. Here, help, Pedro, Juan, Jacinto! Come, all ofyou, and on to these rascals!"

  Seven or eight servants rushed from the corrals at the sound of theirmaster's voice, and ranged themselves behind him.

  "Very good," the colonel said, raising his pistols. "I'll blow out thebrains of the first scamp who moves a step toward me with badintention."

  We need not say that the peons remained motionless, as if they hadsuddenly been changed into blocks of granite. One of the colonel'sservants had assisted Dona Angela from her horse, and accompanied her toa cuarto, in which he installed her; then he returned in all haste tohis master's side, foreseeing that his co-operation would be speedilyneeded.

  The courtyard of the meson offered a most singular aspect at this momentby the light of the torches of ocote wood, passed through iron ringsalong the walls. On one side stood the host and his servants; on theother, Don Sebastian's four footmen, with their hands on their weapons,and the guitar player, with his jarana on his back, and his hands foldedon his chest; a little on one side, the travellers and arrierospreviously arrived; and in the centre, alone, with his pistols in hishand, the colonel, with frowning brow and flashing eyes.

  "Enough of this, scoundrel!" he shouted. "For a long time you have beenplundering and insulting the travellers whom Providence sends to you.By heavens! If you do not on the instant demand my pardon for yourinsolence, and if you do not serve me with all that politeness I have aright to demand from you, I will inflict on you, upon the spot, acorrection which you will remember your life long."

  "Take care what you are about, my master," the huesped answeredironically. "You see that I have men to help me. If you do not decamp atonce, all the worse for you. I have witnesses, and the _juez de letras_shall decide."

  "Good heavens!" the colonel shouted, "that is too much, and removes allmy scruples. The scoundrel threatens me with the law. Level your pieces,men, and fire on the first who stirs!"

&
nbsp; The domestics obeyed. Don Sebastian then seized the host, despite hiscries and desperate resistance, and in a second had him down on theground.

  "I believe I shall do a service to all the travellers whom their evilstar may in future bring to this den," he continued, "by punishing thisscamp as he deserves."

  The witnesses of this scene--peons, arrieros, or travellers--had notmade a move to help the host. It was evident that all, for certainreasons, were in their hearts pleased with what was happening to him.Not one of them would have dared to take on himself the responsibilityof such an act; but as there was someone ready to do so, they werecareful not to offer the slightest obstacle to him. By the peremptoryorder of the colonel, the poor landlord was fastened by two of his ownservants to the long pole of the noria, and debarred from making theslightest movement.

  "Now," the colonel continued, "each of you take a _reata_, and thrashhim till he confesses himself conquered, and consents to do what I askof him."

  Despite their feigned repugnance, the host's two peons were compelled toobey the colonel; for his orders were supported by four rifles and twopistols, whose gaping muzzles were directed point blank at them. Tohonour the truth, we must confess that, either through terror or forsome other cause, the two peons conscientiously performed their duty.

  The host howled like a bull. He was mad with rage, and writhed like aviper in the bonds which he tried in vain to break. The colonel stoodstoically by his side, only asking him from time to time, ironically,how he liked his arguments, and if he would soon make up his mind toyield. Human strength has limits which it cannot pass. In spite of allhis fury and obstinacy, the host was forced to confess to himself,aside, that he had to do with a man more obstinate than he was, andthat, if he did not wish to die under the lash, he must resolve toendure the humiliation imposed on him.

  "I surrender," he said, in a voice broken as much by anger as by pain.

  "Already!" the colonel remarked coldly. "Pooh! I fancied you braver.Why, you have hardly received thirty lashes. Stop, you fellows, andunfasten your master!"

  The peons eagerly obeyed. When free, the host tried to rise, but hisstrength failed him, and he fell back on the ground, where he lay forseveral moments powerless to move. At length he made a desperate effort,and picked himself up. His face was pale; his features were contracted;an abundant perspiration stood on his temples, which throbbed as ifready to burst; he had a buzzing in his ears; and tears of shame pouredfrom his eyes. He took a few tottering steps toward the colonel.

  "I am at your orders, caballero," he said, bowing his head humbly."Speak: what must I do?"

  "Good!" the latter remarked. "Now you are reasonable; you are muchbetter so. Give some provender to my horses, and assist my servants towait on me."

  "Pardon, caballero!" the huesped said. "Will you allow me to say twowords to you?"

  The colonel smiled contemptuously.

  "To what end? I know them, and I will repeat them myself. You wish towarn me that, obliged to yield to superior force, you have done so, butyou will avenge yourself on the first opportunity. Is not that it?"

  "Yes," he muttered in a hollow voice.

  "Very well; you are quite at liberty to do so, master host; but takeyour precautions, for I warn you that, if you miss me, I shall not missyou. So now wait on me, and make haste."

  And, shrugging his shoulders, the colonel turned his back on him with asmile of disdain.

  The host watched him depart with a hateful expression, which impartedsomething hideous to his face; and when he saw that the colonel was outof the yard, he shook his head twice or thrice, muttering to himself,--

  "Yes, I will avenge myself, demon, and sooner than you imagine."

  After this aside, he composed his face and attended to his householdduties with an activity and apparent indifference that caused hisservants to be thoughtful, for they knew his rancorous character. Stillhe did not complain; he made no allusion to the cruel punishment he hadundergone, but, on the contrary, waited on the travellers with anattention and politeness they had not been accustomed to prior to thisunlucky day; and they took advantage of the change, while keeping ontheir guard.

  Still nothing apparently happened to justify their suspicions--all wenton calmly: the travellers retired to bed one after the other; then thehost made his round to assure himself that all was in order, and retiredto the room reserved for his private use.

  The colonel had already been asleep some hours, and was in a deep sleep,from which he was suddenly aroused by a noise he heard at his door.

  "Who's there?" he asked.

  "Silence!" someone answered outside. "Open; it is a friend."

  "Friend or foe, tell me who you are, that I may know with whom I have todeal."

  "I am," the voice made answer, "the man you met on the road."

  "Hem! What do you want with me? Why are you not asleep at this hour,instead of coming to rouse me?"

  "Open, in Heaven's name! I have important news to tell you."

  The colonel hesitated for a moment, but soon reflecting that this man,to whom he had done no harm, could have no motive, for being his enemy,he decided on getting up. Still, through prudence, he cocked one of hispistols, which he had placed by his side on retiring to bed, and went toopen the door. The stranger walked in quickly, and closed it after him.

  "Speak low," he said hurriedly. "Listen to me: the host is forming somescheme against you."

  "I suspect it," the colonel said, who, while speaking, had lit a candle;"but whatever he may do, I am out of his reach, and the scoundrel willbe crushed if he attack me."

  "Who knows?" the stranger said.

  "Come, you know something positive. Have I any plot to fear inside thehouse?"

  "I do not think so."

  "Tell me what you have discovered, then."

  "I will do so; but in the first place, as I am a total stranger to you,allow me to tell you my name."

  "For what good?"

  "No one knows what may happen in this world: it is useful to be able todistinguish one's friends from one's enemies."

  "Speak; I am listening."

  "You nearly guessed the truth. Under my starving appearance I conceal acertain monetary value. My name is Don Cornelio Mendoza. I am a student.I had at Guadalajara an aunt, who, on dying, appointed me her heir. I amcarrying with me in my belt one hundred and fifty gold ounces, and in myportfolios bills for an equal amount payable at San Blas. You see that Iam not so poor as I appear to be. But the road between the two cities islong and dangerous, and I assumed this disguise to escape the robbers,if that be possible."

  "Very good, Don Cornelio: you can now, if you please, change yourattire, for I hope that we shall pursue our journey together."

  "With all my heart; but if it make no difference, I will retain mylepero dress provisionally."

  "As you please; but now to the fact. What have you to tell me?"

  "Not much, but yet enough to put us on our guard. Our landlord, aftermaking his round and assuring himself that everyone had retired, woke upone of his servants, the very one who thrashed him with such good will."

  "Yes, I remember that rogue's face."

  "Very good. After calling him into his room, he remained shut up withhim for ten minutes; then he opened a window, the peon leaped out on thehighway, and ran off at full speed."

  "Oh, oh!" the colonel said.

  "The landlord looked after him till he disappeared, then mutteredseveral words I could not understand, excepting one name, which, thanksto Heaven, reached my ear."

  "What was it?"

  "El Buitre (the Vulture)."

  "Hum! Is that all?"

  "Yes."

  "It does not teach me much; but how did you learn all this? The landlorddid not make you his confidant, I suppose?"

  "No, not a bit in the world. I became his confidant in spite of himself,and in the most natural way. My cuarto is just over his room. I heardhim open a window, and I listened."

  "Yes, but unfortunately you heard
nothing."

  "Yes, a name."

  "But a name which has no meaning for us."

  "On the contrary, it is of enormous significance."

  "How so?"

  "The famous leader of the salteadores, whose band has been desolatingthe province for a year, is called El Buitre. Do you now understand?"

  "Body o' me!" the colonel shouted, as he jumped up hurriedly, "I ratherthink I do understand."