CHAPTER IX.
THE ASSASSINATION.
"Listen to me, Don Miguel," Red Cedar said, "and pray do not mistake mymeaning. I have not the slightest intention of intimidating you, nor doI think of attempting to gain your confidence by revelations which youmay fairly assume I have accidentally acquired."
The hacendero regarded with amazement the speaker, whose tone andmanner had so suddenly changed.
"I do not understand you," he said to him. "Explain yourself moreclearly, for the words you have just uttered are an enigma, the key towhich I seek in vain."
"You shall be satisfied, caballero; and if you do not catch the meaningof my words this time it must be because you will not. Like allintelligent men, you are wearied of the incessant struggles in which thevital strength of your country is exhausted unprofitably. You have seenthat a land so rich, so fertile, so gloriously endowed as Mexico, couldnot--I should say ought not--to remain longer the plaything of paltryambitions, and the arena on which all these transitory tyrannies sportin turn. For nearly thirty years you have dreamed of emancipation, notof your entire country, for that would be too rude a task, andunrealisable; but you said to yourself, 'Let us render New Mexicoindependent; form it into a new State, governed by wise laws rigorouslyexecuted. By liberal institutions let us give an impetus to all theriches with which it is choked, give intellect all the liberty itrequires, and perhaps within a few years the entire MexicanConfederation, amazed by the magnificent results I shall obtain, willfollow my example. Then I shall die happy at what I have effected--myobject will be carried out. I shall have saved my country from the abyssover which it hangs, through the double pressure of the invasion of theAmerican Union and the exhaustion of the Spanish race.' Are not thoseideas yours, caballero? Do you consider that I have explained myselfclearly this time?"
"Perhaps so, though I do not yet see distinctly the point you wish toreach. The thoughts you attribute to me are such as naturally occur toall men who sincerely love their country, and I will not pretend that Ihave not entertained them."
"You would be wrong in doing so, for they are great and noble, andbreathe the purest patriotism."
"A truce to compliments, and let us come to the point, for timepresses."
"Patience: I have not yet ended. These ideas must occur to you soonerthan to another, as you are the descendant of the first Aztec kings, andborn defender of the Indians in this hapless country. You see that I amwell acquainted with you, Don Miguel Zarate."
"Too well, perhaps," the Mexican gentleman muttered.
The squatter smiled and went on:--
"It is not chance that led me to this country. I knew what I was doing,and why I came. Don Miguel, the hour is a solemn one. All yourpreparations are made: will you hesitate to give New Mexico the signalwhich must render it independent of the metropolis which has so longbeen fattening at its expense? Answer me."
Don Miguel started. He fixed on the squatter a burning glance, in whichadmiration at the man's language could be read. Red Cedar shrugged hisshoulders.
"What! You still doubt?" he said.
He rose, went to a box from which he took some papers, and threw them onthe table before the hacendero, saying,--
"Read."
Don Miguel hurriedly seized the papers, and ran his eye over them.
"Well?" he asked, looking fixedly at the strange speaker.
"You see," the squatter answered, "that I am your accomplice. GeneralIbanez, your agent in Mexico, is in correspondence with me, as is Mr.Wood, your agent at New York."
"It is true," the Mexican said coldly, "you have the secret of theconspiracy. The only point left is to what extent that goes."
"I possess it entirely. I have orders to enlist the volunteers who willform the nucleus of the insurrectionary army."
"Good!"
"Now, you see, by these letters of General Ibanez and Mr. Wood, that Iam commissioned by them to come to an understanding with you, andreceive your final orders."
"I see it."
"What do you purpose doing?"
"Nothing."
"What, nothing!" the squatter exclaimed, bounding with surprise. "Youare jesting, I suppose."
"Listen to me in your turn, and pay attention to my words, for theyexpress my irrevocable resolution. I know not nor care to know, by whatmeans, more or less honourable, you have succeeded in gaining theconfidence of my partners, and becoming master of our secrets. Still itis my firm conviction that a cause which employs such men as yourself iscompromised, if not lost; hence I renounce every combination in whichyou are called to play a part. Your antecedents, and the life you lead,have placed you without the pale of the law."
"I am a bandit--out with it! What matter so long as you succeed? Doesnot the end justify the means?"
"That may be your morality, but it will never be mine. I repudiate allcommunity of ideas with men of your stamp. I will not have you either asaccomplice or partner."
The squatter darted a look at him laden with hatred and disappointment.
"In serving us," Don Miguel continued, "you can only have an interestedobject, which I will not take the trouble of guessing at. AnAnglo-American will never frankly aid a Mexican to conquer his liberty;he would lose too much by doing it."
"Then?"
"I renounce forever the projects I had formed. I had, I grant, dreamedof restoring to my country the independence of which it was unjustlystripped: but it shall remain a dream."
"That is your last word?"
"The last."
"You refuse?"
"I do."
"Good; then I now know what is left me to do."
"Well, what is it? Let me hear," the hacendero said, as he crossed hisarms on his breast, and looked him boldly in the face.
"I will tell you."
"I am waiting for you to do so."
"I hold your secret."
"Entirely?"
"Hence you are in my power."
"Perhaps."
"Who will prevent me going to the Governor of the State and denouncingyou?"
"He will not believe you."
"You think so?"
"I am sure of it."
"Perhaps, I will say in my turn."
"Why so?"
"Oh! you shall easily see."
"I am curious to learn it."
"However rich you may be, Don Miguel Zarate, and perhaps because ofthose very riches, and in spite of the kindness you sow broadcast, thenumber of your enemies is very considerable."
"I know it."
"Very good. Those enemies will joyfully seize the first opportunity thatpresents itself to destroy you."
"It is probable."
"You see, then. When I go to the governor and tell him you areconspiring, and, in support of my denunciation, hand him not only theseletters, but, several others written and signed by you, lying in thatchest, do you believe that the governor will treat me as an impostor,and refuse to arrest you?"
"Then you have letters in my hand-writing?"
"I have three, which will be enough to have you shot."
"Ah!"
"Yes. Hang it all! you understand: that, in an affair so important asthis, it is wise to take one's precautions, for no one knows what mayhappen; and men of my stamp," he added, with an ironical smile, "havemore reasons than others for being prudent."
"Come, that is well played," the hacendero said, carelessly.
"Is it not?"
"Yes, and I compliment you on it: you are a better player than I gaveyou credit for."
"Oh! You do not know me yet."
"The little I do know suffices me."
"Then?"
"We will remain as we are, if you will permit me."
"You still refuse?"
"More than ever."
The squatter frowned.
"Take care, Don Miguel," he muttered, hoarsely. "I will do what I toldyou."
"Yes, if I allow you time."
"Eh?"
"_Caspita!_ If you are a clever
scamp, I am not altogether a fool. Doyou believe, in your turn, that I will let myself be intimidated by yourthreats, and that I should not find means to keep you from acting, notfor my own sake, as I care little personally for what you can do, butfor my friends, who are men of honour, and whose lives I do not wish tobe compromised by your treachery?"
"I am curious to know the means you will employ to obtain this result."
"You shall see," Don Miguel replied with perfect coolness.
"Well?"
"I shall kill you."
"Oh, oh!" the squatter said, as he looked complacently at his muscularlimbs, "That is not easy."
"More so than you suppose, my master."
"Hum! and when do you reckon on killing me?"
"At once!"
The two men were seated in front of the hearth, each at the end of abench: the table was between them, but a little back, so that whiletalking they only leaned an elbow on it. While uttering the last word,Don Miguel bounded like a tiger on the squatter, who did not at allexpect the attack, seized him by the throat, and hurled him to theground. The two enemies rolled on the uneven flooring of the jacal.
The Mexican's attack had been so sudden and well directed that thehalf-strangled squatter, in spite of his Herculean strength, could notfree himself from his enemy's iron clutch, which pressed his throat likea vice. Red Cedar could neither utter a cry nor offer the slightestresistance: the Mexican's knee crushed his chest, while his fingerspressed into his throat.
So soon as he had reduced the wretch to utter impotence, Don Miguel drewfrom his vaquera boot a long sharp knife, and buried the entire blade inhis body. The bandit writhed convulsively for a few seconds; a lividpallor suffused his face; his eyes closed, and he then remainedmotionless. Don Miguel left the weapon in the wound, and slowly rose.
"Ah, ah!" he muttered as he gazed at him with a sardonic air, "I fancythat rogue will not denounce me now."
Without loss of time he seized the letters lying on the table, took fromthe box the few documents he found in it, hid them all in his bosom,opened the door of the cabin, which he carefully closed after him, andwent off with long strides.
The squatter's sons had not quitted their post; but, so soon as theyperceived the Mexican, they went up to him.
"Well," Shaw asked him, "have you come to an understanding with the oldman?"
"Perfectly so," the Mexican answered.
"Then the affair is settled?"
"Yes, to our mutual satisfaction."
"All the better," the young men exclaimed joyously.
The hacendero unfastened his horse and mounted.
"Good-bye, gentlemen!" he said to them.
"Good-bye!" they replied, returning his bow.
The Mexican put his horse to a trot, but at the first turn in the roadhe dug his spurs into its flanks, and started at full speed.
"Now," Sutter observed, "I believe that we can proceed to the cabinwithout inconvenience."
And they gently walked toward the jacal, pleasantly conversing together.
Don Miguel, however, had not succeeded so fully as he imagined. RedCedar was not dead, for the old bandit kept a firm hold on life.Attacked unawares, the squatter had not attempted a resistance, which hesaw at the first glance was useless, and would only have exasperated hisadversary. With marvellous sagacity, on feeling the knife blade enterhis body, he stiffened himself against the pain, and resolved on"playing 'possum;" that is to say, feigning death. The success of hisstratagem was complete. Don Miguel, persuaded that he had killed him,did not dream of repeating his thrust.
So long as his enemy remained in the jacal the squatter was careful notto make the slightest movement that might have betrayed him; but, sosoon as he was alone, he opened his eyes, rose with an effort, drew thedagger from the wound, which emitted a jet of black blood, and lookingat the door, through which his assassin had departed, with a glance sofull of hatred that it is impossible to describe, he muttered,--
"Now we are quits, Don Miguel Zarate, since you have tried to take backthe life of him you saved. Pray God never to bring us face to faceagain!"
He uttered a deep sigh, and rolled heavily on the ground in a faintingfit. At this moment his sons entered the cabin.