CHAPTER XIX.
It was a moonless night, and a haze of cloud obscured the stars. Wepassed silently under the vine-covered arbour, across the garden, to thegateway. Into the heavy lock Dona Orosia slipped a great key; it turnedeasily, the door swung open, and we stepped out. Locking it once more,my companion took my arm and hurried me along the dark, deserted street.We turned a corner, came upon an open square, and paused beside a hugepalmetto that grew near the centre. I heard the crisp rustle of itsleaves in the night wind, and I shivered with a nameless dread.
Then, through the darkness, two dim forms approached us. My heart beatquickly, and I drew the mantle closer round my face; but one of themproved to be the friar, the other, my dear, dear Barbara. I sprang tomeet her with a quick cry; but Dona Orosia laid a hand upon my lips andhurried me on. Padre Felipe now led the way, and we followed him forsome moments more until he paused before a low doorway and motioned usto enter.
"Senora," I whispered, "why do you come? I have no fear of the disease,but why should you needlessly expose yourself?"
"Little fool," she answered, pushing me gently on, "there is no fever,no contagion here."
Wondering still, I entered the narrow passage, and beyond it a dimlylighted room.
On the floor lay a long wooden stretcher covered with hide; at its footand head, fixed each in a rude socket, were two candles, stillunlighted. A brass pot with long chains, and a heap of dark cloth, layupon the floor; there was also a rough table on which stood a bottle ofwater and a loaf of bread; otherwise, except for a dim lamp upon thewall, the room was empty. Dona Orosia looked around, with quick eyestaking in every detail; then she turned to Padre Felipe.
"Can you trust the bearers?"
He bowed his head.
"Then the only difficulty is this old woman. Better to leave herbehind."
But again I pleaded most earnestly; and presently the friar left theroom and returned soon after with a dingy cloak, with which he envelopedthe poor dame from head to foot.
"Let her follow behind," he said, "and if there is no trouble she maypass out with us." He charged her, then, to keep her face hidden and tostand well away from the light of the candles.
After that there was a pause, and the Spanish woman and the friar lookedat each other.
"See you do not fail!" she said.
"And remember your word," he replied.
"A solid silver service for the new mission chapel at San Juan,--I swearit," was the quick response; "that is, if you succeed."
The friar folded his arms silently.
"Nay, then, in any case! only do your utmost," whispered Dona Orosiahurriedly.
"The result is as God wills it," said Padre Felipe calmly, and, pointingto the stretcher, he bade me lie down upon it. I did so, trembling inevery limb, and he would have covered me over with the wrappings whenthe Governor's wife pushed him aside, knelt down herself, and slippedinto my hand a little dagger, whispering:
"In case you are discovered."
I hid it in my bosom, thanking her. "Farewell, senora," I said, withtears, "you have been kind to me and I am very grateful. Whether or notI win freedom and friends, I believe you have done your utmost for me. Icannot think"--and I lifted my head close to hers and whispered--"Icannot think it is for revenge alone. There must be some pity promptingit."
"Thou little foolish one," she said, and laughed, pushing me back uponthe bier. Then suddenly I felt a hot tear drop upon my forehead. Shestooped lower and kissed me on the cheek.
I gave a little cry and would have risen again; but she drew the darkcoverings over me and I could see no longer. As I felt her soft handstucking me in, as a mother would her babe, I could only weep silentlyand pray God bless her.
A pungent smoke of something burning filled the room and reached me eventhrough the coverings. I heard the padre lighting the tapers at my headand feet. After a time the stretcher on which I lay was lifted up andcarried, foot foremost, from the room--out of the passage and into thestreet. I heard the feet of my bearers pattering on the ground as wemoved onward at a swinging pace; I was conscious of the heavy smoke ofburning incense that enveloped us; I heard the sound of a bell goingbefore me, and a voice raised in a steady cry of warning; but I couldsee nothing save a faint radiance through the wrappings, where thecandles burned.
After a time there was a halt and I heard voices in dispute. My fingersclosed around the hilt of the senora's dagger. If death must come, sobe it! I thought, and felt no fear, only regret that my dear love couldnever understand, unless the spirit that quivered so wildly within mystill and shrouded form could speed to him in the first moment of itsfreedom and whisper the truth to his heart!
Another voice joined in. It was Melinza's own.
"Stand back!" he called loudly. "Out of the way, slaves! Who daresdispute the orders of his Excellency? If a man goes within twenty pacesof that leprous crew he may follow them to perdition; but there'll be nolonger any room for him within these walls!"
A murmur rose, and died away in the distance. We moved on once more.Then sounded the rattling clang of iron bars--but it came from behindus. The bell had ceased to ring; but as we moved slowly on I heard thevoice of the padre chanting in a low and solemn key. Then utter silencefell, except the unshod footfall of my bearers and a murmur as ofnight-winds in the trees. Suddenly an owl hooted overhead, and then----Imust have fainted.
I thought I was again in the Barbadian sloop, during the storm. Bound inmy narrow berth I rocked and swayed, while overhead the boisterous windhowled in the rigging. The strained timbers creaked and groaned, and nowand then sounded the sharp snapping of some frail spar. A woman'ssobbing reached me through it all,--the low, gasping sobs of one whosebreath is spent. I pushed back the covers and looked around me.
It was gray dawn in the forest. Through the tossing branches overhead Isaw the pale clouds scudding beneath an angry heaven. I looked toward myfeet and perceived the back of a strange man with dark head, bentshoulders, and bare brown arms grasping the sides of my litter. Some onewas at my head also; turning quickly, I met his eyes looking into mine:it was Padre Felipe. I sat up, with a sudden gasp.
"Barbara!" I cried, "where are you, Barbara?"
When only the weak sobs answered me I threw myself from the litter tothe ground, falling in an impotent heap with my feet entangled in thewrappings. But I caught sight of my good dame staggering on behind, halfdragged, half carried by two Indian youths. Her clothing was torn anddraggled, her face pitiably scratched, while great tears chased eachother down her wrinkled cheeks.
The litter had stopped. Padre Felipe helped me to my feet; but I turnedfrom him and threw my arms around Barbara's neck. She clung to medesperately, her breath catching and her voice broken as she tried tospeak.
The friar took her by the shoulder roughly.
"She is worn out with tramping through the woods all night. It is nowonder! But 'twas her own doing, for she would come; now she must keepup or be left behind. We must reach shelter before the storm breaks inearnest, for it will be no light one."
A heavier gust passed while he was speaking; there was a louder moan inthe tree-tops, and a broken branch crashed down at our very feet.
"Have we much farther to go?" I asked. He shook his head.
"About a league, perhaps?"
"Not more," was his reply.
"Then put the poor dame in the litter, and I will walk."
He looked intently at me. "Can you do it?"
"Better than she. I feel faint here," I added, laying my hand upon mybosom, "but my limbs are young and strong and unwearied."
"You want food," was his brief comment; and, turning to the litter, hedrew out from a concealed pouch that was slung beneath it, a bottle ofwater, and a loaf of bread, and gave me to drink and to eat. I took itgladly, and Barbara did likewise. I thought, then, he would have takensome himself; but he put by the remainder, saying he had no need of it,and signed to the old woman to take her place in the litter, which wasthen raised by two of his
followers. The third went in advance to clearaway obstacles from the path, and we followed behind, I clinging to thepadre's arm.
He said no more to me, but the touch of his hand was not ungentle. Imarked how he led me over the smoothest ground, choosing the briarshimself, though his feet were bare, and shielding me with his arm fromthe sharp blades of the dwarf palmettos that hedged the way.
As I walked beside him I could but marvel at the strange turns of Fate;for now it seemed that I would owe my deliverance, in part, to one ofthe very class I most hated as being the first cause of our captivity.From time to time I glanced up at his dark, stern face, and wonderedwhether, if I had not chanced to be his charge and under his swornprotection, he could have found it in his heart to burn me for aheretic!