CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT.
FRIENDS IN FEAR.
"Glad to see you, Senor Juliano! It's not often you honour Arispe withyour presence."
Colonel Requenes is the speaker, he spoken to being a gentleman ofmiddle age, in civilian costume, the dress of a _haciendado_. It is DonJuliano Romero, brother of the Senora Villanueva, the owner of a large_ganaderia_ or grazing estate, some six or seven miles out of Arispe.
"True," he admits, "nor would you see me now, only that this thingbegins to look serious."
"What thing?" asks the Colonel, half divining it.
"No news from Villanueva, I came to see if _you've_ had any."
"Not a word; and you're right about it's beginning to look serious. Iwas just talking of it to your son there, before you came in."
They are in a large apartment in Colonel Requenes' official residence,his receiving-room, into which the _ganadero_ has just been ushered; theson alluded to being there already, a youth of some sixteen summers, inmilitary uniform, with sabretasche and other insignia proclaiming him anaide-de-camp. After greeting his father, he has resumed his seat by atable on which are several open despatches, with which he seems to busyhimself.
"_Por Dios_! I cannot tell what to make of it," pursues the _ganadero_;"they must have reached the mine, wherever it is, long ago. Time enoughfor word to have been brought back. And my sister not writing to me,that's a puzzle! She promised she would soon as they got there."
"And Villanueva himself promised he would write to me. Besides, thepeople, many of them, have left friends behind, relatives out in theneighbourhood of the old _minera_. Some of them are in Arispe everyday, inquiring if there be any news of those gone north; so it's clearthey've had no word from them either."
"What do you suppose can be the cause, Requenes?"
"I've been trying to think. At first I fancied the great drought that'sbeen, with every stream and pond dried up, might have forced them out oftheir way for water, and so lengthened their journey. But even withthat there's been time enough for them to have reached their destinationlong since, and us to have heard of it. As we haven't, I fear it'ssomething worse."
"What's your conjecture, Colonel?"
"I'm almost afraid to venture on conjectures, but they force themselveson me, Don Juliano; and in the one shape you will yourself, no doubt, bethinking of."
"I comprehend. _Los Indios_!"
"_Los Indios_," echoes the officer; "just that. Villanueva told me thenew-discovered _veta_ lies a long way to the north-west, beyond theheadwaters of the Horcasitas. That's all country claimed by the Apachesof different bands; as you know, every one of them determinedly hostileto the whites, especially to us Mexicans, for reasons you may have heardof."
"I know all that; you allude to the affair of Gil Perez?"
"I do; and my fear is our friends may have encountered these red-handedsavages. If so, Heaven have mercy on them, and God help them; for Heonly can."
"Encountering them would mean being attacked by them?"
"Surely so; and destroyed if defeated: the men butchered, the women andchildren carried into captivity."
At this the young aide-de-camp turns round on his chair, his faceshowing an expression of pain. He says nothing, however, but continuesan earnest listener to the conversation.
"Merciful Heaven!" exclaims the _ganadero_, with a groan, "I hope it hasnot come to that."
"I hope so too, and don't yet think it has; only that it's probableenough--too probable. Still, even if set upon, they would resist; andwhen one comes to remember how many there were of them, they ought tomake a stout resistance."
"Many of them," rejoins Don Juliano, "both miners and _vaqueros_, are ofapproved valour, and were well armed. I was at the old _minera_ whenthey started off, and saw that for myself."
"Yes, I know; but their holding out would depend on the sort of groundthey chanced to be on when attacked, if they have been attacked. Bygood luck, our mutual brother-in-law is no novice to Indian tactics, buta soldier of experience, who'll know how to act in any emergency."
"True; but the worst of it is his being embarrassed by having so manywomen and children with him; among them, alas! my sister and niece._Pobrecitas_!"
Again the young officer shifts uneasily on his chair, the expression ofpain still upon his face. For he is the cousin whom Gertrude was saidto have forgotten.
"They took a number of large vehicles with them?" says the Colonel,interrogatively. "American wagons, did they not?"
"They did."
"How many? Can you remember?"
"Six or seven, I think."
"And a large pack-train?"
"Yes; the _atajo_ seemed to number about fourscore mules."
For a moment the Colonel is silent, seeming to reflect, then says:
"Villanueva would know how to throw these _carros_ into _corral_, andwith so many pack-saddles ought to make a defensible breastwork, to saynothing of the bales and boxes of goods. If not taken by surprise while_en route_, he'd be sure of using that precaution. So protected, andarmed as they were, they ought to hold good their ground against anynumber of redskins. The worst danger would be their getting dropped onin some place without water. In that case surrender would be thenecessary result, and surrender to Apaches were as death itself."
"_Santissima_! yes--we all know that. But, Requenes, do you reallythink we've to fear their having met such a disaster?"
"I don't know what to think. I'd fain not fear it, but the thing looksgrave, no matter in what way one views it. There should have been wordfrom them several days ago; none coming, what other can be theexplanation?"
"Ay, true; what other?" rejoins the _ganadero_, despondently. "But whatought we to do?" he adds.
"I've been considering that for some time, but couldn't make up my mind.I've made it up now."
"To what?"
"To sending one of my squadrons along the route they took; with ordersto follow it up, if need be, to the new-discovered mine; at all events,till it be ascertained what hinders our hearing from them."
"That seems the best and only way," returns Don Juliano. "But when doyou propose your men to start?"
"Immediately--soon as they can be ready. For such an expedition, mostof the way through a very wilderness, they will need supplies, howeverlightly equipped. But I will issue the order this moment. Cecilio," tothe aide-de-camp, "hasten down to the _cuartel_, and tell Major Garciato come to me at once."
The young officer, rising at the words and clapping on his shako, makesstraight for the outer door. But before stepping over its threshold, hesees that which causes him to return instantly to the receiving-room, tothe surprise of those he had left there.
"What is it?" demands the Colonel.
"Look there!"
He points out through the open window over the _plaza_ in front of it.Springing from their seats and moving up to it, they perceive a youngman on horseback advancing towards the house; his face pale, and with awayworn look, his dress dust-stained, and otherwise out of order, thehorse he bestrides steaming at the nostrils, froth clouted, and withpalpitating flanks.
"_Caramba_!" exclaims Colonel Requenes. "That's young Tresillian, theson of Villanueva's partner!"