CHAPTER THIRTY THREE.
THE THUNDER GUNS.
As is their custom, the savages advance with loud cries and gestures ofmenace, intended to terrify their antagonists.
They have got several miles out from the mountain, and almost withincharging distance, when they see that which brings them to sudden halt--a thing above all others dreaded by the American aboriginal--cannon"thunder guns"--as they call them. The brass howitzers, hithertoscreened by the vanguard of cavalry, have been thrown to the front,instantly unlimbered, and so brought under their eyes. Then a flash, avomiting of flame and smoke, a loud ringing report, followed by thehurtling of a shell in its flight through the air. It drops in theirmidst and instantly explodes, its severed fragments dealing deatharound.
Too much this for Coyotero courage; and without waiting for other likedestructive missiles to follow, they turn tail and gallop back towardsthe camp. Not that they have any hope of safety there, for they believethe great thunder guns can reach them anywhere, and their flight towardsit is but the impulse of a confused fear.
The sentries, seeing them in retreat, alike frightened by the report ofthe howitzers, forsake their posts, each hastening towards a horse--hisown.
For a time the captive women are unguarded, seemingly forgotten. Itgives the _gambusino_ a cue; and, acting upon it, he again calls out asbefore in the Opata tongue,
"Sisters! now's your time! Up and out of the _corral_; make round tothe lake, fast as you can run, and on into the ravine. There you'llfind friends to meet you."
Listening to his counsel, as one the captive women resolve to act uponit; for they are now cognisant of what is going on, and fully comprehendthe situation.
The result, a rush out of the enclosure all together, and a race roundto the spot indicated by that friendly voice above.
They reach it, to find there the man himself, with over two-score othersaround him. For the _gambusino_, seeing how things stood, and that thebesiegers had their hands full elsewhere, has hurried down the gorge,all the fighting men of the miners' party along with him.
It is but a moment to place the escaped captives behind the rocksstanding thick all around; then, screening themselves by the same, theyawait the coming of the savages. But these come not; enough have theyto do looking out for their own safety. The howitzers, now near, arebelching forth their bombs, that burst here and there, dealing death intheir ranks.
With the redskins it is no longer a question of resistance or fight, butflight, _sauve qui peut_. And without thought of taking along with themeither spoils or captives, they deem it enough if they can but savetheir own lives.
They are all on horseback now, their chief at their head, who in loudcommand calls upon them to follow him--not to the charge, but inretreat.
First they flee northward; but short is their ride in that direction.Scarce have they commenced it, when they see in front of them a body ofhorse, seemingly numerous as that they are retreating from.
Shall they meet it, or turn back? The thunder guns are still more thana mile from the abandoned camp, and they will have time to repass it.
Promptly deciding to do so, they wheel round and gallop back, _ventre aterre_; not slowing pace nor drawing rein till they have reached thewestern elbow of the lake. Then only coming to a stop perforce at sightof still another party of palefaces there to confront them.
Intercepted, threatened on every side by a far superior force, they nowknow themselves in a trap. Panic stricken, they would surrender and cryfor quarter, but well are they aware it would not be given. So, aswolves brought to bay, they at length determine on fighting--to thedeath.
For many of them, death it is. Beset on all sides, in the midst of acircle of fire, bombs exploding and bullets raining through their ranks,they make but a despairing resistance; which ends in half their numberbeing killed and the other half taken prisoner.
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The rescuers are now in possession of the camp, animals, everything.But the first to reach the bottom of the ravine is he who has guidedthem thither, Henry Tresillian; there to receive a shower of thanks andblessings, his father pressing him to his bosom, which alike beats withjoy and pride. And the _gambusino_ embraces him, too, crying out,
"I see you've brought back my saddle, senorito; and after the service ithas done, I hope you'll never consent to part with it. Bridle andsaddle both, I make you a present of them; which I trust you'll do methe honour to accept."
This draws the attention of all upon Crusader standing by, who in turnbecomes the recipient of an ovation.
But his young master stays not to witness it. Up on the summit is onewho occupies all his thoughts, claiming him now; and up bounds he withlighter heart than he ever before made that ascent.
"Henrique!"
"Gertrudes!" are the exchanged exclamations of the youthful lovers, asthey become locked in each other's arms, their lips meeting in a kiss ofrapturous joy.
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All congratulations over, the corralled wagons are once more inpossession of their owners. Scarce any damage has been done to themining machinery or tools; the Indians, from neglect or ignorance oftheir uses, not having thought it worth while to destroy them. And forthe animals and chattels they had carried off, there is amplecompensation in those now taken from them--enough to furnish the wagonswith fresh teams, re-establish the pack-train, in short, put the caravanin order for resuming the march. Which it does, after a couple of daysspent in getting things into condition for the route, when it continueson to its original destination, the _gambusino_ still with it as guide.
On the same day Requenes starts out on return to Arispe, taking theCoyotero prisoners along with him; while Don Juliano and his valiant_vaqueros_ charge themselves with the task of restoring the women ofNacomori to their homes.
When all are gone, and the Lost Mountain again left to tranquillity andsolitude, it is for days the scene of a spectacle telling of theterrible strife which had occurred. The wolves and coyotes havegathered from afar, and over the bodies of the slain savages leftunburied, with those of their horses killed in the encounter, hold riotand revel.
There, too, are the black vultures, some in the air, some on the ground,in flocks so thick as to darken both earth and sky. They anticipated aplenteous repast--they have not been disappointed.
CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR.
AT THE ALTAR.
The last scene of our tale lies in the _pueblita_ of Santa Gertrudes; amining village chiefly supported by the _minera_ bearing the same name,whose works, with the specialities of crushing-sheds, smelting-houses,and tall chimneys, are seen just outside its suburbs.
All have a modern look, as well they may. On the ground where theystand, but three years before grew a thick _chapparal_ of mezquite,cactus, yucca, and other plants characteristic of desert vegetation.For Santa Gertrudes is in the very heart of the Sonora desert, remotefrom any other civilised settlement.
Its prosperity, however, has attracted settlers; for not only does thepopulation of the village itself receive constant increase, but manyfertile tracts in the country around have been taken up, and areoccupied by a goodly number of graziers and agriculturists, whose chiefpurpose is to supply the comestibles required by the miners and theirdependants.
The growth of Santa Gertrudes has been remarkably rapid, almostunprecedently so. From the first opening of the mine, every vein workedhas proved a _bonanza_, enriching the owners, Don Estevan Villanueva andRobert Tresillian. For it is the _vela_ discovered, denounced, and madeover to them by Pedro Vicente.
The gold-seeker himself has also become rich, by the conditions alreadymentioned as attached to the conveyance of the property. In short, allconcerned have benefited thereby--every one of that travelling partydelayed, with lives endangered, on the summit of the Cerro Perdido.
In and around Santa Gertrudes--name bestowed in h
onour of the SenoraVillanueva and her daughter, or rather their patroness saint--is everyevidence of advancement. The cottages of the miners are trim and clean,the shops that supply them showing an abundance of goods, even toarticles of _luxe_ and adornment. A pretty _capella_, with spire andbelfry, stands central by the side of the public square, for, as in allSpanish-American towns, Santa Gertrudes has its _plaza_.
Two other sides of the same are occupied by houses of superiorpretension, with ornamental grounds--the respective residences of DonEstevan and his English partner--while here and there a house larger andbetter than the common denotes the dwelling of an official of the_minera_, some head of a department.
On this day Santa Gertrudes is _en fete_. Its _plaza_ is full ofpeople; the miners in their gala dresses, and, mingling with them,_rancheros_--the new settlers from the country around--resplendent intheir picturesque costume. Soldiers, too, mix with the crowd, in thegay uniform of the Zacatecas Lancers. For Colonel Requenes and hisregiment, on return from an expedition to the northern frontier, havehalted at the _pueblita_, and are encamped on the plain outside. Thetall chimneys of the _minera_ send forth no smoke, no sound proceedsfrom the crushing-sheds or the smelting-houses; all is silent, and worksuspended as if it were a Sunday.
Different with the _capilla_, from whose belfry comes a continualclanging of bells--merry bells--marriage bells. Nor needs any onetelling who are to be wedded. All know that the owners are about toenter into relations different from that of a mere commercialpartnership; that Gertrudes Villanueva is about to become the wife ofHenry Tresillian.
The hour for the happy union has at length arrived, and from the twogrand houses on the _plaza_ issue the bride and bridegroom--each withtheir train of attendants--and take their way to the _capella_, amidstthe enthusiastic plaudits of the assembled people, who cry out:
"_Viva la novia linda! Viva el novio valiente_--_nuestro Salvador_!"(Long live the beautiful bride! Long live the gallant bridegroom--oursaviour!)
Inside the church the ceremony proceeds, relatives and friends from afarassisting at it; among them Don Juliano Romero, and of course, also,Colonel Requenes. And there is one present who not only disapproves ofthe marriage, but would forbid it, were it only in his power. This theyoung cornet of lancers, Colonel Requenes' aide-de-camp, now a captain,who stands among the spectators, with an expression upon his featurestelling of a heart torn with jealousy.
How different is that on the face of Pedro Vicente, luminous withdelight! Joyed and proud is he to see his young _protege_ of the chaseattain the desire of his heart, in its fullest happiness.
The procession returns to the house of the bride's father, followed bythe crowd, again vociferating, "_Viva la novia linda! Viva el noviovaliente_!"
Then the pre-arranged sports of the day commence on a grassy plainoutside the _pueblita_. There is _correr el gallo_ (running the cock),_colear el toro_ (baiting the bull), with other feats of equitation, inwhich Crusader bears a conspicuous part. Ridden by a famous _domidor_--his owner for once but a looker-on--the beautiful black wins everyprize, in speed outstripping all horses on the ground.
The Lancer band makes music in accompaniment; and over an improvisedpavilion, ornamented with evergreens, in which stand the chiefspectators, waves the national flag--that same bit of bunting which,three years before, was run up as a signal of distress on the *LostMountain*.
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THE END.
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