CHAPTER FORTY SEVEN.
OVER THE CLIFF.
For some time after their arrival at the old monastery, neither Kearneynor Cris Rock saw aught of their late "fourth fellow" prisoner--thehunchback. They cared not to inquire after him; the Texan repeatinghimself by saying,--"This chile don't want ever to sit eyes on his uglypictur agin." They supposed that he was still there, however, somewhereabout the building.
And so was he, with a chain attached to his leg, the same he had sharedwith Rock, its severed end now padlocked to a ring bolt; and theapartment he occupied had as much of the prison aspect as any cell inthe Acordada. No doubt, in days gone by, many a refractory brother hadpined and done penance therein for breach of monastic discipline.
Why the mis-shapen creature was so kept needs little explanation; forthe same reason as prompted to bringing him thither. Helpless as hemight appear, he was not harmless; and Don Ruperto knew that to restorehim to liberty would be to risk losing his own, with something more.Though safely bestowed, however, no severity was shown him. He had hismeals regularly, and a bed to sleep on, if but a pallet, quite as goodas he had been accustomed to. Moreover, after some time had elapsed, hewas relieved from this close confinement during the hours of the day. Aclever actor, and having a tongue that could "wheedle with the devil,"he had wheedled with the mayor-domo to granting him certain indulgences;among them being allowed to spend part of his time in the kitchen andscullery. Not in idleness, however, but occupied with work for which hehad proved himself well qualified. It was found that he had once been"boots" in a _posado_, which fitted him for usefulness in many ways.
In the _cocina_ of the old convent his temper was sorely tried, theother "mozos" making cruel sport of him. But he bore it with a meeknessvery different to what he had shown while in the Acordada.
Thus acquitting himself, Gregorio, who had him in special charge, beganto regard him as a useful if not ornamental addition to his domesticstaff of the establishment. Notwithstanding, the precaution was stillcontinued of locking him at night and re-attaching the chain to hisankle. This last was more disagreeable than aught else he had toendure. He could bear the jibes of his fellow-scullions, but thatfetter sorely vexed him; as night after night he was accustomed to sayto the mayor-domo as he was turning the key in its clasp.
"It's so uncomfortable, Senor Don Gregorio," was his constantlyrecurring formula. "Keeps me from sleeping and's very troublesome whenI want to turn over, as I often do on account of the pains in my poorhumped shoulders. Now, why need you put it on? Surely you're notafraid of me trying to get away? Ha, ha! that would be turning one'sback upon best friends. _Cascaras_! I fare too well here to think ofchanging quarters. Above all, going into the Acordada; where I'd haveto go sure, if I were to show my face in the city again. Oh no, Senor!you don't catch me leaving this snug crib, so long's you allow me toboard and bed in it. Only I'd like you to let me off from that nastything. It's cold too; interferes with my comfort generally. Do, goodDon Gregorio! For this one night try me without it. And if you're notsatisfied with the result, then put it on ever after, and I won'tcomplain, I promise you."
In somewhat similar forms he had made appeals for many nights insuccession, but without melting the heart of the "Good Don Gregorio."
At length, however, it proved effectual. Among various other avocationshe had been a _Zapartero_, of the class cobbler, and on a certain daydid service to the mayor-domo by mending his shoes. For which hereceived payment in the permission to pass that night without beingdiscommoded by the chain.
"It's so very kind of you, Don Gregorio!" he said, when made aware ofthe grace to be given to him. "I ought to sleep sound this night,anyhow. But whether I do or not, I shall pray for you before going tobed all the same. _Buenas noches_!"
It was twilight outside, but almost total darkness within the cell, asthe mayor-domo turned to go out of it. Otherwise he might have seen onthe dwarfs features an expression calculated to make him repent his actof kindness, and instantly undo it. Could he have divined the thoughtsat that moment passing through Zorillo's mind, the clasp would havequickly closed around the latter's leg, despite all gratitude due to himfor the patching of the shoes.
"If I can get out," he commenced in mental soliloquy, as the footfall ofthe mayor-domo died away in the distant corridor, "out and away fromthem, my fortune's made; all sorts of good things in store for me. Fromthis time forth I needn't fear to present myself at the door of theAcordada; walk right into it. No danger of Don Pedro keeping me therenow. Instead, I should be sent out again with a free pardon and a fullpurse. _Chingara_, talk of a cat in the cupboard, here are a score ofthem--half a hundred! And when I let them out--aha!"
He paused; then rising to his feet, moved across to the door, and laidhis ear against it to listen. He heard sounds, but they were sounds ofmerriment--the counterfeit monks at their evening meal--and did notconcern him.
"What a bit of luck it may turn out, after all, my getting coupled tothat great brute and brought here! That is, if all goes well, and I cangive them the slip. First, to make sure about the possibility ofgetting out of this hole. _Carrai_! I may be counting my chickens inthe eggs."
Leaving the door, he glided across to the window, and set himself squareagainst it, as if to measure its breadth by that of his own body. Itwas but a slit, unglazed, a single iron bar, placed vertically, dividingthe aperture into two. Without removing this he could not possibly passthrough. But he had the means to remove it; that file, already known tothe reader, which he had contrived to get possession of, and for dayskept secret in his cell. First, however, he must see whether it wasworth while using it; for during all the time of his being there he hadnever been allowed an opportunity to approach the window and look out.
Leaning forward into the recess, he thrust his head between the bar andjamb, so far out as to give him a view of the ground below. This wassolid rock, the crest of a steep slope, from which the wall rose asabove a buttress. But there was a ledge, some ten or twelve feet underthe sill, narrow, but wide enough to afford footing, which led off tomore level ground. How was he to reach it?
He knew, or he would not have acted as he now did. For without spendinganother second in the survey, he drew back from the window, plunged hishand under his bed mat, drew forth the file, and commenced rasping awayat the bar. Not noisily or in any excited haste. Even if the obstaclewere removed, the time had not come for his attempt to pass out. Hewould wait for an hour after midnight, when all had gone to their beds.
Eaten with rust, the iron was easily sawed through, a clean cut beingmade near its lower end. Then, laying aside the file, and grasping thebar, he wrenched it out of the solderings. If diminutive in body, hisarms were sinewy and strong as those of a coal-heaver.
This task accomplished, he turned to his pallet and taking up the oldblanket allowed him for a covering, began to tear it into strips. Hemeant to make a rope of it to lower himself down outside. But findingit quite rotten, and doubting whether it would bear his weight, hedesisted and sat for a time considering. Not long till he bethoughthimself of something more suitable for his purpose--the chain.
"Bah!" he exclaimed, tossing aside the rags he had commenced splicingtogether, "why didn't I think of that? Well, it's not too late yet.Good three yards--long enough. And the stupid has left the key behind,which fits both ends. So, Mr Chain, considering the world of worry andtrouble you've been to me, it's time, and only fair, you should do me agood turn by way of recompense. After you've done it, I'll forgiveyou."
While muttering this quaint apostrophe, he commenced groping about overthe floor--not for the chain, but the key, which he knew Gregorio hadleft, after releasing his leg from the clasp. The mayor-domo had eitherforgotten, or did not think it was worth while taking it away.
Having found it, he felt his way to the ring bolt, and unlocking theclasp at that end, returned to the window, taking the chain with him.Having made one end fast around the stump of
the bar, he lowered theother down outside, cautiously, without a tinkle of its links. And nowagain looking out and below, he was delighted to see that it reachedwithin a foot or two of the ledge. All this done, he once more sat downon the side of the bed, to await the hour of midnight.
But he was not long quiescent, when a thought occurring caused him toresume action.
"Why not try it now?" he mentally interrogated. "They're all in theRefectory, having a fine time of it, drinking their famous wines. Somegrand occasion, I heard one of the _mozos_ say. There mightn't be abetter chance for me than this very minute--maybe not so good._Carramba_! I'll risk it now."
Quickly at the words he glided back to the window, climbed up into it,and squeezing out through the aperture, let himself down on the chain,link by link, as a monkey making descent of a _lliana_ in the forests ofthe _tierra caliente_.
Soon as he found himself safe landed he let go the chain, and after aminute or so spent in silent reconnaissance of the ledge, commencedmoving off along it.
Right he was in choosing that early hour, for the way he must needs takeled out into the open ground, in front of the building, where at a laterone a watch would have been stationed. There was none there now, andwithout stop or challenge he passed on and down.
Though they had never allowed him to go outside the building, heperfectly remembered the path by which he and the others had reached it,on that memorable night after their escape from the chain-gang. Herecalled the two steep slopes, one above the other, with a narrow shelfbetween, on which they encountered the sentinel, who had hailed, "_Quienviva_?"
Sure to be one there now, and to such hail what answer could he make?
On this he reflected while descending the upper slope. The darkness dueto the overshadowing trees made it necessary for him to go slowly, sogiving him time. But it did not hinder his keeping to the path. Withhis long arms like the tentacles of an octopus he was able to direct hiscourse, now and then using them to grasp overhanging branches, or theparasites dependent therefrom. Withal he went cautiously, and sosilently, that the sentinel--for sure enough one was there--heard nonoise to warn him of an enemy behind. In his monkish garb, he wasstanding on the outer edge of the shelf rock, his face turned to thevalley, which was just beginning to show silvery white under the rays ofa rising moon. Perhaps, like Don Ruperto, he was gazing on some spot, ahouse endeared to him as the home of his childhood; but from which, asthe leader of the Free Lances, he had been bereft by the lastconfiscation. Possibly he was indulging in the hope of its being soonrestored to him, but least of all dreaming of danger behind.
It was there, notwithstanding--in fiendish shape and close proximity. Acreature squatted like a toad, human withal, saying to himself--
"What wouldn't I give for a knife with a blade six inches long!"
Then, with a sudden change of thought, seeing the chance to do withoutthe knife, making a dash forward, with the ape-like arms extended, andpushing the sentinel over!
The cry that came from the latter, on feeling the impulse from behind,was stifled as he went whirling to the bottom of the cliff.