CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN.
A SCOUNDREL SAFELY SCREENED.
Though for the time disconcerted, we had no thought of retreating. Theunsuccessful assault but rendered my men more determined--besides stillfurther embittering them against the despised foe.
Fortunately the wounds received by their comrades were not mortal,though it needed not this to provoke their vengeance. The situation ofthe two captives--now thoroughly comprehended by every one--wassufficient to check all thoughts of retiring from the strife--even hadthe enemy far outnumbered us.
As it was, we still believed that we had them in the trap, and it wasonly a question of time and strategy to bring the affair to atermination.
By withdrawing to the trees we had obtained a more advantageousposition. It gave us a better chance of aiming at any object on theazotea; and as the sky was each instant becoming clearer, we coulddistinguish the loopholes along the parapet.
They were but rude holes--the ragged interstices between the logs--butgood enough for the purpose for which they had evidently been left inthe fabrication of the dwelling.
We expected to see faces behind them, or something we might fire at. Wesaw nothing--not so much as a hand!
The brigands had by this time discovered who were their assailants, andno doubt knew something of the skill of the American rifleman.Mistrusting it, they were keeping close--not even daring to look throughthe loopholes.
They were not far astray in their tactics--if such they were. Not aclear spot on the parapet that was not watched with eager eyes, andfingers ready to press upon the trigger.
For full five minutes did the inaction continue--five minutes thatseemed fifty!
To me the delay was intolerable as some slow subtle torture. I wasscheming how to put an end to it, when, to my astonishment, I saw a formrising above the parapet. It was that of a tall man, whose dark_silhouette_ became outlined against the lighter background of the sky.
At a glance I recognised _Carrasco_!
I can scarcely tell what restrained me from sending a bullet through hisbody. Perhaps surprise at the unexpected apparition?
And my followers seemed to be influenced by a like feeling; since, alongtheir whole line, not a trigger was touched!
The robber-chief must have calculated upon something of the kind, elsehe would not have so audaciously exposed himself.
He had also made a nice reckoning of the limits to which our surprisecould be trusted. The time was short enough; but before we hadrecovered from it, we saw a white curtain drawn hastily before him, thatconcealed from our sight more than half of his person!
"A flag of truce!" thought we, as we lowered the muzzles of our guns.
In another instant we were undeceived--so far as to its being a flag.It was the white drapery of a woman's dress--with a woman inside it!Despite the ambiguous light of the struggling dawn, I could see who thewoman was.
Her appearance--quick and instantaneous--was evidently an act ofcompulsion--as if Carrasco had forced her into the position. I fanciedI had seen his arm outstretched, as he hastily drew her in front of him.
Our rifles were instantly dropped to the "trail," and my comradesuttered a simultaneous cry of "Shame!"
It was enough to challenge their indignation. A young and beautifulwoman thus basely used for the shielding of a bandit's body!
Many of them shivered at the thought of the murder they had been so nearcommitting.
I experienced an emotion peculiar to myself--unknown to them--morepainful than that they had been called upon to feel! since I knew thewhite shield to be Mercedes!
There was now enough of light to enable me to distinguish her features.It needed not this. The undulating outlines of her head, neck, andshoulders, like a cameo cut against the sky--were easily identified.
It was an image too firmly fixed in my memory, and too deeply engravenupon my heart, to be ever more mistaken.
I had just time to see that her dress was torn, her hair tossed, andhanging like a cloud about her shoulders--just time to note that shelooked wan and woe-stricken--when the voice of Carrasco, rising abovethe sibillation of the torrent, summoned us to a parley.
"Caballeros!" he cried out, "in the darkness I have no chance to knowwho you are; but, from your mode of making approach, I take it you areour enemies. Furthermore, from the fact of your being armed withrifles, you should be _Americanos_! Am I right?"
I had not sufficiently recovered coolness to make reply. My eyes, mythoughts, were still fixed upon Mercedes.
"What else should we be?" answered the stage-driver by my side, "Thatsame we air, an' no mistake about it."
"Why have you come here?"
"To capter the cussdest cut-throat in all Mexiko: for that same ye air,Mister Capting Carrasco."
"_Hola, amigo_! You've made a mistake this time? You appear to take mefor the noted Carrasco; and my people, no doubt, for a cuadrilla ofsalteadores? We're nothing of the sort, I assure you. Only a band ofhonest _patriotas_; who, loving our country, have continued to fight forit--as you know, after our grand army has seen fit to forsake the field._Por Dios; senores Americanos_! You're not the men to blame us forthat? Just now we acknowledge ourselves vanquished; though still onlybesieged. But as we have no supplies in our castle here--you will giveme credit for some candour in confessing it?--moreover, as we believe ithopeless to hold out against you, we have made up our minds tocapitulate. All we ask for ourselves is an honourable _cartel_ ofsurrender."
Surrender! The word fell sweet upon my ears--and for a particularreason. It promised safety for Mercedes.
"Come then, caballeros!" pursued the robber-chief; "state your terms;and let me entreat you not to be too exacting!"
For some seconds I refrained from making reply--partly astounded by theaudacity of the robber--partly considering the answer that should bereturned to him.
Had it been any other man I might have talked about terms. But it wasthe wretch Carrasco; and just then I remembered the deception practisedupon me in Puebla. I thought of Francisco Moreno lying on his death-bedbelow, and of my artist friend, who, in all probability, had fallen bythe same hand.
With the remembrance there sprang up in my mind, not only suspicion, buta fresh feeling of revenge; and by these, not prudence, was my answerinspired.
"Terms!" I shouted back, in a tone of undisguised scornfulness; "Wemake no terms with such as you. Surrender; and then trust to such mercyas may be shown you!"
"_Mil demonios_!" screamed the bandit, now for the first timerecognising me. "_Carajo! you_, it is! You, my saintly friend, whosedevotions I had the pleasure of witnessing, and the pain of disturbing,in the Cathedral of La Puebla! May I ask why I am honoured by thisearly call--in a mansion so remote from the ordinary walks of life?"
"Come, Captain Carrasco," I replied, "if such be your title. I don'tintend to lose time in talking to you. I call upon you to surrender,and at once!"
"And suppose I don't choose to take it in that way, what then?"
"You need expect no mercy."
"From you, caballero, I have no idea of asking it?"
"You have need, then, unless you desire to die. You have no chance ofescape--not the slightest. I tell it you in all seriousness, andwithout thought of triumph. My men are stationed, so as to commandevery path that leads from the place. They are all armed with riflesand revolvers."
"Listen to reason!" I went on almost entreatingly, having now becomeconvinced of the mistake I had made, in doing what might drive thebrigand to desperation. "Give up your captives, and I promise to sparethe lives both of yourself and your comrades."
"_Ay, Dios_! how generous you are! Ha! Ha! Ha! Is that all you canpromise, noble captain?"
"No--not all," I answered, stung by the taunting speech. "Somethingmore. If you reject the terms offered, I promise that in ten minutesfrom this time your soul will be in eternity, and your body hanging fromthe branch of yonder tree!"
I pointed to one of the
pines that stood conspicuous on the cliff.
"What, so soon?" was the cool rejoinder. "It will take you more thanten minutes to force an entrance into this citadel of ours. Don'tmistake it for a _jacale_. Though our fortress be of wood, it isstronger than you suppose, senor captain."
"We can set fire to it!"
"Ah! you won't do that. I've no fear of being burnt up, or smoked out,so long as I am in such goodly company."
The sneer with which the speech was accompanied goaded me to franticrage--at the same time that it made me feel my impotence to carry outthe threat I had so boastingly pronounced.
"We shall not need to set the house on fire," was my reply; "we shallget at you without that. My men are provided with axes. They arebackwoodsmen, and know how to use them. It won't take us ten minutes tobreak open your door."
"Open it!" interrupted the robber, "and one half of you will never liveto stride across the threshold. Those who do, will be witnesses to ascene which I know, noble captain, _you_ won't love to look upon."
"What scene?" I involuntarily asked, as a horrid fancy flashed acrossmy brain.
"A woman--a beautiful woman--with a poignard in her breast! By the HolyVirgin, you shall see _that_!"
I felt as if a dagger had been plunged into my own. I knew it was noidle vaunt. There was a terrible firmness in the tone of the brigand'svoice that told of his being in earnest.
"Let me take a shot at him," whispered the sergeant by my side. "Ithink I can fetch him 'ithout touchin' the gurl."
"No--no!" I hastily answered, "Leave it to me. For your life, don'tfire--not yet!"
I stood trembling--uncertain what course to pursue. I had my own riflein hand, and was considering whether I should not risk taking a shot atthe ruffian. Under other circumstances I should have been confidentenough of making a sure one; but just then I felt my nerves shakingthrough the throes of my excited heart. It was a terrible crisis. Thesinews of Tell could not have been more severely tried, as he adjustedhis arrow to the string.
The bandit seemed thoroughly to comprehend my hesitation.
There was something fiendishly exultant in the laugh with which hefollowed up his last speech.
"Now, senor Yankee!" he went on, without waiting for a reply. "I hopeyou are ready to accede to my request. If so, state your terms for ourrelease; and remember! make them easy, or it will be impossible for usto accept them. I don't wish to hurry you. As it's a matter of someimportance to both of us, and to _her_ as well,"--I could see him nodtowards Mercedes--"I beg you will take time to consider. Meanwhile, weshall retire, and patiently await your answer."
Saying this, he receded from the parapet--as I supposed, still stayingon the azotea.
The white shield was drawn back along with him: and once more Mercedeswas out of sight--leaving me to fell fancies, more torturing than thesting of the _tarantula_.