CHAPTER XXIX.
THE BARGAIN.
The two adventurers rode gaily side by side, telling one another thenews of the desert, that is to say, hunting exploits, and skirmisheswith the Indians, and conversing about the political events which forsome months past had attained a certain gravity and alarming importancefor the Mexican government.
But, while thus talking, asking each other questions, the answers towhich they did not wait to hear, their conversation had no other objectsave to conceal the secret preoccupation that agitated them.
In their previous discussion, each had tried to overreach the other,trying to draw out secrets, the hunter manoeuvring to lead the soldierto an act of treachery, the latter asking no better than to sellhimself, and acting in accordance with his wishes; the result of thetrial was that they had found themselves of equal force, and each hadobtained the result he wanted.
But this was no longer the question with them; like all crafty men,success, instead of satisfying them, had given birth in their minds toa multitude of suspicions. John Davis asked himself what cause had ledthe dragoon to betray his party so easily, without stipulatingbeforehand for important advantages for himself.
For everything is paid for in America, and infamy especially commands ahigh price.
On his side, the dragoon found that the hunter put faith in hisstatements very easily, and, in spite of his comrade's affectionatemanner, the nearer he approached the camp of the border rifles, the morehis uneasiness increased; for he was beginning to fear lest he had gonehead first into a snare, and had trusted too imprudently to a man whosereputation was far from reassuring him.
Such was the state of mind in which the two men stood to each other,scarce an hour after leaving the spot where they had met soaccidentally.
Still, each carefully hid his apprehensions in his heart; nothing wasvisible on the exterior; on the contrary, they redoubled theirpoliteness and obsequiousness toward each other, behaving rather likebrothers delighted to have met after a long separation, than as men whotwo hours previously spoke together for the first time.
The sun had set about an hour, and it was quite dark when they camewithin a short distance of the Jaguar's camp, whose bivouac firesflashed out of the gloom, reflecting themselves with fantastic effectsof light on the surrounding objects, and imprinting on the ruggedscenery of the prairie a stamp of savage majesty.
"We have arrived," the hunter said, as he stopped his horse and turnedto his companion; "no one has perceived us; you can still turn backwithout any fear of pursuit; what is your decision?"
"Canarios! Comrade," the soldier answered, shrugging his shoulders witha disdainful air; "I have not come so far to shiver at the entrance ofthe camp, and allow me to remark, with all the respect due to you, thatyour remark appears to me singular at the least."
"I owed it to myself to make it; who knows whether you may not repentto-morrow the hazardous step you are taking to-day?"
"That is possible. Well, what would you have? I will run the risk; mydetermination is formed, and is unchangeable. So let us push on, inHeaven's name."
"As you please, Caballero; within a quarter of an hour you will be inthe presence of the man you desire to see. You will have an explanationwith him, and my task will be accomplished."
"And I shall have nothing but thanks to offer you," the soldier quicklyinterrupted him; "but let us not remain any longer here: we may attractattention, and become the mark for a bullet, which I confess to you I amnot at all desirous of."
The hunter, without replying, let his horse feel the spur, and theycontinued to advance.
Within a few minutes they entered the circle of light cast by the fire;almost immediately the sharp click of a rifle being cocked was heard,and a rough voice ordered them to stop in the devil's name.
The order, though not positively polite, was not the less peremptory,and the two adventurers thought it advisable to obey.
Several armed men then issued from the entrenchments; and one of them,addressing the strangers, asked them who they were, and what they wantedat such an unseasonable hour.
"Who we are?" the American answered, firmly; "What we want? To come inas quickly as we can."
"That is all very fine," the other replied; "but, if you do not tell usyour names, you will not enter so soon, especially as one of you wears auniform which is not in the odour of sanctity with us."
"All right, Ruperto," the American replied, "I am John Davis, and youknow me, I suppose; so let me pass, without delay. I answer for thiscaballero, who has an important communication to make to the Chief."
"You are welcome, Master John; do not be angry with me, for you knowthat prudence is the mother of safety."
"Yes, yes," the American said, with a laugh, "deuce take me if youeasily get into a scrape for lack of prudence, gossip."
They then entered the camp without farther obstacle.
The border rifles were generally sleeping round the fires, but a cordonof vigilant sentries, placed at the openings of the camp, watched overthe common security.
John Davis dismounted, inviting his comrade to follow his example; then,making him a sign to follow, he walked toward a tent, through the canvasof which a weak light could be seen flickering.
On reaching the entrance of the tent, the hunter stopped, and tappedtwice.
"Are you asleep, Jaguar?" he asked, in a suppressed voice.
"Is that you, Davis, my old comrade?" was immediately asked from within.
"Yes."
"Come in, for I was impatiently waiting for you."
The American raised the curtain which covered the entrance, and glidedinto the tent; the soldier followed him gently, and the curtain felldown behind them.
The Jaguar, seated on a buffalo skull, was reading a voluminouscorrespondence by the dubious light of a _candil_; and in a corner ofthe tent might be seen two or three bear-skins, evidently intended toserve as a bed. On seeing the newcomers, the young man folded up thepapers, and laid them in a small iron casket, the key of which he placedin his bosom, then raised his head, and looked anxiously at the soldier.
"Who's this, John?" he asked; "Have you brought prisoners?"
"No," the other answered, "this caballero was most desirous of seeingyou, for certain reasons he will himself explain; so I thought I hadbetter carry out his wishes."
"Good; we will settle with him in a moment. What have you done?"
"What you ordered me."
"Then you have succeeded?"
"Completely."
"Bravo, my friend! Tell me all about it."
"What need of details?" the American answered, looking meaningly at thedragoon, who stood motionless a couple of paces from him.
The Jaguar understood him.
"That is true," he said, "suppose we see of what sort of wood this manis made;" and addressing the soldier, he added, "Come hither, my goodfellow."
"Here I am, at your orders, Captain."
"What is your name?"
"Gregorio Felpa. I am a dragoon, as you can see by my uniform,Excellency."
"What is your motive for wishing to see me?"
"An anxiety to render you an important service, Excellency."
"I thank you, but usually services are confoundedly dear, and I am not arich man."
"You will become so."
"I hope so. But what is the great service you propose to render me?"
"I will explain to you, in two words. In every political question thereare two sides, and that depends on the point of view from which youregard it. I am a child of Texas, son of a North American and an Indianwoman, which means that I cordially detest the Americans."
"Come to facts."
"I am doing so. A soldier against my will, General Rubio has entrustedme with a dispatch for Captain Melendez, in which he gives him a placeof meeting, so as to avoid the Rio Seco, where the report runs that youintend to ambush, in order to carry off the conducta."
"Ah, ah," the Jaguar said, becoming very attentive, "but
how do you knowthe contents of the dispatch?"
"In a very simple way. The General places the utmost confidence in me;and he read me the dispatch, because I am to serve as the Captain'sguide."
"Then you are betraying your Chief?"
"Is that the name you give my action?"
"I am looking at it from the General's side."
"And from yours?"
"When we have succeeded I will tell you."
"Good," he carelessly replied.
"You have this dispatch?"
"Here it is."
The Jaguar took it, examined it attentively, turning it over and over,and then prepared to break the seal.
"Stop!" the soldier hurriedly exclaimed.
"What for?"
"Because, if you open it, I cannot deliver it to the man for whom it isintended."
"What do you mean?"
"You do not understand me," the soldier said, with ill-concealedimpatience.
"That is probable," the Captain answered.
"I only ask you to listen to me for five minutes."
"Speak."
"The meeting-place appointed for the Captain and the General is theLaguna del Venado. Before reaching the Laguna there is a very narrow anddensely-wooded gorge."
"The Paso de Palo Muerto; I know it."
"Good. You will hide yourself there, on the right and left, in thebushes; and when the conducta passes, you will attack it on all sides atonce; it is impossible for it to escape you, if, as I suppose, yourarrangements are properly made."
"Yes, the spot is most favourable for an attack. But who guarantees thatthe conducta will pass through this gorge?"
"I do."
"What do you mean?"
"Certainly, as I shall act as guide."
"Hum! We no longer understand one another."
"Excuse me, we do, perfectly. I will leave you, and go to the Captain,to whom I will deliver the General's dispatch; he will be compelled totake me for his guide, whether we like it or not; and I will lead himinto your hands as surely as a novillo taken to the shambles."
The Jaguar gave the soldier a glance which seemed trying to read thebottom of his heart.
"You are a daring fellow," he said to him, "but I fancy you settleevents a little too much as you would like them. I do not know you; Isee you to-day for the first time, and, excuse my frankness, it is toarrange an act of treachery. Who answers for your good faith? If I amfoolish enough to let you go quietly, what assures me that you will notturn against me?"
"My own interest, in the first place; if you seize the conducta by myaid, you will give me five hundred ounces."
"That is not too dear: still, allow me to make a further objection."
"Do so, Excellency."
"Nothing proves to me that you have not been promised double the amountto trap me."
"Oh!" he said, with a shake of the head.
"Hang it all! Listen to me; more singular things than that have beenknown, and though my head may be worth little, I confess to you that Ihave the weakness of attaching remarkable value to it; hence I warn you,that unless you have better security to offer, the affair is brokenoff."
"That would be a pity."
"I am well aware of that, but it is your fault, not mine; you shouldhave taken your measures better before coming to me."
"Then nothing can convince you of my good faith?"
"Nothing."
"Come, we must have an end of this!" the soldier exclaimed, impatiently.
"I ask for nothing better."
"It is clearly understood between us, Excellency, that you will give mefive hundred ounces?"
"If by your aid I carry off the conducta de plata; I promise it."
"That is enough; I know that you never break your word."
He then unbuttoned his uniform, drew out a bag hung round his neck by asteel chain, and offered it to the Captain.
"Do you know what this is?" he asked him.
"Certainly," the Jaguar replied, crossing himself fervently; "it is arelic."
"Blessed by the Pope! As this attestation proves."
"It is true."
He took it from his neck, and laid it in the young man's hand, thencrossing his right thumb over the left, he said, in a firm and markedvoice--
"I, Gregorio Felpa, swear on this relic to accomplish faithfully all theclauses of the bargain I have just concluded with the noble Captaincalled the Jaguar: if I break this oath, I renounce from this day andfor ever the place I hope for in Paradise, and devote myself to theeternal flames of hell. Now," he added, "keep that precious relic; youwill restore it to me on my return."
The Captain, without replying, immediately hung it round his own neck.
Strange contradiction of the human heart, and inexplicable anomaly;these Indians, for the most part pagans, in spite of the baptism theyhave received, and who, while affecting to follow ostensibly the rulesof the Catholic religion, secretly practise the rites of their worship,have a lively faith in relics and amulets; all wear them round theirnecks in little bags, and these perverse and dissolute men, to whomnothing is sacred, who laugh at the most noble feelings, whose life ispassed in inventing roguery, and preparing acts of treachery, profess sogreat a respect for these relics, that there is no instance of an oathtaken on one of them having ever been broken.
Anyone who pleases may explain this extraordinary fact; we contentourselves with telling it.
Before the oath taken by the soldier, the Jaguar's suspicions at oncefaded away to make room for the most perfect confidence.
The conversation lost the stiff tone it had up to the present, thesoldier sat down on a buffalo skull, and the three men, henceforth ingood harmony, quietly discussed the best means to be employed to preventa failure.
The plan proposed by the soldier was so simple and easy to carry out,that it guaranteed success; hence it was adopted entirely, and thediscussion only turned on points of detail.
At a rather late hour of the night, the three men at length separated,in order to take a few moments of indispensable rest between the fatigueof the past day and that they would have to endure on the morrow.
Gregorio slept _a pierna suelta_, to employ the Spanish phrase, that isto say, straight off the reel.
About two hours before sunrise, the Jaguar bent over the sleeper andawoke him; the soldier rose at once, rubbed his eyes for an instant, andat the end of five minutes was as fresh and ready as if he had beenasleep for eight-and-forty hours.
"It is time to start," the Jaguar said, in a low voice; "John Davis hashimself rubbed down and saddled your horse; come."
They left the tent; they found the American holding the soldier'sbridle, and the latter leaped into the saddle without using hisstirrups, in order to show that he was quite fresh.
"Mind," the Jaguar observed, "that you employ the utmost prudence, watchyour words and your slightest gestures carefully, for you are about todeal with the bravest and most skilful officer in the whole Mexicanarmy."
"Trust to me, Captain. Canarios! The stake is too large for me to runany risk of losing the game."
"One word more."
"I am listening."
"Manage so as not to reach the gorge till nightfall, for darkness goes agreat way toward the success of a surprise--and now good-bye and goodluck."
"I wish you the same."
The Jaguar and the American escorted the dragoon to the barrier, inorder to pass him through the sentries, who, had not this precautionbeen taken, would have infallibly fired at him, owing to the uniform hewore.
"When he had left the camp, the two men looked after him so long as theycould distinguish his dark outline gliding like a shadow through thetrees of the forest, when it speedily disappeared.
"Hum!" said John Davis, "That is what I call a thorough scoundrel; he ismore cunning than an opossum. What a fearful villain!"
"Well, my friend," the Jaguar answered, carelessly, "men of that stampare necessary, else what would become of us?"
"Tha
t is true. They are as necessary as the plague and leprosy; but Istick to what I said, he is the most perfect scoundrel I ever saw; andthe Lord knows the magnificent collection I have come across during thecourse of my life!"
A few minutes later, the border rifles raised their camp and mounted toproceed to the gorge, where the rendezvous had been made with GregorioFelpa, the asistente of General Rubio, who placed in him a confidence ofwhich the soldier was in every respect so worthy.
CHAPTER XXX.
THE AMBUSCADE.
The Jaguar's measures were so well taken, and the traitor to whom theguidance of the conducta was entrusted had manoeuvred so cleverly, thatthe Mexicans fell literally into a wasp's nest, from which it was verydifficult, if not impossible, for them to escape.
Although demoralized for a moment by the fall of their Chief, whosehorse was killed at the beginning of the action, they still obeyed theCaptain's voice, who, by a supreme effort, rose again almostsimultaneously, and they collected round the string of mules laden withthe treasure. They boldly formed a square, and prepared to defendcourageously the precious depot they had under their guard.
The escort commanded by Captain Melendez, though not large, wascomposed of old tried soldiers, long habituated to bush-fighting, andfor whom the critical position in which their unlucky star had broughtthem, possessed nothing very extraordinary.
The dragoons had dismounted, and throwing away their long lances,useless in a fight like the one that was preparing, seized theircarbines, and with their eyes fixed on the bushes, calmly awaited theorder to begin firing.
Captain Melendez studied the terrain with a hurried glance, and it wasfar from being favourable. On the right and left steep slopes, crownedby enemies; in the rear, a large party of border rifles ambushed behinda barricade of trees, which, as if by enchantment, suddenly interruptedthe road, and prevented a retreat; lastly, in front, a precipice abouttwenty yards in width, and of incalculable depth.
All hope, therefore, of getting safe and sound out of the position inwhich they were beset seemed taken from the Mexicans, not only throughthe considerable number of enemies that surrounded them, but alsothrough the nature of the battle-field; still, after carefully examiningit, a flash burst from the Captain's eye, and a gloomy smile passed overhis face.
The dragoons had known their commander a long time, they placed faith inhim; they perceived this fugitive smile, and their courage washeightened.
As the Captain had smiled, he must have hopes.
It is true that not a man in the whole escort could have said in whatthat hope consisted.
After the first discharge, the bandits appeared on the heights, butremained there motionless, satisfying themselves with attentivelywatching the movements of the Mexicans.
The Captain profited by this respite which the enemy so generouslyoffered him, to take a few defensive measures, and amend his plan ofbattle.
The mules were unloaded, and the precious boxes placed right away at therear, as far as possible from the enemy; then the horses and mules, ledto the front, were arranged so that their bodies should serve as arampart for the soldiers, who, kneeling and stooping behind this livingbreastwork, found themselves comparatively sheltered from the enemy'sbullets.
When these measures were taken, and the Captain had assured himself by afinal glance that his orders were punctually executed, he bent down tothe ear of no Bautista, the chief arriero, and whispered a few words.
The arriero gave a quick start of surprise on hearing the Captain'swords, but recovered himself immediately, and bowed his head in assent.
"You will obey?" Don Juan asked, as he looked at him fixedly.
"On my honour, Captain," the arriero answered.
"Very good," the young man said gaily; "we shall have some fun, Ipromise you."
The arriero fell back, and the Captain placed himself in front of thesoldiers. He had scarce taken up his fighting position, when a manappeared at the top of the right hand bank; he held in his hand a longlance, from the end of which fluttered a piece of white rag.
"Oh, oh," the Captain murmured, "what is the meaning of this! Are theybeginning to fear lest their prey may escape them? Hilloh," he shouted,"what do you want?"
"To parley," the man with the flag answered laconically.
"Parley," the Captain answered, "what good will that do? Besides, I havethe honour of being a Captain in the Mexican army, and do not treat withbandits."
"Take care, Captain, misplaced courage is frequently braggadocio; yourposition is desperate."
"Do you think so?" the young man said in an ironical voice.
"You are surrounded on all sides."
"Bar one."
"Yes, but there is an impassable abyss there."
"Who knows?" the Captain said, still mockingly.
"In a word, will you listen to me?" the other said, who was beginning togrow impatient at this conversation.
"Well," the officer said, "let me hear your propositions, after which Iwill let you know my conditions."
"What conditions?" the bandit asked in amazement.
"Those I intend to impose on you, by Jove."
A Homeric laugh from the border rifles greeted these haughty words. TheCaptain remained cold and impassive.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"The Chief of the men who hold you imprisoned."
"Prisoners? I do not believe it; however, we shall see. Ah! you must bethe Jaguar, whose name is held in execration on this border?"
"I am the Jaguar," the latter answered simply.
"Very good. What do you want with me? Speak, and before all be brief,"the Captain said, as he leaned the point of his sword on the end of hisboot.
"I wish to avoid bloodshed," the Jaguar said.
"That is very kind of you, but I fancy it is rather late to form solaudable a resolve," the officer said in his sarcastic voice.
"Listen, Captain, you are a brave officer, and I should be in despair ifany misfortune happened to you; do not obstinately carry on animpossible struggle, surrounded as you are by an imposing force; anyattempt at resistance would be an unpardonable act of madness, whichcould only result in a general massacre of the men you command, whileyou would not have the slightest hope of saving the conducta under yourescort. Surrender, I repeat, for you have only that way of safety leftopen to you."
"Caballero," the Captain said, and this time seriously, "I thank you forthe words you have spoken; I am a connoisseur in men, and see that youare speaking honourably at this moment."
"I am," said the Jaguar.
"Unfortunately," the Captain continued, "I am forced to repeat to youthat I have the honour to be an officer, and would never consent todeliver my sword to the leader of banditti, for whose head a price isoffered. If I have been mad and idiotic enough to let myself be drawninto a trap, all the worse for me--I must accept the consequences."
The two speakers had by this time come together, and were conversingside by side.
"I can understand, Captain, that your military honour must, undercertain circumstances, compel you to fight, even under unfavourableconditions; but here the case is different--all the chances are againstyou, and your honour will in no way suffer by a capitulation which willsave the lives of your brave soldiers."
"And deliver to you without a blow the rich prey you covet."
"Whatever you may do, that prey cannot escape me."
The Captain shrugged his shoulders.
"You are mistaken," he said; "like all men accustomed to prairiewarfare, you have been too clever, and your adroitness has carried youpast your object."
"What do you mean?"
"Learn to know me, Caballero; I am a cristiano viejo; I am descendedfrom the old Conquistadors, and the Spanish blood flows pure in myveins. All my men are devoted to me, and at my order they will letthemselves be killed to the last without hesitation; but whatever may bethe advantages of the situation you occupy, and the number of yourcompanions, you will require a certain time to kill fifty me
n reduced todesperation, and who are resolved not to ask quarter."
"Yes," the Jaguar said in a hollow voice; "but in the end they arekilled."
"Of course," the Captain replied calmly; "but while you are murderingus, the arrieros have my positive orders to cast the money chests to thebottom of the abyss, to the brink of which you have forced us."
"Oh," the Jaguar said with an ill-restrained look of menace, "you willnot do that."
"Why shall I not, if you please?" the officer said coldly. "Yes, I willdo it, I pledge you my honour."
"Oh!"
"What will happen, then? You will have brutally murdered fifty men,with no other result than that of wallowing in the blood of yourcountrymen."
"Rayo de Dios! This is madness."
"Not at all; it is simply the logical consequence of the threat you makeme; we shall be dead, but as men of honour, and have fulfilled our duty,as the money will be saved."
"All my efforts, then, to bring about a peaceful settlement aresterile."
"There is one way."
"What is it?"
"To let us pass, after pledging your word of honour not to molest ourretreat."
"Never! That money is indispensable to me, and I must have it."
"Come and take it, then,"
"That is what I am going to do."
"Very good."
"The blood I wished to spare will fall on your head."
"Or on yours."
They separated.
The Captain turned to his soldiers, who had been near enough to followthe discussion through all its turnings.
"What will you do, lads?" he asked them.
"Die!" they answered in a loud and firm voice.
"Be it so--we will die together;" and brandishing his sabre over hishead, he shouted, "_Dios y libertad Viva Mexico!_"
"_Viva Mexico_!" the dragoons repeated, enthusiastically.
While this had been going on, the sun had disappeared below the horizon,and darkness covered the earth, like a sombre winding-sheet.
The Jaguar, with rage in his heart at the ill success of his tentatives,had rejoined his comrades.
"Well," John Davis asked him, who was anxiously watching for his return,"what have you obtained?"
"Nothing. That man is a fanatic."
"As I warned you, he is a demon; fortunately he cannot escape us,whatever he may do."
"Then you are mistaken," the Jaguar replied, stamping his footpassionately; "whether he live or die the money is lost to us."
"How so?"
The Jaguar told his confidant in a few words what had passed between himand the Captain.
"Confusion!" the American exclaimed; "In that case let us make haste."
"To increase our misfortunes, it is as dark as in an oven."
"By heavens! Let us make an illumination. Perhaps it will cause thosedemons incarnate to reflect, who are croaking there like frogs callingfor rain."
"You are right. Torches here!"
"Better still. Let us fire the forest."
"Ah, ah," the Jaguar said, with a laugh, "bravo! Let us smoke them outlike musk-rats."
This diabolical idea was immediately carried out, and ere long abrilliant belt of flame ran all around the gorge, where the Mexicanswere stoically awaiting the attack.
They had not long to wait; a sharp fusillade began, mingled with thecries and yells of the assailants.
"It is time!" the Captain shouted.
The sound of a chest falling down the precipice was immediately heard.
Owing to the fire, it was as bright as day, and not a movement of theMexicans escaped their adversaries.
The latter uttered a yell of fury on seeing the chests disappear oneafter the other in the abyss.
They rushed at the soldiers; but the latter received them at thebayonet's point, not giving ground an inch.
A point-blank discharge from the Mexicans, who had reserved their fire,laid many of the enemy low, and spread disorder through the ranks of theassailants, who began falling back involuntarily.
"Forward!" the Jaguar howled.
The bandits returned to the charge more eagerly than before.
"Keep firm, we must die," the Captain said.
"We will," the soldiers repeated unanimously.
The fight then began, body to body, foot to foot, chest against chest;the assailants and assailed were mixed up and fought more like wildbeasts than men.
The arrieros, though decimated by the bullets fired at them, did not theless eagerly continue their task; the crowbar scarce fell from the handof one shot down, ere another seized the heavy iron mass, and the chestsof money toppled uninterruptedly over the precipice, in spite of theyells of fury, and gigantic efforts of the enemy, who exhaustedthemselves in vain to breach the human wall that barred their passage.
'Twas a fearfully grand sight, this obstinate struggle, this implacablecombat which these men carried on, by the brilliant light of a burningforest.
The cries had ceased, the butchery went on silently and terribly, and attimes the Captain could be heard sharply repeating--
"Close up there, close up!"
And the ranks closed, and the men fell without a murmur, havingsacrificed their lives, and only fighting now to gain the few momentsindispensable to prevent their sacrifice being sterile.
In vain did the border rifles, excited by the desire of gain, try tocrush this energetic resistance offered them by a handful of men; theheroic soldiers, supporting one another, with their feet pressed againstthe corpses of those who had preceded them to death, seemed to multiplythemselves in order to bar the gorge on all sides at once.
The fight, however, could not possibly last much longer; ten men onlywere left of the Captain's detachment; the others had fallen, but everyman with his face to the foe.
All the arrieros were dead; two chests still remained on the edge of theprecipice; the Captain looked hurriedly around.
"One more effort, lads!" he shouted, "We only want five minutes tofinish our task."
"_Dios y libertad_!" the soldiers shouted; and, although exhausted withfatigue, they threw themselves resolutely into the thickest part of thecrowd that surrounded them.
For a few minutes, these men accomplished prodigies; but at lengthnumbers gained the mastery: they all fell!
The Captain alone was still alive.
He had taken advantage of the devotion of his soldiers to seize acrowbar, and hurl one chest over the precipice; the second, raised withgreat difficulty, only required a final effort to disappear in its turn,when suddenly a terrible hurrah caused the officer to raise his head.
The border rifles were rushing up, terrible, and panting like tigersthirsting for carnage.
"Ah!" Gregorio Felpa, the traitor-guide, shouted gladly, as he rushedforward; "at any rate we shall have this one."
"You lie, villain!" the Captain answered.
And raising with both hands the terrible bar of iron, he cleft the skullof the soldier, who fell like a stunned ox, not uttering a cry, orgiving vent to a sigh.
"Whose turn is it next?" the Captain said as he raised the crowbar.
A yell of horror burst from the crowd, which hesitated for a moment.
The Captain quickly lowered his crowbar, and the chest hung over thebrink of the abyss.
This movement restored the borderers all their rage and fury.
"Down with him, down with him!" they shouted, as they rushed on theofficer.
"Halt!" the Jaguar said as he bounded forward, and overthrew all in hisway; "Not one of you must stir; this man belongs to me."
On hearing this well-known voice, all the men stopped.
The Captain threw away his crowbar, for the last chest had fallen in itsturn over the precipice.
"Surrender, Captain Melendez," the Jaguar said, as he advanced towardthe officer.
The latter had taken up his sabre again.
"It is not worth while now," he replied, "I prefer to die."
"Defend yourself then."
The two men crossed swords, and for some minutes a furious clashing ofsteel could be heard. All at once, the Captain, by a sharp movement,made his adversary's weapon fly ten paces off, and ere the latterrecovered from his surprise, the officer rushed on him and writhed roundhim like a serpent.
The two men rolled on the ground.
Two yards behind them was the precipice.
All the Captain's efforts were intended to drag the Jaguar to the vergeof the abyss; the latter, on the contrary, strove to free himself fromhis opponent's terrible grasp, for he had doubtless guessed hisdesperate resolve.
At last, after a struggle of some minutes, the arms that held the Jaguarround the body gradually loosed their hold, the officer's clenched handsopened, and the young man, by the outlay of his whole strength,succeeded in throwing off his enemy and rising.
But he was hardly on his feet, ere the Captain, who appeared exhaustedand almost fainting, bounded like a tiger, seized his adversary roundthe body, and gave him a fearful shock.
The Jaguar, still confused by the struggle he had gone through, and notsuspecting this sudden attack, tottered, and lost his balance with aloud cry.
"At length!" the Captain shouted with ferocious joy.
The borderers uttered an exclamation of horror and despair.
The two enemies had disappeared in the abyss.
[What became of them will be found fully recorded in the next volume ofthis series, called "THE FREE-BOOTERS."]
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