CHAPTER XXX
THE ESCAPE
Walthew waited for the peons, and then turned toward _calle Pinastro_,where he had arranged to meet Grahame. He had now three companions whomhe thought he could trust, but they were unarmed, except for theirknives. Gomez had sent the order for Grahame's release, but if he couldrearrest him and seize Walthew without causing a tumult, he would do so.They had only five or six minutes' start. It did not look as if theycould get out of the town in time, and Walthew felt fiercely impatient.For all that, he stopped at the corner of a street when one of theothers touched him.
There was a lighted cafe near by, and a girl stood on the pavement nearits open front. She was dressed very plainly in white, with a dark shawlfastened round her head, like a peasant girl, but he felt a suddenthrill as she turned toward him. Although he could not see her verywell, he knew it was Blanca. When he cautiously crossed the street shedrew him back into the shadow, but he saw her look of relief.
"You have succeeded!" she said softly. "Where is Mr. Grahame?"
"I am to meet him at Ramon Silva's."
"You cannot go this way; there are two _rurales_ farther on. But itwould be dangerous to turn back now."
She put her hand on his arm, as if to detain him while she consideredwhat to do, and Walthew looked about, knowing that he could trust herknowledge of the town. The street was narrow and dark except where thelight from the cafe shone across it. A few citizens sat round the smalltables, and several shadowy figures loitered in the gloom outside.Walthew thought they had come with the girl, but there was nothing intheir attitude to suggest that they had any particular business in theneighborhood, and his own followers had stopped at the corner.
Suddenly a clatter of hoofs broke out. Some one was riding fast towardthem. Walthew felt Blanca's hand tighten warningly on his arm as shedrew back a pace or two. The sound grew louder; there was a hoarse shoutlike a sentry's challenge, and an answer which Walthew imaginedsatisfied the _rurales_ on guard; and then a mounted man rode into thestream of light.
The mule was foul with sweat and dust, and a trickle of blood ran downits shoulder; the rider's face was pale and set. Walthew's eyes restedon him for only a second, but he knew the fellow was English orAmerican. There was an angry cry in the background, and a stealthyfigure, outlined against a blank, white wall, crossed the street. Themounted man was obviously the President's messenger; but Walthew, havingseen his grim, tired look, and the way he drove the worn-out mulefuriously down the street, felt a touch of half-admiring sympathy. Afterall, the fellow was white, and was gallantly doing what he hadundertaken.
A moment more and Walthew saw something glisten in the hand of thestealthy figure that seemed ready to spring. He was only a yard awayand, acting on impulse, he stumbled as if by accident and fell againstthe man. The knife dropped with a jingle, and the messenger dashed past,throwing Walthew a quick glance as he went.
An angry murmur broke out, and several of the loiterers closed in onWalthew, while men left the cafe to see what was going on, and therewere quick footsteps farther off in the gloom. Remembering the need forhaste and that Grahame might be in danger, Walthew half regretted hisrashness, but as he wondered what to do Blanca ran to his side.
"The _rurales_ are coming!" she shouted; and the men about them vanishedas she led him away.
They turned a corner into a lane between dark houses.
"Why did you interfere?" she asked breathlessly.
"I don't know. Felt I had to," Walthew answered with some embarrassment.
"But you know who he is!"
"Yes; he's carrying the despatches. Still, he looked played out and hehad got through."
"Through your friends!"
"I suppose so. It didn't seem to make much difference. Guess I've beenfoolish."
"You were generous, but generosity of that kind must be paid for,"Blanca answered in a hard tone. "It will cost our people something, and,now that Gomez has got his orders, I don't know that we can leave thetown."
"Grahame and I must find a way. But you'd be safer without us. I can'tlet you run into needless danger."
Blanca laughed.
"Do you think I would leave you to get into fresh difficulties? With atemperament like yours, you're not to be trusted alone."
"I handled Gomez pretty well," Walthew boasted.
"And you still wear the bandage he saw you with! Is it safe to take itoff?"
"I'd forgotten it," he admitted.
He threw the bandage into the lane with some annoyance, for the girlseemed amused, but she made no remark until they reached a quiet street.
"Well," she said, "perhaps I can excuse you to the others, who haven'tdeserted us. But we turn down here and you had better go a few yards infront."
Following the directions she gave him, he presently crossed a square andentered a street where a dim light burned. A man stood near it in acareless pose, smoking a cigarette, and Walthew's heart beat fast as hesaw him.
"Grahame!" he said; and the next moment he was shaking his comrade'shand.
"Got your note," said Grahame. "Thought I'd better wait here. Silvacan't let us have the mules."
Walthew understood his brevity: there was no time for questions andexplanations.
Grahame took off his hat as Blanca joined them.
"I must see Silva. Wait in the shadow," she said, and moved quicklyaway.
The men stood silent. They had much to say, but it would keep, and themeans of escaping from the town occupied their minds. The street wasdeserted and seemed strangely quiet after the girl's footsteps diedaway, but indistinct cries came across the flat roofs as if somethingwere happening. Walthew looked about sharply in tense impatience, butcould see nothing, and Blanca did not return. At last, however, she camesilently toward them through the gloom.
"It is impossible for Silva to give us the mules," she said. "TheGovernment has seized all he has, and two _rurales_ guard the stable."
"Then we must try to get away on foot," Grahame replied. "Would you besafer, senorita, if you got some of your friends to hide you?"
"No," she said; "I must take my father some news I have picked up, andGomez will leave no place unsearched when he learns that I have beenhere. I think we shall be out of danger if we can reach a house I know."
They went down the street, quickly but silently, and as they turned thecorner a man sprang out from the gloom beside a wall and immediatelyafterward disappeared. A few moments later they heard a whistle, andBlanca led the men into a narrow lane.
"It is off our way, and we must run!" she said.
She shook off Walthew when he tried to take her arm; and they had gonesome distance before they heard footsteps behind them. The pursuers didnot seem to gain much ground, but when they slipped round a cornersomebody shouted, and the girl sped across the square they had entered.A little farther on, they heard a heavier tread on the uneven stones.
"_Rurales!_" Grahame whispered.
Blanca turned off quickly and led them through an archway into a streetwhere there was a cafe, which, to Walthew's surprise, she made for. Thepursuers had not come out from the archway yet, and the party, fallinginto a slower pace before they reached the cafe, went in and sat downcalmly at one of the tables. As usual, the front of the cafe was open tothe pavement, separated from it by only a row of pillars. A few men satinside and glanced curiously at the newcomers, but they made no remark.
"A bottle of vermouth, as soon as you can!" Grahame said to thelandlord.
The fellow gave him a quick glance, and then his eyes rested for amoment on the girl; but he did not delay, and was coming back with someglasses when several barefooted men and two others in uniform ran downthe street. Grahame had taken up a newspaper, but he watched them overit without turning his head; Walthew pushed his chair back carelesslyinto the shadow; and Blanca played with a gaudy fan. The men did notlook into the cafe, but the landlord, after quietly filling the glasses,put down the bottle with a meaning smile.
"They may com
e back," he said, and moved away.
Walthew was about to get up, but Blanca coquettishly tapped him with herfan and, taking the hint, he sat still; they must drink some of thevermouth before they left. He drained his glass, and insisted onrefilling the girl's. Blanca protested laughingly, but Grahame saw thatshe held her fan so that it hid her face from the other customers. Shewas playing her part well. Still, he thought that Walthew, knowing lessof Spanish conventions, did not understand how daring she was. WhenGrahame's eyes rested on her she blushed and quickly turned her head.
"It seems you have a number of supporters in the town," he remarked in alow voice.
"Yes," she said; "you are thinking of the landlord's hint. We hope atleast half the people are on our side.... But we can venture out in aminute or two."
She raised her glass, smiling at Walthew, and then hummed a song untilshe got up and, standing in front of a dirty mirror, began to arrangethe black mantilla that covered her head. Her pose and movements weremarked by rakish coquetry, and Grahame saw they had deceived theloungers; but he noticed with a touch of dry amusement that Walthewlooked puzzled and not quite pleased.
"Now, senores," she said loudly in Castilian, "you have had wine enoughand must not keep me waiting."
She went out in front of them, flaunting her fan, but when they reachedthe pavement her manner changed, and her voice was strained as shewhispered:
"Follow me close, but quickly! There is no time to lose!"
They were not molested as they crossed the town, but when they nearedits outskirts, Blanca left the road that led to the open country andplunged into a network of narrow streets. At last she stopped in frontof a large but dilapidated looking house and, knocking twice, waited afew moments until her summons was answered. There was no light inside,and she exchanged a word with a half-seen person at the door before theparty was admitted. The door was shut and bolted, and they were led intoan inner room where a small lamp burned, and a woman with a frightenedface confronted them.
"The road is stopped, and you must go at once before the house issearched!" she said excitedly.
"Where are the others?" Blanca asked.
"They lost you and have gone on. You know where they will wait."
Blanca nodded and beckoned her companions; and they followed her and thewoman to a window at the back. Grahame tactfully sprang out first andwas relieved to find himself outside the town, with a grove of treesthat promised safe concealment not far ahead. He made his way towardthem without looking round. Walthew got out next, but as soon as hereached the ground he turned and held up his arms to Blanca, who wassitting on the ledge. As she sprang down he caught her, and holding herfast kissed her ardently. His feeling of triumph banished all thought oftheir danger when he found that she did not resist. Her eyes shone adeep, mystic blue, and she smiled as she slipped her arm round his neckfor a moment before he set her down.
Without speaking, they hurried on after Grahame.
"We have about a mile to go," Blanca said, when they reached him.
She struck into a path that led them past clumps of trees, rows ofneatly planted bushes, and fields of cane. It was a still, dark night onwhich a sound would carry far, but they heard no pursuit, and the townseemed quiet.
At last a small building loomed up ahead, and Blanca stopped beside it.
"We should find the others here," she whispered. "But you wait. Itwould be better for them to see me first."
They let her go, knowing that she would be easily recognized; but shecame back a few moments later.
"There is nobody about. Perhaps they have gone on, because they had newsfrom people in the town, or something may have happened to make themchange their plans."
Sitting down outside the building, they began to consider what must bedone.
"We must go on without our mules," Blanca said. "I have information thatmy father must get as soon as possible; but we may not be able to joinhim until to-morrow night. The road is the nearest way, but now thatGomez has his orders he may have sent out soldiers to stop alltravelers. Besides, there are _rurales_ about."
"Then we'll take to the mountains," said Walthew. He did not mean her torun a risk. "I guess they've disarmed Grahame, and with one pistol amongus we couldn't put up much of a fight."
"There's another," Blanca returned quietly. "I might let Mr. Grahamehave it, if he is a good shot, but he must give it back to me; and, astime is important, we will take the road."
She silenced Walthew's objections and they set off, striking into abroad track some distance farther on. For a time, it wound, deep withdust that clung about their feet heavy with the dew, across a belt ofcultivated land where indistinct, orderly rows of coffee bushes ran backfrom its edge. Then it plunged into thick forest, where the soil wassoft and the darkness impenetrable, and they stumbled along blindly,trying to feel their way. For all that, Grahame was conscious of keensatisfaction as he breathed the warm, night air. Heavy as it was, itseemed strangely invigorating after the foul atmosphere of the _carcel_where he had been imprisoned, and it was something to walk at largeagain. Walthew, however, felt anxious and limp. He had been highlystrung for several hours, and he held himself responsible for the safetyof the girl he loved. Listening for sounds of pursuit, he tried topierce the darkness in front, and started when a leaf rustled or someanimal moved stealthily through the forest. He thought his footstepsrang down the branch-arched track alarmingly loud.
They came out into barren, rolling country, where clumps of cactus andeuphorbia grew in fantastic shapes. The track led upward, and it wasobvious that Blanca was getting tired. Unless they are the wives ofpeons, Spanish-American women do not lead an active life and, as a rule,limit their walks to an evening stroll in the plaza.
For a while Blanca leaned on Walthew's arm, and he winced as he felt herlimping movements, but at last she stopped.
"I cannot go much farther, but there is a house near here," she said."We can rest when we reach it."
The house proved to be empty and in some disorder, suggesting that itsoccupants had hurriedly fled, but on searching it with a light theyfound some food, a little charcoal, and an iron cooking pot. Blanca andWalthew had made a long journey after their last meal and Grahame hadeaten nothing since his very plain breakfast at ten o'clock.
Following the girl's instructions, he lighted the charcoal and set thepot near the door while she prepared the food, but Walthew lay down inthe dust outside. He was physically tired, and now, when he imaginedthey were comparatively safe, he felt very slack and his mind was dull.For all that, he lay where he could see the road, and only moved hiseyes from it when he glanced into the small adobe building. The charcoalmade a faint red glow that forced up the face of the stooping girl outof the darkness and touched her skin with a coppery gleam. Grahame kneltbeside her, a dark, vaguely outlined figure, fanning the fire, andWalthew felt half jealous that he should help.
Then he found himself getting drowsy, and, lighting a cigarette, hefixed his eyes resolutely on the road. All was very quiet, and there wasnot a movement anywhere.
But Blanca was not out of danger yet.