A Queen's Error

  CHAPTER XIII

  DON JUAN D'ALTA

  No sooner had we passed through the cyclists than they formed acrossthe road and, dismounting, took up positions behind any cover whichthey discovered in the rough ground.

  To my astonishment they unstrapped rifles from their machines, and assoon as the robbers appeared in pursuit greeted them with a rapid fireevidently from magazines. I saw several saddles emptied as they turnedand rode off.

  A few minutes after St. Nivel and his friends rejoined us.

  "That was a lucky thought of mine," he said, laughing, when he hadgripped my hand and congratulated me on our escape.

  I remembered seeing the bicycles being put into the train at MonteVideo, and the magazine rifles of course were in the guard's van, andought to have been used when the robbers attacked us, but they came toosuddenly and there was no time to get them.

  From that time forward things went easily enough; steam was soon up,and we were away again to Valoro within half an hour. At the nextstation a special restaurant car was attached; we were treated likeheroes, sitting amid the popping of champagne corks relating ouradventures, and this went on long after the morning had broken.

  But I, tired out, soon sought my bed in the sleeping-car, but notbefore I had been assured at the door of the ladies' car, by Mrs.Darbyshire, now all tears and smiles, that Dolores had regainedconsciousness, and was unhurt, save for bruises and, of course, asevere shock.

  I slept until within an hour of our running into Valoro station late inthe afternoon, and just had time to have a delicious bath and emergefresh and hungry into the restaurant car in which St. Nivel, LadyEthel, and Dolores looking very pale and ill, were just finishinglunch. My darling sat beside me while I lunched and held my hand--whenit was disengaged--unheeded by Mrs. Darbyshire. This lady, I think,considered that the case had got beyond her and had better be relegatedto a higher court--Don Juan d'Alta--for judgment.

  Dolores even lighted my cigarette for me, but soon after her aunt tookher away to prepare to leave the train.

  "What on earth made you hand that poor devil of a brigand chief thatbox of cigars, Jack?" I asked St. Nivel, when we were alone with Ethel,and he had restored my precious casket to me; "he might have taken itand got the whole shoot."

  "At that moment," replied St. Nivel, glancing through the rings of hiscigar smoke quite affectionately at me, "I wished he _would_ take it.Things looked very ugly for you, and we were powerless to help you. Ithought if he took the cigar case the casket would at least be with youand you would know it and could use your own discretion about givingthem the tip if your life were threatened as I imagined it would be."

  "Very clever of you, Jack," I answered, "and I'm very much obliged toyou for thinking of it, but I am glad that the poor devil didn't takeit after all. I believe it to be my duty to take it to Don Juand'Alta, even at the risk of my life."

  St. Nivel sat thinking a moment or two; then he spoke.

  "Why do you use the term 'poor devil'?" he asked, "when you speak ofthe robber chief?"

  I told him why. I told him how I had shot him.

  "Well, really, Bill," he said very seriously, "I wish the thing _had_gone. It has already cost several lives, and seems to carry ill-luckwith it. Who knows how many more lives may be sacrificed? Of course,there cannot be a doubt but that the train was held up solely to obtainit; the taking of the hundred dollars a head was simply a ruse to coverthe other. Old Frampton says such a raid on a train is a thing unheardof now in Aquazilia."

  "Yes," I answered, "but it came to a good round sum all the same.Well, at any rate," I continued, as the train ran into Valoro station,"we've brought the thing to its destination, and we're all safe andsound, so there's _something_ to be thankful for!"

  At Valoro, things were "all right" as my man Brooks put it; news of theattack on the train, in which was the British Minister, had reached thecapital, and a troop of cavalry awaited to escort him to his Legation.

  "As I understand you have something of importance to deliver inValoro," said Sir Rupert Frampton to me as we left the train, "I thinkyou had better come in my carriage. I am taking Mrs. Darbyshire andthe Senorita with me too. They both want reassuring, and the morale ofthe escort will do that. I shall take them right home."

  "Thank you very much," I answered, "that will suit me down to theground. My mission is to deliver a packet to Don Juan d'Alta himself."

  "Then come along," added Sir Rupert, "for, of course, the ladies aregoing there too."

  In a few minutes we were driving out of the station yard in a finecarriage, surrounded by soldiers.

  It was the first time I had ever ridden with an escort, and I liked it.

  We left the immense terminus, which would not have disgraced the finestcity in Europe, and turned up a great boulevard leading to the higherpart of the city where amid trees we could see many fine white houses.

  "That is our house!" cried Dolores, as we left the houses behind andcame out into the country. "Look, aunt! look, William!"

  I did look and saw on the crest of the hill we were approaching, faraway to the left, a long range of white buildings, relieved withtowers, which looked like a small castle.

  It filled me with apprehension, for it was a sign of the great wealthof her father--the wealth which I feared would be a bar to our union.

  I think she was surprised at the glum look on my face for the rest ofthe little journey.

  "Are you sorry to go and see my father?" she asked plaintively, with asweet look in her blue eyes. "I am sure he will be very glad to see_you_ and to thank you for saving me. He is a very kind man is myfather," she added solemnly, "very kind to me, and very kind to hisreptiles."

  Before them all--Mrs. Darbyshire was now quite resigned--I took herhand and pressed it.

  "It is a very easy thing to be kind to _you_, Dolores," I said. "Ishould find the difficulty in being kind to the reptiles."

  "But you will humour my father, won't you?" she asked, and then droppedher voice, "for both our sakes?"

  The amount of interest dear old Sir Rupert Frampton took in distantscenery during this drive, and the many objects of interest he pointedout to Mrs. Darbyshire to divert her attention from us, made me hiswilling slave for life. For, indeed, I was agitated at the prospect ofthe interview which was to come in a few minutes with old Don Juand'Alta, not only for our sake, but for the sake of the dear old lady atBath, who I doubted not was now dead, and the packet she had confidedto my care.

  It was a comfort to sit with Dolores' little hand in mine. My otherclasped the precious packet in my trousers pocket.

  At last we drove into a great avenue filled with the most luxurianttropical vegetation, very carefully tended, for there were men at workeverywhere.

  The escort wheeled away into line as we swept under a greatglass-roofed portiere, and came to a halt at a fine flight of marblesteps, where Sir Rupert left us and drove away with the soldiersclattering around him.

  Yes, the home of my Dolores was like a modern palace.

  Overcome with seeing it again, I think she forgot even me for themoment. She ran gaily up the steps, trilling with laughter.

  "Where is father?" she cried.

  That gentleman answered her question in person.

  At the head of the steps appeared an old man dressed in black with anabundance of perfectly white hair which surrounded a verygood-humoured, wrinkled face, almost as brown as a berry. It was theface of an aristocrat, but of an aristocrat who lived in the open air,and a good deal under the burning sun of an Aquazilian summer.

  He came forward with a very loving smile on his old face and took hislittle daughter in his arms.

  Their greeting was in Spanish and therefore most of it was lost to me,but I took it to be a very affectionate one. This over, theconversation turned in my direction and broke into English.

  "This is the gentleman who saved me from the robbers, father,"exclaimed Dolores; "this is Mr. William Anstruther."

&nb
sp; The old man turned towards me with extended hands, his face beaming.

  "Mr. Anstruther," he said, speaking in very fair English, which I foundmost of the gentry spoke there, "let me take your hands and thank youfrom my heart for your heroic conduct to my daughter. The news of theoutrage and your gallant escape reached us together by telegraph thefirst thing this morning. Indeed, I think they had the news at theclub last night."

  When he had at last let my hand go, I got in a word of my own.

  "Naturally," I began, "you will like to spend some time with yourdaughter, but when you are at liberty I have an important message todeliver to you."

  "Indeed!" he said, looking rather surprised. "From whom?"

  "From an old lady who formerly lived at Bath, in England," I replied,"but who now, I fear, is dead--murdered!"

  "Good heavens!" he cried; "who can it be?"

  "It was a lady known by the name of Carlotta Altenberg," I answered.

  "Good God!" he cried, throwing up his hands excitedly; "poor oldd'Altenberg murdered!"

  I was rather disappointed at his tone. It was very certain that theold lady was a person of little importance, or he would never havespoken of her like that.

  In a moment or two he turned to me again.

  "I have taken the liberty," he said, "of having your luggage and thatof your friends with whom you are travelling--and whom Dolores tells meare your cousins--brought up here. I could not think of allowing youto stay anywhere else in Valoro than under my roof, and I am vainenough to think that we can keep you amused during your stay."

  I made suitable acknowledgments for his kindness, and was wondering allthe while, in my heart, under what lucky star I had been born to belocated beneath the very roof with my Dolores, and that, too, at herfather's invitation. But he broke in upon my thanks.

  "Not another word, Mr. Anstruther," he said; "it is you who confer thebenefit upon me.

  "Now, you say you have a message from the poor old Baroness d'Altenbergfor me. Good! I will show you to my study, and there we will go intothe matter at our leisure."

  He led me down a long corridor to a beautiful room overlooking thevalley, communicating with a long range of what looked likeconservatories. Hardly necessary, I thought, in such a climate!

  "Now," said my host, placing a box of cigars before me, "amuse yourselfwith these, and my servant shall bring us some champagne to celebrateyour arrival. I will just go and see my sister and little Doloressettled in their apartments, then I will come back to you and we canhave our talk. You shall tell me all about the poor Baroness."

  The kind old man pressed me down into a comfortable lounge chair, thenwith a smile departed.

  I took a good look round the room, and took stock of its contents. Itwas furnished very luxuriously in the European fashion and containedsome beautiful pictures, but its principal ornaments were cases ofstuffed reptiles of every sort, from a tiny lizard to a greatboa-constrictor with red jaws agape.

  There were four French windows opening to the ground, shaded by outsidestriped blinds similar to those used in England, but not low enough tohide a most splendid view of hill and dale and far-away mountains,which seemed to surround the city of Valoro, itself seeming to rest ona plateau.

  I was standing looking at a case of particularly objectionable yellowsnakes when I heard one of the French windows move behind me; turning,I came face to face with the polite lieutenant of the band of robberswho had attacked our train. He had discarded the cowboys' dress andwore the clothes of a gentleman. He at once raised a revolver to thelevel of my head as I started back, and addressed me in perfectlypolite tones.

  "Come, come, Mr. Anstruther," he said, "it's no good. I want thatpacket. If you don't give it to me I shall simply shoot you throughthe head and take it."

  It appeared to me that my journey after all had been in vain; there wasthe muzzle of the pistol within six inches of my head, and I had tomake up my mind about it.

  St. Nivel's words came back to me concerning the ill-luck of it, and Icould almost hear him saying--

  "Let the thing go; it isn't worth risking your life for."

  Then I thought of Dolores, and on this thought broke the voice of therobber, cold and hard.

  "You must make up your mind, Mr. Anstruther," he said, "while I countten, otherwise I must fire."

  He commenced counting slowly.

  "One."

  The thought of Dolores grew stronger.

  "Two."

  I could almost _hear_ St. Nivel's voice urging me to give it up.

  "Three."

  Then there was my promise to the old lady, murdered, I believed, bythese infamous ruffians. I hesitated.

  "Four."

  "Five."

  "Six."

  Then came another thought: would the old lady, who had been spoken ofas the Baroness d'Altenberg, hold me to my word under the circumstances?

  "Seven."

  "Eight."

  I doubted it.

  "Nine."

  I had made up my mind to save my life for Dolores.

  "Hold," I said; "I will give it to you!"

  He smiled.

  "I think you are very sensible," he said; "anybody else but anEnglishman would have given it up long ago, and then a great deal oftrouble and several lives would have been saved."

  I put my hand in my pocket despising myself the while for giving way,but still convinced that I should have been a fool to throw my lifeaway under the circumstances.

  "Perhaps you will tell me," I asked, as I drew the packet from mypocket, "how it is that you know I am here and that I have the packetwith me?"

  He laughed.

  "I may as well tell you," he said, "that you have never been leftunwatched since you left Bath."

  "You seem to know my movements pretty well yourself," I said, in anastonished tone.

  "Pretty well," he answered, with another smile.

  I had no sooner drawn the packet from my pocket than he snatched itunceremoniously from my hands and walked with it towards the window.

  "Don't move," he cried to me, "until I tell you _or_ I shall fire. Imust verify the contents before I leave you."

  He still held the pistol in my direction and I have no doubt would havefired had I made the slightest move towards him, which I could not havedone without making some noise, for about six paces divided us.

  I stood still and regarded him as he tore off the covering with histeeth.

  He was so thoroughly engrossed with the task that he did not hear aslight rustling sound which caused me to turn my head towards the doorwhich led to the long range of what appeared to be glass houses, andwhich was just open a little. What I saw there made me turn cold fromhead to foot.

  Gliding through the slightly open door, and pushing it farther open asit came with its immense bulk, was a huge black and yellow snake!

  It was moving in the direction of the robber, who, entirely engrossedwith the packet from which he had torn the wrapper, was totallyoblivious of his position. The snake had possibly been attracted bythe tearing noise which he had made as he rent the linen envelope withhis teeth.

  I had almost cried aloud to warn him, when, I checked myself. The manhad come to murder me; he must take his chance. He had turned to me,satisfied with his scrutiny of the casket which he now held in hishand, the box which contained it having been thrown on the floor, whenI saw the snake draw itself into a great coil and raise its head; then,just as his lips were opening to speak to me, the great reptile made aspring, and in an instant coiled itself tight round him, the tailwhipping close like a steel wire. He gave a great cry and dropped thecasket and the revolver immediately. Within a second or two I had themin my hands, and at the same moment the door opened and Don Juan d'Altaentered.

  He rapped out a great Spanish oath, and a good many more words in thesame language; then he turned to me.

  "Who is this man?" he asked.

  "That is one of the men," I answered at once, "who attacked the train
.He entered this room a few minutes after you left me with the intentionof robbing or murdering me."

  "Then he seems to have got his deserts," replied my host, laughing. Hecame quite close to me and whispered in my ear, "The snake is quiteharmless, but it will give him a fright and maybe break a rib or two ifit squeezes hard."

  The old man appeared to regard it as a huge joke, but kept a solemnface.

  It appeared to be going beyond a joke to break his ribs, and I said soin a whisper.

  "He deserves it," was the reply.

  Meanwhile, the robber was becoming absolutely livid with fear, andbegan to supplicate Don Juan in Spanish.

  Finding this of no avail, he turned to me.

  "Have mercy, Senor," he cried piteously, "and help me to free myselffrom this reptile. It is crushing me to death."

  The horrible thing with wide-open jaws was breathing in his face, andits fetid breath seemed turning him sick.

  Don Juan laughed aloud, rather heartlessly it seemed to me, but theSpanish nature is a cruel one to its enemies.

  "I know the man," he said, "and I cannot understand what has broughthim into this _galere_. Let us question him?"

  * * * * *

  I could not quite see that a man enveloped in the embrace of aboa-constrictor, even though the reptile might be tame and harmless,would be a person likely to give either correct or coherent answers toquestions, but I acquiesced in Don Juan d'Alta's suggestion that weshould try and get some information out of him.

  He commenced at once; speaking in English for my benefit.

  "What induced you and your band to attack the train yesterday?" was hisfirst question.

  "I don't know," was the answer.

  "That is a lie," responded Don Juan, speaking quite coolly. "If youwish to get out of the coils of that snake, you must speak the truth.

  "Now come, I know of course who you are, I know everybody in Valoro,and especially the members of the Carlotta Society, which is avowedlyRoyalist and opposed to the present Government like myself. You are amember of that Society; you are one of its leaders. I suggest to youthat the so-called band of robbers who attacked the train last nightwere simply members of the Carlotta Society?"

  "I admit," gasped the man, trying with all his force to keep theboa-constrictor's head away from his face, "that I am a leader of theCarlotta Society, but I cannot disclose its secrets even to you."

  "You must speak, Lopes," Don Juan said, "or you will not get free.Remember that I am a member of the Carlotta Society myself, though anhonorary one on account of my age. You will never get back to yourdesk in the bank of Valoro if you don't speak."

  "It is inhuman!" cried the man desperately, "it is vile torture!"

  "It is also inhuman," added Don Juan sententiously, "to raid trains,and to threaten murder as you have done in this room. Your band toowas none too scrupulous in hanging Jimenez the half-breed, though hewas an informer. Tell me now, why did you hold up the train? why didyou try to rob this English gentleman?"

  "It was done," answered the man stertorously, for he was becoming weak,"it was done on urgent orders from Europe from our head."

  Don Juan started, and going close whispered a name in his ear.

  "Yes," replied Lopes faintly, but I heard the words, "from the Dukehimself."

  As Don Juan turned from him with a perplexed look, his eye caught thecasket which I still held in my hand; he lost colour and became veryagitated as he saw it.

  "Where did you get that from?" he asked abruptly, seizing my hand.

  I opened my hand and placed the casket in his.

  "From the Baroness d'Altenberg," I replied. "I made the journey fromEurope to give it to you. My task is accomplished."

  The casket had reached its destination.