Part 13 (1/2)
”In a boat!” exclaimed Marianita, as soon as the servant had gone out.
”Oh, Gertrudis!” she continued, suddenly pa.s.sing from sadness to a transport of joy, ”won't that be delightful? We shall sail upon the water in our state barge crowned with flowers, and--”
As Marianita turned round, her transport of frivolous egotism was suddenly checked, as she saw her sister, with her long dark tresses hanging dishevelled around her, kneeling in front of an image of the Madonna. Giving way to a feeling of reproach, she also knelt down and mingled her prayers with those of Gertrudis, while the alarm-bell continued to peal forth to the four quarters of the compa.s.s its notes of solemn and lugubrious import.
”Oh, my poor Gertrudis!” said she, taking her sister's hand in her own, while her tears fell fast upon the glistening tresses; ”pardon me if, in the fulness of my own joy, I did not perceive that your heart was breaking. Don Rafael--you love him then?”
”If he die I shall die too--that is all I know,” murmured Gertrudis, with a choking sigh.
”Nay, do not fear, Gertrudis; G.o.d will protect him. He will send one of his messengers to save him,” said the young girl, in the simplicity of her faith; and then returning, she mingled her prayers with those of her sister, now and then alternating them with words of consolation.
”Go to the window!” said Gertrudis, after some time had pa.s.sed. ”See if there is yet any one upon the plain. I cannot, for my eyes are filled with tears. I shall remain here.”
And, saying these words, Gertrudis again knelt before the image of the Virgin.
Marianita instantly obeyed the request, and, gliding across the floor, took her stand by the open window. The golden haze that had hitherto hung over the plain was darkening into a purple violet colour, but no horseman appeared in the distance.
”The horse he will be riding,” said Gertrudis, at the moment interrupting her devotions, ”will be his bay-brown. He knows how much I admire that beautiful steed--his n.o.ble war-horse that carried him through all his campaigns against the Indians. I have often taken the flowers from my hair to place them upon the frontlet of the brave bay-brown. Oh! _Virgen Santissima_! O Jesus! sweet Lord! Don Rafael!
my beautiful! my loved! who will bring you to me?” cried the young girl--her wild, pa.s.sionate e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.i.o.ns mingling with the words of her prayer.
The plain was every moment becoming less visible to the eye, as the twilight deepened into the shadows of night, when all at once it was re-illuminated by the pale rays of the moon. Still no horseman could be seen either near or afar off--nothing but the tall, dark palm-trees that stood motionless in the midst of the silent savanna.
”He has been warned in time,” suggested Marianita, in hopes of tranquillising her sister. ”Most likely he will not have set out to-day.”
”Oh, no--no!” cried Gertrudis, wringing her hands in anguish; ”you are wrong. I know Don Rafael too well. I judge his heart by my own. I am sure he would try to be here this very evening. Another day would be too long for him. He would brave every danger, if only to see me a few hours sooner--I know he would. I know he will be coming at this moment!”
Just then a noise as of distant thunder was heard mingling with the metallic notes of the bell; and simultaneous with this ominous dialogue, between the hoa.r.s.e m.u.f.fled rumbling of the waters and the lugubrious clanging, a sheen of reddish light was seen to gleam suddenly over the moon-whitened plain, and, as it glared far into the distance, illuminating the dark forms of the palm-trees. It was proceeding from the beacon fires which Don Mariano had caused to be kindled both on the platform of the hacienda and on the higher ridge behind it--in hopes that their light might serve as a guide to those who might be still wandering upon the plain.
Both the eye and the ear were thus warned of the threatening danger; and, as the people moved around the blazing fires, their shadows, magnified to gigantic proportions, were projected far out upon the savanna.
The moments pa.s.sed slowly, amidst fearful and ominous sounds. The m.u.f.fled roar of the inundation was every instant heard more distinctly, as the exasperated flood came rolling onward. Already it resembled the noise of the loudest thunder, when the ma.s.s of dense waters was seen glistening under the light of the fires, only a few hundred paces distant from the western wall of the hacienda!
”Oh, sister!” cried Gertrudis, in a voice of despair, ”look again! Is no one in sight? O mercy!”
Marianita still stood by the window, eagerly directing her glance over the plain, and endeavouring to penetrate the obscure gleam outside the circle lighted by the glare of the fires.
”No--no one,” replied she; and then her tone suddenly changing into one of terror, she shrieked out--”O mercy! I see two hors.e.m.e.n--yes; they are hors.e.m.e.n. _Madre de Dios_! they are flying like the wind! Alas!
alas! they will be too late!”
As she spoke, loud shouts were heard from above--from the _azotea_ of the house--to which Don Mariano and a crowd of servants had ascended.
Other men, mounted on horseback, galloped along the terrace upon which the house stood, waving long lazoes around their heads, and ready to fling them out as soon as the two travellers should approach within reach. The men below were also uttering loud cries, unable to restrain their voices at the sight of the two hors.e.m.e.n thus desperately struggling to antic.i.p.ate the approach of the ma.s.s of roaring waters.
Already the flood was rus.h.i.+ng forward upon the walls of the hacienda, approaching like waves of fire under the glare of the flaming beacons.
The sisters within the chamber heard the cries, without seeing those that gave utterance to them, or knowing aught of the movements that were being made for rescuing the two hors.e.m.e.n from their perilous position.
”Oh, Gertrudis!” cried Marianita, now leaning out from the window, and clinging convulsively to one of the iron bars, ”come hither and see them! You can tell whether it be Don Rafael. I do not know him. If it be he, your voice might encourage him.”
”I cannot--I cannot!” replied Gertrudis, in a voice quivering with emotion. ”Oh, sister! I dare not look upon such a spectacle. 'Tis he--too well my heart tells me it is he--oh, I can only pray for him!”
”They are both mounted on dark-coloured horses. One of them is a little man. He is in the costume of an arriero. That cannot be Don Rafael!”