Part 43 (1/2)
”And do you know of such a pretty young damsel?” inquired Arroyo after an interval of silence, which proved that the arguments of his a.s.sociate were not lost upon him.
”Of course I do, and so do you as well--one that you could lay your hands on at any moment.”
”Where?”
”Where? At the hacienda of San Carlos. Where else should she be?”
”You mean the Dona Marianita de Silva?”
”Precisely so.”
”_Mil demonios, camarado_! Do you intend us to save every hacienda in the country? Of course it is for the sake of pillaging the house, that you wish me to possess myself of its mistress?”
”The owner of San Carlos is a Spaniard,” rejoined Bocardo, without making any direct reply to the insinuation of his a.s.sociate. ”It would surely be no great crime to take either the wife or property of a _Gachupino_.”
”Hold, _amigo_! that Gachupino is as great a friend to the insurgent cause as you or I. He has furnished us with provisions, and--”
”True; but he does it out of pure fear. How can you suppose that any one is a true insurgent, who has chests filled with bags of dollars, drawers crammed with silver plate, and besides,” added Bocardo to conceal his true designs, ”such a pretty young wife by his side. Bah!
we were fools that we did not also take Don Mariano's two daughters from him, at the same time that we disembarra.s.sed him of his plate. We should have been better off now, and I too should have possessed a beautiful creature, whereas I am still a solitary bachelor. But it's my luck, camarado, always to sacrifice my own interests to yours!”
”Look here, Bocardo!” said the brigand leader after a moment of pensive silence, in which he appeared to reflect upon the proposals of his astute a.s.sociate, ”we shall get ourselves into trouble, if we carry on in this fas.h.i.+on. It may end in our being hunted down like a pair of wild beasts.”
”We have a hundred and fifty devoted followers,” simply replied the other, ”every one of them brave and true as his dagger.”
”Well!” said Arroyo, still speaking in a reflective tone, ”I do not say, but--I shall think it over.”
The eyes of Bocardo flashed with a fierce joy as he perceived the undecided bearing of his a.s.sociate. Well knew he that, before the end of that day, he should be able to obtain Arroyo's full consent and co-operation in the dark and terrible deed he had designed to accomplish.
CHAPTER FIFTY SEVEN.
A REAL VIRAGO.
The two brigands remained for some time without saying a word, both reflecting on the scheme of murder and pillage which they now premeditated. At this moment the tent flap was raised, and a figure appeared in the entrance. It was a woman of masculine mien--a true virago--robust and hale; but whose countenance betrayed the ravage of evil pa.s.sions rather than time. Her coa.r.s.e hair clubbed around her head, and held in its place by a large tortoisesh.e.l.l comb with gold pendants, showed no sign of advanced age. It was black as ebony.
Around her neck were hung numerous chains of gold and gla.s.s beads, to which were attached a number of crosses, scapularies, and other golden ornaments; but in spite of this gaudy adorning her countenance was hideous to behold, and did not belie the portrait of Arroyo's wife which had been sketched by Bocardo, for it was she. As she presented herself at the opening of the tent, rage was depicted in her countenance, exhibiting itself in the swollen veins of her neck and forehead, and in the rolling of her bloodshot eyes.
”A shame on you!” cried she, casting on Bocardo, whom she both hated and despised, the angry look she feared to give her husband, ”a shame on you, that after the oath you have taken, there should still remain a stone of this nest of vipers, or a man to defend it!”
”Well--what now?” demanded Arroyo, in an ill-humoured tone. ”What nest of vipers are you speaking of?”
”The hacienda Del Valle--what other should it be? There our men--the greater number of them at least--have been besieging it for three days without any result. No, not without result, for I've just this moment learnt that three of our people have been killed in a sortie, and that this accursed Catalan, who commands the place, has nailed their heads over the door of the hacienda!”
”Who has told you this?” quickly demanded Arroyo.
”Gas.p.a.cho. He is outside awaiting your orders. He has been sent to ask for a reinforcement.”
”By all the devils!” cried Arroyo in a rage. ”Woman! who has given you the privilege of interrogating the couriers that are sent me?”
As he put this interrogatory the brigand sprang to his feet; and, seizing the bullock's skull upon which he had been seated, made a motion as if he would crush with it that of his amazonian partner. Perhaps, influenced by the late councils of Bocardo, he would have decided on bearing the public execration upon his own shoulders, had it not been for that scapulary blessed by the Pope, and whose fatal influence he at the moment remembered.