Part 44 (1/2)

”_Carrambo_! Yes!” exclaimed the hag, ”to burn him over the slow fire, and roast him alive--that I shall.”

And with a hideous laugh she walked out of the tent to give place to Gas.p.a.cho, who the next moment entered.

The courier thus named had all the appearance of an original character.

He was tall and thin as the blade of a rapier, with a cynical expression of countenance, and long snaky tresses of hair hanging down over his shoulders, like thongs of smoked leather.

”Speak!” commanded Arroyo, as he entered. ”Thou bearer of evil tidings, what have you to tell us now?”

”Perhaps, Senor Captain,” responded the brigand, who, notwithstanding his habitual air of importance, was evidently cowed by the scowl of his superior, ”perhaps I have some good news as well?”

”First, then, deliver your bad ones!”

”Well, then, Senor Captain, there are not enough of us to take this hacienda by a.s.sault. The den of coyotes has proved stronger than we expected; and I am sent to ask for a reinforcement of men.”

”Who has sent you?--Lieutenant Lantejas?”

”Lieutenant Lantejas will never send another message. This morning his head was nailed over the gate of the hacienda along with that of Sergeant Yanez.”

”Tripes of the fiend!” exclaimed the guerilla leader, ”Yanez, too!”

”Their heads are not the only ones, Captain. Besides them are those of Salinas and Tuerto, to say nothing of Matavidas, Sacamedios, and Piojento, who were taken prisoners and hung alive by the feet from the parapet of the building. We had to fire at them and kill them with our carbines, in order to put an end to their sufferings.”

”They deserved it--a fig for their lives! Why did they allow themselves to be taken alive?”

”That's just what I told them,” said Gas.p.a.cho, with an air of a.s.sent.

”I warned them that your honour would be very angry about it. But they did not mind what I said for all that.”

”So then there are now only forty-four of you laying siege to the accursed place?”

”Your pardon, Captain. I did not yet mention four others who have been hung up by the necks. Upon these we were not obliged to spend our powder--as they were dead enough already.”

”_Carajo_!” vociferated the brigand with a furious accent. ”Ten of my men gone already! _Demonios_! Am I to lose this band like the other?

Go on! You have given me enough of ill news. Let me hear some of what you call good ones!”

”Yesterday evening a horseman approached the hacienda riding towards it, as if he had nothing to do but present himself at the gate and be admitted. Before getting near, however, he was seen by two of our videttes, who at once charged upon him. After a fight, in which the horseman made a fierce resistance, he managed to escape.”

”_Carajo_!--the stupids!”

”Don't be angry with the poor fellows, Senor Captain. I a.s.sure you they did not let him go without a struggle, which ended in one of them getting his shoulder fractured by a pistol-shot, and the other having his horse fall under him. Pressed by the latter, the Royalist horseman turned upon him, and rus.h.i.+ng against his horse, brought the animal to the ground. Then grasping the vidette by the collar, he lifted him clean out of his stirrups, and dashed him to the earth, as one would do a cocoa-nut to break its sh.e.l.l. It was full two hours before the poor fellow came to his senses.”

”I know only one man strong enough to accomplish that feat,” said Bocardo, turning pale--”the d.a.m.ned Colonel Tres-Villas. It was just in that way that he killed Antonio Valdez.”

”It was Colonel Tres-Villas,” added Gas.p.a.cho. ”Pepe Lobos is sure of it. He heard the snorting of that strange horse--the same he rode upon the day he came to Las Palmas. Besides, Pepe recognised his figure, and the sound of his voice--notwithstanding that it was in the night. Ten of our men have gone in pursuit of him, and by this he ought to be taken.”

”Holy Virgin!” exclaimed the guerillero chief, turning his eyes towards heaven, ”I promise you a wax candle as big as a palm tree, if this man falls into our hands!”

”As big as a palm tree!” exclaimed Bocardo in astonishment.--”Camarado, do you mean it?”

”Hus.h.!.+” said the other in a low voice. ”Hold your tongue, Bocardo; it's only to humbug the Virgin!”