Part 56 (2/2)
”You shall do no such thing, my brave fellow. You and your worthy _compadre_, as you call him, shall remain here as hostages, till Don Rafael is found. I have no confidence in lambs that have been so long in the company of wolves. If the Colonel be living, so may you; but if I find it otherwise, then your prospects--Ho, there!” cried the Lieutenant, without finis.h.i.+ng the threat, ”take these two men to the guard-house, and keep them there, till I order them to be set free.”
So saying, the Catalan poured out a gla.s.s of his favourite liquor, and commenced drinking it.
”What, and me, too?” inquired Gaspar, in a tone not very complimentary to his companion in misfortune.
”A fig for you! my worthy fellow!” rejoined the Lieutenant. ”You should have remembered the proverb, _mas vale viajar in solo que mal acompanado_.” (Better travel alone than in bad company.)
”By the cross of Christ!” continued he, after quaffing off his gla.s.s, ”I shall make short work of it with this bandit, Arroyo. To-night I shall finish with him and his band; and if I don't give the jackals and vultures a meal that will last them for a twelvemonth, my name's not Veraegui!”
At an order from his superior, the _alferez_ flung down the cards, and hurried off to prepare the garrison troops for sallying out of the fort to the rescue of their Colonel; while the corporal of the guards conducted Gaspar and Zapote to the prison--the latter no little disconcerted at finding his first act of virtue so indifferently rewarded!
CHAPTER SEVENTY.
NEWS SWEET AND SAD.
From the middle of the cane-brake where Don Rafael had found shelter, he was able through the stems of the bamboos to see the camp of Arroyo and his bandits. He could note many of the movements pa.s.sing within their lines; and at length perceived the guerilleros striking their tents, and riding off in a body from the banks of the river.
He still kept his place, however, until the night had fairly come on, and then wading back to the high bank where the bamboo thicket commenced, he looked out upon the open s.p.a.ce between the river and the edge of the forest.
At first, all was silent along the bank of the stream; but shortly after three hors.e.m.e.n were seen riding past, and not far behind them two other men followed, also on horseback.
The first party were Don Cornelio and his companions, making for the ford of the river. The other hors.e.m.e.n were two of Arroyo's _guerilla_-- who, by his orders, had remained near the hacienda Del Valle, for the purpose of taking down the heads of his three followers nailed over the gate--should an opportunity offer for their so doing. They had found the opportunity--as already known--and it was they who had pa.s.sed Don Cornelio at the ford, and whose ambiguous speech had caused a difference of opinion, as to its meaning, between the Captain and Clara.
The first care of Don Rafael, as soon as he believed the road to be clear, was to recover his horse--which he had left tied in a thicket in the woods.
Like his master, Roncador had escaped the researches of the bandits; but so weak was he with thirst and hunger, that Don Rafael had doubts whether the poor animal would be able to carry him. It was necessary that he should take the horse to the river, in order to water him. This required to be done by stealth; for, although Don Rafael had witnessed the departure of the guerilleros from the ford, he did not know whether those who blockaded the hacienda had also gone away.
After giving Roncador his drink, just as he was leading the horse up the bank again, he perceived a man coming from the direction of the ford.
As this man was on foot and alone, Don Rafael resolved to stop and question him. Sabre in hand, therefore, he placed himself in front of the pedestrian.
The latter, thus a.s.sailed by a man with a naked sword--and who was covered from head to foot with a coating of mud--was almost frightened out of his senses.
”Oh, Lord!” he cried, ”help a poor servant who is seeking a.s.sistance for his master!”
”Who is your master?” demanded Don Rafael.
”Don Fernando Lacarra,” answered the man.
”Of the hacienda San Carlos?”
”_Si, Senor_. You know him?”
”Yes: is he in any danger?”
”Alas!” replied this servant, ”the hacienda is pillaged by guerilleros; and, just as I was leaving it, I heard the groans of my poor master under the lash of their Captain Arroyo--”
”Again this villain!” muttered Don Rafael, interrupting the narrator with his angry soliloquy.
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