Part 37 (1/2)
He could not see theated the hile he was riding past They had taken care to extinguish the light in their rooin Santissima_! Mother of God!” exclaimed one of the ladies, Luisa Valverde, as she dropped on her knees in prayer, ”Send that they've got safe off ere this!”
”Make your a_!” counselled the Condesa Alood as sure they have Jose cannot fail to have reached and given theh”
A ustin the southern road becoallop, without risk of breaking their wind So there the Hussars had to change to a slower pace--a walk in fact There were other reasons for co would be heard far up the ht reach the ears of those in the monastery, and so thwart the surprise intended for theto look in the hunchback's face would there have observed an expression indescribable Sadness pervaded it, with an air of perplexity, as though he had met with some misfortune he could not quite co the spot where the stiletto was taken froht an opportunity to step back into that shady niche in the cliff where he had lost his treasures The _monte_ players, unsuspicious of his object,what he had expected, he saw only a pair of horse-halters: one lying coiled upon the ground, the head-stall of the other caught over the rock above, the rope end dangling down!
An inexplicable phenomenon, which, however, he had kept to hi his brains to account for
But soon after he had so arrived when he was called upon to give proof of his capability as a guide Heretofore it had been all plain road riding; but now they had reached a point spoken of by himself where the _calzada_but their weapons; the path beyond being barely practicable forall, at a co a sufficient detail to look after the anily le file--no other for with the lint of their arreat serpent--atowards its prey Silently as serpent too; not a word spoken, nor exclaht be another hour before they could reach their destination, less than a second would suffice for their voices to get there, even though butlike a shudder It here he had appropriated the dagger taken fro was not due to that, but to fear froer there Those elt above must have been down and borne it away They would now be on the alert, and at anyof carbines--a volley; perhaps feel the avenging bullet What if they should roll rocks down and crush him and the party behind? In any case there could be no surprisal now; and he would gladly have seen those he was guiding give up the thought of it and turn back Santander was hily have done so But Ramirez, a man of more mettle, at the point of his sword commanded the hunchback to keep on, and the cowardly colonel dare not revoke the order without eternally disgracing hih they knew not that Neither vidette nor sentinel was stationed there now; and, without challenge or obstruction, they reached the platforht and left till they swarmed around it as bees
But they found no honey inside their hive
There was a summons to surrender, which received no response Repeated louder, and a carbine fired, the result was the same Silence inside, there could be no one within
Nor was there When the Hussar colonel, with a dozen of his e to make a burst into the doorway, and on to the Refectory, they saw but the evidence of late occupancy in the fragments of a supper, with so the deaditself
Disappointed as were the soldiers at finding the officer at his hated eneot away frorin, nor did it allay the feeling to learn hohen a path was pointed out to hi down the other side, theysuch a path pursuit was idle
No one could say where it led--like enough to a trap
He was not the only one of the party who felt disappointed at the failure of the expedition Its guide had reason to be chagrined, too, in his oay of thinking, much oods obtained under false pretences, but the hope of reward for his volunteered services
Still the das not so down in the mouth He had another arrow in his quiver--kept in reserve for reasons of his own--a shaft from which he expected more profit than all yet spent And as the Hussar colonel earing and raging around, he saw his opportunity to discharge it
With half a dozen whispered words he tranquillised the latter; after which there was a brief conference between the two, its effect upon Santander showing itself in his countenance, that becanant joy
When, in an hour after, they were again in their saddles riding in return for the city, a snatch of dialogue between Santander and Raratified the colonel of the Hussars
”Well, Major,” he said, ”we've done road enough for this day You'll be wanting rest by the tih, Colonel Twice to San Augustin and back, with the additional ues I take it--to say nothing of the cliues it will be e've done with it But our ride won't be over then If I'm not mistaken, we'll be back this way before we lay side on a bed There's another nest not far off will claim a visit from us, one we're not likely to find so empty I'd rob it now if I had my way; but for certain reasons, mustn't without per! _Carajo_! if the cock birds have escaped, I'll take care the hens don't”
And as if tothe spurs deep into the flanks of his now jaded charger, again coallop”
CHAPTER FIFTY SIX
A DAY OF SUSPENSE
Daas just beginning to show over the eastern _Cordilleras_, its aurora giving a rose tint to the snowy cone of Popocatepec, as the Hussars passed back through San Augustin The bells of the _paroquia_ had cotoward the church, saw the one another as to where they had been, and on what errand bound
But before entering the _pueblo_ they had to pass under the sa outward on the other side; theseevery file as it caht, every individual horse up with joyous sparkle, while they, thus observing, breathed freely