University of California Berkeley THE BED TRACK f 0tiRl fife in BY GTJSTAVE AIMARB AXITHOB OF "ADVENTURERS," " FARL OP THE ANDES," " TRAIL 11UNTKR/' **PIEATJJS OF THK TEAIKIES," " IBAPPKu'S DAUGHTER," " TIGEE BLATEK," "GOLD SEBKEBS," "IHDIAIT cni&f," ETC. LONDON: CHARLES HENRY CLARKE, 13 PATERNOSTER ROW PREFACE. THE present volume of GUSTAVE Ami&D's -works is a con tinuation of the " Indian Chief," and conclusion of the series comprising that \vork, the "Gold Seekers," and the "Tiger Slayer." At the present moment, when we are engaged in a war witli Mexico, I feel assured that the extraordinary and startling descriptions given in this volume of the social condition and mocle of life in the capital of that country will be read with universal gratification ; for I can assert confidently thai no pre vious writer has ever produced such a graphic and truthful account of a city with which the illustrated papers will soon make us thoroughly acquainted. If a further recommendation be needed, it will be found in the fact that the present volume appears in an English garb before being introduced to French readers. GUSTAVE AIMAED is so gratified with the reception his works have found in this country, through my poor assistance, that he has considered he could not supply a better proof of his thankfulness than by permitting his English readers to enjoy, on this occasion, the first-fruits of his versatile and clever pen. This is a compliment which, I trust, will be duly appreciated ; for, as to the merits of the work itself, I have not the slightest doubt. Headers may imagine it impossible for GUSTAVE AIMAKD to surpass his previous triumphs in the wildly romantic, or that he could invent anything equal to the " Prairie Flower," a work which I venture to affirm to be the finest Indian tale ever yet written, in epite of the great authors who have preceded AIMAKD ; but I ask my reader's special admiration for the "KED TRACK," because iu it ovr favourite author strikes out a new path s and displays a IV PBEFACE. versatility which puts to the blush those bilious critics few in ruinbcr I grant, among the multitude of encouraging reviewer?., who have ventured an opinion that GTJSTAVE AIMAKD can ovily write about Indian life, or, in point of fact, that he is merely a hunter describing his own experiences under a transparent disguise. Well, be it so, I accept the assertion. GUSTAVE AIMAUD is but a hunter ; he has seen nought but unciA ilizecl life ; he has spent years among savages, and has returned to his own country to try and grow Europcanized again. Wliat-ihen? The very objection is a proof of his veracity ; and I am fully of the con viction that every story he has told us is true. It is not reason able to suppose that a man who has spent the greater part of hia life in hunting the wild animals of America who has been an adopted son of the most powerful Indian tribes who has for years never known what the morrow would bring forth, should sit down to invent. The storehouse of his mind is too amply filled with marvels for him to take that needless trouble, and he simply repeats on paper the talcs which in olden times he picked up at the camp fires, or heard during his wanderings with the wood-rangers. And it is as such that I wish GTTSTAYE AITVTAHD to be judged by English readers. His eminent quality is truth. He is a man who could not set down a falsehood, no matter what the bribe might be. He lias lived through the incidents he describes, and has brought back to Europe the adventures of a chequered life. He does not attempt to fascinate his readers by a compli cated plot. He does not possess the marvellous invention of a CoorER, who, after a slight acquaintance with a few powerless Indians, wrote books which all admirers of the English lan guage peruse. But GUSTAYE AIMARD possesses a higher quality, in the fact that he only notes down incidents which he has seeu, or which he has received on undoubted evidence from his com panions. The present is the twelfth vclwno of GTSTAVE AIMAKD'S vrorks to which I have put my name ; and, with the exception of a few captious criticisms whose motive may be read between tho lines, the great body of the British Press has greeted our joint PREFACE. T efforts with the heartiest applause. The success of this series lias been unparalleled in the annals of cheap literature. Day by day the number of readers increases, and the publication of each successive volume creates an excitement which cannot fail to be most gratifying to the publishers. To please all parties, the proprietors of Aimard's copyrights have projected an Illustrated Series, to which I would invite most earnest attention. Although by this time I am saturated with Indian life, I confess that I never thoroughly understood it till I saw the engravings after a Zwecker, a Iluard, and a Cor- b^c}. The artists have carefully studied their subjects, and gone to the fountain-head for information ; and the result is, that they have produced a series of \\orks which only need to be seen to bo appreciated. The last volume illustrated is " The Freebooters," which was entirely intrusted to Mr. Corbould, and though I do not wish for a moment to depreciate the other artists, I felt, on seeing the illustrations, that GTJSTAVE AIMAED was worthily in terpreted. All I can urge upon readers is, that they should judge for themselves. To wind up this unusually long Preface, into which honest admiration for the author has alone induced me, I wish to say that it affords me an ever-recurring delight to introduce GUSTAYE AniAKD's works to English readers, while it causes me an extra pleasure, on this occasion, to be enabled to repeat that the present volume appears on this side of the Channel before it lias been introduced to French readers. And, knowing as I do the number of editions through which AHIABD'S books pass in his own native land, I can appreciate the sacrifice he has made on this occasion at its full value. &ASCELLES WRAXALU D^AYTON TrUTUCE, WEST BROMPTON, 18G2. CONTENTS. CHAJ. I. THE SIERRA. OF THE WIND KIVER . . 1 II. THE DEAD ALIYE 12 III. THE COMPACT , . , a 25 IV. THE TRAVELLERS . i 4 i 36 V. THE FORT OF THE CHICHBIEQUES i .47 VI. THE SURPRISE . I 59 VII. THE EXPLANATION , . . 70 VIII. A DECLARATION Of WAR . 80 IX. MEXICO . * . . .00 X. THE RANCHO . . 103 XI. THE PASEO DE BTJCAllELLI , . . 110 XII. A CONFIDENTIAL CONVERSATION . , 127 XIII. DON MARTIAL . . . . 138 XIV. THE VELORIO . . . . 150 XV. THE CONVENT OF THE BEKXAKDINES . . 163 XVI. THE CONFESSOR .... 173 XVII. THE BEGINNING OF T>1E STRUGGLE . . 185 XVIII. A VISIT *.* 196 XIX. ASSISTANCE , ., <* . 206 XX. EL ZARAGATE . c 218 XXI. AFTER THE INTERVIEW .... 232 Vlll CONTENTS. XXI f. THE BLANK SIGNATURE . 241 XXIII. ON THE HOAD , , , .' ," 255 xxir. A SKIEMISH ( 2GG XXV. LOS EEGOCIJ08 t 276 XXVI. THE PKONUNCIAIIIEXTO * 288 XXVII-. THE CAPILLA i * 299 A BUFFALO HUNT. ; 813 A MUSTANa , 835 THE BED TBACK, CHAPTEIt 1. THE SIEREA OF THE WIND EIVEB. IIIE Kocky Mountains form an almost impassable barrier between California and the United States, properly so called ; their formidable denies, their rude valleys, and the vast western plains, watered by rapid streams, are even to the present day almost unknown to the American adventurers, and are rarely visited by the intrepid and daring Canadian trappers. Tha 'najestic mountain range called the Sierra of the Wind Eiver, especially otters a grand and striking picture, as it raises to the skies its white and snow-clad peaks, which extend indefinitely in a north-western direction, until they appear on the horizon like a white cloud, although the experienced eye of the trapper recognizes in this cloud the scarped outline of the Yellow-stone Mountains. The Sierra of the Wind Eiver is one of the most remarkable of the Rocky Mountain range ; it forms, so 2 THE BED TBACK. to sneak, an immense plateau, thirty leagues long, by ten or twelve in width, commanded by scarped peaks, crowned with eternal snows, and having at their base narrow and deep valleys filled with springs, streams, and rock-bound lakes. These magnificent reservoirs give rise to some of the mighty rivers which, after running for hundreds of miles through a picturesque territory, become on one side the affluents of the Missouri, on the other of the Columbia, and bear the tribute of their waters to the two oceans. In the stories of the wood-rangers and trappers, the Sierra of the Wind River is justly renowned for its frightful gorges, and the wild country in its vicinity frequently serves as a refuge to the pirates of the prairie, and has been, many a time and oft, the 1 scene of obstinate struggles between the white men and the Indians. Toward the end of June, 1854, a well-mounted traveller, carefully wrapped up in the thick folds of a sarape, raised to his eyes, was following one of the most precipitous slopes of the Sierra of the Wind River, at no great distance from the source of the G reen River, that great western Colorado which pours its waters into the Gulf of California. It was about seven in the evening : the traveller rode along, shivering from the effects of an icy wind which whistled mournfully through the canons. All around had assumed a saddening aspect in the vacil lating moonbeams. He rode on without hearing the footfall of his horse, as it fell on the winding sheet of THE SIERBA OF THE WIND EIVEB. 3 snow that covered the ! . icape ; at times the capri cious windings of the track he was following com pelled him to pass thror g ti thickets, whose branches, bent by the weight of SJIGW, stood out before him like gigantic skeletons, cud struck each other after he had passed with a sullen snap. The traveller continued his journey, looking anxiously on both sides of him. His horse, fatigued by a long ride, hobbled at every step, and in spite of the repeated encouragement of its rider seemed deter mined to stop short, when, after suddenly turning an angle in the track, it suddenly entered a large clearing, where the close-growing grass formed a circle about forty yards in diameter, and the verdure formed a cheery contrast with the whiteness that surrounded it. " Heaven be praised !" the traveller exclaimed in excellent French, and giving a start of pleasure ; "here is a spot at last where I can camp for to night, without any excessive inconvenience. I almost Despaired of finding one.*' While thus congratulating himself, the traveller had stopped his horse and dismounted. His first attention was paid to hi-? horse, from which he re moved saddle and bridle, and which he covered with his sarape, appearing to attach no importance to the cold, which was, however, extremely severe in these elevated regions. So soon as it was free, the animal, in spite of its fatigue, began browsing heartily on the grass, and thus reassured about his companion, the THE BED TBA.CE. traveller began thinking about making the best ar rangements possible for the night. Tall, thin, active, with a lofty and capacious fore head, an intelligent blue eve, sparkling with boldness, the stranger appeared to have been long accustomed to desert lifer, and to find nothing extraordinary or peculiarly disagreeable in the somewhat precarious position in which he found himself at this moment. He was a man who had reached about middle life, on whose brow grief rather than the fatigue of the adventurous life of the desert had formed deep wrinkles, and sown numerous silver threads in his thick light hair; his dress was a medium between that of the white trappers and the Mexican gambu- sinos ; but it was easy to recognize, in spite of his complexion, bronzed by the seasons, that he was a stranger to the ground he trod, and that Europe had witnessed his birth. After giving a final glance of satisfaction at his liorse, which at intervals interrupted its repast to raise its delicate and intelligent head to him with an expression of pleasure, he carried his weapons and horse trappings to the foot of a rather lofty rock, which offered him but a poor protection against the gusts of the night breeze, and then began collecting dry wood to light a watch-fire. It was no easy task to find dry firewood at a spot almost denuded of trees, and whose soil, covered with Bnow, except in the clearing, allowed nothing to be distinguished ; but the traveller was patient, he would THE SIERRA OP THE WIND RIYEB. not be beaten, and within an hour he had collected sufficient wood to feed through the night two such fires as he proposed kindling. The branches soon crackled, and a bright flame rose joyously in a long spiral to the sky. " Ah !" said the traveller, who, like all men con strained to live alone, seemed to have contracted the habit of soliloquizing aloud, " the fire will do, so now for supper, 7 ' Then, fumbling in the alforgas, or double pockets which travellers always carry -'astened to the saddle, he took from them all the requisite elements of a frugal meal; that is to say, cecina, pemmican, and several varas of tasajo, or meat dried in the sun. At the moment when, after shutting up his alforgas, the traveller raised his head to lay his meat on the embers to broil, he stopped motionless, with widely-opened mouth, and it was only through a mighty strength of will that he suppressed a cry of surprise and possibly of terror. Although no sound had revealed his pre sence, a man, leaning on a long rifle, was standing motionless before him, and gazing at him with pro found attention. At once mastering the emotion he felt, the tra veller carefully laid the tasajo on the embers, and then, without removing his eye from this strange visitor, he stretched out his arm to grasp his rifle, while saying, in a tone of the most perfect indif ference " "Whether friend or foe, you are welcome, mate. THE BED TEACK. 'Tis a bitter night, so, if you are cold, warm yourself, and if you are hungry, eat. "When your nerves have regained their elasticity, rnd your body its usual strength, we will have a frank explanation, such as men of honour ought to have." The stranger remained silent for some seconds; then, after shaking his head several times, he com menced in a low and melancholy voice, as it were speaking to himself rather than replying to the ques tion asked him " Can any human being really exist in whose heart a feeling of pity still remains P" "Make the trial, mate," the traveller answered quickly, " by accepting, without hesitation, my hearty offer. Two men who meet in the .desert must be friends at first sight, unless private reasons make them implacable enemies, Sit down by my side and eat." This dialogue had been held in Spanish, a lan guage the stranger spoke with a facility that proved his Mexican origin. He seemed to reflect for a mo ment, and then instantly made up his mind. "I accept," he said, "for your voice is too sym pathizing and your glance too frank to deceive." " That is the way to speak," the traveller said, gaily. " Sit down and eat without further delay, for I confess to you that I am dying of hunger." The stranger smiled sad];-, and sat down on the ground by the traveller's si;.-. The two men, thus strangely brought together by accident, then attacked THE SIEEBA OP THE WIND ETVEE. 7 witli no ordinary vigour, which evidenced a long fast, the provisions placed before them. Still, while eating, the traveller did not fail to examine his singular com panion ; and the following was the result of his ob servations. The general appearance of the stranger was most wretched, and his ragged clothes scarce covered his bony, fleshless body ; while his pale and sickly features were rendered more sad and gloomy by a thick, dis ordered beard that fell on his chest. His eyes, inflamed by fever, and surrounded by black circles, glistened with a sombre fire, and at times emitted flashes of magnetic radiance. His weapons were in as bad a condition as his clothes, and in the event of a fight this man, with the exception of his bodily strength, which must once have been great, but which priva tions of every description, and probably endured for a lengthened period, had exhausted, would not have been a formidable adversary for the traveller. Still, beneath this truly wretched appearance could be traced an organization crushed by grief. There was in this man something grand and sympathetic, which appeared to emanate from his person, and aroused not only pity but also respect for torture so proudly hidden and so nobly endured. This man, in short, ere he fell so low, must have been great, either in virtue or in vice ; but assuredly there was nothing common about him, and a mighty heart beat in his bosom. Such was the impression the stranger produced on o THE BED TBACX. his host, while both, without the interchange of a word, appeased an appetite sharpened by long hours of abstinence. Hunters' meals are short, and the present one lasted hardly a quarter of an hour. When it was over, the traveller rolled a cigarette, and, handing it to the stranger, said " Do you smoke?" On this apparently so simple question being asked, a strange thing happened which will only be understood by smokers who, long accustomed to the weed, have for some reason or other been deprived of it for a lengthened period. The stranger's face was 'suddenly lit up by the effect of some internal emo tion ; his dull eye flashed, and, seizing the cigarette with a nervous tremor, he exclaimed, in a voice choked by an outburst of joy impossible to render u Yes, yes ; I used to smoke." There was a rather long silence, during which the two men slowly inhaled the smoke of their cigarettes, and indulged in thought. The wind howled fiercely over their heads, the eddying snow was piling up around them, and the echoes of the canons seemed to utter notes of complaint. It was a horrible night. Beyond the circle of light produced by the flickering flame of the watch-fire all was buried in dense gloom. The picture presented by these two men, seated in the desert, strangely illumined by the bluish flame, and smoking calmly while suspended above an unfa thomable abyss, had something striking and awe- inspiring about it. When the traveller had finished his THE SIERBA OF THE WIND EIYEB. 9 cigarette, he rolled another, and laid his tobacco- pouch between himself and his guest. " I$"ow that the ice is broken between us," he said in a friendly voice, " and that we have nearly formed an acquaintance for we have been sitting at the same fire, and have eaten and smoked together the mo ment has arrived, I fancy, for us to become thoroughly acquainted." The stranger nodded his head silently. It was a gesture that could be interpreted affirmatively or ne gatively, at pleasure. The traveller continued, with a good-humoured smile "I make not the slightest pretence to compel you to reveal your secrets, and you are at liberty to main tain your incognito without in any way offending me. Still, whatever may be the result, let me give you an example of frankness by telling you who I am. My story will not be long, and only consists of a very few words. France is my country, and I was born at Paris which city, doubtless/' he remarked, with a stifled sigh, "I shall never see again. Eeasons too lengthy to trouble you with, and which would interest you but very slightly, led me to America. Chance, or Providence, perhaps, by guiding me to the de sert, and arousing my instincts and aspirations for liberty, wished to make a wood-ranger of me, and I obeyed. For twenty years I have been traversing tho prairies and great savannahs in every direction, and I shall probably continue to do so, till an Indian bullet comes from some thicket to stop my wanderings for 10 THE BED TRACK. ever. Towns are hateful to me ; passionately fond of the grand spectacles of nature, which elevate the thought, and draw the creature nearer to his Creator, I shall only mix myself up once again in the chaos of civilization in order to fulfil a vow made on the tomb of a friend. "When I have done that, I shall fly to the most unknown deserts, in order to end a life henceforth useless, far from those men whose paltry passions and base and ignoble hatred have robbed me of the small amount of happiness to which I fan cied I had a claim. And now, mate, you know me as well as I do myself. I will merely add, in conclu sion, that my name among the white men, my coun trymen, is Valentine G-uillois, and among the red skins, my adopted fathers, Koutenepi that is to say, * The Valiant One.' I believe myself to be as honest and as brave as a man is permitted to be with his im perfect organization. I never did harm with the in tention of doing so, and I have done services to my fellow-men as often as I had it in my power, without expecting from them thanks or gratitude." The speech, which the hunter had commenced in that clear voice and with that careless accent habitual to him, terminated involuntarily, under the pressure of the flood of saddened memories that rose from his heart to his lips, in a low and inarticulate voice, and when he concluded, he let his head fall sadly on hia chest, with a sigh that resembled a sob. The stranger regarded him for a moment with an expression of gentle commiseration. THE SIEEBA. OF THE WIND EITER. ll " You have suffered," lie said ; " suffered in your love, suffered in your friendship. Tour history is that of all men in this world : who of us, but at a given hour, has felt his courage yield beneath the weight of grief? You are alone, friendless, abandoned by all, a voluntary exile, far from the men who only inspire you with hatred and contempt ; you prefer the society of wild beasts, less ferocious than they ; but, at any rate, you live, while I am a dead man !" The hunter started, and looked in amazement at the speaker. "I suppose you think me mad?" he continued, with a melancholy smile ; " reassure yourself, it is not so. I am in full possession of my senses, my head is cool, and my thoughts are clear and lucid. For all that though, I repeat to you, I am dead, dead in the sight of my relations and friends, dead to the whole world in fine, and condemned to lead this wretched existence for an indefinite period. Mine is a strange story, and that you would recognize through one word, were you a Mexican, or had you travelled in certain regions of Mexico." " Did I not tell you that, for twenty years, I have been travelling over every part of America ?" the traveller replied, his curiosity being aroused to the highest pitch. "What is the word? Can you tell it me?" " Why not ? I am alluding to the name I bore while I was still a living man." " What is that name ?" 12 THE BED TBACK. " It had acquired a certain celebrity, but I doubt whether, even if you have heard it mentioned, it has remained in your memory." " Who knows ? Perhaps you are mistaken." " Well, since you insist, learn, then, that I was called Martial el Tigrero." " Tou ?" the hunter exclaimed, under the influ ence of the uttermost surprise ; " why that is im possible !" " Of course so, since I am dead," the stranger answered, bitterly. CHAPTEE II. THE DEAD ALIVE. THE Tigrero had let his head fall on his chest again, and seemed engaged with gloomy thoughts. The hunter, somewhat embarrassed by the turn the con versation had taken, and anxious to continue it, mechanically stirred up the fire with the blade of his navaja, while his eyes wandered around, and were at times fixed on his companion with an expression of deep sympathy. " Stay," he said, presently, as he thrust back with his foot a few embers that had rolled out ; " pardon me, sir, any insult which my exclamation may seem to have contained. You have mistaken, I assure you, the meaning of my remarks; although, as we have THE DEAD ALIVE. 13 never met, we are not such strangers as you suppose. I have known you for a long time," The Tigrero raised his head, and looked at the hunter incredulously. " You ?" he muttered. " Yes, I, caballero, and it will not be difficult to prove it to you." ""What good will it do?" he murmured; "what interest can I have in the fact of your knowing me ?" " My dear sir," the Frenchman continued, with several shakes of his head, " nothing happens in this world by the effect of chance. Above us, an intellect superior to ours directs everything here below ; and if we have been permitted to meet in a manner so strange and unexpected in these desolate regions, it ia because Providence has designs with us which we cannot yet detect; let us, therefore, not attempt to resist GOD'S will, for what He has resolved will hap pen : who knows whether I may not be unconsciously sent across your path to bring you a supreme consola tion, or to supply you with the means to accomplish a long meditated vengeance, which you have hitherto deemed impossible ?" " I repeat to you, senor," the Tigrero replied, " that your words are those of a stout-hearted and bravo man, and I feel involuntarily attracted towards you. I think with you, that this accidental meeting, after BO many days of solitude and grief, with a man of your stamp, cannot be the effect of unintelligent chance, and that at a moment when, convinced of my 14 THE EED TEA.CK. impotence to escape from my present frightful situa tion, I was reduced to despair and almost resolved on suicide, the loyal hand you offer me can only be that of a friend. Question me, then, without hesita tion, and I will answer with the utmost frankness." " Thanks for that speech," the hunter said, with emotion, " for it proves that we are beginning to un derstand each other, and soon, I hope, we shall have no secrets ; but I must, before all else, tell you how it is that I have known you for a long time, although you were not aware of the fact." " Speak, senor, I am listening to you with the most earnest attention." Valentine reflected for a moment, and then went on as follows : "Some months ago, in consequence of circum stances annecessary to remind you of, but which you doubtless bear in niiiid, you met at the colony of Guetzalli a Frenchman and a Canadian hunter, with whom you eventually stood on most intimate terms." " It is true," the Tigrero replied, with a nervous start, " and the Frenchman to whom you allude, is the Count de Prebois Crance. Oh ! I shall never b able to discharge the debt of gratitude I havb con tracted with him for the services he rendered me." A sad smile curled the hunter's lip. "You no longer owe him anything," he said, with a melancholy ihake of the head. " What do you mean ?" the Tigrero exclaimed, eagerly ; " surely the count cannot be dead !" THE DEAD ALIVE. 15 u Ho is dead, caballero. He was assassinated on the shores of Guaymas. His murderers laid him in his tomb, and his blood, so treacherously shed, cries to Heaven for vengeance : but patience, Heaven will not permit this horrible crime to remain unpunished." The hunter hurriedly wiped away the tears he had been unable to repress while speaking of the count, and went on, in a voice choked by the internal emo tion whicli he strove in vain to conquer : "But let us, for the present, leave this sad re miniscence to slumber in our hearts. The count was my friend, my dearest friend, more than a brother to me : he often spoke about you to me, and several times told me your gloomy history, which terminated in a frightful catastrophe." "Yes, yes, 1 * the Tigrero muttered; "it was, in deed, a frightful catastrophe. I would gladly have found death at the bottom of the abyss into which I rolled during my struggle with Black Bear, could 1 have saved her I loved ; but GOD decreed it otherwise, and may his holy name be blessed and praised." "Amen!" the hunter said, sadly turning his head away. " Oh !" Don Martial continued a moment later, "I feel my recollections crowding upoa me at this moment. I feel as if the veil that covers my memory is torn asunder, in order to recal events, already so dis tant, but which have left so deep an impression on my mind. I, too, recognize you now ; you are the famous hunter whom the count was trying to find in 16 THE BED the desert ; but he did not call you by &iy of the names you have mentioned." "I dare say," Valentine answered, "that he al luded to me as the 'Trail Hunter,' the name by which" the white hunters and the Indians of the Fa? West are accustomed to call me." " Yes ; oh, now I remember perfectly, that waa indeed the name he gave you. You were right in saying that we had been long acquainted, though we had never met." "And now that we meet in this desert," the hunter said, offering his hand, " connected as we are by the memory of our deceased friend, shall we be friends ?" " No, not friends," the Tigrero exclaimed, as he heartily pressed the hunter's honest hand; "not friends, but brothers." " Well, then, brothers, and each for the other against all comers," the hunter answered. " And now that you are convinced that curiosity plays no part in my eager desire to know what has befallen you since the moment when you so hurriedly lei'fc your friends, speak, Don Martial, and then I will tell you, in my turn, what are the motives that directed my steps to these desolate regions." The Tigrero, in a few moments, began his narrative as follows : " My friends must have fancied me dead, hence I cannot blame them for having abandoned me, although fchey were, perhaps, too quick in doing eo without au THE DEAD ALIVE. " * attempt either to recover my corpse, or assure them selves at least that I was really dead, and that assist ance would he thrown away ; but though I am igno rant of what happened in the cavern after my fall, the bodies left on the battle-field proved to me afterwards that they had a tough fight, and were compelled to fly before the Indians ; hence, I say again that I do not blame them. You are aware that I was attacked by Black Bear at the moment when I believed that I had succeeded in saving those whom I had sworn to pro tect. It was on the very verge of the pit that Black Bear and myself, enwreathed like two serpents, began a final and decisive struggle : at the moment when I had all but succeeded in foiling my enemy's desperate efforts, and was raising my arm to cut his throat, the war-yell of the Comanches suddenly burst forth at the entrance of the cavern. By a supreme effort the Apache chief succeeded in escaping from my clutch, bounded on his feet, and rushed towards Dona Anita, doubtless with the intention of carrying her off, as the unforeseen assistance arriving for us would prevent the accomplishment of his vengeance. But the maiden repulsed him with that strength which despair engenders, and sought refuge behind her father. Already severely wounded by two shots, the chief tottered back to the edge of the pit, where he lost his balance. Peeling that he was falling, by an instinctive gesture, or, perhaps, through a last senti ment of fury, he stretched out his arms as if to save himself, caught hold of me as I rose, half-sturmed bj THE BED TBAOff* my recent contest, and we both rolled down tbe pit, he with a triumphant laugh, and I with a shriek of despair. Forgive me for having described thua minutely the last incidents of this fight, but I waa obliged to enter into these details to make you tho roughly understand by what providential chance I was saved, when I fancied myself hopelessly lost." " Go on, go on ;" the hunter said, " I am listening to you with the greatest attention." Don Martial continued : " The Indian was desperately wounded, and his last eifort, in which he had placed all his remaining strength, cost him his life: it was a corpse that dragged me down, for during the few seconds our fall lasted he did not make a movement. The pit was not so deep as I fancied, not more than twenty or five- and-twenty feet, and the sides were covered with plants and grass, which, although they bent beneath our weight, prevented us from falling perpendicularly. The chief was the first to reach the bottom of the abyss, and I fell upon his body, which deadened my fall, though it was serious enough entirely to deprive me of consciousness. I cannot say how long I re mained in this state, but, from a calculation I made afterwards, my faint must have lasted two hours. I was aroused by a cold sensation which suddenly affected me. I opened my eyes again, and found myself in utter darkness. At the first moment it was impos sible for me to account for the situation in which I found myself, or what events had placed me in it j THE DEAD ALTOS, 19 my memory gradually returned, my thoughts became more lucid, and I only desired to emerge as speedily as possible from the pit into which I had fallen. I was suffering fearfully, although I was not actually wounded. I had received numerous contusions in my fall, and the slightest movement caused me an atrocious pain, for I was so bruised and shaken. In my present state I must endure the evil patiently : attempting to scale the sides of the pit when my strength was com pletely exhausted would have been madness, and I therefore resigned myself to waiting. I was in com plete darkness, but that did not trouble me greatly, as I had about me everything necessary to light a fire. Within a few moments I had a light, and was enabled to look about me. I was lying at the bottom of a species of funnel, for the pit grew narrower in its descent, which had greatly helped to deaden my fall ; my feet and legs almost to the knee were bathed in a subterranean stream, while the upper part of my body leant against the corpse of the Indian chief. The spot where I found myself was thirty feet in cir cumference at the most, and I assured myself by the help of my light that the sides of the pit, entirely covered with creepers, and even sturdy shrubs, rose in a gentle slope, and would not be difficult to esca lade when my strength had sufficiently returned. At this moment I could not dream of attempting the ascent, so I bravely made up my mind, and although my anxiety was great about the friends I had left in, the cavern, I resolved to wait a few hours before pro 20 THE ItED THACE. ceeding to save myself. I remained thus for twenty nours at the bottom of the pit, tete-d-tete with my enemy's corpse. Many times during my excursions in the desert I had found myself in almost desperate situations, but never, I call heaven to witness, had I felt so completely abandoned and left in the hands of Providence. Still, however deplorable my position might be, I did not despair ; in spite of tLe frightful pain I suffered, I had convinced myself that my limbs were in a satisfactory state, and that all I needed was patience. "When I fancied my strength suffi ciently restored, I lighted two torches, which I fixed in the ground, in order to see more clearly. I threw my rifle on my back, placed my navaja between my teeth, and clinging to the shrubs, by a desperate effort I began my ascent. I will not tell you of the difficulty I had in conquering the terrible shocks I was obliged to give my aching bones in surmounting almost unsurpassable obstacles ; sufficient for you to know that I reached the mouth of the pit after an hour and a-half's struggle, in which I expended all the energy a man possesses who hopes to save himself. When I reached the floor of the cavern, I lay for more than half-an-hour on the sand, exhausted, pant ing, unable to make the slightest movement, scarce breathing, hearing nothing, seeing nothing, not even conscious of the frightful state into which I was plunged. Fortunately for me, this terrible condition did not last long, the refreshing air from without, reaching me through the passages of the cavern, THE DEAD A1IYJB. 21 recovered me, and restored the entire use of my men tal faculties. The ground around me was covered with dead bodies, and there had, douhtless, been a terrible struggle between the white men and the red skins. I sought in vain for the corpses of Dona Anita and her father. I breathed again, and hope re-entered my heart, for my sacrifice had not been fruitless. Those for whom I had given my life were saved, and I should see them again. This thought restored my courage, and I felt quite a different man. I rose without any excessive difficulty, and, supporting myself on my rifle, went toward the mouth of the cavern, after removing my stock of provision, and taking two powder-horns from the stores I had pre viously cached, and which my friends in their flight had not thought of removing. No words can describe the emotion I felt when, after a painful walk through the grotto, I at length reached the river-bank, and saw the sun once more: a man must have been in a similar desperate situation to understand the cry, or rather howl of joy which escaped from my surcharged bosom when I felt again the blessed sunbeams, and nhaled the odorous breath of tho savannah. By an Unreflecting movement, though it was suggested by my heart, I fell on my knees, and piously clasping my hands, I thanked Him who had saved me, and who alone could do so. This prayer y and the simple thanks expressed by a grateful heart, were, I feel con vinced, borne upwards to heaven on the wings of my guardian angel. 22 THE BED TBA.CK. " As far as I could make out by the height of the sun, it was about the second hour of the tarde. The deepest silence prevailed around me j so far as the vision could extend, the prairie was deserted; Indians and pale faces had disappeared : I was alone, alone with that Q-od who had saved me in so marvel lous a fashion, and would not abandon me. Before going further, I took a little nourishment, which the exhaustion of my strength rendered necessary. When, in the company of Don Sylva de Torres and his daughter, I had sought a refuge in the cavern, our horses had been abandoned with all the remaining fo rage in an adjacent clearing, and I was too well ae- quainted with the instinct of these noble animals to ap prehend that they had fled. On the contrary, I knew that, if the hunters had not taken them away, I should find them at the very spot where I had left them. A horse was indispensable for use, for a dismounted man is lost in the desert, and hence I resolved to seek them. Bested by the long halt I had made, and feeling that my strength had almost returned, I pro ceeded without hesitation towards the forest. At my second call I heard a rather loud noise in a. clump of trees ; the shrubs parted, and my horse galloped up and gladly rubbed its intelligent head against my shoulder. I amply returned the caresses the faithful companion of my adventures bestowed on me, and then returned to the cavern, where my saddle was, An hour later, mounted on my good horse, I bent my steps toward houses. My journey was a long one, THE DEAD ALIVE. 23 owing to my state of weakness and prostration, and when I reached Sonora the news I heard almost drove me mad. Don Sylva de Torres had been killed in the fight with the Apaches, as was probably hia daughter, for no one could tell me anything about her. For a month I hovered between life and death ; but God in His wisdom, doubtless, had decided that I should escape once again. When hardly convalescent, I dragged myself to the house of the only man com petent of giving me precise and positive information about what I wanted to learn. This man refused to recognize me, although I had kept up intimate rela tions with him for many years. When I told him my name he laughed in my face, and when I insisted, he had me expelled by his peons, telling me that I was mad, that Don Martial was dead, and I an impostor. I went away with rage and despair in my heart. As if they had formed an agreement, all my friends to whom I presented myself refused to recognize me, so thoroughly was the report of my death believed, and it had been accepted by them as a certainty. All the efforts I attempted to dissipate this alarming mistake, and prove the falsehood of the rumour were in vain, for too many persons were interested in it being true, on account of the large estates I possessed ; and also, I suppose, through a fear of injuring the man to whom I first applied -the only living relation of the Torres family, who, through his high position, has immense influence in Sonora. What more need I tell you, my friend? Disgusted in every way, heart-broken with THE BED TRACK. grief, and recognising the inutility of the efforts 1 made against the ingratitude and systematic bad faith of those with whom I had to deal, I left the town, and, mounting my horse, returned to the desert, seeking the most unknown spots and the most desolate regions in which to hida myself; and die whenever God decrees that I have suffered suffi ciently, and recals me to Him." After saying this the Tigrero was silent, and hia head sunk gloomily on his chest. " Brother," Valentine said gently to him, slightly touching his shoulder to attract his attention, " you have forgotten to tell me the name of that influential person who had you turned out of hia house, and treated you as an impostor." "That is true," Don Martial answered; "his name is Don Sebastian Guerrero, and he is military governor of the province of Sonora." The hunter quickly started to his feet with an ex clamation of joy. " Don Martial," he said, "you may thank God for decreeing that we should meet in the deserfc, in order that the punishment of this man should be complete." TUB COMPACT. 25 CHAPTER III. THE COMPACT, 'MARTIAL gazed at the hunter in amazement. *' What do you mean ?" he asked him. " I don't understand you." "You will soon do so, niy friend," Valentine answered. " How long have you been roaming about this neighbourhood ?" " Nearly two months." " In that case you are well acquainted, I presume, with the mountains among which we are at this moment ?" " There is not a tree or a rock whose exact po sition I cannot tell, nor a wild-beast trail which I have not followed." " Good : are we far from a spot called the ' Fort of the Chichiineques ?' " The Tigrero reflected for a moment. " Do you know by what Indians these mountainn are inhabited ?" he at length asked. " Yes>, by poor wretches who call themselves Iho Root-Eaters, and whom the hunters and trappera de signate by the name of the * "Worthy of Pity.' They are, I believe, timid, harmless creatures, a species of incomplete men, in whom brutal instincts have stifled the intellect ; however, I only speak of them from hearsay, for I never saw one of the poor devils." 26 THE BED TEAOK. " You are perfectly well informed about them, and they are what you depict them. I have often hud opportunities of meeting them, and have lamented the degree of brutalization into which this hapless race fias fallen.' 1 " Permit me to remark that I do not see what connection can exist between this unhappy tribe and the information I ask of you." " There is a very great one. Since I have been roaming about these mountains you are the first man of my own colour with whom I have consented to enter into relations. The Boot-Eaters have neither history nor traditions. Their life is restricted to eating, drinking, and sleeping, and I have not learned from them any of the names given to the majestic peaks that surround us. Hence, though I perfectly well know the spot to which you refer, unless you describe it differently, it will be impossible for me to tell you its exact position." " That is true ; but what you ask of me is very awkward, for this is the first time I have visited these parts, and it will be rather difficult for me to describe a place I am not acquainted with. Still, I will try. There is, not far from here, I believe, a road which traverses the Bocky Mountains obliquely, and runs from the United States to Santa JFe ; at a certain spot this road must intersect another which leads to California." " I am perfectly well acquainted with the roads to which you refer, and the caravans of emigrants, THE COMPACT. 27 hunters, and miners follow them in going to Cali fornia, or returning thence." " Good ! At the spot where these two roads cross they form a species of large square, surrounded on all sides by rocks that rise to a considerable height. Do you know the place I mean P" " Yes," the Tigrero answered. " Well, about two gun-shots from this square is a track winding nearly in an east-south-east course, along the side of the mountains. This track, at first so narrow that a horse even passes with difficulty, gradually widens till it reaches a species of esplanade, or terrace, if you like it better, which commands an extensive prospect, while on its edge are the remains of barbarous erections, which can, however, be easily recognized as an ancient parapet. This terrace is called the ' Port of the Chichiineques,' though for what reason I cannot tell you." "I know no more than you do on that head, although I can now assure you that I am perfectly acquainted with the place to which you refer, and have often camped there on stormy nights, because there is a deep cavern, excavated by human hands, and divided into several passages, every turning of which I know, and which has offered me a precious shelter during those frightful tempests which, at intervals, overthrow the face of nature in these regions." " I was not aware of the existence of this grotto," the hunter said, with a glad start, " and I thank you 28 HE BED TRACK. for having told me of it ; it will be very useful for tbe execution of the plans I have formed. Are vvo any great distance from this terrace ?" "In a straight line, not more than five or six miles, and, if it were day, I could show it to you ; but as we must ride round to reach the caravan road, which we are obliged to follow in order to reach the tracks, we have about three hours' ride before us." " That is a trifle, for I was afraid I had lost my way in these mountains, which are strange to me. I am delighted to find that my old experience has not failed me this time, and that my hunter's instincts have not deceived me." While saying this, Valentine had risen to explore the clearing. The storm had ceased, the wind had swept away the clouds, the deep blue sky was studded with brilliant stars, and the moon profusely shed its rays, which imparted a fantastic appearance to the landscape by casting the shadows of the lofty trees athwart the snow, whose pallid carpet spread far as eye could see. " 'Tis a magnificent night," the hunter said, after carefully examining the sky for some moments. " It is an hour past midnight, and I do not feel the slightest inclination to sleep. Are you fatigued ?" "I am never so,*' the Tigrero answered, with a smile. " All right : in that case you are like myself, a thorough wood-ranger. "What do you think of a ride in this magnificent moonlight?'* " I think that after a good supper and an interest- THE COMPACT. 29 ing conversation nothing so thoroughly restores the balance of a man's thoughts as a night ride in the company of a friend." " Bravo ! that is what I call speaking. Now, as every ride to be reasonable should have an object, we will go, if you have no objection, as far as the Fort of the Chichi me ques." "I was about to propose it; and, as we ride along, you will tell me in your turn what imperious motive compelled you to come to these unknown re gions, and what the project is to which you alluded." " As for that," the hunter said, with a knowing smile, " I cannot satisfy you ; at any rate not for the present, as I wish you to have the pleasure of a sur prise. But be easy, I will not put your patience to too long a trial." t( You will act as you think proper, for I trust entirely to you. I know not why, but I am per suaded, either through a sentiment or sympathy,that in doing your own business you will be doing mine at the same time." " You are nearer the truth at this moment than you perhaps imagine, so be of good cheer, brother." " The happy meeting has already made a different man of me," the Tigrero said, as he rose. The hunter laid his hand on his shoulder. " One moment," he said to him ; " before leaving thia bivouac, where we met so providentially, let us clearly agree as to our facts, so as to avoid any future mia understanding." 30 THE HED TEAOK. " Be it so," Don Martial answered. " Let us make a compact in the Indian faahion, and woe to the one who breaks it." " Well said, my friend," Valentine remarked, as he drew his knife from his belt. " Here is my na- vaja, brother ; may it serve you as it has done me to avenge your wrongs and mine." " I receive it in the face of that Heaven which I call as witness of the purity of my intentions. Take mine in exchange, and one half my powder and bul lets, brother." " I accept it as a thing belonging to me, and here is half my ammunition for you ; henceforth we cannot fire at one another, aft is in common between us. Your friends will be my friends, and you will point out your enemies to me, so that I may aid you in your vengeance. My horse is yours." " Mine belongs to you, and in a few moments I will place it at your service." Then the two men, leaning shoulder to shoulder, with clasped hands, eyes fixed on heaven, and out stretched arm, uttered together the following words : " I take GOD to witness that of my own free will, and without reservation, I take as my friend and brother the man whose hand is at this moment press ing mine. I will help him in everything he asks of me, without hope of reward, ready by day and night to answer his first signal, without hesitation, and with out reproach, even if he asked me for my life. I take this oath in the presence of GOD, who sees and heara THE COMPACT. 31 me. and may He come to my help in all I undertake, atid punish me if I ever break my oath." There was something grand and solemn in this simple act, performed by these two powerful men, beneath the pallid moonbeams, and in the heart of the desert, alone, far from all human society, face to face with GOD, confiding in each, and seeming thua to defy the whole world. After repeating the words of the oath, they kissed each other's lips in turn, then embraced, and finally shook hands again. " Now let us be off, brother," Valentine said ; " I confide in you as in myself; we shall succeed in triumphing over our enemies, and repaying them all the misery they have caused us." "Wait for me ten minutes, brother; my horse is hidden close by." " Go ; and during that time I will saddle mine, which is henceforth yours." Don Martial hurried away, leaving Valentine alone. " This time," he muttered, " I believe that I have at length met the man I have been looking for so long, and whom I despaired to find ; with him, Cu- rumilla, and Belhumeur, I can begin the struggle, for I am certain I shall not be abandoned or treacherously surrendered to the enemy I wish to combat." While indulging after his wont in this soliloquy, the hunter had lassoed his horse, and was busily engaged in saddling it. He had just put the bit in 32 THE BED TEACK. its mouth, when the Tigrero re-entered tha clearing mounted on a magnificent black steed. Don Martial dismounted. " This is your horse, my friend," he said. " And this is yours." The exchange thus effected, the two men mounted, and left the clearing in which they had met so strangely. The Tigrero had told no falsehood when he said that a metamorphosis had taken place in him, and that he felt a different man. His features had lost their marble-like rigidity ; his eyes were animated, ' and no longer burned with a sombre and concentrated fire. Even though his glances were still somewhat haggard, their expression was more frank and, before all, kinder ; he sat firm and upright in the saddle, and, in a word, seemed ten years younger. ; This unexpected change had not escaped the notice of the all-observing Frenchman, and he congratulated himself for having effected this moral cure, and saved a man of such promise from the despair which he had allowed to overpower him. "We have already said that it was a magnificent night. Por men like our characters, accustomed to cross the desert in all weathers, the ride in the dark ness was a relaxation rather than a fatigue. They rode along side by side, talking on indifferent topics-^ hunting, trapping, expeditions against the Indians- subjects always pleasing to wood-rangers, while rapidly advancing towards the spot they wished to reach. "By-the-bye," Valentine all at once said, "I must THE COMPACT. 33 warn you, brother, that if you are not mistaken, and we are really following the road to the Fort of the Chichimeques, we shall probably meet several persons there ; they are friends of mine, with whom I have an appointment, and I will introduce them to you ; for reasons you will speedily learn, these friends fol lowed a different road from mine, and must have been waiting for some time at the place of meeting." " I do not care who the persons are we meet, as they are friends of yours," the Tigrero answered; " the main point is that we make no mistake." " On my word, I confess my incompetence, so far as that is concerned; this is the first time I have ventured into the Eocky Mountains, where I hope never to come again, and so I deliver myself entirely into your hands." " I will do my best, although I do not promise positively to lead you to the place you want to reach." "Nonsense!" the hunter said with a smile ; "two places like the one I have described to you can hardly be found in these parts, picturesque and diversified though they be, and it would be almost impossible to lose our way." " At any rate," the Tigrero answered, " we shall soon know what we have to depend on, for we shall be there within half an hour." | The sky was beginning to grow paler ; the horizon was belted by wide, pellucid bands, which assumed in turn every colour of the rainbow. In the flashing D 34( THE EED TBACK. uncertain ligjt of dawn, objects were invested with a more fugitive appearance, although, on the other hand, they became more distinct. The adventurers had passed the cross-roads, and turned into a narrow track, whose capricious windings ran along rocks, which were almost suspended over frightful abysses. The riders had given up all attempts to guide their horses, and trusted to their instinct ; they had laid their bridles on their necks, leaving them at liberty to go where they pleased a prudent precaution, which cannot be sufficiently recommended to travellers under similar circumstances. All at once a streak of light illumined the land scape, and the sun rose radiant and splendid ; behind them the travellers still had the shadows of night, while before them the snowy peaks of the mountains were glistening in the sun. " Well," the hunter exclaimed, " we can now see clearly, and I hope that we shall soon perceive the Fort of the Chichimeques." ' Look ahead of you over the jagged crest of that hill," the Tigrero answered, stretching out his arm ; " that is the terrace to which I am leading you." The hunter stopped, for he felt giddy, and almost ready to fall off his horse. About two miles from him, but separated from the spot where he stood by an impassable canon, an immense esplanade stretched out into space in the shape of a voladero ; that is to say, in consequence of one of those earthquakes so common in these regions, the base of the mountain THE COMPACT. 35 had been undermined, while the crest remained intact, and hung for a considerable distance above a valley, apparently about to fall at any moment ; the spectacle was at once imposing and terrific. " Heaven forgive me !" the hunter muttered, " but I really believe I was frightened; I felt all my muscles tremble involuntarily. Oh ! I will not look at it again; let us get along, iny friend." They set out again, still following the windings of the tract, which gradually grew steeper ; and, after a very zigzag course, reached the terrace half an hour later. " This is certainly the place," the hunter ex claimed, as he pointed to the decaying embers of a watch-fire. " But your friends ?" the Tigrero asked. " Did you not tell me there was a grotto close by ?" "I did." "Well, they doubtless concealed themselves in the grotto when they heard us approaching." " That is possible." " It is true : look." The hunter discharged his gun, and at the sound three men appeared, though it was impossible to say whence they came. They were Belhumeur, Black Elk, and Eagle-head. TUB BED TIUCE. CHAPTER IV. THE TEA.VELLEES. must now leave Valentine and his companions on the esplanade of the Fort of the Chichimeques, where we shall join them again however, in order to attend to other persons destined to play an important part in the narrative we have undertaken to tell the reader. About five or six leagues at the most from the spot where Valentine and the Tigrero met, a caravan, composed of some ten persons, had halted on the same night, and almost at the same moment as the hunter, in a narrow valley completely sheltered from the wind by dense clumps of trees. The caravan was comfortably lodged on the bank of a running stream, the mules had been unloaded, a tent raised, fires lighted ; and when the animals wero hobbled, the travellers began to make preparations for their supper. These travellers, or at any rate one of them, appeared to belong to the highest class, for the rest were only servants or Indian peons. Still the dress of this person was most simple, but his stiff manner, his imposing demeanour, and haughty air, evidenced the man long accustomed to give his orders without admitting refusal or even the slightest hesitation. He had passed his fiftieth year; he was tall, well-built, and his movements were extremely elegant, THE TRAVELLERS. 7 His broad forehead, his "black eyes large and flashing, his long gray moustaches and his short hair gave him a military appearance, which his harsh, quick way of speaking did not contradict. Although he affected a certain affability of manner, he at times involuntarily betrayed himself, and it was easy to see that the modest garb of a Mexican Campesino which he wore was only a disguise. Instead of withdrawing beneath the tent prepared for him, this person had sat down before the fire with the peons, who eagerly made way for him with evident respect. Among the peons two men more especially at tracted attention. One was a red-skin, the other a half-breed, with a crafty, leering manner, who, for some reason or another, stood on more familiar terms with his master j his comrades called him No Carnero, and at times gave him the title of Capataz. "So Carnero was the wit of the caravan, the funny fellow ever ready to laugh and joke, smoking an eternal cigar, and desperately strumming an insup portable guitar. Perhaps, though, he concealed be neath this frivolous appearance a more serious cha racter and deeper thoughts than he would have liked to display. The red-skin formed the most complete contrast with the capataz ; he was a tall, thin, dry man, with angular features and gloomy and sad face, illumined by two black eyes deeply set in their orbit, but con stantly in motion, and having an undefinable expres sion; his aquiline nose, his wide mouth lined with 38 THE BED TRACK. large teeth as white as almonds, and his thin pinched- up lips, composed a far from pleasant countenance, which was rendered still more lugubrious by the obstinate silence of this man, who only spoke when absolutely compelled, and then only in monosyllables. Like all the Indians, it was impossible to form any opinion as to his age, for his hair was black as the raven's wing, and his parchment skin had not a single wrinkle ; at any rate he seemed gifted with no ordinary strength. He had engaged at Santa Fe to act as guide to the caravan, and, with the exception of his obstinate silence, there was every reason to be satisfied with the way in which he performed his duty. The peons called him The Indian, or sometimes Jose a mocking term employed in Mexico to designate the Indios mansos; but the red-skin appeared as insensible to compliments as to jokes, and continued coldly to carry out the task he had imposed on himself. When supper was ended, and each had lit his pipe or cigarette, the master turned to the capataz. " Carnero," he said to him, " although in such frightful weather, and in these remote regions, we have but little to fear from horse thieves, still do not fail to place sentries, for we cannot be too provident." " I have warned two men, mi anw" the capataz replied ; " and, moreover, I intend to make my rounds to-night ; eh, Jose," he added, turning to the Indian, " are you certain you are not mistaken, and that you really lifted a trail ?" THE TBAVELLEES. 89 The red-skin shrugged his shoulders disdainfully, and continued his quiet smoke. " Do you know to what nation the sign you dis covered belongs ?" the master asked him. The Indian gave a nod of assent. " Is it a formidable nation ?" " Crow," the red-skin answered hoarsely. " Carai!" the master exclaimed, "if they are Crows, we shall do well to be on our guard, for they are the cleverest plunderers in the Rocky Mountains." "Nonsense!" Carnero remarked with a grin of derision, " do not believe what that man tells you ; the mezcal has got into his head, and he is trying to make himself of importance ; Indians tell as many lies as old women." The Indian's eye flashed ; without deigning to reply he drew a mocassin from his breast, and threw it so adroitly at the capataz as to strike him across the face. Furious at the insult so suddenly offered him by a man whom he always considered inoffensive, the half-breed uttered a yell of rage, and rushed knife in hand on the Indian. But the latter had not taken his eye off him, and "by a slight movement he avoided the desperate attack of the capataz ; then, drawing himself up, he caught him round the waist, raised him from the ground as easy as he would have done a child, and hurled him into the fire, where he writhed for a moment with cries of pain and impotent passion. "When he at length got out of the fire, half scorched, he did not 40 THE BED TRACK. think of renewing the attack, but sat down growling and directing savage glances at his adversary, like a turnspit punished by a mastiff. The master had wit nessed this aggression with the utmost indifference, and having picked up the mocassin, which he carefully examined " The Indian is right," he eaid, coldly, " this mo cassin bears the mark of the Crow nation. My poor Carnero, you must put up with it, for though the punishment you received was severe, I am forced to allow that it was deserved." The red-skin had begun smoking again as quietly as if nothing had occurred. " The dog will pay me for it with his traitor face," the capataz growled, on hearing his master's warning. " I am no man if I do not leave his body as food for the crows he discovers so cleverly.'* " My poor lad," his master continued, with a jeer, you had better forget this affair, which I allow might be disagreeable to your self-esteem ; for I fancy you would not be the gainer by recommencing the quarrel." The capataz did not answer ; he looked round at the spectators to select one on whom he could vent his Bpite, without incurring any extreme risk; but the peons were on their guard, and offered him no chance. He then, with an air of vexation, made a signal to two men to follow him, and left the circle grumbling. The head of the caravan remained for a few minutes plunged in serious thought; he then withdrew be neath his tent, the curtain of which fell behind him; THE TRAVELLERS. 41 and the peons lay down on the ground, one after the other, with their feet to the fire, and carefully wrapped up in their scrapes, and fell asleep. The Indian then took the pipe-stem from his mouth, looked searchingly around him, shook out the ashes, passed the pipe through his belt, and, rising negligently, went slowly to crouch at the foot of a tree, though not before he had taken the precaution of wrapping himself in his buffalo robe, a measure which the sharp air rendered, if not indispensable, at any rate necessary. Ere long, with the exception of the sentries lean ing on their guns and motionless as statues, all the travellers were plunged in deep sleep, for the capataz himself, in spite of the promise he had made hia master, had laid himself across the entrance of the tent. An hour elapsed ere anything disturbed the silence that prevailed in the camp. All at once a singular thing happened* The buffalo robe, under which the Indian was sheltered, gently rose with an almost im perceptible movement, and the red-skin's face ap peared, darting glances of fire into the gloom. In a moment the guide raised himself slowly along the trunk of the tree against which he had been lying, embraced it with his feet and hands, and with undu lating movements resembling those of reptiles, he left the ground, and raised himself to the first branches, among which he disappeared. This ascent was executed with such well-calculated 42 THE BED TRACK. slowness that it had not produced the slightest sound. Moreover, the buffalo robe left at the foot of the Jtreo so well retained its primitive folds, that it was im possible to discover, without touching it, that the man it sheltered had left it. "When the guide was thoroughly concealed among the leaves, he remained for a moment motionless; though not in order to regain his breath after having made such an expenditure of strength, for this man was made of iron, and fatigue had no power over him. But he probably wished to look about him, for with his body bent forward, and his eyes fixed on space, he inhaled the breeze, and his glances seemed trying to pierce the gloom. Before selecting as his resting-place the foot of the tree in which he was now concealed, the guide had assured himself that this tree, which was very high and leafy, was joined at about two-thirds of its height by other trees, which gradually rose along the side of the mountain, and formed a wall of verdure. After a few minutes' hesitation, the guide drew in his belt, placed his knife between his teeth, and with a certainty and lightness of movement which would have done honour to a monkey, he commenced lite rally hopping from one tree to another, hanging by his arms, and clinging to the creepers, waking up, as he passed, the birds, which flew away in alarm. This strange journey lasted about three-quartera of an hour. At length the guide stopped, looked attentively around him, and gliding down the trunk THE TBAVELLERS. 43 if the tree on which he was, reached the ground. The Ipot where he now found himself was a rather spacious clearing, in the centre of which blazed an enormous fire, serving to warm forty or fifty red-skins, com pletely armed and equipped for war. Still, singular to say, the majority of these Indians, instead of their long lances and the bows they usually employ, carried muskets of American manufacture, which led to the supposition that they were picked warriors and great braves of their nation ; and this, too, was further proved by the numerous wolf-tails fastened to their heels, a honourable insignia which only renowned war riors have the right to assume. This detachment of red-skins was certainly on the war-trail, or at any rate on a serious expedition, for they had with them neither dogs nor squaws. In spite of the slight care with which the Indians are wont to guard themselves at night, the free and deliberate manner in which the guide entered their encamp ment proved that he was expected by these warriors, who evinced no surprise at seeing him, but, on the contrary, invited him with hospitable gestures to take a seat at their fire. The guide sat down silently, and began smoking the calumet which the chief seated by his side immediately offered him. This chief was still a young man, his marked features displaying the utmost craft and boldness. After a rather lengthened interval, doubtless expressly granted the visitor to let him draw breath and warm himself, the young chief bowed to him and addressed him deferentially. THE BED TRACK. "My father is welcome among his sons ; they were impatiently awaiting his arrival." The guide responded to this compliment with a grimace, in all probability intended to pass muster for a smile. The chief continued : " Our scouts have carefully examined the encamp ment of the Yoris, and the warriors of the Jester are ready to obey the instructions given them by their great sachem, Eagle-head. Is my father CurumUla satisfied with his red children ?" Curumilla (for the guide was no other than the reader's old acquaintance the Araucano chief) laid his right hand on his chest, and uttered with a guttural accent the exclamation, " Ugh !" which was with him a mark of the greatest joy. The Jester and his warriors had been too long acquainted with Curumilla for his silence to seem strange to them ; hence they yielded without repug nance to his mania, and carefully giving up the hope of getting a syllable out of his closed lips, began with him a conversation in signs. "We have already had occasion, in a previous work, to mention that the red-skins have two languages, the written and the sign language. The latter, which has among them attained a high perfection, and which all understand, is usually employed when hunting, or on expeditions, when a word pronounced even in a low voice may reveal the presence of an ambuscade to the enemy, whether men or beasts, whom they are pur suing, and desire to surprise. THE TRAVELLERS. 45 It would have been interesting, and even amusing, for any stranger who had been present at this inter view to see with what rapidity the gestures and signs were exchanged between these men, so strangely lit up by the ruddy glow of the fire, and who resembled, with their strange movements, their stern faces, and singular attitudes, a council of demons. At times the Jester, with his body bent forward, and emphatic gestures, held a dumb speech, which his comrades fol lowed with the most sustained attention, and which they answered with a rapidity that words themselves could not have surpassed. At length this silent council terminated. Curu- milla raised his hand to heaven, and pointed to the stars, which were beginning to grow dim, and then left the circle. The red-skins respectfully followed him to the foot of the tree by the aid of which he had entered their camp. "When he reached it, he turned round. "May the Wacondah protect my father!" the Jester then said. " His sous have thoroughly under stood his instructions, and will follow them literally. The great pale hunter will have joined his friends by this hour, and he is doubtless awaiting us. To morrow Koutonepi will see his Comanche brothers. At the enditha the camp will be raised." "It is good/ 1 Curumilla answered, and saluting for the last time the warriors, who bowed respectfully before him, the chief seized the creeping plants, and, Himself by the strength of his wrists, in a 48 THE BED TRACK. second lie reached the branches, and disappeared in the foliage. The journey the Indian had made was very impor tant, aiid needed to be so for him to run such great risks in order to have an interview at this hour of the night with the red-skins ; but as the reader will soon learn what were the consequences of this expedition, we deem it unnecessary to translate the sign language employed during the council, or explain the resolu tions formed between Curumilla and the Jester. The chief recommenced his aerial trip with the same lightness and the same good fortune. After a lapse of time comparatively much shorter than that which he had previously employed, he reached the camp of the white men. The same silence prevailed in its interior ; the sentinels were still motionless at their post, and the watch-fires were beginning to expire. The chief assured himself that no eye was fixed on him that no spy was on the watch ; and, feeling certain of not being perceived, he slid silently down the tree and resumed the place beneath the buffalo-robe which he was supposed not to have left during the night. At the moment when, after taking a final glance around, the Indian chief disappeared beneath his robe, the capataz, who was lying athwart the en trance of the hut, gently raised his head, and looked with strange fixity of glance at the place occupied by the red-skin. THE FOET OP THE CHICHIMEQUE3. 47 Had a suspicion been aroused in the Mexican's mind ? Had ho noticed the departure and return of the chief ? Presently he let his head fall again, and it would have been impossible to read on his motion less features what were the thoughts that troubled him. The remainder of the night passed tranquilly and peacefully. CHAPTER V. v THE FOET OF THE CHICHIMEQUES. THE sun rose ; its beams played on the trembling yellow leaves of the trees, and tinged them with a thou sand shades of gold and purple. The birds, cozily nestled in the bushes, struck up their matin carol ; the awakening of nature was as splendid and imposing as it is in all mountainous countries. The leader of the caravan left histent and gave orders to strike the camp. The tent was at once folded up, the mules were loaded, and, so soon as the horses were saddled, the party started without waiting for the morning meal, for they generally breakfasted at the eleven o'clock halt, while resting to let the great heat of the day subside. The caravan advanced along the road from Santa 3f6 to the United States, at a speed unusual under such circumstances. A military system was affected 43 , THE BED TBACK. which was imposing, and, indeed, indispensable in these regions, infested not merely by numerous bands of predatory Indians, but also traversed by the pi rates of the prairie, more dangerous bandits still, who were driven by their enemies beyond the pale of the law, and who, ambushed at the turnings of roads or in broken rocks, attacked the caravans as they passed, and pitilessly massacred the travellers, after plunder ing them of all they pozsessed. About twenty yards ahead of the caravan rode four men, with their rifles on their thigh, preceded by the guide, who formed the extreme vanguard. Next came the main body, composed of six well- armed peons, watching the mules and baggage, under the immediate orders of the chief of the caravan. Lastly, the capataz rode about thirty paces in the rear, having under his orders four resolute men armed to the teeth. Thus arranged to face any event, the caravan en joyed a relative security, for it was not very probable that the white or red pillagers, who were doubtless watching it, would dare to attack in open day seven teen resolute and trained men. At night the horse- thieves, who glide silently in the darkness during the sleep of the travellers, and carry off horses and bag gage, were more formidable. Still, either through accident, or the prudential measures employed by the chief of the caravan, since they had left Santa Fe, that is to say for more than a month, the Mexicans had not seen an Indian, THE FOBT OF THE CHICHIMEQUES. 49 or been alarmed. They had journeyed apparently at least with as much tranquillity as if, instead of being in the heart of the Kocky Mountains, they were moving along the roads in the interior of Sonora. This security, however, while augmenting their confi dence, had not caused their prudential measures to be neglected; and their chief, whom this unusual leniency on the part of the villains who prowl about these countries alarmed, redoubled his vigilance and precautions to avoid a surprise and a collision with the plunderers. The discovery, made on the previous day by the guide, of an Indian Crow trail the most determined thieves in these mountains added to his apprehen sions ; for he did not hide from himself that, if he were compelled to fight, in spite of the courage and discipline of his peons, the odds would be against him, when fighting men thoroughly acquainted with the country, and who would only attack him with numbers sufficient to crush his band, however despe rate the resistance offered might be. When he left the camp, the chief of the caravan, suffering perhaps from a gloomy foreboding, spurred his horse and joined the Indian, who, as we said, was marching alone in front, examining the bushes, and apparently performing all the duties of an experienced guide. Curumiila, though he heard the hurried paces of the Mexican's horse, did not turn round, but continued trotting along carelessly on the sorry mule allotted to him for this expedition. 60 THE BED TBACK. When the chief of the caravan joined him and brought his horse alongside the Indian, instead of speaking to him, he attentively examined him for some minutes, trying to pierce the mask of stoicism spread over the guide's features, and to read his thoughts. But, after a rather lengthened period, the Mexican was constrained to recognize the inutility of his efforts, and to confess to himself the impossibility of guessing the intentions of this man, for whom, in spite of the service he had rendered the caravan, he felt an instinctive aversion, and whom he would like to force, at all risks, to make a frank explanation. " Indian," he said to him in Spanish, "I wish to speak with you for a few moments on an important subject, so be good enough to put off your usual silence for awhile and answer, like an honest man, the questions I propose asking you." Curumilla bowed respectfully. " You engaged with me, at Santa Fe, to lead me, for the sum of four ounces, of which you received one half in advance, to lead me, I say, safely to the fron tiers of Upper Mexico. Since you have been in my service I must allow that I have only had reason to praise the prudence in which you have performed your duties ; but we are at this moment in the heart of the Eocky Mountains, that is to say, we have reached the most dangerous part of our long journey. Two days ago you lifted the trail of Crow Indians, very formidable enemies of caravans, and I want to consult with you aa to the means to employ to foil the snares in which THE FORT OP THE CniCHIMEQTJES. 51 these Indians will try to catch us, and to know what measures you intend to employ to avoid a meeting with them'; in a word, I want to know your plan of action." The Indian, without replying, felt in a bag of striped calico thrown over his shoulder, and produced a greasy paper, folded in four, which he opened and offered the Mexican. What is this ?" the latter asked, as he looked and ran through it. " Oh, yes, certainly ; your en gagement. "Well, what connection has this with the question I asked you ?" Curumilla, still impassive, laid his finger on the paper, at the last paragraph of the engagement. " "Well, what then ?" the Mexican exclaimed, ill- humouredly. " It is said there, it is true, that I must trust entirely to you, and leave you at liberty to act as you please for the common welfare, without ques tioning you." The Indian nodded his head in assent. "Well, voto d Brios!" the Mexican shouted, irritated by this studied coolness, in spite of his re solve to curb his temper, and annoyed at the man's obstinate refusal to answer, "what proves to me that you are acting for our common welfare, and that you are not a traitor ?" At this word traitor, so distinctly uttered by the Mexican, Curumilla gave a tiger glance at the speaker, while his whole body was agitated by a convulsive tremor : he uttered two or three incomprehensible guttural exclamations, and ere the Mexican could 52 THE BED TRACE. suspect his intentions, he was seized round the waist, lifted from the saddle, and hurled on the ground, where he lay stunned. Curuinilla leapt from his mule, drew from his belt two gold ounces, hurled them at the Mexican, and then, bounding over the precipice that bordered the road, glided to the bottom with headlong speed and disappeared at once. "What we have described occurred so rapidly that the peons who remained behind, although they hur ried up at full speed to their master's assistance, arrived too late on the scene to prevent the Indian's flight. The Mexican had received no wound ; the surprise and violence of the fall had alone caused his momen tary stupor ; but almost immediately he regained his senses, and comprehending the inutility and folly of pursuit at such a spot with such an adversary, he devoured his shame and passion, and, remounting his horse, which had been stopped, he coolly gave orders to continue the journey, with an internal resolution that, if ever the opportunity offered, he would have an ex emplary revenge for the insult he had received. For the moment he could not think of it, for more serious interests demanded all his attention ; it was evident to him that, in branding the guide as a traitor, he had struck home, and that the latter, furious at seeing himself unmasked, had proceeded to such ex tremities in order to escape punishment, and find means to fly safely. The situation was becoming most critical for th THE FOET OF THE CHICHIMEQUES. 63 chief of the caravan ; he found himself abandoned and left without a guide, in unknown regions, doubtless watched by hidden foes, and exposed at any moment to an attack, whose result could but be unfavourable to himself and his people ; hence he must form a vigor ous resolve in order to escape, were it possible, the misfortunes that menaced the caravan. The Mexican was a man endowed with an ener getic organization, brave to rashness, whom no peril, however great it might be, had ever yet had the power to make him blench ; in a few seconds he calculated all the favourable chances left him, and his determination was formed. The road he was following at this mo ment was assuredly the one frequented by the cara vans proceeding from, the United States to California or Mexico ; and there was no other road but this in the mountains. Hence the Mexican resolved to form an entrenched camp, at the spot that might appear to him most favourable, fortify himself there as well as he could, and await the passing of the first caravan, which he would join. This plan was exceedingly simple, and in addition very easy to execute. As the travellers possessed an ample stock of provisions and ammunition, they had no reason to fear scarcity, while, on the other hand, seven or eight days in all probability would not elapse without the appearance of a fresh caravan ; and the Mexican believed himself capable of resisting, behind good entrenchments, with his fifteen peons, any white or red plunderers who dared to attack him. 54l THE BED TRACK. So soon as this resolution was formed, the Mexican at once prepared to carry it out. After having briefly and in a few words explained to his disheartened peons what his intentions were, and recommending them to redouble their prudence, he left them, and pushed on in order to reconnoitre the ground and select the most suitable spot for the establishment of the camp. He started his horse at a gallop and soon disap peared in the windings of the road, but, through fear of a sudden attack, he held his gun in his hand, and his glances were constantly directed around him, exa mining with the utmost care the thick chapparal which bordered the road on the side of the mountain. The Mexican went on thus for about two hours, noticing that the further he proceeded the narrower and more abrupt the track became. Suddenly it widened out in front of him, and he arrived at an esplanade, across which the road ran, and which was no other than the Fort of the Chichimeques, previously described by us. The Mexican's practised eye at once seized the advantages of such a position, and, without loss of time in examining it in detail, he turned back to re join the caravan. The travellers, though marching much more slowly than their chief, had, however, pushed on, so that he rejoined them about three- quarters of an hour after the discovery of the terrace. The flight of the guide had nearly demoralized the Mexicans, more accustomed to the ease of tro pical regions, and whose courage the snows of the THE FOBT OF THE CHICHIMEQTJES. 55 Eocky Mountains had already weakened, if not do- etroyed. Fortunately for the chief's plans he had over his servants that influence which clever minds know how to impose on ordinary natures, and tho peons, on seeing their master gay and careless about the future, began to hope that they would escape better than they had supposed from the un lucky position in which they found themselves so suddenly placed The march was continued tran quilly; no suspicious sign was discovered, and the Mexicans were justified in believing that, with tho exception of the time they would be compelled to lose in awaiting a new guide, the flight of the Indian would entail no disagreeable consequences on them. Singularly enough, Carnero the capataz seemed rather pleased than annoyed at the sudden disap pearance of the guide. Ear from, complaining or deploring the delay in the continuance of the journey he laughed at what had happened, and made an in finitude of more or less witty jests about it, which in the end considerably annoyed his master, whose joy was merely on the surface, and who, in his heart, cursed the mishap which kept them in the mountain*?, and exposed him to the insults of the plunderers. " Pray, what do you find so agreeable in what has happened that you are or affect to be so merry, No Carnero ?" he at length asked with considerable ill temper. "Forgive me, ini amo," the capataz answered humbly; "but you know the proverb, '"What can't 6(5 THE BED TEACK, be cured must be endured,' and consequently I forgot." "Hum!" said the master, without any other reply. " And besides," the capataz added, as he stooped down to the chief, and almost whispering, " however bad our position may be, is it not better to pretend to consider it good ?" His master gave him a piercing look, but the other continued imperturbably with an obsequious smile " The duty of a devoted servant, mi amo, is to be always of his master's opinion, whatever may happen. The peons were murmuring this morning after your departure, and you know what the character of these brutes is ; if they feel alarmed we shall be lost, for it will be impossible for us to get out of our position ; hence I thought that I was carrying out your views by attempting to cheer them up, and I feign a gaiety which, be assured, I do not feel, under the supposition that it would be agreeable to you." The Mexican shook his head dubiously, but the observations of the capataz were so just, the reasons he offered appeared so plausible, that he was con strained to yield and thank him, as he did not care to alienate at this moment a man who by a word could change the temper of his peons, and urge them to revolt instead of adhering to their duty. " I thank you, No Carnero," he said, with a con ciliatory air. " You perfectly understood my inten- THE FOET OP THE CHICHIMEQUES. 57 tions. I am pleased with your devotion to my person, and the moment will soon arrive, I hope, when it will be in my power to prove to you the value I attach to you.' 1 " The certainty of having done my duty, now as ever, is the sole reward I desire, mi aino," the capataz answered, with a respectful bow. The Mexican gave him a side glance, but he re strained himself, and it was with a smile that he thanked the capataz for the second time. The latter thought it prudent to break off the interview here, and, stopping his horse, he allowed his master to pass him. The chief of the caravan was one of those unhappily constituted men who after having passed their life in deceiving or trying to deceive those with whom the accidents of an adventurous existence have brought them into contact, had reached that point when ho had no confidence in any one, and sought, behind the most frivolous words, to discover an in terested motive, which most frequently did not exist. Although his capataz Carnero had been for a long time in his service, and he granted him a certain amount of familiarity although he appeared to place great confidence in him, and count on his devotion, still, in his heart, he not only suspected him, but felfc almost confident, without any positive proof, it is true, that he was playing a double game with him, and was a secret agent of his deceivers. What truth there might be in this supposition, which held a firm hold of the Mexican's mind, we are 58 THE BED TEACK. unable to say at present ; but the slightest actions of his capataz were watched by him, and he felt certain that he should, sooner or later, attain a confirmation of his doubts; hence, while feigning the greatest satisfaction with him, he constantly kept on his guard, ready to deal a blow, which would be the sharper be cause it had been so long prepared. A little before eleven A.M. the caravan reached the terrace, and it was with a feeling of joy, which they did not attempt to conceal, that the peons recognized the strength of the position selected by their master for the encampment. " "We shall stop here for the present," the Mexican said. " Unload the mules, and light the fires. Im mediately after breakfast we will begin entrenching ourselves in such a way as to foil all the assaults of marauders." The peons obeyed with the speed of men who have made a long journey and are beginning to feel hungry; the fires were lighted in an instant, and a few mo ments later the peons vigorously attacked their maize tortillas, their tocina, and their cecina those in dispensable elements of every Mexican meal. "When the hunger of his men was appeased, and they had einoked their cigarettes, the chief rose. Now," he said, " to work." \ THE SVBPBISE. 60 CHAPTEE VI. THE SUEPBISE. THE position which the leader of the caravan fancied he had been the first to discover, and where he had made up his mind to halt, was admirably selected to establish an intrenched camp strong enough to re sist for months the attacks of the Indians and the pirates of the prairies. The immense voladero hover ing at a prodigious height above the precipices, and guarded on the right and left by enormous masses of rock, offered such conditions of security that the peons regained all their merry carelessness, and only regarded the mysterious flight of the guide as an accident of no real importance, and which would have no other consequences for them but to make their journey somewhat longer than the time originally arranged. It was, hence, witli well promising ardour that they rose on receiving their chief's command, and prepared under his directions to dig the trench which was in tended to protect them from a surprise. This trench was to be bordered by a line of tall stakes, running across the open space between the rocks, which gave the sole access to the terrace. The head-quarters were first prepared, that is to eay, the tent was raised, and the horses hobbled near picquets driven into the ground. 60 THE BED TBACK. At the moment when the leader proceeded with several peons armed with picks and spades toward the entrance, with the probable intention of marking the exact spot where the trench was to be dug, the capataz approached him obsequiously, and said with a respectful bow "Mi amo, I have an important communication to make to you." His master turned and looked at him with ill- concealed distrust. " An important communication to make to me ?" he repeated. " Yes, mi amo," the capataz replied with a bow. "What is it? Speak, but be brief, Carnero, for, as you see, I have no time to lose." " I hope to gain you time, excellency," the capa taz said with a silent smile. " Ab, ah, what is it ?" " If you will allow me to say two words aside, excellency, you will know at once." " Diablo ! a mystery, Master Carnero ?" " Mi amo, it is my duty to inform no one but your excellency of my discovery." " Hum ! then you have discovered something ?" The other bowed, but made no further answer. " Very well then," his master continued, " come this way : go on, mucbachos," he added, addressing the peons, <: I will rejoin you in a moment." The latter went on, while the leader retired for a few paces, followed by the capataz. "When he con- THE SURPRISE. 61 Bidered that he had placed a sufficient distance "be tween himself and the ears of his people, he addressed the half-breed again "Now, I suppose, Master Carnero," he said, " you will see no inconvenience in. explaining your self?" None at all, excellency." " Speak then, in the fiend's name, and keep me no longer in suspense." "This is the affair, excellency: I have discovered a grotto.'* " "What ?" his master exclaimed, in surprise, " you have discovered a grotto ?" " Tes, excellency." " "Where ?" "Here." "Here! that's impossible." " It's the fact, excellency." " But where?" " There," he saia, stretching out his arm, " behind that mass of rocks." A suspicious look flashed from beneath his mas- ter's eyelashes. " Ah !" he muttered, " that is very singular, Master Carnero ; may I ask in what manner you dis covered this grotto, and what motive was so impe rious as to take you among those rocks, when you were aware how indispensable your presence wai elsewhere ?" The capataz was not aifected by the tone in which 62 THE BED TRACK. these words were uttered ; he answered calmly, as if he did not perceive the menace they contained " Oh ! mi amo, the discovery was quite accidental, I assure you." " I do not believe in chance," his master answered " but go on." " "When we had finished breakfast," the capataz continued, soothingly, " I perceived, on rising, that several horses, mine among them, had become unfas tened, and were straying in different directions." " That is true," his master muttered, apparently answering his own thoughts rather than the remarks of the capataz." The latter gave an almost imperceptible smile. " Fearing," he continued, " lest the horses might be lost, I immediately started in pursuit. They were easy to catch, with the exception of one, which rambled among the rocks, and I was obliged to follow it." " I understand ; and so it led you to the mouth of the grotto." " Exactly, mi amo ; I found it standing at the very entrance, and had no difficulty in seizing the bridle." " That is indeed most singular. And did you enter the grotto, Master Carnero ?" " No, mi amo. 1 thought it my duty to tell you of it first." " You were right. Well, we will enter it together. Fetch some torches of ocote wood, and show us the way. By the by, do not forget to bring weapons, for we know not what men or beasts we may find in THE SUEPRISE. 63 caverns thus opening on a high road," This ho said with a sarcastic air, which caused the capataz to tremble inwardly in spite of his determined indif ference. While he executed his master's orders, the latter selected six of his peons, on whose courage he thought he could most rely, ordered them to take their muskets, and, bidding the others to keep a good watch, but not begin anything till he returned, he made a signal to the capataz that he was ready to follow him. No Carnero had followed with an evil eye the arrange ments made by his master, but probably did not deem it prudent to risk any remark, for he silently bowed his head, and walked toward the pile of rocks that masked the entrance of the grotto. These granite blocks, piled one on top oi the other, did not appear, however, to have been brought there by accident, but, on the contrary, they appeared to have belonged in some early and remote age to a clumsy but substantial edifice, which was probably connected with the breastwork still visible on the edge of the voladero on the side of the preci pice. The Mexicans crossed the rocks without difficulty, and soon found themselves before the dark and frown ing entrance of the cavern. The chief gave his peons a signal to halt. " It would not be prudent," he said, " to venture without precautions into this cavern. Prepare your arms, muchachos, and keep your eyes open ; at the 64f THE RED TEAOK. slightest suspicious sound, or the smallest object that appears, fire. Capataz, light the torches." The latter obeyed without a word ; the leader of the caravan assured himself at a glance that his orders had been properly carried out ; then taking his pistols from his belt, he cocked them, took one in each hand, and said to Carnero " Take the lead," he said, with a mocking accent ; * it is only just that you should do the honours of this place which you so unexpectedly discovered. Forward, you others, and be on your guard," he added, turning to the peons. The eight men then went into the cavern at the heels of the capataz, who raised the torches above hia head, doubtless in order to cast a greater light on sur rounding objects. This cavern, like most of those found in these regions, seemed to have been formed through some subterranean convulsion. The walls were lofty, dry, and covered at various spots with an enormous quan tity of night-birds, which, blinded and startled by the light of the torches, took to flight with hoarse cries, and flew heavily in circles round the Mexicans. The latter drove them back with some difficulty by waving their muskets. But the further they got into the interior of the cavern, the greater the number of these birds became, and seriously encumbered the visitors by flapping them with their long wings, and deafening them with their discordant cries. They thus reached a rather large hall, into which THE SUBPEISE. C5 several passages opened. Although the Mexicans were a considerable distance from the entrance, they found no difficulty in breathing, owing doubtless to imperceptible fissures in the rock, through which the air was received. " Let us halt here for a moment," the leader said, taking a torch from the capataz ; " this hall, it' the cavern has several issues as I suppose, will- afford us a certain refuge : let us examine the spot where we are." While speaking he walked round the hall, and convinced himself, by certain still existing traces of man's handiwork, that at a former period the cave had been inhabited. The peons seated themselves idly on the blocks of granite scattered here and there, and with their guns between their legs carelessly fol lowed their master's movements. The latter felt the suspicions aroused in his mind by the sudden nature of Carnero's discovery gradually dissipated. He felt certain that for many years no human being had entered this gloomy cave, for none of those flying traces which man always leaves in his passage, whatever precaution he may take to hide his presence, had been discovered by him. All, on tho contrary, evidenced the most utter abandonment and solitude, and hence the leader of the caravan was not indisposed to retire to this spot, which was so easy of defence, instead of throwing up an intrenched camp, always a long and difficult task, and which had the inconvenience of leaving men and animals exposed to 1 00 THE BED TBA.CK. a deadly climate for individuals accustomed to the heat of the Mexican temperature. "While continuing his explanations, the leader con versed with the capataz in a more friendly manner than he had done for a long time, congratulating him on his discovery, and explaining his views, to which the latter listened with his usual crafty smile. All at once he stopped and listened the two men were at this moment at the entrance of one of the passages to which we have referred. " Listen," he said to the capataz, as he laid his hand on his arm to attract his attention, " do you not hear something ?" The latter bent his body slightly forward, and remained motionless for some seconds. "I do," he said, drawing himself up, "it sounds like distant thunder." " Is it not ? or, perhaps, the rolling of subter ranean waters." " Madre de Dios ! mi amo," the capataz exclaimed gleefully. " I can swear that you are right. It would be a piece of luck for us to find water in the cave, for it would add greatly to our security, as we should not be obliged to lead our horses, perhaps, a long distance to drink." " I will assure myself at once if there is any truth in the supposition. The noise proceeds from that passage, so let us follow it. As for our men they can wait for us here ; we have nothing to fear now, for if the pirates or the Indians were ambuscaded to sur- THE SUEPEISE. 67 prise us, they would not have waited so long before doing so, and hence the assistance of our peons is un necessary/' The capataz shook his head doubtfully. "Hum," he said, "the Indians are very clever, oii amo; and who knows what diabolical projects those red-skins revolve in their minds ? I believe it would be more prudent to let the peons accom pany us." " Nonsense," said his master, " it is unnecessary ; we are two resolute and well-armed men ; we have nothing to fear. I tell you. Besides, if, against all probability, we are attacked, our men will hear the noise of the conflict, will run to our help, and will be at our side in an instant." " It is not very probable, I grant, that we have any danger to apprehend ; still I considered it my duty as a devoted servant, mi amo, to warn you, because in the event of Indians being hidden in these passages, of whose windings we are ignorant, we should be caught like rats in a trap, with no possibility of escape. Two men, however brave they may be, are incapable of resisting twenty or thirty enemies, and you know that Indians never attack white men save when they are almost certain of success." These words seemed to produce a certain impres sion on the leader of the caravan. He remained silent for a moment, apparently reflecting seriously on what he had heard, but he soon raised his head, and shook it resolutely. 68 THE RED TRACK. " Nonsense ! I do not believe in the danger you seem to apprehend ; after all, if it really exist, it will be welcome. Wait here, my men, and be ready to join us at the first signal," he added, addressing the peons, who answered by rising and collecting in the middle of the hall. Their master left them a torch to light them during his exploration, took the other, and turning to Carnero, said, " Let us go." They then entered the passage. It was very narrow, and ran downwards with a steep incline, so that the two men, who were unacquainted wjth its windings, were obliged to walk with the most serious attention, and carefully examining all the spots they passed. The further they proceeded, the more distinct the sound of water became ; it was evident that at a very short distance from the spot where they were, perhaps but a few steps, there ran one of those subterranean streams so frequently found in natural caverns, and which are generally rivers swallowed up by an earth quake. All at once, without being warned by the slightest sound, the leader of the caravan felt himself seized round the waist, his torch was snatched roughly from his hand, and extinguished against a rock, and himself thrown down and securely bound, before he was able to attempt the slightest resistance, so sudden and well cal culated had the attack been. Carnero had been thrown down at the same time as his master, and bound. THE SURPB1SE. 69 "Cowards, demons!" the Mexican yelled, as he made a superhuman effort to rise and burst his bonds ; " show yourself, at least, so that I may know with whom I have to deal." " Silence ! General Don Sebastian Guerrero," a rough voice said to him, whose accent made him start, in spite of all his courage ; " resign yourself to your fate, for you have fallen into the power of men who will not liberate you till they have had a thorough explanation with you." General Guerrero, whom the readers of the "Indian Chief" will doubtless remember, made a movement of impotent rage, but he was silent ; he perceived that the originators of the snare of which he was a victim were implacable enemies, as they had not feared to call him by his name, and more formidable than the pirates of the prairies or the red skins, with whom he at first thought he had to deal. Moreover, he thought that the darkness that sur rounded him would soon cease, and then he would eee his enemies face to face, and recognize them. But his expectations were deceived. When his conquerors had borne him to the hall, where his peons were disarmed and guarded by peons, he saw, by the light of the torch that faintly illumined the hall, that among the men who surrounded him few wore the Mexican costume, it was true, but had their faces hidden by a piece of black crape, forming a species of mask, and so well fastened round their necks, that it was entirely impossible to recognize them. 70 THE BED TBACK. " What do these men want with me ?" he muttered, as he let his head fall on his chest sadly. " Patience !" said the man who had already spoken, and who overheard the general's remark, " you will Boon know." CHAPTEE VII. THE EXPLANATION. THERE was a short delay, during which the conquerors appeared to be consulting together in a low voice ; while doing so, an Indian chief, who was no other than the Jester, entered the hall, and uttered a few words in Comanche. The general and the capataz were again picked up "by the red-skins, and at a sign from, one of the masked men, transported on to the voladero. The appearance of the terrace had entirely changed during the general's short absence, and offered at this moment a most singular and picturesque scene. One hundred and fifty to two hundred Indians, mostly armed with guns, and ranged in good order round the terrace, the centre of which remained free, faced the cavern, having among them the disarmed Mexicans, the baggage, horses, and mules of the caravan. The tent still stood solitary in the middle of what Was to have been the encampment ; but the curtain Was raised, and a horseman was standing in front of THE EXPLANATION. 71 it, aa if to defend the entrance, and protect the precious articles it contained from pillage. At the moment when the party emerged from the cave, and appeared on the terrace, the horsemen drawn up at the entrance of the defile opened out to the right and left, leaving a passage for a small troop of men dressed in hunters' garb, and whom it was easy to recognize as white men, by the colour of their skin, although it was bronzed and freckled by the sun ; two ladies, mounted on ambling mules, were in the midst of them. This troop of strangers was composed of eight persons altogether, leading with them two baggage mules. As the men were disarmed, and walked on foot amid some fifty Indian horsemen, they had, in all probability, been surprised by a party of red skins, and made prisoners in some skilfully-arranged ambuscade. The two ladies, one of whom was of a certain age while the other appeared scarce eighteen, and who might be supposed closely related, through the resem blance of their features, were treated with an exquisite politeness they were far from expecting by the Indians, and conducted to the tent, which they were requested to enter. The curtain was then lowered, to conceal them from the glances of the Indians, whose expression, although respectful, must necessarily be disagreeable to them. The new comers, at a signal from their conductor*, ranged themselves with the other prisoners ; they were 72 THE BED TEACK. powerful men, with marked features, whom the Indiana had prohably not given a chance to fight, otherwise they looked as if they would sooner be killed than yield. They displayed neither fear nor depression, but their flashing looks and frowning brows showed that though they silently submitted to their fate, they were far from being resigned, and would eagerly seize the first opportunity to regain the liberty of which they had been so treacherously deprived. Still, in spite of the determination they had doubt less formed to remain indifferent as to what took place around them, they soon felt themselves inter ested more than they liked in the strange drama which they involuntarily witnessed, and whose gloomy pre parations were of a nature to arouse their curiosity to an eminent degree. At the base of the rocks several blocks of granite had been arranged in a semicircle, thus forming a re semblance to that terrible Vehmic tribunal, which in olden times held its formidable assize on the banks of the Rhine, before which kings and even emperors were at times summoned to appear, and the resem blance was rendered more striking by the care the assailants took in hiding their features. Two masked men took their seats on the granite blocks, and the Indians who carried the general laid him on the ground in front of this species of tribunal. The person who seemed to be the president of this sinister assembly gave a sign, the prisoner's bonds at THE EXPLANATION. 73 once fell off, and he found himself once more able to move his limbs. The general drew himself up, crossed his hands on his chest, threw his body back haughtily, raised his head and looked at the men who had apparently constituted themselves his judges with a glance of withering contempt. " What do you want with me, bandits ?" he said ; " enough of this ; these insolent manoeuvres will not alarm me." "Silence!" the president said coldly, "it is not your place to speak thus." Then he remarked to the Jester, who was standing a few paces from him "Bring up the other prisoners, old and new; everybody must hear what is going to be said to this man : The Jester gave a signal to the warriors ; some of them dismounted, approached the prisoners, and, after loosening the cord that bound the capataz, they led him, as well as the peons and the prisoners of the second caravan, in front of the tribunal, where they ranged themselves in line. Then, at a signal from the Jester, the horsemen closed up round the white men, who were thus hemmed in by Comanche warriors. The spectacle offered by this assemblage of men, with their marked features and quaint garb, grouped without any apparent regularity on this voladero, which was suspended as if artificially over a terrible gulf, and leant against lofty mountains, with their 74 THE BED TBACE. abrupt flanks and snowy crest, was not without ft certain grandeur. A deadly silence brooded at this moment over the esplanade; all chests were heaving, every heart was oppressed. Red-skins, hunters, and Mexicans all un derstood instinctively that a grand drama was about to be performed; invisible streams could be heard hoarsely murmuring in the cavern, and at times a gust of wind whistled over the heads of the horsemen. The prisoners, affected by a vague and undefined terror, waited with secret anxiety, not knowing what fate these ferocious victors reserved for them, but cer tain that, whatever the decision formed about them might be, prayers would be impotent to move them, and that they would have to endure the atrocious tor ture to which they would doubtless be condemned. The president looked round the assembly, rose in the midst of a profound silence, stretched out his arm towards the general, who stood cold and passionless be fore him, and, after darting at him a withering glance through the holes made in the crape that concealed his face, he said in a grave, stern, and impressive voice " Caballeros, remember the words you are about to hear, listen to them attentively, so as to understand them, and not to be in error as to our intentions. In the first place, in order to reassure you and restore your entire freedom of mind, learn that you have not fallen into the hands of Indians thirsting for your blood, or of pirates who intend to plunder you first and assassinate you afterwards. No, you need not THE EXPLICATION. 75 foci tlie slightest alarm. When you have acted as im partial witnesses, and are able to render testimony of what you have seen, should it be required, you will be at liberty to continue your journey, without the forfeiture of a single article. The men seated on my right and left, although masked, are brave and honest hunters. The day may perhaps arrive when you will know them ; but reasons, whose importance you will speedily recognize, compel them to remain unknown for the present. I was bound to say this, senores, to you, against whom we bear no animosity, before coming to a final settlement with this man." One of the travellers belonging to the second cara van stepped forward ; he was a young man, with elegant and noble features, tall and well built. " Caballero," he answered, in a distinct and sym pathizing voice, " I thank you, in the name of my companions and myself, for the reassuring words you have spoken. I know how implacable the laws of the desert are, and have ever submitted to them without a murmur ; but permit me to ask you one question." " Speak, caballero." "Is it an act of vengeance or justice you are about to carry out ?" " Neither, senor. It would be an act of folly or weakness if the inspirations of the heart could be blamed or doubted by honourable and loyal men." " Enough of this, senor," the general said, haugh tily ; " and if you are, as you assert, an honourable 76 THE EEJ) TEACK. man, show me your face, in order that I may know with whom I have to deal." The president, shrugged his shoulders contemptu ously. " No, Don Sebastian," he said, " for in that case the game would not bo even between us. But be patient, caballero, and soon you will learn, if not who I am, at any rate the motives which have made me your implacable foe." The general attempted to smile, but in spite of himself the smile died away on his lips, and though his haughty bearing seemed to defy his unknown enemies, a secret apprehension contracted his heart. There was a silence for some moments, during which no other sound was audible save that of the breeze whistling through the denuded branches and the distant murmur of the invisible torrents in the guebradas. The president looked round with flashing eyes, and folding his arms on his chest at the same time, as he raised his head, he began speaking again in a sharp, cutting voice, whose accents caused his hearers to trem ble involuntarily. And yet they were brave men, ac customed to the terrible incidents of a desert life, and whom the most serious dangers could not have affected. " Now listen, senores," he said, " and judge this man impartially ; but do not judge him according to prairie law, but in your hearts. General Don Sebas tian Guerrero, who is standing so bold and upright before you at this moment, is one of the greatest THE EXPLANATION 77 noblemen of Mexico, a Christiana viejo of the purest blood, descended in a direct line from the Spanish Conquistadors. His fortune is immense, incalculable, and he himself could not determine its amount. This man, by the mere strength of his will, and tho im placable egotism that forms the basis of his character, has always succeeded in everything he has undertaken. Coldly and resolutely ambitious, he has covered with corpses the bloody road he was compelled to follow in order to attain his proposed object, and he has done so without hesitation or remorse ; he has looked on with a smiling face, when his dearest friends and his nearest relations fell by his side ; for him nothing which men respect exists faith and honour are with him but empty sounds. He had a daughter, who was the perfection of women, and he coldly lacerated that daughter's heart ; he fatally drove her to suicide, and the blood of the poor girl spirted on his forehead, while he was triumphantly witnessing the legal mur der of the man she loved, and whose death he resolved on, because he refused to palter with his honour, and aid this man in the infamous treachery he was medi tating. This human-faced tiger, this monster with the mocking, sceptical face, you see, senores, has only one thought, one object, one desire it is, to attain the highest rank, even if, to effect it, he were com pelled to clamber over the panting corpses of his relations and friends sacrificed to his ambition ; and if he cannot carve out an independent kingdom in this collapsing republic, which is called Mexico, he wishes 78 IIIE BED TEACK. to seize, at least, on the supreme magistracy, and be elected president. If this man's life merely comprised this egotistic ambition and these infamous schemes to satisfy it, I should content myself with despising, instead of hating him, and not being able to find an excuse for him, I should forget him. But no ; this man has done more he dared to lay himds on a man who was my friend, my brother, the Count de Prebois Crance, to whom I have already referred, senores, without mentioning his name. Unable to conquer the count loyally, despairing of winning him over to his shameful cause, he at first tried to poison him ; but, not having succeeded, and wishing to come to an end, he forgot that his daughter, an angel, the sole creature who loved him, and implored divine mercy for him, was the betrothed wife of the count, and that killing him would be her condemnation to death. In his horrible thirst for revenge, he ordered the judicial murder of my friend, and coldly presided at the execu tion, not noticing, in the joyous deliverance of his satisfied hatred, that his daughter had killed herself at his side, and that he was trampling her corpse beneath his horse's feet. Such is what this man has done ; look at him well, in order to recognize him hereafter ; he is General Don Sebastian G-uerrero, military governor of Sonora." "Oh!" the audience said involuntarily, as they instinctively recoiled in horror, "If this man is the ex-governor of Sonora," the hunter who had already spoken said, in disgust " he THE EXPLANATION. 79 is a wild beast, whom his ferocity has placed beyond the pale of society, and it is the duty of honest men to destroy him." " He must die ! he must die ! " the new corners exclaimed. The general's peons were gloomy and downcast ; they hung their heads sadly, for they did not dare attempt to defend their master, and yet did not like to accuse him. The general was still cool and unmoved ; he was apparently calm, but a fearful tempest was raging in his heart. His face was of an earthy and cadaverous pallor ; his brows were contracted till they touched, and his violet lips were closed, as if he were making violent efforts not to utter a word, and to restrain his fury from breaking out in insults. His eyes flashed fire, and then his whole body was agitated by convul sive movements, but he managed, through his self- command, to conquer his emotion, and retain the expression of withering contempt, which he had assumed since the beginning of this scene. Seeing that his accuser was silent, he took a step forward, and stretched out his arm, as if he claimed the right of answering. But his enemy gave him no time to utter a word. "Wait!" he shouted, " I have not said all yet; now that J have revealed what you have done, I am bound to render the persons here present judges not only of what I have done, but also of what I intend to do in future against you." 80 THE BED TRACK, : 5, CHAPTEE YIIL JL DECLARATION OP WAB. THE general shrugged his shoulders with & con temptuous smile. " Nonsense," he said, "you are mad, my fine fel low. I know now who you are ; your hatred of mo has unconsciously discovered you. Remove that veil which is no longer of any use ; I know you, for, as you are aware, hatred is clear-sighted. You are the French hunter whom I have constantly met in my path to impede my projects, or overthrow my plans." "Add," the hunter interrupted, "and whom you will ever meet." " Be it so, unless I crush you beneath my heel like a noxious insect." " Ever so proud and so indomitable, do you not fear lest, exasperated by your insults, I may forget the oath I have taken, and sacrifice you to my ven geance ?" " Nonsense," he replied, with a disdainful toss of his head, " you kill me ? that is impossible, for you arc too anxious to enjoy your revenge to stab me in a moment of passion." " That is true, this time you are right, Don Sebas tian. I will not kill you, because, however culpable you may be, I do not recognize the right to do so. Blood does not wash out blood, it only increases the A DECL1BJLTION OF WAB. SI stain ; and I intend to take a more protracted ven geance on you than a stab or a shot will grant us. Besides this, vengeance has already commenced." " Indeed !" the general said sarcastically. " Still," the hunter continued with some emotion, " as the vengeance must be straightforward, I wish to give you, in the presence of all these gentlemen, the proof that I fear you no more to-day than I did when the struggle commenced between us. This veil which you reproach me for wearing I am going to remove, not because you have recognized me, but because I deem it unworthy of me to conceal my features from you any longer. Brothers," he added, turning to his silent assistants, " my mask alone must fall, retain yours, for it id important for my plans of vengeance that you should remain unknown.'* The four men bowed their assent, and the hunter threw away the crape that covered his features. " Valentine Guillois !" the general exclaimed ; " I was sure of it." ' On hearing this celebrated name, the hunters of the second caravan made a movement as if to rush forward, impelled either by curiosity or some other motive. "Stay," the Frenchman shouted, stopping them by a quick wave of the hand, " let me finish with this man first." They fell back with a bow " Now," lie continued, " we are really face to face. Well, listen patiently to what still remains for me to a 82 *HE RED TRACK. tell you ; and, perhaps, the assumed calmness spread over your features will melt away before my words, like the snow in the sunshine." " I will listen to you, because it is impossible for me to do otherwise at this moment ; but if you flatter yourself that you will affect me in any way, I am bound to warn you that you will not succeed. The hatred I feel for you is so thoroughly balanced by the contempt you inspire me with, that nothing which emanates from you can move me in the slightest degree." "Listen then," the hunter coldly continued; "when my unhappy friend fell at Guaymas, in my paroxysm of grief I allow that I intended to kill you ; but reflection soon came, and I saw that it would be better to let you live. Thanks to me, one week after the count's death, the Mexican Government, not satisfied with disavowing your conduct publicly, deprived you of your vo..i nand, without inquiry, and refused, in spite of your remonstrances, to explain to you the motives of their conduct." "Ah, ah," the general said, in a hissing but sup* pressed voice, " it was to you, then, that I owe my recall ?" " Tes, general, to me alone." I am delighted to hear it." " You remained, then, in Sonora, without power or influence, hated and despised by all, and marked on your forehead with that indelible brand which GOD imprinted on Cain, the first murderer ; but Mexico 13 A. DECLiRiTION OF WAB. 83 a blessed country, where ambitious men can easily fish in troubled waters, when, like yourself, they are not restrained by any of those bonds of honour, which too often fetter the genius of honest men. You could not remain long bowed beneath the blow that had fallen on you, and you made up your mind in a few days. You resolved to leave Sonora and proceed to Mexico, where, thanks to your colossal fortune, and the influence it would necessarily give you, you could carry on your ambitious projects ; by changing the scene, you hoped to cast the scandalous acts of which you had been guilty into oblivion. Your pre parations were soon made listen attentively, general, to this, for I assure you that I have reached the moat interesting part of my narration." " Go on, go on, sen or," he replied carelessly, " I am listening to you attentively ; do not fear that I shall forget one of your words." "In spite of your affected indifference, serior, I will go on. As you fancied, for certain reasons which it is unnecessary to remind you of, that your enemies might try to lay some ambush for you, during the long journey you were obliged to perform from Hermosillo to Mexico, you thought it necessary to take the following precautions, the inutility of some of which I presume that you have recognized by this time. "While, for the purpose of deceiving your ene mies, you started in disguise, and only accompanied by a few men, for California, in order to return to Mexico across the Eocky Mountains ; while you gaye 84 THE BED TEACK. questioners the fullest details of the road, you pre tended to follow, with your men your real object was quite different. The man in whom you placed your confidence, Don Isidro Vargas, a veteran of your War of Independence, who had known you when a child, and whom you had converted into your tool, took the shortest, and, consequently, most direct route for the capital, having with him not only twelve mulea loaded with gold and silver, the fruit of your plunder during the period of your command, but a more pre cious article still, the body of your unhappy daughter, which you had embalmed, and which the captain had orders to inter with your ancestors at your Hacienda del Palmar, which you left so long ago, and to which you will, in all probability, never return. Tour object in acting thus was not only to divert attention from your ill-gotten riches, but also to attract your ene mies after yourself. Unfortunately or fortunately, according as we regard the matter, I am an old hunter so difficult to deceive that my comrades gave me long ago .the glorious title of the Trail-hunter, and hence, while everybody else was forming speculations about you, I alone was not deceived, and guessed your plan." " Still, your presence here gives a striking denial to the assertion," the general interrupted him, ironi cally. "You think so, senor, and that proves that you are not thoroughly acquainted with me yet ; but patience, I hope that you will, ere long, appre- A DECLARATION OF WAR. 85 ciate me better. Moreover, you have not reflected on tiie time that has elapsed since your departure from Hermosillo." " What do you mean ?" the general asked, with a sudden start of apprehension. " I mean that before attacking you, I resolved to settle matters first with the captain." " Ah !" " Well, general, it is my painful duty to inform you that four days after he left Pitic, our brave friend Don Isidro, although an old and experienced soldier, well versed in war stratagems, fell into an am~ buscade resembling the one into which you fell to day, with this exception ." "What exception?" the general asked, with greater interest than he would have liked to display, for he was beginning to fear a catastrophe. " My men were so imprudent," the hunter con tinued, ironically, "as to leave the captain the means of defending himself. The result was that he died, bravely fighting to save the gold you had intrusted to him, and, before all, the coffin containing your daughter's corpse." " Well, and I presume you plundered the caravan, and carried off the gold and silver ?" he asked, con temptuously. " You would most probably have acted thus under similar circumstances, Don Sebastian," the hunter answered, giving him back insult for insult ; " but I thought it my duty to act differently. What could THE BED TRACK. you expect ? I, a coarse, uneducated hunter, do not know how to plunder, for I did not learn it when I had the honour to serve my own country, and I never stood under your orders in Mexico. This is what I did : so soon as the captain and the peons he com manded were killed for the poor devils, I must do them the justice of saying, offered a desperate re sistance I myself, you understand, friend, I my self conveyed the money to your Hacienda del Pal mar, where it now remains in safety, as you can easily assure yourself if you ever return to Palmar." The general breathed again, and smiled ironically. " Instead of blaming you, senor," he said, " I, on the contrary, owe you thanks for this chivalrous conduct, especially toward an enemy." " Do not be in such an hurry to thank me, ca- ballero," the hunter answered ; "I have not told you all yet." These words were uttered with such an accent of gratified hatred, that all the hearers, the general included, shuddered involuntarily, for they under stood that the hunter was about to make a terrible revelation, and that the calmness he feigned con cealed a tempest. "Ah," Don Sebastian murmured, "speak, I im plore you, senor, for I am anxious to know all the obligations I owe you." " Captain Don Isidro Vargas not only escorted the money I had conveyed to Palmar," he said in a sharp, quick voice, "but there was also a coffin. Well, A DECLABATION OP WAS. 87 general, why do you not ask me what has become of that coffin?" An electric shock ran through the audience on hearing the ironical question so coldly asked by the hunter, whose eye, implacably fixed on the general, seemed to flash fire. " What !" Don Sebastian exclaimed, " I can hardly think that you have committed sacrilege ?" Valentine burst into a loud and sharp laugh. "Tour suppositions ever go beyond the object. I commit sacrilege, oh, no ! I loved the poor girl too dearly when alive to outrage her after death. No, no, the betrothed of my friend is sacred to me ; but as, in my opinion, the assassin can have no claim to the body of his victim, and you are morally your daughter's murderer, I have robbed you of this body, which you are not worthy to have, and which must rest by the side of him for whom she died." There was a moment's silence. The general's face, hitherto pale, assumed a greenish hue, and his eyes were suffused with blood. Now and then he made superhuman efforts to speak, which were un successful, but at length he yelled in a hoarse and hissing voice " It is not true ; you have not done this. You cannot have dared to rob a father of his child's body." " I have done it, I tell you," the hunter said coldly. " I have taken possession of the body of your victim, and now you understand me ; never shall you know where this poor body rests. But this is only 88 THE BED TRACK. the beginning of iny vengeance. "What I wish to kill in you is the soul and not the body ; and now begone, go and forget at Mexico, amid your ambitious in trigues, the scene that has passed between us ; but remember that you will find me in your path every where and ever. Farewell till we meet again." " One last word," the general exclaimed, affected by the deepest despair, " restore me my daughter's body ; she was the only human creature I ever loved." The hunter regarded him for a moment with an ^indefinable expression, and then said in a harsh and coldly-mocking voice, " Never." Then, turning away, he re-entered the grotto, fol lowed by his assistants. The general tried to rush after him, but the Indians restrained him, and, in spite of his resistance, compelled him to stop. Don Sebastian, who was the more overwhelmed by the last blow because it was unexpected, stood for a moment like a man struck by lightning, with pendant arms and seared eyes. At last a heartrending sob burst from his bosom, two burning tears sprung from his eyes, and he rolled like a corpse on the ground. The very Indians, those rough warriors to whom pity is a thing unknown, felt moved by this frightful despair, and several of them turned away not to wit ness it. In the meanwhile the Jester had ordered the peons to saddle tli3 horses and load the mules. The general was placed by two servants on a horse, without appearing to notice what was done to him, and a few JL DECLARATION OF WAB. 89 minutes later the caravan left the Fort of the Chichi- meques, and passed unimpeded through the silent ranks of the Indians, who bowed as it passed. When the Mexicans had disappeared in the windings of the road, Valentine emerged from the grotto, and walked courteously up to the hunters of the second caravan. " Forgive me," he said to them, " not the delay J have occasioned you, but the involuntary alarm I caused you ; but I was compelled to act as I did. Tou are going to Mexico, where I shall soon be my- eelf, and it is possible that I may require your testi mony some day.'* " A testimony which will not be refused, my dear countryman," the hunter who had hitherto spoken gracefully answered. "What!" the hunter exclaimed in amazement, " are you French ?" " Yes, and all my companions are so, too. We have come from San Francisco, where, thanks to Pro vidence, we have amassed a very considerable fortune, which we hope to double in the Mexican capital. My name is Antoine llallier, and these are my brothers, Edward and Augustus ; the two ladies who accom pany us are my mother and sister, and if you know nobody in Mexico, come straight to me, sir, and you will be received, not only as a friend, but as a brother." The hunter pressed the hand his countryman offered him. 90 THE BED TBACK. " As this is the case," he said, " I will not let you go alone, for these mountains are infested by bandita of every description, whom you may not escape, but with my protection you can pass anywhere." " I heartily accept the offer ; but why do you not come with us to Mexico ?" " That is impossible for the present/' the hunter answered pensively ; " but be at your ease. I shall not fail to demand the fulfilment of your promise." "You will be welcome, friend, for we have been acquainted for a long time, and we know that you have ever honourably represented France in America." Two hours later the Fort of the Chichimeques had returned to its usual solitude j white men and Indians had abandoned it for ever. CHAPTER IX. MEXICO. WE will now leap over abo'ut two months and, leaving the Rocky Mountains, invite the reader to accompany us to the heart of Mexico. The Spanish Conquistadors selected with admir able tact the sites on which they founded the cities destined to insure their power, and become at a later date the centres of their immense trade, and the en trepots of their incalculable wealth, MEXICO. 91 Even at the present day, although owing to the negligence of the Creoles and their continual fratricidal wars, combined with the sudden earthquakes, these cities are half ruined, and the life which the power ful Spanish organization caused to circulate in them has died out, these cities are still a subject of sur prise to the traveller accustomed to the morbid crowd ing of old European cities. He regards with awe these vast squares, surrounded by cloister-like arcades; these broad and regular streets through which re freshing waters continually flow ; these shady gardens in which thousands of gaily-plumaged birds twitter; these bold bridges ; these majestically simple build ings, whose interiors contain incalculable wealth. And yet, we repeat, the majority of these cities are only the shadow of themselves. They seem dead, and are only aroused by the furious yells of an insurrection, to lead for a few days a feverish existence under the excitement of political passions. But so soon as the corpses are removed, and water has washed away the blood stains, the streets revert to their solitude, the inhabitants hide themselves in their carefully. closed houses, and all becomes again gloomy, mournful, and silent, only to be galvanized afresh by the hoarse mur murs of an approaching revolt. If we except Lima, the splendid " Ciudad de los Reyes," Mexico is probably the largest and hand somest of all the cities that cover the soil of ancient Spanish America. From whatever point we regard it, Mexico affords 92 THE BED TEACK. a magnificent view ; but if you wish to enjoy a really fairy-like sight, ascend at sunset one of the towers of the cathedral, whence you will see the strangest and most picturesque panorama imaginable unrolled at your feet. Mexico certainly existed before the discovery of America, and our readers will probably pardon a digression showing how the foundation of the city is narrated by old chroniclers. In the year of the death of Huetzin, King of Tez- cuco, that is to say, the " spot where people stop," because it was at this very place that the migra tion of the Chichimeques terminated, the Mexicans made an eruption into the country, and reached the place where Mexico now stands, at the beginning of the year 1140 of our era. This place then formed part of the dominions of Aculhua, Lord of Atzcaput- zalco. According to paintings and the old chronicles, these Indians came from the empires of the province of Xalisco. It appears that they were of the same- race as the Toltecs, and of the family of the noble Huetzin, who with his children and servants escaped during the destruction of the Toltecs, and was resid ing at that period at Chapultepec, which was also destroyed at a later date. It is recorded that he traversed with them the country of Michoacan, and took refuge in the province of Atzlan, where he died, and had for his successors Ozolopan, his son, and Aztlal, his grandson, whose MEXICO. 93 heir was Ozolopan IT. Tlie latter, remembering the country of his ancestors, resolved to return thither with his entire nation, which was already called Mezetin. After many adventures and combats, they at length reached the banks of a great lake covered with an infinitude of islands, and as the recollection of their country had been traditionally kept up among them, they at once recognized it, though not one of them had even seen it before. Too weak to resist the people that surrounded them, or to establish them selves in the open country, they founded on several of the islands, which they connected together, a town, which they called after themselves, Mexico, and which at a later date was destined to be the capital of a powerful empire. Although the Mexicans arrived on the banks of the lake in 1140, it was not till two years later that the American Venice began to emerge from the bosom of the waters. We have dwelt on these details in order to correct an error made by a modern author, who attributes to the Aztecs the foundation of this city, to which he gives the name of Tenochtitlan, instead of Temixtetlan, which is the correct name.* * In order to protect themselves from the misfortunes which had before crushed them, the Mexicans placed themselves under the safeguard of the King of Azcaputzalco, on whose lands they had established themselves. This prince gave them two of his sons as governors, of whom the first was Acamapuhtlj, chief of the Tenuchcas. On their arrival in Ahanuec, thes 94 THE BET) TRACK. Like Venice, its European sister, Mexico was only a collection of cabins, offering a precarious shelter to wretched fishermen, who were incessantly kept in a state of alarm by the attacks of their neighbours. The Mexicans, at first scattered over a great number of small islands, fait the necessity of collecting together in order to offer a better resistance. By their patience and courage they succeeded in building houses, raised on piles, and employing the mud of the lagoons, held together by branches of trees, they created the chinampas, or floating gardens, the most curious in the world, on which they sowed vegetables, pimento, and maize, and thus, with the aquatic birds they managed to catch en the lake, they contrived to be entirely independent of their neighbours. Almost destroyed during the obstinate fights between the natives and the Spaniards, Mexico, four years after the conquest, was entirely rebuilt by Fernando Cortez. But the new city in no way re sembled the old one. Most of the canals were filled up, and paved over ; magnificent palaces and sump tuous monasteries rose as if t by enchantment, and the city became entirely Spanish. Indians had found on the summit of a rock a nopal, in which was an eagle devouring a serpent, and they took their name from it. Acamapuhtli selected this emblem as the totem of the race he was called upon to govern. During the "War of Inde pendence, the insurgents adopted this hieroglyphic as the arma of the Mexican Eepublic, in memory of the ancient and glorioui origin of which it reminded them. MEXICO. 95 Mexico hag been so frequently described by more practised pens than ours, and we, in previous works, have had such frequent occasions to allude to it, that we will not attempt any description here, but con tinue our story without further delay. It was October 12th, 1854, two months, day for day, had elapsed since the unfortunate Count de Prebois Crance, victim of an iniquitous sentence, had honourably fallen at Guaymas beneath the Mexican bullets.* A thick fog had hung over the city for the whole day, changing at times into a fine drizzle, which after sunset became sharper, although a heavy fog still prevailed. However, at about eight in the evening the rain ceased to fall, and the stagnant waters of the lake began to reflect a few particles of brighter sky. The snow- clad summit of Iztaczihuatl, or the White Woman, feebly glistened in the pale watery moonbeams, while Popocatepetl remained buried in the clouds.* The streets and squares were deserted, although the night was not yet far advanced ; for the loungers and promenaders, driven away by the weather, had returned to their homes. A deep silence brooded over the city, whose lights expired one after the other, and only at lengthened intervals could be heard on the greasy pavement the footsteps of the Berenos, or watchmen, who performed their melan- * See the " Indian Chief." Same publishers. t This second volcano, whose name indicates " The Smoking Mountain," is near the former. 96 THE BED TRACK. choly walk, with the indifferent air peculiar to that estimable corporation. At times a few discordant sounds, escaping from the velorios were borne along oil the breeze ; but that was all the city seemed asleep. Half-past nine was striking by the cathedral clock at the moment when a dull sound resembling the rustling of reeds shaken by the wind was audible on the gigantic highway joining the city to the main land. This sound soon became more distinct, and changed into the trampling of horses, which was deadened by the damp air and the ground softened by a lengthened rain. A black mass emerged from the fog, and two horsemen wrapped in thick cloaks stood out distinctly in the moonlight. These horsemen seemed to have made a long journey ; their steeds, covered with mud, limped at each step, and only advanced with extreme difficulty. They at length reached a low house, through whose dirty panes a doubtful light issued, which showed that the inhabitants were still awake. The horsemen stopped before this house, which was an inn, and without dismounting, ono of them gave the door two or three kicks, and called the host in a loud sharp voice. The latter, doubtless disturbed by this unusual summons at so improper an hour, was in no hurry to answer, and would have probably left the strangers for some time in the cold, if the man who had kicked, probably tired of -waiting, had not thought of an expeditious means of obtaining an answer MEXICO. 97 " Voto d firios /" lie shouted, as he drew a pistol from his holster, and cocked it, " since this dog is resolved not to open, I will send a bullet through his window." This menace had been scarce uttered ero the door opened as if by enchantment, and the landlord ap peared on the threshold. This man resembled land lords in all countries ; he had, like them, a sleek and crafty look, but at this moment his obsequiousness badly concealed a profound terror, evidenced by the earthy pallor of his face. "Hola, caballero," he said, with a respectful bow, "have a little patience, if you please. Caramba ! how quick you are ; it is plain to see that you are foras- teros, and not acquainted with the custom of our country.'* "No matter who I am," the stranger answered sharply ; " are you a landlord yes or no ?" "I have that honour, caballero," the host remarked, with a deeper bow than the first. "If you are so, scoundrel," the stranger ex claimed angrily, " by what right do you, whose duty it is to be at the orders of the public, dare to keep me waiting thus at your door?" The landlord had a strong inclination to get into a passion, but the resolute tone of the man who addressed him, and, above all, the pistol ho still held in his hand, urged him to prudence and modera tion ; hence he answered with profound humility '* Believe me, eenor, that if I had known what a H 98 THE HED Til ACE. distinguished caballero did me the honour of stop ping before my humble dwelling, I should have has tened to open." " A truce to such impertinent remarks, and open the door." The landlord bowed without replying this time, and whistled a lad, who came to help him in holding the travellers' horses ; the latter dismounted, and en tered the inn, while their tired steeds were led to tho corral by the boy. The room into which the travellers were intro duced was low, black, and furnished with tables and benches in a filthy state, and mostly broken, while the floor of stamped earth was greasy and uneven. Above the bar was a statuette of the Virgin de la Soledad, before which burned a greasy candle. In short, this inn had nothing attractive or comfortable about it, and seemed to be a velorio of the lowest class, apparently used by the most wretched and least honourable ranks of Mexican society. A glance was sufficient for the travellers to un derstand the place to which accident had led them, still they did not display any of the disgust which the sight of this cut-throat den inspired them with. They seated themselves as comfortably as they could at a table, and the one who had hitherto addressed mine host went on, while his silent companion leaned against the wall, and drew the folds of his cloak still higher up his face. "Look here," he said, " we are literally dying of MEXICO. 99 hunger, patron ; could you not sei ve us up a morsel of something ? I don't care what it is in the shape of food." " Hum !" said the host with an embarrassed air, " it is very late, caballero, and I don't believe I have even a maize tortilla left in the whole house." " Nonsense," the traveller replied, " I know all about it, so let us deal frankly with each other ; give me some supper, for I am hungry, and we will not squabble about the price." " Even if you paid me a piastre for every tortilla, excellency, I really could not supply you with two," the landlord replied, with increased constraint. The traveller looked at him fixedly for a moment or two, and then laid his hand firmly on his arm, and pulled him toward the table. " Now, look here, No Lusacho," he said to him curtly, " I intend to pass two hours in your hovel, at all risks ; I know that between this and eleven o'clock you expect a large party, and that all is prepared to receive them." The landlord attempted to give a denial, but the traveller cut him short. " Silence," he continued, I wish to be present at the meeting of these persons ; of course I do not mean them to see me ; but I must not only see them, but hear all they say. Put me where you please, that is your concern ; but as any trouble deserves payment, here are ten ounces for you, and I will give you as many more when your visitors have gone, and I assure 100 THE BED T3ACK. you that what I ask of yon will not in any way com promise you, and that no one will ever know the bargain made between ns yon understand me, I suppose ? Now, I will add, that if you obstinately refuse the arrangement I offer " "Well, suppose I do?" " I will blow out your brains," the traveller said distinctly ; " my friend here will put you on his shoulder, throw you into the water, and all will be over. What do you think of my proposal ?" " Hang it, excellency," the poor fellow answered, with a grimace which attempted to resemble a smile, and trembling in all his limbs, " I think that I have no choice, and am compelled to accept." " Good ! now you are learning reason ; but take these ounces as a consolation." The landlord pocketed the money, as he raised his eyes to heaven and gave a deep sigh. " Fear nothing, viva Dios /" the traveller con tinued; "all will pass off better than you sup pose. At what hour do you expect your visi tors?" " At half-past ten, excellency." " Good ! it is half-past nine, we have time before us. Where do you propose to hide us ? " " In this room, excellency." " Here, diablo ; whereabouts ? " " Behind the bar ; no one will dream of looking for you there, and, besides, I shall serve as a rampart to you," MEXICO. 101 " Then you will be present at the meeting ?" " Oh !" he said with a smile, "I am nobody ; the more so, that if I spoke, my house would be ruined." " That is true. Well, then, all is settled ; when the hour arrives, you will place us behind the bar ; but can my companion and I sit there with any degree of comfort?" " Oh, you will have plenty of room.*' " I fancy this is not the first time such a thing has occurred, eh?" The landlord smiled, but made no answer: the traveller reflected for a moment. " Give us something to eat," he at length said ; " here are two piastres in addition for what you are going to place before us." The landlord took the money, and forgetting that he had declared a few moments previously that he had nothing in the house, he instantly covered the table with provisions, which, if not particularly delicate, were, however, sufficiently appetizing, especially for men whose appetite appeared to be powerfully excited. The two travellers vigorously attacked this im provised supper, and for about twenty minutes no other sound was heard but that of their jaws. When their hunger was at length appeased, the traveller who seemed to speak for both, thrust away his plate, and addressed the landlord, who was modestly stand ing behind him hat in hand. "And now for another matter," he said; "how many lads have you to help you ? " 104 THE BED TBACK. which gives an average of about five revolutions a year. In our opinion, this is very decent for a country which, if it pleased, regard being had to the retrograde measures adopted by the government, would have been justified in having at least one a month. The causes of these revolutions are and must be ever the same in a country where the sabre rules without; control, and which counts twenty-four thou sand officers for an army of twenty thousand men. These officers, very ignorant generally, and very am bitious individually,incapable of executing the slightest manoeuvre, or commanding the most simple movement, find in the general disorder chances of promotion which they would not otherwise have, and many Mexican generals have attained their elevated rank without having once been present at a battle, or even seen any other fire than that of the cigarettes they constantly have in their mouths. The real truth is, they have skilfully pronounced themselves; each pronunciamiento has gained them a step, sometimes two, and with pronunciamiento after pronunciamiento, they have acquired the general's scarf, that is to say, the probability, with the aid of luck, of being in their turn proclaimed President of the Eepublic, which is the dream of all of them, and the constant object of their efforts. "We have said that the travellers had scarce time to conceal themselves in the bar, ere several knocks on the door warned the landlord that the mysterious guests he expected were beginning to arrive. THE BA2s T OHO. 105 No Lusacho was a fat little man, with constantly rolling gray eyes, a cunning look, and a prominent stomach the true type of the Mexican Ranchero, who is more eager for gain than two Jews, and very ready when circumstances demand it, that is to say, when his own interests are concerned, to make a bar gain with his conscience. He assured himself by a glance that all was in order in the room, and that there was nothing to cause the presence of strangers to be suspected, and then walked to the door ; but, before opening, with the probable intention of dis playing his zeal, he thought it advisable to challenge the arrivals. " Quien vive ?" he asked. " Gente de paz !" a rough voice answered ; " open in the Fiend's name, if you do not wish us to break in your door." No Lusacho doubtless recognized the voice, for the somewhat brusque response appeared to him sufficient, and he immediately prepared to draw back the bolts. The door was hardly ajar ere several men burst into the inn, thrusting each other aside in their haste, as if afraid of being followed. These men were seven or eight in number ; and it was easy to see they were officers, in spite of the precaution of some among them who had put on civilian attire. They laughed and jested loudly, which proved that, if they were conspirators, or, at least, if they were brought to this ill-famed den by any illicit object, that object, whatever it might be, did not spoil their gaiety 104 THE BED TBACK. which gives an average of about five revolutions a year. In our opinion, this is very decent for a country which, if it pleased, regard being had to the retrograde measures adopted by the government, would have been justified in having at least one a month. The causes of these revolutions are and must be ever the same in a country where the sabre rules without control, and which counts twenty-four thou sand officers for an army of twenty thousand men. These officers, very ignorant generally, and very am bitious individually,incapable of executing the slightest manoeuvre, or commanding the most simple movement, find in the general disorder chances of promotion which they would not otherwise have, and many Mexican generals have attained their elevated rank without having once been present at a battle, or even seen any other fire than that of the cigarettes they constantly have in their mouths. The real truth is, they have skilfully pronounced themselves; each pronunciamiento has gained them a step, sometimes two, and with pronunciamiento after pronunciamiento, they have acquired the general's scarf, that is to say, the probability, with the aid of luck, of being in their turn proclaimed President of the Eepublic, which is the dream of all of them, and the constant object of their efforts. "We have said that the travellers had scarce time to conceal themselves in the bar, ere several knocks on the door warned the landlord that the mysterious guests he expected were beginning to arrive. THE EAXCHO. 105 No Lusacbo was a fat little man, with constantly- rolling gray eyes, a cunning look, and a prominent stomach the true type of the Mexican Ranch ero, who is more eager for gain than two Jews, and very ready when circumstances demand it, that is to say, when his own interests are concerned, to make a bar gain with his conscience. He assured himself by a glance that all was in order in the room, and that there was nothing to cause the presence of strangers to be suspected, and then walked to the door ; but, before opening, with the probable intention of dis playing his zeal, he thought it advisable to challenge the arrivals. " Quien vive ?" he asked. " Gente de paz !" a rough voice answered ; " open in the Fiend's name, if you do not wish us to break in your door." "So Lusacho doubtless recognized the voice, for the somewhat brusque response appeared to him sufficient, and he immediately prepared to draw back the bolts. The door was hardly ajar ere several men burst into the inn, thrusting each other aside in their haste, as if afraid of being followed. These men were seven or eight in number ; and it was easy to see they were officers, in spite of the precaution of some among them who had put on civilian attire. They laughed and jested loudly, which proved that, if they were conspirators, or, at least, if they were brought to this ill-famed den by any illicit object, that object, whatever it might be, did not spoil their gaiety 106 THE BED TBACF. or appear to them of sufficient importance to render them unwontedly serious. They seated themselves at a table, and the land ed, who had doubtless long been acquainted with ; ir habits, placed before them a bottle of Catalonian 1 efino and a jug of pulque, which they straightway began shallowing while rolling their cigarettes. The door of the rancho had been left ajar by the landlord, who probably thought it unnecessary to close it ; the officers succeeded each other with great rapidity, and their number soon became so great, that the room, though very spacious, was completely filled. The new comers followed the example of those who had preceded them ; they seated themselves at a table, and began drinking and smoking, not appearing to trouble themselves about the earlier comers, to whom they merely bowed as they entered. As for No Lusacho, he continually prowled round the tables, watching everything with a corner of his eyes, and being careful not to serve the slightest article without receiving immediate payment. At length one of the officers rose, and, after rapping his glass on the Kible several times to attract attention, he asked " Is Don Sirven here ?" "Yes, senor," a young man of twenty at the most answered as he rose. His effeminate features were already worn by precocious debauchery. " Assure yourself that no person is absent," The young man bowed, and began walking from one table to the other, exchanging two or three words THE RANCITO. 107 in a low voice with cadi of the visitors. When Don Sirven had gv/ne round the room, he went to the per son who had addressed him, and said with a respectful bow " Senor eoronel, the meeting is complete, and only one person is absent ; but as he did not tell us certainly whether he would do us the honour of being present to-night, I~ " "That will do, alferez," the colonel interrupted him ; " remain outside the house, carefully watch the environs, and let no one approach without challenging him, but if you know who arrives, introduce him im mediately. You have heard me. so execute my orders punctually ; you understand the importance of passive obedience for yourself.'* " You can trust to me, coronel," the young man answered; and, after bowing to his superior officer, he left the room and closed the door behind him. The officers, then, without getting up, turned round on the benches, and thus found themselves face to face with the colonel, who had stationed himself in the middle of the room. The latter waited a few minutes till perfect silence was established, and then, after bowing to the audience, he spoke as follows : " Let me, in the first place, thank you, caballeros, for the punctuality with which you have responded to the meeting I had the honour of arranging with you. I am delighted at the confidence it has pleased you to display in me, and, believe me, I shall show myself worthy of it ; for it proves to me once again that you are 108 THE BED TBACK. really devoted to the interests of our country, and that it may freely reckon on you in the hour of danger." This first portion of the colonel's speech was drowned in applause, as was only fitting. This colonel was a man of about forty years of age, of herculean stature, and looking more like a butcher than an honest soldier. His cunning looks did not at all in spire confidence, and every step in his profession had been the reward of an act of treachery. He was a most valuable man in a conspiracy on this account, for being so old a hand at pronunciamientos, people knew that he was too clever to join a losing cause; hence, he inspired his accomplices with un limited confidence. After allowing time for the enthusiasm to calm, he continued " I am pleased, senores, not at this applause, but at the devotion you so constantly display for the public welfare. You understand as well as I do that we can no longer bow our necks beneath the despotic government that tyrannizes over us. The man who at this moment holds our destinies in his hands has shown himself unworthy of the mandate we confided to him ; by failing in his duties towards us, he has libe rated us from the oath of obedience we took to him. Human patience has its limits, and the hour will soon strike for the man who has deceived us to be over- thrown." j The colonel had made a start, and would probably have continued his plausible speech for a long time in an emphatic voice, had not one of hia audience, THE BANCHO. 109 evidently wearied of finding nothing positive or clear in this flood of sounding words, suddenly interrupted him " That is all very fine, colonel," he said, " Rayo de Dios ! we are all aware that we are gentlemen devoted, body and soul, to our country ; but devotion must be paid for, cuerpo de Cristo! What shall we get by all this after all ? "We have not assembled here to com pliment each other ; but, on the contrary, to come to a definite understanding. So pray come to the point at once." The colonel was at first slightly embarrassed by this warm apostrophe; but he recovered himself at once, and turned with a smile to his interrupter " I was coming to it, my dear captain, at the very moment when you cut across my speech." " Oh, that is different," the captain answered ; " pray suppose that I had not spoken, and explain the affair in a couple of words.'* " In the first place," the colonel went on, " I have news for you which I feel assured you will heartily welcome. This is the last time we shall meet.'* "Very good," said the practical captain, en couraged by the winks of his companions, " let us hear first what the reward is." The colonel saw that he could no longer dally with the matter, for all his hearers openly took part with their comrade, and murmurs of evil augury were begin ning to be audible. At the moment when he resolved to tell all he knew, the door of the inn waa opened, 130 THE BED TEAOK. and a man wrapped in a large cloak quickly entered the room, preceded by the Alferez Don Sirven, who shouted in a loud voice " The general. Caballeros, the general." At this announcement silence was re-established as if by enchantment. The person called the general stopped in the middle of the room, looked around him, and then took off his hat, let his cloak fall from his shoulders, and appeared in the full-dress uniform of a general officer. 11 Long live General (3-uerrero !" the officers shouted, as they rose enthusiastically. "Thanks, gentlemen, thanks," the general re sponded with numerous bows. " This warm feeling fills me with delight; but pray be silent, that we may properly settle the matter which has brought us here; moments are precious, and, in spite ol the precautions we have taken, our presence at this inn may have been denounced." All collected round the general with a movement of interest easy to understand. The latter con tinued " I will come at once to facts," he said, " without entering into idle speculations, which would cause us to waste valuable time. In a word, then, what is it we want ? To overthrow the present government, and establish another more in conformity with our opinions and, above all, our interests." " Yes, yes," the officers exclaimed. " In that case we are conspiring against the esta- THE EAKCHO. Ill blished authority, and are rebels in the eyes of the law," the general continued coolly and distinctly; " as such, we stake our heads, and must not attempt any self-deception on this point. If our attempt fails, we shall be pitilessly shot by the victor; but we shall not fail," he hastily added, on noticing the impression these ill-omened words produced on his hearers ; " we shall not fail, because we are resolutely playing a terrible game, and each of us knows that his fortune depends on winning the game. From the alferez up to the brigadier-general each knows that success will gain him two steps of promotion, and such a stake is sufficient to determine the least resolute to be staunch when the moment arrives to begin the. struggle." " Yes, yes," the captain whose observations had, previous to the general's arrival, so greatly embarrassed the colonel, said, " all that is very fine. Jumping up two steps is a most agreeable thing; but we were promised something else in your name, excellency." The general smiled. " You are right, captain," he remarked ; "and I intend to keep all promises made in my name but not, as you might reasonably suppose, when our glorious enterprise has succeeded. If I waited till then, you might fear lest I should seek pretexts and excuses to evade their performance." " When then, pray ?" the captain asked, curiously. "At once, senores," the general exclaimed, in a loud voice, and, addressing the whole company, " I wish to prove to you that my confidence in you is 112 THE BED THACK. entire, and that I put faith in the word you pledged to me." Joy, astonishment, incredulity, perhaps, so pa ralyzed his hearers, that they were unable to utter a syllable. The general examined them for a moment, and then, turning away with a mocking smile, he walked to the front door, which he opened. The officers eagerly watched his movements, with panting chests, and the general, after looking out, coughed twice. " Here I am, excellency," a voice said, issuing from the fog. " Bring in the bags/* Don Sebastian ordered, and then quietly returned to the middle of the room. Almost immediately after a man entered, bearing a heavy leather saddle-bag. It was Carnero, the capa- taz. At a signal from his master, he deposited his bundle and went out ; but returned shortly after with another bag, which he placed by the side of the first one. Then, after bowing to his master, he withdrew, and the door closed upon him. The general opened the bags, and a flood of gold poured in a trickling cascade on the table ; the officers instinctively bent forward, and held out their quiver ing hands. " Now, senores," the general said, still perfectly calm, as he carelessly rested his arm on the pile of gold ; " permit me to remind you of our agreement ; there are thirty-five of us at present, I believe ?" 44 Yes, general, thirty-five," the captain replied, (THE BAtfcHO. 113 who seemed to have appointed himself speaker in ordinary for self and partners. " Very good ;, these thirty-five caballeros are thus sub-divided: ten alferez, who will each receive twenty- five ounces of silver. Senor Don Jaime Lupo," he said, turning to the colonel, " will you be kind enough to hand twenty-five ounces to each of these gentle men ?" The alferez, or sub-lieutenants, broke through the ranks, and boldly came up to receive the ounces, which the colonel delivered to each of them; then they fell back with a delight they did not attempt to conceal. " Now," the general continued, " twelve captains, to each of whom I wish you to offer, on my behalf, Don Lupo, fifty ounces." The captains pocketed the money with no more ceremony than the alferez had displayed. " We have ten tenientes, each of whom is to receive thirty -five ounces, I believe ?" The tenientes, or lieutenants, who had began to frown on seeing the captains paid before them, re ceived their money with a bow. " There now remain three colonels, each of whom has a claim to one hundred ounces," the general said ; " be kind enough to pay them, my dear colonel." The latter did not let the invitation be repeated twice. Still the entire pile of gold was not exhausted, and a considerable sum still remained on the table. Dou Sebastian Guerrero passed hia hands several I 114 THE REP TRACK. times through the glittering metal, and at length thrust it from him. " Senores," he said, with an engaging smile, "about five hundred ounces remain, which I do not know what to do with; may I ask you to divide them among you, as subsistence money while awaiting the signal you are to receive from me." At this truly regal act of munificence, the enthu siasm attained its highest pitch; the cries and pro testations of devotion became frenzied. The general alone remained impassive, and looked coldly at the division made by the colonel. When all the gold had disappeared, and the effer- vesence was beginning to subside, Don Sebastian, who, like the Angel of Evil, had looked with a pro foundly mocking smile at these men so utterly under the influence of cupidity, slightly tapped the table, to request silence. " Senores," he said, " I have kept all my pro mises, and have acquired the right to count on you ; we shall not meet again, but at a future day I will let you know my intentions. Still be ready to act at the first signal ; in ten days is the anniversary festival of the Proclamation of Independence, and, if nothing de ranges my plans, I shall probably choose that day to try, with your assistance, to deliver the country from the tyrants who oppress it. However, I will be careful to have you warned. So now let us separate ; the night is far advanced, and a longer stay at this spot THE EANCHO. 115 might compromise the sacred interests for which we have sworn to die." He bowed to the conspirators, but, on reaching the door, turned round again. "Farewell, senores," he said, "be faithful to me." "We will die for you, general," Colonel Lupo answered, in the name of all. The general gave a final bow and went out ; almost immediately the hoofs of several horses could be heard echoing on the paved street. " As we have nothing more to do here, cabal- leros," the colonel said, " we had better separate with out further delay ; but do not forget the general's parting recommendation." " Oh, no," the captain said, gleefully rattling the gold, with which his pockets were filled. " Don Se bastian G-uerrero is too generous for us not to be faith ful to him ; besides, he appears to me at the present moment the only man capable of saving our unhay >y country from the abyss. We are all too deeply attached to our country and too deyoted to its real in terests, not to sacrifice ourselves for it, when cir cumstances demand it." The conspirators laughingly applauded this speech of the captain's, and after exchanging courteous bows, they withdrew as they had come ; that is to say, they left the inn one after the other, not to attract atten tion. They carefully wrapped themselves in their cloaks, and went off in parties of three and four, -with 110 THE RED TRACK. their hands on their weapons, for fear of any unplea sant encounter. A quarter of an hour later, the room was empty, and the landlord bolted the door for the night. " Well, seiiores," he asked the two strangers, whc now left the hiding-place in which they had been crouching for upwards of two hours, "are you satisfied?" " "We could not be more so," replied the one who had been the sole speaker hitherto. " Yes, yes," the landlord continued, " three or four more pronunciamientos, and I believe I shall be able to retire on a decent competency." " That is what I wish you, No Lusacho, and, to begin, a thing promised is a thing done; here are your ten ounces.' ' CHAPTER XI. THE PASEO DE BTTCABELLI. MEXICO is a country of extensive prospects and mag nificent views ; and the poet Carpio is right when he says enthusiastically, in the poem in which he sings the praises of his country " Que magniilcos tienes horisontes !" In truth, -the prospect is the first and greatest beauty of Mexico. The plateau of Mexico is situated exactly iu tho THE PASEO DB BUCAEELLI. 117 centre of a circle of mountains. On all sides tho landscape is bounded by admirable peaks, whose snowy crests soar above the clouds, and in the golden beams of the setting sun they offer the most sublime pictures of the imposing and grand Alpine nature. In the general description we attempted of Mexico we omitted to allude to its promenades, of which we intended previously to give a detailed account. In Europe, and especially in France, promenades are wanting in the interior of towns ; and it is only during the last few years that Paris has possessed any worthy of a capital. In Spain, on the contrary, tho smallest market-town has at least one alameda, where, after the torrid heat of the day, the inhabitants breathe the evening breeze, and rest from their labours. Alameda, a soft and graceful \vord to pro nounce, which we might be tempted to take for Arabic, and to which some ill-informed scholars, un acquainted with Spanish, attribute a Latiu origin, while it is simply Castilian, and literally signifies " a place planted with poplars." The Alameda of Mexico is one of the most beau tiful in America. It is situated at one of the extre mities of the city, and forms a long square, with a wall of circumvallation bordered by a deep ditch, whose muddy, fetid waters, owing to the negligence of the government, exhale pestilential miasmas. At each corner of the promenade a gate offers admission to carriages, riders, and pedestrians, who walk silently beneath a thick awning of verdure, formed by willows, US THE BED TRACK. elms, and poplars that border the principal road. These trees are selected with great tact, and are al ways green, for although the leaves are renewed, it takes place gradually and imperceptibly, so that the branches are never entirely stripped of their foliage. Numerous walks converge to open spots adorned with gushing fountains, and clumps of jessamine, myrtle, and rose-bushes, surrounded by stone benches for the tired promenaders. Statues, unfortunately far below mediocrity in their execution, stand at tho entrance of each walk ; but, thanks to the deep shadow, the whistling of the evening breeze in the foliage, the buzz of the humming-birds flying from flower to flower, and the harmonious strains of the centzontles hidden in the fragrant clumps, you gra dually forget those unlucky statues, and fall into a gentle reverie, during which the mind is borne to un known regions, and seems no longer connected with earth. But Mexico is a thorough country of contrasts. At each step barbarism elbows the most advanced civilization. Hence all the carriages, after driving a few times round the Alameda, take the direction of the Paseo de Bucarelli, and the promenaders spread over a walk, in the centre of which there is a large window in the wall, protected by rusty iron bars, and through which come puffs of poisoned air. It is the window of the Dead-house, into which are daily thrown pellmell the bodies of men, women, and children, as sassinated during the previous night, hideous, bloody, THE PASEO DE BTJCARELLI. 119 and disfigured by death ! "What a brilliant, what a delicious idea, to have placed the Dead-house exactly between the two city walks ! The Paseo, or promenade, of Bucarelli so called after the Viceroy who gave it to Mexico resembles the Champs Elysees of Paris. It is, in reality, merely a wide road, with no other ornament than a double row of willow and beech trees, with two cir cular places, in the centre ot' which are fountains, adorned with detestable allegorical statues and stone benches for pedestrians. At the entrance of the Paseo de Bucarelli has been placed an equestrian statue of Charles IV., which in 1824 adorned the Plaza Mayor of Mexico. When the Emperor Iturbide fell, this monument was removed from the square and placed in the University Palace-yard a lesson, we may here remark, given by a compararively barbarous people to civilized nations, who in revolutions, as a first trial of liberty, and for getting that history records everything in her impe rishable annals, carry their Vandalism so far as to destroy everything that recals the government they have overthrown. Owing to the intelligent modera tion of the Mexicans, the promenaders can still admire, at the Bucarelli, this really remarkable statue, due to the talent of the Spanish sculptor, Manuel Tolsa, and cast in one piece by Salvador de la Vega. The sight of this masterpiece ought to induce the Mexican municipality to remove the pitiable statues which disgrace the two finest promenades in the city. 120 THE RED TEACE. Prom the Paseo de Bucarelli a magnifecent pros pect is enjoyed of the panorama of mountains bathed in the luminous vapours of night ; you perceivt through the arches of the gigantic acqueduct the white fronts of the haciendas clinging to the sides of the Sierra, the fields of Indian corn bending softly before the breeze, and the snowy peaks of the vol canoes, crowned with mist, and lost in the sky. It is not till night has almost set in that the pro- menaders, leaving the Alameda, proceed to the Bucarelli, where the carriages take two or three turns, and then equipages, riders, and pedestrians, retire one after the other. The promenade is de serted, the entire crowd, just now so gay and noisy, has disappeared as if by enchantment, and you only see between the trees some belated promenader, who, wrapped in his cloak, and with eye and ear on the watch, is hastily returning home, for, after nightfall, the thieves take possession of the promenade, and without the slightest anxiety about the serenos and celadores appointed to watch over the public security, they carry on their trade with a boldness which the certainty of impunity can alone engender. It was evening, and, as usual, the Alameda was crowded ; handsome carriages, brilliant riders, and modest pedestrians were moving backwards and for wards, with cries, laughter, and joyous calls, as they sought or chased each other in the walks. Monks, ioldiers, officers, men of fashion, and leperos, were together, carelessly smoking their cigars and THE PASEO DE J3UCABELLI. 121 cigarettes under each other's noses, with the reckless ness and negligence peculiar to southern nations. Suddenly, the first stroke of the Oracion broke through the air. At the sound of the Angelus-hell, as if the entire crowd had heen struck by an en chanter's wand, horses, carriages, and pedestrians stopped, the seated citizens left the benches on which they were resting, and a solemn silence fell on all ; every person took off his hat, crossed himself, and for four or five minutes this crowd, an instant before so noisy, remained dumb and silent. But the last stroke of the Oracion had scarce died away, ere horses and carriages set out again ; the shouts, the songs, and talking, became louder than before ; each resumed the sentence at the point where he had broken it off. By degrees, however, the promenaders proceeded toward the Bucarelli : the carriages became scarcer, and by the time night had quite set in, the Alameda was completely deserted. A horseman, dressed in a rich Campesino costume, and mounted on a magnificent horse, which he managed with rare skill, then entered the Alameda, along which he galloped for about twenty minutes, examining the side walks, the clumps of trees, and the densest bushes : in a word, he seemed to be look ing for somebody or something. However, after a while, whether he had convinced himself that his search would have no result, or for eoine other motive, he gave the click of the tongue peculiar to the Mexican ginetes, lifted his horse 122 THE BED TBACK. y which started at an amble, and proceeded toward the Pasco de Bucarelli, after bowing sarcastically to some ill-looking horsemen who were beginning to prowl round him, but whom his vigorous appearance and haughty demeanour had hitherto kept at arm's length. Although the darkness was too dense at this moment for it to be possible to see the horseman's face distinctly, which was in addition half covered by the brim of his vicuna hat, all about him evidenced strength and youth ; he was armed as if for a noc turnal expedition, and had on his saddle, in spite of police regulations, a thin, carefully rolled up reata. "We will say, parenthetically, that the reata is considered in Mexico so dangerous a weapon, that ib requires special permission to carry one at the saddle bow, in the streets of Mexico. The salteadors, who occupy the streets after night fall, and reign with undisputed sway over them, employ no other weapon to stop the persons they wish to plunder. They cast the running knot round their necks, dash forward at full speed, and the un lucky man, half strangled, and dragged from the saddle, falls unresistingly into their hands. At the moment when the traveller we are following reached the Bucarelli, the last carriages were leaving it, and it was soon as deserted as the Alameda. He galloped up and down the promenade twice or thrice, looking carefully down the side rides, and at the end of his third turn a horseman, corning from the Ala- THE PASEO DE BUCABELLI, 123 meda, passed on his right hand, giving him in a low voice the Mexican salute, " Sanlissima noche, cabal- Lero!" Although this sentence had nothing peculiar about it, the horseman started, and immediately turning hia horse round, he started in pursuit of the person who had thus greeted him. Within a minute the two horsemen were side by side ; the first comer, so soon as he saw that he was followed, checked his horse's pace, as if with the intention of entering into the most direct communication with the person he had addressed. " A fine night for a ride, senor," the first horse man said, politely raising his hand to his hat. "It is," the second answered, "although it is beginning to grow late." " The moment is only the better chosen for certain private conversation." The second horseman looked around, and bending over to the speaker, said " I almost despaired of meeting you." " Did I not let you know that I should come ?" " That is true ; but I feared that some sudden obstacle " " Nothing ought to impede an honest man in accom plishing a sacred duty," the first horseman answered, with an emphasis on the words. "The other bowed with an air of satisfaction. Then," he said, " I can count on you, No ." "No names here, senor," the other sharply inter- THE BED TBACK. rupted him. " Caspita, an old wood-ranger like you, a man who has long been a Tigrero, ought to remem ber that the trees have ears and the leaves eyes." " Yes, you are right. I should and do remember it ; but permit me to remark that if it is not possible for us to talk about business here, I do not know exactly where we can do so." " Patience, senor, I wish to serve you, as you know, for you were recommended to me by a man to whom I can refuse nothing. Let yourself, therefore, be guided by me, if you wish us to succeed in this aflair, which, I confess to you at once, offers enormous difficulties, and must be managed with the greatest prudence." " I ask nothing better ; still you must tell me what I ought to do." " Tor the present very little ; merely follow me at a distance to the place where I purpose taking you." " Are we going far ?" " Only a few paces ; behind the barracks of the Accordades, in a small street called the Callejon del Pajaro." " Hum ! and what am I to do in this street ?" " What a suspicious man you are !" the first horse man said with a laugh. " Listen to me then. About the middle of the Callejon I shall stop before a house of rather poor appearance ; a man will come and hold my horse while I enter. A few minutes later you will pull up there ; after assuring yourself that you aro not followed you will dismount ; give your horse to THE PASEO DE BUCJLBELLT. 125 the man wlio is holding mine, and without saying a word to him, or letting him see your face, you will enter the house, and shut the door after you. I shall be in the yard, and will lead you to a place where we shall be able to talk in safety. Does that suit you P" " Famously ; although I do not understand why I, who have set foot in Mexico to-day foi' the first time, should find it necessary to employ such mighty pre cautions." The first horseman laughed sarcastically. " Do you wish to succeed ?" he asked. "Of course," the other exclaimed energetically, "even if it cost me my life." " In that case do as you are recommended." " Go on, I follow you." u Is that settled ? you understand all about it ?" " I do." The second horseman then checked his steed to let the first one go on ahead, and both keeping a short distance apart, proceeded at a smart trot toward the statue of Charles IY., which, as we said, stands at the entrance of the Paseo. "While conversing, the two horsemen had forgotten the advanced hour of the night, and the solitude that surrounded them. At the moment when the first rider passed the equestrian statue, a slip knot fell on his shoulders, and he was roughly dragged from hid saddle. " Help !" he shouted in a choking voice. 120 THE EED TRACK. The second rider had seen all ; quick as thought he whirled his lasso round his head, and galloping at full speed, hurled it after the Salteadorat the moment when he passed twenty yards from him. The Salteador was stopped dead, and hurled from his horse ; the worthy robber had not suspected that another person beside himself could have a lasso so handy. The horseman, without checking hia speed, cut the reata that was strangling his companion, and, turning back, dragged the robber after him. The first horseman so providentially saved, freed himself from the slip knot that choked him, and, hardly recovered from the alarm he had experienced from his heavy fall, he whistled to his horse, which came up at once, remounted as well as he could, and rejoined his liberator, who had stopped a short dis tance off. " Thanks," he said to him, " henceforth we are stanch friends ; you have saved my lite, and shall remember it." "Nonsense," the other answered, "I only did what you would have done in my place." " That is possible, but I shall be grateful to you on the word of aCarnero," he exclaimed, forgetting in his joy the hint he had given a short time previously, not to make use of names, and revealing his own in cognito ; " is the picaro dead ?" "Very nearly so, I fancy ; what shall we do with him ?" " Make a corpse of him," the capataz said bluntly. A CONFIDENTIAL CONVERSATION. 127 "'We are only two paces from the dead-house, and he can be carried there without difficulty. Though he is an utter scoundrel and tried to assassinate me, the police are so well managed in our unhappy country that if we committed the imprudence of letting him live, we should have interminable disputes with the magis trates." Then, dismounting, he stooped over the bandit, stretched senseless at his feet, removed his lasso, and coolly dashed out his brains with a blow of his pistol butt. Immediately after this summary exe cution, the two men left the Paseo de Eucarelli, but this time side by side, through fear of a new accident. CHAPTER XII. A CONFIDENTIAL CONVERSATION. DIRECTLY on emerging from the Paseo, the two men separated, as had been agreed on between them j that is to say, tho capataz went ahead, followed at a re spectful distance by Martial the Tigrero, whom the reader has doubtless recognized. All happened as the capataz had announced. Tho streets were deserted, the horsemen only met a few half-sleeping serenos leaning against the walls, and were only crossed by a patrol of celadores walking with a hurried step, and who seemed more inclined 128 THE fcED TRACK. to avoid them, than to try and discover the mot) res that caused them thus to ride about the streets of the capital at night, in defiance of the law. The Tigrero entered the Callejon del Pajaro, and about the middle of the street saw the capataz's horse held by an ill-looking fellow, who gazed curiously at him. Don Martial, following the instructions given him, pulled his hat over his eyes to foil the mozo's curiosity, stopped before the door, dismounted, threw his bridle to the fellow, and, without saying a word to him, resolutely entered the house and carefully closed the door after him. He then found himself in utter darkness, but after groping his way, which was not difficult for him to do, as all Mexican houses are built nearly on the same model, he pushed forward. After crossing the saguan, he entered a square yard on which several doors looked ; ono of these doors was open, and a man was standing on the threshold with a cigarette in his mouth. It was Carnero. The tiger- slayer went up to him ; the other made room, and he walked on. The capataz took him by the hand and whispered, " Come with me." In spite of the protestations of devotion previously made by the capataz, the Tigrero in his heart was somewhat alarmed at the manner in which he was introduced into this mysterious house ; but as he was young, vigorous, well armed, brave, and resolved, if necessary, to sell his life dearly, he yielded his hand Unhesitatingly to Carnero, and allowed him to guido A CONFIDENTIAL CONVERSATION, 129 him while seeking to pierce the darkness tliafc sur rounded him. But all the windows were hermetically closed with shutters, which allowed no gleam of light to enter from without. His guide led him through several rooms, the floors of which were covered with matting that deadened the sound of footsteps ; he took him up a flight of stairs, and opening a door with a key he took from his pocket, conducted him into a room faintly lighted by a lamp placed before a statue of the Virgin, standing in one corner of the room, on a species of pedestal attached to the wall, and covered with extremely delicate lace. "Now," said Garner o, after closing the door, from which the Tigrero noticed that he removed the key, " draw up a butacca, sit down and let us talk, for we are in safety." Don Martial followed the advice given him, and after carefully installing himself in a butacca, looked anxiously around him. The room in which he found himself was rather spacious, furnished tastefully and richly; several valuable pictures hung on the walls, which wero covered with embossed .leafier, while the furniture consisted of splendid carvo=i ebony or mahogany tables, sideboards, cheffoni'ers, o-nd butaccas. On the floor was an Indian petate, several books were scattered over the tables, and valuable plate was arranged on the sideboard. In short, this room dis played a proper comprehension of comfort, and tho 130 THE BED TEACK, two windows, with their Moorish jalousies, gave ad mission to the pure breeze which greatly refreshed the atmosphere. The capataz lighted two candles at the Virgin's lamp, placed them on the table, and then fetching two bottles and two silver cups, which he placed before the Tigrero, he drew up a butacca, and seated himself opposite his guest. " Here is sherry which I guarantee to be real Xeres de los Caballeros ; this other bottle contains chinquirito, and both are at your service," he said, with a laugh; "whether you have a weakness for sugar cane spirits, or prefer wine." "Thanks," Don Martial replied, "but I do not feel inclined to drink." " You would not wish to insult me by refusing to hob-nob with me ?" " Very well ; if you will permit me, I will take a few drops of chinquirito in water, solely to prove to you that I am sensible of your politeness." "All right," the capataz continued, as he handed him a crystal decanter, covered with curiously worked silver filagree ; "help yourself." When they had drunk, the capataz a glass of sherry, which he sipped like a true amateur, and Don Tigrero a few drops of chinquirito drowned in a glass of water, the capataz placed his glass again on the table with a smack of his lips, and said " Now, I must give you a few words in explanation O*. Mo slightly mysterious way in which I brought A CONFIDENTIAL CONVEBSATION. 131 yon here, in order to dispel any doubts which may have involuntarily invaded your mind." " I am listening to you," the Tigrero answered. " Take a cigar first, they are excellent." And he lit one, after pushing the bundle over to Don Martial : the latter selected one, and soon the two men were enveloped in a cloud of thin and fragrant smoke. " We are in the mansion of General Don Sebastian Guerrero," the capataz continued. " What ?" the Tigrero exclaimed, with a start of uneasiness. " Reassure yourself, no one saw you enter, and your presence here is quite unknown, for the simple reason that I brought you in by my private entrance." "I do not understand you." " And yet it is very easy to explain ; the house I led you through belongs to me. For reasons too long to tell you, and which would interest you but slightly, during Don Sebastian's absence as Governor of Sonora, I had a passage mule, and established a communication fcstween my house and this mansion. Everybody save myself is ignorant of the existence of this communication, which," he added, with a glowing smile, " may at a given moment be of great utility to me. The room in which we now are forms part of the suite I occupy in the mansion, in which the genera], I am proud to say, has never yet set foot. The man who took your horse is devoted to me, and even were he to betray me, it would be of little consequence to me, for the secret door of the THE BED TEACK. passage is so closely concealed that I have no fear of its "being discovered. Hence you see that you have nothing to fear here, where your presence is un known." " But suppose you were to be sent for, through the general happening to want you suddenly ?" " Certainly, but I have foreseen that ; it is my system never to leave anything to chance. Although it has never happened yet, no one can enter here without my being informed soon enough to get rid of any person who may be with me, supposing that, for some reason or another, that person did not desire to be seen." " That is capitally arranged, and I am happy to see that you are a man of prudence." " Prudence is, as you know, sefior, the mother of safety ; and in Mexico, before all other countries, the proverb receives its application at every moment." The Tigrero bowed politely, but in the fashion of a man who considers that the speaker has dwelt sufficiently long on one subject, and wishes to see him pass to another. The capataz appeared to read this almost imperceptible hint on Don Martial's face, and continued with a smile " But enough on that head, so let us pass, if you have no objection, to the real purpose of our inter view. A man, whose name it is unnecessary to men tion, but to whom, as I have already had the honour of telling you, I am devoted body and soul, sent you to me to obtain certain information you require, and A CONFIDENTIAL CONVERSATION. 133 which lie supposes I am in a position to give. I will now add, that what passed between us this evening, ai> reader has doubtless already recognized Valentine Guillois. " Pray resume your seat, caballero," the abbess said to him, " if your conversation is to last any time, we shall talk more comfortably when sitting." Valentine bowed, offered the lady a chair, and then returned to his own. 172 THE BED TEACK. " Senor Don Serapio de la Ronda was announced to me," the lady continued after a short silence. " I am that gentleman, madam," Valentine said courteously. "I am at your orders, caballero, and ready to listen to any communication you may have to make." " Madam, I have nothing personal to say to you ; I am merely commissioned by the Minister of the Home Department to deliver you this letter, to which I have a few words to add." While uttering this sentence with exquisite polite ness, Valentine offered the abbess a letter bearing the ministerial arms. "Pray open the letter, madam," he added, on seeing that, through politeness, she held it in her hand un opened, " you must render yourself acquainted with its contents in order to understand the meaning of the words I have to add." The abbess, who in her heart was impatient to know what the minister had to say to her, offered no objection, and broke the seal of the letter, which she hurriedly perused. On reading it a lively expression of joy lit up her face. " Then," she exclaimed, " his excellency deigns to grant my request?" " Yes, madam ; yo r a remain, until fresh orders, responsible for your young charge. You have only to deal with the minister in the matter ; and," he added, with a purposed stress on the words, " in the event of General Guerrero, the guardian of DoSa Anita, THE CONFESSOR. 173 trying to force you into surrendering her to him, you are authorized to conceal the young lady, who is for so many reasons an object of interest, in any house of the order you please." " Oh, senor," she answered, her eyes filling with tears of joy, " pray thank his excellency in my name for tho act of justice he has deigned to perform in favour of this unfortunate young lady." " I will have that honour, madam," Valentine said, as he rose ; " and now that I have delivered my mes sage, permit me to take leave of you, while con gratulating myself that I was selected by his Excel lency the Minister to be his intermediary with you." At the moment when Valentine left the convent, Carnero entered it, accompanied by a monk, whose hood was pulled down over his face. The hunter and the capataz exchanged a side glance, but did not speak. CHAPTEE XVI. THE CONFESSOB. MEXICO, as we have already stated, was, after the conquest, completely rebuilt on the original plan, so that, at the present day, it offers nearly the same sight as struck Cortez when he entered it for the first time. The Plaza Mayor, especially, some years back, before the French innovations, more or less good, were introduced, offered towards evening a most 174 THE EED TEACK. This immense square is bounded on one side by the Portales de Mercaderos ; heavy arches supported on one side by immense stones, and on the other by pilasters, at the foot of which are the alacenas or shops. The ayuntamiento, the president's palace, the cathedral, the sagrario, the portal de las flores, an immense bazaar for merchandize, and the Parian, also ti bazaar, complete, or rather completed, at the period when our history takes place, the fourth side of the square, for recently great changes have taken place, and the Parian, among other buildings, has disap peared. The handsomest streets, such as the Tacuba, Mint, Monterilla, Santo Domingo, etc., debouche on the great square. The cathedral stands exactly on the site of the ancient great Mexican Teocali, all the buildings of which it has absorbed ; unfortunately this building, which is externally splendid, does not come up in ternally to the idea formed of it, for its ornaments are in bad taste, poor and paltry. Between five and six in the evening, or a few minutes before Oracion, the appearance of the Plaza Mayor becomes really fairy-like. The crowd of strol lers a strange crowd were there ever one flocks up from all sides at once, composed of horsemen, pedes trians, officers, priests, soldiers, campesinos, leperos, Indian women in red petticoats, ladies of fashion in their sayas, and all the people come, go, cross and jostle each other, mingling their conversation with the cries of children, the vociferations of the leperos, CONFESSOB. 175 who torment purchasers with their impetuosity, and the shrill appeals of the sellers of tamales and quera- tero, crouching in the shade of the porticos. A few minutes before the Oracion, a Franciscan monk, recognizable by his blue gown, and silken cord round his waist, and whose large white felt hat, pulled down over the eyes, almost completely con cealed his face, came from the Calle Monterilla, and entered the Plaza Mayor. This man, who was tall and apparently powerfully built, walked slowly, with hanging head and arms crossed on hfj chest, as if plunged in serious reflec tion. Instead of entering the thronged Portales, he crossed the square and proceeded towards the Parian, which was very lively at the moment, for the Parian was a bazaar, resembling the Temple of Paris, and was visited at this period by persons, the leanness of whose purses only allowed them to purchase here their jewellery and smart clothing, which, in any other part of the city would have been much too expensive for them. Not attending to the noise or movement around him, the Franciscan leant his shoulder against tho stall of an evangelista, or public writer, and looked absently and wearily across the square. He did not remain long in this position, however, for just after he had reached the Parian, the Oracion began. At the first peal of the cathedral bells, all the noises ceased in the square ; the crowd stopped, heads were uncovered, and each muttered a short prayer in a low voice. 176 THE BED TBACK. At the last stroke of the Oracion, a hand was laid on the Franciscan's shoulder, while a voice whispered in his ear " Tou are exact to the rendezvous, Senor Padre." " I am performing my duty, my son/' the monk at once answered, turning round. In the person who addressed him he doubtless recognized a friend, for he offered him his hand by a spontaneous movement. " Are you still resolved to attempt the adven ture ?" the first speaker continued. " More than ever, senor." " Bear in mind that you must not mention my name ; we do not know each other ; you are a monk from the San Franciscan monastery, whom I fetched to confess a young novice at the Convent of the Ber- nardines. It is understood that you do not know who lam?" " My brother, we poor monks are at the service of the afflicted ; our duty orders us to help them when they claim our support ; as we have no name for society, we are forbidden to ask that of those who summon us." " Excellently spoken/' the other replied, repress ing a smile. " You are a monk according to my own heart. I see that I am not deceived with respect to you ; come then, my father, we must not keep the person waiting who is expecting us." The Franciscan bowed his assent, placed himself n the right of his singular friend, and both went BEE COffFESSOB. 177 away from the Parian, where the noise had become louder than ever, after the angelos had ceased ringing. The two men passed unnoticed through the crowd, and walked in the direction of the Convent of the IBernardines, going along silently, side by side. "We have said that at the convent-gate they passed Don Serapio de la Eonda, that is to say, Valentine Guillois, and that the three men exchanged a side glance full of meaning. The sister-porter made no objection to admitting the Franciscan ; and his guide, so soon as he saw him inside the convent, took leave of him after exchanging a few common-place compliments with the sister. The latter respectfully led the monk into a parlour, and after begging him to wait a mo ment, went away to inform the Mother Superior of the arrival of the confessor whom the young novice had requested to see. "We will leave the Franciscan for a little while to his meditations, and return to the two young ladies whom we left in the garden. So soon as the abbess had withdrawn, they drew closer together, Dona Helena taking the seat on the bench previously occu pied by the abbess. " My dear Anita," she said, " let me profit by the few minutes we are left alone to impart to you the contents of a letter I received this morning ; I feared that I should be unable to do so, and yet it seems to me that what I have to tell you is most important." " "What do you mean, my dear Helena ? Does the letter to which you refer interest me P" 9 178 THE BED TEACK, " I cannot positively explain to you, but it will be sufficient for you to know that my brothers are very intimate with a countryman of ours who takes the greatest interest in you, and what I have to tell you relates to this Frenchman." "That is strange," said Dona Anita, pausing. " I never knew but one Frenchman, and I have told you the sad story which was the cause of all the mis fortunes that overwhelmed me. But the Frenchman whom my father wished me to marry died under frightful circumstances ; then who can this gentleman be who takes so lively an interest in me do you know him ?" " Very slightly," the young lady answered with a blush, " but sufficiently to be able to assure you that he possesses a noble heart. He does not know you personally ; but," she added, as she drew a letter from her bosom, and opeu .1 it, "this is the passage in my brother's letter which refers to you and him. Shall I read it to you ?" " Pray read it, my dear Helena, for I know the friendship you and your family entertain for me; hence, it is with the greatest pleasure I receive news of your brothers." " Listen then," the young lady continued;, and she read, after seeking for the passage " ' Valentine begs me, dear sister, to ask you to tell your friend' that is you," she said, breaking off. " G-o on," Dona Anita answered, whose curiosity had been aroused by the name Helena had pro- THE CONFESSOB. 179 nounced, though it was impossible for her to know who that person was. " ' To tell your friend/ Dona Helena continued, ' that the confessor she asked for will come to the convent this very day after the Oracion. Dona Anita must arm herself with courage, which is as necessary to endure joy as grief, for she will learn to-day some news possessing immense importance for the future.' That is underlined," the young lady added, as she bent over to her friend, and pointed to the sentence with the tip of her rosy finger. " That is strange," Dofia Anita murmured. " Alas ! what news can I learn ?" " Who knows ?" said her young companion, and then continued " ' Before all, Dona Anita must be prudent ; and however extraordinary what she hears may appear to her, she must be careful to conceal the effect produced by this revelation, for she must not forget that if she have devoted friends, she is closely watched by all-powerful enemies, and the slightest im prudence would hopelessly neutralize all the efforts that we are making to save her. You cannot, my dear sister, lay sufficient stress on this recommendation.' The rest," the maiden added, with a smile, "only relates to myself, and it is, therefore, unnecessary for me to read it to you." And she refolded the letter, which disappeared in her dress again. "And now, my darling, you are warned," she ,eaid j " so be prudent." THE BED TEACE. " Good heaven ! I do not understand the letter at all, nor do I know the Valentine to whom it alludes. It was by your advice that I asked for a confessor." " That is to say, by my brother's advice, who, as you know, Anita, placed me here, not merely because I love you as a sister, but also to support and en courage you." " And I am grateful both to you and him for it, dear Helena ; if I had not you near me, in spite of the friendship our worthy and kind mother condescends to grant me, I should long ago have succumbed to my grief." " The question is not about me at this moment, my darling, but solely about yourself. However ob scure and mysterious my brother's recommendation may be, I know him to be too earnest and too truly kind for me to neglect it. Hence I cannot find language strong enough to urge you to prudence." "I seek in vain to guess what the news is to which he refers; and I acknowledge that I feel a secret repugnance to see the confessor he announces to me. Alas ! I have everything to fear, and nothing to hope now." " Silence," Dona Helena said, quietly. " I hear the sound of footsteps in the walk leading to this arbour. Some one is coming. So we must not let Durselves be surprised." " In fact, almost at the same moment the lay sister, who had already informed the Mother Superior of the THE CONPESSOE. 181 arrival of Don Serapio de la Ronda, appeared at the entrance of the arbour. "Senorita," she said, addressing Dona Helena, " our holy mother abbess wishes to speak to you as well as to Dona Anita without delay. She is waiting for you in her private cell in the company of a holy Franciscan monk." The maidens exchanged a glance, and a transient flush appeared on Dona Anita's pale cheeks. " "We will follow you, sister," Dona Helena replied. The maidens rose; Dona Helena passed her arm through her companion's, and stooping down, whis pered in her ear " Courage, Querida." They followed the lay sister, who led them to the Mother Superior's cell, and discreetly withdrew on reaching the door. The abbess appeared to be talking rather excitedly with the Franciscan monk ; but, on seeing the two girls, she ceased speaking, and rose. " Come, my child," she said, as she held out her arms to Dona Anita, " come and thank God who in his infinite goodness has deigned to perform a miracle oil your behalf." The maiden stopped through involuntary emotion, and looked wildly around her. At a sign from the abbess the monk rose, and throwing back his hood at the same time as he fell on his knees before the maiden, he said to her in a voice faltering with emotion " Anita, do you recognize me ?" 182 TUB BED TRACK. At the sound of this voice, whose sympathetic notes made all the fibres of her heart vibrate, the maiden suddenly drew herself back, tottered and fell into the arms of Dona Helena, as she shrieked with an accent impossible to describe "Martial! oh, Martial!" A sob burst from her overcharged bosom, and she borst into tears. SLe was saved, since the immense joy she so sudden/y experienced had not killed her. The Tigrero, as weak as the woman he loved, could only find tears to express all his feelings. For some minutes the abbess and Dona Helena trembled lest these two beings, already so tried by misfortune, would not find within themselves the necessary strength to resist so terrible an emotion; but a powerful re-action suddenly took place in the tiger-slayer's mind; he sprang up at one leap, and seized in his arms the maiden, who, on her side, was making efforts to rush to him "Anita, dear Anita," he cried, " I have found you again at last ; oh, now no human power will be able to ieparate us !" "Never, never!" she murmured, as she let her head fall on the young man's shoulder ; " Martial, my beloved Martial, protect me, save me !" " Oh, yes, I will save you ; angel of my life," he exclaimed, looking up defiantly to heaven ; " we will be united, I swear it to you." "Is that the prudence you promised me?" the abbess said, interposing; "remember the perils of every THE CONFESSOE. 183 description that surround you, and the implacable foes who have sworn your destruction; lock up in your heart these feelings which, if revealed before one of the countless spies who watch you, would cause your death and that, perhaps, of the poor girl you love." " Thank you, madam," the Tigrero replied ; " thank you for having reminded me of the part I must play for a few days longer. If I forgot it for a few seconds, subdued by the passion that devours my heart, I will henceforth adhere to it carefully. Do not fear lest I should imperil the happiness that is preparing for me ; no, I will restrain my feelings, and let myself be guided by the counsel of the. sincere friends to whom I owe the moments of ineffable happiness I am now enjoying." " Oh ! I now understand," Dona Anita exclaimed, "the mysterious hints given me. Alas! misfortune made me suspicious ; so forgive me, heaven, forgive me, holy mother, and you too, Helena, my kind and faithful friend. I did not dare hope, and feared a snare." "I forgive you, my poor child," the abbess answered ; " who could blame you ?" Dona Helena pressed her friend to her heart without saying a word. " Oh, now our misfortunes are at an end, Anita," the Tigrero exclaimed passionately ; " we have friends who will not abandon us in the supreme struggle we are engaging in with our common enemy. God, who has hitherto done everything for us, will not leave his work incomplete ; have faith in Him, my beloved.'* 1S4 THE EED TRACE. "Martial," the maiden replied, with a firmness that astonished her hearers, " I was weak because I was alone, but now that I know you live, and are near me to support me, oh ! if I were to fall dead at the feet of my persecutor, I would not be false to the oath I took to be yours alone. Believing you dead, I remained faithful to your memory ; but now, if perse cution assailed me, I should find the strength to endure it." This scene would have been prolonged, but pru dence urged that the abbess should break it off as Bom as possible. Doiia Anita, rendered strong merely by the nervous excitement which possessed her, soon felt faint; she could scarcely stand, and Don Martial himself felt his energy abandoning him. The separation was painful between these two beings so miraculously re-united when they never expected to see each other again ; but it was soothed by the hope of soon meeting again under the protec tion of the Mother Superior, who had done so much for them, and whose inexhaustible kindness they had entirely gained for their cause. Tor the first time since she had entered the convent, Dona Anita smiled through her tears, as she offered up to heaven her nightly prayers. Don Martial went off rapidly to tell Valentine of what had taken place at this interview, which he had so long desired. Dona Helena, however, retired pensively to her cell ; the maiden was dreaming of what ? No one could have said, and probably she herself THE BEGINNING OP THE STRUGGLE. 185 was ignorant; but, for some days past, an obtrusive thought unnecessarily occupied her mind, and con stantly troubled the calm mirror in which her virgin thoughts were reflected. CHAPTER XVII. THE BEGINNING OF THE STRUGGLE. AMBITION is the most terrible and deceptions of all human passions, in the sense that it completely dries up the heart, and can never be satisfied. General Don Sebastian Guerrero was not one of those coldly cruel men, solely governed by the in stinct of art, or whom the smell of blood intoxicates ; but, with the implacable logic of ambitious persons, he went direct to his object, overthrowing, without regret or remorse, all the obstacles that barred his way to the object he had sworn to reach, even if he were compelled to wade in blood up to his knees, and trample on a pile of corpses. He only regarded men as pawns in the great game of chess he was playing, and strove to justify himself, and stifle the warnings of his terrified conscience, by the barbarous axiom employed by the ambitious in all ages and all coun tries, that the end justifies the means. His secret ambition, which, on a day of pretended frankness, he had partly revealed in an interview with the Count de Prebois Crance at Hermosillo, was not to render himself independent, but simply to be 186 THE BED TRACK. elected, by means of a well-arranged pronuncia miento $ President of the Mexican Kepublic. It was not through hatred that General Guerrero was so obstinately bent on destroying the count. Ambitious men, who are ever ready to sacrifice their feelings to the interests of their gloomy machinations, know neither hatred nor friendship. Hence we must seek elsewhere the cause of the judicial murder of the count which was so implacably carried out. The general feared the count, as an adversary who would constantly thwart him in Sonora, where the first meshes of the net he wished to throw over Mexico were spun an adversary ready to oppose the execu tion of his plans by claiming the due performance of the articles of partnership a performance which, in the probable event of an insurrection excited by the general, would have become impossible, by plunging the country for a lengthened period into a state of crisis and general suspension of trade, which would have been most hostile to the success of the lofty con ceptions of the noble French adventurer.* But the count had scarce fallen on the beach of Guaymas ere the general recognized the falseness of his calculations, and the fault he had committed in sacrificing him. In fact, leaving out of the question the death of his daughter, the only being for whom he retained in some corner of his heart a little of that fire which heaven illumes in all parents for their chil dren, he found that he had exchanged a loyal and * See " Goldseekers." Saino publishers. TEE BEGINNING OF THE STRUGGLE. 187 cautious adversary for an obstinate enemy the more formidable because, caring for nothing, and having no personal ambition, he would sacrifice everything without hesitation or calculation in behalf of the ven geance which he had solemnly vowed to obtain by any means, over the still quivering body of his friend. This implacable enemy, whom neither seduction nor intimidation could arrest or even draw back, wa8 Valentine Guillois. Under these circumstances, the general com mitted a graver fault than his first one a fault which was fated to have incalculable consequences for him. Being very imperfectly acquainted with Valentine G-uillois, unaware of his inflexible energy of will, and ranking him in his mind with those wood-rangers, the |Pariahs of civilization, who have only courage to fire, in a moment of despair, a shot from behind a tree, but whose influence was after all insignificant, he despised him. Valentine was careful not to dissipate, by any im prudent step, his enemy's mistake, or even arouse hia suspicions. At the time of the Count de Prebois Crance's first expedition, when all seemed to smile on him, and hia followers already saw the complete success of their bold undertaking close at hand, Valentine had been entrusted by his friend with various important opera tions and difficult missions to the rich rancheros and hacienderos of the province. Valentine had per formed the duties his friend confided to him with hia THE BED TEACK. usual loyalty and uprightness of mind, and had been so thoroughly appreciated by the persons with whom chance had brought him into connection, that all had remained on friendly terms with him and given him unequivocal proofs of the sincerest friendship, espe cially upon the death of the count. It only depended on the hunter's will to be rich, since he knew an almost inexhaustible placer ; and what the wood-ranger would never have consented to for himself, for the sake of paltry gain, he did not hesitate to attempt in order to avenge his friend. Followed by Curumilla, Belhumeur, and Black Elk, and leading a recua of ten mules, he did what two hundred and fifty men could not have succeeded in doing. He went through Apacheria, crossed the fearful desert of sand in which the bones of the hap less companions of the Marquis de Lhorailles were bleaching, and, after enduring superhuman fatigue and braving terrible dangers, he at length reached the placer. But this time he did not come to take an in significant sum; he wanted to collect a fortune at one stroke, 9 The hunter returned with his ten mules laden with gold. He knew that he was beginning a struggle with a man who was enormously rich, and wished to conquer him with his own weapons. In the new world, as in the old, money is the real sinew of war, and Valentine would not imperil the success of hia vengeance. On returning to Ghiaymas, he realized his fortune, THE BEGINNING (XF THE STIIT3GGLE. 189 and found himself, in a single day, not one of the richest, but the richest private person in Mexico, al though it is a country in which fortunes attain to a considerable amount. Thus the gold of the placer, which, at an earlier period, had served to organize the count's expedition, and make him believe for a mo ment in the realization of his dreams, was about to serve in avenging him, after having indirectly caused his death. Then began between the general and the hunter a secret and unceasing struggle, the more terrible through its hidden nature ; and the general, struck without knowing whence the blows dealt his ambi tion came, struggled vainly, like a lion caught in a enare, while it was impossible for him to discover the obstinate enemy who hunted him down. This man, who had hitherto succeeded in every thing who, during the course of his long and stormy political career, had surmounted the greatest obstacles and forced his very detractors to admire the luck that constantly accompanied his wildest and rashest con ceptions suddenly saw Fortune turn her back on him with such rapidity we may even say brutality that, scarce six weeks after the execution of the count, he was obliged to resign his office of Military Governor, and quit, almost like a fugitive, the pro vince of Sonora, where he had so long reigned as a master, and on which his iron yoke had pressed so heavily. This first blow, dealt the general in the midst of 190 THE HED TRACK. his ambitious aspirations, when he had only just began to recover from the grief his daughter's death had caused him, was the more terrible because he did not know to whom he should attribute his downfall. Still, he did not long remain in doubt. An hour before his departure from Hermosillo he received a letter in which he was informed, in the minutest de tails, of the oath of vengeance taken against him, and of the steps taken to obtain his recal. This letter was signed " Valentine Gruillois." The hunter, de spising darkness and mystery, tore down the veil that covered him, and openly challenged his foe by man fully telling him to be on his guard. On receiving this threatening declaration of war, the general fell into an extraordinary passion, the more terrible because it was impotent, and then, when his mind became calm again, and he began reflecting, he felt frightened. In truth, the man who stood so boldly before him as an enemy, must be very powerful and certain of success thus to dare and defy him. His departure from Sonora was a disgraceful flight, in which he tried, by craft and caution, to throw out his enemy ; but the meeting at the Port of the Chichimeques, a meeting long prepared by the hunter, proved to him that he was unmasked once again, and conquered by his enemy. The contemptuous manner in which Valentine dismissed him after hin stormy explanation witK kirn, THE BEGINNING OP THE STBTTGGLE. 191 had internally filled the general with terror. What sinister projects could the man be meditating, what private vengeance was he arranging, that, when he held him quivering in his grasp, he allowed his foe to escape, and refused to kill him, when that would have been so easy ? what torture more terrible than death did he intend to inflict on him ? The remainder of his journey across the Rocky Mountains, as far as Mexico, was one protracted agony, during which, suffering from constant appre hension, and extreme nervous excitement, his diseased imagination inflicted on him moral torture in the stead of which any physical pain would have been welcome. The loss of his daughter's corpse, and above all, the death of his father's old comrade in arms, the only man in whom he put faith, and who possessed his entire confidence, destroyed his energy, and for several days he was so overwhelmed by this double misfor tune, that he longed for death. His punishment was beginning. But General Guerrero was one of those powerful athletes who do not allow themselves to be overcome so easily ; they may totter in the struggle, and roll on the sand of the arena, but they always rise again more terrible and menacing than before. His revolted pride re stored his expiring courage ; and since an implacable warfare was declared against him, he swore that he would fight to the end, whatever the consequences for him might be. 192 THE BED TBACK. Moreover, two months had elapsed since his arrival in Mexico, and his enemy had not revealed his pre sence by one of those terrible blows which burst like a clap of thunder above his head. The general gradu ally began supposing that the hunter had only wished to force him to abandon Sonora, and that, in despair of carrying out his plans advantageously in a city like Mexico, he was prudently keeping aloof, and if he had not completely renounced his vengeance, circum stances at any rate, independent of his will, compelled him to defer it. The general, so soon as he was settled in the capital of Mexico, organized a large band of highly- paid spies, who had orders to be constantly on the watch, and inform him of Valentine's arrival in the city. Thus reassured by the reports of his agents, he continued with feverish ardour the execution of his dark designs, for he felt convinced that if he suc ceeded in attaining his coveted object, the hatred of the man who pursued him would no longer be danger ous. This was the more probable, because, so soon as lie held the power in his own hands, he would easily succeed in getting rid of an enemy, whom his position as a foreigner isolated, and rendered an object of dis like to the populace. The general lived in a large house in the Calle de Tacuba: it was built by one of his ancestors, and considered one of the handsomest in the capital. We will describe in a few words the architecture of Mexico, for, as all the houses are built on the same THE BEGINNING OF TUE STUUGGLE. 193 pattern, or nearly so, by Imowing one it is easy to form an idea of what the others must bo. The Mexican architecture greatly resembles the Arabic, and as for the mode of arranging the rooms, it is still entirely in its infancy ; but, since the Procla mation of the Independence, foreign architects have succeeded, in most of the great towns, in opening side doors in the suites of rooms, which formerly only communicated with one another, and hence compelled you to go through a bed-room to enter a dining-room, or pass through a kitchen to reach the drawing-room. The general's house was composed of four build ings, two stories in height, and with terraced roofs. Two courts separated these buildings, and an awning stretched over the four sides of the first yard, enabling visitors to reach the wide stone steps dry-footed. At the top of this flight, a handsome covered gallery, adorned with vases of flowers and exotic shrubs, led to a vast anteroom, which opened into a splendid re ception hall ; after this came a considerable number of apartments, splendidly furnished in the European style. The general only inhabited the first floor of his mansion. Although most of the streets are paved at the present day, and the canals have entirely disap peared, except in the lower districts of the city, water is still found a few inches beneath the surface, which produces such damp, that the ground floor, rendered uninhabitable, is given up to stores and shops in nearly all the houses. The ground floor of the main build ing, looking on the Calle de Tacuba, was, therefore, o TUE RED TRACK. occupied by brilliant shops, which rendered the of the general's house even more striking. The paintings and the ornaments carved on the walls, after the Spanish fashion, gave it a peculiar, but not unpleasant appearance, which was completed by the profusion of shrubs that lined the terrace, and converted it into a hanging garden, like those of Babylon, some sixty feet above the ground. By-the- bye, these gardens, from which the cupolas of the churches seem to emerge, give a really fairy -like aspect to the city, when you survey it in a glowing sunset, from the cathedral towers. Seven or eight days had elapsed since the events we recorded in our last chapter. General Guerrero, after a long conversation with Colonel Don Jaime Lupo, Don Sirven, and two or three others of his most faithful partizans a conversation in which the final arrangements were made for the prouunciamiento which was to be attempted immediately gave audi ence to two of his spies, who assured him that the person, whose movements they were ordered to watch, had not yet arrived in Mexico. When the hour for going to the theatre arrived, the general, temporarily freed from alarm, prepared to be present at an extraordinary performance to be given, that same night, at the Santa Anna theatre ; but at the moment when he was about to give orders for his carriage to be brought up, the door of the room, in which he was sitting, opened, and a footman appeared on the threshold, with a respectful bow. TJIE BEGINNING OP THE STRUGGLE. 195 u "What do you want ?" the general asked, turning round at the sound. " Excellency," the valet replied, " a caballero de sires a few minutes' conversation with your excel lency." "At this hour?" the general said, looking at a clock, " it is impossible ;" but, suddenly reflecting, he asked, " any one you know, Isidro P" " No, excellency ; it is a caballero whom I have not yet had the honour of seeing in the house." "Hum," said the general, shaking his head thoughtfully, " is he a gentleman ?" " That I can assure your excellency; and he told me that he had a most important communication to make to you." In the general's present position, as head of a con spiracy on the point of breaking out, no detail must be neglected, no communication despised, so, after re flecting a little, he continued "You ought to have told the gentleman that I could not receive him so late, and that he had better tall again to-morrow." " I told him so, excellency." " And he insisted ?" " Several times, excellency." " Well, do you know his name, at least ?" " "When I asked the caballero for it, he said it was useless, as you would not know it ; but if you wished to learn it, he would himself tell it to your excellency." " "What a strange person," the general muttered 196 THE RED TEACK. to himself; "very good," he then added aloud, "lead tho gentleman to the small mirror room, and I will "be with him immediately." The footman bowed respectfully. " AVho can the man be, and what is the important matter he has to tell me ?" the general muttered, as he was alone. "Hum, probably some poor devil mixed up in our conspiracy, who wants a little money. "Well, he had better be careful, for I am not the man to be plundered with impunity, and so he will find out, if his communication is not serious." And, throwing on to a chair the plumed hat he held in his hand, he proceeded to the mirror room. CHAPTER XVIII. A YISIT. THE mirror room was an immense apartment, only separated from the covered gallery by two anterooms. It was furnished with princely luxury, and it was here that the general gave these sumptuous tcrtulias, which are still talked about in the highest Mexican circles, although so many years have elapsed. This room, merely lighted by two lamps, standing on a console, was at this moment plunged into a semi- obscurity, when compared with the other apartments in the mansion, which were full of light. A gentleman, dressed in full black, and with the red ribbon of the Legion of Honour carelesslv knotted A VISIT. 197 in a button-hole of his coat, was leaning hia elbow on the console where the lamps stood, and seemed so lost in thought, that, when the general entered the room, the sound of his steps, half subdued by the petates, did not reach the visitor's ears, and he did not turn to receive him. Don Sebastian, after closing the door behind him, walked towards his visitor, attempting to recognize him, which, however, the stranger's position rendered temporarily impossible. It was not till he came almost near enough to touch him that the stranger, at length warned of the general's presence, raised hia head; in spite of all the command Don Sebastian had over himself, he started and fell back a couple of yards on recognizing him. " Don Valentine !" he said, in a stifled voice, "you here ?" " Myself, general," he replied, with an almost im perceptible smile and a profound bow ; " did you not expect a visit from me?" The Trail-hunter, according to his habit, at once assumed his position before his adversary. A bitter smile played round the general's pale lips, and master ing his emotion, he replied, sarcastically " Certainly, caballero, I hoped to receive a visit from you ; but not here, and under such conditions, I did not venture, I confess, to anticipate such an honour." " I am delighted," he replied, with another bow, " that I have thus anticipated your wishes." .198 THE BED TRACK. "I will prove to you, seuor," the general said, with set teeth, " the value I attach to the visit you have been pleased to pay me." "While saying this, he stretched out his arm towards a bell. "I beg your pardon, general," the Frenchman said, with imperturbable coolness, "but I believe that you intend to summon some of your people ?" "And supposing that was my intention, senor?" the general said, haughtily. " If it were so," he replied, with icy politeness, " I think it would be better for you to do nothing of the sort." '' Oh, indeed, and for what reason, may I ask ?" "For the simple reason, general, that as I have the honour to know you thoroughly, I was not such a fool as to place myself in your power. My carriage is waiting at this moment in front of your door ; in that carriage are two of my friends, and, in all pro bability, if they do not see me come down the steps again in half an hour, they will not hesitate to ask you what has taken place between us, and what has become of me." The general bit his lips. " You are mistaken as to my intentions, senor," he said. "I fear you no more than you appear to do me. I am a gentleman, and were you ten times more my enemy than you are, I would never attempt to free myself from you by an assassination." " Be it so, general ; I should be glad to be mistaken, A YISIT. 190 and in that case I beg you to accept my apologies ; moreover, in coming thus to see you, I give you, I believe, a proof of confidence." " For which I thank you, senor ; but as I suppose that reasons of the highest gravity alone induced you to present yourself here, and the interview you ask of me must be long, I wished to give my people orders to take out the horses, and take care that we are not interrupted." Valentine bowed without replying, but with an imperceptible smile, and leaning again on the console, he twisted his long, fair, light moustache while the general rang the bell. A servant came in. " Have the horses taken out," the general said, " and I am not at home to anybody." The servant bowed, and prepared to leave the room. "Ah!" said the general, suddenly stopping him, " on the part of this caballero ask the gentlemen in his carriage to do me the honour of coming up to my apartments, where they can await more comfortably the end of a conversation which will probably be rather prolonged. You will serve refreshments to these gentlemen in the blue room," he added, looking fixedly at the Frenchman, " the one that follows this The servant retired. " If you still apprehend a trap, senor," he conti nued, turning to the Frenchman, " your friends will be at hand, if necessary, to come to your help." " I knew that you were brave to rashness, general," 200 THE RED TEACK, the Frenchman answered politely, " and I ain happy to see that you are no less honourable." " And now, senor, be kind enough to sit down/' Don Sebastian said, pointing to a chair. "May I venture to offer you any refreshments ?" " General," Valentine answered, as he seated him- self, " permit me, for the present, to decline them. In iny youth I served in Africa, and in that country people are only wont to break their fast with friends. As we are, temporarily at least, enemies, I must ask you to let me retain my present position toward you." " The custom to which you allude, senor, is also met with on our prairies," the general replied; "stilt people sometimes depart from it. However, act as you think proper. I wait till it may please you to explain the purpose of this visit, at which I have a right to feel surprised." " I will not abuse your patience any longer, gene ral," he replied with a bow. " I have merely come to propose a bargain." " A bargain ?" Don Sebastian exclaimed with sur prise, " I do not understand you." "I will have the honour of explaining myself, senor." The general bowed and said, "I await your pleasure." " You are a diplomatist, general," Valentine con tinued, "and in that capacity are, doubtless, aware that a bad treaty is better than a good war." " In certain cases I allow it is so ; but I will take A TISIT. 201 the liberty of remarking that, under present circum stances, senor, I must await your propositions, instead of offering any of mine, as the war, to employ your own expression, was not begun by me, but by you." " I think it will be better not to discuss that point, in which we should find it difficult to agree ; still, in order to remove any ambiguity, and lay down tho point at issue distinctly, I will remind you in a few words of the motives which produced the hatred that divides us." " Those motives, senor, you have already explained to me most fully at the Fort of the Chichimeques. "Without discussing their validity with you, I will content myself with saying that hatred, like friend ship, being a matter of sympathy, and not the result of reason, it is better to confess frankly that we hate or love each other, without trying to account for either of these feelings, which I consider completely beyond the will." "You are at liberty to think so, senor, and though I do not agree with you, I will not discuss the point ; it is, however, certain that the hatred we bear each other is implacable, and cannot possibly bo ex tinguished." " Still you spoke only a minute back of a bargain." " Certainly ; but bargaining is not forgetting. I can, for certain reasons, abstain from that hatred without renouncing it; and though I may cease to in jure you, I do not, on that account, contract the slightest friendship with you." 202 THE BED TBACK. " I admit thai in principle, seuor ; let us, there fore, come to facts without further delay ; be good enough to explain to me the nature of the bargain which you think proper to propose to me to-day." " Allow me, in the first place, according to mv notions of honour, to explain to you what our position to each other is." " Since the beginning of this interview, senor, I must confess that you have been talking enigmas inex plicable to me." " I will try to be clear, senor, and if I tell you what your plans are, and the means you have em ployed for their realization, you will understand, I have no doubt, that I have succeeded in countermining them sufficiently to prevent a favourable issue." " Go on, senor," the general remarked, with a smile. " In two words, this is your position. In the first, you wish, by a pronunciamiento, to overthrow General R , and have yourself proclaimed President of the Republic in his place." " Ah, ah," said the general, with a forced laugh ; " you must know, senor, that in our blessed country this ambition is constantly attributed to all officers who, either on account of their fortune or personal merit, hold a public position. This accusation, there fore, is not very serious." " It would not be so, if you limited yourself to mere wishes, possibly legitimate in the present state of the country; but, unfortunately, it is not so." A YISIT, u What do you mean r" " I mean, general, that you arc the head of a con spiracy ; that this conspiracy, several times already a failure in Sonora, you have renewed in Mexico, under almost infallible conditions of success, and which, in my opinion, would succeed, had I not resolved on causing them to fail. I mean that, only a few days ago, your conspirators assembled in a velorio kept by a certain JN~o Lusacho. Through the agency of Don Jaime Lupo, you divided among them two bags of gold, brought by you for them, and emptied in your presence. I mean that, after this distribution, the final arrangements were made, and the day was almost fixed for the prommciamiento. Am I deceived, general, or do you now see that I am well in formed, and that my spies are quite equal to yours, who were not even able to inform you of my ar rival at the Ciudacl, where I have been for more than a week, and you have not known a word about it?" "While Valentine was speaking thus, in his mock ing way, with his elbow carelessly laid on the arm of his chair, and his body slightly bent forward, the general was in a state of passion which he tried in vain to repress, his pale face assumed a cadaverous hue, his eyebrows met, and his clenched teeth found difficulty in keeping the words back which tried each moment to burst forth. "When the Frenchman ceased speaking he made a violent effort to check his rage which wa3 on the point of breaking out, and ho an- 204i THE BED TEACK swered in a hollow voice which emotion caused invo luntary to tremble " 1 will imitate your frankness, senor. Of what use wonld it be to dissimulate with an enemy so well informed as you pretend to be ? "What you have said about a conspiracy is perfectly correct. Yes, I intend to make a pronunciamiento, and that shortly. You see that I do not attempt to conceal anything from you." " I presume, because you consider it useless," Valentine answered sarcastically. " Perhaps so, senor. Although you are so well informed, yon do not know everything." " Do you think so ?" " I am sure of it." " What is the thing I am ignorant off" " That you will not leave this house again, and that I am going to blow out your brains," the general exclaimed, as he started up and cocked a pistol. The Frenchman did not make the slightest move- ment to prevent the execution of the general's threat ; he contented himself with looking firmly at him, and saying, coldly " I defy you." Don Sebastian remained motionless, with haggard eye, pale brow, and trembling hand ; then, in a few se conds, he uncocked the pistol, and fell back utterly crushed in his chair. " You have gone too far or not far enough, cabal- lero," Valentine went on with perfect calmneaa. JL VISIT. 205 " Every threat should be executed at all risks so soon as it is made. You have reflected, so let us say no more about it, but resume our conversation." In a discussion of this nature, all the advantage is on the side of the adversary who retains his coolness. The general, ashamed of the passionate impulse to which he had yielded, and crushed by his enemy's sarcastically contemptuous answer, remained dumb ; he at length understood that, with a man like the one before him, any contest must turn to his disadvan tage, unless he employed treachery, which his pride forbade. " Let us, for the present," Valentine went on, still calmly and coldly, " leave this conspiracy, to which we will revert presently, and pass to a no less interesting subject. If I am correctly informed, Seiior Don Sebastian, you have a ward of the name of Dona Anita de Torres ?" The general started, but remained silent. " Now," continued Valentine, " in consequence of a frightful catastrophe, this young lady became insane. But that does not prevent you from insisting on mar rying her, in contempt of all law, divine and human, for the simple reason that she is enormously rich and you require her fortune for the execution of your am bitious plans. It is true that the young lady does not love you, and never did love you; it is also true that her father intended her for another, and that other you insist on declaring to be dead, although he is alive j but what do you care for that ? Unfor- 200 THE BED TKACK. tunately, one of my intimate friends, of whom you probably never heard, Senor Don Serapio de la Honda, has heard this affair alluded to. I will tell you confidentally that Don Oerapio is greatly respected by certain parties, and has very considerable power. Don Serapio, I know not why, takes an inte rest in Dona Anita, and has made up his mind, whe ther you like it or not, to marry her to the man she loves, and for whom her father intended her." "The villain is dead," the general exclaimed, furiously. " You are perfectly well aware of the contrary," Senor Valentine answered, tl and to remove any doubts you may still happen to have, I will give you the proof. Don Martial," he said aloud, " come in, pray, and tell General Guerrero yourself that you are not dead." " Oh !" the general muttered furiously, " this man is a demon." At this moment the door opened, and a new per sonage entered the room. CHAPTER XIX. ASSISTANCE. THE man who now entered the hall of mirrors was dressed like the riders who promenade at the Bu- carelli, and gallop at carriage doors that is to say, in trousers with silk stripes down the sides, and a ASSISTANCE. 207 broad-brimmed hat decorated with a double gold string and tassels. He walked gracefully up to Don Sebastiaii, still holding his hat in his right hand, bowed to him with that exquisite grace of which the Mexicans alone seem to have the privilege, and thrusting his hand into his side, he said, with an accent of cutting sarcasm, and in a hiu-nh, metallic voice "Do you recognize me, Don Sebastian, and do you believe that I am really alive, and that it is not the ghost of Martial the Tigrero which has come from the grave to address you ?" At the same moment Belhumeur's clever, know ing face could be seen peering through the doorway. With his eyes obstinately fixed on the general, he seemed to be impatiently expecting an answer, which the latter, struggling with several different feelings, evidently hesitated to give. Still, he was compelled to form a resolution, so he rose and looked the Tigrero boldly in the face. "Who are you, senor ?" he said, in a firm voice, " and by what right do you question me ?" "Well played," said Valentine, with a laugh; "by heaven, caballero, it is a pleasure to contend with you, for, on my soul, you are a rude adversary." " Do you think so ?" Don Sebastian asked, with a hoarse laugh. "Certainly," the hunter continued, "and I am delighted to bear my testimony to the fact; hoaco you had better yield at once, for you are in a di- THE BED TEACK. lemma from -which you cannot escape., not CVCB 'by ft master stroke." There was a silence, lasting some minutes. At length the general seemed to make up his mind, for he turned to Belhumeur, who was still listening, and bowed to him with ironical politeness. " Why stand half hidden by that door ?" he said to him ; " pray enter, caballero, for your presence hero will be most agreeable to the whole company." The Canadian at once entered, and after giving the general a respectful bow he leant over the back of Valentine's chair. The latter eagerly followed all the incidents of the strange scene that was being played before him, and in which he appeared to be a disinterested spectator rather than an actor. "You see, sefiores," the general said, haughtily s "that I imitate your example, and, like yon, play fairly. I believe that yon entered my house in order to propose a bargain to me, Don Valentine ? You, geiior," he said, turning to the Tigrero, " whom I told that I did not recognize, and whom I have tho honour of receiving at my house for the first time, have doubtless come as witness for these caballeros, who are your friends. Well, gentlemen, you shall all three be satisfied. I am awaiting your proposal, Don Valentine. I allow, senor, that you, whoso miraculous resuscitation I have hitherto denied, are alive, and are really Don Martial the ex-lover of Dona Anita do Torres. As for you, senor, whom I do not know, I authorize you to declare before any ASSISTANCE. 209 one you like the truth of the words I utter. Are yon all three satisfied, gentlemen? Is there anything else I can do to afford you pleasure ? if so, speak, and I am ready to satisfy you." " A man could not yield to what is inevitable with better grace," Valentine replied, bowing ironically. " Thanks for your approval, caballero, and be kind enough to let me know, without further delay, the conditions on which you are willing to leave off pur suing me with that terrible hatred with which you incessantly threaten me, and whose result is rather long in coming, according to my judgment." These words were uttered with a mixture of pride and contempt impossible to express, and which for a moment rendered Valentine dumb, so extraordinary did the sudden change in his adversary's humour appear to him. "I am waifc : ng," the general added, as he fell back in his chair, with an air of weariness. " We will bring matters to an end," Valentine said, drawing himself up with an air of resolution. "That is what I wish," the general interrupted him, as he lit a cigarette, which ho began smoking with the most profound coolness. " These are my conditions," the hunter said dis tinctly and harshly, for he was annoyed by this frigid indifference. " You will at once leave Mexico, and give up Dona Anita, to whom you will not only re store her liberty, but also the right of giving her and fortune to whomsoever she pleases. You 210 THE RED TRACK. will sell your estates, and retire to the United Stated, promising on oath never to return to Mexico. On my side, I pledge myself to restore you your daughter's body, and never attempt to injure you in any way." " Have you anything more to add ?" the general asked, as he coolly watched the blue smoke of his cigarette as it rose in circles to the ceiling. " Nothing ; but take care, senor, I too have taken an oath, and from what I have told you, you must have seen how far I have detected your secrets. Ac cept or refuse, but come to a decision ; for this is the last time we shall meet face to face under the like conditions. The game we are playing is a ter rible one, and must end in the death of one of us ; and I shall show you no pity, as, doubtless, you will show me none. Reflect seriously before answering yes or no, and I give you half an hour to decide." The general burst into a sharp and nervous laugh. " Viva Dios, caballcro !" he exclaimed, with a con temptuous toss of his head, "I have listened to you with extreme surprise. You dispose of my will with an incomparable facility. I do not know who gives you the right to speak and act as you are doing ; but, by heaven, hatred, however active it may be, can in no case possess this privilege. You fancy yourself much more powerful than you really are, I fancy ; but, at any rate, whatever may happen, bear this carefully in mind I will not retreat an inch before you. Accept ing your impudent and ridiculous conditions would be to cover myself with shame and my utter ruin. ASSISTANCE. 211 "Were you the genius of Evil clothed in mortal form, I would not the less persist in the track I have laid clown for myself, and in which I will persevere at my own risk and peril ; however terrible may be the obsta cles you raise, I will overthrow them or succumb bravely, buried beneath the ruins of my abortive plans and my destroyed fortunes. Hence consider yourself warned, Don Valentine ; that I despise your menaces, and they will not stop me. And you, Don Martial, since such is your name, that I shall marry my ward, in spite of the efforts you may make to prevent me, and shall do so because I wish it, and because no man in the world has ever attempted to resist my will without being at once mercilessly crushed. And now, serLores, as we have said all we have to say to each other, and I think there is no more, and we can have no doubt as to our mutual intentions, permit me to take leave of you, for I wish to go to the Santa Anna theatre, and it is already very late." He rang the bell, and a footman came in. " Order the carriage," he said to him. " Then," Valentine said as he rose, " it is war to the death between us." "War to the death ! be it so." ""We shall only meet once again, general," the hunter remarked ; " and that will be on the eve of your death, when you are in Capilla." " I accept the meeting, and will bow uncomplain ingly before you if you are powerful enough to obtain that result j but, believe me, I am not there yet." 212 TI1E IvED TRACK. "You are nearer your fall than you perhaps suppose." '* That is possible ; but enough of this ; any further conversation will be useless. Light these gentlemen down," lie said to the servant, who at this moment entered the room. The three men rose, exchanged dumb bows with the general, and, accompanied by him to the door of the room, they followed the footman, who preceded them with candles. Two carriages were waiting at the foot of the stairs ; Valentine and his friends got into one of them, the general took his seat in the other, and they beard him give the order in a fir.n voice to drive to the Santa Anna theatre. The coach men flogged their horses, which started at a gallop, and the two carriages left the house, the gates of which were closed after them. The Santa Anna theatre was built in 18-1-1 by the Spanish architect, Hidalgo. This building has exter nally nothing remarkable about it, either in regard to frontage or position ; but we are glad to state that the interior is convenient, elegant, and even grand. After passing through the external portico, you enter a yard covered with a glass dome, next come wide stairs with low steps, large and lofty lobbies, a double row of galleries looking on the front yard, and airy crush-rooms for the promenaders. The house is well-built, well decorated, and spa cious ; it has three rows of boxes, with a lower circle representing the pit boxes, and another above the third circle for the lower classes. In the pit, it is ASSISTANCE. 213 worth mentioning that each visitor has his stall, which he reaches easy and comfortably by passages formed down the centre and round the theatre. The boxes nearly all contain ten persons, and are separated from each other by light colonnades and partitions.. To each box is attached a room, to which people with draw between the acts, and, instead of the balconies which in our theatres conceal a great part of the ladies' toilets, the boxes have only a ledge a few inches in height, which allows the splendid dresses of the audience to be fully admired. "We have dwelt, perhaps with a little complacency, on this description of the Santa Anna theatre, for we thought that, at the moment when it is intended to re build the Opera and other Parisian theatres, there can be no harm in displaying the difference that exists between the frightful dens in which the specta tors are thrust together pell-mell every night in a city like Paris, which claims to be the first, not only in Europe, but in the whole world, and the spacious airy theatres of a country like Mexico, which in so many respects is inferior to us as regards ideas of civilization and comfort. It would, however, be very easy, we fancy, to obtain in Paris the advantageous results the Mexicans have enjoyed for twenty years, and that at a slight expense. Unfortunately, whatever may be said, the French are the most thorough routine nation in the world, and we greatly fear that, in spite of inces sant protests, things will remain for a long time in the game state as they are to-day. THE BED TEACK. "When the general entered his box, which was in the first circle, and almost facing the stage, the house presented a truly fairy-like appearance The extraordinary performance had brought an immense throng of spectators and ladies, whose magnificent dresses were covered with diamonds, which glittered and flashed beneath the light that played on them. Don Sebastian, after bending forward for a moment to exchange bows with his numerous acquaintances, and prove his presence, withdrew to the back of the box, opened his glasses, and began looking carelessly about him. But though, through a powerful effort of the will, his face was cold, calm, and unmoved, a ter rible storm was raging in the general's heart. The scene that had taken place a few minutes pre viously at his mansion, had filled him with anxiety and gloomy forebodings, for he understood that his adversaries must either believe or feel themselves very strong thus to dare and defy him to the face, and audaciously enter his very house. In vain he tor tured his mind to find means to get rid of his obsti nate enemy ; but time pressed, his situation became at each moment more critical, and unless some bold and desperate stroke proved successful, he felt in stinctively that he was lost without chance of sal vation. The president's box was occupied by the first magistrate of the Republic, and some of his aide -de camps. Several times, Don Sebastian fancied that the president's eyes were fixed on him. with a strange ex- ASSISTANCE. 215 prt-ssion, after which he bent over and whispered some remarks to the gentlemen who accompanied: him. Perhaps, this was not real, and the general's pricked conscience suggested to him suspicions far from the thoughts of those against whom he had so many reasons to be on his guard ; but whether real or not, these suspicions tortured his heart and proved to him the necessity of coming to an end at all risks. Still the performance went on ; the curtain had just fallen before the last act, and the general, de voured by anxiety, and persuaded that he had remained long enough in the theatre to testify his presence, was preparing to retire, when the door of his box opened, and Colonel Lupo walked in. " Ah, is it you, colonel ?" Don Sebastian said to him as he offered his hand and gave him a forced smile. " You are welcome ; I did not hope any longer to have the pleasure of seeing you, and I was jusfc going away." " Pray do not let me stop you, general, I have only a few words to say to you." "Our business?" " Goes on famously." 4< Ko suspicion?" " Not the shadow.'* The general breathed like a man from whose chest a crushing weight has been just removed. " Can I be of any service to you ?" he said, ab sently. 216 TIIJ3 BED TRACK. "For the present, I have only come for your zake." "How so?" " I was accosted to-day by a lepero, a villain of the worst sort, who says that he wishes to avenge himself on a certain Frenchman, whom he declares you know, and he desires to place himself under your protection, in the event of the Made of his navaja accidentally slipping into his enemy's body." " Hum ! that is serious," the general said with an imperceptible start. " I do not know how far I dare go in being bail for such a scoundrel." " He declares that you have known him a long time, and that while doing his own business, he will be doing yours." " You know that I am no admirer of navajadas, for an assassination always injures the character of a politician." " That is true ; but you cannot be rendered re sponsible for the crimes any villain may think proper to commit." " Did this worthy gentleman tell you his name ?" my dear colonel ?" " Yes ; but I believe that it would be better to mention it in the open air, rather than in this place." " One word more ; have you. cleverly deceived him, and do you think that he really intends to be useful to us?" " Useful to you, you mean." " As you please." ASSISTANCE. 217 "I could almost assert it." ""Well, we will be off; have you weapons about you ?" " I should think so ; it would be madness to go about Mexico unarmed." " I have pistols in my pocket, so I will dismiss my carnage, and we will walk home to my house ; does that suit you, my dear colonel ?" " Excellently, general, the more so because if you evince any desire to see the scoundrel in question, nothing will be easier than for me to take you to the den he occupies, without attracting attention." The general looked at his accomplice fixedly. " You have not told me all, colonel ?" he said. "I have not, general, but I am convinced that you understand the motive, which at this moment keeps my mouth shut." " In that case, let us be off." He wrapped himself in his cloak and left the box, followed by the colonel. A footman was waiting under the portico for his orders to bring up tho carriage. " Eeturn to the house," the ganeral said ; " it is a fine night, and I feel inclined for a walk." The footman retired. " Come, colonel," Don Sebastian went on. They left the theatre and proceeded slowly toward the Portales de Mercadores, which were entirely deserted at this advanced hour of the night. 218 THE BED TEAC1T. CHAPTER XX, EL ZARAGATL. THE night was clear, mild and starry, a profound calm prevailed in the deserted streets, and it was in fact one of those delicious Mexican nights, so filled with soft emanations, and which dispose the mind to delicious reveries. The two gentlemen, carefully wrapped in their cloaks, walked side by side, along the middle of the street, in fear of an ambuscade, examining with prac tised eyes the doorways and the dark corners of side streets. When they were far enough from the theatre no longer to fear indiscreet eyes or ears, the general at length broke the silence. "Now, Senor Don Jaime," he said, "let us speak frankly, if you please." " I wish for nothing better," the colonel replied, with a bow. "And to begin," Don Sebastian continued, "tell me who the man is from whom you hinted that I could derive some benefit." "Nothing is easier, excellency. This man is a villain of the worst sort, as I already had the honour of telling you; his antecedents are, I suppose, rather dark, and that is all I have been able to discover. This man, who, I believe, belongs to no country, but who, in consequence of his adventurous life, has visited 3SL 2ARAGATE. 2115 them all and speaks all languages, was at Sail Fran- cirfco when the Count do Prcbois Crance* organized the cuadrilla of bandits, at the head of which he undertook to dismember our lovely country, and in which, between ourselves, he would probably have succeeded had it not been for your skill and courage." "We will pass over that, my dear colonel," the general quickly interrupted him ; " I did my duty in that affair, as I shall always do it when the interest of my country is at stake." The colonel bowed. " Well," he continued, " the villain I am speaking of could not let such a magnificent opportunity slip j he enlisted in the count's cuadrilla. I believe he wag starving at San Francisco, and, for certain reasons best known to himself, was not sorry to leave that city but perhaps I weary you by giving you all thcso details." " On the contrary, my dear colonel, I wish to bo thoroughly acquainted with this picaro, in order to judge what reliance may be placed in his protesta tions." " On arriving at Guaymas, our man became al most directly the secret agent of that unhappy Colonel Fleury, who, as you well remember, was so brutally assassinated by the Frenchmen." " Alas, yes !" the general said with a sardonic smile. " Senor Pavo also employed him several times," Don -Jaime continued.* " fcut, unfortunately for our 220 THE EED TBACK, individual, Don Valentin o, the cor.nt ? s frierd. watching ; he discovered, I knew not how, all his little tricks, and insisted on his dismissal from tho company, after a quarrel he had with one of the French officers." " I think I can remember the affair being talked about at tho time. "Was not this villain known by the sobriquet of the Zaragate ?" " He was, general ; furious at what happened to him, and attributing it to Don Valentine, he took an oath to kill him whenever he met him, so soon as the opportunity offered itself." "Well?" " It seems that, despite all his goodwill and his eager desire to get rid of his enemy, the opportunity has not yet offered, as he has not killed him." " That is true ; but how did you come across this scoundrel, colonel ?" " Well, general," he answered with some hesita tion, " you know that I have been compelled during the last few days, for the sake of our affair, to keep rather bad company. This scoundrel came to offer his services. I cross-questioned him, and knowing your enmity to that Frenchman, I resolved to inform you of this acquisition. If I have done wrong, forgivo nie, and we will say no more about it." " On tho contrary, colonel," the general said eagerly. " The deuce ! not only have I nothing to for give, but I feel very grateful to you, for your confes sion has come at a most fortunate time. You shall EL ZAB AGATE. 221 j'ulwe, however, for T vrsh to be frank with you, the ii.,'jj iw because, apart from the high esteem I feel for your character, our common welfare is at stake afc t.\ij moment." "You frighten me, general." "You will be more frightened directly; know that this Valentine, this Frenchman, this demon, has I know not by what means, discovered our conspiracy, holds all the threads of it, and, more than that, is ac quainted with all the members, beginning with my self." " Voto a brios /" the colonel exclaimed, with a start of surprise, and turning pale with terror, " in that case we are lost." " Well, I confess that our chances of success are considerably diminished." "Pardon me for asking, general," he continued in great agitation, " but in circumstances like the present " " Go on, go on, my dear colonel, do not be em barrassed." "Are you sure, general, perfectly certain as to the statement you have just made to me ?" " You shall judge. About an hour before the opening of the theatre, Don Valentine himself you understand me ? came to my house with two friends, doubtless cutthroats in his pay, and revealed all to me j what do you say to that ?" ** i say that if this man does not die we are hope lessly lost." 222 THE RED TRACK. "That is my opinion too," the general renrnvlr*j, coldly. " How came it that, in spite of this terrible 7:070 lation, yon ventured to show yourself at the theatre ?" Don Sebastian smiled and shrugged his shoulders disdainfully. " Ought I to let even indifferent persons see the anxiety that devoured me ? Undeceive yourself, colonel,- boldness alone can save us ; do not forget that we are risking our heads at this moment." " I am not likely to forget it." " As for this man, the Zaragate, I must not and will not see him ; but do you deal with him as you think proper. You understand that it is of the utmost importance that I should be ignorant of the arrangements you may make with him, and be able to prove, if necessary, that I had no knowledge of this. Moreover, as you are aware, I am not one for extreme measures ; the sight of such a villain would be repulsive to me, for I have such a horror of blood shed. Alas !" he added, with a. sigh, " I have been forced to shed only too much in the course of my life." "I do not know exactly," the colonel muttered. " I have entire confidence in you ; you are an in telligent man ; I give you full authority, and whatever you do will be well done. You understand me, 1 trust?" " Yes, yes, general," the officer grunted ill- peredly, " I understand you only too well. is EL ZAEAGATE, 223 "What do you see ?" the other interrupted him. 'That, if we succeed, you will be a general and Governor of Sonora. That is rather a pretty pro spect, I fancy, and one worth risking something for." " It is useless to remind me of your promises, general ; you are well aware that I am devoted to you." " I know it, of course, and on that account leave you. A longer conversation in the moonlight might arouse suspicions. Good night, and come and break fast with me to-morrow." " I will not fail, general. Good night, and I kiss your excellency's hands." The general pulled his hat over his eyes, wrapped himself in his cloak, and went off hastily towards the Calle de Tacuha. On being left alone, the colonel remained for a moment plunged in deep thought ; tho office with which he was intrusted, for he perfectly caught the meaning of the general's hints, was most serious. He must act vigorously without compromising his chief, and in the shortest possible period, under the penalty of being himself arrested and shot in four and twenty hours if he failed. For the Mexicans, like their old masters the Spaniards, do not jest in matters connected with revolutions, and boldly cut away tho evil at the root, by killing all the leaders of the abor tive conspiracy. The situation was critical, and he must make up his mind, for the slight delay might ruin all ; but at so late an hour where was he to meet a man like the 224 THE BED TRACK. Zaragate, who tad probably no known ctami who led, a no doubt most irregular life. Mexico, like all large cities, is amply endowed with suspicious houses, frequented by rogues of all flges, who are continually wandering about in search of adventures, more or less lucrative, under the com placent protection of the moon. Moreover, although the worthy colonel had, in the course of his life, frequented very mixed company, as he himself allowed, he was not at all anxious to ven ture alone at night into the lower parts of the city, and enter the velorios, thorough cutthroat dens, filled with robbers and assassins, in which respectable per sons do not even venture in bright day without a shudder. At the moment when the colonel mechanically raised his head and looked despairingly up to heaven, he fancied he saw several suspicious shadows prowl ing about him in a suggestive manner. But the colonel was brave, and the more so, because he had literally nothing to lose, hence he quietly loosened his sword, opened his cloak, and at the instant when four or five fellows attacked him at once with ma chetes and long navajas, he was on guard according to all the rules of the art, with his left foot supported a pillar, and his cloak wrapped like a buckler round his arm. The attack was a rude one, but the colonel with* stood it manfully ; besides, all went on in the Mexican way, without a shout or call for help. When you are EL ZAEAGATE. 225 thus attacked in a Mexican street, you feel so assured of death, that you generally confine yourself to the best possible defence, without losing time in calling for help, which will certainly not arrive. Still, the assailants being armed with short and heavy weapons, had a marked disadvantage against; the colonel's long and thin rapier, which twisted like a snake, writhed round their weapons, and had already pricked two of the men sharply enough to make the others reflect, and display greater prudence in their attack. The colonel felt that they were giving ground. " Come on, villains," he exclaimed, as he gave a terrific lunge, and ran one of the bandits right through the body, who rolled on the pavement with a yell of pain. " Let us come to an end of this, in the demon's name !" " Stop, stop !" the man who seemed the leader of the bandits exclaimed; " we are mistaken." As the bandits asked for nothing better than to stop, they retreated a few steps without hesitation. " Yes, Rayo di Dios, you are mistaken, birbones," the exasperated colonel shouted. " Can it possibly "be you," the first speaker con tinued, " Senor Colonel Don Jaime Lupo ?" " Halloh !" the colonel said, falling back a step in surprise, " who mentioned my name ?" " I, excellency ; a friend." " A friend ? a strange friend who has been trying to assassinate me for the last ten minutes." "Believe me, colonel, that had we known whom Q 22(5 THE BED TRACK. we had to deal witL, we should never have attacked you, All this is the result of a deplorable misunder standing, which you will, however, excuse." ; ' : But who are you, in the demon's name ?" "What, excellency, do you not recognize the Zaragate ?" " The Zaragate !" the colonel exclaimed, with glad surprise. " Well, scoundrel, are you aware that yours is a singular trade ?'' "Alas ! excellency, a man must do what he can," the bandit replied, in a sorrowful voice. " Hum ! then you have turned robber at pre sent?" The scoundrel drew himself up with dignity. " No, excellency. I am serving, in the company of these honourable caballeros the persons who claim my help." The honourable caballeros, seeing that the affair was going to end peacefully, had returned their knives to their belts, and seemed tolerably well satis fied at this unexpected conclusion, with the exception of the man who had received the last thrust, and sur rendered his felon soul to the fiend; an acquisition, between ourselves, of no great value to the spirit of darkness. " Can any one have requested your services against me, Sefior Zaragate ?" the colonel continued, as he re turned his sword to its scabbard. " Not at all, excellency. I have already had the honour of remarking that it was a mistake j we were EL ZA11AGATE. 227 waiting here for a young spark, who during the last week has contracted the bad habit of prowling under the window of a senator's mistress, and who asked me as a kindness to free him from this troublesome fellow." "Caspita! Senor Zaragate, you have a rather quick way with you ; and your senator appears to nie somewhat hasty. But as your little matter is pro bably spoiled for to night " " I think, excellency, that the gallant heard the clash of steel, and took very good care not to come on." " If he did so, he acted wisely ; at any rate, if no other motive keeps you here, and you have no objection to accompany me, I shall feel obliged by your doing so, for I have to talk with you on very serious mat ters, and, in fact, was looking for you." " Only see what a thing chance is !" the bandit exclaimed. " Hum ! let us hope it will not be quite so brutal next time." The Zaragate burst into a laugh. "Stay!" the colonel continued, as he laid a gold coin in his hand, " be good enough to give this in my name to these honourable caballeros, and beg them to forgive the rather rough way in which, at the first moment, I received their advances." " Oh, they will not owe you a grudge, my dear sir, you may be sure of that." The bandits, perfectly reconciled with the colonel bj 228 T11E EED TRACK. means of the coin, gave him tremendous bows, accom panied by offers of service, and took leave of him, after exchanging a few sentences in a whisper with their chief; then they went off to the right, while the colonel and his companion turned to the left. "They seem to be rather determined fellows," the colonel said, in order to broach his subject. "Perfect lions, excellency, and obedient as ras- treos." " Excellent ; and have you many of that sort under your hand ?" " Nothing would be easier, in the case of need, than to make up a dozen." "All equally true?" " All." " That is really valuable, do you know that, Senor Zaragate ; and you are a lucky caballero ! " " Your excellency flatters me." " On my word, no. I am expressing my honest opinion, that is all." " Pardon me, excellency ; but may I ask where we are going ? " " Have you an inclination for one direction more than another ?" " Not the slightest, excellency ; still, I confess that, as a general rule, I like to know where I am going." " Every sensible man ought to be of the same way of thinking. Well, we are going to my house j have you any objection to that?" EL ZAEAGATE. 229 " None at all. I think you said, excellency, that 1 was a lucky man ? " " Indeed I did, and I repeat that I consider yon very fortunate." " Hum, you know the proverb, excellency, 'every one knows where the shoe pinches him.' " "That is true, and I suppose the shoe pinches you, eh?" " It does," he replied, with a sigh. The colonel looked at him anxiously. " I un derstand the cause of your grief," he said; " and it is the worse, because there is no remedy for it." "Do you think so?" " Caspita ! I am certain of it.'* " You may be mistaken, excellency." " Nonsense ! You who so graciously place your self at the service of those who have an insulfc to avenge, are forced to renounce your own ven geance." " Oh, oh, excellency, what is that you are saying ?" " I am speaking the truth. You hate the French man whom you mentioned to me to-day, but you are afraid of him." " Afraid ! " he exlaimed angrily. " I believe so," the colonel answered coolly. " Oh ! if I only made up my mind to it " " Yes," the colonel remarked, with a laugh, " but you will not make up your mind because, I repeat, you are afraid ; and to prove to you the truth of my assertion, although I do not know the man, and only 230 THE RED TRACK. take an interest in the matter for your sake, I will make you a wager if you like." "A wager?" "Yes." "What is it?" " 1 bet you that you will not dare avenge your self on your enemy within the next four and twenty hours, not even with the help of your twelve com panions." " And what will you bet, excellency ?" " Well, I am so certain, of running no risk, that I will bet you one hundred ounces. Does that suit you?" " One hundred ounces ! " the bandit exclaimed, his eyes sparkling with greed. Viva Dios ! I would kill my own brother for such a sum." "You are nattering yourself, I see." " Here we are at yo-ur door, excellency, so it is needless for me to go any further. You said one hun dred ounces, I think ?" . "I did." " Farewell. The coming day will not end before I am avenged!" " Nonsense, nonsense ! you will think better of it. Good night, Senor Zaragate." And the colonel entered his house, muttering to himself, in an aside, " I fancy I managed that cle verly. If this accursed Frenchman escapes from the blood-hounds I have let loose on him, he must be the demon the general calls him." AFTER TEE INTERVIEW, 231 CHAPTER XXL AFTER THE INTERVIEW. THE house taken for Valentine by Mr. Kallier was, as we have already stated, situated in the Calle de Ta - cuba, and by a strange accident, in no way premedi tated, only a few yards from the mansion belonging to General Don Sebastian Guerrero. The latter had no suspicion of this, for until the moment when the hunter thought it advisable to pay him a visit, he had been completely ignorant of his enemy's presence in Mexico, in spite of the crowd of spies whom he paid to inform him of his arrival in the capital. The hunter, therefore, would only have had a few steps to go to reach home after leaving the general. But suspecting that the latter might have given orders to have his carriage followed, he ordered his coachman to drive to the Alameda, and thence to the Paseo de Bucarelli. As the night was far advanced, the promenaders had abandoned the shady walks of the Alameda, which was now completely deserted. This, doubtless, was what the hunter desired, for, on reaching about the centre of the drive, he ordered the coachman to stop, and got out with his companions. After re commending him to watch carefully over his mules (in Mexico people do not use horses for their car riages), and not let any one approach him, for fear 1:32 THE EED TEACL:, of one of those surprises so frequent at tins tour at tins place, the three men then disappeared in one of the shady walks, though careful not to go too far, so that they could assist their coachman in case of need. Valentine, like all men accustomed to desert life, that is to vast horizons of verdure, had an instinctive distrust of stone walls, behind which, in his fancy, a spy was continually listening. Hence, when he bad an important affair to discuss, or a serious matter to communicate to his friends, he preferred in spite of the care with which his house had been chosen, and the faithful friends who passed as servants there going to the Alaineda, the Paseo de Bucarelli, the Vega-, or somewhere in the environs of Mexico, where after posting Curumilla as a sentry, that is to say, the man in whom he bad the most perfect faith, and whose scent, if I may be allowed tho term, was infal lible, he believed that he could safely confide his closest secrets to the friends he conveyed to these strange open-air councils. On reaching a thick clump of trees the hunter stopped. " We shall be comfortable here," he said, as he sat down on a stone bench and invited his friends to imitate him, "and shall be able to talk without fear." " The trees have eyes, and the leaves ears," Bel- humeur answered sententiously j " I fear nothing so much in the world as these transparent screens of AFTER THE INTEEVIEW. 233 verdure, winch illow everything to be seen and heard." " Yes," Valentine remarked with a smile, " if you do not trke the precaution to frighten away spies ;" and at the same moment he imitated the soft ca- denced hiss of the coral snake. A similar hiss was heard from the centre of the clump and seemed like an echo. " That is the chief's signal," the Canadian said. " He has been watching for us there for nearly an hour. Do you now believe that we are in safety ?" "Certainly; when Curumilla watches over us wo have no surprise to apprehend." " Let us talk, then," said Don Martial. " One moment," Valentine remarked, " we must first hear the report of a friend, which is most valu able, and will doubtless decide the measures we havo to adopt." " Whom are you alluding to ? " " You shall see," Valentine answered, and clapped his hands thrice softly. Immediately a slight sound and a gentle rustling of leaves was heard in a neighbouring thicket, and a man suddenly emerged, about four paces from the hunters. It was Carnero, the capataz of General Guerrero. He wore a vicuna skin hat, of which tho large brim was bent over his eyes, and he was wrap ped up in a spacious cloak. " Good evening, senores," he said, with a polite bow, "I have been awaiting your coming for nearly 23-1 THE RED TRACE. an hour, and almost despaired of seeing you to night." " We were detained longer than we expected by General Guerrero," " Do you come from him ?" " Did I not tell you I should call on him ? " " Yes ; but I hardly believed that you would have the temerity to venture so imprudently into the lion's den." "Nonsense," Valentine said with a disdainful smile, " the lion as you call him, I assure you, was remarkably tame ; he drew in his claws completely, and received us with the most exquisite polite ness." " In that case take care," the capataz replied, with a significant shake of the head ; " if he received you as you say, and I have no reason to doubt it, he is, be assured, preparing a terrible countermine against you." "I am of the same opinion; the question is, whether we shall allow him the time to act." " He is very clever, my dear Valentine," the capataz continued, " and seems to possess an intuition of evil. In spite of the oath I took to you when, on your entreaty, I consented to remain in his service, there are days when, although I possess a thorough knowledge of his character, he terrifies even me, and I feel on the point of giving up the rude task which, through devotion to you, I have imposed on myself." APTEE THE INTERVIEW. 285 " Courage, my friend ; persevere but a few days longer, and, believe me, we shall be all avenged." " May heaven grant it!" the capataz said with a sigh ; " but I confess that I dare not believe it, even though it is you who assure me of the fact." " Have you learnt any important news since our last interview ?" " Only one thing, but I think it is of the utmost gravity for you." " Speak, my friend." " What I have to tell you is short and gloomy, seiiores. The general, after a secret conversation with his man of business, ordered me to carry a letter to the Convent of the Bernardines." " To the convent ?" Don Martial exclaimed. "Silence," said Valentine. "Do you know the contents of this letter?" " Dona Anita gave it me to read. The general informs the abbess that he is resolved to finish the matter; that whether his ward be mad or not, he means to marry her, and that at sunrise on the day after to-morrow, a priest sent by him will present himself at the convent to arrange the ceremony." " Great God !" what is to be done ?" the Tigrero exclaimed sadly; "how is the execution of this odious machination to be prevented?" " Silence," Valentine repeated. " Is that all, Car- nero?" " No ; the general adds, that he requests the abbess to prepare the young lady for this union, and 236 THE HEB TRACK. that ho will liimself call at the convent to-morrow, in order to explain more fully his inexorable wishes these are the very words of the letter." " Very good, my friend, I thank you for this pre cious information; it is of the utmost importance that the general should be prevented from going to the convent before three o'clock of the tarde. You understand, my friend, this is of vital importance, so you must manage to eifect it." " Do not be uneasy, my dear Valentine ; the general shall not go to the convent before the hour you indicate, whatever may be the means I am forced to employ to prevent him." " I count on your promise, my friend ; and now good-bye." He offered him his hand/ which the capataz pressed forcibly. " When shall I see you, again ?" he asked. "I will soon let you know," the hunter an swered. The capataz bowed and went down a walk ; tho sound of his footsteps rapidly decreased, and was quite inaudible within a few minutes. " My friends," Valentine then said, " we have now arrived at the moment for the final struggle, which we have so long been preparing. "We must not let ourselves be led away by hatred, but act like judges, not as men who are avenging themselves. Blood demands blood, it is true, according to the law of the desert ; but, remember, however culpable the man whom we have AFTER THE INTERVIEW. 237 condemned may be, Ms death would be an indelible spot, a brand of infamy which would sully our honour." " But this monster," the Tigrero exclaimed, with a passion the more violent because it was repressed, " is beyond the pale of humanity." " He may re-enter it to repent." " Are we priests then to practise forgetfulness of insults ?" Don Martial asked with a fiendish grin. " No, my friend, there are men in the grand and sublime acceptation of the term ; men who have often been faulty themselves, and who, rendered better by the life of struggling they have led, and the grief which has frequently bowed them beneath its iron yoke, inflict a chastisement, but despise vengeance, which they leave to weak and pusillanimous minds. Who of you, my friends, would dare to say that he has suffered more than I ? to Him alone will I concede the right of imposing his will on me, and what He bids me do I will do." "Forgive me, my friend," the Tigrero answered, " you are ever good, ever great. God, in imposing on you a heavy task, endowed you at the same time with an energetic soul, and a heart which seems to expand in your bosom under the blast of adversity, instead of withering. We, however, are but common men, in whom the sanguinary instinct of the Ravage is constantly revealed in spite of all our efforts, and who know no other law save that of retaliation. Forget the senseless words my lips uttered, and be assured that I will ever joyfully obey you, whatever 238 THE JIED TRACK. you may command, persuaded as I am, that you can only ask the man who has utterly placed himself in your power to do just actions." The hunter, while his friend was speaking thus in a voice broken by emotion, had let his head fall on his hands, and seemed absorbed in gloomy and pain ful thought. "I have nothing to forgive you, my friend," he replied in a gentle, sympathizing voice, " for through my own sufferings I can understand what yours are. I, too, often feel my heart bound with wrath and in dignation ; for, believe me, my friend, I have a con stant struggle to wage against myself, not to let myself be led away to make a vengeance of what must only be a punishment. But enough on this head ; time presses, and we must arrange our plans, so as not to be foiled by our enemies. I went to-day to the palace, where I had a secret conversation with the President of the Republic, whom, as you are aware, I have known for many years, and who honours me with a friendship of which I am far from believing myself worthy. At the end of our interview he handed me a paper, a species of blank signature, by the aid of which I can do what I think advisable for the success of our plans." " Did you obtain such a paper ?" "I have it in my pocket. Now, listen to me. You will go at sunrise to-morrow to the house of Don Antonio Rallier ; he will be informed of your coming, and you will follow his instructions." AFTEB THE INTEEVIEW. 239 "And you?" "Do not be anxious about my movements, good friend, and only think of your own business, for, I repeat, the decisive moment is approaching. The day after to-morrow begins the feast of the anni versary of Mexican Independence; that is to say, on that day we shall do battle with our enemy, and meet him face to face ; and the combat will be a rude one, for this man has a will of iron, and a terrible energy. Wo shall be able to conquer him, but not to subdue him, and if we do not take care he will slip through our hands like a serpent; hence our personal affairs must be finished to-morrow. Though apparently absent, I shall be really near you, that is to say, I will help you with all my power. Still, do not forget that you must act with the most extreme prudence, and, above all, the greatest moderation; a second of forgetfulness would ruin you, by alarming the innumerable spies scattered round the Convent of the Bernardines. I trust that you have heard and understood me, my friend ?" " Yes, Don Valentine." " And you will act as I recommend ?" " I promise it." " Reflect, that you are perhaps risking the loss of your future happiness." " I will not forget your recommendation, I swear to you ; I am risking too great a stake in this game, which must decide my future life, to let myself be induced to commit any act of violence." 240 THE BED TEACK. "Good; I am happy to hear yon speak thus; but have confidence, my friend, I feel certain that we shall succeed." " May heaven hear you !" " It always hears those who appeal to it with a pure heart and a lively faith. Hope, I tell you ; and now, my dear Don Martial, permit me to say a few words to our worthy friend, Belhumeur." " I will withdraw." " What for ? have I any secrets from you ? You can hear what I am going to say to him." "You have nothing to say to me, Valentine," the hunter said, with a shake of his head, " nothing but what I know already ; I have no other interest in what is about to take place beyond the deep friend ship that attached me to the count and now to you. You think that the recollection I have preserved of our unhappy friend cannot be sufficiently engraven on my heart for me to risk my life at your side in avenging him; but you are mistaken, Valentine, that's all. I will not abandon you in the hour of combat ; I will remain at your side even should you order me to leave you. I tell you that I swear, and have taken an oath to that effect, to make a shield of my body to protect you, if it should be necessary. Now, give me your hand, and suppose we say no more about it ?" Valentine remained silent for a moment ; a scald ing tear ran down his bronzed cheeks, and he took the hand of the honest, simple-minded Canadian, and merely uttered the words SHE El INK SIGNATURE. , u Thank you ; 1 accept.*' They then rose, and returned to their carriage, after Valentine had warned his faithful body-guard, Curumilla, by a signal that he could leave his hiding- place, as the interview was over. A quarter of an hour later the three gentlemen reached the house in the Calle de Tacuba, were Curumilla was already awaiting them. CHAPTEE XXII. THE BLANK SIGNATTJEE. ON the morrow, Mexico awoke to a holiday ; nothing extraordinary, in a country where the year is a per petual holiday, and where the most frivolous pretext suffices for letting off colietes, that supreme amusement of the Mexicans. This time the affair was serious, for the inhabitants wished to celebrate in a proper manner the anniver sary of the Proclamation of Independence, of which the day to which we allude was the eve. Afc sunrise a formidable lando issued from the government palace, and went through all the streets and squares of the city, announcing with a mighty clamour of bugles and drums, that on the next day tuere would be a bull fight with " Jamaica" and " Monte Parnasso " for the leperos, high mass cele- orated in all the churches, theatres thrown opeu B 2-12 THE RED TRACK. gratis, a review of the garrison, and of all the troops quartered sixty miles round, and fireworks and illu minations at night, with open-air balls and feria. The government did things nobly, it must be con fessed; hence the people issued from their houses, spread feverishly through the streets at an early hour, laughing, shouting, and letting off squibs, while sing ing the praises of the President of the BepubKc, and taking, after their fashion, something on account of the morrow's festival. Don Martial, in order to throw out the spies doubtless posted round Valentine's house, had left his friend in the middle of the night> and gone to his lodgings, and a few minutes before day proceeded to the house of Mr. E-allier. Although the sun was not yefc above the horizon, the French gentleman was already up and conversing with his brother Edward, while waiting for the Tigrero. Edward was ready to start, and his brother was giving him his parting recommendations. " You are welcome," the Frenchman said cordially, on perceiving Don Martial ; " I was busy with our affair. My brother Edward is just off to our quinta, whither my mother and my brother Auguste pro ceeded two days ago, so that we might find all in order on our arrival." Although the Tigrero did not entirely understand what the banker said to him, he considered it un necessary to show it, and hence bowed without answering, THE BLANK SIGNATUKE. 243 "All is settled, then," Mr. Eallier continued, addressing his brother ; " get everything ready, for we shall probably arrive before mid-day that is to Fay, in time for lunch." " Your country house is not far from the city the Tigrero asked, for the sake of saying something. " Hardly five miles ; it is at Sfc. Angel ; but in an excellent position for defence, in the event of an attack. You are aware that St. Angel is built on the side of an extinct volcano, and surrounded by lava and spongy scoria, which renders an approach very difficult." " I must confess my ignorance of the fact." "In a country like this, where the government is bound to think of its own defence before troubling itself about individuals, it is as well to take one's precautions, and be always perfectly on guard. And now be oft', my dear Edward ; your weapons are all right, and two resolute peons will accompany you ; besides, the sun is now rising, and you will have a pleasant ride ; so good-by till we meet again." The two brothers shook hands, and the young man, after bowing to Don Martial, left the house, followed by two servants well mounted, and armed -like himself. During this conversation the peons had put the horses in a close carriage. " G-et in," said Mr. Eallier. " "What !" Don Martial replied, " are we going to drive?" " By Jove ! do you think I would venture to go 244 THE EEB TBAC&. to the convent on horseback ? why, we could not go along a street before we were recognized." " But this carnage will betray you." " I admit it ; but no one will know whom it contains when the shutters are drawn up, which I shall be careful to do before leaving the house. Come, get in." The Tigrero placed himself by the Frenchman's Bide; the latter pulled up the shutters, and started at a gallop in a direction diametrically opposed to that which it should have followed, in order to reach the convent. " "Where are we going ?" the Tigrero asked pre sently. " To the Convent of the Bernardines." " I fancy we are not going the right road.*' " That is possible, but, at any rate, it is the safest." " I humbly confess that I cannot understand it at all." Mr. E/allier began laughing. "My good fellow," he replied, "you will under stand at the right time, so be easy. You need only know, that in acting as I am doing, I am carrying out to the letter the instructions of Valentine, my friend and yours. It was not for nothing that he has so long borne the name of the Trail- hunter; besides, you remember the prairie adage, which has always appeared to me full of good sense, ' The shortest road from one point to another is a crooked line.' THE BLANK SIGNATURE. Well, we are following the crooked line, that is all. Besides, in all that is about to take place, you must remain completely out of the question, and restrict yourself to being a spectator, rather than an actor, and willing to obey me in everything I may order. 'Does this part displease you ?" The Frenchman said this with the merry accent and delightful simplicity which formed the basis of his character, and which caused everybody to like him whom accident brought in contact with him. " I have no repugnance to obey you, Senor Don Antonio," the Tigrero answered. "The confidence our common friend places in yoa ig a sure guarantee to me of your intentions. Hence dispose of me as you think proper, without fearing the slightest objec tion on my part." " That is the way to talk," the banker said, with a laugh. " No\v, to begin, my dear senor ? j