Chapter Fifty Eight
Carlos spoke the truth, when he gave his dog the credit of having saved his life, or, at all events, his liberty, which in the end amounted to the same thing. But for the sagacious brute having preceded him, he would certainly have entered the cave, and as certainly would he have been captured.
His cunning adversaries had taken every step necessary for securing him. They had hidden their horses far back in the cavern. They had placed themselves behind the jutting rocks – one on each side of the entrance – so that the moment he should have shown himself they were prepared to spring upon him like a brace of tigers.
Their dogs, too, were there to aid them – crouched by the side of their masters, and along with them, ready to seize upon the unsuspecting victim.
It was a well-planned ambuscade, and so far well-executed. The secrecy with which the hunters had left the settlement, and made their roundabout journey – their adroit approach to the ravine – their patient behaviour in watching till Carlos had ridden out of the way, and their then taking possession of the cave, were all admirably executed manoeuvres.
How was it possible the cibolero could be aware of, or even suspect, their presence? They did not for a moment fancy that he knew of their return from their hunting expedition. It was quite dark the night before, when they had passed up the valley to the mission; and after unpacking the produce of their hunt, which had been done without observation, the Padré Joaquin had enjoined on them not to show themselves in the town before he should send them word. But few of the mission servants, then, knew of their return; and for the rest, no one knew anything who would or could have communicated it to Carlos. Therefore, reasoned they, he could have no suspicion of their being in the cave. As to their trail up the ravine, he would not notice it on his return. He would only strike it where it led over the shingle, and, of course, there it would not be visible even in daylight.
Never was a trap better set. He would walk into the cave unsuspectingly, and perhaps leading his horse. They would spring upon him – dogs and all – and pinion him before he could draw either pistol or knife! There seemed no chance for him.
For all that there was a chance, as the yellow hunter well knew; and it was that which caused him at intervals to mutter —
“Dam! fear dog give us trouble, boy Pepe.”
To this the zambo’s only response was the bitter shibboleth – “Carajo!” showing that both were uneasy about the dog. Long before this time both had heard of the fame of Cibolo, though neither had a full knowledge of the perfect training to which that sagacious animal had attained.
They reflected that, should the dog enter the cave first, they would be discovered by him, and warning given to his master. Should he enter it before the latter had got near, the chances were that their ambuscade would prove a failure. On the other hand, should the dog remain in the rear, all would go right. Even should he approach at the same time with his master, so that the latter might get near without being alarmed, there would still be a chance of their rushing out upon and shooting either horse or rider.
Thus reasoned these two treacherous ruffians in the interim of the cibolero’s absence.
They had not yet seated themselves in the positions they designed to take by the entrance of the cave. They could occupy these at a moment’s warning. They stood under the shadow of the rocks, keeping watch down the ravine. They knew they might be a long time on their vigil, and they made themselves as comfortable as possible by consuming the meagre stock of provisions which the cibolero had left in the cave. The mulatto, to keep out the cold, had thrown the newly appropriated blanket upon his shoulders. A gourd of chingarito, which they had taken care to bring with them, enabled them to pass the time cheerfully enough. The only drawback upon their mirth was the thought of the dog Cibolo, which every now and again intruded itself upon the mind of the yellow hunter, as well as upon that of his darker confrère.
Their vigil was shorter than either had anticipated. They fancied that their intended victim might make a long ride of it – perhaps to the borders of the settlement – that he might have business that would detain him, and that it might be near morning before he would get back.
In the midst of those conjectures, and while it still wanted some hours of midnight, the mulatto, whose eyes were bent down the ravine, was seen suddenly to start, and grasp his companion by the sleeve.
“Look! – yonder, boy Pepe! Yonder come güero!”
The speaker pointed to a form approaching from the plain, and nearing the narrow part of the ravine. It was scarce visible by the uncertain light, and just possible to distinguish it as the form of a man on horseback.
“Carr-rr-a-ai! it is – carr-r-ai!” replied the zambo, after peering for some time through the darkness.
“Keep close in, boy Pepe! hwish! Pull back dog! take place – lie close – I watch outside – hwish!”
The zambo took his station according to the plan they had agreed upon; while the yellow hunter, bloodhound in hand, remained by the entrance of the cave. In a few moments the latter was seen to start up with a gesture of alarm.
“Dam!” he exclaimed. “Dam! told you so – till lost – ready, boy Pepe – dog on our trail!”
“Carajo, Man’l! what’s to be done?” eagerly inquired the zambo.
“In – in – let come in – kill ’im in cave – in!”
Both rushed inside and stood waiting. They had hastily formed the design of seizing the cibolero’s dog the moment he should enter the cave, and strangling him if possible.
In this design they were disappointed; for the animal, on reaching the mouth of the cave, refused to enter, but stopped upon the ledge outside and commenced barking loudly.
The mule uttered a cry of disappointment, and, dropping the bloodhound, rushed forward, knife in hand, to attack Cibolo. At the same moment the hound sprang forward, and the two dogs became engaged in a desperate conflict. This would have terminated to the disadvantage of the hound, but, in another moment, all four – mulatto, zambo, hound, and wolf – were assailing Cibolo both with knives and teeth. The latter, seeing himself thus overmatched, and having already received several bad cuts, prudently retreated among the rocks.
He was not followed, as the ruffians had still some hopes that the cibolero, not suspecting what it could mean, might yet advance towards the cave. But these hopes were of short duration. Next moment through the dim light they perceived the horseman wheel round, and gallop off towards the mouth of the ravine!
Exclamations of disappointment, profane ejaculations, and wild oaths, echoed for some minutes through the vaulted cavern.
The excited ruffians at length became more cool, and, groping about in the darkness, got hold of their horses, and led them out upon the ledge. Here they stopped to give farther vent to their chagrin, and to deliberate on their future course.
To attempt immediate pursuit would not avail them, as they well know the cibolero would be many a mile out of their reach before they could descend to the plain.
For a long time they continued to give utterance to expressions of chagrin, mingled with anathemas upon the head of the dog, Cibolo. At length becoming tired of this, they once more set their heads to business.
The zambo was of opinion it would be useless to go farther that night – they had no chance of coming up with the cibolero before morning – in daylight they would more easily make out his trail.
“Boy Pepe, fool!” was the mulatto’s reply to these observations. “Track by daylight – be seen – spoil all, fool Pepe!”
“Then what way, brother Man’l?”
“Dam! forgot bloodhound? Trail by night fast as ride – soon overtake güero.”
“But, brother Man’l, he’s not going to stop short of ten leagues from here! We can’t come up with him to-night, can we?”
“Fool again, boy Pepe! Stop within ten miles – stop because won’t think of bloodhound – won’t think can trail ’im – stop, sure. Dam! that dog played devil – thought he would – dam!”
“Malraya! he won’t trouble us any more.”
“Why think that, boy Pepe?”
“Why, brother Man’l! because I had my blade into him. He’ll not limp much farther, I warrant.”
“Dam! wish could think so – if could think so, give double onza. But for dog have güero now. But for dog, get güero before sun up. Stop soon – don’t suspect us yet – don’t suspect hound – stop, I say. By mighty God – sure!”
“How, brother Man’l? you think he’ll not go far off?”
“Sure of it. Güero not ride far – nowhere to go – soon trail ’im – find ’im asleep – crawl on ’im but for dog – crawl on ’im sure.”
“If you think so, then I don’t believe you need trouble yourself about the dog. If he lives twenty minutes after the stab I gave him, he’s a tough brute, that’s all. You find the güero, I promise you’ll find no dog with him.”
“Hope so, boy Pepe – try anyhow. Come!” Saying this, the yellow hunter straddled his horse, and followed by the zambo and the dogs commenced moving down the rocky channel of the ravine.
Chapter Fifty Nine
Having arrived at the point where the horseman had been last seen, the mulatto dismounted, and called up the bloodhound. He addressed some words to the dog, and by a sign set him on the trail. The animal understood what was wanted, and, laying his nose to the ground, ran forward silently. The hunter again climbed back to his saddle, and both he and his companion spurred their horses so as to keep pace with the bloodhound.
This was easy enough, though the moon was no longer seen. The colour of the dog – a very light red – rendered him conspicuous against the dark greensward, and there were neither bushes nor long grass to hide him. Moreover, by the instruction of his master, he moved slowly along the trail – although the scent was still fresh, and he could have gone at a much faster rate. He had been trained to track slowly in the night, and also to be silent about it, so that the “bay” peculiar to his race was not heard.
It was two hours, full time, before they came in sight of the grove where the cibolero had halted. The moment the mulatto saw the timber, he pointed to it, muttering to his companion: —
“See, boy Pepe! dog make for island – see! Bet onza güero there. Dam! there sure!”
When they had arrived within five or six hundred yards of the grove – it was still but dimly visible under the darkening sky – the yellow hunter called the dog off the trail, and ordered him to keep behind. He knew that the horseman must have passed either into the grove or close beside it. In either case his trail could be easily taken up again. If – as the mulatto from his excited manner evidently believed – their victim was still in the grove, then the dog’s sagacity was no longer needed. The time was come for them to take other measures.
Diverging from his forward course, the yellow hunter rode in a circle, keeping at about the same distance from the edge of the timber. He was followed by his companion and the dogs.
When opposite the gap made by the avenue, a bright blaze struck suddenly upon their eyes, causing both to rein up with an exclamation of surprise. They had arrived at a point commanding a view of the glade, in the centre of which they perceived a large fire!
“Told so, boy Pepe! fool’s asleep yonder – never dream could trail him by night – don’t like cold – good fire – believe safe enough. Know that glade – cunning place – only see fire from two points. Ha! yonder horse!”
The figure of a horse standing near the fire was plainly discernible under the light.
“Dam!” continued the hunter; “güero bigger fool than thought ’im. Mighty God, see! believe ’im sleep yonder! him, sure!”
As the mulatto uttered these words, he pointed to a dark form by the fire. It appeared to be the body of a man, prostrate and asleep.
“Santisima, it is!” replied the zambo. “Snug by the fire too. He is a fool! but, sure enough, he could have no thought of our following him in a night so dark as this.”
“Hwish, dam! dog not there, güero ours! No more talk, boy Pepe! follow me!”
The mulatto headed his horse, not direct for the grove, but for a point on the bank of the river some distance below. They rode silently, but now with more rapidity.
Their victim was just where they would have wished him, and they were in a hurry to take advantage of his situation. The nature of the ground was well-known to both, for they had shot deer from the cover of that very copse.
On arriving at the river bank, both dismounted; and having tied both their horses and dogs to the willows, they commenced moving forward in the direction of the grove.
They observed less caution than they might otherwise have done. They felt certain their victim was asleep by the fire. Fool, they thought him! but then how was he to have suspected their presence? The most cunning might have deemed himself secure under such circumstances. It was natural enough that he had gone to sleep, wearied as no doubt he was. Natural, too, that he had kindled a fire. The night had become unpleasantly cold, and it would have been impossible to sleep without a fire. All that seemed natural enough.
They reached the edge of the grove, and without hesitation crawled into the underwood.
The night was still, the breeze scarce turned a leaf, and the slightest rustling among the bushes could have been heard in any part of the glade. A low murmur of water from a distant rapid, a light ripple in the nearer stream, the occasional howl of the prairie wolf, and the dismal wailing of nightbirds, were the only sounds that fell upon the ear.
But although the man-stalkers were making their way through thick underwood, not a sound betokened their advance. There was no rustling of leaves, no snapping of twigs, no crackling of dead sticks under the pressure of hand or knee, no signs of human presence within that dark shrubbery. These men well knew how to thread the thicket. Silent, as the snake glides through the grass, was their advance.
In the glade reigned perfect silence. In its very centre blazed a large fire that lit up the whole surface with its brilliant flames. It was easy to distinguish the form of a fine steed – the steed of the cibolero – standing near the fire; and, nearer still, the prostrate form of his master, who seemed asleep! Yes, there were the manga, the sombrero, the botas and spurs. There was the lazo reaching from the neck of the horse, and, no doubt, wound around the arm of the sleeper! All these points could be determined at a glance.
The horse started, struck the ground with his hoof and then stood still again!
What had he heard? Some wild beast moving near?
No, not a wild beast – worse than that.
Upon the southern edge of the glade a face looked out from the underwood – a human face! It remained but a moment, and was then drawn back behind the leaves. That face could easily have been recognised, his yellow complexion, conspicuous under the glare of the blazing wood, told to whom it belonged. It was the face of Manuel the mulatto.
For some moments it remained behind the leafy screen. Then it was protruded as before, and close beside it another face of darker hue. Both were turned in the same direction. Both regarded the prostrate form by the fire, that still appeared to be sound asleep! The eyes of both were gleaming with malignant triumph. Success seemed certain – their victim was at length within their power!
The faces were again withdrawn, and for a minute neither sound nor sight gave any indication of their presence. At the end of that minute, however, the head of the mulatto was again protruded, but this time at a different point, close to the surface of the ground, and where there was an opening in the underwood.
In a moment more his whole body was drawn through, and appeared in a recumbent position within the glade.
The head and body of the zambo followed; and both now glided silently over the grass in the direction of the sleeper. Flat upon their bellies, like a pair of huge lizards, they moved, one following in the other’s trail!
The mulatto was in the advance. His right hand grasped a long-blade, knife, while his gun was carried in the left.
They moved slowly and with great caution – though ready at any moment to spring forward should their victim awake and become aware of their presence.
The unconscious sleeper lay between them and the fire. His form cast a shadow over the sward. Into this they crept, with the view of better concealment, and proceeded on.
At length the mulatto arrived within three feet of the prostrate body; and gathering himself, he rose upon his knees with the intention of making a spring forward. The sudden erection of his body brought his face full into the light, and rendered it a conspicuous object. His time was come.
The whip-like crack of a rifle was heard, and at the same instant a stream of fire shot out from the leafy top of a live-oak that stood near the entrance of the avenue. The mulatto suddenly sprang to his feet, threw out his arms with a wild cry, staggered a pace or two, and, dropping both knife and gun, fell forward into the fire!
The zambo also leaped to his feet; and, believing the shot had come from the pretended sleeper, precipitated himself upon the latter, knife in hand, and drove his blade with desperate earnestness into the side of the prostrate form.
Almost on the instant he leaped back with a yell of terror; and, without stopping to assist his fallen comrade, rushed off over the glade, and disappeared into the underwood. The figure by the fire remained prostrate and motionless.
But at this moment a dark form was seen to descend through the branches of the live-oak whence the shot had come; a shrill whistle rang through the glade; and the steed, dragging his lazo, galloped up under the tree.
A man, half-naked, and carrying a long rifle, dropped upon the horse’s back; and the next instant both horse and man disappeared through the avenue, having gone off at full speed in the direction of the plain!
Chapter Sixty
Who was he then who lay by the fire? Not Carlos the cibolero! It was his manga – his botas – his hat and spurs – his complete habiliments!
True, but Carlos was not in them. He it was who, half-naked, had dropped from the tree, and galloped off upon the horse! A mystery!
Less than two hours before we left him where he had arrived – upon the edge of the grove. How had he been employed since then? A knowledge of that will explain the mystery.
On reaching the grove he had ridden direct through the avenue and into the glade, where he reined up his horse and dismounted. Cibolo was gently laid upon the soft grass, with a kind expression; but his wounds remained undressed for the present. His master had no time for that. He had other work to do, which would occupy him for the next hour.
With a slack bridle his horse was left to refresh himself on the sward, while Carlos proceeded to the execution of a design that had been matured in his mind during his long gallop.
His first act was to make a fire. The night had grown chill enough to give excuse for one. It was kindled near the centre of the glade. Dry logs and branches were found among the underwood, and these were brought forward and heaped upon the pile, until the flames blazed up, illuming the glade to its very circumference. The huge pitahayas, gleaming in the red light, looked like columns of stone; and upon these the eyes of the cibolero were now turned.
Proceeding towards them, knife in hand, he commenced cutting through the stem of the largest, and its tall form was soon laid prostrate upon the grass. When down, he hewed both stem and branches into pieces of various length, and then dragged them up to the side of the fire. Surely he did not mean to add them to the pile! These green succulent masses would be more likely to subdue the flame than contribute to its brilliancy.
Carlos had no such intention. On the contrary, he placed the pieces several feet from the fire, arranging them in such a manner as to imitate, as nearly as possible, the form and dimensions of a human body. Two cylindrical pieces served for the thighs, and two more for the arms, and these were laid in the attitude that would naturally be adopted by a person in repose or asleep. The superior shoulder was represented by the “elbow” of the plant; and when the whole structure was covered over with the ample “manga” of the cibolero, it assumed a striking resemblance to the body of a man lying upon his side!
The head, lower limbs, and feet, were yet wanting to complete the design – for it was a design. These were soon supplied. A round clew of grass was formed; and this, placed at a small distance from the shoulders by means of a scarf and the cibolero’s hat, was made to look like the thing for which it was intended – a human head. The hat was slouched over the ball of grass so as nearly to conceal it, and seemed as if so placed to keep the dew or the musquitos from the face of the sleeper!
The lower limbs and feet only remained to be counterfeited. With these considerable pains had to be taken, since, being nearest to the fire – according to the way in which hunters habitually sleep – they would be more exposed to observation than any other part.
All these points had been already considered by the cibolero; and, therefore, without stopping for a moment he proceeded to finish his work. His leathern “botas” were pulled off, and adjusted at a slight angle to the thighs of pitahaya, and in such a way that the rim of the ample cloak came down over their tops. The huge spurs were allowed to remain on the boots, and could be seen from a distance gleaming in the blaze of the fire.
A few more touches and the counterfeit was complete.
He that had made it now stepped back to the edge of the glade, and, passing around, examined it from different points. He appeared satisfied. Indeed, no one would have taken the figure for anything but that of a sleeping traveller who had lain down without taking off his spurs.
Carlos now returned to the fire, and uttering a low signal brought the horse up to his hand. He led the animal some paces out, and tightened the bridle-rein by knotting it over the horn of the saddle. This the well-trained steed knew to be a command for him to give over browsing, and stand still in that same place until released by the hand of his master, or by a well-known signal he had been taught to obey. The lazo fastened to the bit-ring was next uncoiled. One end of the rope was carried to the prostrate figure, and placed under the edge of the manga, as though the sleeper held it in his hand!
Once more the cibolero passed round the circumference of the glade, and surveyed the grouping in the centre. Again he appeared satisfied; and, re-entering the thicket, he brought out a fresh armful of dry wood and flung it on the fire.
He now raised his eyes, and appeared to scrutinise the trees that grew around the glade. His gaze rested upon a large live-oak standing at the inner entrance of the avenue, and whose long horizontal limbs stretched over the open ground. The top branches of this tree were covered thickly with its evergreen frondage, and laced with vines and tillandsia formed a shady canopy. Besides being the tallest tree, it was the most ample and umbrageous – in fact, the patriarch of the grove.
“’Twill do,” muttered Carlos, as he viewed it. “Thirty paces – about that – just the range. They’ll not enter by the avenue. No – no danger of that; and if they did – but no – they’ll come along the bank by the willows – yes, sure to do so: – now for Cibolo.”
He glanced for a moment at the dog, that was still lying where he had been placed.
“Poor fellow! he has had it in earnest. He’ll carry the marks of their cowardly knives for the rest of his days. Well – he may live long enough to know that he has been avenged – yes! that may he. But what shall I do with him?”
After considering a minute, he continued: —
“Carrambo! I lose time. There’s a half-hour gone, and if they’ve followed at all they’ll be near by this time. Follow they can with their long-eared brute, and I hope he’ll guide them true. What can I do with Cibolo? If I tie him at the root of the tree, he’ll lie quiet enough, poor brute! But then, suppose they should come this way! I don’t imagine they will. I shouldn’t if I were in their place; but suppose they should, the dog would be seen, and might lead them to suspect something wrong. They might take a fancy to glance up the tree, and then – No, no, it won’t do – something else must be done with Cibolo.”
Here he approached the root of the live-oak, and looked inquiringly up among its branches.
After a moment he seemed to be satisfied with his scrutiny. He had formed a new resolution.
“It will do,” he muttered. “The dog can lie upon those vines. I’ll plait them a little for him, and cover them with moss.”
Saying this, he caught hold of the lower limbs, and sprang up into the tree.
After dragging down some of the creeping vines, he twined them between the forks of a branch, so as to form a little platform. He next tore off several bundles of the tillandsia, and placed it over the spot thus wattled.
When the platform was completed to his satisfaction, he leaped down again; and, taking the animal in his arms, carried him up to the tree, and placed him gently upon the moss, where the dog lay quietly down.
To dispose of himself was the next consideration. That was a matter of easy accomplishment, and consisted in laying hold of his rifle, swinging his body back into the tree, and seating himself firmly among the branches.
He now arranged himself with care upon his seat. One branch, a stout one, supported his body, his feet rested upon another, while a third formed a stay for his arms. In a fork lay the barrel of his long rifle, the stock firmly grasped in his hands.
He looked with care to this weapon. Of course it was already loaded, but, lest the night-dew might have damped the priming, he threw up the pan-cover, with his thumb-nail scraped out the powder, and then poured in a fresh supply from his horn. This he adjusted with his picker, taking care that a portion of it should pass into the touch-hole, and communicate with the charge inside. The steel was then returned to its place, and the flint duly looked to. Its state of firmness was felt, its edge examined. Both appeared to be satisfactory, so the piece was once more brought to its rest in the fork of the branch.
The cibolero was not the man to trust to blind chance. Like all of his calling, he believed in the wisdom of precautions. No wonder he adopted them so minutely in the present instance. The neglect of any one of them might be fatal to him. The flashing of that rifle might cost him his life! No wonder he was particular about the set of his flint, and the dryness of his powder.
The position he occupied was well chosen. It gave him a view of the whole glade, and no object as large as a cat could enter the opening without being seen by him.
Silently he sat gazing around the circle of green shrubbery – silently and anxiously – for the space of nearly an hour.
His patient vigil was at length rewarded. He saw the yellow face as it peered from the underwood, and for a moment hesitated about firing at it then. He had even taken sight upon it, when it was drawn back!
A little longer he waited – till the mulatto, rising to his knees, offered his face full in the blazing light. At that moment his finger pressed the trigger, and his unerring bullet passed through the brain of his treacherous foeman!