CHAPTER 12. A CLEAN WHITE MAN'S OPTION
The light of a lantern coming down the steps blinded them for a moment.Behind the lantern peered the yellow face of the turnkey. "Ho, there,Americano! They want you up above," the man said. "The generals, and thecolonels, and the captains want a little talk with you before they hangyou, senor."
The two soldiers behind the fellow cackled merrily at his wit, and theencouraged turnkey tried again.
"We shall trouble you but a little time. Only a few questions, senor,an order, and then poco tiempo, after a short walk to thegallows--paradise."
"What--what do you mean?" gasped the girl whitely.
"Never mind, muchacho. This is no affair of yours. Your turn will comelater. Have no fear of that," nodded the wrinkled old parchment face.
"But--but he hasn't done anything wrong."
"Ho, ho! Let him explain that to the generals and the colonels," croakedthe old fellow. "And that you may explain the sooner, senor, hurry--letyour feet fly!"
Bucky walked across to the girl he loved and took her hands in his.
"If I don't come back before three hours read the letter that I wroteyou yesterday, dear. I have left matches on that bench so that you mayhave a light. Be brave, pardner. Don't lose your nerve, whatever you do.We'll both get out of this all right yet."
He spoke in a low voice, so that the guards might not hear, and it wasin kind that she answered.
"I'm afraid, Bucky; afraid away down deep. You don't half believeyourself what you say. I can't stand it to be here alone and not knowwhat's going on. They might be--be doing what that man said, and I notknow anything about it till afterward." She broke down and began to sob."Oh, I know I'm a dreadful little coward, but I can't be like you--andyou heard what he said."
"Sho! What he says is nothing. I'm an American citizen, and I reckonthat will carry us through all right. Uncle Sam has awful long arms, andthese greasers know it. I'm expecting to come back here again, littlepardner. But if I don't make it, I want you, just as soon as they turnyou loose, to go straight to your father's ranch."
"Come! This won't do. Look alive, senor," the turnkey ordered, and toemphasize his words reached a hand forward to pluck away the sobbinglad. Bucky caught his wrist and tightened on it like a vise. "Hands off,here!" he commanded quietly.
The man gave a howl of pain and nursed his hand gingerly after it wasreleased.
"Oh, Bucky, make him let me go, too," the girl wailed, clinging to hiscoat.
Gently he unfastened her fingers. "You know I would if I could, Curly;but it isn't my say-so."
And with that he was gone. Ashen-faced she watched him go, and as soonas the door had closed groped her way to the bench and sank down on it,her face covered with her hands. He was going to his death. Her loverwas going to his death. Why had she let him go? Why had she not donesomething--thought of some way to save him?
The ranger's guards led him to the military headquarters in the nextstreet from the prison. He observed that nearly a whole company ofRurales formed the escort, and this led him to conclude that thegovernment party was very uneasy as to the situation and had takenprecautions against a possible attempt at rescue. But no such attemptwas made. The sunny streets were pretty well deserted, except for a fewlounging peons hardly interested enough to be curious. The air of peace,of order, sat so incongruously over the plaza that Bucky's heart fell.Surely this was the last place on earth for a revolution to make anyheadway of consequence. His friends were hidden away in holes andcellars, while Megales dominated the situation with his troops. Toexpect a reversal of the situation was surely madness.
Yet even while the thought was in his mind he caught a glimpse in adoorway of a man he recognized. It was Rodrigo, one of his allies of theprevious night's escapade, and it seemed to him that the man was tryingto tell him something with his eyes. If so, the meaning of his messagefailed to carry home, for after the ranger had passed he dared not lookback again.
So far as the trial itself went, O'Connor hoped for nothing and was theless disappointed. One glance at his judges was enough to convince himof the futility of expectation. He was tried by a court-martial presidedover by General Carlo. Beside him sat a Colonel Onate and LieutenantChaves. In none of the three did he find any room for hope. Carlo wasa hater of Americans and a butcher by temperament and choice, Chavesa personal enemy of the prisoner, and Onate looked as grim an oldscoundrel as Jeffreys the hanging judge of James Stuart. GovernorMegales, though not technically a member of the court, was present, andtook an active part in the prosecution. He was a stout, swarthy littleman, with black, beady eyes that snapped restlessly to and fro, and fromhis manner to the officers in charge of the trial it was plain that hewas a despot even in his own official family.
The court did not trouble itself with forms of law. Chaves was bothprincipal witness and judge, notwithstanding the protest of theprisoner. Yet what the lieutenant had to offer in the way of testimonywas so tinctured with bitterness that it must have been plain to theveriest novice he was no fit judge of the case.
But Bucky knew as well as the judges that his trial was a merelyperfunctory formality. The verdict was decided ere it began, and,indeed, so eager was Megales to get the farce over with that severaltimes he interrupted the proceedings to urge haste.
It took them just fifteen minutes from the time the young American wasbrought into the room to find him guilty of treason and to decide uponimmediate execution as the fitting punishment.
General Carlo turned to the prisoner. "Have you anything to say before Ipronounce sentence of death upon you?"
"I have," answered Bucky, looking him straight in the eyes. "I am anAmerican, and I demand the rights of a citizen of the United States."
"An American?" Incredulously Megales lifted his eyebrows. "You are aSpanish gypsy, my friend."
The ranger was fairly caught in his own trap. He had donned the gypsymasquerade because he did not want to be taken for what he was, and hehad succeeded only too well. He had played into their hands. They would,of course, claim, in the event of trouble with the United States, thatthey had supposed him to be what his costume proclaimed him, and theywould be able to make good their pretense with a very decent appearanceof candor. What an idiot of sorts he had been!
"We understand each other perfectly, governor. I know and you knowthat I am an American. As a citizen of the United States I claim theprotection of that flag. I demand that you will send immediately for theUnited States consul to this city."
Megales leaned forward with a thin, cruel smile on his face. "Verywell, senor. Let it be as you say. Your friend, Senor O'Halloran, is theUnited States consul. I shall be very glad to send for him if you cantell me where to find him. Having business with him to-day, I havedespatched messengers who have been unable to find him at home. Butsince you know where he is, and are in need of him, perhaps you canassist me with information of value."
Again Bucky was fairly caught. He had no reason to doubt that thegovernor spoke truth in saying that O'Halloran was the United Statesconsul. There were in the city as permanent residents not more thanthree or four citizens of the United States. With the political instinctof the Irish, it would be very characteristic of O'Halloran to work his"pull" to secure for himself the appointment. That he had not happenedto mention the fact to his friend could be accounted for by reasonof the fact that the duties of the office at that place were few andunimportant.
"We are waiting, senor. If you will tell us where we may send?" hintedMegales.
"I do not know any more than you do, if he is not at home."
The governor's eyes glittered. "Take care, senor. Better sharpen yourmemory."
"It's pretty hard to remember what one never knew," retorted theprisoner.
The Mexican tyrant brought his clinched fist slowly down on the tablein front of him. "It is necessary to remember, sir. It is necessary toanswer a few questions. If you answer them to our satisfaction you mayyet save your life."
"Indeed!" Bucky swe
pt his fat bulk scornfully from head to foot. "If Iwere what you think me, do you suppose I would betray my friends?"
"You have no option, sir. Answer my questions, or die like a dog."
"You mean that you would not think you had any option if you were in myplace, but since I'm a clean white man there's an option. By God! sir,it doesn't take me a whole lot of time to make it, either. I'll see yourot in hell before I'll play Judas."
The words rang like a bell through the room, not loud, but clear andvibrant. There was a long instant's silence after the American finishedspeaking, and as his eyes swept from one to another of the enemy Buckymet with a surprise. On Colonel Onate's face was a haggard look offear--surely it was fear--that lifted in relief at the young man's bravechallenge. He had been dreading something, and the dread was lifted.Onate! Onate! The ranger's memory searched the past few days to locatethe name. Had O'Halloran mentioned it? Was this man one of the officersexpected to join the opposition when it declared itself against Megales?He had a vague recollection of the name, and he could have heard it onlythrough his friend.
"Was Juan Valdez a member of the party that took the rifles fromLieutenant Chaves and his escort?"
Bucky laughed out his contempt.
"Speak, sir," broke in Chaves. "Answer the governor, you dog."
"If I speak, it will be to tell you what a cur I think you."
Chaves flushed angrily and laid a hand on his revolver. "Who are youthat play dice with death, like a fool?"
"My name, seh, is Bucky O'Connor."
At the words a certain fear, followed by a look of triumph, passed overthe face of Chaves. It was as if he had had an unpleasant shock that hadinstantly proved groundless. Bucky did not at the time understand it.
"Why don't you shoot? It's about your size, you pinhead, to kill anunarmed man."
"Tell all you know and I promise you your life." It was Megales whospoke.
"I'll tell you nothing, except that I'm Bucky O'Connor, of the ArizonaRangers. Chew on that a while, governor, and see how it tastes. Kill me,and Uncle Sam is liable to ask mighty loud whyfor; not because I'm sucha mighty big toad in the puddle, but because any man that stands underthat flag has back of him the biggest, best, and gamest country on God'sgreen footstool." Bucky spoke in English this time, straight as he couldsend it.
"In that case, I think sentence may now be pronounced, general."
"I warn you that the United States will exact vengeance for my death."
"Indeed!" Politely the governor smiled at him with a malice almostdevilish. "If so, it will be after you are dead, Senor Bucky O'Connor,of the Arizona Rangers."
Colonel Onate leaned forward and whispered something to General Carlo,who shook his head and frowned. Presently the black head of Chavesjoined them, and the three were in excited discussion. Arms waved likesignals, as is usual among the Latin races who talk with their handsand expressive shrugs of the shoulders. Outvoted by two to one, Onateappealed to the governor, who came up and listened, frowning, to bothsides of the debate. In their excitement the voices raised, and to Buckycame snatches of phrases that told him his life hung in the balance.Carlo and Chaves were for having him executed out of hand, at latest, bysunset. The latter was especially vindictive. Indeed, it seemed tothe ranger that ever since he had mentioned his name this man had sethimself more malevolently to compass his death. Onate maintained, on theother hand, that their prisoner was worth more to them alive than dead.There was a chance that he might weaken before morning and tell secrets.At worst they would still have his life as a card to hold in case ofneed over the head of the rebels. If it should turn out that this wasnot needed, he could be executed in the morning as well as to-night.
It may be conceived with what anxiety Bucky listened to the whisperedconversation and waited for the decision of the governor. He was a gameman, noted even in a country famous for its courageous citizens, but hefelt strangely weak now as he waited with that leather-crusted face ofhis bereft of all expression.
"Give him till morning to weaken. If he still stays obstinate, hanghim in the dawn," decided the governor, his beady eyes fixed on theprisoner.
Not a flicker of the eyelid betrayed the Arizonian's emotion, but foran instant the world swam dizzily before him. Safe till morning! Beforethen a hundred chances might change the current of the game in hisfavor. How brightly the sunshine flooded the room! What a gloriousworld it was, after all! Through the open window poured the rich,full-throated song of a meadow lark, and the burden of its blithe songwas, "How good is this life the mere living."