CHAPTER XXVI
THE PERSECUTED.
By the dim light which the moon diffused through the thick branchesof the trees, a man wandered along the forest trails slowly andcautiously. From time to time, as if to find out where he was,he whistled a particular melody, to which another in the distanceresponded with the same air. The man listened attentively, andafterward proceeded in the direction of the distant sound.
Finally, passing through the thousand difficulties which a virginforest offers in the night time, he came to a small clearing. Highrocks, crowned with trees, surrounded the place, forming a sort ofruined amphitheatre. Recently cut trees, with their charred trunksand enormous rocks, which Nature had covered with her mantle of greenfoliage, filled the middle of the open space.
Scarcely had the unknown man arrived, when another figure quicklyappeared from behind one of the large rocks, advanced and drewa revolver.
"Who are you?" he asked in Tagalog and, in an imperious voice, as hecocked the hammer of his weapon.
"Is old Pablo among you?" asked the first calmly, without replyingto the question or becoming intimidated.
"Do you refer to the Captain? Yes, he is."
"Tell him, then, that Elias is looking for him here," said the man.
"Are you Elias?" asked the other with a certain respect, andapproaching him without lowering his revolver. "Then come."
Elias followed him.
They penetrated into a kind of cavern, which was hollowed out in thedepths of the earth. The guide, who knew the way, told the pilot whenhe ought to get down, stoop or crawl. However, it was not long beforethey came to a sala or room in the cave, miserably illuminated by pitchtorches, and occupied by twelve or fifteen armed men. The faces ofthe men were dirty and their clothes ragged; some were sitting down,others lying down, conversing among themselves in a low tone. Leaninghis elbows on a stone which served as a table and contemplatingthoughtfully the lamp, which was shedding very little light for theamount of smoke it made, sat an old man. His countenance was sad,and his head wrapped in a bloody rag. If we had not known that theplace was a cave of tulisanes, we would have said, on reading thedesperation on the face of the old man, that it was the Tower ofHunger on the eve when Ugolino devoured his sons.
At the arrival of Elias and the guide, the men were about to arise,but, at a signal from the guide, they were quieted and contentedthemselves with examining the pilot, who was entirely unarmed.
The old man turned his head slowly and his eyes met the sturdyfigure of Elias. The latter, in turn, with his head uncovered, fullof sadness and interest, gazed upon the old man.
"Is it you?" asked the old man, his face brightening a little as herecognized the youth.
"How badly off you are!" murmured Elias, in an half-intelligible toneof voice.
The old man bowed in silence, made a sign to the men, who then aroseand left, not, however, without first directing glances at the pilot,measuring his stature and muscles.
"Yes!" said the old man to Elias as soon as they found themselvesalone. "Six months ago, I gave you refuge in my house. Then, it wasI who sympathized with you; now, fortune has changed and it is youwho pity me. But sit down, and tell me how you came here."
"Some fifteen days ago they told me of your misfortune," replied theyoung man slowly, and in a low voice, looking toward the light. "Iat once set out on the road and I have been searching for you frommountain to mountain. I have travelled over the greater part oftwo provinces.
"Rather than spill innocent blood," said Pablo, "I have had to flee. Myenemies are afraid to show themselves and shield themselves behindsome unhappy fellows who have never done me the slightest injury."
Then, after a short pause, of which Elias took advantage to read thethoughts in that melancholy countenance, he replied:
"I have come to make a proposition. Having searched in vain for somemember of the family which has caused me my misfortunes, I have decidedto leave the province where I am living and to emigrate to the northand live there among the heathen and independent tribes. Do you wantto leave this life and go with me? I will be your son, since you havelost those whom you had, and I, who have no family, will take you asmy father."
The old man shook his head and said:
"At my age, when a person makes a desperate resolution it is becausethere is no other course open. A man who, like me has passed his youthand the best years of his life working for his own future and for thefuture of his sons, a man who has been submissive to all the wishesof his superiors, who has discharged conscientiously all his duties,suffered everything in order to live in peace and in tranquillity;when such a man, whose blood has been chilled by Time, renounces allhis past and all his future, on the very edge of his grave--when aman does this, it is because he has decided with mature judgment thatpeace does not exist, and that there is no Supreme Good. What useis there in living a few miserable days in a foreign land? I had twosons, a daughter, a fireside, a fortune. I enjoyed consideration andesteem. Now I am like a tree that has been stripped of its branches;a wandering fugitive, hunted like a wild beast in the forest, andall--why? Because a man dishonored my daughter, because her brotherswanted to make that man account for his infamous deed, and because thatman is placed above all others with a title of Minister of God. Butdespite it all, I, a father, I, dishonored in my old age, pardoned theinjury, for I was indulgent with the passions of youth and the weaknessof the flesh, and, as the evil was irreparable, I wanted to save whatstill remained to me. But the criminal, afraid that vengeance was nearat hand, sought the destruction of my sons. What did he do? You donot know? Do you know how they feigned that there had been a robberyin the convent and how one of my sons figured among the accused? Theother son they could not include because he was away. Do you know thetortures to which they were submitted? You know them because they arelike those in other towns. I saw my son hung by the hair, I heard hiscries, I heard him call me, and, coward that I was, and, accustomed topeace, I was not brave enough to kill or be killed. Do you know thatthe robbery was not proved, that it was seen that it was a calumny,that the curate was transferred to another town and that my son diedfrom the result of his tortures? The other boy, who was still leftfor me, was not a coward like his father. The executioner was afraidthat this son would take revenge for the death of his brother and so,under pretense of his not having a cedula, [19] which for the momenthad been forgotten, he was imprisoned by the Civil Guard, maltreated,irritated and provoked by force and injuries until he was driven tosuicide. And I have survived after such a disgrace. But, if I had notthe courage of a father to defend his sons, I have left a heart totake vengeance and I shall be revenged! The discontented are unitingunder my command, my enemies increase my camp, and on that day whenI consider myself strong enough I will go down into the plain andextinguish in fire both my vengeance and my own existence. And thatday will come or there is no God!"
The old man rose to his feet deeply agitated. With his eyes sparklinglike fire and, in a hollow voice, he added, tearing his long hair:
"Curses upon me, curses upon me for having restrained the avenginghand of my sons. I have assassinated them! Had I allowed them to killthe criminal; had I had less faith in the justice of God and of men,I would now have my sons; perhaps they would have been fugitives,but I would have them and they would not have died in torture. Iwas not born to be a father! For that reason, I haven't them withme now! Curses upon me for not having learned, with all my years,in what age we live! But in blood and fire, and in my own death,I will know how to take vengeance for them!"
The unfortunate father, in the paroxysm of his grief, had taken offthe bandage from his head, opening up a wound which he had on theforehead and from which the blood oozed out.
"I respect your grief," replied Elias, "and I understand your desirefor vengeance. I, too, am like you, but, for fear of harming aninnocent one, I prefer to forget my misfortunes."
"You can forget them because you are young, and because you havenot lost your son, have no
t lost your last hope! But, I assure you,I will not harm an innocent person. Do you see that wound? I allowedmyself to receive that in order not to kill a poor cuaderillero whowas fulfilling his duty."
"But see!" said Elias, after a moment's silence. "See what frightfuldestruction you will bring upon our unfortunate country. If you seekrevenge by your own hand your enemies will retaliate, not againstyou, not against those who are armed, but against the people, whoare always accused, and then how many more injustices!"
"Let the people learn to defend themselves. Let each learn to defendhimself."
"You know that that is impossible. Senor, I have known you in othertimes when you were happy, then you gave me wise advice. Will youpermit me...?"
The old man crossed his arms and seemed to meditate upon what he wasgoing to say.
"Senor," continued Elias, measuring his words well, "I have had thefortune to be of service to a young man, rich, of good heart, noble,and a lover of his country's welfare. They say that this young manhas friends in Madrid. I do not know it, but I can positively assureyou that he is a friend of the Governor General. What do you say ifwe make him the bearer of the people's complaints, if we can interesthim in the cause of the unhappy?"
The old man shook his head.
"Do you say that he is a rich man? The rich think of nothing but toincrease their riches. Pride and pomp blind them, and, since they aregenerally well off, especially if they have powerful friends, noneof them ever troubles himself about the unfortunates. I know it all,for I was once rich myself."
"But the man of whom I am speaking does not seem to be like theothers. He is a son who would not allow the memory of his father to bedishonored. He is a young man who thinks about the future--thinks ofa good future for his sons, for he may in a short time have a familyof his own."
"Then he is a man who is going to be happy. Our cause is not a causefor happy men."
"But it is a cause for men of good hearts."
"That may be," replied the old man sitting down. "Suppose that heconsented to carry our complaints to the Governor General. Supposethat he finds in the court those who will argue for us. Do you thinkwe will get justice?"
"Let us try it before resorting to bloody measures," repliedElias. "It must seem strange to you that I, another unfortunate,young, robust--that I should propose to you old and weak--peacefulmeasures. But it is because I have seen so many miseries causedby us similar to those caused by tyrants. The unarmed is the onewho suffers."
"And if we do not accomplish anything?"
"Something will be accomplished, believe me! Not all who govern areunjust. And if we do not accomplish anything, if our voice is notlistened to, if the man turns a deaf ear to the grief of his fellowmen, then we will put ourselves under your orders."
The old man, full of enthusiasm, embraced the young man.
"I accept your proposition, Elias. I know that you will keep yourword. You come to me and I will help you take vengeance for yourfather. You will help me to take vengeance for my sons--my sons whowere like you!"
"In the meantime, Senor, avoid all violent measures."
"You can expound the complaints of the people. You certainly knowthem. When will we know the answer?"
"Within four days send a man to meet me on the beach at San Diegoand I will tell him what the person in whom I have hope says. If heaccepts, we will get justice, and if he does not accept, I will bethe first to fall in the fight which we will begin."
"Elias will not die. Elias will be chief, when Captain Pablo falls,satisfied in his revenge," said the old man.