CHAPTER XIV.
AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE OF THE READER.
After the fight, when Black Cat's Apaches had retired on one side, andUnicorn's Comanches on the other, each detachment proceeding in thedirection of the village, and the hunters were alone on the prairie,Valentine perceived White Gazelle leaning pensively against a tree, andabsently holding the bridle of her horse, which was nibbling the grass.The hunter understood that he and his comrades owed a reparation to thisgirl, whose incomprehensible devotion had been so useful to them duringthe moving incidents of the tragedy which had just ended. He thereforewent up to her, and bowing courteously, said in a gentle voice--
"Why remain thus aloof? Your place is by our side; hobble your horsewith ours, and come to our fireside."
White Gazelle blushed with pleasure at Valentine's words, but after amoment's reflection, she shook her head, and gave him a sorrowful look,as she said:
"Thanks, caballero, for the offer you deign to make me, but I cannotaccept it; if you and your friends are generous enough to forget allthat there was reprehensible in my conduct towards you, my memory isless complaisant; I must, I will requite by other services moreeffectual than those I have rendered you today, the faults I havecommitted."
"Madam," the hunter replied, "the feelings you express do you only moreharm in our eyes; hence do not refuse our invitation. As you know, wehave no right to be very strict on the prairie; it is rare to meetpersons who repair so nobly as you have done any error they may commit."
"Do not press me, caballero, for my resolve is unchangeable," she saidwith an effort, as she looked in the direction of Don Pablo. "I mustdepart, leave you at once, so permit me to do so."
Valentine bowed.
"Your wish is to me an order," he said; "you are free; I only desired toexpress my gratitude to you."
"Alas! We have done nothing as yet, since our most cruel enemy, RedCedar, has escaped."
"What?" the hunter asked in astonishment; "is Red Cedar your enemy?"
"A mortal one," she said, with an expression of terrible hatred. "Oh! Ican understand that you, who have hitherto seen me aid him in hisdesigns, cannot conceive such a change. Listen: at the period when Itried to serve that villain, I only believed him to be one of thebandits so common in the Far West."
"While now?"
"Now," she went on, "I know something I was ignorant of then, and havea terrible account to settle with him."
"Far from me be any wish to pry into your secrets; still, permit me tomake one observation."
"Pray do so."
"Red Cedar is no common enemy--one of those men who can be easilyovercome. You know that as well as I do, I think?"
"Yes, what then?"
"Would you hope to succeed in what men like myself and my friends, andaided by numerous warriors, could not achieve?"
White Gazelle smiled.
"Perhaps so," she said; "I too have allies, and I will tell you who theyare, if you wish to know, caballero."
"Pray tell me, for really your calmness and confidence startle me."
"Thanks, caballero, for the interest you feel for me; the first ally onwhom I build is yourself."
"That is true," the hunter said with a bow; "if my feelings toward youdid not promote the alliance, my duty and self-interest would commandit. And can you tell me the name of the other?"
"Certainly, the more so as you know him: the other is Bloodson."
Valentine gave a start of surprise, which he immediately checked.
"Pardon me," he said politely; "but you really have the privilege ofsurprising me inordinately."
"How so, caballero?"
"Because I fancied that Bloodson was one of your most bitter enemies."
"He was so," she said, with a smile.
"And now?"
"Now, he is my dearest friend."
"This goes beyond me. And when was this extraordinary change effected?"
"Since the day," the girl cleverly replied, "when Red Cedar, instead ofbeing my friend, suddenly became my enemy."
Valentine let his arms fall, like a man who gives up in despairattempting to solve a riddle.
"I do not understand you," he said.
"You will soon do so," she answered.
She bounded into her saddle, and leaning over to Valentine said--
"Good bye, caballero; I am going to join Bloodson; we shall meet againsoon."
She dug her spurs into her horse's flanks, waved her hand once again,and soon disappeared in a cloud of dust.
Valentine thoughtfully rejoined his friends.
"Well?" Don Miguel said.
"Well!" he replied, "that woman is the most extraordinary creature Iever met."
On getting out of sight of the hunters, White Gazelle checked her horse,and let it assume a pace better suited for those precautions everytraveller must take on the prairie. The girl was happy at this moment;she had succeeded not only in saving the man she loved from a terribledanger, but had also restored her character in Valentine's sight. RedCedar, it was true, had escaped; but this time the lesson had been rude,and the bandit, everywhere tracked like a wild beast, must speedily fallinto the hands of those who had an interest in killing him.
She rode along carelessly, admiring the calmness of the prairie and theplay of the sunshine on the foliage. Never had the desert appeared toher so glorious--never had greater tranquillity reigned in her mind. Thesun, now declining, exaggerated the shadow thrown by the tall trees; thebirds, hidden beneath the dense verdure, were singing their evening hymnto the Almighty; when she fancied she saw a man half reclining on theslope of one of those numberless ditches dug by the heavy winter rain.This man, by whose side a horse was standing, was apparently absorbed inan occupation which the girl could not understand, but which puzzled herextremely. Although she rode up quickly, the individual did not puthimself out of the way, but calmly continued his incomprehensible task.
At length she was opposite him, and could not restrain a cry ofastonishment as she stopped to look at him. The man was playing alone at_monte_ (the Mexican lansquenet) with a pack of greasy cards. Thisappeared to her so extraordinary that she burst into a loud laugh, andat the sound the man raised his head.
"Aha!" he said, not appearing at all surprised, "I felt certain someonewould arrive; that is infallible in this blessed land."
"Nonsense," the girl said, with a laugh; "do you believe it?"
"_Canarios!_ I am sure of it," the other answered; "and you are a proofof it, since here you are."
"Explain yourself, my master, I beg, for I confess that I do notunderstand you the least in the world."
"I thought so," the stranger said, with a toss of his head, "but for allthat, I stick to my assertion."
"Very well; but be good enough to explain yourself more clearly."
"Nothing is easier, senor caballero. I come from Jalapa, a town you mustknow."
"Yes, through the medicinal productions that owe their name to it."
"Very good," the other said, with a laugh; "but that does not preventJalapa being a very nice town."
"On the contrary; but go on."
"I will. You will be aware then that we have a proverb at Jalapa."
"May be so; in fact, there is nothing surprising about the fact."
"True again; but you do not know the proverb, eh?"
"No, I am waiting for you to quote it."
"Here it is; 'If you wish for your company, deal the cards.'"
"I do not understand."
"Why, nothing is easier, as you shall see."
"I wish for nothing better," the girl said, who was extraordinary amusedby this conversation.
The stranger rose, placed the cards in his pocket with the respect everyprofessional gambler shews to this operation, and, carelessly leaning onthe neck of the girl's horse, he said:
"Owing to reasons too long to narrate, I find myself alone, lost in thisimmense prairie which I do not know, I an honest inhabitant of towns,not at all conversant with the
manners and habits of the desert, andconsequently exposed to die of hunger."
"Pardon me for interrupting you; I would merely observe that as we aresome three hundred miles from the nearest town, you, the civilised man,must have been wandering about the desert for a considerable length oftime."
"That is true: what you say could not be more correct, comrade, but thatresults from what I mentioned just now, and which would take too long totell you."
"Very good; go on."
"Well, finding myself lost, I remembered the proverb of my country, andtaking the cards from my _alforjas_, though I was alone, I beganplaying, feeling certain that an adversary would soon arrive, not totake a hand, but to get me out of my trouble."
White Gazelle suddenly reassumed her seriousness, and drew herself up inher saddle.
"You have won the game," she said; "for, as you see, Don Andres Garote,I have come."
On hearing his name pronounced, the ranchero, for it was really our oldacquaintance, suddenly raised his head, and looked the speaker in theface.
"Who are you, then," he said, "who know me so well, and yet I do notremember ever having met you?"
"Come, come," the girl said with a laugh, "your memory is short, master:what, do you not remember White Gazelle?"
At this name the ranchero started back.
"Oh, I am a fool: it is true; but I was so far from supposing--pardonme, senorita."
"How is it," White Gazelle interrupted him, "that you have thus desertedRed Cedar?"
"Caramba!" the ranchero exclaimed; "say that Red Cedar has deserted me;but it is not that which troubles me; I have an old grudge againstanother of my comrades."
"Ah?"
"Yes, and I should like to avenge myself, the more so, because Ibelieve that I have the means in my hands at this moment."
"And who is that friend?"
"You know him as well as I do, senorita?"
"That is possible; but, unless his name be a secret--"
"Oh, no," the ranchero quickly interrupted her, "the man I mean is FrayAmbrosio."
The girl, at this name, began to take a great interest in theconversation.
"Fray Ambrosio!" she said, "What charge have you to bring against thatworthy man?"
The ranchero looked the girl in the face to see if she were speakingseriously; but White Gazelle's face was cold and stern; he tossed hishead.
"It is an account between him and me," he said, "which heaven willdecide."
"Very good; I ask for no explanation, but, as your affairs interest mevery slightly, and I have important matters of my own to attend to, youwill permit me to retire."
"Why so?" the ranchero asked quickly; "we are comfortable together, thenwhy should we separate?"
"Because, in all probability, we are not going the same road."
"Who knows, Nina, whether we are not destined to travel in company sinceI have met you?"
"I am not of that opinion. I am about to join a man whom I fancy youwould not at all like to meet face to face."
"I don't know, Nina," the ranchero answered, with considerableanimation; "I want to revenge myself on that accursed monk called FrayAmbrosio; I am too weak to do so by myself, or, to speak more correctly,too great a coward."
"Very good," the girl exclaimed, with a smile; "then how will you managethat your vengeance does not slip from you?"
"Oh, very simply; I know a man in the desert who detests him mortally,and would give a great deal to have sufficient proofs against him, for,unfortunately, that man has the failing of being honest."
"Indeed."
"Yes, what would you have? No man is perfect."
"And who is this man?"
"Oh, you never heard of him, Nina."
"How do you know? At any rate you can tell me his name."
"As you please; he is called Bloodson."
"Bloodson?" she exclaimed, with a start of surprise.
"Yes--do you know him?"
"Slightly; but go on."
"That is all; I am looking for this man."
"And you have, you say, in your possession the means of destroying FrayAmbrosio?"
"I believe so."
"What makes you suppose it?"
The ranchero shrugged his shoulders significantly; White Gazelle gavehim one of those profound glances which read the heart.
"Listen," she said to him, as she laid her hand on his shoulder; "I canhelp you to find the man you seek."
"Bloodson?"
"Yes."
"Are you speaking seriously?" the gambusino asked, with a start ofsurprise.
"I could not be more serious; still, I must be sure that your statementis true."
Andres Garote looked at her.
"Do you also owe Fray Ambrosio a grudge?" he asked her.
"That does not concern you," she answered; "we are not talking ofmyself, but of you. Have you these proofs? Yes, or no."
"I have them."
"Truly?"
"On my honour."
"Follow me, then, and within two hours you shall see Bloodson."
The ranchero quivered, and a smile of joy lit up his bronzed countenanceas he leaped on his horse.
"Let us be off," he said.
In the meanwhile, day had surrendered to night, the sun had long beenset, and an immense number of stars studded the heavenly vault; thetravellers rode on silently side by side.
"Shall we soon arrive?" Andres Garote asked.
White Gazelle stretched out her arm in the direction they werefollowing, and pointed at a light flashing a short distance off throughthe trees.
"There it is," she said.