CHAPTER XVIII
LANZI.
Carmela watched for a long time the Jaguar's irregular ride acrosscountry, and when he at length disappeared in the distance, in a clumpof pine trees, she sadly bowed her head and re-entered the venta slowlyand pensively.
"He hates him," she murmured, in a low, agitated voice; "he hates him.Will he be willing to save him?"
She fell into an equipal, and for some minutes remained plunged in adeep reverie.
At last she raised her head; a feverish flush covered her face, and hersoft eyes seemed to emit flashes.
"I will save him!" she exclaimed, with supreme resolution.
After this exclamation she rose, and walking hurriedly across the room,opened the door leading into the corral.
"Lanzi?" she cried.
"Nina?" the half-breed replied, who was engaged at this moment in givingtheir alfalfa to two valuable horses belonging to the young lady, whichwere under his special charge.
"Come here."
"I will be with you in a moment."
Five minutes later at the most he appeared in the doorway.
"What do you want, senorita?" he said, with that calm obsequiousnesshabitual to servants who are spoiled by their masters; "I am very busyat this moment."
"That is possible, my good Lanzi," she answered softly; "but what I haveto say to you admits of no delay."
"Oh, oh," he said, in a slightly suppressed tone, "what is the matter,then?"
"Nothing very extraordinary, my good man; everything in the venta isregular as usual. But I have a service to ask of you."
"Speak, senorita; you know that I am devoted to you."
"It is growing late, and it is probable that no traveller will arrive atthe venta to-day."
The half-breed raised his head, and mentally calculated the position ofthe sun.
"I do not believe that any travellers will arrive to-day," he at lengthsaid, "for it is nearly four o'clock; still, they might come for allthat."
"Nothing leads to the supposition."
"Nothing, indeed, senorita."
"Well, I wish you to shut up the venta."
"Shut up the venta! What for?"
"I will tell you."
"Is it really very important?"
"Very."
"Speak, then, Nina, I am all ears."
The maiden gave the half-breed, who was standing in front of her, a longand searching glance, leant her elbow gracefully on the table, and said,quietly--
"I am anxious, Lanzi."
"Anxious? What about?"
"At my father's long absence."
"Why, he was here hardly four days back."
"He never left me alone so long before."
"Still," the half-breed remarked, scratching his head with anembarrassed air--
"In a word," she interrupted him, resolutely, "I am anxious about myfather, and wish to see him. You will close the venta, saddle thehorses, and we will go to the Larch-tree hacienda; it is not far, and weshall be back in four or five hours."
"That will make it very late."
"The greater reason to start at once."
"Still--"
"No remarks; do as I order you--I insist on it."
The half-breed bowed without replying, for he knew that when his youngmistress spoke thus he must obey.
The maiden walked forward a step, laid her white and delicate hand onthe half-breed's shoulder, and putting her lovely face close to his, sheadded, with a gentle smile which made the poor fellow start with joy--
"Do not be vexed at my whim, my kind Lanzi, but I am suffering."
"Be vexed with you, Nina!" the half-breed answered with a significantshrug of his shoulders; "Why, do you not know that I would go into thefire for you? Much more, then, would I satisfy your slightest wish."
He then began carefully barricading the doors and windows of the venta,after which he proceeded to the corral to saddle the horses, whileCarmela, suffering from nervous impatience, changed her attire for otherclothes more convenient for the journey she designed, for she haddeceived the old servant. It was not Tranquil she wished to find.
But Heaven had decreed that the plan she revolved in her pretty headshould not succeed.
At the moment when she re-entered the sitting-room, fully dressed andready to start, Lanzi appeared in the doorway of the corral with extremeagitation displayed in his face.
Carmela ran up to him eagerly, fancying that he had hurt himself.
"What is the matter with you?" she asked him, kindly.
"We are lost!" he replied, in a hollow voice, as he looked about him interror.
"Lost!" she exclaimed, turning pallid as a corpse; "What do you mean?"
The half-breed laid a finger on his lip to command silence, made her asign to follow him, and glided noiselessly into the corral.
Carmela followed him.
The corral was enclosed with a plank wall about six feet high; Lanziwent up to a spot where a wide cleft allowed a prospect of the plain.
"Look," he said to his mistress.
The girl obeyed, and laid her face against the plank.
Night was beginning to fall, and a denser shadow was each momentinvading the plain. Still, the obscurity was not great enough to preventCarmela distinguishing, about two hundred yards away, a numerous partyof horsemen coming at full speed in the direction of the venta.
A glance sufficed the maiden to perceive that these horsemen were IndiosBravos.
The warriors, more than fifty in number, were in their full war paint;and as they bent over the necks of their horses, which were as untamableas themselves, they brandished their long lances over their heads withan air of defiance.
"These are Apaches," Carmela exclaimed, as she recoiled in terror. "Howcomes it that they have reached this place before we are warned of theirarrival?"
The half-breed shook his head sadly.
"In a few minutes they will be here," he said; "what is to be done?"
"Defend ourselves!" the maiden replied, bravely; "They do not appear tohave fire-arms. Behind the walls of our house we could easily hold outagainst them till daybreak."
"And then?" the half-breed asked, doubtfully.
"Then," she answered with exaltation, "Heaven will come to our aid."
"Amen!" the half-breed answered, less convinced than ever of thepossibility of such a miracle.
"Make haste and bring down into the inn-room all the fire-arms we have;perhaps the heathens will fall back if they find themselves hotlyreceived: and, after all, who knows whether they will attack us?"
"Hum! the demons are crafty, and know perfectly well how many personsdwell in this house. Do not expect that they will withdraw till theyhave carried it by storm."
"Well," she exclaimed, resolutely, "let us trust to Heaven; we shall diebravely fighting, instead of letting ourselves be captured like cowards,and becoming the slaves of those heartless and merciless villains."
"Be it so, then," the half-breed answered, electrified by his mistress'senthusiastic words, "we will fight. You know, senorita, that a combatdoes not terrify me. The pagans had better look out, for unless theytake care, I may play them a trick they will remember for a long time."
This conversation broke off here for the present, owing to the necessitythe speakers were under of preparing their means of defence, which theydid with a speed and intelligence which proved that this was not thefirst time they found themselves in so critical a position.
The reader must not feel surprised at the virile heroism Carmeladisplayed under the present circumstances. On the border, where personsare incessantly exposed to the incursions of Indians and marauders ofevery description, the women fight by the side of the men, andforgetting the weakness of their sex, they can, on occasion, provethemselves as brave as their husbands and brothers.
Carmela was not mistaken, it was really a band of Indian Bravos comingup at a gallop, who soon reached the house, and completely surroundedit.
Usually the Indians in th
eir expeditions proceed with extreme prudence,never showing themselves openly, and only advancing with greatcircumspection. This time it was easy to see that they believedthemselves certain of success, and were perfectly well aware that theventa was stripped of its defenders.
On coming within twenty yards of the venta they stopped, dismounted, andseemed to be consulting for a moment.
Lanzi had profited by these few moments of respite to pile on the tableall the weapons in the house, consisting of about a dozen rifles.
Although the doors and windows were barred, it was easy to follow themovements of the enemy through loopholes made at regular distances.
Carmela, armed with a rifle, had intrepidly stationed herself before thedoor, while the half-breed walked up and down anxiously, going out andcoming in again, and apparently giving the last touch to an importantand mysterious job.
"There," he said, a moment later, "that is all right; lay that rifle onthe table again, senorita; we can only conquer those demons bystratagem, not by force, so leave me to act."
"What is your plan?"
"You will see. I have sawn two planks out of the enclosure of thecorral; so soon as you hear me open the door, set off at full speed."
"But you?"
"Do not trouble yourself about me, but give your horse the spurs."
"I will not abandon you."
"Nonsense! No folly of that sort; I am old, my life only hangs by athread, but yours is precious and must be saved; let me alone, I tellyou."
"No, unless you tell me."
"I will tell you nothing. You will find Tranquil at the ford of theVenado; not a word more."
"Ah, that is it," she exclaimed; "well, I swear that I will not stirfrom your side, whatever may happen."
"You are mad; have I not told you I wished to play the Indians a famoustrick?"
"Indeed!"
"Well, you will see. As, however, I fear some imprudence on your part, Iwish to see you start before me, that is all."
"Are you speaking the truth?"
"Of course I am. In five minutes I shall have joined you again."
"Do you promise me, then?"
"Do you fancy I should find any fun in remaining here?"
"What do you intend doing?"
"Here are the Indians; begone, and do not forget to start at full gallopso soon as I open the door of the venta, and ride in the direction ofthe Venado ford."
"But I expect--"
"Begone, begone," he interrupted her quickly, as he pushed her towardthe corral, "it is all settled."
The maiden unwillingly obeyed: but at this moment loud blows against theshutters were audible, and the half-breed profited by this demonstrationof the Indians to close the door leading into the corral.
"I swore to Tranquil to protect her, whatever might happen," hemuttered, "and I can only save her by desires for her. Well, I will die:but, Capa de Dios, I will have a fine funeral."
Fresh blows were dealt at the shutters, but with such violence that itwas easy to see that they would be soon broken in.
"Who's there?" the half-breed asked quietly.
"Gente de paz," was the reply from without.
"Hum!" Lanzi said, "for peaceful people you have a singular way ofannouncing your presence."
"Open, open!" the voice outside repeated.
"I am very ready to do so, but what proves to me that you do not meanharm?"
"Open, or we will break down the door."
And the blows were renewed.
"Oh, oh," the half-breed said, "you are strong in the arms; do nottrouble yourself further, I am going to open."
The blows ceased.
The half-breed unbarred the door, and opened it.
The Indians rushed into the interior with yells and howls of joy.
Lanzi slipped on one side to let them pass; he gave a start of joy onhearing a horse set out at full gallop.
The Indians paid no attention to this incident.
"Drink!" they shouted.
"What would you like to have?" the half-breed asked, seeking to gaintime.
"Fire-water!" they yelled.
Lanzi hastened to serve them, and the orgy began.
Knowing they had nothing to fear from the inhabitants of the venta, theRedskins had rushed in so soon as the door was opened, without takingthe precaution to post sentries; this negligence, on which Lanzicalculated, gave Carmela the opportunity of escaping unseen andundisturbed.
The Indians, and especially the Apaches, have a frenzied passion forstrong liquors; the Comanches alone are teetotallers. Hitherto, theyhave succeeded in refraining from that mournful tendency tointoxication, which decimates and brutalizes their brothers.
Lanzi followed with a cunning look the evolutions of the Redskins, whocrowded round the tables, drank deeply, and emptied the botas placedbefore them; their eyes were beginning to sparkle, their features wereanimated; they spoke loudly all at once, no longer knowing what theysaid, and only thinking about becoming intoxicated.
Suddenly the half-breed felt a hand laid on his shoulder.
He turned.
An Indian was standing with folded arms in front of him.
"What do you want?" he asked him.
"Blue-fox is a Chief," the Indian answered, "and has to speak with thePaleface."
"Is not Blue-fox satisfied with the way in which I have received him andhis companions?"
"It is not that; the warriors are drinking, and the Chief wantssomething else."
"Ah," the half-breed said, "I am vexed, for I have given you all I had."
"No," the Indian replied drily.
"How so?"
"Where is the golden-haired girl?"
"I do not understand you, Chief," the half-breed said; on the contrary,understanding perfectly well.
The Indian smiled.
"The Paleface will look at Blue-fox," he said, "and will then see thathe is a Chief, and not a child who can be put off with falsehoods. Whathas become of the girl with the golden hair, who lives here with mybrother?"
"The person of whom you speak, if you mean the young lady to whom thishouse belongs--"
"Yes."
"Well! she is not here."
The Chief gave him a searching glance.
"The Paleface lies," he said.
"Look for her."
"She was here an hour ago."
"That is possible."
"Where is she?"
"Look."
"The Paleface is a dog whose scalp I will raise."
"Much good may it do you," the half-breed answered with a grin.
Unfortunately, while uttering these words, Lanzi gave a triumphantglance in the direction of the corral; the Chief caught it, rushed tothe door, and uttered a yell of disappointment on seeing the hole in thepalisade; the truth flashed upon him.
"Dog!" he yelled, and drawing his scalping knife, he hurled it furiouslyat his enemy.
But the latter, who was watching him, dodged the missile, which struckinto the wall a few inches from his head.
Lanzi leaped over the bar, and rushed at Blue-fox.
The Indians rose tumultuously, and seizing their arms, bounded like wildbeasts in pursuit of the half-breed.
The latter, on reaching the door of the corral, turned, fired hispistols among the crowd, leapt on his horse, and burying his spurs inits flanks, forced it to leap through the breach.
At the same moment a horrible noise was heard behind him, the earthtrembled, and a confused mass of stones, beams, and fragments of everydescription fell around the rider and his horse, which was maddened withterror.
The Venta del Potrero was blown into the air, burying beneath its ruinsthe Apaches who had invaded it.
Such was the trick Lanzi had promised himself to play on the Indians.
We can now understand why he had insisted on Carmela setting off at fullspeed.
By a singular piece of good fortune, neither the half-breed nor hishorse was wounded; the mustang, with foaming nostrils, flew over thep
rairie as if winged, incessantly urged on by its rider, who excited itwith spur and force, for he fancied he could hear behind him the gallopof another horse in pursuit.
Unluckily the night was too dark for him to assure himself whether hewere mistaken.