CHAPTER X: AN ADVENTURE IN THE MOUNTAINS
"Mr. Stillwell," the earl said, a few days after his arrival atCastillon, "will you take twenty dragoons and ride out to the village ofEstrella? The district round it is extremely hostile, and they preventsupplies being brought in from that direction. Get hold of the principalmen in the place, and tell them that if I hear any more complaints ofhostility in that neighborhood I will send out a regiment of horse,burn their village, and ravage all the country. I don't think you needapprehend any opposition; but of course you will keep a good lookout."
"Am I to return tonight, sir?"
"Let that depend upon your reception. If the inhabitants show a fairlygood disposition, or if you see that at any rate there is a considerablesection of the population well disposed to the cause, stay there forthe night, and in the morning make a wide circuit through the districtbefore returning. If you perceive a strong hostile feeling it were bestnot to sleep there; with so small a force you would be liable to a nightattack."
Twenty minutes later Jack rode off with his party, having first obtaineddirections from the natives as to the best road to Estrella. The villagewas but some fifteen miles off, and lay in the center of a fertiledistrict on the other side of a range of lofty hills. The road they weretraversing ran through the hills by a narrow and very steep valley.
"This would be a nasty place to be attacked," Jack said to the sergeant,who was riding just behind him.
"It would, indeed, sir; and if they were to set some of those stonesarolling they would soon knock our horses off their legs."
A mile or two further on the road again descended and the valley openedto a fertile country. Another half hour's sharp riding brought them intoEstrella. Their coming had probably been signaled, for the inhabitantsevinced no sudden alarm as the little troop rode along the principalstreet. The women stood at the doors of the houses to look at them, themen were gathered in little knots at the corners; but all were unarmed,and Jack saw at once that there was no intention of offering resistance.He alighted at the door of the village inn, and in a few minutes two orthree of the chief men in the village presented themselves.
"The English general," Jack said, "has heard that the people of yourneighborhood are hostile, and that those who would pass through withanimals and stores for the army are prevented from doing so. He bids mesay that he does not wish to war with the people of this country so longas they are peaceful. Those who take up arms he will meet with arms; butso long as they interfere not with him he makes no inquiry as to whethertheir wishes are for King Charles or Philip of Anjou; but if they evincean active hostility he will be forced to punish them. You know howMarshal Tesse has massacred unarmed citizens whom he deemed hostile, andnone could blame the English general did he carry out reprisals; butit will grieve him to have to do so. He has therefore sent me with thissmall troop to warn you that if the people of this village and districtinterfere in any way with his friends, or evince signs of activehostility, he will send a regiment of horse with orders to burn thevillage to the ground, and to lay all the district bare."
"Your general has been misinformed," the principal man in the placesaid. "There are, it is true, some in the district who hold for Philipof Anjou; but the population are well disposed to King Charles, and thisvillage is ready to furnish any supplies that the English may require.If your honor will give me a list of these I will do my best to havethem in readiness by tomorrow morning, and I trust that you will honorus by stopping here till then."
Jack hesitated; he did not much like the appearance of the man or thetone of humility in which he spoke; still, as he offered to furnishsupplies, he thought it well to accept the same.
"What horses could you let us have?" he asked.
"We could supply ten horses," the man said, "fit for cavalry, fourwagons of grain, and twenty barrels of wine."
"Very well," Jack said; "if these are ready by tomorrow morning I willaccept them as an earnest of your goodwill, and now I require food formy men."
"That shall be ready for them in an hour," the man replied.
Jack now gave orders to the sergeant that the girths to the saddlesshould be loosened, and the horses fastened in readiness for service inthe street close to the inn. Four men were then posted as pickets at thedistance of a quarter of a mile on each side of the village. Corn wasbrought for the horses. The women and children gathered round to gaze atthe foreign soldiers, and Jack was convinced that there was at any rateno intention to effect a surprise while he remained in the village. Inan hour the dinner was served, and there was no reason to complain ofthe quantity or quality of the provisions.
An hour after dinner the troop again mounted and took a detour of somemiles through the district, passing through several other villages, innone of which were the slightest signs of hostility met with.
"Sergeant," Jack said, after they had returned to Estrella, "everythinglooks very quiet and peaceful; but, considering what we have heardof the feeling in this district, it seems to me that it is almost toopeaceful. I can't help feeling somewhat uneasy. When it gets darkdivide the troop into two parties; keep one constantly under arms; placesentries in pairs at each end of the village, and keep a most vigilantwatch. Do not let the others scatter to the quarters the mayor hasprovided; but let all lie down here in the inn ready to turn out at amoment's notice. They are a treacherous lot, these Spaniards, and wecannot be too strictly on our guard."
The night passed, however, without an incident, and in the morning, thefive wagons with grain and wine, and eight horses, were brought in.
Jack, rather ashamed of his suspicions on the previous night, thankedthe mayor warmly. Eight of the troopers took each a led horse. The fourcountrymen in charge of the wagons shouted to their oxen, and the partymoved out from Estrella.
"There are very few men about the village, Mr. Stilwell," the sergeantsaid, as Jack reined back his horse to speak to him. "Did you noticethat, sir?"
"Yes," Jack said; "I did notice it; for except a few old men and boys,there were none but women and children gathered round or standing attheir door. There were plenty of men about yesterday; but perhaps theyhave all gone up to work in the fields; however, we will keep our eyesopen. You had best ride forward, sergeant, to the two men in front andtell them to keep a sharp lookout."
They were proceeding only at a slow walk in order to keep pace with thewagons, and it was an hour and a half after leaving Estrella before theyentered the hills.
Jack noticed that although many women and girls could be seen working inthe fields, not a man was in sight.
"It is curious, sergeant, that there are no men about, and I can't helpthinking that all is not right. Do you take four men with you and ridestraight on through that nasty narrow valley we noticed as we came. Keepa sharp lookout on both sides, for there are rocks enough on those hillsto hide an army."
Jack halted the detachment when the scouting party went forward. Inthree quarters of an hour the sergeant returned with his men, sayingthat he had ridden right through the valley and could see no signs oflife whatever.
"Very well, sergeant, then we will proceed. But we will do so in groups.If we are to be attacked in that valley, we could make no fight of itwere we ten times as many as we are; and if we must be caught, theyshall have as few of us as possible; therefore, let a corporal with fourmen go on a good quarter of a mile ahead, so that he will be past theworst part before the next body enter. Then do you take ten men and gonext. I will follow you at the same distance with the other five men andthe wagons. Order the corporal if attacked to ride through if possible;if not, to fall back to you. Do you do the same. If you are nearlythrough the valley when you are attacked, dash straight forward. I shallsee what is going on, and will turn and ride back with my party, andmaking a sweep round through the flat country find my way back by someother road. In that case by no possibility can they get more than a fewof us."
These orders, which were well calculated to puzzle a concealed enemy,were carried out. The
corporal's party were just disappearing rounda turn at the upper end of the valley when the main body under thesergeant entered it. Jack was not quite so far behind, and halted as heentered the valley to allow those who preceded him to get through beforehe proceeded. They were still some two hundred yards from the furtherend when a shot was heard, and in an instant men appeared from behindevery rock, and the hillside was obscured with smoke as upward of twohundred guns were fired almost simultaneously. Then there was a deeprumbling noise, and the rocks came bounding down from above.
The sergeant carried out Jack's orders. At the flash of the first gunhe set off with his men at a gallop; and so quick and sudden was themovement that but few of the bullets touched them, and the rocks forthe most part thundered down in their rear. Two or three horses and menwere, however, struck down and crushed by the massive rocks; but therest of the party got through the pass in safety and joined theircomrades who had preceded them. They rode on for a short distancefurther, and then there was a halt, and wounds were examined andbandaged.
"It is well that we came as we did," the sergeant said to his corporal;"if we had been all together, with the wagons blocking up the road, nota man Jack of us would have escaped alive. What an escape it has been!the whole hillside seemed coming down on us."
"What will Mr. Stilwell do, sergeant?"
"He said he should ride back into the plain and take some other wayround," the sergeant replied; "but I fear he won't find it so easy.Fellows who would lay such an ambush as that are pretty sure to havetaken steps to cut off the retreat of any who might escape and rideback. I am sure I hope he will get out of it, for he is a good officer,and as pleasant a young fellow as one can want to serve under; besides,there are five of our chaps with him."
Jack had halted his men the instant the first shot was fired. "Shall Ishoot these fellows, sir?" one of the troopers asked, drawing his pistoland pointing it at the head of one of the peasants leading a yoke ofoxen.
"No," Jack said; "they are unarmed; besides, they are plucky fellows forrisking their lives on such a venture. There! the sergeant's troop havegot through; but there are two or three of them down. Come along, lads,we must ride back, and there is no time to lose. Keep well together, andin readiness to charge if I give the word. It is likely enough our turnmay come next."
They rode on without interruption at full gallop till they neared thelower end of the valley. Then Jack drew up his horse. Across the roadand the ground on each side extended a dozen carts, the oxen being takenout, and the carts placed end to end so as to form a barricade. A numberof men were standing behind them.
"I expected something of this sort," muttered Jack. He looked at thehills on either side, but they were too steep to ride up on horseback;and as to abandoning the animals and taking to the hills on foot, itwas not to be thought of, for the active peasants would easily overtakethem.
"We must ride straight forward," he said; "there is no other way out ofit. There is level ground enough for a horse to pass round the left ofthe wagons. Ride for that point as hard as you can, and when you arethrough keep straight forward for a quarter of a mile till we aretogether again. Now!"
Giving his horse the spur, Jack dashed off at full speed, followedclosely by the troopers. As they approached the line guns flashed outfrom the wagons, and the bullets sang thickly round them; but they weregoing too fast to be an easy mark, and the peasants, after firing theirguns, seeing the point for which they were making, ran in a body tooppose them, armed with pitch forks and ox goads; few of them had,however, reached the spot when Jack and his troopers dashed up. Therewas a short sharp struggle, and then, leaving five or six of thepeasants dead on the ground, the troopers burst through and rodeforward. One man only had been lost in the passage, shot through thehead as he approached the gap.
"So far we are safe," Jack said, "and as I expect every man in thecountry round was engaged in that ambush, we need not hurry for thepresent. The question is, Which way to go?"
This was indeed a difficult point to settle, for Jack was whollyignorant of the country. He had made inquiries as to the way toEstrella, but knew nothing of any other roads leading from that village,and indeed, for aught he knew, the road by which he had come might bethe only one leading to the south through the range of hills.
"We will turn west," he said, after a moment's thought, "and keep alongnear the foot of the hills till we come to another road crossing them."
So saying, he set forward at an easy trot across the fields of maize andwheat stubble, vineyards, and occasionally orchards. For upward of twohours Jack led the way, but they saw no signs of a road, and he observedwith uneasiness that the plain was narrowing fast and the hills on theleft trending to meet those on the right and form an apparently unbrokenline ahead.
The horses were showing signs of fatigue, and Jack drew rein on somewhatrising ground and looked anxiously round. If, as it seemed, there was nobreak in the bills ahead, it would be necessary to retrace their steps,and long ere this the defenders of the ravine would have returned totheir homes, and learned from the men at the carts that a small partyhad escaped. As the women in the fields would be able to point out theway they had taken, the whole population would be out in pursuit ofthem. Looking round Jack saw among some trees to his right what appearedto be a large mansion, and resolved at once to go there.
"The horses must have food and a rest," he said, "before we set outagain; and though it's hardly probable, as the peasants are so hostile,that the owner of this place is friendly, I would even at the worstrather fall into the hands of a gentleman than into those of thesepeasants, who would certainly murder us in cold blood."
Thus saying, he rode toward the mansion, whose owner must, he thought ashe approached it, be a man of importance, for it was one of the finestcountry residences he had seen in Spain. He rode up to the front doorand dismounted and rang at the bell. A man opened the door, and lookedwith surprise and alarm at the English uniforms. He would have shut thedoor again, but Jack put his shoulder to it and pushed it open.
"What means this insolence?" he said sternly, drawing his pistol. "Isyour master in?"
"No, senor," the man stammered, "the count is from home."
"Is your mistress in?"
The man hesitated.
"I will see," he said.
"Look here, sir," Jack said. "Your mistress is in, and unless you leadme straight to her I will put a bullet through your head."
Several other men servants had now come up, but the four troopers hadalso entered. The Spaniards looked at each other irresolutely.
"Now, sirrah," Jack said, raising his pistol, "are you going to obeyme?"
The Spaniard, seeing Jack would execute his threat unless obeyed, turnedsullenly and led the way to a door. He opened it and entered.
"Madam the countess," he said, "an English officer insists on seeingyou."
Jack followed him in. A lady had just risen from her seat.
"I must apologize, madam," he began, and then stopped in surprise, whileat the same moment a cry of astonishment broke from the lady.
"Senor Stilwell!" she cried. "Oh! how glad I am to see you! but--but--"And she stopped.
"But how do I come here, countess, you would ask? I come here byaccident, and had certainly no idea that I should find you, or that thismansion belonged to your husband. You told me when I saw you last, afortnight before I left Barcelona, that you were going away to your seatin the country. You told me its name, too, and were good enough to saythat you hoped when this war was over that I would come and visit you;but, in truth, as this is not a time for visiting, I had put the matterout of my mind."
"And do you belong, then," the countess asked, "to the party who weheard yesterday had arrived at Estrella? If so--" And she stopped again.
"If so, how have I escaped, you would ask? By good fortune and the speedof my horse."
"What will the count say?" the countess exclaimed. "How will he everforgive himself? Had he known that our preserver was with that party
hewould have cut off his right hand before he would have--"
"Led his tenants to attack us. He could not tell, countess, and nowI hope that you will give your retainers orders to treat my men withhospitality. At present my four troopers and your men are gloweringat each other in the hall like wolves and dogs ready to spring at eachother's throats."
The countess at once went out into the hall. The servants had now armedthemselves, and, led by the majordomo, were standing in readiness toattack the dragoons on the termination of the colloquy between theofficer and their mistress.
"Lay aside your arms, men," the countess said imperiously. "These menare the count's guests. Enrico, do you not recognize this gentleman?"
The majordomo turned, and, at once dropping his musket, ran across, and,falling on his knees, pressed Jack's hand to his lips. The servants, whohad at first stood in irresolute astonishment at their mistress' order,no longer hesitated, but placed their arms against the wall.
"This," the majordomo said to them, rising to his feet, "is the nobleEnglish lord who saved the lives of the count and countess and my youngmaster from the mob at Barcelona, as I have often told you."
This explained the mystery. The servants saluted Jack with profoundrespect, for all were deeply attached to the count and countess, and hadoften thrilled with fury and excitement over the majordomo's relation ofthat terrible scene at Barcelona.
Jack in a few words explained to the troopers the reason of the changein their position. The dragoons put up their swords, and were soon onthe best terms with the retainers in the great kitchen, while Jack andthe countess chatted over the events which had happened since they lastparted.
"I shall always tremble when I think of today," the countess said. "Whata feeling mine would have been all my life had our preserver been killedby my servants! I should never have recovered it. It is true itwould have been an accident, and yet the possibility should have beenforeseen. The count knew you were with the Earl of Peterborough, and thewhole English army should have been sacred in his eyes for your sake;but I suppose he never thought of it any more than I did. Of courseevery one knows that we belong to Philip's party. It was for that, thatthe mob at Barcelona would have killed us; but my husband does not talkmuch, and when he left Barcelona no objection was raised. He did notintend to take part in the war, and he little thought at that time thatan enemy would ever come so far from Barcelona; but yesterday, when amessage came that a small party of the enemy had entered the valley, andthat the peasants had prepared an ambuscade for them on their return,and that they hoped that the count their master would himself comeand lead them to annihilate the heretics, the simple man agreed, neverthinking that you might be among them. What will his feelings be when,he learns it!"
Late in the afternoon the count arrived. One of the servants who hadbeen on the lookout informed the countess of his approach.
"I will go myself to meet him," she said. "Do you stay here, senor,where you can hear."
The count rode up at full speed, and as the door opened ran hastily in.
"What has happened, Nina?" he exclaimed anxiously. "I have had a greatfright. We have been following a small party of the enemy who escapedus from Estrella, and just now a woman returning from work in the fieldstold us she had seen five strange soldiers ride up here and enter."
"They are here," the countess answered complacently. "They are atpresent our guests."
"Our guests!" the count exclaimed, astonished "What are you saying,Nina? The enemies of our country our guests! In what a position have youplaced me! I have two hundred armed men just behind. I left them to rideon when I heard the news, being too anxious to go at their pace, and nowyou tell me that these men of whom they are in search are our guests!What am I to say or do? You amaze me altogether."
"What would you have me do?" the countess said. "Could I refusehospitality to wearied men who asked it, Juan?" she continued, changingher tone. "You have to thank Providence indeed that those men came toour door instead of falling into the hands of your peasants."
"To thank Providence!" the count repeated, astonished.
"Come with me and you will see why."
She led the way into the room, her husband following her. The count gavea cry as his eye fell upon Jack, and every vestige of color left hisface.
"Mary, mother of heaven!" he said in a broken voice, "I thank thee thatI have been saved from a crime which would have imbittered all my life.Oh, senor, is it thus we meet, thus, when I have been hunting blindlyfor the blood of the man to whom I owe so much?"
"Happily there is no harm done, count," Jack said, advancing withoutstretched hand; "you were doing what you believed to be your duty,attacking the enemy of your country. Had you killed me you would havebeen no more to blame than I should, did a chance shot of mine slay youwhen fighting in the ranks of the soldiers of Philip."
The count was some time before he could respond to Jack's greeting,so great was his emotion at the thought of the escape he had had fromslaying the preserver of his wife and child. As soon as he recoveredhimself he hurried out to meet the peasants, whose shouts could be heardas they approached the castle. He soon returned and bade his servantstake a cask of wine into the courtyard behind the house, with what breadand meat there might be in the larder.
"You had no trouble with them, I hope?" Jack asked.
"None whatever," the count said. "As soon as I told them thecircumstances under which you saved the life of the countess, my boy,and myself, their only wish was to see you and express their gratitude;they are simple fellows, these peasants, and if fairly treated greatlyattached to their lords."
"It's a pity their treatment of the prisoners is so savage," Jack saiddryly.
"They are savage," the count said, "but you must remember that thehistory of Spain is one long story of war and bloodshed. They drawknives on each other on the slightest provocation, and in theiramusements, as you know, there is nothing that in their eyes can rivala bullfight; it is little wonder, then, that in war they are savage and,as you would say, even bloodthirsty. This is not so in regular warfare.Whatever may have been the conduct of some of our irregulars, none haveever alleged that Spanish troops are less inclined to give quarter toconquered foes than others; but in this rough irregular warfare eachpeasant fights on his own account as against a personal enemy, and ashe would expect and would meet with little mercy if he fell into theenemy's hands, so he grants no mercy to those who fall into his. Indeed,after the brutal treatment which Marshal Tesse has, I am ashamed to say,dealt out to those who opposed him, you can scarcely blame peasants foracting as they see civilized soldiers do."
A short time afterward Jack went out with the count into the courtyard,and was received with the most hearty and cordial greeting by the menwho were an hour before thirsting for his blood. Among them was thevillage mayor.
"Ah, sir," he said, "why did you not tell us that you had saved thelife of our lord and lady? You should have had all the horses in thedistrict, and as many wagons of wine and grain as we could collect. Weare all in despair that we should have attacked our lord's preserver."
"I could not tell you," Jack said, "because I was in ignorance that theCount de Minas was your lord; had I known it I should have assuredlygone straight to him."
"We shall never forgive ourselves," the man said, "for having killedfour of your honor's soldiers."
"I am sorry that it was so," Jack said, "but I cannot blame you; and Iam sorry that we on our part must have killed as many of yours."
"Six," the mayor replied. "Yes, poor fellows, but the count will see totheir widows and orphans, he has promised us as much. I drink to yourhealth, senor," and all present joined in the shout, "Long live thepreserver of the count and countess!"
Jack and the count now returned to the house, and the next morning,after a cordial adieu to the host and hostess, he rode back with his mento Castillon.
"Welcome back, Mr. Stilwell," the general said as he entered; "I havebeen very uneasy about you. Your men returned
at noon yesterday and toldme of the ambush in which they had been beset. Your arrangements wereexcellent except for your own safety. How did you manage to get out?By the way, I was astonished by the arrival here an hour since of thehorses and wagons. The men who brought them could give me no account ofit, except that the Mayor of Estrella returned late yesterday eveningand ordered them to set out before daybreak. It seemed to me a perfectmystery. I suspected at first that the wine was poisoned, and orderedthe men who brought it to drink some at once, but as they did so withouthesitation or sign of fear, I concluded that I was mistaken. However, Ihave kept them captive pending news from you to enlighten me."
"I am not surprised you were astonished, sir, but the matter was simpleenough;" and then Jack related the circumstances which had befallenthem.
"Bravo!" the earl said; "for once, Mr. Stilwell, a good action has hadits reward, which, so far as my experience goes, is an exception."
The earl at once called in a sergeant and ordered the release of the menwho had brought the horses and wagons, and gave ten gold pieces to bedistributed among them. Jack also went out and begged them to give hiscompliments and thanks to the mayor.
"I am heartily glad the adventure ended as it did," the earl said whenhe returned, "for, putting aside the regret I should have felt at yourloss, it would have been a difficult business for me to undertake, withmy present force, to chastise the men who attacked you, who must be boldand determined fellows, and capable of realizing the advantages of thismountainous country. If all Spaniards would do as much it would tax thepower of the greatest military nation to subdue them; and yet I couldhardly have suffered such a check without endeavoring to avenge it; soaltogether, Mr. Stilwell, we must congratulate ourselves that the affairended as it did. In any case you would have been in no way to blame, foryour dispositions throughout appear to have been excellent, and markedalike with prudence and boldness."