CHAPTER TWENTY SIX.
IN WHICH OLD FRIENDS AND ENEMIES TURN UP IN QUITE A SURPRISING MANNER,AND QUASHY'S JOY OVERFLOWS.
They had not to wait long. A few minutes later and old Ignacio returnedwith several men, one of whom, from his manner and bearing, appeared tobe a chief among the outlaws.
"Who are you, and who bound you?" asked this chief, with a stern look.
Answering in his best Spanish, Lawrence explained how he fell into thehands of the savages.
The chief did not speak for a few seconds, but looked inquiringly atIgnacio.
"It won't do to make more prisoners, you know," said the old hunter,replying to the look; "we have too many on our hands as it is. Thetroops are already on our track, and you may be sure they won't losetime. Besides, these men are unknown, and won't fetch a ransom."
"What would you advise, then?"
"Cut their throats," suggested Ignacio, coolly.
"You old fool!" returned the outlaw, "what good would that do? Isn't itclear that these men are the enemies of the savages, and we want such tojoin us."
"Ay," returned Ignacio, "but they may be friends of the troops, and youdon't want _such_ to join _us_."
"There's truth in that, old man. Well, we'll just let them lie.They're safe enough, as they are, not to do either good or evil. As yousay, it is of no use burdening ourselves with prisoners who won't fetcha ransom. The colonel and his women will fetch a good price, butthese--nothing. I suppose that is why Cruz has ordered Conrad to beshot before we leave the place."
"Why, I thought," said Ignacio, with a look of surprise, "that Conrad ofthe Mountains was an outlaw like yourselves."
"Not he. He's a spy, and he'll meet a spy's doom, if he has not met italready."
"Come--I'll go and see this Conrad," said Ignacio, "I should like to seea spy get his deserts."
He turned quickly and hurried away, followed by the outlaw.
"Most awrful!" groaned Quashy, when they were gone.
"Awful indeed, to think that Manuela and her father are in the hands ofsuch villains!" returned Lawrence.
"An' Sooz'n," said Quashy, with a deeper groan.
"But, massa, what's come ober de ole hunter? He not in arnest, obcourse."
"Of course not," replied Lawrence, "that is our one ray of hope now. Heis only acting a part. He will assuredly help us, and means us to help_him_, but he takes a strange way to do it."
He ceased to speak, for at that moment a man was seen approaching. Hemoved about like one who was searching for something. At last he caughtsight of the bound men, and ran towards them, drawing his knife as hedid so. For one instant a feeling of horror shot through the hearts ofLawrence and Quashy, but next moment they were relieved, for theyrecognised in the approaching man the features of their old acquaintanceof the Andes, the robber Antonio.
"I come to pay my debt," he said, going down on one knee, and severingthe cords which bound Lawrence, who heartily showered on him all theSpanish terms for thanks and gratitude that he could recall. Of courseQuashy was also set free, and was equally profuse in his gratefulexpressions, but Antonio cut them both short.
"Come, we must be quick," he said, and hurried away.
As they crossed the spot where the recent fight with the Indians hadtaken place, Quashy picked up one of the spears which lay on the ground,and Lawrence, to his great satisfaction, discovered his favourite cudgellying where he had been knocked down. He picked it up, almostaffectionately, and hurried on.
Antonio was in evident haste. Leading them through the hamlet, he wenttowards the corral, where, it could be seen, a party of the bandits werestanding as if in wait. Suddenly they heard a noise behind them, andobserved a party of men with muskets on their shoulders surrounding aprisoner. Antonio drew his companions into the shelter of a bush tillthey should pass.
"It is Conrad of the Mountains," he whispered, while a fierce expressionlighted up his eyes. "They go to shoot him. He _must_ not die!"
As what seemed to be the firing-party advanced, followed by a stragglinggroup of ruffians, Lawrence looked with profound interest and pitytowards one of whom he had heard so much. The prisoner's head hung downas he approached the bush, but on passing it he looked up. The sight ofhis face sent a shock of surprise and consternation to the hearts ofLawrence and Quashy, for the doomed man was no other than their friendPedro!
Lawrence turned quickly to Antonio. "Conrad?" he asked, pointing toPedro.
"Si, senhor," replied the outlaw.
When the procession had passed, Lawrence stepped from behind the bush,and quietly joined it without being recognised by Pedro. He had not atthat moment the most remote idea of what he intended to do; but onefeeling was powerfully dominant in his breast--namely, that Pedro mustbe saved at all hazards. Of course Quashy and Antonio followed him.
The sudden appearance of the two strangers did not cause much surpriseamong the band who followed the prisoner, for, besides their being inthe company of one whom they knew, the men who had been gatheredtogether by Cruz on this occasion were not all known to each other.What they knew for certain was, that the country was up in arms becauseof some political convulsion, and that Cruz was a great leader, who knewhow to make the most of such circumstances for the benefit of himselfand his followers.
In a state of feverish anxiety, but with a calm outward appearance,Lawrence marched on, quite incapable of forming any plan of rescue, butnot incapable of prayer, or of forming a resolve to do _something_,though he should die in the attempt. On reaching the corral, he sawCruz, and recognised him at once. The bandit chief was obviously inhaste, for he at once ordered Conrad--or, as we still prefer to callhim, Pedro--to be placed with his back against the corral, and thefiring-party to draw up in front of him at about twenty yards distance.
Pedro offered no resistance while being led towards the mud wall of thecorral. There was neither bravado nor fear in his bearing. Evidentlyhe had made up his mind to die like a Christian, and had given up allhope of deliverance from the foes by whom he was surrounded. Butfriends were near whom he little dreamed of.
Having up to that point kept his eyes on the ground, he had not observedLawrence; and the first intimation he had of his presence was on hearinghis voice as he stepped forward, placed his tall and stalwart frame infront of him, and said sternly to the firing-party--
"Villains! you will have to send your bullets through _my_ breast beforethey harm Conrad!"
"Yes, an' troo dis buzzum too," cried Quashy, planting himself in frontof Lawrence, and glaring defiance in his own peculiar and powerfulmanner.
"What! two more enemies?" exclaimed Cruz, with a look of pleasedsurprise and triumph; "seize them, men; but no,--stay, we can as easilykill the three birds at one shot. Ready!"
The firing-party cocked and raised their guns, but were suddenlyarrested by seeing the wall of the enclosure behind Pedro lined, as ifby magic, with human heads, all of which carefully levelled an equalnumber of muskets. At the same moment Antonio, Ignacio, Spotted Tiger,Colonel Marchbanks, and the sporting Englishman sprang to the front, andthe old hunter, cutting Pedro's bonds, put a musket into his hands.
"Traitor!" exclaimed Cruz, grinding his teeth with passion, as hescowled at Antonio.
"Fool! do you not know," retorted Antonio, contemptuously, "thattraitors are the offspring of tyrants? I acknowledge you as father inthis respect. But I am not here to bandy words. Colonel Marchbankswill speak."
"Yes, Cruz," said the old colonel, stepping a pace to the front, "I willspeak, and that to the purpose. You see those men?" (pointing to theheads looking over the corral wall)--"ten of the best shots among themhave their weapons pointed at your heart. If a single musket is firedby your blackguards, you know what the result will be."
Bold as Cruz undoubtedly was, this speech of the colonel had anobviously quieting effect on him, as well as on his followers, who,however, being numerous, and not wanting in courage, stood ready to obeyorders.
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p; "Now, I will tell you in few words what I have got to say," continuedthe colonel, addressing Cruz. "When you locked the villagers here intheir own huts, you forgot, or did not know, that, being a tyrant aswell as a scoundrel, you had enemies among your own followers. Thesehave not only set us, your prisoners, free, but have done the same goodturn to the villagers, who have been persuaded to join us against you.And now, as our numbers are pretty equal, we give you the option ofgoing away quietly wherever you please, or, if you prefer it, having afair fight. I may add that if I were backed by my troops, instead ofthese villagers, I would not give you this option; but as I have noofficial right to command these men, I now make you the proposal eitherto retire quietly or fight."
"Aw--just so," said the sporting Englishman. "And let me add, as a sortof--aw--freelance that I and my friend here hope sincerely that you willchoose to fight."
"You's a brick!" exclaimed Quashy, with emphasis, regarding thesportsman for the first time with favour.
Cruz hesitated. He was swayed by a burning thirst for vengeance and aprudent regard for his personal safety. By way of hastening hisdecision, Colonel Marchbanks added--
"It may be well to remind you that when you unfortunately succeeded indecoying me and my friends into your snares, and captured us, you didnot leave my troops without officers. The gentleman now in command willnot lose time in following us up, and he is aided by Gauchos who couldtrace you out though you were to hide your rascally head in the darkestretreats of the Andes. So, you'd better be off at once, or come on."
"Aw--yes. If I might advise--come on!" suggested the sportsman.
"Das so. Come on!" urged Quashy.
But Cruz refused their well-meant advice. Regarding discretion as thebetter part of valour, and resolving, no doubt, to "fight another day,"he elected to "be off." Collecting his men in sulky silence, hespeedily rode away.
"Sorry he's so chicken-hearted," said the sportsman, forgetting even to"aw" in his disappointment.
"You ought rather to be glad of it," remarked Lawrence; "you forget thatthere are women and children behind us, and that our defeat would haveensured their destruction."
"Oh no!" replied the Englishman, who had recovered his quietnonchalance, "I did not forget the women and children--dear creatures!--but I confess that the idea of our defeat had not occurred to me."
Colonel Marchbanks did not give his opinion at the time, but his air andexpression suggested that, fire-eater though he was, he by no meansregretted the turn events had taken.
Holding out his hand to Lawrence, in a condescending manner, he thankedhim for the service he had just rendered.
"You have quite a talent for turning up unexpectedly in the nick oftime," he added, with a peculiar smile, as he turned and walked offtowards the huts, around which the men who had sided with Antonio wereby that time assembling. Among them Lawrence, to his ineffable joy,found Manuela and Mariquita. He was too wise, however, in the presenceof the colonel to take any demonstrative notice of her. He merely shookhands with both ladies, and congratulated them on their escape from thebanditti.
"You have rendered us good service, senhor," said Mariquita, with abrilliant smile--a smile that was indeed more brilliant than thereseemed any occasion for.
"I--I have been very fortunate," stammered Lawrence, glancing atManuela.
But that princess of the Incas, with an aspect of imperturbable gravity,kept her pretty eyes on the ground, though the brown of her littlecheeks seemed to deepen a trifle in colour.
"Now, Antonio," cried the colonel, coming forward at the moment, "whatdo you intend to do? If my men were here, you know, I should be underthe necessity of making you and your fellows prisoners, notwithstandingyour good services to-day. As it is, those of us who stick togethermust be off without delay eastward. I suppose you will rather take tothe mountains."
"Indeed no, Colonel Marchbanks. I am willing to give myself up and totake service under you if that may be allowed. And if you will take myadvice, comrades," added Antonio, turning to his companions, "you'll dothe same, for depend on it no good can come of our late style of life."
Antonio's comrades did not feel disposed to take his advice. Indeedthey had only rebelled against their late captain because of histyrannical nature, but were by no means desirous of changing their modeof life. Seeing this, the colonel accepted Antonio's offer and gave hiscomrades a few words of serious warning and advice, mingled with thanksfor the service they had rendered him, after which the two partiesseparated and went on their respective ways, leaving the Gauchos tofortify their village more carefully, and get into a better state ofreadiness to resist the attacks alike of outlaws and Indians.
Before leaving, however, Quashy had a noteworthy interview with Susan.It occurred at the time that Antonio and his men were holding the aboveconversation with the colonel.
The negro lovers were affectionately seated on a horse-skull in one ofthe huts, regardless of all the world but themselves.
"Sooz'n, my lub," said Quashy, "I's agwine to carry you off wid me."
"Quashy, my b'lubbed, I expecs you is," replied Susan, simply, passingher black fingers through her lover's very curly locks.
"O Sooz'n, _how_ I lubs you! I know'd I'd find you. I always said it.I always t'ought it, an' now I's dood it."
"Das so," returned Susan, with a bashfully pleased look. "I alwaysknow'd it too. I says, if it's poss'ble for me to be found in _dis_worl', Quashy's de man to found me."
"'Zactly so!" said the gratified negro. "Now, Sooz'n, tell me. Is youfree to go 'way wid me?"
"Yes. I's kite free. I's bin kotched by rubbers an' rescued byGauchos, an' stole by Injins, an' I's runned away an' found myself here,an' dey's bin good to me here, but dey don't seem to want me much--soI's kite free--but I's awrful heaby!"
"What's dat got to do wid it?" inquired the lover, tying a knot ofperplexity on his eyebrows.
"Why, you an' me's too heaby for one hoss, you know, an' you said youhab on'y one."
"Das true," returned Quashy, entangling the knot with another.
"Well, nebber mind," said Susan, with a little nod of assurance. "I'sput it all right. I'll stole one."
"Sooz'n!" exclaimed her lover, with inexpressible solemnity, "you'll donuffin ob de sort. I b'longs to a good man now, so I knows better dandat. You mus' nebber steal no more--_nebber_. But I'll get massa tobuy you a hoss. Das what I'll do."
Quashy had scarcely given utterance to his intentions, when a shout fromLawrence summoned him. The party under Colonel Marchbanks was about tostart on their journey eastward.
The negro soon informed his master of his difficulty. As he hadanticipated, it was removed at once. Horse-flesh is cheap on thePampas. A lady's wardrobe--especially a black lady's--does not takelong to pack in those regions. In less than half an hour a passablesteed was purchased from the Gauchos, and Susan mounted thereon. Herlittle all, in a bundle, was strapped to her true-lover's saddle, andshe fell into the cavalcade, which soon afterwards left the village androde out upon the illimitable plains.
It was not a large band, but it was composed of rare and strongmaterials. Our friend Pedro--alias Conrad of the Mountains--alias theRover of the Andes--of course took the lead. Colonel Marchbanks,Manuela, and the fair Mariquita followed. Antonio, Spotted Tiger, thesportsman and his friend came next, and Lawrence with Quashy and Sooz'nbrought up the rear.
In this order they set off at full gallop over the roadless plains,diverging a little here and there as the nature of the ground required,but otherwise steering a straight line in the direction of the risingsun.