CHAPTER III.
THE PASSAGE OF THE BRAVO.
The stars were beginning to grow pale in the heavens, and a faintgreyish tint was creeping gradually upward from the Eastern horizon,and usurping the dark azure of the cloudless sky, when the light sleepof the Partisan was interrupted by the long, tremulous, low, whining ofhis favourite horse.
He started to his feet in an instant, and listening eagerly, and againlaying his ear to the ground, as on the previous evening, speedilybecame aware that a large body of horse was passing along the hardprairie, not far from the skirts of the timber. Instantly awakening theyoung lieutenant, and his dragoons, he bade them strike tent, load themules, and saddle the chargers with the possible speed and silence,keeping their arms ready, for that danger was at hand.
This done, he took up his trusty rifle, and stole away with a noiselessstep to reconnoiter the party, which had now come so near that theclank of the steel scabbards against the stirrup irons was distinctlyaudible above the hollow sound of the horses' tramps.
The noise, however, gradually died away, the troopers having evidentlyridden down the outer edge of the forest to the Southward, withoutnoticing the track left by the horses of our company.
Within ten minutes, Pierre returned with a very serious countenance.
"There are above a hundred of them," he said; "regular lancers ofCarrera's band. They have gone Southward for the present; but we mayexpect them back within an hour, for they are evidently on the look-outfor our trail, which they must have followed from the last bottom,and lost at night on the dry prairie; had the morning been one houradvanced, they must have seen it, and we should have been all killedbefore this time; for they make no prisoners."
"There is no time to lose, then," said Gordon, hastily, looking with ananxious eye to the face of his wife, who was already equipped and readyto mount. "Let us get to horse at once, and put the river between themand us."
"That is soon done, so far as we men are concerned," replied thePartisan; "but how do you get _her_ across rivers such as this?"
"We have an India-rubber pontoon here," he answered, pointing to a sortof oval bag of that material, depending from two air cylinders of thesame stuff, which, when inflated, and distended by two or three shortstaves, form a rude boat.
"Let her get in, in God's name!" replied the Partisan, "for all thistakes time, and we have little enough of that to spare."
And, with the words, he led his own horse, now fully accoutered, downto the shore, at the spot where he had watered the animal on theprevious evening, followed by the dragoons, three of whom led thebeasts, while one carried the light pontoon.
Gordon brought up the rear, with his fair, delicate wife hangingupon his arm, and smiling with serene and beautiful confidence inthe protection of her gallant husband. Arrived on the bank, all thedragoons mounted and entered the broad and rapid river, which couldnot at this spot have been less than five hundred yards in width.Three of them leading the pack mules and the lady's jinnet, and thefourth carrying in his hand the reel on which was wound the tough cordof twisted hide, by which the frail bark was to be drawn across thewhirling current.
So strong was the stream that, although the horses swam well andstoutly, and although the dragoons were as well trained to themanagement of their horses in the water as on dry land, they werecarried a great distance down the river before they were enabled tomake the opposite bank.
Then with a bright eye and a cheerful smile on her lovely face, thesoft and delicate young woman entered the frail vessel, which sunk sodeeply in the water, even under her slight burthen, that the extremeedges only of the cylinders which supported it were visible above thesurface of the swift glancing waters.
Scarce was she landed, ere she was seated on the back of her beautifuland docile palfrey, which, recruited by its night's rest and plentifulpasture, pawed the earth, eager to be once more in motion. Gordon hadalready ridden a yard or two into the river, when he was attracted bythe singular aspect and expression of the Partisan. Both horse and manstood like statues.
The charger's fine limbs positively trembled with excitement; hissmall, thin ears were pricked acutely forward; his large eyes dilated;and his nostrils distorted to the utmost, and as red as blood.
Pierre sat erect in his saddle; gazing with his keen dark eye into therecesses of the forest, his left hand raised to his ear, for he had letfall his reins on the disciplined charger's neck, and his cocked rifleready in the right.
The next instant, a single Mexican came into view, wheeling hissmall but fiery horse round the thicket, which had sheltered theirencampment, at full gallop.
The rifle of the Partisan rose slowly, and, with a steady motion, tohis shoulder, and there remained as still and firm as though it and theextended arm which supported it, had been wrought in bronze or iron.
And now the ranchero--for such he seemed to be--was within forty yardsof Pierre, when he saw the horse, the man, the levelled rifle--when herecognized the being he most feared on earth--the far-famed Partisan.Wheeling his horse in an instant, by dint of his cruel massive bit,which threw him on his haunches, as if by magic, the terrified wretchturned to fly in the direction of the troopers, who had gone down tothe southward, and were not probably even now more than a mile distant.
Satisfied by the man's flight that he was unsupported, Pierre rapidlyuncocked his rifle, and threw it to the ground, turning as he did soto forbid Gordon--who had unslung his carbine, and now half suspectingtreachery in his guide, was raising it to his eye--from firing.
"Not for your life!" he cried--"not for your life! Cross the river, andride westward. I will deal with this dog."
And, with the word, gathering up the reins in his left hand, he gaveEmperor the spur so suddenly that he bounded six feet into the air,with all his feet together, and dashed at once into his tearing gallop.
Meanwhile the rider had uncoiled the lasso, which hung from the pummelof his saddle, and whirling it around his head in the true Spanishfashion, thundered along in pursuit of the fugitive at a tremendouspace.
The Mexican had, it is true, some fifty yards the start of his pursuer,and knowing that he was riding for his life, or at least for hisliberty, plied his long-roweled spurs with desperate energy.
On drove the Emperor, covering sixteen feet at every stroke, andgaining every second upon the trembling fugitive. Now he was withintwenty yards distance, when the ranchero, turning in his saddle,deliberately levelled his escopeta at the Partisan.
In another moment his carbine would have been discharged, and the alarmcommunicated to the other troopers; but ere he could pull the trigger,the Partisan wheeled Emperor by a quick movement of his hand and thigh,and hurled the tremendous missile as sure and almost as swift as hisown unerring bullet.
Aimed by an eagle eye, and launched by a master hand, the terriblenoose of the lasso encircled both the forelegs of the Mexican horseas he sprang forward, was drawn taut on the instant by the very speedof the trammelled captive, and hurled horse and rider headlong to theearth, with a violence which left both for an instant senseless.
The next moment Pierre leaped from his saddle and sprang upon hiscaptive.
"Life!" he cried, piteously, in Spanish, "life, for the love of God,and the most holy Virgin! For charity, give me my life, Senor American!"
"Mount your horse, fool!" replied the Partisan, sternly, "who the devildo you think would trouble himself to take such a miserable life asyours."
Admonished thus, the man climbed awkwardly to his saddle, and when oncethere was secured in his seat by Pierre, who, cutting the lasso fromthe Mexican saddle, fastened his feet with it under his horse's belly,though not so tightly as to deprive him of the necessary command of theanimal.
This done, he released his arms, and bidding him in a stern, quietvoice followed him close and silently, if he did not desire to bestrangled, he leaped lightly into his own saddle, and cantered backtoward the river, followed by his captive, who took admirable care tokeep so nigh to his conq
ueror that the strain of the harsh cord abouthis neck should not be drawn any tighter.
In the meantime, Lieutenant Gordon, who had first watched the chasewith some apprehension, and very great anxiety lest the fugitiveshould escape, had no sooner seen the lasso hurled, and the downfallof man and horse, than, perfectly content to trust all to the skilland judgment of a man who had exhibited such readiness of thought andaction, he addressed himself to obey his directions; and, putting hishorse steadily down the bank into the river, swam it gallantly, holdinghis pistols above his head in his right hand, in order to keep thepowder dry in case of future emergency.
Before he was half way across, the Partisan came up at a brisk, hardcanter, with his trembling prisoner in tow, whose sword, pistols, andescopeta he threw into the river, and then taking his own pistols fromthe holsters, and holding them aloft, like Gordon, plunged in himselfand swam stoutly over, dragging the unfortunate ranchero in mortalterror after him.