CHAPTER FORTY THREE.
RONCADOR RESTORED.
Captain Tres-Villas, now compelled to obey the order he had receivedfrom the commander-in-chief, proceeded to rejoin his regiment.Caldelas, at the same period, promoted to the rank of commandant, wassummoned away from Del Valle; and the garrison of the hacienda whichstill remained fell under the command of Lieutenant Veraegui, a Catalan.
During the events which followed, Don Rafael saw a great deal of activeservice. He bore a conspicuous part in the battle of Calderon, wherethe Royalist general, Calleja, with only six thousand soldiers, routedthe undisciplined army of Hidalgo, numbering nearly an hundred thousandmen!
After being carried by the chances of the campaign into almost everyprovince of the vice-royalty, Don Rafael was at length ordered back toOajaca, to assist in the siege of Huajapam. It was while on his passageto this latter province from the fort of San Blas, that he appeared fora moment off the isle of Roqueta.
At the siege of Huajapam, his old comrade Caldelas re-appears as ageneral; while Don Rafael himself, less fortunate, has not risen abovethe rank of a colonel.
Such, briefly, is the history of the dragoon captain up to the time whenthe vaquero, Julian, arrived in the camp at Huajapam.
The announcement of this messenger caused within the bosom of Don Rafaelan emotion sudden and vivid. Absence, remarks a moralist, which soondissipates a slight affection, has the very opposite effect upon aprofound passion. It only inflames it the more--just as the windextinguishes the flame of a candle, while it augments the blaze of aconflagration. Absence had produced upon Don Rafael an effect of thelatter kind. He lived in the hope that Gertrudis might some day sendhim a message of pardon and love. No wonder, then, that he was moved bythe arrival of a messenger from that part of the country.
"Well, Julian," said he, in a tone of assumed carelessness, "you havenews for me--what is it, my lad? I hope the insurgents have notcaptured our fortress?"
"Oh no, master," replied Julian; "the soldiers at the hacienda onlycomplain of having nothing to do. A little scouting through thecountry--where they might have the chance of sacking a rich hacienda--would be more to their taste and fancy. As to that, the news which Ibring to your Honour will probably procure them this opportunity."
"You bring news of our enemy, I presume?"
The tone of disappointment in which the interrogatory was put, wassufficiently marked to strike even the ear of Julian.
"Yes, Captain," replied he, "but I have other messages; and, to beginwith that which is least important, I fancy it will be agreeable to yourhonour to know that I have brought along with me your favourite,Roncador."
"Roncador?"
"Yes; the brave bay-brown you lost in your affair at Las Palmas. He hasbeen recovered for you, and taken care of. Ah! he has been marvellouslycared for, I can assure your Honour. He was sent back to the hacienda."
"Who sent him?" hastily inquired Don Rafael.
"Why, who could it be, your Honour, but Don Mariano de Silva. One ofhis people brought the horse to Del Valle three days ago--saying that hesupposed the owner of such a fine animal would be pleased to have himagain. As the saddle and bridle had been lost, a new saddle and bridlewere sent along with him. Ah! splendid they are--the bridle, with apretty bunch of red ribbons on the frontlet!"
"Where are these ribbons?" hastily asked Don Rafael, carried away by thethought that a sight of them might enable him to divine whether the handof Gertrudis had attached them to the frontlet.
"One of our people--Felipe el Galan--took them to make a cockade with."
"Felipe is a silly fellow, whom, one of these days, I shall punish forhis indiscretion."
"I told him so, your Honour; but he would take them. I should add, yourHonour, that the servant of Don Mariano also brought a letter for you."
"Ah! why did you not tell me so at first?"
"I began at the beginning, your Honour," replied the phlegmatic Julian."Here is the letter."
The messenger drew from the pocket of his _jaqueta_ a small packet doneup in a leaf of maize, inside which he had prudently concealed theletter. Unfolding the leaf, he handed the note to Don Rafael, whosehand visibly trembled on taking it.
In vain did he attempt to dissemble his emotion under the studied air ofcoolness with which he received the letter, which he permitted to remainunopened.
This letter, thought he, should be from Gertrudis; and he dwelt on thevoluptuous pleasure he was about to enjoy while reading it alone.
"Well, Julian," said he, after a pause, "anything else have you to tellme of?"
"Yes, your Honour; the most important of all. Arroyo, Bocardo, andtheir bandits have returned to the neighbourhood; and LieutenantVeraegui has charged me to say to you--"
"Arroyo! Bocardo!" interrupted Don Rafael, all at once re-awaking fromhis sweet dreams to thoughts of vengeance. "Tell Lieutenant Veraegui togive double rations to his horses, and get them ready for a campaign.Say that in two or three days I shall be with him, and we shall enterupon it. The last assault upon Huajapam is to be made this very day,and the place must either fall, or we raise the siege. I shall thenobtain leave from the Commander-in-chief, and by the Virgin! I shallcapture these two ruffians, or set the whole province on fire. _Vaya,Julian_!"
Julian was about to depart, when Don Rafael's eye, once more alightingupon the little billet which promised to yield him a moment of sweethappiness, called the messenger back to him.
"Stay a moment!" said he, looking around for his purse, "you have beenthe bearer of good news, Julian. Here!"
And, as he said this, he placed in the hands of the messenger an _onza_of gold.
Julian accepted the douceur with eagerness--not without profoundastonishment at being so generously recompensed for reporting there-appearance of Arroyo and his band! Nevertheless, his satisfaction atthe perquisite far exceeded his surprise.
As soon as he had gone out of the tent, Don Rafael took the letter fromthe table--where he had for the moment deposited it--and held it forsome seconds in his hand without daring to open it. His heart rose andfell in violent pulsations, for he had no doubt that the letter was fromGertrudis, and it was the first souvenir he had received from her fornearly two years--since he had embraced the Royalist cause.
In fine, he opened the note. Although written in a feminine hand, itwas more like that of Marianita than Gertrudis, and contained only thefollowing words:--
"The inmates of Las Palmas are not forgetful that they have received a kindness from Don Rafael Tres-Villas under very critical circumstances; and they believe that the Colonel Tres-Villas might be gratified at having restored to him the noble steed which the Captain Tres-Villas had such reason to esteem."
"A kindness!" exclaimed Don Rafael, with bitter emphasis, "whatingratitude! A service rendered by the betrayal of an oath sworn overthe head of my murdered father! They call it a kindness--an act ofsimple politeness, forsooth! Oh! I must endeavour to think no more ofthose who have forgotten me."
And with a bitter sigh the Colonel strode forth from his tent, andproceeded towards the marquee of the Commander-in-chief--where thecouncil of war was at that moment assembling.
Notwithstanding his chagrin, however, Don Rafael did not tear up theletter that had caused such disappointment, nor yet did he fling itaway. Perhaps it had been touched by the hand of Gertrudis; and, withthis thought passing through his mind, he placed the billet in a littlepocket in his uniform, which chanced to be on the left side, just overhis heart.
While passing towards head-quarters, another reflection crossed hismind, that exerted a consolatory influence upon his spirits. Gertrudisknew how much he prized the noble bay-brown--so often caressed by herhand. Was it for that reason the horse had been sent back to him? Wasit she who had attached the rosette of ribbons to the bridle, to recallthe flowers of the grenadine which in happier times she had placed uponhis frontlet?
It was sweet happiness to believe it was she.
r />