CHAPTER FOUR.
THE HUNGRY TRAVELLERS.
The dragoon was the first to resume the conversation.
"You, Senor Don Cornelio," said he, "you who have come from Valladolid,perhaps you can give me some later news, than I have received about themarch of Hidalgo and his army?"
"Not any, I fear," replied the student; "you forget, Senor, that, thanksto the slow pace of my old horse, I have been two months on the route?When I left Valladolid, nobody had any more thought of an insurrectionthan of a new deluge. All I know of it is what I have heard from publicrumour--that is, so much as could be divulged without fear of the HolyInquisition. If, moreover, we are to believe the mandate of the LordBishop of Oajaca, the insurrection will not find many supporters in hisdiocese."
"And for what reason?" asked the captain of dragoons, with a certainhauteur, which proved, without committing himself to any disclosure ofhis political opinions, that the insurgent cause would not find an enemyin him. "What reason does the bishop assign?"
"What reason?" replied the student. "Simply because my Lord BishopBergosa y Jordan will excommunicate them. He affirms, moreover, thatevery insurgent will be recognisable by his horns and cloven hoofs,which before long they will all have from the hands of the devil!"
Instead of smiling at the childish credulity of the young student, thedragoon shook his head with an air of discontent, while the hairs of hisblack moustachios curled with indignation.
"Yes," said he, as if speaking to himself, "thus is it that our priestsfight with the weapons of calumny and falsehood, perverting the minds ofthe Creoles with fanatical superstition! So, Senor Lantejas," hecontinued in a louder tone, addressing himself to the student, "you areafraid to enrol yourself in the ranks of the insurgents, lest you mightobtain these diabolical ornaments promised by the bishop?"
"Heaven preserve me from doing such a thing!" replied the student. "Isit not an article of faith? And who should know better than therespectable Lord Bishop of Oajaca? Besides," continued he, hasteninghis explanation, as he saw the angry flash of his companion's eye, "I amaltogether of a peaceable disposition, and about to enter into holyorders. Whatever party I might take, it would be with prayer alone Ishould seek to make it triumph. The Church has a horror of blood."
While the student was thus delivering himself, the dragoon regarded himwith a side glance; which seemed to say: that it mattered little whichside he might take, as neither would be much benefited by such a sorrychampion.
"Is it for the purpose of passing your thesis that you have come toOajaca?"
"No," replied Lantejas, "my errand into this country is altogetherdifferent. I am here in obedience to the commands of my father, whosebrother is the proprietor of the rich estate of San Salvador. I am toremind my uncle that he is a widower--rich--and without children; andthat he has half-a-dozen nephews to provide for. That is my business atSan Salvador. What can I do? My honoured father is more attached tothe good things of this life than is perhaps right; and I have beenobliged to make this journey of two hundred leagues, for the purpose ofsounding our relative's disposition in regard to us."
"And ascertaining the value of his property as well?"
"Oh! as to that, we know exactly how much it is worth; though none of ushas ever been on the estate."
This answer of the young student did more honour to his heart than tohis discretion.
"Well," continued he, after a pause, "I may safely say, that never didnephew present himself before an uncle in a more famished condition thanI shall do. Thanks to the inexplicable desertion of all the houses andvillages through which I have passed--and the care which their ownershave taken to carry with them even the leanest chicken--there is not ajackal in the country hungrier than I at this minute."
The dragoon was in pretty much the same case. For two days he had beentravelling without seeing a soul, and though his horse had picked up alittle forage along the road, he had been unable to obtain food forhimself--other than such wild fruits and berries as he could gather bythe way.
The sympathy for a like suffering at once dissipated any ill-blood whichthe difference in their political sentiments might have stirred up; andharmony was restored between them.
The captain in his turn informed his new _compagnon du voyage_, that,since the imprisonment of the Viceroy, Iturrigaray, his own father, aSpanish gentleman, had retired to his estate of Del Valle, where he wasnow proceeding to join him. He was not acquainted with this estate,having never been upon it since he was a mere child; but he knew that itwas not far from the hacienda of Las Palmas, already mentioned. Lesscommunicative than Don Cornelio, he did not inform the student ofanother motive for his journey, though there was one that interested himfar more than revisiting the scenes of his childhood.
As the travellers rode on, the evanescent ardour of Don Cornelio'sroadster insensibly cooled down; while the student himself, fatigued bythe incessant application of whip and spur, gradually allowed tolanguish a conversation, that had enabled them to kill a long hour oftheir monotonous journey.
The sun was now declining towards the western horizon, and the shadowsof the two horsemen were beaming elongated upon the dusty road, whilefrom the tops of the palm-trees the red cardinals and parroquets hadcommenced to chaunt their evening song.
Thirst--from which both the travellers suffered even more than fromhunger--was still increasing upon them; and at intervals the dragooncaptain cast a look of impatience toward the horse of his companion. Hecould not help observing that the poor brute, for the want of water, wasevery moment slackening his pace.
On his side, Don Cornelio perceived, that, from a generous motive, histravelling companion was resisting the temptation to ride forward. Byputting his fine horse into a gallop, the latter could in a short timereach the hacienda--now less than three leagues distant. Under theapprehension of losing his company, therefore, the student redoubled hisefforts to keep his old circus hack abreast with the bay-brown of thedragoon.
The journey thus continued for half an hour longer; when it becameevident to both travellers that the _escapado_ of the bull-ring wasevery moment growing more unable to proceed.
"Senor student," said the dragoon, after a long spell of silence, "haveyou ever read of those shipwrecks, where the poor devils, to avoidstarvation, cast lots to see which shall be eaten by the others?"
"Alas! yes, I have," answered Lantejas, with a slight trembling in hisspeech; "but I hope with us it will not come to that deplorableextremity."
"_Carrambo_!" rejoined the dragoon with a grave air, "I feel at thismoment hungry enough to eat a relative--even if he were rich and I hisheir, as you of your uncle, the _haciendado_ of San Salvador!"
"But we are not at sea, Senor captain, and in a boat from which there isno chance of escape?"
The dragoon fancied that he might amuse himself a little at the expenseof the young student of divinity--of whose excessive credulity he hadalready had proofs. Perhaps he meant also to revenge himself on thisfoolish credulity, upon which the fulmination of the Bishop Bergosa--already celebrated throughout Mexico--had made such an impression. Hischief motive, however, was to demonstrate to his travelling companionthe necessity for their parting company; in order, that, by ridingforward himself, he might be able to send back succour to hisfellow-traveller. He was no little surprised, therefore, to perceivethat his pleasantry was taken in actually a serious light; and thereforehad determined to desist from making any further innuendos.
"I hope, Senor captain," said Don Cornelio, "I hope neither of us willever be in such extremities."
Then casting a glance over the arid waste that stretched before them, anew idea seemed to strike the student; and with a haste that bespoke hisagitation he continued--
"As for me, if I were mounted on a horse equal in strength and vigour toyours, I should gallop either to the hacienda of Las Palmas or SanSalvador, without drawing bridle; and from there send assistance to thefellow-traveller I had left behind."
"Ah! is that your advice?"
"I could not think of giving any other."
"Good, then!" cried the dragoon; "I shall follow it; for to be candid, Ifelt a delicacy in parting company with you."
As Don Rafael spoke, he held out his hand to the student.
"Senor Lantejas," said he, "we part friends. Let us hope we may nevermeet as enemies! Who can foresee the future? You appear disposed tolook with an evil eye on those attempts at emancipation of a country,that has been enslaved for three hundred years. As for myself, it ispossible I may offer my arm--and, if need be, my life--to aid her inconquering her liberty. _Hasta luego_! I shall not forget to send youassistance."
Saying this, the officer clasped warmly the chill attenuated fingers ofthe student of theology, gave the reign to his horse, that needed nospur, and disappeared the moment after amidst a cloud of dust.
"God be praised!" said Lantejas, breathing freely; "I do believe thefamished Lestrygon would have been quite capable of devouring me! Asfor my being found on a field of battle in front of this Goliath, or anyother, there's not much danger. I defy the devil with all his horns tomake a soldier of me, either _for_ the insurrection or _against_ it."
The student proceeded on his solitary route--congratulating himself onhaving escaped, from what his credulous fancy had believed to be adanger.
Some time had passed, and the red clouds of sunset were tinting thehorizon, when he saw before him the form of a man, whose gait andcomplexion proved him to be an Indian. In hopes of obtaining someprovisions from this man, or, at all events, an explanation of thesingular circumstances already mentioned, the student urged his horseinto a more rapid pace, heading him towards the Indian.
He saw that the latter was driving two cows before him, whose distendedudders proved them to be milch cattle. This increased the desire of thehorseman, hungry and thirsty as he was, to join company with thecowherd.
"_Hola_! Jose!" cried he, at the top of his voice.
An Indian will always respond to the name _Jose_, as an Irishman to thatof _Pat_ or _Paddy_. On hearing it, the cow-driver looked round inalarm. At that moment the _escapado_ of the bull-ring caught sight ofthe two cows, and suddenly broke off into a gallop--unfortunately,however, in a direction the very opposite to that which his riderdesired him to take!
Notwithstanding this, the student still continued to shout to thecowherd, in hopes of bringing him to comprehend his dilemma. But theodd spectacle of a horseman calling to him to approach, while he himselfkept riding off in the opposite direction, so astounded the Indian that,uttering a cry of affright, he also took to his heels, followed in along shambling trot by the two cows!
It was not until all three were out of sight, that the student couldprevail on his affrighted steed to return into the proper path.
"In the name of the Holy Virgin!" soliloquised he, "what has got intothe people of this country? Every one of them appears to have gonemad!"
And once more setting his horse to the road, he proceeded onward--now,however, hungrier and more disconsolate than ever.
Just as night was coming down, he arrived at a place where two or threesmall huts stood by the side of the road. These, like all the others,he found deserted. At sight of them, however, the old horse came to adead stop, and refused to proceed. His rider, equally fatigued,resolved upon remaining by the huts, until the assistance promised bythe dragoon captain should arrive.
In front of one of the huts stood two tall tamarind trees--between whicha hammock was suspended, at the height of seven or eight feet from theground. It was a capacious one, made of the strong plaited thread ofthe _maguey_. It seemed to invite the wearied traveller to repose--asif placed there on purpose for him.
As the heat was still suffocating, instead of entering one of the huts,he unsaddled his horse, permitted the animal to go at will, and by thetrunk of one of the tamarinds climbed up into the hammock. There,stretching himself, he lay a good while listening attentively, in hopesof hearing some sound that might announce the approach of the promisedsuccour.
It was now dark night. All nature had gone to sleep; and the profoundsilence was unbroken by any sound that resembled the tramp of a horse.Nothing was heard to indicate the approach of the expected relief.
As the student continued to listen, however, he became sensible ofsounds, of a singular and mysterious character. There was a continuousnoise, like the rumbling of distant thunder, or the roaring of the oceanduring a storm. Although the air was calm around him, he fancied hecould hear a strong wind blowing at a distance, mingled with hoarsebellowings of unearthly voices!
Affrighted by these inexplicable noises--which seemed the warning voicesof an approaching tempest--he lay for a while awake; but fatigueovercoming him, he sunk at length into a profound sleep.