CHAPTER SIXTY THREE.
AN UNWILLING AMBASSADOR.
On the afternoon of that same day--a little after the time when DonRafael buried himself among the bamboos--the ex-student of theology,accompanied by Costal and Clara, was riding along the Huajapam road, atno great distance from the ford of the Ostuta. When near to this famouscrossing, the three halted; and while their horses were picking up alittle grass, Costal kept on a little further afoot--for the purpose ofreconnoitring the ground upon the banks of the river.
Meanwhile Clara busied himself in roasting, over a fire he had kindled,some green ears of maize corn, which, with a few pieces of dried beef(_cecina_), were to constitute the dinner of the party. Clara had takenthe materials from his _alforjas_.
After an interval of silence, the Captain commenced a conversation withthe object of making to the negro a communication evidently deemed byhim of some importance.
"Listen to me, Clara!" said he; "we are entrusted with a commissionwhich I need not tell you will require us to act with the greatestcircumspection. I need not tell you that our carrying to this CaptainArroyo the threats of the General is a sufficiently dangerous errand.No more need I assure you that to enter the town of Oajaca is of asimilar character. There the Royalists think no more of the head of aninsurgent, than you of one of those ears of corn that you are roastingin the fire. What I wish of you, then, is--that you will drop the badhabit you have of calling me by the name of Lantejas; which, up to thepresent time, has brought me nothing but ill fortune. It was under thatname I was proscribed; and I beg of you, therefore, that, for thefuture, both you and Costal will know me only by the name of _Don LucasAlacuesta_. This last is the name of my mother's family, and it willserve my purpose as well as any other."
"Enough said, Captain," rejoined the negro; "I shall not forget to obeyyour orders--even though I should have the axe of the executioner raisedover my neck."
"I am satisfied you will not. Meanwhile, until Costal returns, you mayserve me with some of those morsels you are roasting, which seem to bedone enough. I am dying of hunger."
"And I too," added the negro, casting a greedy glance towards the_cecina_.
Clara spread out before the Captain his saddle-cloth to serve as anapkin; and, taking some pieces of the broiled meat from the coals,placed them upon it. To this he added two or three of the roasted ears.Then, seating himself close to the fire, he drew from the ashes theremaining portions of meat, and commenced eating with an earnestnessthat was likely to prove fatal to Costal's share in the banquet.
"Ho!" cried the Captain, "if you continue on in that fashion, yourcomrade Costal will be likely to go without his dinner."
"Costal will not eat before to-morrow," replied the negro in a gravetone.
"That I can easily believe," assented Don Cornelio. "There will benothing left for him to eat, I fancy."
"You misunderstand me, Senor Captain. To-day is the third aftermidsummer, and to-night the moon will be at the full. That is whyCostal will not eat, in order that by fasting he may prepare himself tohold communion with his gods."
"You fool! Do you believe in the wretched fables of the pagan Costal?"
"I have reason to believe them," gravely replied the negro. "The God ofthe Christians dwells in the sky; those of Costal inhabit the Lake ofOstuta, Tlaloc, the god of the mountains, lives on the summit ofMonopostiac; and Matlacuezc his wife, the goddess of the water, bathesherself in the waters of the lake that surround the enchanted mountain.The third night after the summer solstice--at the full of the moon--isthe time when they show themselves to the descendants of the caciques ofTehuantepec--to such as have passed their fiftieth year--and Costalintends to invoke them this very night."
As Don Cornelio was about endeavouring to bring the negro to a morerational religious belief, Costal strode silently up.
"Well," said the Captain, "is our information correct? Have you learntwhether Arroyo is really encamped on the banks of the Ostuta?"
"Quite true," answered the Indian, "a _peon_ of my acquaintance, whom Ichanced to meet, has told me that Arroyo and Bocardo are by the ford,where they intercept the passage of all who come this way. It is closeby, so that this evening you can deliver your message. After that isdone, I would ask leave of absence for Clara and myself for the night.We wish to spend it on the shore of the Sacred Lake."
"Hum!" muttered Don Cornelio, without noticing the request. "So near!"continued he, speaking to himself, and abruptly ceasing to eat. "Whatelse did your _peon_ acquaintance make known about Arroyo and Bocardo?"
"Only that they are more thirsty than ever--the one for blood, the otherfor plunder."
Costal imparted this information in a tone but little calculated toinspire the Captain with a relish for his mission.
He endeavoured to conceal his uneasiness, however; and, raising hisvoice to a tone of assumed boldness, he inquired:--
"It is to the ford of the Ostuta, then, we are to go?"
"Yes, Senor Captain, whenever it pleases your honour to move forward."
"We have plenty of time," replied Don Cornelio, evidently reluctant tomake any further advance. "I wish to take a few hours of rest beforegoing thither. And your old master, Don Mariano de Silva--did you hearanything of him?"
"Yes. He has long ago left the hacienda Las Palmas, and is living inOajaca. As to that of Del Valle, it is still occupied by the Royalistgarrison."
"So then we have enemies on all sides of us?" rejoined the Captain.
"Arroyo and Bocardo," said Costal, "should scarcely be enemies to anofficer bearing despatches from the General Morelos. As for Clara andmyself, we are that sort whom these bandits never frighten."
"I agree with you there," rejoined the Captain, "certainly I do--meanwhile--nevertheless--I should prefer--ah! who is that horseman whois galloping in this direction, carbine in hand?"
"If one may judge the master by the servant, and if this fellow chancesto have a master, that master ought to be one of the greatest rogues onearth."
As Costal was delivering this figurative speech, he stretched forth hishand and seized hold of his own old and trusty piece.
The horseman in question was no other than Gaspacho--the courier who hadbrought to Arroyo the evil news from the hacienda Del Valle.
He rode forward as one rides in a conquered country; and without makingany obeisance addressed himself to the Captain--who, from being a white,appeared to him the most considerable of the three strangers.
"Tell me, friend--" said he.
"Friend!" cried Costal, interrupting him, and evidently ill pleased withhis looks, "a captain in the army of General Morelos is no friend tosuch as you."
"What does this brute of an Indian say?" demanded Gaspacho, regardingCostal with an air of contempt.
The eyes of Costal fairly blazed with rage; and his movements promisedfor Gaspacho a terrible chastisement, when Don Cornelio interposed toprevent it. "What is your wish?" asked he of the follower of Arroyo.
"To know if you have seen anything of that rascal, Juan de Zapote, andhis worthy companion, Gaspar?"
"We have seen neither Zapote nor Gaspar."
"If they're not found, then, my friend Perico--who met and permittedthem to pass him--is likely to spend a most uncomfortable quarter of anhour--when he appears in the presence of our Captain Arroyo."
"Ah! you are in Arroyo's service then?"
"I have the honour."
"Perhaps you can tell me where I shall be most likely to find him?"
"_Quien sabe_? By the ford of the Ostuta you may find him--if he's notgone elsewhere--to the hacienda of San Carlos, for example."
"This hacienda does not belong to the royalists then?" inquired theCaptain.
"Perhaps I may be mistaken," ironically answered Gaspacho. "In anycase, if you wish to see the Captain--which rather astonishes me--youwill have to cross the ford all the same; and there you may hear of hiswhereabouts. My faith! that is a splendid cloak you have got on yourshoulders
. It appears a mile too big for you; and looks as if it wouldjust fit a man of my dimensions."
On saying these words, the bandit put spurs to his horse and gallopedoff--leaving Don Cornelio with an unpleasant impression upon his mind,caused by his ambiguous speeches and the admiration the stranger hadexpressed for his cloak.
"I fear we have fallen among wicked people here," said he, addressinghimself to Costal. "You see how little this ragged fellow makes of anofficer of Morelos; and doubtless his master will make still less.Well--we must be prudent, and wait until night before we attempt to goforward among them."
"Prudence is not always a bad substitute for courage," remarked Costal,with a shrug. "We shall do as you desire, Senor Captain; and I shall becareful we do not fall either into the hands of the loyalists, or thoseof the followers of Arroyo, before arriving in the presence of thatgentleman himself. Otherwise, I might lose the one peculiar day of mylife, that I have so long looked forward to. Trust to me. I think youcan say that I never let you remain long in a dangerous situation?"
"You are my providence," cried the Captain, with friendly warmth. "Itis true; and it will always give me pleasure to acknowledge it."
"No, no," interrupted Costal, "what I may have done for you is not worthtalking about. Meanwhile, we will act wisely to take a wink of sleep--Clara and myself more especially: since, during all this night, weshan't have another opportunity to close our eyes."
"You are right--I perfectly agree with you. Let us all have some sleepthen."
As the sun was still hot, Clara and Costal stretched themselves underthe shadow of a spreading tree, and both, with that indifference todanger to which a life of adventures had habituated them, were soonburied in profound slumber; during which the negro was constantlyendeavouring, in dreams, to capture the Siren with dishevelled hair, andforce her to reveal to him some rich _placer_ of gold.
As for Don Cornelio, he lay for a long time awake: anxious andapprehensive about the result of his approaching interview with theguerilla chief. At length, imitating the example of his two _compagnonsde voyage_, he also fell asleep.