CHAPTER SIXTY EIGHT.
THE COMMISSION EXECUTED.
While the Captain Lantejas stood in the midst of an atmosphere thatnearly stifled his breathing, he saw one of these shadowy forms step outfrom among the rest and advance towards him. As the man came nearer, herecognised the ferocious captain of the bandits, who, licking hisblood-stained lips like a jaguar after leaving its prey, cried out in ahoarse voice, "Bring me that spy! I can examine him while the coyote iscoming to himself."
"Here he is," replied Bocardo, seizing Don Cornelio by the shoulder, andpushing him forward into the presence of his associate.
"My good friend," muttered Bocardo, addressing himself to Don Cornelio,"it's your turn now. Of course the lash will make you confess that youare a spy, and of course your head will be taken off immediately after.I would, therefore, advise you not to waste time about it butacknowledge your guilt at once."
While Bocardo was giving this fearful counsel, his associate stoodregarding Don Cornelio with eyes that expressed a villainous pleasure,at the idea of having another victim to satisfy his bloodthirstyinstincts.
"Confess quickly!" he cried, "and let that end it. I am tired, andshan't be kept waiting."
"Senor Arroyo!" replied Lantejas, "I am a captain in the insurgent army,and am sent by General Morelos to tell you--"
Don Cornelio paused. He was hesitating as to whether he dare proclaimhis real errand.
"Your proofs?" demanded Arroyo.
"My papers have been taken from me," said Lantejas.
"A fig for your papers! Hola! wife!" continued Arroyo, turning to thehag who still stood by the fainting victim, "here's a little work foryou, as I am somewhat fatigued. I charge you with making this spyconfess who sent him here, and what design he had in coming. Make himspeak out whatever way you please."
"By and by," answered the virago, "but not yet. This coyote has comeround again, and better still, has come to his right senses at last: heis about to confess."
"Bring him here, then!" commanded Arroyo.
Several men hastened to execute the order, and, detaching the victimfrom the place where he had been bound, half dragged, half carried himacross the floor. Don Cornelio saw that the unfortunate individual wasa young man--of less than thirty, of noble aspect, though his featuresexpressed at the moment the terrible agony he was enduring.
"Now, _Gachupino_!" exclaimed the woman, "where is your money hid?"
"Where is your wife?" cried Arroyo. On hearing this question sopointedly put, the hideous companion of Arroyo directed upon her husbanda glance of concentrated rage and jealousy.
"I want the woman," muttered Arroyo, "in order that I may draw a goodransom out of her father."
The young Spaniard, his spirit tortured to a certain degree offeebleness, in a voice scarce audible, indicated to his persecutorswhere lay the secret chamber--the door of which, cunningly set in thewall, had escaped even the keen eyes of the robbers.
Both Bocardo and Arroyo immediately repaired to the spot. A keg ofdollars, with a large quantity of plate, was found in the chamber, butthe Senora Marianita had disappeared.
On hearing this news, a tremor of joy passed through the lacerated frameof the young Spaniard. Little cared he for his treasure, so long as hisbeloved wife had escaped from the outrages of the brigands. His emotioncaused him to faint anew; and he lay once more senseless at the feet ofhis tormentors.
Don Cornelio now remembered the white phantom he had observed glidingamong the trees, and he doubted not that what he had seen was she ofwhom they were in search.
Arroyo returned to examine his prisoner, but by this time the wholenature of Don Cornelio appeared to have become suddenly transformed.The perfumes of the alcohol, mixed with that of the resin torches, hadmounted to his head; and as he had never in his life even tasted strongliquors, the effect was that of a partial but instant intoxication. Heappeared to have become animated with a portion of that courage, withwhich in the field of battle the flaming eyes of Galeana had more thanonce inspired him--while combating under the aegis of the marshal'sdeath-dealing lance.
"Senor Arroyo!" cried he in a voice whose thundering tones astonishedeven himself, "and you who call yourself the Colonel of Colonels! Icommand you both to respect the envoy of his Excellency the GeneralMorelos--myself--who am charged to tell you, that if you continue, byyour sanguinary cruelties, to disgrace the holy cause for which wefight--not as brigands but as Christians--you will both be _drawn andquartered_!"
At this unexpected and insulting menace the eyes of Arroyo sparkled withfury. Upon Bocardo the effect was somewhat different. He trembled andturned pale at the name of Morelos.
Lantejas, though somewhat alarmed at his own boldness, neverthelesscontinued in the same strain.
"Bring here the negro and Indian!" demanded he, "prisoners like myself--and see if both do not know me as Captain Don Cornelio Lantejas. Ifthey do not I consent--"
At this point Arroyo interrupted the speaker, springing forward andcrying out in a husky voice--
"Woe be to you if you are lying! I will pluck the tongue out of yourhead, and scourge with it the cheeks of an impostor."
Lantejas, now elevated in spite of himself to a point of haughtygrandeur, replied to this menace only with a superb smile.
Clara being sent for, the moment after appeared within the room.
"Who is this man, dog of a negro?" interrogated the fierce brigand.
This time too punctual in executing the orders of his captain, the blackdisplayed his ivory teeth in a smile of significant intelligence. "DonLucas Alacuesta, of course!" he replied.
A cry of gratification issued from the lips of the bandit.
"But there is another name which I also bear, is there not?" inquiredDon Cornelio, without losing countenance.
"Don Cornelio Lantejas," added Clara.
"The proofs--the proofs!" cried the guerillero, pacing rapidly backwardand forward, like a caged tiger who sees the spectators outside the barsof his prison without being able to devour them, "the proofs!--I musthave them at once."
At this moment confused and violent noises were heard outside the door,and rising above all the voice of Costal. The door was suddenly burstopen, and the Indian rushed into the middle of the room, holding in onehand a bloody dagger, while the other was enveloped in a shapeless massof what seemed to be cloth. The latter was serving him for a shieldagainst the attack of several guerilleros, who were pressing him frombehind.
Costal, on getting inside, turned abruptly and stood facing hisadversaries.
These, finding themselves in the presence of their chief, desisted for amoment from the attack--one of them crying out to Arroyo, that theIndian had poniarded their comrade Gaspacho.
"I did it to get back my own property," replied Costal, "or rather thatof Captain Lantejas; and here it is."
In saying these words, the Zapoteque unwound from his left arm what hadserved him as a buckler, and which was now seen to be the cloak soinopportunely missing.
Don Cornelio seized it from him with an exclamation of joy, and at onceplunged his hands into the pockets.
"Here are my proofs!" cried he, drawing out a number of papers, sostained with blood, fresh from the veins of the slain robber, as to bescarce legible. Enough, however, could be read to establish theidentity of Don Cornelio and the authority under which he was acting.
The names of Morelos and Galeana in the midst of this band of brigandswere, for him, like the whisper of the Lord to Daniel in the den oflions. Even the two ferocious leaders lowered their tone at the mentionof these names, so universally feared and respected.
"You may go, then!" cried Arroyo, yielding reluctantly to the authoritythat had awed him; "but if you ever boast of the arrogant language youhave used to me, _Carajo_!" and the brigand hissed out the infamousoath. "As for General Morelos," he added, "you may say to him, thateach of us fights according to his own way; and, notwithstanding histhreats, I shall follow mine."
; Saying this, an order was issued to let the three prisoners pass free,after delivering up to them their arms and horses.
"Let six horsemen get ready to pursue this runaway Senora!" cried thebandit chief, as Don Cornelio and his companions were leaving the room."Some one bridle my horse, and quickly. I shall go along with them, andyou too, Bocardo."
Bocardo made no reply, but not equally silent was Arroyo's femalecompanion.
"What want you with the Senora?" she inquired, in a tone of angryjealousy. "Have you got the keg of dollars to satisfy you!"
"I have told you already," rejoined Arroyo, with a demoniac glance athis wife, "that I want her for the purpose of enabling me to extract aransom from her father. I want her, and will have her. You stay here,and guard the treasure; and by all the devils if you don't behaveyourself better--"
The bandit drew his dagger with such an air of resolution and menace,that the hag, cowed by the gesture, no longer offered opposition to hiswill. Shrinking to one side, she appeared to busy herself in lookingafter the keg of dollars.
Meanwhile Don Cornelio and his two acolytes, not caring to remain insuch company longer than was absolutely necessary, hastened from theroom; and, mounting their restored steeds, rode off into the darkness ofthe night.