Mr. Fortescue - William Westall (i read a book .txt) 📗

last, I think--they are. See! Here come the tag-rag and bobtail."

The tag-rag and bob-tail consisted of a string of loaded mules with their _arrieros_, a dozen women riding mules, and as many men on foot.

"Let us get out of this hole while we may, and before any of them come back. Once on the road and mounted, we shall at least be able to fight; but down here--"

"All the same, this hole has served our turn well. However, I quite agree with you that the best thing we can do is to get out of it quickly."

This was more easily said than done. It was like climbing up a precipice. Pizarro slipped back three times. Carmen's mare did no better. In the end we had to dismount, fasten two lariats to each saddle, and haul while the horses scrambled. A little help goes a long way in such circumstances.

All this both made noise and caused delay, and it was with a decided sense of relief that we found ourselves once more in the saddle and _en route_.

"We have lost more time than I reckoned on," said Carmen, as we galloped through the pass. "If any of the dragoons had turned back--However, they did not, and, as our horses are both fresher than theirs and carry less weight, they will have no chance of overtaking us if they do; and, as the whole of the regiment has gone on, there is no chance of meeting any more of them--_Caramba!_ Halt!"

"What is it?" I asked, pulling up short.

"I spoke too soon. More are coming. Don't you hear them?"

"Yes; and I see shadows in the distance."

"The shadows are soldiers, and we shall have to charge them whether they be few or many, _amigo mio_; so say your prayers and draw your Toledo. But first let us shake hands, we may never--"

"I am quite ready to charge by your side, Carmen; but would it not be better, think you, to try what a little strategy will do?"

"With all my heart, if you can suggest anything feasible. I like a fight immensely--when the odds are not too great--and I hope to die fighting. All the same, I have no very strong desire to die at this particular moment."

"Neither have I. So let us go on like peaceable travellers, and the chances are that these men, taking for granted that the others have let us pass, will not meddle with us. If they do, we must make the best fight we can."

"A happy thought! Let us act on it. If they ask any questions I will answer. Your English accent might excite suspicion."

The party before us consisted of nine horsemen, several of whom appeared to be officers.

"_Buene noche, senores_," said Carmen, so soon as we were within speaking distance.

"_Buene noche, senores_. You have met the troops, of course. How far are they ahead?" asked one of the officers.

"The main body are quite a league ahead by this time. The pack-mules and _arrieros_ passed us about fifteen minutes ago."

"_Gracias!_ Who are you, and whither may you be wending, senores?"

"I am Sancho Mencar, at your service, _senor coronel_, a Government messenger, carrying despatches to General Salazar, at La Victoria. My companion is Senor Tesco, a merchant, who is journeying to the same place on business."

"Good! you can go on. You will meet two troopers who are bringing on a prisoner. Do me the favor to tell them to make haste."

"Certainly, _senor coronel. Adios, senores_."

"_Adio senores._"

And with that we rode on our respective ways.

"Two troopers and prisoner," said Carmen, thoughtfully.

"So there are more of them, after all! How many, I wonder? If this prisoner be a patriot we must rescue him, senor Fortescue."

"With all my heart--if we can."

"Only two troopers! You and I are a match for six."

"Possibly. But we don't know that the two are not followed by a score! There seems to be no end of them."

"I don't think so. If there were the colonel would have asked us to tell them also to hurry up. But we shall soon find out. When we meet the fellows we will speak them fair and ask a few questions."

Ten minutes later we met them.

"_Buene noche, senores!_" said Carmen, riding forward. "We bring a message from the colonel. He bids you make haste."

"All very fine. But how can we make haste when we are hampered by this rascal? I should like to blow his brains out."

"This rascal" was the prisoner, a big powerful fellow who seemed to be either a zambo or a negro. His arms were bound to his side, and he walked between the troopers, to whose saddles he was fastened by two stout cords.

"Why don't you blow his brains out?"

"Because we should get into trouble. He is the colonel's slave, and therefore valuable property. We have tried dragging him along; but the villain throws himself down, and might get a limb broken, so all we can do is prod him occasionally with the points of our sabres; but he does not seem to mind us in the least. We have tried swearing; we might as well whistle. Make haste, indeed!"

"A very hard case, I am sure. I sympathize with you, senores. Is the man a runaway that you have to take such care of him?"

"That is just it. He ran away and rambled for months in the forest; and if he had not stolen back to La Victoria and been betrayed by a woman, he would never have been caught. After that, the colonel would not trust him at large; but he thinks that at Caracas he will have him safe. And now, senores, with your leave we must go on."

"Ah! You are the last, I suppose?"

"We are; curse it! The main body must be a league ahead by this time, and we shall not reach Caracas for hours. _Adios!_"

"Let us rescue the poor devil!" I whispered to Carmen.

"By all means. One moment, senores; I beg your pardon--now, Fortescue!"

And with that we placed our horses across the road, whipped out our pistols and pointed them at the troopers' heads, to their owners' unutterable surprise.

"We are sorry to inconvenience you, senores," said my companion, politely; "but we are going to release this slave, and we have need of your horses. Unbuckle your swords, throw them on the ground, and dismount. No hesitation, or you are dead men! Shall we treat them as they proposed to treat the slave, Senor Fortescue? Blow out their brains? It will be safer, and save us a deal of trouble."

"No! That would be murder. Let them go. They can do no harm. It is impossible for them to overtake the, others on foot."

Meanwhile the soldiers, having the fear of being shot before them, had dismounted and laid down their weapons.

"Go!" said Carmen, pointing northward, and they went.

"Your name?" (to the prisoner whose bonds I was cutting with my sword).

"Here they call me Jose. In my own country I was called Gahra--"

"Let it be Gahra, then. It is less common than Jose. Every other peon in the country is called Jose. You are a native of Africa?"

"_Si, senor._"

"How came you hither?"

"I was taken to Cuba in a slave-ship, brought to this country by General Salazar, and sold by him to Colonel Canimo."

"You have no great love for the Spaniards, I suppose?"

Gahra pointed to his arms which had been chafed by the rope till they were raw, and showed us his back which bore the marks of recent stripes.

"Can you fight?"

"Against the Spaniards? Only give me the chance, and you shall see," answered the negro in a voice of intense hate.

"Come with us, and you shall have many chances. Mount one of those horses and lead the other."

Gahra mounted, and we moved on.

We were now at the beginning of a stiff ascent. The road, which though undulating had risen almost continuously since we left Caracas, was bordered with richly colored flowers and shrubs, and bounded on either side by deep forests. Night was made glorious by the great tropical moon, which shone resplendent under a purple sky gilding the tree-tops and lighting us on our way. Owing to the nature of the ground we could not see far before us, but the backward view, with its wood-crowned heights, deep ravines, and sombre mountains looming in the distance, was fairy-like and fantastic, and the higher we rose the more extensive it became.

"Is this a long hill?" I asked Carmen.

"Very. An affair of half an hour, at least, at this speed; and we cannot go faster," he answered, as he turned half round in his saddle.

"Why are you looking backward?"

"To see whether we are followed. We lost much time in the _quebrado_, and we have lost more since. Have you good eyes, Gahara? Born Africans generally have."

"Yes, sir. My name, Gahra Dahra, signifies Dahra, the keen sighted!"

"I am glad to hear it. Be good enough to look round occasionally, and if you see anything let us know."

We had nearly reached the summit of the rise when the negro uttered an exclamation and turned his horse completely round.

"What is it?" asked Carmen and myself, following his example.

"I see figures on the brow of yonder hill."

"You see more than I can, and I have not bad eyes," said Carmen, looking intently. "What are they like, those figures?"

"That I cannot make out yet. They are many; they move; and every minute they grow bigger! That is all I can tell."

"It is quite enough. The bodies of the two troopers have been found, the alarm has been given, and we are pursued. But they won't overtake us. They have that hill to descend, this to mount; and our horses are better than theirs."

"Are you going far, senor?" inquired Gahra.

"To the llanos."

"By Los Teycos?"

"Yes. We shall easily steal through Los Teycos, and I know of a place in the forest beyond, where we can hide during the day."

"Pardon me for venturing to contradict you, senor; but I fear you will not find it very easy to steal through Los Teycos. For three days it has been held by a company of infantry and all the outlets are strictly guarded. No civilian unfurnished with a safe conduct from the captain-general is allowed to pass."

"_Caramba!_ We are between two fires, it seems. Well, we must make a dash for it. The sentries cannot stop us, and we can gallop through before they turn out the guard."

"The horses will be very tired by that time, senor, and the troopers can get fresh mounts at Los Teycos. But I know a way--"

"The Indian trail! Do you know the Indian trail?"

"Yes, sir. I know the Indian trail, and I can take you to a place in the forest where there is grass and water and game, and we shall be safe from pursuit as long as we like to stay."

"How far off?"

"About two leagues."

"Good. Lead on in heaven's name. You are a treasure, Gahra Dahra. In rescuing you from those ruffianly Spaniards we did ourselves, as well as you,