A DISCOVERY.
Dominique marched very gently, supporting with a firm hand the wounded
man seated in his saddle, watching over him as a mother watches over
her child, having only one desire--that of reaching the rancho as soon
as possible, in order to give this stranger, who, without him, would
have died so miserably, that attention which the precarious state in
which he still was, necessitated.
In spite of the impatience he felt, it was unfortunately impossible to
hurry his horse on for fear of an accident across the broken and almost
impracticable roads he was compelled to follow: hence it was with an
indescribable feeling of pleasure that, in coming within two or three
gunshots of the rancho, he noticed some persons running towards him.
Though he did not recognize them at first, his joy was great, for it
was help arriving for him; and though he would assuredly have been
unwilling to allow it, he recognized its extreme necessity for himself,
and especially for the wounded man, as for some hours he had been
stumbling along tracks nearly always impracticable, constrained to keep
a constant watch on this man, whom, by an incomprehensible miracle, he
had saved from a certain death, and whom the slightest neglect might
kill.
When the men running towards him were only a few yards from him, he
stopped and shouted to them with a joyous air, like a man delighted to
be freed from an oppressive responsibility.
"Eh! Come on! Caray! You ought to have been here long ago."
"What do you mean, Dominique?" the adventurer asked in French. "What
pressing need did you feel for us?"
"Why, that is plain enough, I fancy. Don't you see that I am bringing a
wounded man?"
"A wounded man!" Oliver started with a tiger's bound, which brought him
up to the young man's side. "To what wounded man are you alluding?"
"Hang it! To the one I have seated to the best of my ability on my
horse, and whom I should not be sorry to see in a good bed; of which,
between ourselves, he has the greatest need: for if he be still alive,
it is, on my soul, through some incomprehensible miracle of providence!"
The adventurer, without replying, roughly pulled away the _sarape_
thrown over the wounded man's face, and examined it for some minutes
with an expression of agony, grief, anger and regret, impossible
to describe. His face, which had suddenly turned pale, assumed a
cadaverous hue; a convulsive tremour ran over his whole body; his eyes,
fixed on the wounded man, seemed to emit flashes, and had a strange
expression.
"Oh!" he muttered in a low voice, convulsed by the storm that agitated
his heart; "That man! It is he--really he! And is not dead!"
Dominique did not understand a word. He gazed at Oliver with amazement,
not knowing what to think of the words he was uttering.
"But tell me," he at length said, with an outburst of passion, "what
is the meaning of this? I save a man--Heaven knows how--by my care: in
spite of a thousand difficulties I succeed in bringing here this poor
wretch, who, without me, I may safely say, would have died like a dog,
and this is how you greet me!"
"Yes, yes, rejoice!" the adventurer said to him, with a bitter accent;
"You have committed a good action. I congratulate you on it, Dominique,
my friend! It will benefit you, be sure, and that ere long!"
"You know that I do not understand you!" the young man exclaimed.
"Well! is there any need that you should understand me, poor boy?" he
replied, with a disdainful shrug of his shoulders. "You have acted
according to your nature, without reflection or afterthought. I have no
more reproaches to address to you, than explanations to offer you."
"But, come; what do you mean?"
"Do you know this man?"
"Really, no. How should I know him?"
"I do not ask you that. Since you do not know him, how is it that you
are bringing him to the rancho, without giving us notice?"
"For a very simple reason. I was returning from Cholula, when I found
him lying across the road, groaning like a bull in the death throes.
What could I do? Did not humanity command me to succor him? Is it
permissible to let a Christian die in such a way without attempting to
aid him?"
"Yes, yes," Oliver replied, ironically; "you acted well, and certainly
I am far from blaming you. Of course, a man could not meet one of
his fellow men in this cruel condition without assisting him." Then,
suddenly changing his tone, and shrugging his shoulders with pity, he
added; "Did you receive such lessons in humanity from the Redskins,
among whom you lived so long?"
The young man attempted to answer, but he hurriedly checked him.
"Enough, now the evil is done," he said to him: "it is of no use
alluding to it. López will convey him to the cavern of the rancho,
where he will nurse him. Go, López, lose no time; lead away this man,
while I talk with Dominique."
López obeyed, and the young man allowed him to do so. He was beginning
to comprehend that possibly his heart had deceived him, and that he had
too easily given way to a feeling of humanity towards a man who was a
perfect stranger to him.
There was a rather lengthened silence. López had gone off with the
wounded man, and had already disappeared in the cavern. Oliver and
Dominique, standing face to face, remained motionless and pensive. At
length the adventurer raised his head.
"Have you spoken with this man?"
"Only a few words."
"What did he tell you?"
"Not much that was sensible, he talked to me about an attack to which
he had fallen a victim."
"Is that all?"
"Yes, or nearly so."
"Did he tell you his name?"
"I did not ask him for it."
"But he must have told you who he is."
"Yes, I think so: he told me that he had come a short time previously
from Veracruz and was proceeding to Mexico, when he was attacked
unawares and plundered by men whom he was unable to recognize."
"He told you nothing else about his name or position?"
"No, not a word."
The adventurer remained pensive for a moment.
"Listen," he then continued, "and do not take what I am going to say to
you in ill part."
"From you, Master Oliver, I will hear anything you have the right to
say everything to me."
"Good! Do you remember how we became acquainted?"
"Certainly: I was a child then, wretched and sickly, dying of want and
misery in the streets of Mexico: you took pity on me, you clothed and
fed me: not satisfied with this, you yourself taught me to read, write
and cypher, and many other things."
"Go on."
"Then, you enabled me to find my parents again, or at least the persons
who brought me up, and whom, in default of others, I have always
regarded as my family."
"Good, what next?"
"Hang it, you know that as well as I do, Master Oliver."
"That is possible, but I wish you to repeat it to me."
"As you please: one day you came to the rancho, you took me away with
you and took me to Sonora and Texas, where we hunted buffalo: at the
end of two or three years, you caused me to be adopted by a Comanche
tribe, and you left me, ordering me to remain on the prairies, and to
lead the existence of a wood ranger, until you sent me an order to
return to you."
"Very good, I see that you have a good memory: go on."
"I obeyed you, and remained among the Indians, hunting and living with
them: six months ago, you came yourself to the banks of the Río Gila,
where I was at the time, and you told me that you had come to fetch me
and that I must follow you. I followed you, therefore, without asking
an explanation which I did not need: for do I not belong to you, body
and soul?"
"Good, you still retain the same feeling."
"Why should I have changed? You are my only friend."
"Thanks, then you are resolved to obey me in everything?"
"Without hesitation, I swear it."
"That is what I wished to be certain of, now listen to me in your turn:
this man whom you have succored so foolishly--forgive the word--lied
from the first to the last word he told you. The story he told you
is a tissue of falsehoods: it is not true that he had only arrived
a few days before from Veracruz, it is not true that he is going to
Mexico, and lastly it is not true that he was attacked and plundered by
strangers. This man I know: he has been in Mexico for the last eight
months, he lives in Puebla, he was condemned to death by men who had a
right to try him and with whom he is perfectly well acquainted: he was
not attacked unawares, a sword was placed in his hand, and he received
permission to defend himself--a permission which he took advantage of,
and he fell in fair fight: finally, he was not plundered, because he
had not to do with highwaymen but with men of honour."
"Oh, oh," said the young man, "this alters the case."
"Now answer this: you have pledged yourself to him?"
"What do you mean by that?"
"This man, when he regained his senses and was able to speak, implored
your protection; did he not?"
"That is true, Master Oliver."
"Good, and what did you answer him?"
"Hang it all, you understand that it was very difficult for me to
abandon the poor fellow in the state he was in, especially after what I
had done for him."
"Good, good; what then?"
"Well then, I promised to cure him."
"Nothing else?"
"Well no."
"And you only promised him this?"
"No, I pledged my word."
The adventurer gave a start of impatience.
"But supposing he recovers," he continued, "which between ourselves
seems rather doubtful; when he is in a good state of health, will you
consider yourself entirely free from him?"
"Oh yes, Master Oliver, completely."
"In that case, it is only a half evil."
"You know that I do not at all understand you?"
"Be content, Dominique, learn that you have not a lucky hand for a good
deed."
"Because?"
"Because the man you have succored and on whom you lavished such
devoted attentions, is your deadly enemy."
"This man my deadly enemy?" he exclaimed with an astonishment mingled
with doubt; "But I do not know him any more than he knows me."
"You suppose so, my poor fellow; but be convinced that I am not
deceived and am telling you the truth."
"It is strange."
"Yes, very strange, indeed, but it is so: this man is even your most
dangerous foe."
"What is to be done?"
"Leave me to act: I went to the rancho this morning with the intention
of telling you that one of your enemies, the most formidable of all,
was dead: you took care to make me a liar. After all, perhaps it is
better it should be so: what God does is well, His ways are unknown to
us, we must bow before the manifestation of His will."
"Then, it is your intention--?"
"My intention is to order López to watch over your patient: he will
remain in the cavern where he will be taken the greatest care of, but
you will not see him again, as it is unnecessary for you to know any
more about him at present: in my turn, I pledge you my word that all
the attention his condition demands shall be bestowed on him."
"Oh, I trust entirely to you, Master Oliver: but when he's cured, what
shall we do?"
"We will let him go away in peace, he is not our prisoner: be at ease,
we shall find him again without difficulty when we want him: of course
it is understood that no one in the rancho is to go down to him or have
any relations with him."
"Good: in that case you will tell them so, for I cannot undertake it."
"I will do so: but I shall not see him either; López alone will remain
in charge of him."
"Have you nothing more to say to me?"
"Yes, that I intend to take you away with me for a few days."
"Ah, are we going far?"
"You will see: in the meanwhile go to the rancho and prepare everything
you want for your journey."
"Oh, I am ready," he interrupted.
"That is possible, but I am not; have I not to give López orders about
your wounded man?"
"That is true, and besides I must say good-bye to my family."
"That will be very proper, as you will probably be away for some time."
"Good, I understand, we are going to have a famous hunt."
"Yes, we are going to hunt," the adventurer said with an equivocal
smile; "but not at all in the way you suppose."
"All right, I do not care. I will hunt in whatever way you please."
"I reckon on it; but come, we have lost too much time already."
They proceeded toward the mound. The adventurer entered the vault,
and the young man went up to the rancho. Loïck and the two women
were awaiting him on the platform considerably perplexed by the
long conversation he had held with Oliver; but Dominique was
impenetrable--he had lived too long in the desert to let the truth be
drawn from his heart when he thought proper to conceal it. Under these
circumstances, all the questions they showered on him were thrown away;
he only answered by clever evasions, and at last his father and the two
women, despairing of making him speak, resolved to leave him at peace.
His breakfast was all ready on the table. As he was hungry, he took
advantage of this pretext to change the conversation, and while eating,
announced his departure. Loïck made no remark, for he was accustomed to
these sudden absences.
At the end of about half an hour Oliver reappeared. Dominique rose and
took leave of his family.
"You are taking him with you," said Loïck.
"Yes," Oliver replied, "for a few days; we are going into the _Tierra
Caliente_."
"Take care," said Louise anxiously; "you know that Juárez' guerillas
are scouring the country."
"Fear nothing, little sister," the young man said as he embraced her;
"we shall be prudent. I will bring you back a handkerchief. You know
that I have promised you one for a long time."
"I should prefer your not leaving us, Dominique," she replied sadly.
"Come, come," the adventurer remarked gaily; "do not be alarmed, I
will bring him back safe and sound."
It appears that the occupants of the rancho had great confidence in
Oliver's word, for on this assurance their anxiety became calmed, and
they took leave of the two men in tolerably good spirits. The latter
then left the rancho, descended the mound, and found their horses,
ready to be mounted, awaiting them, tied up to a liquidambar tree.
After giving a last parting signal to the inhabitants of the rancho,
who were assembled on the platform, they leapt into their saddles, and
went off at a gallop across country to strike the Veracruz road.
"Are we really going to the hot lands?" Dominique asked, while
galloping by his comrade's side.
"We are not going so far, or nearly so; I am only taking you a few
miles off to a hacienda, where I want you to make a new acquaintance."
"Bah! Why so? I care very little for new acquaintances."
"This one will be very useful to you."
"Oh, in that case it is different. I confess to you that I am not very
fond of the Mexicans."
"The person to whom you will be introduced is not Mexican, but French."
"That is not at all the same thing; but why do you talk in that
mysterious way? Are you not going to introduce me?"
"No, it is another person whom you know, and for whom you feel some
liking."
"To whom are you alluding?"
"To Leo Carral."
"The majordomo of the hacienda del Arenal?"
"Himself!"
"In that case we are going to the hacienda?"
"Not exactly, but near it. I have given the majordomo a rendezvous,
where he will wait for me, and we are going there now."
"In that case all is for the best. I shall be delighted to see Leo
Carral again. He is a good fellow."
"And a man of honour and trust," Oliver added.