"He continued his ill-received attentions whenever chance gave him an
opportunity. It was not often. I took care of that; though, but for
precautions and my authority as his superior officer, his advances
would, no doubt, have been bolder--in short, persecutions. I knew that
to my sister, as to myself, his presence was disagreeable, but there was
no help for it. I could not have him removed. In all matters of
military duty he took care to act so that there should be no pretext for
a charge against him. Besides, I soon found that he was in favour with
one of the Government dignitaries. Though I did not then know why, I
learnt it afterwards; and why he, of all others, had been sent to
Albuquerque. The _sap_ had commenced for a new revolution, and he was
one of its secret fomenters. He had been chosen by the _parti pretre_
as a fitting agent to act in that district, of which, like myself, he
was a native.
"Having no suspicion of this, I only thought of him in regard to his
impertinent solicitation of my sister; and against this I could restrain
him. He was polite; obsequiously so, and cautiously guarded in his
gallantries; so that I had no cause for resorting to the _desafio_. I
could only wait and watch.
"The vigil was not a protracted one; though, alas! it ended differently
from what I expected. About two months after his coming under my
command, the late _grito_ was proclaimed all over Mexico. One morning
as I went down to the military quarters I found confusion and
disturbance. The soldiers were under arms, many of them drunk, and
vociferating `_Viva Santa Anna! Viva el Coronel Uraga_!' Hearing this,
I at once comprehended all. It was a _pronunciamento_. I drew my
sword, thinking to stem the tide of treason; and called around me such
of my followers as were still faithful. It was too late. The poison
had spread throughout the whole command. My adherents were soon
overpowered, several of them killed; myself wounded, dragged to the
_carcel_, and there locked up. The wonder is that I was not executed on
the spot; since I know Gil Uraga thirsted for my life. He was only
restrained, however, by a bit of caution; for, although I was not put to
death on that day, he intended I should never see the sun rise upon
another. In this he was disappointed, and I escaped.
"I know you will be impatient to learn how," resumes the refugee, after
rolling and igniting a fresh cigarrito. "It is somewhat of an incident,
and might serve the writer of a romance. I owe my life, my liberty,
and, what is more, my sister's safety, to our good friend Don Prospero.
In his capacity of military surgeon he was not compromised like the rest
of us; and after the revolt in the cuartel he was left free to follow
his vocation. While seeking permission to dress the wound I had
received, chance conducted him to a place where he could overhear a
conversation that was being carried on between Uraga and one of his
lieutenants--a ruffian named Roblez, fit associate for his superior.
They were in high glee over what had happened, carousing, and in their
cups not very cautious of what they said. Don Prospero heard enough to
make him acquainted with their scheme, so diabolical you will scarcely
give credence to it. I was to be made away with in the night--carried
up to the mountains, and there murdered! With no traces left, it would
be supposed that I had made my escape from the prison. And the good
doctor heard other designs equally atrocious. What the demons
afterwards intended doing when my sister should be left unprotected--"
Something like a groan escapes from the listener's lips, while his
fingers move nervously, as if clutching at a weapon.
"Devoted to me, Don Prospero at once resolved upon a course of action.
There was not a moment to be lost. He obtained permission to attend me
professionally in the prison. It was a cheap grace on Uraga's part,
considering his ulterior design. An attendant, a sort of hospital
assistant, was allowed to accompany the doctor to the cell, carrying his
lints, drugs, and instruments. Fortunately, I had not been quite
stripped by the ruffians who had imprisoned me, and in my own purse,
along with that of Don Prospero, was a considerable sum of gold--enough
for tempting the attendant to change clothes and places with me. He was
the more ready to do so, relying upon a story he intended to tell--that
we had overpowered and compelled him. Poor fellow! As we afterwards
learnt, it did not save him. He was shot the next morning to appease
the chagrin of Uraga, furious at our escape. We cannot help feeling
regret for his fate; but, under the circumstances, what else could have
been done?
"We stepped forth from the _carcel_, the doctor leading the way, and I,
his assistant, bearing the paraphernalia after him. We passed out of
the barracks unchallenged. Fortunately, the night was a dark one, and
the guards were given to carousing. The sentries were all intoxicated.
"By stealth, and in silence, we hastened on to my house, where I found
Adela, as you may suppose, in a state of agonised distress. But there
was no time for words--not even of explanation. With two of my servants
whom I could trust, we hastily collected some of our animals--horses and
pack-mules. The latter we loaded with such things as we could think of
as being requisite for a journey. We intended it to be a long one--all
the way across the great prairies. I knew there would be no safety for
us within the limits of New Mexico; and I remembered what you had said
but a few months before--your kind proffer of hospitality, should it
ever be my fate to seek refuge in your country. And to seek it we set
forth, leaving my house untenanted, or only in charge of the remaining
domestics, from whom gold had gained a promise not to betray us. The
doctor, Adela and myself, the two peons who had volunteered to accompany
us, with the girl, Conchita, composed our travelling party. I knew we
dared not take the route usually travelled. We should be followed by
hostile pursuers and forced back, perhaps slain upon the spot. I at
least would have had a short shrift. Knowing this, we made direct for
the mountains, with whose passes I was familiar, having traversed them
in pursuit of the savages.
"We passed safely through the Sierra, and kept on towards the Rio Pecos.
Beyond this river all was unknown to us. We only knew that there lay
the Llano Estacado, invested with mysterious terrors--the theme of our
childhood's fears--a vast stretch of desert, uninhabited, or only by
savages seeking scalps, by wild beasts ravening for blood, by hideous
reptiles--serpents breathing poison. But what were all these dangers to
that we were leaving behind? Nothing, and this thought inspired us to
proceed.
"We crossed the Pecos and entered upon the sterile plain. We knew not
how far it extended; only that on the other side lay a fertile country
through which we might penetrate to the frontier settlements of your
great free nation. This was the beacon of our hopes, the goal of
safety.
"We travelled in an easterly course; but there were days when the sun
was obscured by clouds; and then, unguided, we had either to remain at
rest or run the chance of getting strayed.
"We toiled on, growing weak for want of food, and suffering terribly
from thirst. No water was to be found anywhere--not a drop.
"Our animals suffered as ourselves. Staggering under the weight of
their loads, one by one they gave out, dropping down upon the desert
plain. Only one held out bravely to the last--the mustang mare that
brought you to our present abode. Yes, Lolita survived to carry my dear
sister, as if she understood the value we all placed upon her precious
burden. The others gave out--first the horses ridden by Don Prospero
and myself, then the pack-mules. Fortunately, these fell near the spot
where we at length found relief--near enough for their loads, and two of
themselves, to be afterwards recovered.
"One day, as we toiled on afoot, in the hourly expectation of death, we
came in sight of this fair spot. It appeared to us a Paradise, as you
say it did to yourself. Under our eyes were green trees and the gleam
of crystal streams; in our ears the songs of birds we had never expected
to hear again. Chance had brought us direct to the path, the only one
by which the valley can be reached from the upper plain. Inspirited by
the fair spectacle below, we gained strength enough to descend. We
drank of the sweet water, and procured food from the branches of the
trees that shaded it. It was the season when fruits and berries were
abundant. Afterwards we discovered game, and were successful in
capturing it.
"Soon with restored strength we were able to go back, and recover the
paraphernalia we had left upon the plain, along with two of the mules
that, after resting, had regained their feet, and could stagger on a
little farther.
"At first we only thought of making this a temporary resting-place;
though there seemed but slight hope of being able to continue our
journey. But as the days passed, and we were left undisturbed, we began
to realise the fact that we had found an asylum, safe as pleasant.
"It was not likely that anyone would discover the track we had taken in
our flight. Even the resentment of Uraga would scarce pursue us across
the Staked Plain. In any case, there was no help for it but to remain
in the valley, as we had not animals enough to carry us on. Our only
alternative was to go back to the Del Norte--a thing not to be thought
of. We resolved, therefore, on staying, at least for a time. I had
conceived a plan for communicating with my friends in New Mexico, and am
not without hope that sooner or later we may get tidings that will make
it safe for as to return. In our country, as you know, there is nothing
permanent; and we have hopes ere long to see the Liberal party once more
in the ascendant.
"Our resolution to remain here becoming fixed we sot about making our
situation as comfortable as circumstances would permit. We erected this
humble tenement whose roof now shelters us. We turned fishermen and
hunters; in the last my sister proving more accomplished than any of
us--a real huntress, as you have seen. We have enjoyed the life
amazingly; more especially our worthy _medico_, who is an enthusiastic
naturalist, and here finds a rare opportunity of gratifying his
scientific tastes. For subsistence we have not had to depend altogether
upon the chase. Manuel, one of our peons, an old muleteer, makes an
occasional trip to Albuquerque, the route of which he has good reason to
remember. I send him with messages, and to purchase provisions. He is
cautious to make his approaches under cover of night, and do his
marketing with circumspection. With our gold, not yet all gone, he is
enabled to bring back such commodities as we stand in need of; while a
friend, entrusted with the secret of our hiding-place, keeps us informed
of the _novedades_. Now you know all."