THE SERGEANT SLEEPS AGAIN
“Explain, rogue!” cried the Governor half an hour later. They were in
the plaza, where a temporary camp had been established. The fires were
out, the smoke had drifted away. Wounded had received attention, and
preparations were being made for burying the dead. In all directions
troopers pursued hostiles and cut them down.
His excellency had told how the revolt at San Luis Rey de Francia and
other missions had been quelled. The body on the floor of the guest
house had been examined and word passed that here was the genuine
Fly-by-Night, renegade and conspirator, and that the real Rojerio Rocha
had slain him.
“Explain?” the caballero echoed. “’Tis a simple matter. When I reached
San Diego de Alcalá I was mistaken for this Fly-by-Night. I thought to
have jest by assuming the rôle. Then the hostiles, taking me for their
leader through the same misunderstanding, came to tell me their plans.
Being a loyal man, I maintained my rôle to learn all possible, and
tried in every way to delay the attack until the force from the north
could arrive.”
“Very good, my boy!” his excellency exclaimed.
“But they grew suspicious and soon I found myself at outs with white
men and red. Then came word for Captain Fly-by-Night to be taken dead
or alive at all costs. To everyone here I was Fly-by-Night, of course.
The description sent----”
“A fool of a cleric copied your description from the pass record by
mistake,” cried the Governor. “I’ll send him packing when I return!”
“It was at San Juan Capistrano that I first met discourtesy,” the
caballero went on. “They knew of this Fly-by-Night’s insult to the
_señorita_, assumed I was the man come to win her, and gave me to
understand how they regarded me. Sorry trouble I faced by pretending to
be another man.
“Then the real Fly-by-Night came, and because Rojerio Rocha was due,
he was hailed as such. It amused him, no doubt, to be called Rocha
and introduced to the _señorita_, placed in a position to win her.
Moreover, it gave him a chance to continue plotting in security--for
who would suspect Rojerio Rocha? You understand? And I could say
nothing then, being known as Fly-by-Night. Oh, it was a pretty mess!
Things were happening with such rapidity that he was not asked to show
credentials, of course----”
“And you faced death,” said the Governor, “became fugitive, allowed
people to call you despicable in order to be of service to the state? A
worthy caballero!”
“That was not all the object,” the caballero replied, laughing lightly
and looking at Anita again. “I had heard of Fly-by-Night’s boast, you
see; and when they took me for him I thought it would be a lark to
approach the _señorita_ in that guise. I was coming to wed her at
her father’s request, you see. We were as good as wed, you might say,
yet never had seen each other. How much better--I am sure you will
understand, excellency--to win her true love under another name, to be
sure she was wedding the man, not the distant relative her father had
commanded her to wed.
“You see my point? And, if I could win her love as Captain
Fly-by-Night, the man she despised--if I could turn her hatred and
repugnance to affection, would I not be sure it was real love?”
“Hah!” the Governor cried, and looked at the blushing girl.
“It was done,” the caballero said. “And--thank the saints, it has been
proved the love is real!”
And then he crossed before them, and Anita, seeing him coming, got upon
her feet, and he took her into his arms and kissed her there before
them all.
A padre lifted hand in blessing; Señora Vallejo smiled; the Governor
nodded in approval; Gonzales, good pirate, swore softly under his
breath at this display of young affection; and Sergeant Cassara slapped
his thigh and cried unto the sky.
“_Dios!_ So I cannot slay him after all? He is a friend of the
Governor, eh? Not Fly-by-Night, but Rojerio Rocha, a proper fellow! I
shall go mad! Better, I shall go to sleep for the saints know I need
it!”
He threw himself on the ground against the wall; and presently he
snored.
And so the tale ends as it began, with Sergeant Carlos Cassara.
THE END
Transcriber’s Notes
1. Spelling, punctuation, and hyphenation were corrected for
consistency. Archaic spelling was retained.
2. Quotation marks were added for clarity when the placement
was obvious.
3. Simple typographical errors were corrected.
4. Duplicate title removed from p. 9.
5. New original cover art included with this eBook is granted
to the public domain.