OLIVER CLARY.
As we have seen, Running Water and his comrades attacked Count de
Melgosa after White Crow had summoned him to surrender. The unexpected
arrival of Doña Emilia had not only foiled the plans of the Comanche
chiefs, but also caused such a panic among their warriors that, in
spite of the efforts of the sachems to rally them, they were even
really themselves carried off and constrained to seek safety in a
hurried flight. In a retreat so precipitate as that effected by the
redskins, the feeling of terror so rules over all other feelings, that
the voice of the chiefs are despised, their orders are unlistened to,
and each man running off at a venture, seeks his own safety without
troubling himself about the rest. After a mad ride through bush and
briar, and not following any settled direction, Running Water, who was
involuntarily affected by the general terror, stopped, quite out of
breath, and fell at the foot of a Peru tree, which rose alone in the
centre of a spacious plain.
The night was still dark and a leaden silence brooded over the
desert. The chief, far as his eye could see, did not notice one of
his comrades; he was alone, and, as he conjectured from the perfect
tranquillity and calmness that reigned around him, in safety for the
present. Then he began reflecting; his thoughts were sad, for nothing
settled at the council had been carried out; the count had escaped, and
the warriors were dispersed, so that it was useless to attempt to rally
them in order to give the young chief, his son, the support which the
latter had asked for. The sachem was greatly embarrassed, not through
the position in which he found himself--alone, without support, and
almost unarmed--a position which to any other than an Indian accustomed
to desert life would have appeared extremely precarious, the more so
because the sachem had ridden far into the Mexican territory, and was
consequently a long way from his village; but Running Water did not
think of that. What tortured his mind was the insult offered to his
indomitable pride in the disgraceful flight of his comrades at the mere
sight of a woman, and the honour of himself and the tribe compromised
in an expedition which had cost the lives of several men without
producing any advantage.
The sachem had been plunged in these gloomy thoughts for a long
time, when he fancied that he could hear a slight sound near him.
The Indian raised his head, stifled a cry of surprise, and with one
bound was on his feet, knife in hand--this was the only weapon he had
retained. While he had been yielding to his bitter thoughts, several
Spanish lanceros, taking advantage of the darkness, had dismounted and
completely surrounded him; this surprise had been executed with such
skill and so silently, that the Indian did not perceive the presence of
his enemies till it was not possible for him to avoid them. Upon the
movement he made, the barrels of nearly fifty carbines were pointed at
the sachem.
"Come, surrender, demon!" a rough voice said to him, "Unless you prefer
being killed like the accursed dog you are."
Without replying, the sachem looked at the Spaniards who surrounded
him; perceiving that any resistance would be useless, he let his knife
drop at his feet, folded his arms on his chest, and waited.
"Bind him securely, but do not injure him," the voice already heard
said. "Put him on a horse, and let us start."
This order was carried out in less time than it has taken us to write
it. When the sachem was brought up, the Spanish officer examined him
attentively.
"Why!" he said, "Heaven pardon me my mistake, I believed that I had
only to do with a marauder; but the capture is more important than I
fancied. This dog is no less than an Indian brave, and a chief into the
bargain, as is clearly indicated by the feather he wears so proudly
over his right ear. Would these demons dare to cross our border?"
We must do the Spanish government the justice of stating that, at
the period of its domination, the Indian border was thoroughly
guarded by posts established at regular distances, by presidios with
strong garrisons composed of veteran troops, and by patrols which
traversed the country day and night, watching over the common safety,
and vigorously repulsing any attempt at plunder on the part of the
Indians. Hence those incursions and invasions of the redskins which now
devastate this unhappy country did not occur at that time. The Indians
instead of attacking, had quite enough to do in defending themselves,
for the Spanish policy tended continually to drive them back further
into their impenetrable deserts.
At the present day all this has changed. The Indians have become
conquerors in their turn, and, profiting by the intestine wars which
constantly rend the old Spanish colonies, they have leapt over the
border marked out for them, and have advanced so far into the interior
of the civilized country, that they are encamped before towns and
villages which were formerly prosperous but are now in ruins. Mines
worked long ago by the Spaniards have again become the property of
the Indians, and they have carried so far their contempt of the
Mexicans, whose cowardice, by the by, is proverbial among them, that
the Comanches and Apaches disdaining to take unnecessary precautions
in invading the territory of their foes, have fallen into the habit
of making their incursions at a regular period of the year, which
they call the "Mexican moon." Even more incredible than the impudent
boldness with which these expeditions are carried out, is the stupid
patience and cowardly resignation of the white men, whose houses are
burnt, crops destroyed, and cattle carried off annually, but who, so
soon as the Indians have retired, begin building and sowing again just
as if nothing had occurred, although they are perfectly well aware that
their labour will be lost, and that the Indians will return to destroy
it all at a given day and hour. It was one of the patrols to which we
have referred that surprised and seized the sachem.
"Who are you?" the officer asked. "To what tribe do you belong?"
Running Water gave him an ironical glance, shrugged his shoulders
contemptuously, but made no answer.
"Very well, as you please, my fine fellow," the officer, an old soldier
accustomed to Indian warfare, answered mockingly. "We know how to
loosen the tongues of men like you. Come, my men, mount, and let us be
off."
The patrol resumed its march, and shortly before sunrise reached Leona
Vicario. The sachem was immediately taken to prison, the general
putting off his interrogation till after the festivities, which at
this moment interrupted the course of justice. Accident, a few hours
later, led the brave Canadian hunter to the same dungeon, as we have
seen. We have described what took place between them above. After the
flight of his comrade, the adventurer coolly remained in prison, to
the great amazement of his keepers, who could not understand how a man
could remain a prisoner of his own choice, when he had a chance of
escaping.
The adventurer, without seeming to notice the sarcasms the Spaniards
levelled at him, settled as comfortably as he could in a corner of
his cell, and, placing his weapons within reach, in the event of any
attempt to do him an ill turn during his sleep, as he had heard say
sometimes occurred, slept as calmly as if reposing in the middle of
the desert. The Canadian's apprehensions were entirely unfounded, for
he was safe under the protection of Castilian honour; but he judged
the Spaniards with his American prejudices, and from the calumnies he
had heard repeated by the Yankees, who thus sought to revenge their
exclusion from the Spanish colonies. In the morning, when he awoke, the
Canadian was at first surprised to find himself in prison, but he soon
remembered, and waited immediately till some decision was arrived at
about him. It was long, however, before the gaoler appeared, bringing
his breakfast.
"Hilloh!" the adventurer said in surprise.
"Why bring me food, instead of opening the doors and letting me be off?"
"It is not a holiday every day," the gaoler answered mockingly. "The
door does not open so easily as that. Besides, what have you to
complain of? It seems as if you like being in prison, as you had an
opportunity to leave it, and did not take advantage of it."
Clary shrugged his shoulders, and turned away, thinking it beneath him
to argue with a scoundrel of this sort. The other grinned, placed the
provisions on the ground, went out, carefully locked the door, and the
Canadian found himself again alone.
"Hang it all," he muttered, "the affair is beginning to look ugly.
Well! We shall see; but now to eat, for it is bad arguing on an empty
stomach."
And after this consoling reflection, he began attacking the provisions,
deferring the formation of any resolution till after the meal. But time
was not allowed him for this. He had scarce finished the last mouthful
ere he heard the sound of footsteps and the clang of arms in the
passage. The door opened, and an officer entered.
"Follow me!" he said.
"Where are you taking me?" the Canadian asked.
"Come, come," the officer said sharply, "you will soon learn."
"Very good," he said, and walked out.
An escort consisting of ten soldiers was waiting for him at the door.
"Hang it," he said, "I appear to be treated like a man of importance."
And, without waiting for orders, he placed himself in the midst of
the soldiers, who at once closed up round him. He was led to the room
into which he had been introduced the previous day. The general was
there alone. The officer, after thrusting the Canadian into the room,
withdrew, and closed the door after him. The adventurer went two or
three paces forward, bowed respectfully to the general, and waited till
the latter addressed him. The general was in full dress; he had his hat
on his head; his arms were crossed on his back, and he was walking up
and down the room with hanging head and a dark frown.
"Hum! This worthy officer does not seem in a very sweet temper this
morning," the Canadian thought. "Rude though he was, I liked him better
yesterday afternoon."
After some moments of silence, the general walked up to the adventurer,
and stopped before him with a menacing look.
"Ah, ah," he said, "then you are here, Señor Pícaro?"
Instead of answering, the Canadian looked around him in surprise.
"What are you looking for?" the general asked him sharply.
"I am looking, Excellency," he replied placidly, "for the person to
whom you are addressing that language."
"Ah, ah," he replied, "you are facetious. We shall soon see how long
you keep up that part."
"Excellency," the adventurer said seriously, "I am playing no part. I
will have the honour of observing to you that the man who, holding the
power in his hands, amuses himself like a cat with a mouse, as you are
doing with me, commits, no matter who he is, a bad action, for he knows
that he is addressing a man who is unable to answer him."
The general resumed his hurried walk up and down the room, but almost
immediately returned to the Canadian.
"Listen," he said to him sharply. "You produced a good impression on
me when I first saw you. Your refusal to escape, when you had no other
prospect but the gallows, proves to me that you are brave. I want men
of your sort. Are you willing to serve me? You will have no cause to
repent it."
The Canadian drew himself up.
"Is your Excellency," he asked, "really doing me the honour of speaking
seriously to me?"
"Yes, and I am waiting for your answer."
"Well, Excellency, the answer is this: I did not escape yesterday,
because only guilty persons do that, and I am not guilty. Placed
arbitrarily and in a manner contrary to the law of nations in prison
by you, during a moment of ill temper, I expect that justice will be
done me, and that those who put me in a dungeon will take me out of
it again. I enabled my comrade to escape, as I wished to prove to you
that, had I liked, nothing would have been more easy than for me to go
with him. You have told me that I am brave; it is true, and the reason
is simple. I have nothing to lose, and consequently to regret; and,
in my opinion, life is not so very jolly that we should be afraid of
giving it up. You have offered to take me into your service. I refuse."
"Ah!" the general said, biting his lips.
"Yes, and for two reasons."
"Let me have them."
"You shall. The first is, that I have engaged myself for a certain time
to your enemies, and when an honest man has once pledged his word, he
cannot recall it. The second reason is perhaps more serious; still, I
am bound to say that, were I free, I would not serve you, not through
any personal dislike to your Excellency, but because the cause you
defend is that of absolutism, and I am naturally a fanatic partizan of
liberty."
"Very good, you are a philosopher. Do you know what the moral of all
this is?"
"No, Excellency, I do not."
"That you will be hung directly."
"Do you think so?" the Canadian replied, taking a step forward.
"You will soon have the proof," the general said, with a grin.
And he walked up to a table to ring a hand bell, but before he could
accomplish his design, the Canadian leapt on him like a tiger, hurled
him to the ground, and ere the general, so suddenly attacked, had time
to regain his coolness to call out or attempt to defend himself, he was
securely bound and carefully gagged. With a presence of mind which he
could only have obtained through the adventurous life he had hitherto
led, the Canadian, so soon as he had secured his prisoner, ran to the
door and bolted it, to avoid a surprise. Thus certain that he would not
be disturbed for some time, the Canadian collected several bundles of
papers scattered over the table, put them in his pocket, seized a brace
of richly embossed pistols, carefully examined them, to see whether
they were loaded, and thrust them in his belt. Then he returned to the
general, who had anxiously watched all his movements.
"Now for us two, Excellency," he said, as he drew his knife and tried
the point on his thumbnail, "pledge me your word of honour as a
gentleman that you will not cry out, and I will at once remove your
gag. Moreover, I may remind you that the door is locked, and before
your soldiers or servants could break it open, I should have killed
you. Well, what do you say to my proposition?"
The general nodded his compliance of the terms and, in accordance with
his promise, the Canadian at once removed the gag. He did even more;
raising him in his arms, he carried him to an easy chair, in which he
seated him comfortably.
"There," he said, "now we can talk. You see, Excellency, that you were
not mistaken about me, and that I am, to employ your own expression, a
bold scoundrel."
"Yes," the general answered, with concentrated passion, "I let myself
be caught like a fool. What do you demand of me, now that you have me
in your power?"
"I demand nothing, Excellency. I merely desire my liberty."
The general reflected for a moment.
"No," he at length said, with a start of passion, "I will not give it
you. Kill me, if you like, villain!"
"Very good. You are a brave fellow. No, Excellency, I will not kill
you. I am no assassin. I merely wished to give you a simple lesson and
teach you not to violate the law of nations. Now, I am going to cut
your bonds."
"You will not dare do so," the general said bluntly.
"Why not?" the Canadian asked.
"Because you know very well that once I am free--"
"When you are free, Excellency, you will do what you think proper. I
care little what, for did I not tell you that I did not cling to life?"
The general looked at him.
"Carry out your promise," he then said.
"Directly, Excellency."
With the utmost coolness the Canadian removed the bonds which he had so
carefully rolled round the general's body.
"Ah!" said the latter, springing up like a tiger, "Now we shall see."
"Wait a moment, Excellency," the Canadian said tranquilly, "the door is
not yet unbolted."
This mad and reckless rashness confounded the general; for the first
time in his life, perhaps, this man felt his heart softened by a
feeling which had hitherto been strange to him.
"Very good," he said, "open it."
The adventurer did not let the order be repeated, but drew the bolts
with the same tranquil air which he had retained during the whole
scene. The general rang.
"Have a horse saddled at once," he said to the usher who entered; then
he added, turning to Clary, "Begone, without looking behind you. Make
haste, before I recall the order I have given; for I shall probably
soon repent my clemency."
"I think so, Excellency," the Canadian answered with a singular smile.
And, after bowing respectfully, he left the room. The general remained
pensive for a moment.
"What a strange character," he muttered, and he fell back into an easy
chair, in order to restore a little regularity in his ideas, which had
been upset by these extraordinary events. All at once his eyes turned
accidentally to the table.
"Oh," he exclaimed, rising furiously, "my papers."
But it was in vain that he gave orders to pursue the adventurer. The
latter had followed the general's advice exactly, and, burying his
spurs in his horse's flanks, had started at a gallop.