"Suspicious, to say the least of it! If a coincidence, certainly the
strangest in my experience, or that I've ever heard of. A score of
other carriages passing, and they to have chosen that one of all!
_Carrai_! it cannot have been chance--improbable--impossible!"
So soliloquised the Chief Magistrate of Mexico, after receiving a report
of what had occurred in the Calle de Plateros. He had as yet only been
furnished with a general account of it; but particularising the
prisoners who had escaped, with their mode of making off, as also whose
carriage they had seized upon. He had been told, also, that there were
two ladies in it, but needed not telling who they were.
All this was made known by a messenger who came post-haste to the
Palace, soon after the occurrence. He had been sent by Colonel
Santander, who could not come himself; too busy getting the Hussars into
their saddles for the pursuit--for he it was who led it. And never did
man follow fugitives with more eagerness to overtake them, or more
bitter chagrin in their flight.
Not much, if anything, less was that of Santa Anna himself, as he now
sat reflecting over it. He, too, had seen the two Texans with Rivas in
the sewers; the latter a well-known enemy in war, and, as he late
believed, a dangerous rival in love. He had glanced exultingly at him,
with the thought of that danger past. The rebel proscribed, and for
years sought for, had at length been found; was in his power, with life
forfeit, and the determination it should be taken. That but a short
hour ago, and now the doomed man was free again!
But surely not? With a squadron of cavalry in pursuit, canon booming,
bells ringing, every military post and picket for miles round on the
alert, surely four men chained two and two, conspicuous in a grand
carriage, could not eventually get off.
It might seem so; still the thing was possible, as Santa Anna had reason
to know. A man of many adventures, he had himself more than once eluded
a pursuing enemy with chances little better.
He sat chewing the cud of disappointment, though not patiently, nor
keeping all the time to his chair. Every now and then he rose to his
feet, made stumping excursions round the room, repeatedly touched the
bell, to inquire whether any news had been received of the fugitive
party.
The aide-de-camp in attendance could not help wondering at all this,
having had orders to report instantly whatever word should be brought
in. Besides, why should the great Generalissimo be troubling himself
about so small a matter as the escape of three or four prisoners,
seeming excited as if he had lost a battle.
The cause of this excitement the Dictator alone knew, keeping it to
himself. He was still in the dark as to certain details of what had
transpired, and had sent for the governor of the Acordada, who should be
able to supply them.
Meantime he went about muttering threats against this one and that one,
giving way to bitter reflections; one bitterest of all, that there had
been a suspicion of connivance at the escape of the prisoners. But to
this there was a sweet side as well; so some words uttered by him would
indicate.
"Ah, Condesa! You may be clever--you are. But if I find you've had a
hand in this, and it can be proved to the world, never was a woman in a
man's power more than you'll be in mine. Title, riches, family
influence, all will be powerless to shield you. In the cell of a prison
where I may yet have the pleasure of paying you a visit, you won't be
either so proud or so scornful as you've shown yourself in a palace this
same day. _Veremos_--we shall see."
"Don Pedro Arias."
It was an aide-de-camp announcing the Governor of the Acordada.
"Conduct him in."
Without delay the prison official was ushered into the presence, looking
very sad and cowed-like. Nor did the reception accorded him have a
restoring influence; instead, the reverse.
"What's all this I hear?" thundered out the disposer of punishments and
of places; "you've been letting your prisoners bolt from you in whole
batches. I suppose by this time the Acordada will be empty."
"_Excellentissimo_! I am very sorry to say that four of them--"
"Yes; and of the four, two of them you had orders to guard most
strictly--rigorously."
"I admit it, Sire, but--"
"Sirrah! you needn't waste words excusing yourself. Your conduct shall
be inquired into by-and-by. What I want now is to know the
circumstances--the exact particulars of this strange affair. So answer
the questions I put to you without concealment or prevarication."
The gaol-governor, making humble obeisance, silently awaited the
examination, as a witness in the box who fears he may himself soon stand
in the dock.
"To begin: why did you send those four prisoners out with the
chain-gang?"
"By order of Colonel Santander, Sire. He said it was your Excellency's
wish."
"Humph! Well, that's comprehensible. And so far you're excusable. But
how came it you didn't see to their being better guarded?"
"Sire, I placed them in charge of the chief turnkey--a man named
Dominguez--whom I had found most trustworthy on other occasions. To-day
being exceptional, on account of the ceremonies, he was pressed to take
drink, and, I'm sorry to say, got well-nigh drunk. That will explain
his neglect of duty."
"It seems there were two ladies in the carriage. You know who they
were, I suppose?"
"By inquiry I have ascertained, your Excellency. One was the Countess
Almonte the other Don Luisa Valverde, as your Excellency will know, the
daughter of him to whom the equipage belonged."
"Yes, yes. I know all that. I have been told the carriage made stop
directly opposite to where these men were at work. Was that so?"
"It was, Sire."
"And have you heard how the stoppage came about?"
"Yes, _Excellentissimo_. The horses shied at something, and brought the
wheels into a bank of mud. Then the _cochero_, who appears to be a
stupid fellow, pulled them up, when he ought to have forced them on.
While they were at rest the four _forzados_ made a rush, two right into
the carriage, the other two up to the box; one of these last, the big
_Tejano_, getting hold of the reins and whip, and driving off at a
gallop. They had only one sentry to pass in the direction of San
Francisco. He, like Dominguez, was too far gone in drink, so there was
nothing to stop them--except the guards at the garitas. And, I am sorry
to say, the sergeant at El Nino Perdita let them pass through without so
much as challenging. His account is that, seeing the carriage belonged
to one of your Excellency's Ministers, he never thought of stopping it,
and should not. Why should he, Sire?"
This touch of obsequious flattery seemed to mollify the Dictator's
wrath, or it had by this otherwise expended itself, as evinced by his
rejoinder in a more tranquil tone. Indeed, his manner became almost
confidential.
"Don Pedro," he said, "I'm satisfied with the explanation you give, so
far as regards your own conduct in the affair. But now, tell me, do you
think the ladies who were in the carriage had anything to do with the
drawing up of the horses? Or was it all an accident?"
"Will your Excellency allow me a moment to reflect? I had thought
something of that before; but--"
"Think of it again. Take time, and give me your opinion. Let it be a
truthful one, Don Pedro; there's much depending on it."
Thus appealed to, the gaol-governor stood for a time silent, evidently
cudgelling his brains. He made mental review of all that had been told
him about the behaviour of the young ladies, both before they were
turned out of the carriage and after. He was himself aware of certain
relations, friendly at least, supposed to exist between one of them and
one of the escaped prisoners, and had thought it strange, too, that
particular equipage being chosen. Still, from all he could gather,
after ample inquiry, he was forced to the conclusion that the thing was
unpremeditated--at least on the part of the ladies.
This was still his belief, after reflecting as he had been enjoined to
do. In support of it he stated the facts as represented to him, how the
Senoritas had been forced from their carriage, almost pitched into the
street, their costly dresses dirtied and damaged, themselves showing
wildest affright. Still, this was strange, too, on the part of the
Condesa; and, in fine, Don Pedro, after further cross-questioning, was
unable to say whether there had been connivance or not.
After giving such an unsatisfactory account of the matter he was
dismissed, rather brusquely; and returned to the Acordada, with an ugly
apprehension that instead of continuing governor of this grand gaol,
with a handsome salary and snug quarters, he might ere long be himself
the occupant of one of its cells, set apart for common prisoners.