"We're going to have a night black as charcoal," said Rivas, running his
eye along the outline of the Cordilleras, and taking survey of the sky
beyond.
"Will that be against us?" queried the young Irishman.
"In one way, yes; in another, for us. Our pursuers will be sure to ride
all round the Pedregal, and leave a picket wherever they see the
resemblance of path or trail leading out. If it were to come on
moonlight--as luckily it won't--we'd had but a poor chance to get past
them without being seen. And that would signify a fight against awkward
odds--numbers, arms, everything. We must steal past somehow, and so the
darkness will be in our favour."
As may be deduced from this snatch of dialogue, they were still in the
Pedregal. But the purple twilight was now around them, soon to deepen
into the obscurity of night; sooner from their having got nearly across
the lava field, and under the shadow of Ajusco, which, like a black
wall, towered up against the horizon. They had stooped for a moment,
Rivas himself cautiously creeping up to an elevated spot, and
reconnoitring the ground in front.
"It will be necessary for us to reach the mountains before morning," he
added after a pause. "Were we but common gaol-birds who had bolted, it
wouldn't much signify, and we'd be safe here for days, or indeed for
ever. The authorities of Mexico, such as they are at present, don't
show themselves very zealous in the pursuit of escaped criminals. But
neither you nor I, Senor Kearney, come under that category--unluckily
for us, just now--and the Pedregal, labyrinth though it be, will get
surrounded and explored--every inch of it within the next forty-eight
hours. So out of it we must move this night, or never."
Twilight on the table-lands of the western world is a matter of only a
few minutes: and, while he was still speaking, the night darkness had
drawn around them. It hindered them not from proceeding onwards,
however, the Mexican once more leading off, after enforcing upon the
others to keep close to him, and make no noise avoidable.
Another half-hour of clambering over rocks, with here and there a
scrambling through thickets of cactus, and he again came to a stop, all,
of course, doing the same. This time to use their ears, rather than
eyes; since around all was black as a pot of pitch, the nearest object,
rock or bush, being scarcely visible.
For a time they stood listening intently. Not long, however, before
hearing sounds--the voices of men--and seeing a glimmer of light, which
rose in radiation above the crest of a low ridge at some distance ahead.
"_Un piquet_!" pronounced Rivas, in a half-whisper.
"_Soto en la puerto--mozo_!" (knave in the door--winner) came a voice
in a long-drawn accentuation, from the direction of the light.
"Good!" mutteringly exclaimed the Mexican, on hearing it. "They're at
their game of _monte_. While so engaged, not much fear they'll think of
aught else. I know the spot they're in, and a way that will take us
round it. Come on, _camarados_! The trick's ours!"
Sure enough it proved so. A path that showed no sign of having ever
been trodden, but still passable, led out past the gambling soldiers,
without near approach to them. And they were still absorbed in their
game--as could be told by its calls every now and then drawled out, and
sounding strange in that solitary place. Ruperto Rivas conducted his
trio of companions clear of the Pedregal, and beyond the line of
enfiladement.
In twenty minutes after they were mounting the steep slope of the Cerro
Ajusco, amid tall forest trees, with no fear of pursuit by the soldiers,
than if separated from them by a hundred long leagues.
After breasting the mountain for some time, they paused to take breath,
Rivas saying--
"Well, _caballeros_, we're on safe ground now, and may rest a bit. It's
been a close shave, though; and we may thank our stars there are none in
the sky--nor moon. Look yonder! They're at it yet. `_Soto en la
puerto--mozo_!' Ha, ha, ha!"
He referred to a faint light visible at a long distance below, on the
edge of the Pedregal, where they had passed that of a picket fire-camp,
which enabled the _monte_ players to make out the markings on their
cards.
"We may laugh who have won," he added, now seemingly relieved from all
apprehension of pursuit.
Nevertheless the fugitive party stayed but a short while there; just
long enough to recover wind. The point they were making for was still
further up the mountain, though none of them could tell where save Rivas
himself. He knew the place and paths leading to it, and well; otherwise
he could not have followed them, so thick was the darkness. In daylight
it would have been difficult enough, yawning chasms to be crossed
_barransas_--with cliffs to be climbed, in comparison with which the
escarpments of the Pedregal were but as garden walls.
In a groping way, hand helping hand, all were at length got up and over,
as the tolling of distant church bells, down in the valley below,
proclaimed the hour of midnight. Just then Rivas, once more making a
stop, plucked a leaf from one of the grass plants growing by, and
placing it between his lips gave out a peculiar sound, half screech,
half whistle--a signal as the others supposed; being assured it was, by
the response soon after reaching their ears.
The signal was given again, with some variations; responded to in like
manner. Then a further advance up the mountain, and still another halt;
this time at hearing the hail:
"_Quien viva_!"
"_El Capitan_!" called out Rivas in answer, and received for rejoinder
first an exclamation of delighted surprise, then words signifying
permission to approach and pass.
The approach was not so easy, being up a steep incline, almost a cliff.
But on reaching its crest they came in sight of the man who had
challenged, standing on a ledge of rock. A strange-looking figure he
seemed to Kearney and the Texan, wearing a long loose robe, girded at
the waist--the garb of a monk, if the dim light was not deceiving them;
yet with the air of a soldier, and sentinel-fashion, carrying a gun!
He was at "present arms" when they got up opposite; and wondering, but
without saying aught, they passed him--their conductor, after a
momentary pause and a muttered word to him, leading on as before.
Another ascent, this time short, but still almost precipitous, and this
climbing came to an end.