EL SALTO DEL FRAYLE.
The expeditious way in which the Jaguar had gained the capture of the
castle, by firing, without any previous summons, on the Commandant of
the garrison and his officers, was, perhaps, not strictly loyal, or
recognized by the military code; but we must not forget that the Jaguar
and his men were placed without the pale of the law by the Mexicans,
that they were regarded as wild beasts, and a considerable reward
offered for their heads.
Placed in such a position, the Texan insurgents must regard themselves
as freed from any courteous obligation toward their enemies, and in fact
were so. Until they were permitted to treat on equal terms with their
old masters, they had only one thing to regard, namely, the object to
be attained: under the present circumstances they had attained it, and
no more could be asked of them.
The Jaguar's first care, so soon as he was in possession of the
fortress, was to have John Davis installed in a comfortable and airy
room; then he sent several men to the creek whence the expedition had
started, to fetch the clothes and anything the conspirators had left
there.
During the works necessitated by the new occupation and an exact
inspection of the important fortress the Texans had succeeded in
seizing, day had broke, and the sun risen. The Jaguar, after taking all
the necessary precautions to prevent himself being surprised in his
turn, took a telescope, and went up to the platform of the castle. From
this point the eye surveyed an immense landscape, and a magnificent
panorama was unrolled. On one side were the undulating Texan plains,
which lofty mountains enclosed on the horizon; on the other, the sea
with its grand and mysterious immensity.
The Jaguar first looked carelessly through the telescope at the town of
Galveston, which was beginning to wake up, and whose streets were
growing gradually peopled; next at the mainland, and the entrance of the
Rio Trinidad, which was still plunged in a mournful solitude. Then,
turning, he fixed the glass on the sea, and attentively examined the
horizon. Lanzi, carelessly lounging on a gun carriage, was rolling a
husk cigarette with all the serious attention he generally devoted to
this important operation.
"Lanzi!" the Jaguar suddenly said, as he hurried to him.
"Well!" he answered, raising his head, but not otherwise disturbing
himself.
"Do you know what has become of the Mexican flag we found in the
commandant's room?"
"Indeed I do not."
"You must go and enquire at once, my good fellow. So soon as you have
got it, bring it to me."
"Very good."
The half-breed rose and left the platform; in the meanwhile, the Jaguar,
who was leaning over the parapet, seemed deeply interested. In fact, the
chase of the privateer by the corvette was beginning at this moment! and
the two vessels appeared under full sail.
"Oh, oh," the Jaguar muttered, "how will it end? The brig is very small
to carry so large a vessel by storm! Nonsense," he added after a little
reflection, "we have seized the fort, then why should they not capture
the corvette?"
"I see nothing to prevent it," a voice said at his elbow.
The Jaguar turned and saw the half-breed standing by his side, with a
roll of bunting under his arm.
"Well," he asked him, "where is the flag?"
"Here it is."
"Now, my friend, yon will hoist the flag on that staff; but, in order
that our comrades may not mistake our meaning, mind and fasten a dagger
to the top of the flag. The inhabitants of Galveston will not notice
this addition, while our friends, who have an interest in carefully
examining what goes on here, will immediately understand what it
signifies."
Lanzi punctually carried out the order given him, and five minutes
later, the Mexican banner, surmounted by a dagger, was majestically
floating from the flagstaff. The Jaguar soon obtained the certainty that
his signal was understood, for the brig, closely pursued by the
corvette, waited till it had come within pistol shot of the fort ere it
tacked, which it assuredly would not have done had there been any cause
of fear.
During the greater part of the day, the Jaguar followed with the
greatest interest the progress of the two ships, and witnessed the final
incidents from his observatory. At about two in the afternoon, however,
he went down into the interior of the fort, and, after recommending the
greatest vigilance to his friends, he armed himself, threw a zarapé over
his shoulders, and quitted the castle. By Lanzi's care, a horse had been
prepared for him near the foot of the rock: the Jaguar bounded into the
saddle, and after giving one glance at the fortress, he dug in the
spurs, and started at a gallop. The Jaguar was proceeding to the Salto
del Frayle, where, on the previous evening, he had appointed to meet Don
Juan Melendez de Gongora.
The coasts of Mexico are probably the most varied of all those in the
New World. The seaboard of Texas especially is so strangely broken up,
that the mind loses itself in trying to discover what accident or
antediluvian cataclysm could have been powerful enough to produce these
bold gaps and sudden fissures in the tall cliffs that border it.
Not far from Galveston, on the seashore, there is a rather wide road,
whose capricious windings follow for a considerable distance the crest
of the cliffs. This road is usually followed by the muleteers and
travellers of every description proceeding to Mexico. Being wide and
convenient, it might justly pass as excellent in a country where the
highways of communication are--or, at least, were--completely unknown,
for at the present day, Texas possesses fine carriage roads, and long
iron way. But at one spot, the road to which we allude suddenly breaks
off: the cliff, cleft as if by a giant's sabre stroke, displays a
yawning abyss, about ten feet wide, and some seven hundred feet deep. At
the base of this fissure the sea constantly breaks in fury, producing a
hollow and monotonous sound. On the other side of the gap the road
begins again.
In Europe, where government is necessarily occupied in improving the
means of communication, a remedy would easily have been found for this
interruption by throwing a bridge across the fissure, but in America it
is not so. The governments have something else to do than trouble
themselves about the general welfare: in the first place, they have to
raise as much money as they can by taxation; and next, defend themselves
against _pronunciamentos_ and ambitious men constantly on the watch to
overthrow them. The result is, that all goes on as it best can, and each
gets out of a hobble, in the best way he can contrive it.
Fortunately, the horses and mules, more intelligent than men, have
produced a remedy for this neglect, thanks to that instinct of
self-preservation which God has bestowed on them. Nothing is more
curious than to see the passage of the fissure by a recua of mules.
These animals come up gently, stretching over their necks, sounding the
ground at each step, and sniffing all around with signs of the most
lively alarm. On reaching the edge of the gap, they stiffen their front
legs, bend the hind ones, and toss their heads; then all at once they
take their spring, and fall on the other side upon all four feet,
without ever making a mistake.
Still, it is necessary that the man who is astride them should
completely lay aside his own will, and abandon them entirely to their
infallible instinct. If he attempt to guide them, it is all over: man
and steed roll to the bottom of the precipice, which both reach in small
pieces.
As for the name of the Salto del Frayle or the Monk's Leap, which this
spot bears, the following is the motive for it, according to the local
chronicle. It is stated (we affirm nothing, and in no way guarantee the
veracity of the legend)--it is stated, we say, that a few years after
the settlement of the Spaniards in Texas, a Franciscan monk, the Pater
Guardian, or Prior, of his monastery, being accused of insulting a
maiden whose confessor he was, escaped from the hands of the alguazil
sent to seize him, and fled across country. After a very long chase, and
when closely pursued by the soldiers, who were furious at their
inability to capture him, he reached the edge of this gap. Taking a
glance at the abyss, the poor monk felt he was a lost man; recommending
his soul to his patron saint, and calling Heaven to bear witness to his
innocence, he leaped boldly across. The soldiers who arrived at this
moment distinctly saw two angels supporting the monk under the arms, and
they laid him in safety upon the other bank.
The soldiers naturally fell on their knees, and implored the blessing of
the holy man, whose innocence was thus distinctly proved to them. The
latter turned to them with a radiant face, blessed them with emotion,
and then disappeared, to the sound of celestial music, in a cloud of
purple and gold. Such was the story the soldiers told on returning from
their expedition. Whether they spoke truly or falsely, no one ever knew;
but one thing is certain, that from that moment nothing more was ever
heard of the monk. The populace, who are always lovers of the
marvellous, put the most entire faith in this story, and an annual
procession was instituted, at which we had the honour of being present,
and which, at each anniversary of the worthy prior's miraculous leap, is
performed with great ceremony, in the presence of an immense crowd which
has arrived from very part of Texas.
Whatever may be thought as to the authenticity of this story, it is
certain that this spot is called the Monk's Leap, and it was here that
the Jaguar had given the meeting to Colonel Don Juan Melendez. The sun
had sunk almost level with the horizon when the young man reached the
gap. He looked around him; the road was deserted, so he dismounted,
hobbled his horse, lay down on the ground, and waited.
He had been there about a quarter of an hour, when the sound of a horse
galloping reached his ear; he rose and looked round. He soon saw a
horseman turning a corner of the road and recognized the Colonel. On
reaching the Jaguar he bowed and leaped to the ground.
"Pardon me, my friend," he said, "for having kept you waiting, but it is
a long distance from Galveston to this spot; and you and your comrades
give us so much to do, that, Viva Dios! we have not an instant to
ourselves."
The young man smiled.
"You are quite forgiven, Colonel," he said; "have you received any more
bad news?"
"Neither good nor bad, but in truth very disagreeable; we learn that a
corps of freebooters has been formed, of which you are strongly
suspected to be the Chief, and which at this moment is ravaging the
whole country."
"Have you heard no more than that?"
"Not up to the present."
"Well, before we part, I will give you some news, which, if I am not
mistaken, will deeply annoy you."
"What do you mean, my friend? Explain yourself."
"Not at this moment. We have not come here to discuss politics, but our
own affairs. Let us proceed regularly. We shall always have time enough
to return to politics."
"That is true; but answer me one question first."
"What is it?"
"Is the news you have to tell me really serious?"
The Jaguar frowned and stamped his foot on the ground with suppressed
violence.
"Extremely serious," he said.
There was a moment's silence; at length the young man walked up to the
Colonel and laid his hand on his shoulder.
"Don Juan," he said to him in a kindly voice, "listen to me for a
moment."
"Speak, my friend."
"Don Juan," he continued, "why do you so obstinately defend a lost
cause? Why shed your generous blood in the service of tyranny? Texas
wishes to be free, and will be so! Count the capable men who serve in
your ranks; with the exception of two, perhaps three, there is not
another you can mention: Mexico, exhausted by the revolutions which
incessantly overthrow it, has at its disposal neither men nor money
enough to assume a vigorous offensive: the very name of Mexican is
odious to the Texans. On all sides the people are rebelling against you;
it is a constantly rising tide, which breaks down every dyke. You are
surrounded: within a month your army will be disgracefully expelled from
our territory. Reflect, my friend, for there is yet time; return your
sword to its scabbard, and leave fate to accomplish its task."
"Listen to me in your turn, friend," the Colonel answered, in a mournful
voice. "What you have just said to me I knew as well as you do. I have
felt for a long time past that the ground trembles beneath our feet, and
that we shall ere long be swallowed up by the revolution; I therefore
form no illusion to the fate that awaits us. But I am a soldier, my
friend, I have taken an oath: that oath I must keep, at all risks.
Moreover, I am a Mexican--do not forget that fact; I must, therefore,
regard this question from a point of view diametrically opposed to
yours. Besides," he added, with feigned gaiety, "we are not yet in the
state you imagine. You have certainly taken from us a few pueblos, but
we still have the towns, and hold the sea. You sing victory too soon;
the Texan revolution is as yet only in the state of insurrection. At a
later date, when it holds a strong town, and its government is
constituted, we shall see what is to be done; but for the present there
is no cause to despair, my friend, and you have not made the progress
you fancy."
"Perhaps so," the Jaguar answered, with an equivocal accent that caused
the Colonel to reflect. "I thought it my duty to speak to you as a
friend, and give you some disinterested advice; if you will not take it,
you are quite at liberty to neglect it."
"Do not feel annoyed; my remarks can have nothing to wound your
feelings. I had no intention of vexing you when I spoke as I did. But
put yourself for a moment in my place; if I had made you the same
proposals you offered me, what would your answer have been?"
"I should have refused, by Heaven!" the young man exclaimed,
impetuously.
The Colonel began laughing.
"Well, I acted as you would have done. What harm do you see in that?"
"That is true; you were right, and I am an ass! Forgive me, my friend.
Besides, was it not agreed that political questions should never
separate us? Let us, therefore, return to the object of our interview,
which is of much greater importance to us, and temporarily leave the
Mexicans and Texans to settle matters as they can."
For some minutes the Colonel's eyes had been fixed on the sea, and he
had listened to his friend's remarks with a very absent air.
"Why," he suddenly said, "look there, my friend."
"What is it?"
"Do you not see?"
"What do _you_ see, let me ask in return?"
"Hang it! I see the _Libertad_ corvette, which has first anchored under
the guns of the Point Fort, bringing with her a privateer brig, which
she has, in all probability, captured off the coast."
"Do you think so?" the Jaguar asked, sarcastically.
"Look for yourself!"
"My friend, I am rather like St. Thomas."
"What do you mean?"
"That as long as I am not completely convinced, I shall attach but very
slight faith to the testimony of my eyesight."
These words were uttered with such a singular intonation, that, in
spite of himself, the Colonel felt ashamed. "What can you mean?" he
asked.
"Nothing but what I say," the Jaguar answered.
"Still, I fancy I cannot be mistaken. I can very distinctly see the
Mexican flag over the reversed Texan colours."
"It is true," the Jaguar said, coldly, "but what does that prove?"
"What do you say?--'What does that prove?'"
"Yes."
"Are you so ignorant of naval matters, then, as not to know what takes
place on board a vessel after an engagement?"
"I beg your pardon, friend, but I know all about it. But I know, too,
that what we see may be the result of a stratagem, and that the brig,
after capturing the corvette, may have an interest in concealing the
fact."
"Come, come," the Colonel said, with a laugh, "that is carrying optimism
a little too far. Let us leave the corvette and brig, and return to our
own affairs."
"Well, I think you are in the right; for, judging from the turn the
conversation has taken, we should presently be unable to understand one
another at all."
During this conversation the sun had set, and night completely fallen.
The two gentlemen passed their horses' bridles over their arm to prevent
them straying, and then walked slowly, side by side, in the direction of
the Rio Trinidad. The night was clear, the sky studded with a profusion
of flashing stars, and the atmosphere of marvellous transparency; it
was, in a word, one of those American nights that conduce to gentle
reverie.
The young men yielded involuntarily to the intoxicating charm of this
exquisite evening; yielding to their thoughts, neither dreamed of
resuming a conversation suddenly broken off by a bitter remark. For a
long time they walked on thus, till they reached an angle in the road,
where the track they were following divided into several branches. Here
they halted.
"We must separate here, Don Juan," the Jaguar said, "for we probably do
not follow the same road."
"That is true, friend, and I regret it," the Colonel answered, sadly,
"for I should be so happy if I had you constantly by my side."
"Thanks, friend, but you know that is impossible; let us, therefore,
profit by the few moments left us to be together. Well, what have you
done?"
"Nothing, alas! For a soldier is the slave of discipline; in a period of
war, more especially, it is impossible for him to leave his corps. I
have, therefore, been unable to obtain any information. Have you been
more fortunate?"
"I can hardly say, yet; still, I hope. Tranquil has this very night to
give me certain information, which will perfect that I have myself
obtained."
"And is Tranquil here?"
"He arrived today, but I have not yet been able to see him."
"Then you imagine----?" the Colonel said, eagerly.
"This is what I have succeeded in finding out. Remark that I assert
nothing; I am at this moment merely the echo of certain rumours, which
may be well founded, but can also be false."
"No matter; speak, my friend, in Heaven's name."
"About six weeks ago, according to what my spies tell me, a strange man
arrived in this country, bringing a girl with him. This man has
purchased a rancho, of no great value, situated a few leagues from
here, nearly on the seashore. He paid cash for it, shut himself up in
the rancho with the girl, and since then no one has seen them. The man
has immured himself in his property, to which nobody has admission; but
whether this man be the White Scalper, and the maiden Carmela, no one is
able to state positively, and I would not venture to affirm it. Several
times I have prowled round the abode of this mysterious being, but have
not succeeded in seeing him: windows and doors are constantly closed,
nothing is heard of what takes place in this strange house, which,
through its isolated position, is, to a certain extent, protected from
indiscreet visitors. This is what I had to tell you, perhaps tomorrow I
shall have learned more."
"No," Don Juan answered, pensively, "that man cannot be the White
Scalper, or the maiden Carmela."
"What makes you think so?"
"The mystery with which the man surrounds himself. The White Scalper,
you must not forget, is a man for whom the nomadic life of the desert
possesses too great charms for him to be willing to shut himself up. And
then, what would be his reason for doing so? To keep a young girl
prisoner? But Doña Carmela is no frail and timid woman, weakened by the
mephitic air of cities, without will or strength. She is a brave and
courageous maiden, with a resolute heart and strong arm, who would never
have consented thus to bow her head beneath the yoke. A man, however
strong he may be, is very weak, believe me, when he finds himself in
presence of a woman, who says to him boldly--No! Woman, through the mere
fact that she has generally only one thought at a time, is greatly
superior to us, and nearly always attains the object she desires. And
then again, for what reason can the White Scalper, who had in his hands
a thousand unknown desert hiding places to conceal his captive from
sight, have retired without any plausible motive to the vicinity of a
town, in a populous country, where he must expect to attract suspicion
and arouse attention? No, it is evident to me that you are mistaken."
"Perhaps you are right; still, it is my duty to clear up the affair, and
I will do so."
"Certainly, you will act prudently by doing so. I confess that, were it
possible, I should be happy to accompany you on your expedition. For
even supposing, as I believe, that this man is not the White Scalper, it
is probable that the mystery with which he surrounds himself conceals a
crime, and that if your expedition does not meet with the result you
suppose, it will have, at any rate, served to liberate a maiden who is
the victim of odious tyranny."
"Who knows?"
"Only one man, in my opinion, could put you on the trail of her we have
so unfortunately lost, through the numerous relations he maintains with
the Indians."
"Whom do you mean?"
"Loyal Heart--"
"That is true. He was brought up by the Indians, and one of their tribes
has adopted him. He would be better able than anybody to supply us with
information."
"Why have you not applied to him, then?"
"For the very simple reason that, on the day after the capture of the
Larch-tree hacienda, Loyal Heart left us to return to his tribe, whither
serious matters recalled him."
"That is annoying," the Colonel said thoughtfully.
"I know not why, but I feel convinced that this hunter, with whom I am
but very slightly acquainted, as I only conversed with him once, and
that but for ten minutes--I am convinced, I say, that this hunter may
prove extremely useful to us in our search for the unfortunate Carmela."
"Perhaps you are right, Colonel. This night, as I told you, I am to see
Tranquil, and shall have a serious explanation with him. He is as
interested as we are, perhaps more so, in the success of our researches.
He is a man of extreme prudence, and thoroughly conversant with the
desert; I shall see what he says to me."
"Insist, I beg, friend, on establishing a friendly connection with Loyal
Heart."
"I shall not fail; besides, Tranquil is sure to know where to find him."
"That is probable. Now, I can speak to you with open heart, my friend.
Honour alone has hitherto kept me at my post; I desire to recover my
liberty, and only await an honourable occasion to send in my
resignation. I should not like to abandon my comrades in arms at a
critical moment; but I swear to you on my honour, friend, that on the
day when I am free, and that day is approaching I hope, I will join you,
and then we shall find Carmela again, even at the risk of my life."
The Colonel uttered these words with a fire and animation which made his
friend start involuntarily, and aroused in his heart a lively feeling of
jealousy. Still, the Jaguar had sufficient power over himself to conceal
the emotion he felt, and he replied in a calm voice:
"May Heaven grant that it may speedily be so, my friend. What could we
two not do?"
"Then you intend to make the expedition you told me of this night?" the
Colonel continued.
"It is not I, though I shall probably be present, but another person who
will direct it."
"Why not you?"
"Tranquil desires it so; he is Carmela's father, and I must yield to his
wishes."
"That is true. Now, when and how shall we meet again? I have the
greatest desire to learn what may occur tonight; whatever be the result
of the expedition, I trust to be informed of what you have done.
Unfortunately, I fear it will be very difficult for us to meet again."
"Why so?"
"Why, my friend, you know as well as I do, the truce made between
General Rubio and yourself expires tonight."
"Well?"
"I presume you do not intend returning to Galveston?"
"For the present, no; but I hope to do so shortly."
"Let us not trust to probabilities, for we run too great a risk of
deceiving ourselves."
The Jaguar burst into a laugh.
"You are perfectly right," he said; "still, it is important that we
should meet within the next twenty-four hours."
"Certainly."
"If I cannot enter Galveston, you can leave it, I suppose?"
"Oh, of course."
"Well then, the matter is easily arranged; I will tell you a spot where
you will be certain of finding me."
"Take care, my friend, be prudent; I will not conceal from you that the
General is furious at having fallen into the trap you so cleverly laid
for him, and will do all in his power to seize your person."
"I expect so; but do not be alarmed, he will not succeed."
"I hope so, friend; but believe me, do not be too confident."
"I defy him to come and take me at the spot where I shall be within an
hour, and where I shall be delighted to welcome you, if you are inclined
to pay me a visit."
"And where is this privileged spot, my friend?"
"The Fort of the Point."
"What!" the Colonel said, suddenly stopping and looking him in the face;
"Of course you are joking."
"Not the least in the world."
"What! You give me the meeting at the Fort of the Point?"
"Yes."
"Why, that is impossible."
"Why so?"
"Oh, you must be mad, my friend!"
"Remember that the fort has been in my hands for the past twelve hours,"
the Jaguar coldly interrupted him. "I surprised it last night."
"Ah!" the Colonel exclaimed, in stupor.
"Did I not tell you that I had serious news to impart to you?" the young
man continued; "Would you like, now, to learn the second item?"
"The second!" the Colonel repeated, utterly astounded; "And what can the
second item be? After what I have just heard, I can expect anything."
"The second item is this: the _Libertad_ corvette has been boarded by
the privateer brig, with which it and chored at sunset beneath the guns
of the fort."
At this unexpected revelation the Colonel staggered like a drunken man;
he turned pale as a corpse, and his limbs were agitated by a convulsive
movement.
"Woe, woe!" he exclaimed in a choking voice.
The Jaguar felt moved with pity at the sight of this true and poignant
grief.
"Alas! my friend," he said gently, "it is the fortune of war."
"Oh, Galveston, Galveston!" the Colonel said in despair, "that city
which the General has sworn never to surrender!"
After a moment's silence, the Colonel mounted his horse.
"Let me go," he said; "I must immediately impart these frightful news to
the Governor."
"Go, my friend," the Jaguar answered affectionately; "but, remember,
that you will find me at the Fort of the Point."
"We are accursed!" the Colonel cried wildly, and burying his spurs in
the sides of his horse, which snorted with pain, he started at full
gallop.
"Poor friend!" the Jaguar muttered sadly, as he looked after him, "The
news has quite upset him."
After this reflection, the young man mounted and went back to the fort,
which he reached about half an hour later.