FACE TO FACE.
Señor Zorro, on the back of the infuriated and unmanageable stallion,
had made his escape easily from the pirate camp. There was no question
of him being overtaken, but for a time there was a grave question of
Señor Zorro stopping the steed he rode.
Over the crest of the slope the animal beneath him plunged down into
a ravine and galloped along it. Señor Zorro sheathed his sword and
held on to the horse’s mane. He bent low to avoid tree branches that
promised to sweep him from the animal’s back.
“_Dios!_” he muttered. “This is as bad as the battle!”
Some distance the frightened horse traveled, and then he made a great
circle and returned toward the pirate camp. But Señor Zorro had no wish
to return there too soon, lest he be captured in the vicinity. And so
he waited until the horse, negotiating a slippery incline, slackened
pace somewhat, and slipped easily from the animal’s back.
The horse plunged on. Señor Zorro picked himself up, observed his
scratches, and made a futile effort to brush his clothing. Then he
walked to the crest of the slope and looked down toward the sea.
He was quite a way from the camp, but he could see it in the distance,
see the dead and wounded on the ground, and a crowd of the pirates,
with their women and children, in front of the adobe building that was
being used as a prison.
Señor Zorro sat down to rest and watch. He knew that he was confronted
by a dire emergency and a tremendous task, but he refused to admit it
to himself. The _señorita_ was down there, and she was to be rescued.
And Don Audre Ruiz and the _caballeros_ were there, to be rescued also.
Señor Zorro, after a breathing spell, got up and walked slowly along
the crest of the slope among the stunted and wind-twisted trees, making
certain that he could not be observed from the camp. He came a distance
nearer, and watched for a time again. And he saw Captain Ramón!
If it had been in the mind of Señor Zorro to await the night before
descending into the camp again that idea left his mind now. He hurried
forward as speedily as possible, stopping now and then to listen, for
fear some of the pirates may have been sent to search for him.
He did not know, could not think, how he was to enter the camp in the
broad light of day without escaping discovery. And he could do little
single-handed against the victorious pirate crew. Yet the plight of the
little _señorita_ called to him for action, and he knew that something
should be done at once.
And suddenly he stopped, for he had smelled smoke. Almost silently he
crept forward through the brush, and came to a small clearing.
There he saw a hut, from the chimney of which smoke was issuing. Señor
Zorro circled the hut, but saw no human being. He went to the crest of
the slope again, and saw a woman struggling down it toward the pirate’s
camp――a woman bent and old.
Señor Zorro guessed, then, that this was the hut of some aged
lawbreaker no longer active in piracy. Perhaps the ancient one was down
in the camp, now that the fighting was at an end, and his ancient woman
was following to see the excitement.
Señor Zorro approached the hut carefully, crept around the corner of
it, and peered in at the door to find the place empty. He rushed inside
and sought frantically for what he desired. There came a chuckle of
delight as he found it.
What he desired and found was nothing more than a ragged skirt and a
wide, dirty shawl. Señor Zorro put them on quickly, bent his shoulders,
and hobbled back among the trees and brush. It was a disguise that
would serve for the time being.
Beneath the skirt was the sword of Zorro, ready to be whipped from its
scabbard. Señor Zorro felt confident as long as the blade was at his
side. He left the fringe of trees at some distance from the hut, and
made his way down the slope.
As he came nearer the camp he was doubly cautious. The horses had lost
some of the fright, and were grazing. The pirates, for the greater
part, were gathered around the adobe building where the _caballeros_
were being held prisoners. The women and children were there, too, only
some of them were still scattered around the camp, looking at the dead
and wounded.
Señor Zorro perceived that he had arrived at an opportune time. Nobody
would give any attention to a woman stumbling along toward the scene of
excitement. The pirates, undoubtedly, imagined that Zorro had ridden
far away, perhaps to San Diego de Alcála for help.
He approached nearer. There were two large adobe buildings, and he
supposed that the _señorita_ was held prisoner in one of them, but he
did not know which.
Then he stopped suddenly, and bent his shoulders more. For he saw
Captain Ramón talking to Barbados, saw the _commandante_ turn and leave
the pirate chief and hurry into the nearest adobe building. Señor Zorro
guessed that the _señorita_ was there.
He hobbled forward again, alert to keep a certain distance from any
of the pirates or women, for he realized that they knew one another
well. He reached the corner of the building, and began to circle it,
listening intently for the voice he hoped to hear.
He heard it. Pretending to be picking up something from the ground,
Señor Zorro bent against the wall and listened. He heard Captain
Ramón’s statements, heard the _señorita_ reply, listened with a grim
expression on his face while the _commandante_ begged for an embrace.
It would be perilous to enter that building now, Señor Zorro knew.
Ramón would call the pirates, but perhaps he could be silenced first.
However, there could be no hesitation. The _señorita_ was there, being
affronted, and was to be spared insult.
Señor Zorro saw the window, and guessed that he could manage to
struggle through it. He raised his head and glanced inside. He saw the
_señorita_ recoiling, the _commandante_ approaching her.
Señor Zorro hesitated no longer. He sprang up and scrambled through the
window. He tore at the woman’s clothing that clung to him, got free of
it, and whipped out the sword of Zorro. He pressed the _señorita_ to
one side out of harm’s way, and confronted his enemy.
His open hand cracked against Captain Ramón’s head. And then he stepped
back, on guard, giving the renegade officer his chance, though he
little deserved it.
“You are alive!” the _señorita_ gasped.
“Ha! Very much alive!” Señor Zorro replied. “Stand back against the
wall, _señorita_, and turn your pretty face away. This is not going to
be pleasant for a dainty lady’s eyes to watch!”
[Illustration: The Further Adventures of Zorro, Part V]