I was musing upon the singular character of this _triangular_ war, when
my reverie was disturbed by the hoof strokes of a horse. The sounds
came from a distance, outside the village; the strokes were those of a
horse at full gallop.
I stepped hastily across the azotea, and looked over the parapet, in
hopes of obtaining a view of this rapid rider. I was not disappointed--
as I neared the wall, the road and the rider came full under my eyes.
In the latter, I beheld a picturesque object. He appeared to be a very
young man--a mere youth, without beard or moustache, but of singularly
handsome features. The complexion was dark, almost brown; but even at
the distance of two hundred yards, I could perceive the flash of a noble
eye, and note a damask redness upon his cheeks. His shoulders were
covered with a scarlet manga, that draped backward over the hips of his
horse; and upon his head he wore a light sombrero, laced, banded, and
tasselled with bullion of gold. The horse was a small but finely
proportioned mustang--spotted like a jaguar upon a ground colour of
cream--a true Andalusian.
The horseman was advancing at a gallop, without fear of the ground
before him: by chance, his eyes were raised to the level of the azotea,
on which I stood; my uniform, and the sparkle of my accoutrements,
caught his glance; and quick as thought, as if by an involuntary
movement, he reined up his mustang, until its ample tail lay clustered
upon the dust of the road. It was then that I noted the singular
appearance of both horse and rider.
Just at that moment, the ranger, who held picket on that side of the
village, sprang forth from his hiding-place, and challenged the horseman
to halt. The challenge was unheeded. Another jerk of the rein spun the
mustang round, as upon a pivot; and the next instant, impelled by the
spur, the animal resumed his gallop. He did not return by the road, but
shot off in a new direction, nearly at right angles to his former
course. A rifle-bullet would have followed, and most likely have
stopped the career of either horse or rider, had not I, just in the
"nick" of time, shouted to the sentry to hold his fire.
A reflection had occurred to me; the game was too noble, too beautiful,
to be butchered by a bullet; it was worth a chase and a capture.
My horse was by the water-trough. I had noticed that he was not yet
unsaddled, and the bridle was still on. He had been warmed by the
morning's scout; and I had ordered my negro groom to walk him round for
an hour or so before letting him at the water.
I did not wait to descend by the _escalera_; I sprang upon the parapet,
and from that into the piazza. The groom, perceiving my intention, met
me half-way with the horse.
I seized the reins, and bounded into the saddle. Several of the
readiest of the rangers followed my example; and as I galloped down the
lane that led out of the rancheria, I could tell by the clattering of
hoofs that half-a-dozen of them were at my heels. I cared not much for
that, for surely I was a match for the stripling we meant to chase. I
knew, moreover, that speed at the moment was of more importance than
strength; and that if the spotted horse possessed as much "bottom" as he
evidently did "heels," his rider and I would have it to ourselves in the
end. I knew that all the horses of my troop were less swift than my
own; and from the half-dozen springs I had witnessed on the part of the
mustang, I felt satisfied that it remained only for me to overhaul him.
My springing down from the roof and up into the saddle had occupied
scarcely two minutes' time; and in two more, I had cleared the houses,
and was scouring across the fields after the scarlet horseman. He was
evidently making to get round the village, and continue the journey our
presence had so suddenly interrupted.
The chase led through a field of _milpas_. My horse sank deeply in the
loose earth, while the lighter mustang bounded over it like a hare. He
was distancing me, and I began to fear I should lose him, when all at
once I saw that his course was intercepted by a list of magueys, running
transversely right and left. The plants were of luxuriant growth, eight
or ten feet high, and placed alternately, so that their huge
hooked blades interlocked with each other, forming a natural
_chevaux-de-frise_.
This barrier at first glance seemed impassable for either man or horse.
It brought the Mexican to a halt. He was turning to skirt it, when he
perceived that I had leaned into the diagonal line, and could not fail
to head him. With a quick wrench upon the rein, he once more wheeled
round, set his horse against the magueys, plied the spur, and dashed
right into their midst. In a moment, both horse and rider were out of
sight; but as I spurred up to the spot, I could hear the thick blades
crackle under the hoofs of the mustang.
There was no time for reflection. I must either follow, or abandon the
pursuit. The alternative was not thought of. I was on my honour, my
steed upon his mettle; and without halt we went plunging through the
magueys.
Torn and bleeding, we came out on the opposite side; and I perceived, to
my satisfaction, that I had made better time than the red rider before
me; his halt had lessened the distance between us.
But another field of milpas had to be passed, and he was again gaining
upon me, as we galloped over the heavy ground.
When nearly through the field, I perceived something glancing before us:
it was water--a wide drain or ditch, a _zequia_ for irrigating the
field. Like the magueys, it ran transversely to our course.
"That will stop him," thought I; "he must take to the right or left, and
then--"
My thoughts were interrupted. Instead of turning either to right or
left, the Mexican headed his horse at the zequia, and the noble creature
rushing forward, rose like a bird upon the wing, and cleared the canal!
I had no time to expend in admiring the feat; I hastened to imitate it,
and galloping forward, I set myself for the leap. My brave steed needed
neither whip nor spur; he had seen the other leap the zequia, and he
knew what was expected of him. With a bound he went over, clearing the
drain by several feet; and then, as if resolved upon bringing the affair
to an end, he laid his head forward, and stretched himself at
race-course speed.
A broad grassy plain--a savannah--lay before us, and the hoofs of both
horses, pursuer and pursued, now rang upon hard firm turf. The rest of
the chase would have been a simple trial of speed, and I made sure of
overhauling the mustang before he could reach the opposite side, when a
new obstacle presented itself. A vast herd of cattle and horses studded
the savannah throughout its whole extent; these, startled by our wild
gallop, tossed their heads, and ran affrighted in every direction, but
frequently as otherwise, directly in our way. More than once I was
forced to rein in, to save my neck or my horse's from being broken over
a fierce bull or a long-horned lumbering ox; and more than once I was
compelled to swerve from my course.
What vexed me most, was that in this zigzag race, the mustang, from
practice perhaps, had the advantage; and while it continued, he
increased his distance.
We cleared the drove at length; but to my chagrin I perceived that we
were nearly across the plain. As I glanced ahead, I saw the chapparal
near, with taller trees rising over it; beyond, I saw the swell of a
hill, with white walls upon its summit. It was the hacienda already
mentioned: we were riding directly towards it.
I was growing anxious about the result. Should the horseman reach the
thicket, I would be almost certain to lose him. _I dared not let him
escape_. What would my men say, if I went back without him? I had
hindered the sentry from firing, and permitted to escape, perhaps a spy,
perhaps some important personage. His desperate efforts to get off
favoured the supposition that he was one or the other. _He must be
taken_!
Under fresh impulse, derived from these reflections, I lanced the flanks
of my horse more deeply than ever. Moro seemed to divine my thoughts,
and stretched himself to his utmost. There were no more cattle, not an
obstacle, and his superior speed soon lessened the distance between
himself and the mustang. Ten seconds more would do it.
The ten seconds flew by. I felt myself within shooting distance; I drew
my pistol from its holster.
"_Alto! o yo tiro_" (Halt! or I fire), I cried aloud.
There was no reply: the mustang kept on!
"Halt!" I cried again, unwilling to take the life of a
fellow-creature--"halt! or you are a dead man!"
No reply again!
There were not six yards between myself and the Mexican horseman.
Riding straight behind him, I could have sent a bullet into his back.
Some secret instinct restrained me; it was partly, though not
altogether, a feeling of admiration: there was an indefinable idea in my
mind at the moment. My finger rested on the trigger, and I could not
draw it.
"He must not escape! He is nearing the trees! He must not be allowed
to enter the thicket; I must cripple the horse."
I looked for a place to aim at--his hips were towards me--should I hit
him there he might still get off. Where should I aim?
At this moment the animal wheeled, as if guided by his own impulse--
perhaps by the knees of his rider--and shot off in a new direction. The
object of this manoeuvre was to throw me out of the track. So far it
was successful; but it gave me just the opportunity to aim as I wanted;
as it brought the mustang's side towards me; and levelling my pistol, I
sent a bullet through his kidneys. A single plunge forward was his
last, and both horse and rider came to the ground.
In an instant the latter had disengaged himself from his struggling
steed, and stood upon his feet. Fearing that he might still endeavour
to escape to the cover of the thicket, I spurred forward, pistol in
hand, and pointed the weapon at his head. But he made no attempt either
at further flight or resistance. On the contrary, he stood with folded
arms, fronting the levelled tube, and, looking me full in the face, said
with an air of perfect coolness--
"_No matame, amigo! Soy muger_!" (Do not kill me, friend! I am a
woman!)