All had observed this fact which was natural. The elevation of the
structure, which was open to every breeze that fluttered through the
mountains, made it one of the most comfortable places in that part of
the world. Another thing had been noted by the young women. Two armed
sentinels were pacing outside, and two more came forward from the
lower apartments and saluted the General and his party. They relieved
one another at regular intervals, and three of them had their wives
domiciled on the second floor. These were slatterns, not wholly
lacking in a certain comeliness, and eyed the visitors with shy
curiosity. The latter spoke to them in Spanish, to which they smiled
and replied in soft, awed monosyllables, and respectfully watched the
movements of the young women.
General Yozarro descended the lower stairs, leaving his young friends
on the second floor, where they lingered a few minutes to admire the
view from the windows. The broad, wooded plain, stretching to the
verge of vision, the town nestling in the lowlands a few miles away,
the sweep of the river, and the cloudless blue sky formed a picture
that would always linger in the memory of all whose privilege it was
to look upon them.
The two turned to descend the steps, when the Senorita missed one of
her gloves. Hurriedly glancing about her, she said:
"I must have dropped it in the story above; I'll run up and search,
while you may find it below or on the outside."
She darted off like a bird, and Miss Starland moved down the sloping
steps which gave back not the slightest sound. The female servants had
preceded her, so that for a brief time she was alone. She reached the
lower floor, and was passing through the opening leading out doors,
when she heard some one speaking in a low, but excited voice. She
paused and discovered that he was swearing frightfully, the passion of
the speaker being the more fearful because of the repression of the
tones. With a shock which cannot be described, she recognized the
voice as General Yozarro's, and, more shameful than all, he was
addressing one of the women.
In her distress, and determined not to hear the words, Miss Starland
softly ran up the steps and was looking through the rooms again for
the missing glove, when her friend, with a glowing smile, came down
holding it up in her hand. Both laughed over the insignificant
incident, and Miss Starland took care as they descended that her own
merriment continued. General Yozarro, thus warned, finished his
imprecations, and met them with his usual smiles and graciousness. In
his snowy suit, sombrero in hand, he was the acme of cool politeness
and courtesy. Had not Miss Starland identified his voice unmistakably,
she could not have believed what her ears had told her.
That one revelation, however, did its work. She was resolved to leave
Atlamalco on the first opportunity and never to set foot within the
Republic again. She had come to look upon this man with a mortal
horror, for, under the mask of chivalry, he carried the blackest of
hearts.
The return ride was trying to the last degree. General Yozarro seemed
to have forgotten his promise to his niece, and tortured her friend
with attentions which filled her with resentment. When he assisted her
to dismount, he pressed her hand for an instant until the rings on her
fingers dented the flesh and almost caused her to cry out with pain.
He uttered endearing expressions in a voice so low that no ears except
those for which they were intended heard them, and they gave no heed.
Her friend seemed to see nothing of all this, though she must have
been aware of it.
The irrepressible lover, more hopelessly enmeshed than ever, insisted
upon their visitor sitting with him and his niece on the piazza in the
moonlight, but in desperation, she pleaded a headache--when she had
never suffered therefrom--and kept her room.
"And Jack never dreams of anything of this kind," was her thought; "he
is only a few miles away, and I shall insist that I be taken to him on
the morrow."
Having made her resolution, she carried it out. At the table, which
was set in the large back room of General Yozarro's city house, and
provided with the choicest fruits and every delicacy that the fertile
republic could furnish, she made known her wish. She longed to see
her brother on an important matter, and begged that she might be taken
to him with the least possible delay. The others expressed their
regret, and the General offered to send for her relative.
"The one who goes to take the message can as well take me along," said
she, determined to force the point.
"Do you expect to remain with him long?" inquired the General.
"I know of nothing to prevent our coming back quite soon."
"Your wish is my command; I shall be very busy today on important
matters. Suppose we take the ride to Zalapata on my gunboat this
evening?"
"That will be delightful!" exclaimed the niece, and though it was not
the exact arrangement her friend wished, she could offer no objection
and it was so agreed.
Thus it came to pass that the _General Yozarro_ steamed past Major
Jack Starland and Captain Guzman, while the two sat smoking in front
of the native's hut on the northern shore of the Rio Rubio, without
either party suspecting how near they were to each other.
The long day gave General Yozarro abundant time to perfect his schemes
which were carried out with precision and a faultless nicety of
detail.
Two miles beyond the hut, while the young women were partaking of
refreshments in the Captain's room, which had been specially fitted
for their reception, he came to them in great agitation.
"I have just discovered that General Bambos has obtained a boat
somewhere and is descending the river with the undoubted purpose of
attacking Atlamalco."
"Let us hasten back ahead of him," said his startled niece, who like
her friend was in dismay over the tidings.
"It will never do to flee before him; he must be kept from reaching
our capital; a battle with him is a necessity."
"With us on board?"
"I do not see how it can be helped--but hold! I will land you here and
send you to _Castillo Descanso_, where you will be beyond all harm.
Ah! that is it! That is it!"