Suddenly her plodding pony stood still, with a slight neigh and ears
erect. They were at that moment winding around the face of a
precipice, with the wall on the left rising to a height of a hundred
feet or more, and sloping downward on the right into a gorge of
Stygian blackness. The path was a yard or over in width, so there was
plenty of foothold, and the halt could not be due to any lack of that
nature.
The guide was motionless, a dozen paces in advance. Something seemed
to have caught his notice and caused him to hesitate. Peering beyond
his head in the vivid moonlight, Miss Starland discerned a crouching
form, lithe and sinewy, and resembling a huge hound. It had been
approaching from the opposite direction, when it was checked by sight
of the man. A growl pierced the stillness, as it stood lashing its
sides with its long tail. Then it began inching forward with intent
to attack the obstacle in its path. The latter maintained his
stationary pose, but at sight of the beast stealthily creeping upon
him, he raised his gun to his shoulder, took a quick aim and fired.
[Illustration: AN OBSTACLE IN THE PATH.]
The space was short and the shot sped true. Upon receiving the bullet,
the beast emitted a rasping screech and leaped directly upward, as if
impelled from a springboard, and falling on its side, rolled over the
edge of the precipice, down which it sped, clawing, snarling and
bringing the loose dirt streaming after it, until it vanished in the
gloomy depths and all became as it was before.
The soldier coolly reloaded his gun, without stirring from his
position, turned his head and said in a conversational tone: "Come on;
all is well." Then he resumed his walk, and the pony of Miss Starland,
as if all had been clear to him from the first, plodded onward.
"Do you know what that animal was?" called the Senorita from the rear.
"How should I know anything about him?"
"It was a jaguar."
"Said to be one of the most dangerous animals of your country."
"I hope you have no fear of that particular one."
"No, but there must be others."
"They are not plentiful in these mountains; at any rate, the guide
will take good care of you."
A few minutes later, the procession began descending the trail, which
broadened and was partly hidden by undergrowth and trees, that lined
the sides and overshadowed the party at intervals. Several times Miss
Starland had heard an odd chattering, which she could not identify,
but which did not disturb the others. This showed that the soldiers
understood and so long as that was the case, she need not be disturbed
in mind.
In the lowest part of the valley-like depression, where she could
catch only dim glimpses of her guide, she was dreadfully startled by
an object alighting like a feather on her horse directly in front. It
was so close that she instantly saw it was a monkey, which in pure
mischief had dropped from one of the branches and perched itself on
the shoulders of the pony. Looking round at her it chattered and
seemed on the point of climbing upon her head when she struck it so
sharp a cuff that it toppled over sideways from the horse upon the
trail, down which it went clawing and chattering its anger; but,
though, it dropped from sight, it must be believed it suffered no
harm, because of its own nimbleness.
Her friend saw enough to understand what had taken place and called
out:
"I hope you are not frightened, Warrenia; the little fellow meant no
harm."
"But I do not wish his company; you are welcome to it."
"I care little either way, but they are revengeful, and when you cuff
the next one's ears, don't do it too hard, or it may rouse the others
to attack you; heigho! here's another!" exclaimed the Senorita, as one
of the agile creatures bounded from somewhere upon her horse and
whisked out of sight again.
A soft murmur stole through the night, and gradually increased in
depth of volume, until when the party rounded a bend in the trail,
they came upon the cause. To the right and a hundred feet above them,
a sheet of crystalline water poured over the edge of the rocks and
tumbled into the valley below, whence it wound its course to the Rio
Rubio, only a short distance away. The falls were twenty feet in
width, with a descent perhaps twice as great, and in the moonlight
they looked like a motionless sheen of silver, which might have been
believed to be the case but for the churning of the snowy foam below.
From this a fleecy mist was continually ascending, and a little way
above, it displayed a faint rainbow, whose exquisitely delicate beauty
caused an exclamation of delight from the visitor who saw the picture
for the first time in her life.
But to the escort it was a familiar sight, and they gave it only a
glance, as they trudged onward. They were unemotional automata, who
knew nothing except to obey the orders of their terrible chief. He had
commanded them to give safe conduct to the young women to the Castle,
and that was their sole task. So far as the American was aware, not a
word had been spoken by the man at the rear, and the guide opened his
lips only when necessary.
Several times while pressing over the trail, they had caught sight of
the stone structure, and noted the twinkling of the lights from the
upper story. Making another turn, and climbing a slight ascent, they
came to the small plateau on which it stood, only a few rods in
advance.
Proof again appeared that this journey had been pre-arranged. Instead
of two guards, some eight or ten men were patrolling and lounging on
the outside of the grim building. One of these came forward and spoke
for several minutes, in low tones, with the guide. A call was made to
the man at the rear and he advanced and took part in the conversation.
The ponies halted of their own accord. While Miss Starland was waiting
and wondering, her friend dropped lightly from the saddle and came to
her side.
"Give me your hand, Warrenia; we are done riding for tonight."
The next moment the two young women stood beside each other on the
ground. Naturally the Senorita took charge of her guest and led the
way through the broad opening to the lower part of the Castle, where a
native woman was standing. Manuela recognized her as a servant of her
uncle's household, and addressed her by name. She replied that their
apartment was ready and conducted the two into the lower division of
the building, which was dimly lit up by a lamp fastened to a bracket
in the wall. Still under the lead of Juanita, as she was called, the
couple passed up the steps to the principal apartment, which they had
inspected the day before.
"You will wish to be together," said the servant with a broad smile,
"and this is your home, so long as you honor the Castle with your
company."
"Yes, we shall stay together," the Senorita hastened to say, slipping
her arm under that of her friend, who pressed it affectionately. "You
may leave us now, Juanita, and when we want you, we will call."
The apartment was the one that had been provided with conveniences and
appointments, such as two young ladies were likely to need, even to
the little knick-knacks that are considered indispensable by them. A
glance around the room, in the mellow light of the lamp on the mantel,
showed nothing lacking.
"It seems to have been specially prepared for us," said the Senorita.
"And that, my dear friend, is the one thing that troubles me; I do not
understand it; do you?"