There were six of them, all coming out as clearly in the powerful
moonlight as if the sun were in the heavens. The stout form of General
Yozarro was at the front, walking at a moderate pace up the slope.
The moment he entered the field of vision, Major Starland heard
Martella gasp, as if catching his breath. Then the American felt a
hand upon his rifle, as if the other were trying to draw it from his
grasp.
"My chance can never be better," whispered the deserter.
"I will not allow murder to be done; a brave man would not ask it."
The native loosened his straining grip upon the weapon, and all
silently peered from the gloom at the procession filing past. None of
the spectators spoke, but each caught the sounds of fitful
conversation among the Atlamalcans. No one could have been more
generous than the Dictator in the way of imprecations, which was no
cause for surprise to Miss Starland.
Until the purchase of the tugboat, General Yozarro had usually passed
between his capital and the Castle of Rest on horseback. Now, however,
he preferred the water route, although it compelled him to walk a
difficult mile.
At the moment when the rear of the procession was opposite our
friends, who were breathlessly watching from their hiding place, the
pony suddenly threw up his head and emitted a resounding whinny that
could have been heard a mile away.
"That means a fight!" exclaimed the Major, tightening his grasp on his
rifle; "be ready, Captain and Martella!"
The moment the alarming cry echoed among the mountains, General
Yozarro and his friends stopped and stared in the direction of the
disturbance. Martella was the only one with the quickness of resource
to meet the crisis. In a twinkling, he slipped the bridle of the horse
over his head, unfastened the cinch and flung the saddle to the
ground. Then, pointing the nose of the animal toward the trail, he
gave his haunch a pinch like the nipping of a fire ant. The animal
responded with a snort and leap, and then trotted to the group who
stared at him in astonishment.
The Major and the Captain caught the shrewdness of the action. By
driving out the horse without any belongings, he gave the impression
that he was an estray, probably cropping the herbage, when disturbed
by the approach of strangers. He had not been ridden long enough to
show the marks of bridle or saddle, unless examined closely, which was
not likely to be the case.
"They may learn the truth," whispered Martella; "be ready!"
The animal slowed his pace and walked snuffing suspiciously to the
waiting company. When one of the officers reached out to grasp his
forelock, he flirted his head away. The brute preferred his freedom to
serving a master.
Some natural surprise was expressed that he should be wandering alone,
so far from the Castle, and the listening friends heard General
Yozarro suggest that it might be worth while to look farther. They
were about to do so when he changed his mind.
"Captain Navarro is not careful with his horses: I must remind him to
have a better care of my property."
With this observation, the General resumed the lead and almost
immediately the party disappeared, vastly to the relief of our
friends. Martella waited only until they were beyond sight, when he
led the way back to the trail.
There was no further call for him to act as advance scout, though he
again placed himself at the head of the little company. He could
readily have captured the horse and offered to do so, but Miss
Starland refused the favor, saying it was a grateful relief to walk,
after having been so long in doors. Accordingly the pony was left to
himself.
The situation had changed. The danger was transferred to the rear,
though it was not likely to threaten for some time to come. General
Yozarro would not dream of the truth until he reached the Castle.
There he would quickly learn that the cunning of the deserter had
drawn the American Senorita from his custody and probably taken her
beyond reach. It would require less than an hour for him to go to
_Castillo Descanso_, and only a short time to hasten back over the
trail to the river.
Would he do so?
This was the question Major Starland asked himself, while tramping
directly behind his sister. Such a thing would be so daring an outrage
that it seemed improbable. What excuse could he offer when coming into
the presence of the two American visitors for so high-handed an
interference with their rights? Hitherto he had shown a fulsome
obsequiousness to both, and acted the part of a high-toned gentleman.
How could he throw off that courtesy which seemed a part of his
nature, and still forbid their going and coming as they pleased?
Doubtless the Major would have convinced himself that what he mentally
outlined was not to be feared from the Dictator, except for a most
important fact that obtruded itself: the presence of Martella, the
deserter, with the company of fugitives, as they must now regard
themselves. That would justify him in pursuing the ingrate to the
uttermost confines of his dominion, and to make his shelter by General
Bambos a _casus belli_, especially if the message left with the
engineer of the tugboat had been delivered. Acting under this
pretext, Yozarro would be able to bring the man's companions within
his power, with the opportunity of carrying out the plans he had
formed respecting them. His infatuation had destroyed his tact,
judgment and sense, of which his furnishment had never been great.
Strange that one of the most likely contingencies of the peculiar
situation did not present itself to any one until it flashed upon
Major Starland, while threading the mountain trail and when near its
termination. General Yozarro's tugboat must have come ashore directly
behind the catboat of his predecessors. He would recognize the smaller
craft, and know that the American had gone to the Castle to join his
sister, no doubt with the intention of bringing her away. He must have
destroyed the usefulness of the catboat and thus estopped the flight
of the fugitives by that means.
While such action on his part would appear to have been certain, yet
it did not accord with his conduct when on the way to _Castillo
Descanso_. The sight of the pony would have told him the truth, and
he would have been certain to make an investigation on the spot. But
that was not done, nor was there anything in the words or manner of
the Atlamalcans to show that he held a suspicion of the real
situation.
"Martella must have thought of all this, yet he did not show it by
word or act."
Walking briskly, they soon passed up a slight incline, descended
another and arrived within a short distance of the Rio Rubio. Then,
for the first time, the officer recalled that the trail bifurcated
like the river itself. One fork turned to the right, which led to
where the sailboat had been secured. Without pausing, Martella turned
down this, and a few minutes later all stood on the river's margin.