THE MAN UNMASKED
Twenty-three horsemen were galloping into the plaza. The beasts they
rode were magnificent, their saddles and bridles were heavily chased
with silver, their cloaks were of the finest materials, and they wore
hats with plumes, as if this was somewhat of a dress affair and they
wished the world to know it. Each man sat straight and proud in his
saddle, his blade at his side, and every blade had a jeweled hilt,
being at once serviceable and a rich ornament.
They galloped along the face of the tavern, between the door and the
soldiers who had been battering it, between the building and the
governor and assembled citizens, and there they turned and stood their
horses side by side, facing his excellency.
"Wait! There is a better way!" their leader cried.
"Ha!" screeched the governor. "I understand! Here we have the young
men of all the noble families in the southland. They have come to
show their loyalty by taking this Curse of Capistrano! I thank you,
_caballeros_! Yet it is not my wish to have any of you slain by this
fellow. He is not worthy your blades, _señores_!
"Do you ride to one side and lend the strength of your presence, and
let my troopers deal with the rogue. Again I thank you for this show
of loyalty, for this demonstration that you stand for law and order and
all it means, for constituted authority--"
"Peace!" their leader cried. "Your excellency, we represent power in
this section, do we not!"
"You do, _caballeros_," the governor said.
"Our families say who shall rule, what laws shall be termed just, do
they not?"
"They have great influence," the governor said.
"You would not care to stand alone against us?"
"Most assuredly not!" his excellency cried. "But I pray you, let the
troopers get this fellow. It is not seemly that a _caballero_ should
suffer wound or death from his blade."
"It is to be regretted that you do not understand."
"Understand?" queried the governor, in a questioning tone, glancing up
and down the line of mounted men.
"We have taken counsel with ourselves, excellency. We know our strength
and power, and we have decided upon certain things. There have been
things done that we cannot countenance.
"The _frailes_ of the missions have been despoiled by officials.
Natives have been treated worse than dogs. Even men of noble blood have
been robbed because they have not been friendly to the ruling powers."
"_Caballero--_"
"Peace, excellency, until I have done! This thing came to a crisis when
a _hidalgo_ and his wife and daughter were thrown into a _carcel_ by
your orders. Such a thing cannot be countenanced, excellency.
"And so we have banded ourselves together, and here we take a hand! Be
it known that we ourselves rode with this Señor Zorro when he invaded
the _carcel_ and rescued the prisoners, that we carried Don Carlos and
the Doña Catalina to places of safety, and that we have pledged our
words and honors and blades that they shall not be persecuted more."
"I would say--"
"Silence, until I have done! We stand together, and the strength of our
united families is behind us. Call upon your soldiers to attack us, if
you dare! Every man of noble blood up and down the length of El Camino
Real would flock to our defense, would unseat you from your office,
would see you humbled! We await your answer, excellency!"
"What--what would you?" his excellency gasped.
"First, proper consideration for Don Carlos Pulido and his family. No
_carcel_ for them! If you have the courage to try them for treason,
be sure that we will be on hand at the trial, and deal with any man
who gives perjured testimony, and with any _magistrado_ who does not
conduct himself properly. We are determined, excellency!"
"Perhaps I was hasty in the matter, but I was led to believe certain
things," the governor said. "I grant you your wish. One side now,
_caballeros_, while my men get at this rogue in the tavern."
"We are not done!" their leader said. "We have things to say regarding
this Señor Zorro. What has he done--actually--excellency? Is he
guilty of any treason? He has robbed no man except those who robbed
the defenseless first. He has whipped a few unjust persons. He has
taken sides with the persecuted, for which we honor him. To do such a
thing, he took his life in his own hands. He successfully evaded your
soldiers. He resented insults, as any man has the right to do!"
"What would you?"
"A complete pardon, here and now, for this man known as Señor Zorro!"
"Never!" the governor cried. "He has affronted me personally! He shall
die the death!" He turned around and saw Don Alejandro Vega standing
near him. "Don Alejandro, you are the most influential man in this
south country!" he said. "You are the one man against whom even the
governor dare not stand! You are a man of justice! Tell these young
_caballeros_ that what they wish cannot be granted. Bid them retire to
their homes, and this show of treason will be forgotten."
"I stand behind them!" Don Alejandro thundered.
"You--you stand behind them?"
"I do, your excellency! I echo every word they have spoken in your
presence. Persecution must cease. Grant their requests, see that your
officials do right hereafter, return to San Francisco de Asis, and I
take my oath that there shall be no treason in this southland.
"I shall see to it myself. But oppose them, excellency, and I shall
take sides against you, see you driven from office and ruined, and your
foul parasites with you!"
"This terrible, willful southland!" the governor cried.
"Your answer!" Don Alejandro demanded.
"I can do nothing but agree," the governor said. "But there is one
thing--"
"Well!"
"I spare the man's life if he surrenders, but he must stand trial for
the murder of Captain Ramón!"
"Murder?" queried the leader of the _caballeros_. "It was a duel
between gentlemen, excellency. Señor Zorro resented an insult on the
part of the _comandante_ to the _señorita_."
"Ha! But Ramón was a _caballero_--"
"And so is this Señor Zorro. He told us as much, and we believe him,
for there was no falsehood in his voice. So it was a duel, excellency,
and between gentlemen, according to the code, and Captain Ramón
was unfortunate that he was not a better man with a blade. That is
understood! Your answer!"
"I agree!" the governor said weakly. "I pardon him, and I go home to
San Francisco de Asis, and persecution ceases in this locality. But I
hold Don Alejandro to his promise--that there be no treason against me
here if I do these things."
"I have given my word!" Don Alejandro said.
The _caballeros_ shrieked their happiness and dismounted. They drove
the soldiers away from the door, Sergeant Gonzales growling into his
mustache because here was a reward gone glimmering again.
"Within there, Señor Zorro!" one cried. "Have you heard!"
"I have heard, _caballero_!"
"Open the door and come out amongst us--a free man!"
There was a moment's hesitation, and then the battered door was
unbarred and opened, and Señor Zorro stepped out with the _señorita_ on
his arm. He stopped just in front of the door, removed his sombrero and
bowed low before them.
"A good day to you, _caballeros_!" he cried. "Sergeant, I regret that
you have missed the reward, but I shall see that the amount is placed
to the credit of you and your men with the landlord of the tavern."
"By the saints, he is a _caballero_!" Gonzales cried.
"Unmask, man!" cried the governor. "I would see the features of the
person who has fooled my troopers, has gained _caballeros_ to his
banner and has forced me to make a compromise."
"I fear that you will be disappointed when you see my poor features,"
Señor Zorro replied. "Do you expect me to look like Satan! Or, can it
be possible, on the other hand, that you believe I have an angelic
countenance?"
He chuckled, glanced down at the Señorita Lolita, and then put up a
hand and tore off his mask.
A chorus of gasps answered the motion, an explosive oath or two from
the soldiers, cries of delight from the _caballeros_, and a screech of
mingled pride and joy from one old _hidalgo_.
"Don Diego, my son--my son!"
And the man before them seemed to droop suddenly in the shoulders, and
sighed, and spoke in a languid voice.
"These be turbulent times! Can a man never meditate on music and the
poets!"
And Don Diego Vega, the Curse of Capistrano, was clasped for a moment
in his father's arms.