THE FUGITIVES.
The sun goes down, the twilight wanes,
With reddened spurs and hanging reins,
We urge our steeds across the plains.
For you and I are flying far,
From those who would our loving mar,
And prison you with bolt and bar.
Sigh not, dear one, look not so white,
My castle stands on yonder height,
We'll reach it e'er the morning's light.
The future's joy this night is born,
I wed thee in the early morn,
And laugh my rivals twain to scorn.
It was fifty miles from Totatzine to the coast. Dolores being a woman,
and weak, Jack, owing to illness, not being quite so strong as usual,
they found it difficult to do more on an average than two miles an
hour. To make up for slow walking they stretched out their
pedestrianism to twelve hours between dawn and eve, thus reaching the
sea-shore in two days. They arrived at the cave spoken of by Cocom,
which was a harbour of refuge to them in their sore distress,
completely worn out, body and soul and garments. Still they felt a
certain amount of comfort in three consolations: First, they had
escaped from Totatzine with their lives. Secondly, the wallet was not
yet exhausted of meat and drink, so that they were in no danger of
starvation. Thirdly, Cocom, always supposing he would hoodwink the
priests as to his share in their escape, would arrive within twelve
hours or thereabouts. Thus fortified with food and hope, they stayed
thankfully in the cave and waited the arrival of the old Indian.
As to the journey from platform to cave, that had been a horrible
dream, a nightmare of hardship, of weariness, of many pangs. Starting
from the terrace shortly after midnight, they had traversed the avenue
in three hours. It was five miles in length, and proceeding at the rate
of two miles every sixty minutes, it can be easily seen that they could
gain the shelter of the forest long before dawn. The great road ended
abruptly amid a confused heap of ruins, forest trees, tangled
undergrowth. Doubtless, in the old time it had continued even to the
coast, but time and the Indians had obliterated all traces of its
magnificence five miles down. The former did this because it is his
invariable custom to so treat all human works, which set themselves up
as enduring for ever; the latter played havoc with the relics of their
ancestors' magnificence, so as to hide the city of Totatzine from the
eyes of the white destroyers, who had trodden out of existence those
same ancestors. Nature had also done her share in the work of
destruction, and sent a wave of green trees across the straight line of
cause-way. Therefore, the road which began so proudly at the foot of
the great staircase ended suddenly, after five miles, in the tangled
wilderness.
The journey from Totatzine to this point had been long and arduous. The
moon had set behind the hills so that it was now dark, and to explore
an unknown forest in such gloom would have been foolish, therefore Jack
insisted that they should take some rest. In the midst of an old palace
he constructed a bed for Dolores with the aid of his and her own cloak,
and after seeing her safely bestowed therein, lay down at the entrance
so as to act as a sleeping sentinel if such a thing be possible.
Nothing particular occurred, however, and when they awoke the sun was
already high in the heavens. Then they made a frugal breakfast and
resumed their journey.
The way being no longer clearly defined, their progress was necessarily
slow from this point. To the right, on the trunk of a tree, appeared
the sign of a scarlet opal as before pictured on the rocks, so to the
right they went, and at once, even at these few steps from the
causeway, found themselves in the heart of a wild, tropical forest.
There was something terrible to these two civilised beings about the
primeval savagery of this vegetation and exuberant foliage. Dense,
tangled, almost impenetrable, it reminded Jack of the wood grown by
fairy power round the palace of the sleeping beauty. That forest,
however was to keep lovers out; this, alas! served to keep these lovers
in. It lay between them and the coast, quite thirty-five miles of wild
growth, and at times Dolores almost despaired of breaking through the
barrier. Not so Jack, he was hopeful of ultimate success being
strengthened in his faith by the constant appearance of the opal sign.
On every side of them rose giant trees of hoary age, their trunks
seemingly supporting the verdant roof above-head. At times, so dense
were the leaves that sky and sun and kindly light were shut out
entirely, and they moved through a translucent twilight of tremulous
green. From trunks and boughs depended lianas like ropes binding the
forest giants together, or, dropping to the ground, formed a ladder up
which climbed the most exquisite flowers. Splendid tree-ferns drooped
their gigantic fronds on high, springing thickly from tall pillars,
rough, brown, and hairy. Below, the ground was thick with brilliant
blossoms, which seized every chance offered by rock, liana, and trunk
to climb upward to that light excluded by the sea of foliage overhead.
At every step the forest changed its appearance, as though it were an
enchanted wood. Here, all was savagery and gloom; step forward, and lo!
a wide and sunny glade. One moment, and they were surrounded by
moss-covered rocks; the next, and a noble avenue of palms opened a
vista before them. Pools of water sparkled here and there; babbling
brooks winding capriciously in and out in wayward circles; at times,
the sudden gleam of a waterfall, threading downwards in white streaks
from a giant rock; and again, the miasma of a swamp, black and
evil-looking, in whose waters rolled the trunks of fallen trees.
Everywhere flowers bursting into bloom; everywhere new leaves swelling
into being; everywhere the exuberant life of a tropic climate. The
atmosphere was warm and damp, a clammy air permeated the woods, and the
whole place was one vast hothouse, where fecundation went on
unceasingly. Throughout, a rich perfume pervaded the air, heavy,
sickly, and languorous.
Fortunately, Jack's sight had been rendered keen by his profession,
else it would have been difficult to have discerned the sign, on trunk
of tree, or mossy rock. Scarlet is a noticeable colour, and had the
opal sign been the only red hue in the forest, there would have been no
difficulty in the matter. But everywhere scarlet flowers made fire of
the intense emerald of foliage and grass. Dazzling masses of crimson
verbena glared fiercely in the dim gloom, vermilion blossoms burned
like lamps in the dense brushwood, wreaths of ruddy leaves made streaks
like veins overhead, and the ground blazed with the pinks and carmines
and purples of an infinite variety of blossoms. It was difficult to
pick out the red-opal sign amid this constant repetition of the same
tints; but Jack, by careful observation, managed to do so, being guided
at times by a well-defined path. Indeed, often he was tempted to ignore
the sign, and go only by the path; but, as numerous branches led off
from the omphalos of the great road, he was afraid of going astray, so
kept his reckoning by the opal alone.
For two days they travelled through this zone of verdure, and at
length, by the salt smell in the air, became aware that they were
nearing the ocean. At times they met Indians, gaudily dressed, with
painted faces, and deadly looking weapons; but these, on observing the
scarlet mantles of the pair, and receiving the sign on lips and
forehead, stepped aside to let them pass. They recognised that these
travellers were proceeding eastward by the will of the god, under the
vow of silence. Superstition, stronger than greed or cruelty, protected
them from the savages of the wilderness.
The journey was not dull, in spite of their anxiety and dread of being
followed. On every side the forest was full of life, and Dolores was
delighted to see the constant flashing of humming-birds, green, red and
yellow glories, which darted through the still air like flying gems.
Once they saw the yellow hide of a jaguar, black spotted, sleek, and
terrible. Jack had nothing but a knife, given to him by Cocom, and
regretted that he had not his revolver with him. A knife was but a poor
weapon to do battle with such a terrible foe. To their relief, however,
the animal only eyed them for a few minutes in startled surprise, and
then slunk away among the undergrowth. Other perils from wild animals
they had none.
Sometimes the whole air would be alive with butterflies. Purple, yellow
spotted, azure striped, they fluttered everywhere. One would have
thought the flowers were alive, and flew from stem to stem. Peter, as
Jack thought, would have been in his element. This forest was the true
paradise of butterflies. But they had no time to admire all this skill
and fecundity of Nature. Resolutely following the opal sign, they
pushed onward through the forest. They saw on all sides the puzzle
monkey trees, with their sharp spikes; ombù trees, whose shade is so
dense; aloes, whose branches spread outward like the seven-stemmed
candlestick of the Revelation; palms, mangoes, wild fig trees; cactus,
burning with fleshy scarlet blossoms, and shallow lagunas, swampy pools
of water, filled with sedges and rushes and slimy weeds.
The din was constant. Monkeys swung themselves from bough to bough
overhead, chattered without ceasing; parrots, gay plumaged, harsh
voiced, shrieked discordantly in their ears; the roaring of jaguars and
pumas sounded faint in the distance, like muffled thunder; and ever
rasped the stridulation of restless grasshoppers, unseen but noisy.
Such a wealth of invention, such overpowering luxuriance, wore out the
senses, wearied the soul. Both Jack and Dolores were glad when the
sharp, salt smell of the sea struck knife-like through the enervating
atmosphere. They had been travelling since dawn, and now, at noon, on
the third day of their departure from Totatzine, they beheld the great
waste of waters, flashing like a mirror in the sun. Jack should have
greeted it as did the Hellens of Epaminondas, with a joyful cry of
"Thalatta! Thalatta!" but he had forgotten his Greek, and was too weary
to feel poetic.
At this stage of their journey, they met with many Indians, who here
landed in order to proceed to the shrine of the opal. Dolores was much
afraid of their secret being discovered, and even Jack was somewhat
doubtful of the efficacy of the vow of silence; but, in this case, as
in others, fanaticism proved their safeguard, for they passed unharmed,
even unspoken to, through the mass of savages. On arriving at the verge
of the sea, Jack at once sought out the cave described by Cocom; and,
leading Dolores thereto, for a short space of time, they were in
safety.
From this point, as Jack had learned in Totatzine, the city of Tlatonac
was distant about twenty miles down the coast, and as there were plenty
of canoes drawn up on the beach, it would have been easy for them to
have proceeded at once on their journey. Gratitude to Cocom, however,
prevented this, and they remained that night in the cave in order to
await his arrival. The hiding-place was a natural cavern of wide
extent, and, after making Dolores as comfortable as he could, Jack
retired to the entrance, and kept guard, lest they should be surprised
by some wandering savage.
Throughout this perilous journey, nothing could exceed the tenderness
and chivalry with which Duval behaved towards Dolores. He was tireless
in his efforts to spare her all fatigues, in keeping up her spirits, in
guarding her from all the annoyances consequent on travelling
ill-provided through a dense forest. Dolores said nothing at the time,
but took silent note of all this courtesy, and over and over again
breathed a thankful prayer that the man whom she loved had proved
himself so noble in the hour of danger. It was a disagreeable position
to a girl brought up as she had been in strict observance of etiquette;
but Jack came triumphantly through the ordeal, and gained rather than
lost in her eyes by the nobility of his character, by the rare delicacy
of his behaviour.
The only thing that Duval feared was that the loss of the opal might
cause the priests to mistrust Cocom's story, and send out word far and
wide that the sacred gem had been torn from the temple. It was true
that they had gained a twelve hours' start, but, owing to the delicacy
of Dolores' constitution, they had travelled very slowly to the coast,
and at any moment messengers with news of the theft might arrive on the
scene. In such an event, all the Indians on the coast would be examined
as to whether a man and woman had passed seaward in company. Owing to
their clothes being scattered in the gorge, the priests (supposing they
did not trust these signs of death) would know they were disguised as
Indians, therefore the dresses would avail them but little. Neither
would the vow of silence be of much use, as in this crisis they would
be questioned as to whom they were, to what tribe did they belong, and
as neither of them could speak a word of Indian, the situation would
become serious. The only hope, therefore, that they had of safety was
of the arrival of Cocom without delay. If he arrived next morning, all
would be well, if not, Jack discussed the advisability of taking a
canoe, and proceeding at once to Tlatonac.
At dawn next morning they were both eating a hurried meal in the cave,
and talking over the advisability of making a retreat while it was yet
time.
"As soon as they find out the opal is missing, the whole country will
rise in arms," said Jack, emphatically; "and every Indian will be
questioned closely, both within and without the town."
"But the news won't reach the coast for some time, Juan."
"I question very much if it has not reached the coast now," replied
Jack, a trifle drily. "From the end of that road are many other paths
to the coast, so swift messengers might have passed us in that way. Let
us hope, however, that this is not the case, and that Cocom will be the
first to bring the news that the opal is lost."
"Cocom will guess that I have taken the opal!"
"Doubtless; and the question is whether he will permit you to take it
to Tlatonac."
"But why not, Juanito? I am the guardian of the opal. It is mine."
"Querida, you are wrong. It is the property of Huitzilopochtli. You are
only its guardian--a mere honorary position that does not entail
possession of the stone. Its proper place, according to the Indian's
superstition, is in the shrine of Totatzine."
"But Cocom is a Christian. He will not care about my taking it."
"Dios! I am not so sure of that, Dolores. Cocom, by his own profession,
was brought up an idolater, and old habits cling. It is true that he
was converted by the good Padre, and I have no doubt his Catholicism is
very fair--for an Indian. But if he does not worship the war-god, he at
least believes in the prophetic quotations of the Opal; and, thus
believing, may resent it being taken from the shrine."
"Then I will say nothing about it."
"Useless, angelito! Cocom knows that no other person than ourselves
would dare to steal the Chalchuih Tlatonac. I was with him all the
time, so he will know it cannot be me. Naturally enough, he will think
it is you."
"And therefore betray us?"
"No, I do not think he will do that. After all his trouble, it would be
foolish of him to now play the traitor, for then his concurrence in our
escape would become known, and get him into bad odour with the priests.
But it is possible that he might insist on your leaving the opal
behind, to be sent back to Totatzine."
"No," cried Dolores, decisively; "I will rather throw it into the sea.
Now that the gem is away from the shrine, those horrid priests may stop
sacrificing men to the idol. Besides," she added, naïvely "it is mine."
"Ah! that is an all-sufficient reason," replied Duval, smiling. "Like
all women, querida, you are fond of gems, and do not like to part with
this one."
"It is very beautiful," sighed Dolores, taking the stone from her
breast. "See how it glitters, Juanito. Ah! what is that?"
A long, shrill whistle sounded outside the cave.
"Cocom!" cried Jack, starting to his feet. "Hide the opal for the
present, Dolores."
It was indeed Cocom who entered. Cocom looking much older than usual,
and quite worn out with his long journey from Totatzine. He saluted
them gravely, and wrapping himself in his zarape crouched on the floor
of the cave, with his eyes intently fixed on them both. The expression
of his face was as usual, and Jack was quite unable to decide whether
he approved of or resented the rape of the shining precious stone.
"You look tired, Cocom," said Jack, passing him a flask of aguardiente.
"Take a drink of this. It will do you good."
The old man greedily seized the flask, and drained it to the bottom. As
it was more than half full Jack fully expected to see him fall
helplessly intoxicated on the floor. But Cocom's head was seasoned to
strong drink, and it only made him look younger, as though the
aguardiente were a draught from the fountain of Youth.
"Have you it, Señorita?" he asked, fixing his beady eyes on Dolores.
"Yes," replied Dolores, off her guard. "That is, I----"
"Bueno!" said Cocom, nodding his head. "You have the opal. I am
content."
Jack drew a long breath of relief. Cocom's sympathy with the idolatry
of his youth was not evidently strong enough to stir him into protest
against the gem being stolen. Or perhaps he deemed that Dolores had
more right to it than Huitzilopochtli. At all events, he did not seem
ill-pleased that she was now in possession of the celebrated stone.
"What say the priests, Cocom?" he asked anxiously.
"They are in despair, Señor, over the loss of the sacred stone."
"Do they know who has taken it?"
Cocom pointed one copper-coloured finger at Dolores.
"They knew that the Chalchuih Tlatonac is with the guardian; but they
think that the guardian and you, Señor, are at the bottom of the
cañon--in the bed of the torrent."
"Then your ruse was successful?"
"Yes, Señor! I strewed the clothes on the narrow path, and in the dawn
awoke the town with my cries. Ixtlilxochitli, with his priests, came to
inquire the trouble. I told them that you, Señor, had escaped. They,
not guessing you had gone by the secret way, thought you had fled alone
by the cañon. The narrow way was examined, your clothes were found, the
blood on the cliffs, the clothes of Doña Dolores. Then they knew she
had fled with you, and deemed both had fallen in the darkness over the
cliff into the torrent."
"And the Chalchuih Tlatonac?" asked Dolores, breathlessly.
"They discovered that loss on returning to the teocalli for the morning
sacrifice. All the priests were in despair, and Ixtlilxochitli, knowing
you had taken the sacred gem, Señor, burnt a lock of your hair to----"
"A lock of my hair!" interrupted Jack, in surprise; "how did they get
that?"
"Some of your hair was cut off when you were ill, and preserved in the
temple."
"And why did they burn it?"
"Because, by doing so, they devote your soul to Tlacatecolotl, the evil
one."
"Oh, the Aztec devil," replied Duval, carelessly. "Much good that will
do them. I should have thought it wiser for them to look for the
stone."
"They are looking for it, Señor, and for your body--in the bed of the
torrent."
"I'm afraid they will be disappointed with the result of their search.
So they think we are dead?"
"Yes, Señor. You are safe from pursuit; but I am not."
"What do you mean?"
Cocom withdrew his left arm from the fold of his zarape. The hand was
cut off, and nothing remained but the stump of the wrist, seared with
hot-iron. A hideous object. Dolores cried out, and hid her face in her
hands with a shudder. Jack at once understood why Cocom had acquiesced
so calmly in the theft of the opal.
"Behold, Señor!" said the old man, shaking the mutilated wrist at Jack,
with a look of hatred; "this was my punishment for suffering you to
escape. My hand was cut off before Huitzilopochtli, and burned with
red-hot iron. Then I was shut up in prison, to wait till the god's will
was known."
"My poor Cocom!" cried Jack, much distressed, "how you have suffered
for aiding us. Thank Heaven you have escaped!"
"Yes, Señor. Ixtlilxochitli did not think I could leave the city; but
in the night I got out of the window of my prison, and followed you
down the secret way. With all my strength I followed, but I feel sure
that the hounds of the priests are on my track."
"But as Ixtlilxochitli knows you are not aware of the secret way,
he----"
"Señor," interrupted Cocom, vehemently, "he must know it now. After the
discovery of the cañon, guards were placed there. I have left the city.
One other way only could I have gone--the secret way. Believe me,
Señor, the Indians are not far behind."
"Dios!" cried Dolores, in terror, "we will be discovered!"
"Not so, Señorita! On my way hither, I met a friend coming from
Tlatonac to the shrine. He told me that the boat of the Americano had
gone some days since to Acauhtzin, to demand the release of Don Juan.
She returns to-day, and will pass this point at noon. There is a canoe
below, Señor! Let us depart in that canoe, and meet the steamer."
Jack sprang to his feet, with a shout, at this prospect of deliverance.
"Philip's yacht," he cried, joyfully; "good! We will do as you say, at
once, Cocom, and cut across the line of her passage. She will be sure
to pick us up."
"Not now, Señor! At noon!"
Jack went to the entrance of the cave, and looked at the altitude of
the sun.
"It wants two hours to noon. In one hour we will start."
"Bueno!" replied Cocom, stolidly, "let us hope the hounds of
Ixtlilxochitli will not find us. Once we see the boat of the Señor
Americano, and we are safe, if not----"
Cocom shook his head to intimate he had grave doubts of what would be
their fate in such an event, and took another drink of aguardiente.
Jack knew that in returning Philip would keep the yacht close to the
shore, in order to avoid the war-ships of Xuarez, which generally kept
a long way to seaward. He, therefore, took up his station at the mouth
of the cave, and watched the northern horizon for the first trail of
smoke from the yacht's funnel.
As in most tropical countries, towards the middle of the day all sounds
of life ceased, and Nature took her siesta. In the hush, the three
people in the cave heard far away a wild cry. Cocom sprang to his feet,
and hurried to the entrance to lay his hand on Jack's arm.
"Ixtlilxochitli's hounds! Let us get away at once. Quick, Señor! We
will start now."
"And be safe," cried Jack, excitedly, pointing towards the horizon;
"yonder is the yacht!"
There was a speck on the horizon, but they had no time to look at it.
The cries of the Indians sounded nearer and nearer. Guided by Cocom,
they left the cave and rushed down a steep road to the beach. Hastily
selecting a large canoe, Cocom sprang in. Jack lifted Dolores over the
gunwale, and stepping in himself, pushed quickly off. Just as they got
her afloat, a crowd of Indians burst out of the woods, and made for the
beach. With keen eyes they had distinguished Cocom as the fugitive whom
they were after, and fearful of losing their prey, poured down in a
tumultuous mass. A shower of arrows fell around them, but luckily did
no damage, save one which grazed Jack's cheek. In another moment, they
were in deep water, paddling quickly from the shore.
The Indians at once seized the remaining boats, of which there were
about a dozen, and hurriedly embarked. Impelled by powerful arms, these
boats shot out after the fugitives with great rapidity. Jack turned his
head to look for the yacht. She was steaming southward with great
speed. With the strength of despair, Jack paddled, and so did Dolores.
Cocom was but little use with his mutilated hand, but stood up in the
bow cursing their pursuers fluently in the Indian tongue.
From the start, they had gained considerably on their pursuers, and
fortunately an accident happened, by which three of the canoes, coming
into collision, were overturned. The screams and cries of those
struggling in the water caused their comrades to pause, and during a
few minutes Jack succeeded in placing a longer distance between himself
and his pursuers. _The Bohemian_ was so near that he could see the
Union Jack flying at her masthead, the foam swirling from her bows.
With wild yells to encourage one another, the remaining canoes started
again; but, their folly in keeping close together in a mass, impeded
their own speed. A good distance stretched between the pursuers and
pursued. Cocom stood swearing fluently, Dolores prayed loudly in
Spanish, but Jack, with teeth set hard, paddled as though the devil
were after him. To lose all when within sight of safety, it would be
too terrible; and as he forced the boat along, he kept glancing over
his shoulder to look at the course of the yacht. She was standing
closer in to shore, and the canoe would cut across her trail in ten
minutes or thereabouts.
Those on board had evidently seen a boat was being chased by the
Indians, for the sound of a gun broke on their ears.
"Hurrah!" yelled Jack, joyfully. "Philip sees us. Come on, you cursed
wretches, I'll escape you yet."
Dolores flung down her paddle with a cry. She was completely worn out,
and could do no more. Jack did what he could, but the Indians rapidly
gained on them. A second gun announced that the yacht was close at
hand. So were the Indians now within bow shot. Already some were
fitting the arrows to the strings. An idea struck Jack which promised
to be their salvation.
"Dolores, the opal! the opal! Hold it up. They dare not fire then."
She caught his meaning at once, and as the nearest boat drew on, sprang
to her feet and held up the great gem. It flashed and sparkled in the
sun, and a cry of wonder burst from the lips of their pursuers. The
foremost warriors dropped their bows. They recognised the Chalchuih
Tlatonac, and superstition, stronger than anything else in their
natures, paralysed their arms.
"Señor, the boat!" cried Cocom, joyfully.
Jack turned his head. _The Bohemian_ was less, much less, than a
quarter of a mile away. Seeing this, the Indians, while forebearing to
shoot, made redoubled efforts to catch them before the yacht came up,
and thus recover the sacred gem. One boat came within two lengths, when
Jack, thinking to dodge and gain time, turned his light craft off to
the right. In another two minutes a ball ricochetted across the waves
and smashed the foremost boat to pieces. Awestruck at this unexpected
event, the others stopped paddling, and in a few minutes the canoe was
safe under the bows of the yacht. Philip, Peter, and Rafael were
looking over the side at the--as they thought--Indians.
"Philip! Philip!"
"Why! God! It's Jack!"
"Dolores! Take Dolores on board first," murmured Jack; then, overcome
by all he had passed through, fell back in a faint.