THE TRIUMPH OF THE REPUBLIC.
Mars, god of war,
Whom we abhor,
Hath doffed his helm,
And laid his lance and shield aside.
He will no more
Lay waste our store,
Nor overwhelm
Our lands beneath his crimson tide.
Peace comes anon,
Now war hath gone,
Her olive bough
Of gentleness and quiet she brings
Beneath her sway,
No deadly fray
Can fright us now;
From battle plains the harvest springs.
Three weeks after that memorable victory at Centeotl, the city of
Tlatonac was holding high festival in honour of the triumphant Junta.
Every street was illuminated and decorated with flowers. In the
principal places, fireworks, so dear to the hearts of the Cholacacans
were being let off, and the ships lying in the harbour were brilliant
with lights. The populace in their gayest attire walked singing through
the streets, visited the pulque shops, and gathered in groups to
indulge in their national dances. Bands stationed in different squares,
played the Opal Fandango, The March of Zuloaga, and soldiers, the
heroes of the hour, were to be seen everywhere, being fêted and
caressed by the grateful citizens.
Before the Palacio Nacional a dense crowd had collected, and the place
itself, brilliantly lighted up, was occupied by a gaily dressed throng.
His Excellency the President was giving a ball in honour of the
establishment of peace. On one of the balconies Jack and Dolores were
seated, watching the varied throng below, and talking of past events.
For the hundredth time Dolores was asking Jack about the battle, and
all that had taken place thereat.
"I am sure, Dolores, you must be wearied of this more than twice-told
tale."
"No, Juanito! It is a tale of which I never weary. Come, querido, tell
me once more. Begin, 'After the battle----'"
"After the battle," repeated Jack, humouring her fancy. "Well, the
first thing we did after the battle was to search for the body of Don
Xuarez. He had been last seen on the summit of the sandhill by his
battery. When the reinforcements took that position by storm, Xuarez
vanished, and though we searched everywhere for his body, it could not
be found."
"So then you knew that he had escaped?"
"It was presumed so; but even now we are not certain as to what has
become of him. However, he had vanished; and giving up the search for
him, dead or alive, in despair, General Benito left a few hundred men
to garrison Centeotl, and pushed on at once to Janjalla. In the harbour
we found the fleet, which had captured the town by bombarding it, and
Captain Pedraza, under instructions from Benito, took the ships back to
Tlatonac."
"Ah, I remember how joyful we were when they entered the harbour and
announced the victory. Everyone in Tlatonac was mad with joy."
"Dios! They are mad enough to-night," said Jack, smiling, as he looked
down on the crowd; "but under the circumstances, I think it is
excusable. The fall of Acauhtzin, the last stronghold of the
Opposidores, is worth being excited about. Did Rafael tell you all
about it, Dolores?"
"Not so much as he might have done," pouted Dolores, unfurling her fan;
"but you see, Juan, there is Doña Carmencita----"
"Of course! Poor girl! Fancy her father being killed when the city was
being bombarded!"
"A great loss, was it not?" sighed Dolores, her eyes filling with
tears. "Ay di mi. How sad would I feel had I lost my dear uncle."
"It is the fortune of war," said Jack, calmly. "Instead of our troops
capturing Acauhtzin and killing Tejada, it might have been Xuarez
storming Tlatonac and shooting Don Miguel. One thing, at least, Doña
Carmencita has to be grateful for: Rafael rescued her unharmed from the
burning city, and now she is to be his wife."
"And I am to be yours!"
"Yes; and Eulalia is to be Philip's," finished Jack, promptly. "I
thought Don Miguel would never give his consent to that marriage."
"Eh, Juanito!" said Dolores, with a mischievous smile, "I think my
uncle did so to console Don Felipe for losing his chance of being at
the battle."
"Poor Philip! Only one battle of any consequence, and he missed it by
being away at Truxillo."
At this moment Dolores was summoned away from her lover by Doña
Serafina. The old lady was a very severe duenna when not asleep, and as
Dolores was yet unmarried, did not approve of her being too much in the
society of her future husband. A little jealousy was mingled with this
strict regard for etiquette, as Doña Serafina had utterly failed to
fascinate Peter. All her smiles and insinuating remarks had been quite
thrown away on the little doctor, who showed no disposition for
matrimony, and scrupulously ignored the languishing looks of his
elderly admirer. Finally, Serafina gave up the pursuit of this medical
male as a bad job, and revenged herself indirectly on the sex by being
particularly sharp with Eulalia and Dolores, both of whom were rarely
permitted to be more than a few minutes with their respective lovers.
These last blamed Peter in no measured terms for thus depriving them of
the society of their future wives; but the doctor absolutely refused to
sacrifice himself any longer on the altar of friendship. He announced
this in a conversation which took place in the patio of Casa Maraquando
after the ball.
"I would do anything for you I could," he explained plaintively to Jack
and Philip; "but I really cannot go on paying attention to Doña
Serafina. She thinks I am in earnest!"
"And so you ought to be, you little monster," said Tim, quickly. "It's
time you were married."
"Well, then, why don't you set the example?"
"It's easy talking! I have no one to love me."
"Journalism is a jealous mistress," observed Philip, laughing. "Tim is
devoted to 'Articles from a Special Correspondent.'"
"True for you," replied Tim, complacently; "but my occupation's gone.
Didn't I send my last article about 'The Fall of Acauhtzin' from
Janjalla? and isn't the war over?"
"The war is certainly over!" said Jack, lighting a cigarette; "but the
danger of another war is not yet past."
"What do you mean, Jack?"
"Don Hypolito still lives; and while he lives, the Republic is not
safe."
"Still lives!" echoed Philip, in surprise. "Why, Jack, I don't see how
you can make that out. He was not found on the field of battle, nor in
Janjalla, nor in Acauhtzin. He must be dead!"
"No; Don Hypolito is not the man to die so easily. Where he is, I do
not know, but I am certain he is yet alive."
There was silence for a few minutes, as each was busy with his own
thoughts regarding the probable resurrection of Xuarez. After the
battle of Centeotl, he had vanished utterly from the face of the earth.
It was thought he had fled to Janjalla, or perchance to Acauhtzin; but
in neither of those towns could he be discovered. After a bombardment
of five hours, the latter city had surrendered to the warships. Don
Josè, the Governor, in the absence of Xuarez, had been killed by the
bursting of a bomb, and many of his officers had shared the same fate.
Of Xuarez, however, nothing could be discovered, and Don Miguel was
much disturbed thereat. With a restless spirit like the rebel leader
still working in secret, the danger was not yet at an end, and the
President was determined to spare no effort to bring Xuarez, to
justice. While the four friends were thinking over this matter, Don
Rafael, who had been holding a private conversation with his father,
entered the patio.
That young man was the hero of the bombardment of Acauhtzin. He had
recovered Doña Carmencita; his father had consented to his speedy
marriage with that lady, and he was idolised by his fellow-citizens.
With all this good fortune, he should have been gay and lighthearted;
but as he entered the patio, he certainly looked anything but happy.
"Dios! What ails you, Rafael?" asked Jack, as his friend threw himself
into a seat, and sighed heavily. "Anything wrong?"
"Carambo! Everything is wrong. My father refuses his consent to our
marriages."
"What?" interrupted Philip and Jack, in dismay.
"Till Xuarez is discovered and punished," finished Rafael, dismally.
"Ah!" said Philip, with a breath of relief, "it might have been worse.
I thought you were about to say Don Miguel had refused his consent
altogether."
"Dios! I don't know if it does not amount to that," replied Rafael,
shrugging his shoulders. "How are we to find this ladron of a Xuarez?
He is not at Acauhtzin. He is not in the south. Where then are we to
look for him?"
"Can you not find out?----"
"I can find out nothing, mi amigo. For my part, I believe he is dead."
"For my part, Señor Rafael, I believe he is alive," retorted Tim,
gruffly.
"Eh! And where do you think he is to be found, Señor Correspoñsal?"
"Quien sabe," said Tim, carelessly. "But you know, Señor, that after
the battle of Centeotl, I rode to Janjalla, to wire my report to
England?"
"Yes."
"While there, I heard two prisoners talking. They, deeming me to be a
foreigner, and not knowing that I was conversant with Spanish, spoke
freely."
"Bueno! And they said?----"
"Nothing about Don Hypolito, but talked of Pepe."
"Pepe!" echoed Philip, quickly. "The zambo who decoyed Dolores from
Tlatonac--the lover of Marina?"
"The same. Pepe, it appears, had followed Xuarez to Janjalla, being,
as we know, the prince of spies. When _The Cortes_ was taken, and
Xuarez was thus cut off from getting back to Acauhtzin, Pepe happened
to be in Janjalla. The troops of Xuarez were wondering, in the case of
defeat, how they could escape from the hands of our men. Pepe laughed,
on hearing their doubts, and said he could easily escape to Totatzine."
"To Totatzine?"
"To the sacred city. He said no one could follow him there, and that he
knew of a secret way in the south, which would take him thither."
"But, Jack, the secret way you came is to the north of Tlatonac," said
Philip turning towards Duval.
"Very true! But for a long time I have had my suspicions that there is
a second way to that city, by the cañon road, of which I told you. It
is by that way, to my mind, that Pepe intended to go."
"Yes, mi amigo!" said Rafael, triumphantly; "but you quite forget. Pepe
was captured in the south, after the battle of Centeotl, and is now in
prison at Tlatonac, awaiting punishment."
"Very true! He did not escape to Totatzine, as he intended. But where
was he captured? At the battle of Centeotl. Now, seeing that Don
Hypolito has disappeared, it is just possible that Pepe told him of the
second secret way to the sacred city, and that Xuarez may have escaped
thence."
"Dios!" exclaimed Rafael, springing to his feet. "Think you, Señor
Correspoñsal, that this dog is now at Totatzine?"
"I am not sure, but it might be so. Ixtlilxochitli is his friend. There
he would be safe, and if at the battle of Centeotl Pepe told him of
this southern way to the city, when he saw that all was lost, he
probably took advantage of the information."
"Why not find out if this is so, from Pepe?" suggested Jack, when Tim
ceased speaking.
"He will tell nothing," replied Rafael, in disgust. "This zambo is a
mule for obstinacy."
"We might try, at all events," said Philip, cheerfully. "Where is Pepe,
mi amigo?"
"In the prison of the Palacio Nacional. If you think, Señores, there is
any chance of getting information from the zambo, let us seek him now."
"Why to-night?" said Peter, looking at his watch, "or rather this
morning. It is two o'clock. You are all weary with the ball. Better
wait till to-morrow."
"No!" exclaimed Rafael, throwing his heavy cloak over his shoulder. "We
will go now. My father absolutely refuses to let any of us marry until
we discover Xuarez. I want to know where he is to be found at once,
otherwise I shall get no rest. As for you, señor----"
"I will come, by all means," said Philip, putting on his sombrero. "It
is also to my interest to find Xuarez, else I may not marry your
sister, Rafael."
"We will all go!" said Jack, rising to his feet. "Tim, you may get some
copy, and make an article of it--'The Confessions of a Spy.' Peter, you
can go to bed, as this matter does not interest you in the least."
"Oh, doesn't it?" said Peter, indignantly. "I am as anxious as you are
to see you married, Jack. But with your permission, I shall go to bed,
because I do not think you'll get any information out of Pepe."
"We'll try, at all events," observed Philip, emphatically. "I want to
marry Eulalia."
"And I," said Juan, following his friends to the door, "want to do
three things, none of which I can accomplish unless Pepe tells us of
the secret way."
"And the three things, Jack?" asked Tim, curiously.
"First, I want to marry Dolores. Second, I desire to save the life of
Cocom, who is a prisoner at Totatzine; and, third, I am anxious to
obtain possession again of the harlequin opal."