While the Captain Lantejas stood in the midst of an atmosphere that
nearly stifled his breathing, he saw one of these shadowy forms step out
from among the rest and advance towards him. As the man came nearer, he
recognised the ferocious captain of the bandits, who, licking his
blood-stained lips like a jaguar after leaving its prey, cried out in a
hoarse voice, "Bring me that spy! I can examine him while the coyote is
coming to himself."
"Here he is," replied Bocardo, seizing Don Cornelio by the shoulder, and
pushing him forward into the presence of his associate.
"My good friend," muttered Bocardo, addressing himself to Don Cornelio,
"it's your turn now. Of course the lash will make you confess that you
are a spy, and of course your head will be taken off immediately after.
I would, therefore, advise you not to waste time about it but
acknowledge your guilt at once."
While Bocardo was giving this fearful counsel, his associate stood
regarding Don Cornelio with eyes that expressed a villainous pleasure,
at the idea of having another victim to satisfy his bloodthirsty
instincts.
"Confess quickly!" he cried, "and let that end it. I am tired, and
shan't be kept waiting."
"Senor Arroyo!" replied Lantejas, "I am a captain in the insurgent army,
and am sent by General Morelos to tell you--"
Don Cornelio paused. He was hesitating as to whether he dare proclaim
his real errand.
"Your proofs?" demanded Arroyo.
"My papers have been taken from me," said Lantejas.
"A fig for your papers! Hola! wife!" continued Arroyo, turning to the
hag who still stood by the fainting victim, "here's a little work for
you, as I am somewhat fatigued. I charge you with making this spy
confess who sent him here, and what design he had in coming. Make him
speak out whatever way you please."
"By and by," answered the virago, "but not yet. This coyote has come
round again, and better still, has come to his right senses at last: he
is about to confess."
"Bring him here, then!" commanded Arroyo.
Several men hastened to execute the order, and, detaching the victim
from the place where he had been bound, half dragged, half carried him
across the floor. Don Cornelio saw that the unfortunate individual was
a young man--of less than thirty, of noble aspect, though his features
expressed at the moment the terrible agony he was enduring.
"Now, _Gachupino_!" exclaimed the woman, "where is your money hid?"
"Where is your wife?" cried Arroyo. On hearing this question so
pointedly put, the hideous companion of Arroyo directed upon her husband
a glance of concentrated rage and jealousy.
"I want the woman," muttered Arroyo, "in order that I may draw a good
ransom out of her father."
The young Spaniard, his spirit tortured to a certain degree of
feebleness, in a voice scarce audible, indicated to his persecutors
where lay the secret chamber--the door of which, cunningly set in the
wall, had escaped even the keen eyes of the robbers.
Both Bocardo and Arroyo immediately repaired to the spot. A keg of
dollars, with a large quantity of plate, was found in the chamber, but
the Senora Marianita had disappeared.
On hearing this news, a tremor of joy passed through the lacerated frame
of the young Spaniard. Little cared he for his treasure, so long as his
beloved wife had escaped from the outrages of the brigands. His emotion
caused him to faint anew; and he lay once more senseless at the feet of
his tormentors.
Don Cornelio now remembered the white phantom he had observed gliding
among the trees, and he doubted not that what he had seen was she of
whom they were in search.
Arroyo returned to examine his prisoner, but by this time the whole
nature of Don Cornelio appeared to have become suddenly transformed.
The perfumes of the alcohol, mixed with that of the resin torches, had
mounted to his head; and as he had never in his life even tasted strong
liquors, the effect was that of a partial but instant intoxication. He
appeared to have become animated with a portion of that courage, with
which in the field of battle the flaming eyes of Galeana had more than
once inspired him--while combating under the aegis of the marshal's
death-dealing lance.
"Senor Arroyo!" cried he in a voice whose thundering tones astonished
even himself, "and you who call yourself the Colonel of Colonels! I
command you both to respect the envoy of his Excellency the General
Morelos--myself--who am charged to tell you, that if you continue, by
your sanguinary cruelties, to disgrace the holy cause for which we
fight--not as brigands but as Christians--you will both be _drawn and
quartered_!"
At this unexpected and insulting menace the eyes of Arroyo sparkled with
fury. Upon Bocardo the effect was somewhat different. He trembled and
turned pale at the name of Morelos.
Lantejas, though somewhat alarmed at his own boldness, nevertheless
continued in the same strain.
"Bring here the negro and Indian!" demanded he, "prisoners like myself--
and see if both do not know me as Captain Don Cornelio Lantejas. If
they do not I consent--"
At this point Arroyo interrupted the speaker, springing forward and
crying out in a husky voice--
"Woe be to you if you are lying! I will pluck the tongue out of your
head, and scourge with it the cheeks of an impostor."
Lantejas, now elevated in spite of himself to a point of haughty
grandeur, replied to this menace only with a superb smile.
Clara being sent for, the moment after appeared within the room.
"Who is this man, dog of a negro?" interrogated the fierce brigand.
This time too punctual in executing the orders of his captain, the black
displayed his ivory teeth in a smile of significant intelligence. "Don
Lucas Alacuesta, of course!" he replied.
A cry of gratification issued from the lips of the bandit.
"But there is another name which I also bear, is there not?" inquired
Don Cornelio, without losing countenance.
"Don Cornelio Lantejas," added Clara.
"The proofs--the proofs!" cried the guerillero, pacing rapidly backward
and forward, like a caged tiger who sees the spectators outside the bars
of his prison without being able to devour them, "the proofs!--I must
have them at once."
At this moment confused and violent noises were heard outside the door,
and rising above all the voice of Costal. The door was suddenly burst
open, and the Indian rushed into the middle of the room, holding in one
hand a bloody dagger, while the other was enveloped in a shapeless mass
of what seemed to be cloth. The latter was serving him for a shield
against the attack of several guerilleros, who were pressing him from
behind.
Costal, on getting inside, turned abruptly and stood facing his
adversaries.
These, finding themselves in the presence of their chief, desisted for a
moment from the attack--one of them crying out to Arroyo, that the
Indian had poniarded their comrade Gaspacho.
"I did it to get back my own property," replied Costal, "or rather that
of Captain Lantejas; and here it is."
In saying these words, the Zapoteque unwound from his left arm what had
served him as a buckler, and which was now seen to be the cloak so
inopportunely missing.
Don Cornelio seized it from him with an exclamation of joy, and at once
plunged his hands into the pockets.
"Here are my proofs!" cried he, drawing out a number of papers, so
stained with blood, fresh from the veins of the slain robber, as to be
scarce legible. Enough, however, could be read to establish the
identity of Don Cornelio and the authority under which he was acting.
The names of Morelos and Galeana in the midst of this band of brigands
were, for him, like the whisper of the Lord to Daniel in the den of
lions. Even the two ferocious leaders lowered their tone at the mention
of these names, so universally feared and respected.
"You may go, then!" cried Arroyo, yielding reluctantly to the authority
that had awed him; "but if you ever boast of the arrogant language you
have used to me, _Carajo_!" and the brigand hissed out the infamous
oath. "As for General Morelos," he added, "you may say to him, that
each of us fights according to his own way; and, notwithstanding his
threats, I shall follow mine."
Saying this, an order was issued to let the three prisoners pass free,
after delivering up to them their arms and horses.
"Let six horsemen get ready to pursue this runaway Senora!" cried the
bandit chief, as Don Cornelio and his companions were leaving the room.
"Some one bridle my horse, and quickly. I shall go along with them, and
you too, Bocardo."
Bocardo made no reply, but not equally silent was Arroyo's female
companion.
"What want you with the Senora?" she inquired, in a tone of angry
jealousy. "Have you got the keg of dollars to satisfy you!"
"I have told you already," rejoined Arroyo, with a demoniac glance at
his wife, "that I want her for the purpose of enabling me to extract a
ransom from her father. I want her, and will have her. You stay here,
and guard the treasure; and by all the devils if you don't behave
yourself better--"
The bandit drew his dagger with such an air of resolution and menace,
that the hag, cowed by the gesture, no longer offered opposition to his
will. Shrinking to one side, she appeared to busy herself in looking
after the keg of dollars.
Meanwhile Don Cornelio and his two acolytes, not caring to remain in
such company longer than was absolutely necessary, hastened from the
room; and, mounting their restored steeds, rode off into the darkness of
the night.