When Carlos reached the edge of the chapparal, his pursuers were still
only parting from the walls of the Presidio. Of course none followed
him on foot, and it had taken the men some time to get their arms and
horses ready. So far as he was concerned, he no longer feared pursuit,
and would have scorned to take a circuitous path. He had such
confidence in the steed he bestrode, that he knew he could escape before
the eyes of his pursuers, and need not have hidden himself in the
chapparal.
As he rode into the ambuscade he was thinking no longer of his own
safety, but of that of Don Juan and his party. Their critical situation
suddenly came before his mind. How were _they_ to escape?
Even before he had half crossed the open ground this thought had
troubled him more than his own peril, and a plan had been before him:--
to make direct for the pass of La Nina, and shun the chapparal
altogether. This would have drawn the dragoons in the same direct
course; and Don Juan, with his Tagnos, might have got off at their
leisure.
Carlos would have put this plan in execution, could he have trusted to
the prudence of Don Juan; but he feared to do so. The latter was
somewhat rash, and not over-sagacious. Seeing Carlos in the act of
escape, he might think it was his duty, as agreed upon, to show himself
and his men on the edge of the thicket--the very thing Carlos now wished
to prevent. For that reason the cibolero galloped direct to the place
of ambuscade, where Don Juan and his men were waiting in their saddles.
"Thank God you are safe!" cried Don Juan; "but they are after you.
Yonder they come in scores!"
"Yes!" replied Carlos, looking back; "and a good start I've gained on
them!"
"What's best to be done?" inquired Don Juan. "Shall we scatter through
the chapparal, or keep together? They'll be upon us soon!"
Carlos hesitated a moment before making reply. Three plans of action
were possible, offering more or less chance of safety. First, to
scatter through the chapparal as Don Juan had suggested; second, to make
off together and at once _without showing themselves_, taking the back
track, as they had come; and, third, to _show themselves_ in front to
the pursuers, and then retire on the back path. Of course the idea of
fight was not entertained for a moment. That would have been idle, even
absurd, under the circumstances.
The mind of the cibolero, used to quick action, examined these plans
with the rapidity of thought itself. The first was rejected without a
moment's consideration. To have scattered through the chapparal would
have resulted in certain capture. The jungle was too small, not over a
couple of miles in width, though extending to twice that length. There
were soldiers enough to surround it, which they would do. They would
beat it from side to side. They could not fail to capture half the
party; and though these had made no demonstration as yet, they would be
connected with the affair at the Presidio, and would be severely
punished, if not shot down on the spot.
To attempt to get off through the chapparal without showing themselves
at all would have been the plan that Carlos would have adopted, had he
not feared that they would be overtaken before night. The Tagnos were
mounted on mules, already jaded, while most of the troopers rode good
and swift horses. But for that Carlos might have hoped that they would
escape unseen, and thus neither Don Juan nor his people would have been
suspected of having had any part in the affair. This would be an
important consideration for the future; but the plan was not to be
thought of. The third plan was adopted.
The hesitation of the cibolero was not half so long as the time you have
occupied in reading of it. Scarce ten seconds elapsed ere he made
reply, not to Don Juan alone, but to the whole band, in a voice loud
enough for all to hear. The reply was in the form of a command.
"Ride through the bush, all of you! Show yourselves near the front!
your heads and shoulders only, with your bows! Give your war-cry! and
then back till you are out of sight! Scatter right and left!--Follow
me!"
As Carlos delivered these hurried directions, he dashed forward through
the underwood and soon appeared near its edge. The Tagnos, guarded by
Don Juan on one side and Antonio on the other, showed almost
simultaneously in an irregular line along the margin of the thicket; and
flourishing their bows above their heads, they uttered a defiant
war-whoop, as though they were a party of savage Indians.
It would have required a practised eye to have told from a short
distance that they were not. Most of them were bare-headed, with long
flowing hair; and, in fact, differing very little in appearance from
their brethren of the plains. They all had bows, a weapon still carried
by the Indios mansos when engaged in any hostilities; and their war-cry
differed not at all from some tribes called "bravos", "wild." Many in
the band had but a short time left aside the full practice of warfare.
Many of them were but neophytes to the arts of peace.
The effect of the demonstration was just what the cibolero had
calculated on. The soldiers, who were galloping forward in straggling
knots, and some of whom had got within three hundred paces of the
chapparal, reined up in surprise. Several showed symptoms of a desire
to gallop back again, but these were restrained at sight of a large body
of their comrades now issuing from the Presidio.
The whole of them were taken by surprise. They believed that the
"Indios bravos" were in the chapparal, and no doubt in overwhelming
numbers. Their belief was strengthened by the proceedings of the
previous days, in which they had done nought else, as they supposed, but
ride scout after "los barbaros." The latter had now come after _them_!
They halted, therefore, on the plains, and waited for their fellows to
come up.
That this would be the effect of his _ruse_ Carlos foresaw. He now
directed his companions to rein gently back, until they were once more
under cover of the brush; and the whole party arrived at the spot where
they had waited in ambush.
Antonio then took the trail, and guided them through the chapparal; not
as they had come to La Nina, but by a path that led to the upper plain
by another pass in the cliffs. From a point in this pass they obtained
a distant view of the chapparal and the plain beyond. Though now full
three miles from their place of ambush, they could see the valiant
troopers still figuring on the open ground in front of it. They had not
yet ventured to penetrate the dangerous underwood which they believed to
be alive with ferocious savages!
Carlos, having reached the upper plain, struck off with his band in a
direction nearly north. His object was to reach a ravine at some ten
miles distance across the plain, and this was gained without a single
pursuer having appeared in the rear.
This ravine led in an easterly direction as far as the Pecos bottom. It
was the channel of a stream, in which water flowed in the rainy season,
but was now quite dry. Its bed was covered with small pebbles, and a
horse-trail upon these was scarcely to be followed, as the track only
displaced the pebbles, leaving no "sign" that could be "read" to any
advantage. Old and new foot-marks were all the same.
Into this ravine the party descended, and, after travelling down it for
five or six miles, halted. Carlos called the halt for a special
object--to detail a plan for their future proceeding, which had been
occupying his attention during the last hour or two.
As yet, none of the party were compromised but himself. It would not
advantage him that they should be, but the contrary. Neither Don Juan
nor Antonio had shown themselves out of the thicket; and the other dusky
faces, seen but for an instant through the brambles, could not have been
recognised by the frightened troopers. If, therefore, Don Juan and his
peons could get back to their home without observation, for them all
would still be well.
This was a possible event. At starting Carlos had cautioned secrecy as
to the expedition. It had left at an early hour, before any one was
abroad, and no one knew of it. Indeed, no one in the valley was aware
that the cibolero had returned before the news of the affair at the
Presidio. His mules had been quietly unpacked, and were herded at a
distance from the rancho by one of his men. If, then, the _troopers_
should not visit that neighbourhood before the following day, Don Juan
and his people could go back in the night and engage in their usual
occupations without any suspicion. No doubt Roblado would be there in
the morning, but not likely before. It was natural to suppose he would
first endeavour to follow the route they had taken, and it led almost in
the opposite direction from the house of Don Juan. To track them along
all the windings of that route would be the work of one day at least.
Then their pursuers would be no wiser as to where they had betaken
themselves, for Carlos, from the point of halting, intended to adopt a
plan that would be certain to throw the troopers off the trail.
It was decided, in fine, that Don Juan and his people should return
home--that the peons of Carlos should also go back to the rancho; roof
it on the following day--for it only wanted that; and remain by it as if
nothing had occurred. They could not be made answerable for the deeds
of their master.
As for the cibolero himself, his residence must remain unknown, except
to one or two of his tried friends. He knew where he should find a
shelter. To him the open plain or the mountain cave was alike a home.
He needed no roof. The starry canopy was as welcome as the gilded
ceiling of a palace.
The Tagnos were enjoined to secrecy. They were not sworn. A Tagno is
not the man to talk; besides, they all knew that their own safety,
perhaps their lives, depended on their silence.
All these matters were at length arranged, but the party remained where
they had halted till near sunset. They then mounted, and continued on
down the channel.
When they had gone a mile or so, one of them climbed out of the ravine,
and, heading southward, rode off across the plain. This direction would
bring him back to the valley, by a pass near the lower end of the
settlement. It would be night by the time he could reach this pass, and
he was not likely to encounter any one on the route--now that the "wild"
Indians were abroad!
Shortly after, a second Tagno left the ravine, and rode off in a line
nearly parallel to that taken by the first. Soon another imitated the
example, and another, and another, until all had forsaken the ravine
except Don Juan, Antonio, and the cibolero himself. The Tagnos had been
instructed to reach home by different passes, and some of them, more
sagacious, were sent by the most circuitous paths. There was no trooper
belonging to the Presidio likely to follow that trail.
Carlos and his two companions, after riding to the farthest end of the
ravine, also turned to the right, and re-entered the valley of San
Ildefonso at its lower extremity. It was quite dark, but all of them
knew the road well, and about midnight they arrived near the house of
the young ranchero.
A reconnaissance was necessary before they dared approach. That was
soon made, and the report brought back that all was right, and no
troopers had yet made their appearance.
Carlos once more embraced his mother hurriedly, related what had passed,
gave some instructions to Don Juan, and then, mounting his horse, rode
off from the place.
He was followed by Antonio and a pack-mule loaded with provisions. They
passed down the valley, and struck out in the direction of the Llano
Estacado.