The man-hunters had not long to wait. They had anticipated this. There
was a moon which they had also expected. It was a bright moon at
intervals, and then obscured--for minutes at a time--by the passage of
dark clouds over the canopy.
There was no wind, however, and the air was perfectly still. The
slightest noise could have been heard for a long distance in the
atmosphere of that elevated region--so pure and light that it vibrated
afar with the slightest concussion.
Sounds were heard, but they were not made by either the dogs or horses
of the hunters--well-trained to silence--nor by the hunters themselves.
Both lay stretched in silence; or if they spoke, it was only in whispers
and low mutterings.
The sounds were those of nature--such as it exists in that wild region.
The "snort" of the grizzly bear from the rocky ledge--the howling bark
of the coyote--the "hoo-hoop" of the burrowing owl, and the shrill
periodical cries of the bull-bat and goatsucker. For a while these were
the only sounds that fell upon the ears of the ambushed hunters.
Half-an-hour elapsed, and during all that time never permitted their
eyes or ears to rest for a moment. They gazed up the ravine, and at
intervals glanced outwards upon the plain. There was a probability that
their victim might be abroad--even in the day--and with such men no
probability was allowed to pass without examination. Should it prove to
be so, and he were to return at that time, it would frustrate the plan
they had arranged. But for such a contingency the mulatto had conceived
another--that was, to steal during the night as near the cave as
possible--within rifle-shot if he could--wait until the guero should
make his appearance in the morning, and _wing_ him with a bullet from
his rifle--in the use of which weapon the yellow hunter was well
skilled. To shoot the horse was another design. The horse once killed
or crippled, the cibolero would be captured to a certainty; and both had
made up their minds, in case a good opportunity offered, to despatch the
noble animal.
These men knew a certain plan by which their victim could be killed or
captured--that is, supposing they had been certain he was in the cave--a
plan which could scarce have failed. But yet, for reasons of their own,
they would not adopt it.
It would have been simple enough to have conducted a party of dragoons
to the head of the pass, and there have stationed them, while another
party entered the canon from below. As the sides of the ravine were
impassable precipices, the retreat of the cibolero would have been thus
cut off at both ends. True, to have reached the upper plain, without
going through the ravine itself--and that, as we have seen would have
defeated such a plan--would have cost a journey to the troop to be
stationed above. But neither Vizcarra nor Roblado would have grudged
either the time or the men to have rendered success thus sure. The
mulatto and his dusky camarado knew all this perfectly, but to have
caused such a plan to be put in execution was the last thought in their
minds. Such a course would have been attended with but little peril to
them, but it would have brought as little pay, for every trooper in the
whole band would have claimed equal share in the promised reward. That
would not be satisfactory to the hunters, whose heads and knowledge had
furnished the means and the ways.
Neither entertained any idea of following such a course. Both were
confident in their ability to effect their object without aid from any
quarter.
From the time they had taken their station on the rock, half-an-hour was
all they had to wait. At the end of that period the quick ears of both
caught the sound of some one coming from the direction of the ravine.
They heard a horse's hoof striking upon loose shingle, and the rattling
of the displaced pebbles. A debris of broken fragments filled the
bottom of the ravine, brought there during rain-torrents. Over this ran
the path. A horseman was coming down it.
"The guero!" muttered the mulatto; "be sure, boy Pepe."
"Trust you for a guess, brother Man'l: you were right about the tracks
we first fell in with. The cave's his hiding-place to a certainty.
We'll have him sure when he comes back. _Carrai_! yonder he comes!"
As the zambo spake, a tall dark form was perceived approaching down the
ravine. By the moon gleaming upon it, they could make out the figure of
a horse and rider. They had no longer any doubt it was their intended
victim.
"Brother Man'l," whispered the zambo, "suppose he passes near! why not
bring down the horse? you can't miss in this fine light--both of us can
aim at the horse; if we stop him we'll easily overtake the guero."
"Won't do, boy Pepe--not easily overtake guero afoot. Get off among
rocks--hide for days--can't track _him_ afoot--be on his guard after--
give us trouble--old plan best--let pass--have him safe when he come
back--have him sure."
"But Man'l--"
"Dam! no need for buts--always in a hurry, boy Pepe--have patience--no
buts, no fear. See, now!"
This last exclamation was intended to point out to Pepe that his
suggestion, even though a wise one, could not have been carried out, as
the horseman was not going to pass within range of either rifle or
escopeta.
It was plain he was heading down the middle of the canon, keeping
equally distant from the sides, and this course would carry him out into
the open plain two hundred yards from the ambush of the hunters.
So did it, for in a few moments he was opposite the spot where they lay,
and at full that distance from them. A shot from a hunter's rifle would
not have reached him, and the bullet of an escopeta would have been an
uncertain messenger. Neither thought of firing, but lay in perfect
silence, firmly holding their dogs down in the crevice of the rocks, and
by gestures enjoining them to be still.
The horseman advanced, guiding his horse at a slow pace, and evidently
observing caution as he went. While passing, the moon shone full upon
him, and the bright points of his harness and arms were seen sparkling
under her light. His fair complexion, too, could be distinguished
easily, as also his fine erect figure, and the noble outlines of his
horse.
"The guero!" muttered Manuel; "all right, boy Pepe!"
"What's yon ahead?" inquired the zambo.
"Ha! didn't notice that. Dam! a dog! dog, sure."
"It is a dog. _Malraya_!"
"Devil roast that dog!--heard of him before--splendid dog, boy Pepe.
Dam! that dog give us trouble. Lucky, wind t'other way. Safe enough
now. Dam! see!"
At this moment the horseman suddenly stopped, looking suspiciously in
the direction of the rocky spur where they lay. The dog had given some
sign.
"Dam!" again muttered the mulatto; "that dog give us trouble yet--thank
our luck, wind t'other way."
There was not much wind either way, but what there was was in the faces
of the hunters, and blowing from the horseman. Fortunately for them it
was so, also Cibolo would have scented them to a certainty.
Even as things stood, their ambush was near enough discovery. Some
slight noise from that quarter--perhaps the hoof of one of their horses
against the turf--had awakened the dog's suspicions--though nothing had
been heard by his master. Neither was the dog sure--for the next moment
he threw down his head and trotted on. The horseman followed and in a
few minutes both were out of sight.
"Now, boy Pepe, for the cave!"
"_Vamos_!"
Both descended from the ridge, and, mounting their horses, rode through
among the scattered rocks. They entered the ravine, and kept up its
edge until the gradual narrowing brought them into the same path by
which the horseman had lately descended. Up this they rode, keeping
their eyes bent on the cliff to the right--for on that side was the
cave.
They had no fear of their tracks being discernible, even should the
guero return by daylight, for the path lay over hard rock already marked
by the hoofs of his own horse. For all that the mulatto was uneasy; and
at intervals repeated half to himself, and half in the hearing of his
companion--
"Dam! dog give trouble, sure give trouble--dam!"
At length the mouth of the cave, like a dark spot upon the rock,
appeared on one side. After silently dismounting, and leaving his horse
with Pepe, the mulatto crawled up the ledge and reconnoitred the
entrance. Even the probability that some one might have been left there
was not overlooked by this keen hunter, and every precaution was taken.
After listening a moment at the entrance he sent in the dogs, and, as
neither bark nor howl came out again, he was satisfied that all was
safe. He then crawled in himself, keeping on the shadowy side of the
rock. When he had got fairly within the cavern, he struck a light, at
the same time shading it so that the gleam might not fall on the
outside. With this he made a hurried examination of the interior; and,
now satisfied that the place was untenanted, he came out again, and
beckoned his comrade to bring up the horses.
These were led into the cave. Another reconnaissance was made, in which
the few articles used by Carlos for eating and sleeping were discovered
upon a dry ledge. A serape, a small hatchet for cutting firewood, an
olla for cooking, two or three cups, some pieces of jerked meat and
fragments of bread, were the contents of the cavern.
The best of these were appropriated by the intruders; and then, after
fastening their horses in a secure corner, and making themselves
thoroughly acquainted with the shape and position of the rocky interior,
the light was extinguished, and, like beasts of prey, they placed
themselves in readiness to receive their unsuspecting victim.