Carlos spoke the truth, when he gave his dog the credit of having saved
his life, or, at all events, his liberty, which in the end amounted to
the same thing. But for the sagacious brute having preceded him, he
would certainly have entered the cave, and as certainly would he have
been captured.
His cunning adversaries had taken every step necessary for securing him.
They had hidden their horses far back in the cavern. They had placed
themselves behind the jutting rocks--one on each side of the entrance--
so that the moment he should have shown himself they were prepared to
spring upon him like a brace of tigers.
Their dogs, too, were there to aid them--crouched by the side of their
masters, and along with them, ready to seize upon the unsuspecting
victim.
It was a well-planned ambuscade, and so far well-executed. The secrecy
with which the hunters had left the settlement, and made their
roundabout journey--their adroit approach to the ravine--their patient
behaviour in watching till Carlos had ridden out of the way, and their
then taking possession of the cave, were all admirably executed
manoeuvres.
How was it possible the cibolero could be aware of, or even suspect,
their presence? They did not for a moment fancy that he knew of their
return from their hunting expedition. It was quite dark the night
before, when they had passed up the valley to the mission; and after
unpacking the produce of their hunt, which had been done without
observation, the Padre Joaquin had enjoined on them not to show
themselves in the town before he should send them word. But few of the
mission servants, then, knew of their return; and for the rest, no one
knew anything who would or could have communicated it to Carlos.
Therefore, reasoned they, he could have no suspicion of their being in
the cave. As to their trail up the ravine, he would not notice it on
his return. He would only strike it where it led over the shingle, and,
of course, there it would not be visible even in daylight.
Never was a trap better set. He would walk into the cave
unsuspectingly, and perhaps leading his horse. They would spring upon
him--dogs and all--and pinion him before he could draw either pistol or
knife! There seemed no chance for him.
For all that there _was_ a chance, as the yellow hunter well knew; and
it was that which caused him at intervals to mutter--
"Dam! fear dog give us trouble, boy Pepe."
To this the zambo's only response was the bitter shibboleth--"_Carajo_!"
showing that both were uneasy about the dog. Long before this time both
had heard of the fame of Cibolo, though neither had a full knowledge of
the perfect training to which that sagacious animal had attained.
They reflected that, should the dog enter the cave first, they would be
discovered by him, and warning given to his master. Should he enter it
before the latter had got near, the chances were that their ambuscade
would prove a failure. On the other hand, should the dog remain in the
rear, all would go right. Even should he approach at the same time with
his master, so that the latter might get near without being alarmed,
there would still be a chance of their rushing out upon and shooting
either horse or rider.
Thus reasoned these two treacherous ruffians in the interim of the
cibolero's absence.
They had not yet seated themselves in the positions they designed to
take by the entrance of the cave. They could occupy these at a moment's
warning. They stood under the shadow of the rocks, keeping watch down
the ravine. They knew they might be a long time on their vigil, and
they made themselves as comfortable as possible by consuming the meagre
stock of provisions which the cibolero had left in the cave. The
mulatto, to keep out the cold, had thrown the newly appropriated blanket
upon his shoulders. A gourd of chingarito, which they had taken care to
bring with them, enabled them to pass the time cheerfully enough. The
only drawback upon their mirth was the thought of the dog Cibolo, which
every now and again intruded itself upon the mind of the yellow hunter,
as well as upon that of his darker confrere.
Their vigil was shorter than either had anticipated. They fancied that
their intended victim might make a long ride of it--perhaps to the
borders of the settlement--that he might have business that would detain
him, and that it might be near morning before he would get back.
In the midst of those conjectures, and while it still wanted some hours
of midnight, the mulatto, whose eyes were bent down the ravine, was seen
suddenly to start, and grasp his companion by the sleeve.
"Look!--yonder, boy Pepe! Yonder come guero!"
The speaker pointed to a form approaching from the plain, and nearing
the narrow part of the ravine. It was scarce visible by the uncertain
light, and just possible to distinguish it as the form of a man on
horseback.
"Carr-rr-a-ai! it is--carr-r-ai!" replied the zambo, after peering for
some time through the darkness.
"Keep close in, boy Pepe! hwish! Pull back dog! take place--lie close--
I watch outside--hwish!"
The zambo took his station according to the plan they had agreed upon;
while the yellow hunter, bloodhound in hand, remained by the entrance of
the cave. In a few moments the latter was seen to start up with a
gesture of alarm.
"Dam!" he exclaimed. "Dam! told you so--till lost--ready, boy Pepe--dog
on our trail!"
"Carajo, Man'l! what's to be done?" eagerly inquired the zambo.
"In--in--let come in--kill 'im in cave--in!"
Both rushed inside and stood waiting. They had hastily formed the
design of seizing the cibolero's dog the moment he should enter the
cave, and strangling him if possible.
In this design they were disappointed; for the animal, on reaching the
mouth of the cave, refused to enter, but stopped upon the ledge outside
and commenced barking loudly.
The mule uttered a cry of disappointment, and, dropping the bloodhound,
rushed forward, knife in hand, to attack Cibolo. At the same moment the
hound sprang forward, and the two dogs became engaged in a desperate
conflict. This would have terminated to the disadvantage of the hound,
but, in another moment, all four--mulatto, zambo, hound, and wolf--were
assailing Cibolo both with knives and teeth. The latter, seeing himself
thus overmatched, and having already received several bad cuts,
prudently retreated among the rocks.
He was not followed, as the ruffians had still some hopes that the
cibolero, not suspecting what it could mean, might yet advance towards
the cave. But these hopes were of short duration. Next moment through
the dim light they perceived the horseman wheel round, and gallop off
towards the mouth of the ravine!
Exclamations of disappointment, profane ejaculations, and wild oaths,
echoed for some minutes through the vaulted cavern.
The excited ruffians at length became more cool, and, groping about in
the darkness, got hold of their horses, and led them out upon the ledge.
Here they stopped to give farther vent to their chagrin, and to
deliberate on their future course.
To attempt immediate pursuit would not avail them, as they well know the
cibolero would be many a mile out of their reach before they could
descend to the plain.
For a long time they continued to give utterance to expressions of
chagrin, mingled with anathemas upon the head of the dog, Cibolo. At
length becoming tired of this, they once more set their heads to
business.
The zambo was of opinion it would be useless to go farther that night--
they had no chance of coming up with the cibolero before morning--in
daylight they would more easily make out his trail.
"Boy Pepe, fool!" was the mulatto's reply to these observations. "Track
by daylight--be seen--spoil all, fool Pepe!"
"Then what way, brother Man'l?"
"Dam! forgot bloodhound? Trail by night fast as ride--soon overtake
guero."
"But, brother Man'l, he's not going to stop short of ten leagues from
here! We can't come up with him to-night, can we?"
"Fool again, boy Pepe! Stop within ten miles--stop because won't think
of bloodhound--won't think can trail 'im--stop, sure. Dam! that dog
played devil--thought he would--dam!"
"Malraya! _he_ won't trouble us any more."
"Why think that, boy Pepe?"
"Why, brother Man'l! because I had my blade into him. He'll not limp
much farther, I warrant."
"Dam! wish could think so--if could think so, give double onza. But for
dog have guero now. But for dog, get guero before sun up. Stop soon--
don't suspect us yet--don't suspect hound--stop, I say. By mighty God--
sure!"
"How, brother Man'l? you think he'll not go far off?"
"Sure of it. Guero not ride far--nowhere to go--soon trail 'im--find
'im asleep--crawl on 'im but for dog--crawl on 'im sure."
"If you think so, then I don't believe you need trouble yourself about
the dog. If he lives twenty minutes after the stab I gave him, he's a
tough brute, that's all. You find the guero, I promise you'll find no
dog with him."
"Hope so, boy Pepe--try anyhow. Come!" Saying this, the yellow hunter
straddled his horse, and followed by the zambo and the dogs commenced
moving down the rocky channel of the ravine.