Who was he then who lay by the fire? Not Carlos the cibolero! It was
his manga--his botas--his hat and spurs--his complete habiliments!
True, but Carlos was not in them. He it was who, half-naked, had
dropped from the tree, and galloped off upon the horse! A mystery!
Less than two hours before we left him where he had arrived--upon the
edge of the grove. How had he been employed since then? A knowledge of
that will explain the mystery.
On reaching the grove he had ridden direct through the avenue and into
the glade, where he reined up his horse and dismounted. Cibolo was
gently laid upon the soft grass, with a kind expression; but his wounds
remained undressed for the present. His master had no time for that.
He had other work to do, which would occupy him for the next hour.
With a slack bridle his horse was left to refresh himself on the sward,
while Carlos proceeded to the execution of a design that had been
matured in his mind during his long gallop.
His first act was to make a fire. The night had grown chill enough to
give excuse for one. It was kindled near the centre of the glade. Dry
logs and branches were found among the underwood, and these were brought
forward and heaped upon the pile, until the flames blazed up, illuming
the glade to its very circumference. The huge pitahayas, gleaming in
the red light, looked like columns of stone; and upon these the eyes of
the cibolero were now turned.
Proceeding towards them, knife in hand, he commenced cutting through the
stem of the largest, and its tall form was soon laid prostrate upon the
grass. When down, he hewed both stem and branches into pieces of
various length, and then dragged them up to the side of the fire.
Surely he did not mean to add them to the pile! These green succulent
masses would be more likely to subdue the flame than contribute to its
brilliancy.
Carlos had no such intention. On the contrary, he placed the pieces
several feet from the fire, arranging them in such a manner as to
imitate, as nearly as possible, the form and dimensions of a human body.
Two cylindrical pieces served for the thighs, and two more for the
arms, and these were laid in the attitude that would naturally be
adopted by a person in repose or asleep. The superior shoulder was
represented by the "elbow" of the plant; and when the whole structure
was covered over with the ample "manga" of the cibolero, it assumed a
striking resemblance to the body of a man lying upon his side!
The head, lower limbs, and feet, were yet wanting to complete the
design--for it _was_ a design. These were soon supplied. A round clew
of grass was formed; and this, placed at a small distance from the
shoulders by means of a scarf and the cibolero's hat, was made to look
like the thing for which it was intended--a human head. The hat was
slouched over the ball of grass so as nearly to conceal it, and seemed
as if so placed to keep the dew or the musquitos from the face of the
sleeper!
The lower limbs and feet only remained to be counterfeited. With these
considerable pains had to be taken, since, being nearest to the fire--
according to the way in which hunters habitually sleep--they would be
more exposed to observation than any other part.
All these points had been already considered by the cibolero; and,
therefore, without stopping for a moment he proceeded to finish his
work. His leathern "botas" were pulled off, and adjusted at a slight
angle to the thighs of pitahaya, and in such a way that the rim of the
ample cloak came down over their tops. The huge spurs were allowed to
remain on the boots, and could be seen from a distance gleaming in the
blaze of the fire.
A few more touches and the counterfeit was complete.
He that had made it now stepped back to the edge of the glade, and,
passing around, examined it from different points. He appeared
satisfied. Indeed, no one would have taken the figure for anything but
that of a sleeping traveller who had lain down without taking off his
spurs.
Carlos now returned to the fire, and uttering a low signal brought the
horse up to his hand. He led the animal some paces out, and tightened
the bridle-rein by knotting it over the horn of the saddle. This the
well-trained steed knew to be a command for him to give over browsing,
and stand still in that same place until released by the hand of his
master, or by a well-known signal he had been taught to obey. The lazo
fastened to the bit-ring was next uncoiled. One end of the rope was
carried to the prostrate figure, and placed under the edge of the manga,
as though the sleeper held it in his hand!
Once more the cibolero passed round the circumference of the glade, and
surveyed the grouping in the centre. Again he appeared satisfied; and,
re-entering the thicket, he brought out a fresh armful of dry wood and
flung it on the fire.
He now raised his eyes, and appeared to scrutinise the trees that grew
around the glade. His gaze rested upon a large live-oak standing at the
inner entrance of the avenue, and whose long horizontal limbs stretched
over the open ground. The top branches of this tree were covered
thickly with its evergreen frondage, and laced with vines and
_tillandsia_ formed a shady canopy. Besides being the tallest tree, it
was the most ample and umbrageous--in fact, the patriarch of the grove.
"'Twill do," muttered Carlos, as he viewed it. "Thirty paces--about
that--just the range. They'll not enter by the avenue. No--no danger
of that; and if they did--but no--they'll come along the bank by the
willows--yes, sure to do so:--now for Cibolo."
He glanced for a moment at the dog, that was still lying where he had
been placed.
"Poor fellow! he has had it in earnest. He'll carry the marks of their
cowardly knives for the rest of his days. Well--he may live long enough
to know that he has been avenged--yes! that may he. But what shall I do
with him?"