Wood Rangers Part 30

"I can give them in two words," rejoined he whom the Canadian was addressing as Pepe. "It is just twenty years, as I have already told you, since I was a carabinier in the service of her Catholic majesty. I should have been content with my position and the amount of pay, had it only been _paid_ which unfortunately it was not. We were obliged to do the duty of coast-guard as well, and this would have done well enough had there been any smuggling, with the capture of which we might have indemnified ourselves; but there was none. What a fool a smuggler would have been to have ventured on a coast, guarded by two hundred fellows at their wits' end with hunger! Well, then I reasoned that if any smuggler was to land it could only be with the concurrence of our captain, and I suspected that the captain would make no objection to such an arrangement--for he himself was, like the rest of us, a creditor of the government. In such case he would cast around among us for the man in whom he _could most_ confide, and that would be he who was noted as being most careless upon his post. I resolved, therefore, to become the captain's confidential sentry.

"To arrive at this object I pretended to be all the day asleep; and, notwithstanding the reprimands I received, I managed also to be found asleep upon my post at all hours of the night. I succeeded in my design. The captain soon learnt all about my somnolent habits, and chose me for his favourite sentinel."

At this moment the Canadian detached the mutton from the spit, and having cut a large "hunk" from it with his knife pa.s.sed the joint to his comrade.

This interrupted the narrative, for both narrator and listener were hungry. The two now sat face to face, their legs forming a sort of an ellipse, with the roast mutton in the centre, and for several minutes a formidable gritting of teeth, as huge pieces of the mutton pa.s.sed through them, were the only sounds that broke the stillness of the night.

CHAPTER TWENTY NINE.

OLD SOUVENIRS.

"I have said then," resumed Pepe, after a time, "that I pretended to be always asleep. The _ruse_ succeeded equal to my best expectations, and one night the captain sent for me. Good! said I to myself, there's an eel under the stone--the captain is going to confide a post to me. Just as I had antic.i.p.ated he sent me to sleep--at least he thought so--on a most important post; but for all that I did not sleep a wink during the whole of that night."

Here Pepe paused for a moment, in order to swallow an enormous mouthful of the roast mutton, that hindered the free use of the tongue.

"To be brief, then," resumed he, "a boat arrived with men, and I permitted it to land. It was only afterwards that I learnt that it was no smuggling business these men were bent upon, but an affair of blood-- of murder; and the thought that I was instrumental in aiding the a.s.sa.s.sins causes me to this hour a feeling of remorse. I did not conceal what I knew. Afterwards I denounced the murderer, by way of atoning for my fault. A trial took place, but as in Spain justice goes to the highest bidder, the a.s.sa.s.sin was set free, and I became a victim.

I was drummed out of my regiment, and transported to the fisheries of Ceuta, on the unhealthy coast of Africa. There I was compelled to remain for many years, till at last having made my escape, after a thousand perilous adventures, I found myself on the prairies of America."

"It was a rich man then--some powerful person--whom you denounced?"

"Yes; a grand senor. It was the old story of the pot of clay broken against the pot of iron. But the desert here has no distinctions; and, by the Virgin of Atocha! I shall prove that before many suns have gone over my head. Ah! if I only had here a certain alcalde of the name of Don Ramon Cohecho, and his d.a.m.ned friend, one Senor Cagatinta, I fancy I should make them pa.s.s an uncomfortable quarter of an hour."

"Very well, then," said Bois-Rose, seeing the other had finished his narrative; "very well. I quite approve of your intentions--let the journey to Arispe stand over."

"It is an old story," said Pepe, in conclusion; "and if for ten years you have been teaching me to handle a rifle, after many more spent in the usage of a carbine in the service of her Catholic majesty, surely I should be able to manage it now. I think I would scarcely miss an object as large as him whom you have seen at the head of those hors.e.m.e.n journeying towards the hacienda."

"Yes--yes," replied the Canadian, with a laugh; "but I remember the time, Pepe, when you missed many a buffalo twice as big as he.

Nevertheless, I fancy I have made a pa.s.sable shot of you at last, although you still persist in mistaking the ear of an otter for his eye, which always depreciates the value of the skin. Well, you know that I myself was not brought up on the prairies. I was a sailor for many long years; and perhaps I should have continued one but for--a sad event--a melancholy affair--but what good is there in speaking of that which is no more. Let the past be past! I find the life of the desert something like that on the ocean--once a man has got used to it he cannot easily quit it."

"Yes," rejoined Pepe; "the life of the forest and prairie has its charms, and for my part--"

"Hus.h.!.+" whispered the Canadian, interrupting the speech of his comrade and placing himself in an att.i.tude to listen. "I heard a rustle among the branches. Other ears than mine may be listening to you."

Pepe cast a glance in the direction whence the sounds had been heard.

The dark form of a man was perceived among the trees coming from the direction of the hacienda.

It was evident that the man was not trying to approach by stealth, for his form was erect and he made no attempt to conceal himself behind the branches.

This would have freed the mind of Pepe from all suspicion, but for the circ.u.mstance that the stranger appeared to be coming direct from the hacienda.

"Who goes there?" he hailed in a loud tone, as the dark shadow was seen entering the glade.

"One who seeks an asylum by your fire," was the ready reply, delivered in rather a feeble voice.

"Shall we allow him to come on? or beg him to continue his journey?"

muttered Pepe to the Canadian.

"G.o.d forbid we should deny him! Perhaps they have refused him a lodging up at the house; and that voice, which I think I have heard before, plainly denotes that he is fatigued--perhaps ill."

"Come on, Senor!" called out Pepe, without hesitating farther; "you are welcome to our fire and our mess; come on!"

At this invitation the stranger advanced. It is needless to say that it was Tiburcio Arellanos, whose cheeks as he came within the light of the fire betrayed by their paleness the traces of some violent emotion, or else of some terrible malady. This pallor, however, was partly caused by the blood which he had lost in the conflict with Cuchillo.

As soon as the features of Tiburcio came fairly under the light, the trappers recognised him as the young man they had met at La Poza; but the ex-carabinier was struck with some idea which caused him to make an involuntary gesture. The Canadian, on the other hand, regarded the new-comer with that expression of condescending kindness which age often bestows upon youth.

"Have you parted with the gentlemen in whose company we saw you?" asked Pepe of Tiburcio.

"Yes."

"Perhaps you are not aware that there is a house close by. I do not know the owner, but I fancy he would not refuse you a night's lodging, and he could entertain you better than we. Perhaps," continued he, observing that Tiburcio made no reply, "you have been up to the house already?"

"I have," answered Tiburcio. "I have no reproach to make against its owner, Don Augustin Pena; he has not refused me hospitality; but there are other guests under his roof with whom my life is not safe."

"Oh, that!" exclaimed Pepe, appearing to become more interested; "has anything happened to you?"

Tiburcio lifted his serape, exhibiting the wound in his right arm from which the blood was yet oozing.

Both Pepe and the Canadian rose hastily to their feet and stepped forward to examine the wound. Having done so, they immediately set about dressing it, which they effected with as much dexterity and despatch as might have been shown by practised surgeons; at the same time the rude physiognomy of each was marked by an expression of interest almost amounting to tenderness. While the Canadian kept bathing the wound with water from his canteen, Pepe proceeded into the woods in search of a peculiar plant noted for its healing properties.

This plant was the _oregano_. Presently he returned, bringing with him several slices which he had cut from the succulent stem of the plant; the pulp of these, mashed between two stones, was placed over the wound, and then secured by Tiburcio's own scarf of China c.r.a.pe wound several times around the arm; nothing more could be done than await the effect of the application.

"Now," said the Canadian, "you will soon feel better. There is no danger of inflammation--nothing beats the oregano for preventing that, and you need not be afraid of fever. Meanwhile, if you feel inclined, there's a bit of roast mutton and a gla.s.s of _eau de vie_ at your service; after which you had best lie down by the fire and take some sleep--for I can see that you're weary."

"In truth," replied Tiburcio, "I am fatigued. I thank you for your offer, but I do not feel inclined either to eat or drink; I have more need of sleep, and with your permission shall try and get some. One request I would make of you: that you will not permit me to sleep too long; there are reasons why I should soon be awake again."

"Very well," said Pepe; "we don't want your reasons. If you wish us to watch the hacienda, I beg you will only say so, and you shall have two pair of good eyes at your service; therefore make your mind easy, and sleep without fear of any enemy coming upon you unawares."

Tiburcio stretched himself upon the gra.s.s, and overcome by fatigue and the many violent emotions he had that day experienced, soon fell into a lethargic slumber.

For some time Bois-Rose sat regarding the sleeper in silence, but with an air of strange interest.

"What age do you think he is?" he at length inquired of his comrade.

"Twenty-four, I should fancy," replied the ex-coast-guard.

"Just what I was thinking," said the Canadian, speaking in a tone of half soliloquy, while a melancholy expression appeared to tone down his rude physiognomy. "Yes, just the age he ought to be if still alive."

"He! who are you talking of?" brusquely interrupted his companion, in whose heart the words of the Canadian seemed to find an echo.

"No matter," said Bois-Rose, still speaking in a tone of melancholy; "the past is past; and when it has not been as one would have wished it, it is better forgotten. But come! let us have done with idle regrets and finish our supper--such souvenirs always spoil my appet.i.te."

"The same with me," agreed Pepe, as he seized hold of a large mutton-bone, and commenced an attack upon it in a fas.h.i.+on that proved that his appet.i.te was not yet quite gone.

After a while Pepe again broke the silence.

"If I had the pleasure," said he, "of a personal acquaintance with this Don Augustin Pena, who appears to be the proprietor here, I would compliment him upon the fine quality of his mutton; and if I thought his horses were of as good a sort, I think I should be tempted to borrow one--one horse would never be missed out of the great herds we have seen galloping about, no more than a sheep out of his vast flocks; and to me a good horse would be a treasure."

"Very well," said the Canadian. "If you feel inclined for a horse, you had better have one; it will be no great loss to the owner, and may be useful to us. If you go in search of one, I can keep watch over this young fellow, who sleeps as if he hadn't had a wink for the last month."