The Silent Rifleman! A tale of the Texan prairies Read online

  CHAPTER VI.

  THE BELEAGUERED CAMP.

  "Now I will post a sentinel on yon hillock, and then we will pass theday as easily as we can. I and my fellows will lay poor Sergeant Davisin the earth, which, if it be not consecrated, will at least shield himfrom the ravening wolf and the loathsome vulture."

  The sabres of his dragoons, and an axe or two, which had been broughtwith them as part of the camp equipments, sufficed to scoop outa little hollow in the rich soil of the moist basin, hard by thestreamlet's bed, and in it, wrapped in his watch-cloak, with his plumedshako on his head, and his good sword on his thigh, all that wasearthly of the gallant veteran was laid to take its long sleep.

  Gordon secured his telescope, and, mounting a steep hill, surveyed thecountry, expecting to see the Partisan.

  All at once he exclaimed in a full, manly, and clear tone:

  "Julia, huzza! huzza! He is here--come forth and greet him. ThePartisan is here already."

  And just as the highly-bred brown horse bore him up the low bank fromthe rivulet's bed, she came out quickly from the little tent with awarm flush on her soft cheeks and a bright light in her clear blue eye,and a fleet step, and an out-stretched hand, which showed that thejoy which she manifested at his coming was from the heart, sincere andearnest.

  "Oh!" she cried, "Major Delacroix!" and her sweet low voice falteredas she spoke, as if she were on the point of bursting into tears, "howglad, how very glad I am to see you."

  "Too glad, I am afraid, dear lady," answered the gallant soldier,bowing almost to the saddle bow, "too glad, I am afraid; for yourpleasure almost looks as if you thought I had deserted you."

  "Oh! no, indeed--indeed!" she answered, clapping her hands together inthe intensity of her earnestness; "I knew that you would die a thousanddeaths before you would desert me--before you would desert, I mean,"she added, with some slight embarrassment, "any woman in distress ordanger."

  "You need not have modified your first expression, lady," replied thePartisan, quietly; "as for dying a thousand deaths, I cannot say forthat, but certainly so far as risking the one life I do possess, Iwould do that for _you_, willingly."

  Julia Gordon was a high-minded, artless, innocent woman, if eversuch an one breathed the breath of life; but still she was a woman.She perceived at once that she had struck and fascinated the wildPartisan at first sight, and though she would not for the universe haveintentionally caused him a single pang, she did unconsciously encouragehim, and lead him on to wilder and more wandering fancies than he hadever entertained before.

  "You flatter me, fair lady," he replied, with a smile, as he dismountedfrom his good horse; "and flattery from such lips as yours wereperillous, indeed, to a younger man than I, and to one alienated fromthe hopes, the wishes, the delights of civilized society. But let usgo in to your tent," he continued, "and you shall bestow upon me yourhospitality to-day, in requital of the poor meal I set before you onthe other side of the Bravo."

  When the repast was ended, and coffee set before them, he produced hispipe, and filling it with his favourite mixture of tobacco, appliedhimself for a few minutes to smoking silently, Gordon following hisexample, and Julia awaiting patiently the relation, which, with thetrue woman's instinct, she foresaw to be close at hand.

  "Now then, lieutenant, since we are about to start, it were, perhaps,as well that we should determine whither."

  "Whither," exclaimed Gordon, starting, and looking very anxiously inthe old soldier's face. "I thought that had been determined long ago. Ithought we were in full route for Taylor's camp before Monterey."

  "It is impossible," replied the Partisan. "I did hope at firstto effect it, but the hope was delusive--the thing is a sheerimpossibility. We are in the midst of out-laying parties of regularsand, what is worse yet, of guerrillas; and, worst of all, of theseaccursed Comanches."

  "And to return?" asked Gordon.

  "Is equally impossible."

  "What then? For the love of Heaven, speak," cried the young husband,actually trembling with the violence of his anxiety and apprehension.

  "It is impossible for a party, at once too strong to avoid discovery,and too weak to resist an enemy, to push on to Monterey, even if wehad not a lady with us. I could, myself, run the gauntlet thither, andarrive in safety, though even that is doubtful. You, or she, at least,must remain in concealment until I can bring you such succour as willsuffice to her safety."

  "Remain in concealment, here?"

  "Not here, exactly, nor yet very far distant."

  "Can it be done?"

  "I think it can, with safety--else had not named it."

  "And whence will you seek succour?"

  "When God and the fortunes of war shall send it. Perhaps not higherthan the general's camp--perhaps I may stumble on Jack Hays, or Walker,or McCulloch, or Gillespie's rangers. They are on the scout almostall the time, either in the van or rear of the army; and now I thinkit likely they will be down here away, with the intent to open ourcommunication. God send that they may."

  "God send it so, indeed," replied Arthur Gordon, earnestly. "But whathas led you so completely to alter your views and intentions?"

  "That which I have seen with my own eyes, or heard with my own ears,last night."

  "And what may that have been?"

  "Listen. I was awakened last night by the sound of a scuffle and afaint groan. Before I could get on my feet, however, I had the pleasureof seeing that scoundrel, whose life we spared in the morning--and astupid thing we did in sparing it--lead his horse out of the circle andleap on his back. There was no use in awakening you, so I untetheredEmperor as quickly as I could, and out in pursuit of him. For allthe speed I could make, he had got full a half mile away on the openprairie before I was in the saddle; but I cared little enough for that,seeing that in a five miles' race, I knew well enough that I could makeup such a gap as that, and overhaul him, too, without much trouble.But what _did_ vex me, and set me to thinking, was, that instead ofmaking the best of his way back over the ground we had traversed in themorning, he struck off here to the north-west, riding as straight as ifhe had been following a beaten track, without a sign of hesitation, orso much as looking behind him."

  "That was strange," said Gordon.

  "I soon found out whither he was bound, and I was thinking of takinga straight course for the rancho, at which I saw he was aiming, whenall at once I heard a yell in the forest, scarcely three hundred yardsahead of me, and before I had time to think, out galloped forty orfifty red skins from the forest, and drove right across the open groundright down upon our runaway. He felt that he was lost, I think, assoon as he saw them, for he made but a very sorry race of it, wheelingand turning to and fro, as if he knew not whither to fly, and theconsequence was that they ran him down in less than ten minutes, andthat within less than a hundred yards of the brake which hid me. If Ihad just then had ten rangers with me, armed with good western rifles,they never would have served him as they did, nor would one of them gotoff scot free. But what could I do? I was but one against fifty, and Iknew not how soon my own turn might come: so I had only to stand by andlook on while they--"

  "Murdered him!" exclaimed Julia, covering both her eyes with her fairhands; "good God! how terrible!"

  "Burnt him alive, lady," said the Partisan, coolly.

  "Burnt him alive!" exclaimed Julia, whose hands had dropped from beforeher eyes into her lap at the first words of his reply. "Burnt himalive, and before your eyes!"

  "Before my eyes, lady. Not a prayer, not a shriek, not a groan of thewretched devil escaped my ears, and the smell of his roasting fleshsickened and almost choked me," cried the Partisan.

  "And why, why did you hold back?" exclaimed Julia, wildly catching himby the arm, "why did you not rush upon them?"

  "I could but have died with him."

  "Then should you have died with him," she cried, scarce knowing whatshe said. "Not to have done so, is not like the man I have heard youcalled--not like the man I took you for."


  "Hush, Julia, hush!" cried her husband, springing to his feet. "Besilent, child, if you cannot speak reason--"

  But Delacroix interrupted him, speaking very slowly, and with aninexpressibly mournful intonation of voice.

  "Let her go on," he said. "It was for _her_ sake I did it, and most meetit is that she should pay me for it with ingratitude. Who ever servedor loved a woman and met with other guerdon for his services? I was afool--I am a fool, but I did not expect this at her hands."

  He hung down his bold head as he spoke, and one or two big tears, thefirst he had shed for years, rolled down his swarthy cheeks.

  "And now bid your men strike the tent, and pack just what baggage yourlady cannot spare. Pack it on the dragoon horse, whose saddle is leftempty by that murderer's deed, who has dearly rued it. The rest withthe tent and pontoon must be abandoned, and the mules that bore themmust be slain. Let them hide everything in the chaparral; the sun willhave set within an hour. Meanwhile, I will go forth and see that thecoast is clear."

  "But whither, whither are you about to lead us?" inquired Gordon,anxiously.

  "If you trust me you will follow me, lieutenant, whithersoever I leadyou. If not, you will not follow me at all, for if it be my intent todeceive you, I can do so by words as well as by actions.

  "Oh, Major Delacroix!" exclaimed Julia, who had recovered from herbewilderment, and was sensible of the error she had committed, "youare offended, you are angry with me, and justly--I have been mostungrateful."

  "Not angry, lady--not offended. A man cannot be angry with such a oneas you, do what you will with him. I _am_ disappointed, perhaps hurt,but certainly neither angry nor offended."

  "You must forgive me," she exclaimed, springing passionately forward,and catching his hand in both her own, "you must--you must forgive me.I knew not _then_, I know not even now, what it was I said--will youbut forgive me?"

  "Surely I would, had I anything to forgive, sweet lady," he replied,with a grave, sad smile. "But I have nothing, unless it be," he added,with a low sigh, "my own folly. But a truce to this, we have indeed notime for parleying. Will you trust me and follow me? As we ride onwardI will tell you whither."

  "To the world's end," answered the beautiful girl, clasping her handsand blushing crimson with the violence of her own emotions. "To theworld's end, if you will not forgive me."

  "Now will you be so kind as to issue your orders to your men,lieutenant, and you, madam, to make your preparations for a ride whichmay extend through the night until day-break to-morrow?"

  He spoke so decidedly that there was no excuse for attempting toprolong the conversation, and Gordon left the little tent immediatelyin order to give his directions, while the Partisan lifted his riflefrom the ground where he had deposited it on entering, and turned tofollow the young officer without saying another word.

  But ere he had reached the entrance, Julia, who had been standing withdown-cast eyes and a strange expression, half sad, half passionate onher beautiful features, sprang forward to intercept him, and againcaught him by the arm.

  "What have I done," she cried, passionately, "what have I done that youthus spurn me--thus despise me?"

  "I, lady!" and he gazed at her in blank astonishment; "I despise you?"

  "Yes, yes, miserable _me_, and I deserve it all, aye, more thanall. Oh, God! oh, God! I shall go mad. What shall I do to win yourforgiveness?"

  "I have said, madam," he replied, mastering himself and retaining hisself-composure with a mighty effort, "that I had nothing to forgive.But now it is my turn to ask," and his voice assumed a deeper toneof feeling, and his whole manner showed an intenser meaning, "will_you_ spare _me_? You know what I mean, lady--all women _know_ theirpower, and, I suppose, all _abuse it_. But as I have endeavoured toserve you truly, as I intend to do to the end--as I am resolved todie for you--will you spare _me_, I say? Spare me my self-respect, myconsciousness of right, nay manhood, my repose of soul, my honour.If you will, lady, I forgive, I bless you. If not--if not, tremble,I say, tremble, not at the thought of my vengeance, but of your ownremorse. Think of this, lady, and fare you well. We speak no more alonetogether--no more, forever!"

  And he flung her hand, which he had held tightly clasped in his ownwhile he spoke, away from him contemptuously, half indignantly, turnedon his heel and left her.

  She gazed on him for a moment wistfully, and then sank down upon thebearskin on which he had been sitting, buried her face in the fur, andwept bitterly, as might be seen from the convulsive sobs which shookher whole frame as she lay prostrate in her desperate sorrow.

  Within an hour the Partisan returned to the camp which had been thescene of so much mental suffering and excitement to all the parties whohad passed the last weary, long hours within its guarded precincts. Butwhen he did return, he had fully mastered his composure, for he nowfully understood his own feelings, and perceived the peril of indulgingthem. And he found all his comrades collected and self-possessed, atleast in appearance, and prepared to set forth at a moment's notice.

  The horse of the unhappy sergeant had been equipped, instead of hisown demipique, with the pack-saddle of the poor predestined mule,and stood, seemingly conscious of his degradation, loaded with suchnecessary baggage as could in no way be dispensed with.

  The appearance of the Partisan, and the first quick gesture of hishand, gave the signal; and all the men vaulted at once into theirsaddles.

  "All is safe!" he exclaimed, cheerfully. "To horse, to horse, and away!"

  And with the word, he laid his hand on the pummel of the browncharger's demipique, and, without setting his foot into the stirrup,sprang at one bound to his back.

  Then, after saying a few words in a low voice to Arthur, whocommunicated them in turn to one of the dragoons, he bowed to the lady,saying:

  "And now, if you are ready, we will proceed at once," and rode at aneasy gait out of the gorge, followed by all the party.

  The heart of Julia sank as she gazed around; and she felt that theleast addition to the sense of dread and half superstitious awe whichnow beset her, would be too much for her powers of endurance. Yet,while she thought thus, another item _was_ added--it was the sharp andsudden crack of two rifles, discharged, almost simultaneously, in thesmall amphitheatre from which they had just departed.

  She started in her saddle as if she had received a blow, and would havefallen from her seat had not her husband thrown his powerful arm aroundher, and supported her frame on the back of her palfrey.

  "It is nothing," he whispered; "it is nothing only the poor mules whichwe were compelled to shoot, as we could not bring them with us, anddared not leave them to follow, and, by following, betray us."

  "More blood!" cried Julia, bursting into a paroxysm of tears; "moreblood! my God! when will this have an end?"

  "You should have thought of that Julia," replied the young soldier,sharply and bitterly, "before you married a soldier. That done, suchthoughts are too late."

  "Alas, alas! they are, indeed, too late."

  "And do you cry alas! for that, false girl?" exclaimed Gordon, inso loud a tone that his words reached the ears of the Partisan, whoinstantly reined back his horse, and laying his hand kindly on theyoung man's arm, said, in a low voice:

  "Oh, peace, peace, for shame! Consider what she has borne, what she hasyet to bear--and all for you."

  "I wish I were in my grave," she answered, raising her mild, soft eyesto meet his. "I never shall be happy more till I lie in it."

  "Nay, lady, speak not thus," returned the veteran, warmly. "Death, atthe best, is a dread mystery. In God's good time, we must all cometo that; to His good wisdom, therefore, let us leave it. And, oh, byno levity or petulance of ours, let us call down His anger on ourheads. But, I assure you, it is no gloomy place, no fearful or darkabiding-place, that I hope to conduct you, but to a sort of fairybower, inhabited," he added, assuming a tone of gayety which he perhapsscarcely felt "by what I thought, till I met your blue eyes, MistressGordon, the loveliest woman I e'er looked upon."
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  Despite herself, Julia Gordon was interested and amused, and yielding,womanlike to the immediate impulse, she cried: "What! a fairy bower,and a fair woman, in this howling wilderness?"

  "Aye, lady, even so! and thereby hangs a tale, which, as you willbe thrown, I think, upon her hospitality, and as it may beguile thetediousness of our night-march, I will relate to you, if you choose tohear it."

  "Oh, tell it, by all means, Partisan," cried Gordon, eager to atone forhis late petulance, and to divert his wife's apprehension; "I hope itis a love tale."

  "'Cato's a proper person'" answered Delacroix, laughing. "You see Iquote, lieutenant. But here goes my story.

  "It was a little better than a year ago," he began, "that I firstvisited this part of the country, which I know--every pass, glen, andpond, and rivulet of it--as if it were my own garden. All then wasviolence, and fierce, irregular strife, and vengeful indiscriminatewarfare and confusion.

  "I was alone on this good horse which I now ride, and armed as you nowsee me. At times I would join this or that band of rangers, when onsome actual service which promised excitement and the chance of action,I for the most part scouted by myself.

  "On this occasion, however, I had a special duty to perform, beingcharged with dispatches from the general to the chief of the band,which will not name, nor otherwise designate, except as being ever themost daring and successful in the onslaught, although too often themost merciless in the moment of victory."

  "Well, it was a lovely summer's evening, as ever shone out of Heaven,when I passed through this belt of forest; not exactly here, orin this direction, for I came in farther to the southeastward, andapproached the clearing which surrounds the plantation, whither we noware bound. When suddenly, as I rode along, following the track of thehorse hoofs, which I could easily distinguish in the mossy greensward,and judging by many certain indications that I could not now be farbehind them, though I heard nothing to denote their vicinity; whensuddenly--I say, I caught the distant sounds of merriment, and revelry;the light cadences of the guitar, the merry laugh of girls, the deeprich voices of the male singers, in the harmonious Spanish tongue, andall the glee and anxiety of fandango.

  "I felt a momentary sense of pleasure, for I knew that I was in time,which I had feared might not be the case; and that the attack, whichit was my mission to prevent or at least to render bloodless, had notas yet taken place. The next instant a sudden doubt, a great fear fellupon me. How could it be that I should be so close to the rancho andthe band, of which I was in pursuit, yet closer, but unseen, unheardand unsuspected. I knew that not a moment must be lost. That even nowthe rangers must be stealing with ready arms upon their victims; thateven now the doom of the gay lancers must be sealed, unless my presenceshould arrest it. I gave my good horse the spur, and throwing the reinupon his neck, galloped at the top of his speed along the intricate andmazy wood-track.

  "Never, in all my life, did I spur so hard; and never did a roadseem so long, or so devious; nor was this the effect of imaginationonly; for I have since ascertained by actual inspection although thedistance, as the bird flies from the spot, where I first heard themusic, to the rancho whence it proceeded, is but a short mile, the roadby which alone you can reach it, measures three at the least, windingit to and fro to avoid pathless brakes and deep barrancas, and isexceedingly deep and miry.

  "The sound of my horse's tramp, splashing through the deep clay, wasalready heard by the lancers, and heard, alas! by their ambushed foes,when I fear it spurred to accelerated action; when suddenly from thewood to my left, the shrill blast of the bugle rose piercingly upon thenight air, and was answered by a second at a little distance. Therewas an instant's pause, breathless and awful as the lull that precedesthe burst of a thunderstorm; and then a long loud shout burst out onall sides, and the quick running rattle of a hundred rifle-shots firedin quick succession. God! what a shriek succeeded! And then the clashof blades, and the blasphemies and yells of the charging Texans, andthe deep oaths and dying groans of the slaughtered Spaniards and thehowling of hounds and mastiffs; and, above all, piercing my very brain,the maddening screams of women pealed up in horrid dissonance to thepeaceful heavens, which, in a moment afterward, were crimsoned with theglare of the rushing flames, making the twilight scenery of the calmforest lurid and ruddy as the fabulous groves of hell!

  "When I heard that tremendous uproar, and saw the outburst of thatfurious conflagration, I spurred my horse the faster, and at last,issuing from the forest, came upon such a scene of horror, blood anddevastation, as I trust it may never be my fate to look upon again.

  "The rancho or country dwelling-house which had been attacked was ofunusually large dimensions, consisting of many buildings, with barns,stables, cattle-folds, and out-houses of every kind.

  "Suddenly a pistol shot or two startled me, followed by a shout and theclashing of swords from a distant quarter of the garden.

  "I was still mounted, and with the speed of light I galloped towardthe spot whence those sole sounds of human life proceeded. Acrossthe smoothly-shaven lawn and luxuriant flowerbeds I drove my chargerrecklessly. I came up. I was yet in time! It was a small, low buildingof two rooms only, the inmost of which had windows reaching to theground, secured with jalousies, and perfectly embowered by the richleaves and vagrant tendrils of a hundred climbing parasites.

  "And this lone bower, evidently the abode of some Spanish beauty,was now the last citadel of the hapless inhabitants, mercilesslyattacked and desperately defended. It was fortunate for those withinit that the Texans had discovered it from the court-yard, with whichit communicated only by one door in a massive wall of stone--all itswindows opening into the secluded quarter of the garden, which they hadnot as yet discovered.

  "From the court-yard, separated from the garden in which I stood by thehigh and massive wall I have named, the shouts and rush of armed mencame clearly to my ears; and, by the English tongue, the wild oaths,and the bitter denunciating, I readily perceived that it was the bandof whom I was in pursuit, and that they were forcing their way intothe building, in despite of all opposition. Still it was evident tome, by the silence which prevailed in the inner room--opposite to thecasements of which I stood--that this last sanctum was yet unforced,though the rapid discharge of pistol and rifle shots, and the clash ofrapier and bowie-knife at the door, announced that its security wasmenaced, and could not certainly be maintained many minutes longer.

  "There was not a second to be lost. Springing down from my horse, withone pistol in my left hand, a second in my belt, my good broad-sword inmy right hand, and my wood-knife between my teeth, I drove the frailjalousies asunder with one blow of my foot, and stood the next momentin the scene of terror. And God of mercy! what a scene that was! ShouldI live centuries I never can forget it. It was but a second that Igazed around me; yet in that fleeting second I took in more minutedetails than I could recount to you in an hour.

  "The chamber was the sleeping-room of some young female. Yet this spotwas already the abode of death--might even be the scene of outrageworse than death.

  "On the low, virgin bed was stretched--where it had been hastilydeposited by the alarmed bearers--the lifeless corpse of an old man--anold Spanish gentleman. A small, round, livid hole in the centre ofhis forehead, surrounded by a discoloured spot, and the blood whichhad flowed from the back of his head and deluged all the cambricpillow-covers, showed plainly that he had fallen by the unerringmissile of a Texan rifle. I learned afterward that he was killed, inthe very act of offering hospitality, by the first shot discharged thatday, on his own threshold; and I do not regret that the perpetrator ofthe atrocious deed fell, that same day, by my hand and this good weapon.

  "But to proceed. On the floor, close to the window by which I mademy entrance, lay stretched an aged woman, the wife apparently of himwho slept unconscious--happy that he was unconscious--of the horrorswhich surrounded him. She, too, had been struck down as I judged, nota moment before I entered, by a chance bullet; for she still breatheda little,
although life was fast ebbing from her veins in spite ofthe efforts of the loveliest girl my eyes had then looked upon, whoknelt beside her, seemingly unaware of the fierce uproar which wasraging, nearer and nearer every moment, in the adjoining apartment; thedoor of which stood wide open, allowing the horrid din, the hideousimprecations, and the blue sulphurous smoke of the death-shots, whichrang incessantly without, to force their way, unhindered, into thatquiet chamber.

  "I said that one quick glance showed me all this, and, to truth, Ihad not leisure for a second, for I was not well within the chamberwhen a tall young Spaniard staggered back to the threshold of thedoor, and, discharging a pistol at the Texans while in the very actof dropping, fell headlong on the floor upon his back, his left hand,which still grasped the yet smoking pistol, striking the ground withina few inches of the feet of that fair girl. She started at the dreadfulinterruption, and, for the first time becoming aware of my presence,uttered a long wild shriek; and, believing that her hour had come,arose to her feet with an effort, and laying her hand on her bosom,said, in a low, sweet voice, in the Spanish tongue, 'Strike, if youwill; but, in the name of the most Holy Virgin, harm not an orphanedvirgin!'

  "Alarmed by her cry, a young gentleman richly dressed, who wasdefending the door, with rapier and dagger, with all the valour ofdespair, and whose back had been turned toward us, looked aroundquickly, and as he did so received a sharp wound in the breast froma Texan knife. The murderous weapon was raised to repeat the blow,when I seized him violently by the shoulder, cast him back into themiddle of the room, crying, 'Amigo,' and thrust myself into his place,confronting alone the infuriate assailants.

  "The men knew me in an instant, but their blood was up, moreover; andseveral of them to the intoxication of heated passions and unbridledlicense had added the intoxication of wine; quantities of which hadbeen found on the premises, and had been drunk without stint.

  "It was in vain that I called on them to hold, and demanded theircaptain. My answer was, that they were all captains there alike, andwould take no command from any, coupled to an insolent warning to takemyself out of harm's way if I were wise, before worse should come of it.

  "A moment or two before he reached the spot, he was informed of mycoming, and of the resistance I had met from his men. There was bloodon his face, on his hands, on the blade of his sabre, which he borestill unsheathed. But so soon as his eye fell upon the group opposingme, and saw that I was fighting on the defensive, it seemed positivelyto flash fire--his white cheek gleamed with a red unnatural hectic--andhe actually gnashed his teeth with rage. 'Rascals! Dogs! Mutineers!'he shouted. 'Do you dare to resist an officer? Down with them, Pierre;down with the dogs! Spare them no longer! Give them the steel,' andsuiting the action to the word, as the hindmost man of the party,turned aghast at finding himself as it were between two fires, he threwhimself upon him, and ran his sword through his body. The rest flungdown their arms, and with some difficulty I obtained their grace, forhe would hear at first of nothing but drum-head, court-martial, andimmediate execution.

  "And now, my tale is told. That bower is the sole relic of a once richand noble residence--that fair, pale girl is, with the sole exceptionof her brother, who was the wounded youth I mentioned, the last scionof a race as noble as ever came from the shores of old Castile."

  "But, tell me," exclaimed Julia, who had listened rather impatiently tothe late discussion--"her brother!--what became of her brother who waswounded--whom you saved?"

  "What could become of him? He pulled his sombrero over his eyes,buckled his father's sword to his side, and his good spurs to his heel,took lance and lasso, backed his best horse, and never since has givenquarter to a man who speaks with an English tongue. I would not bet adollar that he would spare my life, if I fell into his hands in action."

  "And where is he now, or how engaged?" asked Gordon.

  "Since Romano Fallon's troop has been broken up, he is Padre Taranta'sright hand man. He is the most dangerous enemy America now has in allMexico."

  "And it is to his sister's dwelling that you are leading _me_?" askedJulia, in astonishment.

  "Even so, lady. If once you cross her threshold, you are safe againstall the force of Mexico, until such time as we can bring you succour,or a flag under which you may enter the lines."