Beadle's Dime Library No. 151 — page 19: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

3% dua cighinse ine The Freebooters. trap, and displayed the entrance of the vault into | the Mexk which can officers had been so suddenly hurled; but the darkness was so intense’ that the | colonel could perceive nothing, in spite of his efforts to Grand is lish agleam; he way d h a slight sound eae by the grating of the trap in its groove. e colone] understood that he must get out of the difficulty as well as he could. ‘General,’ he said; raising his voice, “can you | me og ““Who speaks?” the general answered, immedi- Juan?” a ‘I, Colonel Melendez de Gongora.”’ ‘**Heaven be praised!” the general shouted; “in | that case all goes well.’ . On the contrary, all goes ill.” ‘What do you mean?’ “That, like yourself, Iam in the hands of the ac- cursed insurgents who have captured you.”’ ‘Mil demonios!” the old soldier shouted, angrily. “Are you allright?” | “Bodily, yes; my officers and myself have re- ceived no wounds; I mutist confess that’ the demon who played us this tri¢k was so far civil.” “Thanks, general,” the Jaguar said, in a tone of mockery. ““General,”’ continued the colonel, “‘ we are offered our liberty on condition that we pledge our word of honor to attempt nothing against the man whose prisoner we are.” * Or against his eS por whoever they may be,” the Jaguar interrupted. ne nst his adherents, during the ne twenty-four h urs, and that the house Shall be Be it so, or left free. “Hum!” said the géneral, “that requires reflee- ite , “*T give you five minutes.”’ ““Demonios! that is very short; you are not at all generous.” “Tt is impossible for me to grant a longer period.” ‘** And suppose I refuse?” “You will not do so.” “For what reason?” . “Because you are furious with me, and hope to was yourself some gi uxcellently reasoned; but supposing I do re- » Noy Ace ng I will treat you and yours exactly as you intended to treat me and mine.” . ae is to say?” ‘You will be all shot within a quarter of an hour.” There was a mournful silence. No other sound could be heard but the dry and monotonous one produced by the escapement of the clock. These men, collected without seeing each other, in so nar- row a space, felt their hearts beat as if to burst their chests; they trembled with impotent rage, for they recognized that they were really in the hands of an implacable foe, against whom any struggle was mad, if not impossible. ‘Viva Dios!” the colonel shouted; “‘ better to die than surrender thus!” And he rushed forward with uplifted saber. Sud- denly a hand of iron clutched him, threw him down and he felt the point of his own sword, which he had let fall, slightly prick his throat. ‘Surrender, or you are a dead man,”’ a rough voice shouted in his ear. ““No; mil demonios!"’ the colonel said, furiously ; **7 will not surrender to a bandit; kill me,”’ **Stop,”’ the Jaguar said, ‘I insist.” The man who held the colonel down left him at liberty, and the latter rose, ashamed and partly stunned, m Well,” the young man continued, “‘ do you accept, een res, a the latter lied, passionatel “Yes, demon,” the 4 na ; ‘* but I shall rev myself.” ve .. “Then you give me your word as asoldier that the conditions I impose on you will be legally carried out by you?” ‘*T give it; but who guarantees me that you will act honorably on your side?”’ ‘*My honor, senor general,” the J r answered, proudly; ‘“*my honor, which, as you know, is as un- sullied as your own.” “Very good, senor, I trust to Must we surrender our swords? : “General,” the Jaguar answered, nobly, “a brave soldier never separates from his weapons; I should blush to deprive you of yours. Your companions, like yourself, can keep theirswords.”’ “Thanks for that courtesy, caballero, for it proves to me that every good f is not dead in your heart. Now Iam waiting for you to supply me with the means for leaving the place into which you made me fall so skillfully.’ “You shall be satisfied, senor general. As for you, colonel, you can retire, for the door is now re) 39 you as you do to me. :) n. “* Not before I have seen you,” the officer answered. “What see would that do, since you have not recogn me?” the young man said, reaSsuming his natural voice. aguar !"* the colonel ‘Ah! I might have expected that; I shail certainly remain now,” he added, with a singular inflection in his voice, “Very good,” said the chief; “ remain.” He clapped his hands, and four peons entered with lighted candelabra. So soon as the saloon was lit up, the young officer perceived the general and his aides-de-camp standing up in the vault. A eriado brought a ladder to the trap, and the Mexicans as- cended—half-pleased, half-ashamed. “Gentlemen,” the insurgent continued, “you are free. Any other in my place would doubtless have profited by the bad position in which ge were, to impose on you conditions far harder than those I demanded of you; but I only understand a fair fight, steel against steel, chest against chest. Go in ce, but take care, for hostilities have begun be- ween us, and the war will be rude.” **One word before separating,” said the general. “T listen, caballero.” ‘* Whatever may be the circumstances under which we may meet at a later date, I shall not forget your aculated in surprise. conduct of this day.” a you from any gratitude on that ac- count, general; the more s0, if I acted thus it was for reasons entirely strange to you,”’ “Whatever be the motive of your conduct, my honor urges me to remember your conduct.”’ | | oS OUOVUeST ST Sis “As you please; I only ask you to remember our conditions.” ‘They shall be punctually carried out.” The ar, upon this, bowed to the general: the latter returned salute, and, making a sign to his officers to follow him, left the room. The yeung chief listened attentively to the sound of the retiring | footsteps, and then drew himself up. ; ' ] | “What!” he exclaimed, with surprise, on per- ceiving the colonel, *‘are you still here, Senor Don ss Yes f brother,”’ the latter answered, in a sad voice, “I am still here.” " , The Jaguar walked rapidly up to him, and took his hand. ; ‘* What have you to say to me, brother?—have you afresh misfortune to announce?” | } SE EUnet os mournful, and yet striking aspect. ——_——— | | | “Alas, friend; what greater misfortune could I tell ro of than that which, by ruining our dearest opes, has plunged us into despair?” Have you received news of our friends?” “Noner’ :™ * Tranquil?” ““T know not what has become of him.” ‘* Loyal Heart?” ‘* Has also disappeared.” ‘Listen, brother, this situation cannot endure long; whatever happens, it must cease. Time fails me at this moment to explain to you certain mat- | ters you ought to know ; but we will meet to-mor- | row.’ “ Where, and at what hour?” “At the Salto del Frayle, at two in the after- noon.” ‘ ‘* Why so far and so late, brother?’ * “Because betwéen this and then’ something will happen, which I cannot tell you at present, but which Will doubtless oblige me ‘to cross the bay and seek shelter on the mainiand.”’ “J have no right to ask you for an explanation, brother; but take care. Whatever you may attempt, you have to deal with a rude adversary ; the general is furious against you; he has his re- venge to take; and if you fuuiel im withethe.op- portunity, he will not let it slip.” ‘“*Tam convinced of it, friend, but the die is cast; unfortunately, we follow different roads. Heaven will help the good cause. Your hand once more, and good-by.”’ 7 -by, brother, and it is settled that we meet morrow.’ | ‘‘Death alone can pegvent me being at the place of meeting I have selected.”’ The two political enemies, so cordially pee, shook hands and separated. The colonel wrap himself in his cloak, and immediately left the room and the house., The general, as he went away, had given the company posted round the mansion orders to follow him, and the street was completely de- serted. Jaguar was so intimately convinced of the fidelity with which General Rubio would fulfill his engagements, that he did not even take the trouble to assure himself of the fact. So soon as he was alone he closed the trap-door, touched the spring of the secret door, and left the saloon in his turn, to enter the dark corridor through which, on the general’s entrance, his friends had disappeared at the heels of John Davis. This pas- sage, after several turnings, opened into a rather large room, in which all the conspirators were as- sembled, silent and gloomy, waiting, with their hands on their weapons, till the chief claimed their assistance, Lanzi was standing sentry in the doorway, to prevent any surprise; the Jaguar resumed his mask, thrust his pistols in his girdle and entered. On see- him, the conspirators gave a start of joy, which was immediately suppressed, however, at a signal from the young man. “My comrades,” he said, in a saddened voice, ‘I have evil tidings to communicate to you. Had not my measures been so well taken, we should all have been prisoners at this moment. A traitor has slip in among us, aud this man has given the ‘overnor the most detailed and positive informa- wg about our projects. A miracle has alone saved A shudder of indignation,ran through the ranks of the conspirators; by an instinctive movement they separated, giving each other sinister glances and laying their hands on their weapons. e vast hall, only lighted by a smoky lamp, whose reddish light threw strange reflections at each breath of air on the energetic faces of the conspirators, had a After a mo- ment’s silence the chief went on, in a firm and marked voice: “What matter, comrades, if a cowardly Spy ne esita- vp in among us; the hour of fear and tion has passed away, and we shall now go to work in the sight of all, No more secret meetings, no more masks,’’ he added, violently tearing off his own and trampling it under foot; ‘‘our enemies must know us at enh, and learn that weare really the apostles of that liberty which is about to gleam like @ brilliant beacon over our country.” “ Long live the Jaguar!” the conspirators shouted as they rushed so taty: toward him. * Yes, the ar!’ he continued in a thundering voice, “‘ the chief of the Freebooters, the first man in Texas who dared to rise against our oppressors; the J , who has sworn to make you free, and who | will keep his Oath, unless death prevent him; now $$$ let the coward who has sold us complete his work by revealing my name to the governor, who has al- ready almost divined it, and will be happy to acquire the certainty at last. This final denunciation will assuredly be paid highly, but he must make haste, for to-morrow will be too late.” At this moment @ man burst through the conspira- |. tors, thrusting back right and left those who bar- red his passage, and placed himself opposite the young chief. ; * Listen,’’ he said, turning to his comrades, “and let what you are about to hear form a profitable lesson to you:—The man who revealed the secret of your meetings to the governor, the man who sold you, the man, in a word, who wished to give you up, ow !’ “His name, his name!’’ ali the conspirators. shouted, brandishing their weapons passionately. - fade 10 aoaale the Jaguar ordered, ‘“‘allow our com- e 8 +? “Do not give me that name, Jaguar, for 1 am not 19 your comrade, and never was such. I am your par Re your personal enemy, for I do not know you; but the enemy of évery man who tries to tear from the Mexican ublic t Texas where I was born, and which is the most brilliant gem of the union. It was I, I alone who sold you, I, Lopez Hidalgo D’ Avila, but not in the cowardly way you suppose, for when the moment arrived for me to make myself known to you, I had sworn to do so; now you know all, and I am in your power. There are my weapons,” he added, as he threw them dis- dainfully on the ground; “Ishall not resist, and you can do with me as you please.”” « : After uttering these words with a haughty accent impossible to render, Don Lo Hidalgo proudly crossed his arms on his chest, drew his head, and waited. The conspirators had listened to this tee revelation with an indignation and rage that a z ed such a pitch of violence that their will was, so to speak, para , and in spite of themselves they re- mained motionless. _ But so soon as Don Lopez had finished speaking, their feelings suddenly burst out, | and they rushed upon him with tiger yells.’ ‘Stay, stay!” the J r shouted, as he rushed forward and made of his own person a rampart for the man on whom ‘twenty daggers were lifted; ‘stay, brothers; as this man has said, he isin our © power, and eannot escape us; although his blood be that of a traitor, let us not commit an assassination, but try him.”’ ; Sv hy Yes, yes,” the conspirators yelled, “let us try” m 9 “Silence,” the Jaguar ordered, and then turning to Don Lo Hidalgo, who during their proceedings had remained as calm and quiet as he were a@ stranger to what was going on; ‘‘ will you answer frankly the questions I ask you?’ he inquired. ** Yes,’ Don Lopez simply replied. “Was it pure love of your country, as rou call it, that urged you to pretend to be one of i in order to betray us more securely, or was it not rather the hope of a rich reward that impelled you to the in- famous acgion of which you have been guilty?” The Me + can shru his shoulders with disdain. ‘Tam as rich as the whole of you put together,’’ he replied; ‘‘who does not know the wealthy Don Lopez Hidalgo d’Avila?”’ “That is true,” ‘this man, I am bound to allow, for I have been ac- uainted with him for many years, does not know the amount of his fortune.”’ one of the company remarked; The Jaguar's forehead was wrinkled by the effect | of a little thought. “Then, that noble and revered feeling, the love of one’s country, instead of elevating your soul and making generous feeling sprin up in it,” he con- tinued, “has made you a coward. Instead of fight- ing honestly and loyally inthe daylight against us, you followed the gloomy path of espial to etray us, and assumed the mask of friendship to sell us.’ ‘I only picked up the weapon yourselves offered me. Did you fight, pray, in the open day? No, you conspired craftily in the darkness; like the mole, you dug the underground mine that was to swallow us up, and I countermined you. But what use is dis- cussion? for you will no more comprehend my as- sertions than I can yours. Now to the business, for I = convinced is the only point on which we ~ agree.” | *“One moment, Don Lopez; explain to me the reason why, when no suspicion pointed to you, when no one thought of asking you. to account for your actions, you denounced yourself and trusted to our mercy?”’ ‘Although unseen, I overheard what passed be- tween you and your governor,” the Mexican co answered; “‘I saw in what way the perilous tion in which I had succeeded in placing you turned to your advantage; I understood that was lost, and did not wish to survive our defeat.”’ ‘Then you knew the conditions I imposed on Gen- eral Rubio?”’ ** And which he was constrained to accept. Yes, I know them; I am aware, also, that you are too etermin clever and d ed a man not to profit by the twenty-four hours’ respite which you have so adroit- ly gained; then 1 despaired of the cause I was de- ending.”’ **Good! Don Lopez, that is all I wished to know. When ycu entered our association you all the laws?” “I did so.” . “You are aware that you have deserved death?” ‘1 know it and desire it.’’ ar. The Jaguar turned to the conspirators, who had singular ogue. “ Brothers,” he said, ‘you have heard all that peseat between Don Lopez Hidalgo d’ Avila and my- self?’ ‘VU * Yes,’ they answered. listened, pasting with fury and impatience, to this . / “On your soul and conscience, is this man guilty? ‘*He is guilty,” they burst forth. “What punishment does he deserve?” ‘“* Death |” ‘You hear, Don Lopez; your brethren condemn you to die.” - ‘| thank them; that favor is the only one Lhoped > and desired to receive from them.” There was a moment of supreme silence; all eyes were fixed on the Jaguar, who, with his head hang- ing op his breast, and ragga brows, seemed plunged in serious thought. Suddenly the — man raised his head; a lightning oe h from his eyes, a strange smile curled lip, and he said, with a tone of bitter irony— “Your brethren have condemned you to die; well, I, their chief, condemn you to live!”’ Don Lopez, despite all his courage, felt himself. turn pale at these cutting words; he instinctively stooped to —_ up the weapons he had ees gs pees ‘eo s feet; but the Jaguar guessed thoughts. ‘* Seize that man!’’ he shouted. John Davis and two or three other conspirators rushed on the Mexi and, in spite of his active re- sistance, soon rendered him powerless. ‘“‘ Bind him,” the Jaguar next ordered. fs command was nedatt — out. ‘Now, listen to me, brothers,” the Jaguar con- tinued, in aloud voice—“ the task we have taken on ourselves is immense, and studded with perils and difficulties of every description; we are no longer (EO ANE OOO) KS wy ! ' me -— a =? —_—_—- —— a a — = _ - 7 . * ° a4 232 So ee ee ae a oes _ < —— oe