Beadle's Dime Library No. 151 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

“Yes, yes,’ the latter continued, with increasing animation, ‘‘she ever has your name on her lips— she only speaks of you. Only a few days back— but why recall that? suffice it for you to know that T love her to distraction.” “ Carmela?” the captain muttered. “Yes,” the Jaguar exclaimed, “you love her ‘*T do,” the captain replied, simply, as he looked on the ground h an air of embarrassment. There was a lengthened silence between the two men. It was easy to discover that each of them was owt 3 an internal fight; at length the Jaguar managed quell the storm that growled in his heart, and went on, in a firm voice— “Thanks for your loyal answer, captain; in loving Carmela you take advantage of your good right, ust as I do; let this love, instead of separating, rom a stronger link between us. ela is worthy of the love of an honorable man; let us each love her, and carry on an orem warfare, without treach- ery or trickery; all the better for the man she may refer. She alone must be judge between us; let er follow her heart, for she is too pure and good to deceive herself and make a bad choice.” ° **Good!"’ the captain exclaimed, enthusiastically ; **vou are aman after my own heart, Jaguar, an whatever may happen, I shall always think with gladness that I have pressed your honest hand, and am worthy of being counted among your friends. Yes, I havea — and sincere love for Carmela; fora smile from her rosy lips I would wb lay down my life; but I swear that I ollow the noble example you give me, and the struggle shall be as honorable on my side as on yours.”’ *“ Viva Cristo!" the young man said with frank and simple delight, “‘I was sure we should end by coming to an understanding.”’ “To produce that,’’ the captain remarked with a smile, Ae only needed the opportunity for an ex- tion.”’ **Canarios, I trust that it will not be repeated under similar conditions, for it is a perfect miracle that we are still alive.”’ toga not at all anxious to repeat the experi- ment.”’ “Nor I either, Iswearto you. But the sun is rap- idly declining on the horizon, I need not tell you that you are free, and at liberty to go wherever you lease, if it is not your intention to remain any length of time with us. have had a horse got which you will permit me to offer you.” r Teladly accept it. Ido not wish to have any false pride with you,and afoot in these regions, which are quite strange to me, I should feel greatly barrassed.”’ em ‘ “That need not trouble you, forI will give you a oT to accompany you, till you getin the right road.’ ‘A thousand thanks.” ‘“Where do you propose going? of course, if my ees be indiscreet, 1 do not expect you to an- swer it.”’ **T have nothing to hide from you; I intend joining General Rubio as quickly as possible, to whom I must report the accident that has happened to the con- ducta de plata, and the terrible catastrophe of which I have been the victim,” “Tt is the fortune of war, captain.” “JT do not reproach you; I merely say it was an unfortunate affair.” ‘“‘Had it been possible to save the conducta by courage and devotion, you would have doubtless done it, for you wh as your duty worthily.” “T thank you for this praise.” ‘It will be easy for you to reach General Qubio’s camp before sunset, for you are only three leagues at the most from it.”’ ‘*So near as that? had I but known it,” the cap- tain said in a tone of regret. “Yes, but you were ignorant of the fact. But nonsense, what good is it returning to that, you will take your revenge some day or the other.”’ “You are right; what is done cannot be undone, so I will be off.” The Jaguar made a signal to a borderer standing a short distance off. “The captain’s horse,”’ he said. Five utes later, this borderer, who was no other than Ruperto, reappeared, leading two horses, one of which was & magnificent mustang, with deli- cate limbs, and flashing eye. The captain reached the saddle at one leap, and Ruperto was already mounted. The two enemies, henceforth friends, shook hands for the last time, and after an affection- ate , the captain let his horse go. ; “Mind, no tricks, Ruperto!" the Jaguar said in a peremptory voice to the adventurer, * Allright, all right!” the latter The horsemen left the prairie. e Jaguar looked after them as long as he could see them, and then returned thoughtfully to the jacal, which served as his tent. wled in i. CHAPTER V. GENERAL RUBIO, GENERAL Don Jose Maria Rvnio was in no way dis- tinguished from the herd of Mexican officers, but he possessed over those who surrounded him the im- mense advantage of being a soldier of the War of Independence, and in him e ence amply com- pensated for his lack of education. His history was simple, and may be told in a few words. Son of an evangelista or public writer at Tampico he had with difficulty learned a little reading and writing under the auspices of his father; this pre- tense at education, slight as it was, was destined to be of great utility to him at a later date. The great uprising, of which the celebrated ety 4 Hid was the promoter, and which ina rated the revolution, found young Jose Maria wandering about the neigh- borhood of Tampico, where he gained a livelihood the most heterogeneous trades, The young man—a little bit of a muleteer, a little bit of a fisherman, and a Food deal of a smuggler—intoxicated by the smell of gunpowder, and fascinated by the omnipotent in- fluence Hidalgo exercised over all those who ap- proached him, threw his gun over his shoulder, mounted the first horse he came across, and gayly followed the revolutiopary band. From that mo- ment his life was only one long succession of com- bats. He became in a short time, thanks to his courage, energy and presence of mind, one of the guerri The Freebooters. most feared by the Spaniards. Chief of a cuadrilla composed of picked men, to whom the most darin and wild expeditions appeared but child's play, an favored by constant good luck, for fortune ever loves the rash, Jose Maria soon became a terror to the Spaniards, and his mere name inspired them with indescribable terror. After serving in turn un- der allthe heroes of the Mexican war of Indepen- dence, and fghting bravely by their side, peace found him a brigadier-general. During the ten years’ fighting which had just elapsed, the general had complete x lost out of sight all the relations he possessed. is father, whose death he learned accidentally, was the sole person whose influence might have brought him to abandon a military career, but the paternal hearth was cold. Nothing attracted him to the province, and he there- fore remained under the banner, though not through ambition. The different chiefs, who immediately began covet- ing power, and succeeded each other in the presi- dential chair, far from fearing the general, whose simple and honest character was known to them, on the contrary sought his friendship, and lavished on him proofs of the most frank and real protection; for they felt convinced that he would never abuse their confidence in him. At the period when the Texans n agitating and claiming their independence, the Mexican gov- ernment, deceived at the outset by the agents appointed to watch that State, sent insufficient forces to re-establish order, and crush the insur- gents; but the movement soon assumed such a dis- tinctly revolutionary character, that the President found it urgent to make an effective demonstration. Unfortunately it was too late; the dissatisfaction had spread; it was no longer a Gpeemon of oy sel ing a revolt, but stifling a revolution. The ps sent to Texas were beaten and driven back on all sides; in short, they were compelled to treat with the insurgents, and withdraw ignominiously. The government could not, end would not, accept such a dishonoring check inflicted by badly-armed and undisciplined ds, and they resolved to make a last and decisive effort. Numerous troops were massed onthe Texan frontiers; and to terrify the insurgents, and finish with them at one blow, agrand milit demonstration was made. But the war then changed its character; the Texans, nearly all North Americans, skilled hunte indefatigable marchers, and marksmen of proverbial reputation, broke up into small bands, and instead of offering the Mexican troops a front, they began a hedge war, full of tricks and ambushes, after the manner of ,the Vendeans, the first result of which was to enormously fatigue the soldiers and produced among them discouragement and demoralization, by compelling to fight against a shifting foe, whom they knew to be everywhere, and yet could never seize. The position became more and more critical. These outlaws, branded with the epithets of bandits border ruffians, and freebooters, whom they affected to confound with the villains who congregate in these countries, and whom they obstinataly reated as such by granting them no quarter, and shooting them without trial wherever they were captured; these men, now disciplined, hardened, and strong in the moral support of their fellow-citizens, who ap- ac ag their successes, and put up vows for them, »0ldly raised the flag of Texan independence, and after several engagements, in which they decimated the troops sent against them, compelled the latter to recognize them as the avowed defenders of an honorable cause. Among the numerous generals of the republic, the President at length chose the only man capable of repairing the successive disasters undergone by the government. General Don Jose Maria Rubio was invested with the supreme command of the troops detached to act against Texas. This choice was most lucky. As an old soldier of the war of Independence, and ex-guerrilla, Don Jose Maria was thoroughly conversant with all the tricks, and was the very man to fight with advantage against the foes that awaited him. Unfortunately, this selection was made very late. Still, the general, while perfectly comprehendin the immense responsibility he assumed, accepte without a murmur the rude task imposed on him, At the first glance he judged his enemies with that coolness which renders old soldiers so strong, and his plan was formed in & few minutes, e immediately chan the tactics employed b his predecessors, and adopted a system diametri- cally opposite. Instead o fatiguing his troops by purposeless marches, which had no result, he seized on the strongest posse, acatseret his troops through cantonments, where they supported each otuer, and in case of need could all ba assembled under his orders within four-and-twenty hours. en these hese gee were taken, still keeping his forces in hand, he prudently remained on the defensive, and instead of marching forward, watched with indefatigable patience for the o por vny to fall on the enemy suddenly and crush him. The Texan chiefs soon comprehended all the dan- ger of these new and skillful tactics. In fact, they ad changed parts; instead of being attacked, the insurgents were obliged to become the assailants, which made them lose all the advantages of their position, by compelling them to concentrate their troops, and make a demonstration of strength, con- trary to their usual habits of fighting. The insurgents, reduced to inactivity by the system the new chief of the Mexican army had adopted, tried several times to attack his intrench- ments and draw him out; but the general contented himself with killing as many of them as he could, and would not move a step forward, The conducta de plata intrusted to Captain Me- lendez had an immense importance in the eyes of the needy Po Adina at the capital; the dollars must at all hazards reach Mexico in safety; the more so, because for some time past the arrival of coin from Texas had become desperately irregular, and threatened to leave off altogether ere long. General Rubio found himself reluctantly com- lled to modify temporarily the line he had traced; e did not doubt that the insurgents, advised of the passage of the conducta, would make the greatest efforts to intercept and seize it, for they also suf- fered from a great want of money, and the millions sent to Mexico were of the utmost importance to 5 | them. Hence their plans must be foiled, and the conducta saved. For this purpose the general col- lected a large body of troops, placed himself at their head, and advanced by forced marches to the en- trance of the defile, where, from the reports of his ies, he knew that the insurgents were ambuscaded; then, as we have seen, he sent off a sure man (or whom he go i to be) to Captain Melendez, to were. him of his approach, and put him on his guard. We have narrated in the “Border Rifles" what took place, and how truly worthy the general's ex- press was of the confidence placed in him. The Mexican camp stood in the center of a beauti- ful plain, facing the defile through which the con- ducta must pass, according to the general's instruc- tions. It was evening, and the sun had set for aboutan hour. Don Jose Maria, rendered anxious by the captain’s delay, and beginning to ct a mishap, sent off scouts in different directions to bring him news, and a prey to an agitation, which each moment that augmented, was walking anxiously about his tent, cursing and swearing in a low voice, frowning and stopping every now and then to listen to those thousand noises which arise at night without apparent cause, and pass as if borne on the wings of the Djinns. General Don Jose Maria bio was still a yo man; he was about forty-two, though he seem older, through the fatigues of a military life, which had left rude marks on his martial and open coun- tenance; he was tall and well-built; his muscular limbs, his wide and projecting chest denoted great vigor; and though ose-shaven hair was begin- ning to turn gray, his black eye had a brilliancy full of youth and intelligence. A saber and a pair of holster pistols were care- lessly thrown across a map on the table in the cen- ter of the room, over which the general frequently bent in his agitated walk. The gallop of a horse, at first distant, but which rapidly drew nearer, was heard. The sentinel outside the tent challenged, : Thotones mg = ped, leaped to th d, and e horseman stopped, lea e ground, anda moment later the curtain of the tent was thrust aside, and a man appeared. It was Captain Don Juan Melendez. “* Here you are, at last!"’ the general exclaimed, as his countenance ee brighter. But on noticing the impression of sorrow spread over the officer’s features, the general, who had walked two steps toward him, stopped, and his face again assumed an anxious look. “Oh, oh!” he said, “‘ what can have happened? captain, has any mishap occurred to the conducta?” e officer bowed his head. “What is the meaning of this, caballero?” the general continued, y; “have you suddenly grown dumb?”’ The captain made an effort. ‘No, general,” he answered. “The conducta! where is the conducta?”’ he went on, violently. ** Captured!” Don Juan replied, in a hollow voice. “Viva Dios!” the general shouted, ashe gave him a terrible glance, and stamry his foot: ** the con- ducta captured, and yourself alive to bring me the news?” **T could not get myself killed.” “T really believe, Heaven pardon me!” the general said, ironically, ** that you have not even received a scratch.” “It is true.” The general walked up and down the tent in the utmost agitation. “‘And your soldiers, caballero,” he went on, a minute later, stopping before the officer, “1 suppose they fled at the first shot?” ‘*My soldiers are dead, general.” ‘* What do you say?” “I say, general, that my soldiers fell to the last man defending the trust confided to their honor.” “Hum, hum!” the general remarked, “are they all dead?” ‘Yes, general, all lie in a bloody grave; I am the om. survivor of fifty brave and devoted men,”’ ere wasa second silence. The general knew the captain too well to doubt his courage and honor, He began to suspect a mystery. ‘* But I sent you a guide," he at length said. “Yes, general, and it was that guide who led us into the trap laid by the insurgents.” ‘** A thousand demons! if the scoundrel—” ‘““He is dead,” the captain interrupted him, “I killed him.” “Good. But there is something about the affair I cannot understand.” “General,” the young man exclaimed, with some animation, ** though the conducta is lost, the fight was glorious for the Mexican name. Our honor not suffered; we were crushed by numbers.” “Come, captain, you are one of those men above suspicion, whom not the slightest stain can affect. If necessary, I would give bail for your loyalty and bravery before the world. Report to me frankly, and without any beating round the bush, all that has happened, and I will believe you; give me the full- est details about this action, in order that I may know whether I have ik agg 8 unish you.” * Listen, then, gene t | swear to you that if after my report the slightest doubt remains in your heart as to my henor and the devotion of my soldiers, I will blow out my brainsin your presence.”’ ** Speak caballero, we will see afterward what your best course d be.” The tain bowed, and began an exact report of what taken place. CHAPTER VI. THE HUNTER’S COUNCIL. We will now return to Tranquil, whom we have too long neglected. The Canadian had left his friends two musket-shots from the Texan encamp- ment, intending, were it required, to call in Carmela; but that was not necessary; the yo man, though unwillingly, had consented to all the Canadian asked of him, with which the latter was eelighted, for without knowing exactly why, he would have Leen wists” 8 facilitate an interview between the young people. _ Immediately after his conversation with the leader of the Freebooters, the hunter rose, and, in spite of the Jaguar's efforts to retain him, leftthe camp. He then remounted his horse, and, only half satisfied b his conversation with the Jaguar, returned though? Gomire “S IJOO