EL ZARAGATE.
The night was clear, mild and starry, a profound calm prevailed in the deserted streets, and it was in fact one of those delicious Mexican nights, so filled with soft emanations, and which dispose the mind to delicious reveries.
The two gentlemen, carefully wrapped in their cloaks, walked side by side, along the middle of the street, in fear of an ambuscade, examining with practised eyes the doorways and the dark corners of side streets. When they were far enough from the theatre no longer to fear indiscreet eyes or ears, the general at length broke the silence.
"Now, Señor Don Jaime," he said, "let us speak frankly, if you please."
"I wish for nothing better," the colonel replied, with a bow.
"And to begin," Don Sebastian continued, "tell me who the man is from whom you hinted that I could derive some benefit."
"Nothing is easier, excellency. This man is a villain of the worst sort, as I already had the honour of telling you; his antecedents are, I suppose, rather dark, and that is all I have been able to discover. This man, who, I believe, belongs to no country, but who, in consequence of his adventurous life, has visited them all and speaks all languages, was at San Francisco when the Count de Prébois Crancé organized the cuadrilla of bandits, at the head of which he undertook to dismember our lovely country, and in which, between ourselves, he would probably have succeeded had it not been for your skill and courage."
"We will pass over that, my dear colonel," the general quickly interrupted him; "I did my duty in that affair, as I shall always do it when the interest of my country is at stake."
The colonel bowed.
"Well," he continued, "the villain I am speaking of could not let such a magnificent opportunity slip; he enlisted in the count's cuadrilla. I believe he was starving at San Francisco, and, for certain reasons best known to himself, was not sorry to leave that city—but perhaps I weary you by giving you all these details."
"On the contrary, my dear colonel, I wish to be thoroughly acquainted with this pícaro, in order to judge what reliance may be placed in his protestations."
"On arriving at Guaymas, our man became almost directly the secret agent of that unhappy Colonel Fleury, who, as you well remember, was so brutally assassinated by the Frenchmen."
"Alas, yes!" the general said with a sardonic smile.
"Señor Pavo also employed him several times," Don Jaime continued, "but, unfortunately for our individual, Don Valentine, the count's friend, was watching; he discovered, I knew not how, all his little tricks, and insisted on his dismissal from the company, after a quarrel he had with one of the French officers."
"I think I can remember the affair being talked about at the time. Was not this villain known by the sobriquet of the Zaragate?"
"He was, general; furious at what happened to him, and attributing it to Don Valentine, he took an oath to kill him whenever he met him, so soon as the opportunity offered itself."
"Well?"
"It seems that, despite all his goodwill and his eager desire to get rid of his enemy, the opportunity has not yet offered, as he has not killed him."
"That is true; but how did you come across this scoundrel, colonel?"
"Well, general," he answered with some hesitation, "you know that I have been compelled during the last few days, for the sake of our affair, to keep rather bad company. This scoundrel came to offer his services. I cross-questioned him, and knowing your enmity to that Frenchman, I resolved to inform you of this acquisition. If I have done wrong, forgive me, and we will say no more about it."
"On the contrary, colonel," the general said eagerly. "The deuce! not only have I nothing to forgive, but I feel very grateful to you, for your confession has come at a most fortunate time. You shall judge, however, for I wish to be frank with you, the more so because, apart from the high esteem I feel for your character, our common welfare is at stake at this moment."
"You frighten me, general."
"You will be more frightened directly; know that this Valentine, this Frenchman, this demon, has I know not by what means, discovered our conspiracy, holds all the threads of it, and, more than that, is acquainted with all the members, beginning with myself."
"Voto a brios!" the colonel exclaimed, with a start of surprise, and turning pale with terror, "in that case we are lost."
"Well, I confess that our chances of success are considerably diminished."
"Pardon me for asking, general," he continued in great agitation, "but in circumstances like the present——"
"Go on, go on, my dear colonel, do not be embarrassed."
"Are you sure, general, perfectly certain as to the statement you have just made to me?"
"You shall judge. About an hour before the opening of the theatre, Don Valentine himself—you understand me?—came to my house with two friends, doubtless cutthroats in his pay, and revealed all to me; what do you say to that?"
"I say that if this man does not die we are hopelessly lost."
"That is my opinion too," the general remarked coldly.
"How came it that, in spite of this terrible revelations, you ventured to show yourself at the theatre?"
Don Sebastian smiled and shrugged his shoulders disdainfully.
"Ought I to let even indifferent persons see the anxiety that devoured me? Undeceive yourself, colonel, boldness alone can save us; do not forget that we are risking our heads at this moment."
"I am not likely to forget it."
"As for this man, the Zaragate, I must not and will not see him; but do you deal with him as you think proper. You understand that it is of the utmost importance that I should be ignorant of the arrangements you may make with him, and be able to prove, if necessary, that I had no knowledge of this. Moreover, as you are aware, I am not one for extreme measures; the sight of such a villain would be repulsive to me, for I have such a horror of bloodshed. Alas!" he added, with a sigh, "I have been forced to shed only too much in the course of my life."
"I do not know exactly," the colonel muttered.
"I have entire confidence in you; you are an intelligent man; I give you full authority, and whatever you do will be well done. You understand me, I trust?"
"Yes, yes, general," the officer grunted ill-temperedly, "I understand you only too well."
"I see——"
"What do you see?" the other interrupted him.
"That, if we succeed, you will be a general and Governor of Sonora. That is rather a pretty prospect, I fancy, and one worth risking something for."
"It is useless to remind me of your promises, general; you are well aware that I am devoted to you."
"I know it, of course, and on that account leave you. A longer conversation in the moonlight might arouse suspicions. Good night, and come and breakfast with me tomorrow."
"I will not fail, general. Good night, and I kiss your excellency's hands."
The general pulled his hat over his eyes, wrapped himself in his cloak, and went off hastily towards the Calle de Tacuba. On being left alone, the colonel remained for a moment plunged in deep thought; the office with which he was intrusted, for he perfectly caught the meaning of the general's hints, was most serious. He must act vigorously without compromising his chief, and in the shortest possible period, under the penalty of being himself arrested and shot in four and twenty hours if he failed. For the Mexicans, like their old masters the Spaniards, do not jest in matters connected with revolutions, and boldly cut away the evil at the root, by killing all the leaders of the abortive conspiracy.
The situation was critical, and he must make up his mind, for the slight delay might ruin all; but at so late an hour where was he to meet a man like the Zaragate, who had probably no known domicile, and who led, a no doubt most irregular life.
Mexico, like all large cities, is amply endowed with suspicious houses, frequented by rogues of all ages, who are continually wandering about in search of adventures, more or less lucrative, under the complacent protection of the moon.
Moreover, although the worthy colonel had, in the course of his life, frequented very mixed company, as he himself allowed, he was not at all anxious to venture alone at night into the lower parts of the city, and enter the velorios, thorough cut-throat dens, filled with robbers and assassins, in which respectable persons do not even venture in bright day without a shudder.
At the moment when the colonel mechanically raised his head and looked despairingly up to heaven, he fancied he saw several suspicious shadows prowling about him in a suggestive manner. But the colonel was brave, and the more so, because he had literally nothing to lose, hence he quietly loosened his sword, opened his cloak, and at the instant when four or five fellows attacked him at once with machetes and long navajas, he was on guard according to all the rules of the art, with his left foot supported a pillar, and his cloak wrapped like a buckler round his arm.
The attack was a rude one, but the colonel withstood it manfully; besides, all went on in the Mexican way, without a shout or call for help. When you are thus attacked in a Mexican street, you feel so assured of death, that you generally confine yourself to the best possible defence, without losing time in calling for help, which will certainly not arrive.
Still, the assailants being armed with short and heavy weapons, had a marked disadvantage against the colonel's long and thin rapier, which twisted like a snake, writhed round their weapons, and had already pricked two of the men sharply enough to make the others reflect, and display greater prudence in their attack. The colonel felt that they were giving ground.
"Come on, villains," he exclaimed, as he gave a terrific lunge, and ran one of the bandits right through the body, who rolled on the pavement with a yell of pain. "Let us come to an end of this, in the demon's name!"
"Stop, stop!" the man who seemed the leader of the bandits exclaimed; "we are mistaken."
As the bandits asked for nothing better than to stop, they retreated a few steps without hesitation.
"Yes, Rayo de Dios, you are mistaken, birbones," the exasperated colonel shouted.
"Can it possibly be you," the first speaker continued, "Señor Colonel Don Jaime Lupo?"
"Halloh!" the colonel said, falling back a step in surprise, "who mentioned my name?"
"I, excellency; a friend."
"A friend? a strange friend who has been trying to assassinate me for the last ten minutes."
"Believe me, colonel, that had we known whom we had to deal with, we should never have attacked you. All this is the result of a deplorable misunderstanding, which you will, however, excuse."
"But who are you, in the demon's name?"
"What, excellency, do you not recognize the Zaragate?"
"The Zaragate!" the colonel exclaimed, with glad surprise. "Well, scoundrel, are you aware that yours is a singular trade?"
"Alas! excellency, a man must do what he can," the bandit replied, in a sorrowful voice.
"Hum! then you have turned robber at present?"
The scoundrel drew himself up with dignity.
"No, excellency. I am serving, in the company of these honourable caballeros the persons who claim my help."
The honourable caballeros, seeing that the affair was going to end peacefully, had returned their knives to their belts, and seemed tolerably well satisfied at this unexpected conclusion, with the exception of the man who had received the last thrust, and surrendered his felon soul to the fiend; an acquisition, between ourselves, of no great value to the spirit of darkness.
"Can anyone have requested your services against me, Señor Zaragate?" the colonel continued, as he returned his sword to its scabbard.
"Not at all, excellency. I have already had the honour of remarking that it was a mistake; we were waiting here for a young spark, who during the last week has contracted the bad habit of prowling under the window of a senator's mistress, and who asked me as a kindness to free him from this troublesome fellow."
"Caspita! Señor Zaragate, you have a rather quick way with you; and your senator appears to me somewhat hasty. But as your little matter is probably spoiled for tonight——"
"I think, excellency, that the gallant heard the clash of steel, and took very good care not to come on."
"If he did so, he acted wisely; at any rate, if no other motive keeps you here, and you have no objection to accompany me, I shall feel obliged by your doing so, for I have to talk with you on very serious matters, and, in fact, was looking for you."
"Only see what a thing chance is!" the bandit exclaimed.
"Hum! let us hope it will not be quite so brutal next time."
The Zaragate burst into a laugh.
"Stay!" the colonel continued, as he laid a gold coin in his hand, "be good enough to give this in my name to these honourable caballeros, and beg them to forgive the rather rough way in which, at the first moment, I received their advances."
"Oh, they will not owe you a grudge, my dear sir, you may be sure of that."
The bandits, perfectly reconciled with the colonel by means of the coin, gave him tremendous bows, accompanied by offers of service, and took leave of him, after exchanging a few sentences in a whisper with their chief; then they went off to the right, while the colonel and his companion turned to the left.
"They seem to be rather determined fellows," the colonel said, in order to broach his subject.
"Perfect lions, excellency, and obedient as rastreros."
"Excellent; and have you many of that sort under your hand?"
"Nothing would be easier, in the case of need, than to make up a dozen."
"All equally true?"
"All."
"That is really valuable, do you know that, Señor Zaragate; and you are a lucky caballero!"
"Your excellency flatters me."
"On my word, no. I am expressing my honest opinion, that is all."
"Pardon me, excellency; but may I ask where we are going?"
"Have you an inclination for one direction more than another?"
"Not the slightest, excellency; still, I confess that, as a general rule, I like to know where I am going."
"Every sensible man ought to be of the same way of thinking. Well, we are going to my house; have you any objection to that?"
"None at all. I think you said, excellency, that I was a lucky man?"
"Indeed I did, and I repeat that I consider you very fortunate."
"Hum, you know the proverb, excellency, 'everyone knows where the shoe pinches him.'"
"That is true, and I suppose the shoe pinches you, eh?"
"It does," he replied, with a sigh.
The colonel looked at him anxiously. "I understand the cause of your grief," he said; "and it is the worse, because there is no remedy for it."
"Do you think so?"
"Caspita! I am certain of it."
"You may be mistaken, excellency."
"Nonsense! You who so graciously place yourself at the service of those who have an insult to avenge, are forced to renounce your own vengeance."
"Oh, oh, excellency, what is that you are saying?"
"I am speaking the truth. You hate the Frenchman whom you mentioned to me today, but you are afraid of him."
"Afraid!" he exclaimed angrily.
"I believe so," the colonel answered coolly.
"Oh! if I only made up my mind to it——"
"Yes," the colonel remarked, with a laugh, "but you will not make up your mind because, I repeat, you are afraid; and to prove to you the truth of my assertion, although I do not know the man, and only take an interest in the matter for your sake, I will make you a wager if you like."
"A wager?"
"Yes."
"What is it?"
"I bet you that you will not dare avenge yourself on your enemy within the next four and twenty hours, not even with the help of your twelve companions."
"And what will you bet, excellency?"
"Well, I am so certain of running no risk, that I will bet you one hundred ounces. Does that suit you?"
"One hundred ounces!" the bandit exclaimed, his eyes sparkling with greed. "Viva Dios! I would kill my own brother for such a sum."
"You are flattering yourself, I see."
"Here we are at your door, excellency, so it is needless for me to go any further. You said one hundred ounces, I think?"
"I did."
"Farewell. The coming day will not end before I am avenged!"
"Nonsense, nonsense! you will think better of it. Good night, Señor Zaragate."
And the colonel entered his house, muttering to himself, in an aside, "I fancy I managed that cleverly. If this accursed Frenchman escapes from the bloodhounds I have let loose on him, he must be the demon the general calls him."