AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE OF THE READER.
After the fight, when Black Cat's Apaches had retired on one side, and Unicorn's Comanches on the other, each detachment proceeding in the direction of the village, and the hunters were alone on the prairie, Valentine perceived White Gazelle leaning pensively against a tree, and absently holding the bridle of her horse, which was nibbling the grass. The hunter understood that he and his comrades owed a reparation to this girl, whose incomprehensible devotion had been so useful to them during the moving incidents of the tragedy which had just ended. He therefore went up to her, and bowing courteously, said in a gentle voice—
"Why remain thus aloof? Your place is by our side; hobble your horse with ours, and come to our fireside."
White Gazelle blushed with pleasure at Valentine's words, but after a moment's reflection, she shook her head, and gave him a sorrowful look, as she said:
"Thanks, caballero, for the offer you deign to make me, but I cannot accept it; if you and your friends are generous enough to forget all that there was reprehensible in my conduct towards you, my memory is less complaisant; I must, I will requite by other services more effectual than those I have rendered you today, the faults I have committed."
"Madam," the hunter replied, "the feelings you express do you only more harm in our eyes; hence do not refuse our invitation. As you know, we have no right to be very strict on the prairie; it is rare to meet persons who repair so nobly as you have done any error they may commit."
"Do not press me, caballero, for my resolve is unchangeable," she said with an effort, as she looked in the direction of Don Pablo. "I must depart, leave you at once, so permit me to do so."
Valentine bowed.
"Your wish is to me an order," he said; "you are free; I only desired to express my gratitude to you."
"Alas! We have done nothing as yet, since our most cruel enemy, Red Cedar, has escaped."
"What?" the hunter asked in astonishment; "is Red Cedar your enemy?"
"A mortal one," she said, with an expression of terrible hatred. "Oh! I can understand that you, who have hitherto seen me aid him in his designs, cannot conceive such a change. Listen: at the period when I tried to serve that villain, I only believed him to be one of the bandits so common in the Far West."
"While now?"
"Now," she went on, "I know something I was ignorant of then, and have a terrible account to settle with him."
"Far from me be any wish to pry into your secrets; still, permit me to make one observation."
"Pray do so."
"Red Cedar is no common enemy—one of those men who can be easily overcome. You know that as well as I do, I think?"
"Yes, what then?"
"Would you hope to succeed in what men like myself and my friends, and aided by numerous warriors, could not achieve?"
White Gazelle smiled.
"Perhaps so," she said; "I too have allies, and I will tell you who they are, if you wish to know, caballero."
"Pray tell me, for really your calmness and confidence startle me."
"Thanks, caballero, for the interest you feel for me; the first ally on whom I build is yourself."
"That is true," the hunter said with a bow; "if my feelings toward you did not promote the alliance, my duty and self-interest would command it. And can you tell me the name of the other?"
"Certainly, the more so as you know him: the other is Bloodson."
Valentine gave a start of surprise, which he immediately checked.
"Pardon me," he said politely; "but you really have the privilege of surprising me inordinately."
"How so, caballero?"
"Because I fancied that Bloodson was one of your most bitter enemies."
"He was so," she said, with a smile.
"And now?"
"Now, he is my dearest friend."
"This goes beyond me. And when was this extraordinary change effected?"
"Since the day," the girl cleverly replied, "when Red Cedar, instead of being my friend, suddenly became my enemy."
Valentine let his arms fall, like a man who gives up in despair attempting to solve a riddle.
"I do not understand you," he said.
"You will soon do so," she answered.
She bounded into her saddle, and leaning over to Valentine said—
"Good bye, caballero; I am going to join Bloodson; we shall meet again soon."
She dug her spurs into her horse's flanks, waved her hand once again, and soon disappeared in a cloud of dust.
Valentine thoughtfully rejoined his friends.
"Well?" Don Miguel said.
"Well!" he replied, "that woman is the most extraordinary creature I ever met."
On getting out of sight of the hunters, White Gazelle checked her horse, and let it assume a pace better suited for those precautions every traveller must take on the prairie. The girl was happy at this moment; she had succeeded not only in saving the man she loved from a terrible danger, but had also restored her character in Valentine's sight. Red Cedar, it was true, had escaped; but this time the lesson had been rude, and the bandit, everywhere tracked like a wild beast, must speedily fall into the hands of those who had an interest in killing him.
She rode along carelessly, admiring the calmness of the prairie and the play of the sunshine on the foliage. Never had the desert appeared to her so glorious—never had greater tranquillity reigned in her mind. The sun, now declining, exaggerated the shadow thrown by the tall trees; the birds, hidden beneath the dense verdure, were singing their evening hymn to the Almighty; when she fancied she saw a man half reclining on the slope of one of those numberless ditches dug by the heavy winter rain. This man, by whose side a horse was standing, was apparently absorbed in an occupation which the girl could not understand, but which puzzled her extremely. Although she rode up quickly, the individual did not put himself out of the way, but calmly continued his incomprehensible task.
At length she was opposite him, and could not restrain a cry of astonishment as she stopped to look at him. The man was playing alone at monte (the Mexican lansquenet) with a pack of greasy cards. This appeared to her so extraordinary that she burst into a loud laugh, and at the sound the man raised his head.
"Aha!" he said, not appearing at all surprised, "I felt certain someone would arrive; that is infallible in this blessed land."
"Nonsense," the girl said, with a laugh; "do you believe it?"
"Canarios! I am sure of it," the other answered; "and you are a proof of it, since here you are."
"Explain yourself, my master, I beg, for I confess that I do not understand you the least in the world."
"I thought so," the stranger said, with a toss of his head, "but for all that, I stick to my assertion."
"Very well; but be good enough to explain yourself more clearly."
"Nothing is easier, señor caballero. I come from Jalapa, a town you must know."
"Yes, through the medicinal productions that owe their name to it."
"Very good," the other said, with a laugh; "but that does not prevent Jalapa being a very nice town."
"On the contrary; but go on."
"I will. You will be aware then that we have a proverb at Jalapa."
"May be so; in fact, there is nothing surprising about the fact."
"True again; but you do not know the proverb, eh?"
"No, I am waiting for you to quote it."
"Here it is; 'If you wish for your company, deal the cards.'"
"I do not understand."
"Why, nothing is easier, as you shall see."
"I wish for nothing better," the girl said, who was extraordinary amused by this conversation.
The stranger rose, placed the cards in his pocket with the respect every professional gambler shews to this operation, and, carelessly leaning on the neck of the girl's horse, he said:
"Owing to reasons too long to narrate, I find myself alone, lost in this immense prairie which I do not know, I an honest inhabitant of towns, not at all conversant with the manners and habits of the desert, and consequently exposed to die of hunger."
"Pardon me for interrupting you; I would merely observe that as we are some three hundred miles from the nearest town, you, the civilised man, must have been wandering about the desert for a considerable length of time."
"That is true: what you say could not be more correct, comrade, but that results from what I mentioned just now, and which would take too long to tell you."
"Very good; go on."
"Well, finding myself lost, I remembered the proverb of my country, and taking the cards from my alforjas, though I was alone, I began playing, feeling certain that an adversary would soon arrive, not to take a hand, but to get me out of my trouble."
White Gazelle suddenly reassumed her seriousness, and drew herself up in her saddle.
"You have won the game," she said; "for, as you see, Don Andrés Garote, I have come."
On hearing his name pronounced, the ranchero, for it was really our old acquaintance, suddenly raised his head, and looked the speaker in the face.
"Who are you, then," he said, "who know me so well, and yet I do not remember ever having met you?"
"Come, come," the girl said with a laugh, "your memory is short, master: what, do you not remember White Gazelle?"
At this name the ranchero started back.
"Oh, I am a fool: it is true; but I was so far from supposing—pardon me, señorita."
"How is it," White Gazelle interrupted him, "that you have thus deserted Red Cedar?"
"Caramba!" the ranchero exclaimed; "say that Red Cedar has deserted me; but it is not that which troubles me; I have an old grudge against another of my comrades."
"Ah?"
"Yes, and I should like to avenge myself, the more so, because I believe that I have the means in my hands at this moment."
"And who is that friend?"
"You know him as well as I do, señorita?"
"That is possible; but, unless his name be a secret—"
"Oh, no," the ranchero quickly interrupted her, "the man I mean is Fray Ambrosio."
The girl, at this name, began to take a great interest in the conversation.
"Fray Ambrosio!" she said, "What charge have you to bring against that worthy man?"
The ranchero looked the girl in the face to see if she were speaking seriously; but White Gazelle's face was cold and stern; he tossed his head.
"It is an account between him and me," he said, "which heaven will decide."
"Very good; I ask for no explanation, but, as your affairs interest me very slightly, and I have important matters of my own to attend to, you will permit me to retire."
"Why so?" the ranchero asked quickly; "we are comfortable together, then why should we separate?"
"Because, in all probability, we are not going the same road."
"Who knows, Niña, whether we are not destined to travel in company since I have met you?"
"I am not of that opinion. I am about to join a man whom I fancy you would not at all like to meet face to face."
"I don't know, Niña," the ranchero answered, with considerable animation; "I want to revenge myself on that accursed monk called Fray Ambrosio; I am too weak to do so by myself, or, to speak more correctly, too great a coward."
"Very good," the girl exclaimed, with a smile; "then how will you manage that your vengeance does not slip from you?"
"Oh, very simply; I know a man in the desert who detests him mortally, and would give a great deal to have sufficient proofs against him, for, unfortunately, that man has the failing of being honest."
"Indeed."
"Yes, what would you have? No man is perfect."
"And who is this man?"
"Oh, you never heard of him, Niña."
"How do you know? At any rate you can tell me his name."
"As you please; he is called Bloodson."
"Bloodson?" she exclaimed, with a start of surprise.
"Yes—do you know him?"
"Slightly; but go on."
"That is all; I am looking for this man."
"And you have, you say, in your possession the means of destroying Fray Ambrosio?"
"I believe so."
"What makes you suppose it?"
The ranchero shrugged his shoulders significantly; White Gazelle gave him one of those profound glances which read the heart.
"Listen," she said to him, as she laid her hand on his shoulder; "I can help you to find the man you seek."
"Bloodson?"
"Yes."
"Are you speaking seriously?" the gambusino asked, with a start of surprise.
"I could not be more serious; still, I must be sure that your statement is true."
Andrés Garote looked at her.
"Do you also owe Fray Ambrosio a grudge?" he asked her.
"That does not concern you," she answered; "we are not talking of myself, but of you. Have you these proofs? Yes, or no."
"I have them."
"Truly?"
"On my honour."
"Follow me, then, and within two hours you shall see Bloodson."
The ranchero quivered, and a smile of joy lit up his bronzed countenance as he leaped on his horse.
"Let us be off," he said.
In the meanwhile, day had surrendered to night, the sun had long been set, and an immense number of stars studded the heavenly vault; the travellers rode on silently side by side.
"Shall we soon arrive?" Andrés Garote asked.
White Gazelle stretched out her arm in the direction they were following, and pointed at a light flashing a short distance off through the trees.
"There it is," she said.