“An English milord going over the Quindio mountains to Bogota,” was the answer—being the information Domingo had given her.
Turning towards me, he inquired if such were the case. I was very nearly replying, when I remembered that I did not speak Spanish, and I made signs to let him know that my companion would soon return and inform him all about the matter. Finding that he could make nothing of me, he paced up and down the room, his sword clanking on the hard mud floor. Whenever he came near me, Lion gave a low growl, and appeared as if about to spring on him. There was something in the tone of his voice, or the appearance of the man, which evidently the sagacious animal did not like. Soon after an orderly appeared, conducting a sillero and two peons—the sillero was a fine strong-built man in a loose dress.
The captain told them that he meant to start next morning at daybreak to go across the mountains, and that they must reach Ibaque in five days.
“Impossible,” was the answer. “Six is the least in which the journey can be performed. Except with the greatest exertion, it requires seven.”
“I must start at daybreak to-morrow morning, and my orders must be obeyed. Go! the sergeant will look after you.”
The soldier retired with the men, who, I found, were his prisoners; and in a short time Mr Laffan appeared, and said that he had arranged with two silleros and five peons, three of whom were to lead the horses, and the other two to carry our baggage.
“Domingo will have to walk, and so must we, if we wish to push on fast,” he observed. “They can go on ahead, and we can overtake them at the foot of the mountains,” he added.
This was satisfactory intelligence. I then told him what I had heard the Spanish officer saying; that he seemed an ill-tempered fellow; and that we must be on our guard towards him.
The captain, after having discussed his supper, put the same questions to Mr Laffan that he had put to me.
My tutor told him the story agreed on. “Oh!” he said, “you will follow me, for I must carry intelligence of the proceedings of the rascally rebels to Bogota.”