The White Chief: A Legend of Northern Mexico Page 48

  CHAPTER FORTY EIGHT.

  Next morning the town was full of "novedades." At first it was supposedthere had been an attack of Indians repelled as usual by the troops.What valiant protectors the people had!

  After a while it was rumoured that Carlos the murderer had beencaptured, and that was the cause of the firing,--that Captain Robladowas killed in the affair. Presently Carlos was not taken, but he hadbeen chased and came very near being taken! Roblado had engaged himsingly, hand to hand, and had wounded him, but in the darkness he hadgot off by diving down the river. In the encounter the outlaw had shotthe captain through the arm, which prevented the latter from making hima prisoner.

  This rumour came direct from the Presidio. It was partly true. Thewounding of Carlos by Roblado was an addition to the truth, intended togive a little _eclat_ to the latter, for it became known afterwards thatthe cibolero had escaped without even a scratch.

  People wondered why the outlaw should have ventured to approach thetown, knowing as he did that there was a price upon his head. Some verypowerful motive must have drawn him thither. The motive soon becameknown,--the whole story leaked out; and then, indeed, did scandal enjoya feast. Catalina had been for some time the acknowledged belle of theplace, and, what with envious women and jealous men, she was now treatedwith slight show of charity. The very blackest construction was putupon her "compromisa." It was worse even than a _mesalliance_. The"society" were horrified at her conduct in stooping to intimacy with a"lepero;" while even the lepero class, itself fanatically religious,condemned her for her association with "un asesino," but, still worse, a"heretico!"

  The excitement produced by this new affair was great indeed,--a perfectpanic. The cibolero's head rose in value, like the funds. Themagistrates and principal men assembled in the Casa de Cabildo. A newproclamation was drawn out. A larger sum was offered for the capture ofCarlos, and the document was rendered still stronger by a declaration ofsevere punishment to all who should give him food or protection. Ifcaptured beneath the roof of any citizen who had voluntarily shelteredhim, the latter was to suffer full confiscation of his property, besidessuch further punishment as might be fixed upon.

  The Church was not silent. The padres promised excommunication and thewrath of Heaven against those who would stay justice from the hereticmurderer!

  These were terrible terms for the outlaw! Fortunately for him, he knewhow to live without a roof over his head. He could maintain existencewhere his enemies would have starved, and where they were unable tofollow him,--on the wide desert plain, or in the rocky ravines of themountains. Had he depended for food or shelter on his fellow-citizensof the settlement he would soon have met with betrayal and denouncement.But the cibolero was as independent of such a necessity as the wildsavage of the prairies. He could sleep on the grassy sward or the nakedrock, he could draw sustenance even from the arid surface of the LlanoEstacado, and there he could bid defiance to a whole army of pursuers.

  At the council Don Ambrosio was not present. Grief and rage kept himwithin doors. A stormy scene had been enacted between him and hisdaughter. Henceforth she was to be strictly guarded--to be kept aprisoner in her father's house--to be taught repentance by the exerciseof penance.

  To describe the feelings of Roblado and the Comandante would beimpossible. These gentlemen were well-nigh at their wits' end withmortification. Disappointment, humiliation, physical and moral pain,had worked them into a frenzy of rage; and they were engaged togetherduring all the day in plotting schemes and plans for the capture oftheir outlawed enemy.

  Roblado was not less earnest than the Comandante in the success of theirendeavours.

  Carlos had now given both of them good cause to hate him, and both hatedhim from the bottom of their hearts.

  What vexed Roblado most was, that he was no longer able to take thefield--nor was he likely to be for several weeks. His wound, though notdangerous, would oblige him to sling his arm for some time, and tomanage a horse would be out of the question. The strategic designs ofthe Comandante and himself would have to be carried out by those whofelt far less interest in the capture of the outlaw than they did.Indeed, but for the arrival of a brace of lieutenants, sent fromdivision head-quarters at Santa Fe, the garrison would have been withouta commissioned officer fit for duty. These new-comers--LieutenantsYafiez and Ortiga--were neither of them the men to catch the cibolero.They were brave enough--Ortiga in particular--but both were latearrivals from Spain, and knew nothing whatever of border warfare.

  The soldiers were desirous of hunting the outlaw down, and acted withsufficient zeal. The stimulus of a large reward, which was promised tothem, rendered them eager of effecting his capture; and they went forthon each fresh scout with alacrity. But they were not likely to attackthe cibolero unless a goodly number of them were together. No one ortwo of them--including the celebrated Sergeant Gomez--would venturewithin range of his rifle, much less go near enough to lay hands uponhim.

  The actual experience of his prowess by some of them, and theexaggerated reports of it known to others, had made such an impressionupon the whole troop, that the cibolero could have put a considerablebody of them to flight only by showing himself! But in addition to theskill, strength, and daring which he had in reality exhibited--inaddition to the exaggeration of those qualities by the fancy--thesoldiers as well as people had become possessed with a strange belief--that was, that the cibolero was under the protection of his mother--under the protection of the "diablo"--in other words, that he was_bewitched_, and therefore invincible! Some asserted that he wasimpervious to shot, spear, or sabre. Those who had fired their carbinesat him while on the bridge fully believed this. They were ready toswear--each one of them--that they had hit the cibolero, and must havekilled him had he not been under supernatural protection!

  Wonderful stories now circulated among the soldiers and throughout thesettlement. The cibolero was seen everywhere, and always mounted on hiscoal-black horse, who shared his supernatural fame. He had been seenriding along the top of the cliffs at full gallop, and so close to theiredge that he might have blown the stump of his cigar into the valleybelow! Others had met him in the night on lonely walks amid thechapparal, and according to them his face and hands had appeared red andluminous as coals of fire! He had been seen on the high plains by thehateros--on the cliff of "La Nina"--in many parts of the valley; but noone had ventured near enough to exchange words with him. Every one hadfled or shunned him. It was even asserted that he had been seencrossing the little bridge that led out of Don Ambrosio's garden, andthus brought down a fresh shower of scandal on the devoted head ofCatalina. The scandal-mongers, however, were sadly disappointed onhearing that this bridge no longer existed, but had been removed by DonAmbrosio on the day following the discovery of his daughter'smisconduct!

  In no part of the world is superstition stronger than among the ignorantpopulace of the settlements of New Mexico. In fact, it may be regardedas forming part of their religion. The missionary padres, in graftingthe religion of Rome upon the sun-worship of Quetzalcoatl, admitted fortheir own purposes a goodly string of superstitions. It would bestrange if their people did not believe in others, however absurd.Witchcraft, therefore, and all like things, were among the New Mexicansas much matters of belief as the Deity himself.

  It is not then to be wondered at that Carlos the cibolero becameassociated with the devil. His feat of horsemanship and hair-breadthescapes from his enemies were, to say the least, something wonderful andromantic, even when viewed in a natural sense. But the populace of SanIldefonso no longer regarded them in this light. With them his skill inthe "coleo de toros," in "running the cock,"--his feat of horsemanshipon the cliff--his singular escapes from carbine and lance, were nolonger due to himself, but to the devil. The "diablo" was at the bottomof all!

  If the outlaw appeared so often during the next few days to those whodid not wish to see him, it was somewhat strange that those who weredesirous of a sight and an interv
iew could get neither one nor theother. The lieutenants, Yafiez and Ortiga, with their following oftroopers, were on the scout and look-out from morning till night, andfrom one day's end to the other. The spies that were thickly-set in allparts where there was a probability he might appear, could see nothingof Carlos! To-day he was reported here, to-morrow there; but on tracingthese reports to their sources, it usually turned out that some rancherowith a black horse had been taken for him; and thus the troopers wereled from place to place, and misled by false reports, until both horsesand men were nearly worn out in the hopeless pursuit. This, however,had become the sole duty on which the soldiers were employed--as theComandante had no idea of giving up the chase so long as there was atrooper left to take the trail.

  One place was closely watched both by day and by night. It was watchedby soldiers disguised, and also by spies employed for the purpose. Thiswas the rancho of the cibolero himself. The disguised soldiers andspies were placed around it, in such positions that they could see everymovement that took place outside the walls without being themselvesseen. These positions they held during the day, taking others at night;and the surveillance was thus continual, by these secret sentriesrelieving one another. Should the cibolero appear, it was not the dutyof the spies to attack him. They were only to communicate with atroop--kept in readiness not far off--that thus insured a sufficientforce for the object.

  The mother and sister of the cibolero had returned to live in therancho. The peons had re-roofed and repaired it--an easy task, as thewalls had not been injured by the five. It was now as comfortable adwelling as ever.

  The mother and sister were not molested--in fact, they were supposed toknow nothing of the fact that eyes were continually upon them. Butthere was a design in this toleration. They were to be narrowly watchedin their movements. They were never to leave the rancho without beingclosely followed, and the circumstance of their going out reported tothe leader of the ambushed troop at the moment of its occurrence. Theseorders were of the strictest kind, and their disobedience threatenedwith severe punishment.

  The reasons for all this were quite simple. Both Vizcarra and Robladobelieved, or suspected, that Carlos might leave the settlementaltogether--why should he not?--and take both mother and sister alongwith him. Indeed, why should he not? The place could be no more a hometo him, and he would easily find another beyond the Great Plains. Notime could ever release him from the ban that hung over him. He couldnever pay the forfeit of his life--but by that life. It was, therefore,perfectly natural in the two officers to suspect him of the intention ofmoving elsewhere.

  But, reasoned they, so long as we hold the mother and sister ashostages, he will not leave them. He will still continue to lurk aroundthe settlement, and, if not now, some time shall the fox be caught anddestroyed.

  So reasoned the Comandante and his captain, and hence the strictness oftheir orders about guarding the rancho. Its inmates were reallyprisoners, though--as Vizcarra and Roblado supposed--they were ignorantof the fact.

  Notwithstanding all their ingenious plans--notwithstanding all theirspies, and scouts, and soldiers--notwithstanding their promises ofreward and threats of punishment--day followed day, and still the outlawremained at large.