Les scalpeurs blancs. English. Read online

  CHAPTER I.

  A RECONNOISSANCE.

  Colonel Melendez, after leaving the Jaguar, galloped with his headafire, and panting chest, along the Galveston road, exciting with hisspurs the ardour of his horse, which yet seemed to devour space, sorapid was its speed. But it is a long journey from the Salto del Frayleto the town. While galloping, the Colonel reflected; and the more he didso, the more impossible did it appear to him that the Jaguar had toldhim the truth. In fact, how could it be supposed that this partisan,brave and rash though he was, would have dared to attack, at the head ofa handful of adventurers, a well-equipped corvette, manned by a numerouscrew, and commanded by one of the best officers in the Mexican navy? Thecapture of the fort seemed even more improbable to the Colonel.

  While reflecting thus, the Colonel had gradually slackened his horse'sspeed; the animal, feeling that it was no longer watched, had insensiblypassed from a gallop into a canter, then a trot, and by a perfectlynatural transition, fell into a walk, with drooping head, and snappingat the blades of grass within its reach.

  Night had set in for some time past; a complete silence brooded over thecountry, only broken by the hollow moan of the sea as it rolled over theshingle. The Colonel was following a small track formed along the coast,which greatly shortened the distance separating him from Galveston. Thispath, much used by day, was at this early hour of night completelydeserted; the ranchos that stood here and there were shut up, and nolight gleamed through their narrow windows, for the fishermen, fatiguedby the rude toil of the day, had retired to bed at an early hour.

  The young officer's horse, which had more and more slackened its pace,emboldened by impunity, at length stopped near a scrubby bush, whoseleaves it began nibbling. This immobility aroused the Colonel from hisreverie, and he looked about him to see where he was. Although theobscurity was very dense, it was easy for him to perceive that he wasstill a long distance from his destination. About a musket-shot aheadwas a rancho, whose hermetically-closed windows allowed a thin pencil oflight to filter through the interstices of the shutters. The Colonelstruck his repeater and found it was midnight. To go on would bemadness; the more so, as it would be impossible for him to find a boatin which to cross to the island. Greatly annoyed at this obstacle,which, supposing the Jaguar's revelations to be true, might entailserious consequences, the young officer, while cursing this involuntarydelay, resolved on pushing on to the rancho before him, and once there,try to obtain means to cross the bay.

  After drawing his cloak tightly round him, to protect him as far aspossible from the damp sea air, the Colonel caught up his reins again,and giving his horse the spur, trotted sharply towards the rancho. Thetraveller speedily reached it, but, when only a few paces from it,instead of riding straight up to the door, he dismounted, fastened hishorse to a larch-tree, and, after placing his pistols in his belt, madea rather long circuit, and stealthily crept up to the window of therancho.

  In the present state of fermentation from which people were suffering inTexas, the olden confidence had entirely disappeared to make way for thegreatest distrust. The times were past when the doors of houses remainedopen day and night, in order to enable strangers to reach the firesidewith greater facility. Hospitality, which was traditional in theseparts, had, temporarily at any rate, changed into a suspicious reserve,and it would have been an act of unjustifiable imprudence to ride up toa strange house, without first discovering whether it was that of afriend. The Colonel especially, being dressed in a Mexican uniform, wasbound to act with extreme reserve.

  This rancho was rather large; it had not that appearance of poverty andneglect which are found only too often in the houses of Spanish AmericanCampesinos. It was a square house, with a roof in the Italian fashion,having in front an azotea-covered portillo. The white-washed walls werean agreeable contrast to the virgin vines, and other plants which ranover it. This rancho was not enclosed with walls: a thick hedge, brokenthrough at several places, alone defended the approaches. Thedependencies of the house were vast, and well kept up. All proved thatthe owner of this mansion carried on a large trade on his account.

  The Colonel, as we have said, had softly approached one of the windows.The shutters were carefully closed, but not so carefully as not to letit be seen that someone was up inside. In vain did the Colonel, though,place his eye at the slit, for he could see nothing. If he could notsee, however, he could hear, and the first words that reached his earprobably appeared to him very serious, for he redoubled his attention,in order to lose no portion of the conversation. Employing once againour privilege as romancers, we will enter the rancho, and allow thereader to witness the singular scene going on there, the mostinteresting part of which escaped the Colonel, greatly to his annoyance.

  In a rather small room, dimly lighted by a smoky candle, four men, withgloomy faces and ferocious glances, dressed in the garb of Campesinos,were assembled. Three of them, seated on butacas and equipals, werelistening, with their guns between their legs, to the fourth, who, withhis arms behind his back, was walking rapidly up and down, whiletalking.

  The broad brims of the vicuna hats which the three first wore, and theobscurity prevailing in the room, only allowed their faces to be dimlyseen, and their expression judged. The fourth, on the contrary, wasbare-headed; he was a man of about forty, tall, and well built; hismuscular limbs denoted a far from common strength, and a forest of blackand curly hair fell on his wide shoulders. He had a lofty forehead,aquiline nose, and black and piercing eyes; while the lower part of hisface disappeared in a long and thick beard. There was in the appearanceof this man something bold and haughty, which inspired respect, andalmost fear.

  At this moment, he seemed to be in a tremendous passion; his eyebrowswere contracted, his cheeks livid, and, at times, when he yielded to theemotion he tried in vain to restrain, his eye flashed to fiercely, thatit forced his three hearers to bow their heads humbly, and they seemedto be his inferiors. At the moment when we entered the room, thestranger appeared to be continuing a discussion that had been going onfor some time.

  "No," he said in a powerful voice, "things cannot go on thus any longer.You dishonour the holy cause we are defending by revolting acts ofcruelty, which injure us in the opinion of the population, and authoriseall the calumnies our enemies spread with reference to us. It is not byimitating our oppressors that we shall succeed in proving to the massesthat we really wish their welfare. However sweet it may be to avenge aninsult received, where men put themselves forward as defenders of aprinciple so sacred as that for which we have been shedding our bloodthe last ten years, every man must practise self-denial, and forget allhis private animosities to absorb them in the great national vengeance.I tell you this frankly, plainly, and with no reserve. I, who was thefirst that dared to utter the cry of revolt, and inaugurate resistance:I, who, since I have reached man's estate, have sacrificed everything,fortune, friends, and relations, in the sole hope of seeing my countryone day free, would retire from a struggle which is daily dishonoured byexcesses such as the Redskins themselves would disavow."

  The three men, who had been tolerably quiet up to this moment, thenrose, protesting simultaneously that they were innocent of the crimesimputed to them.

  "I do not believe you," he continued passionately; "I do not believeyou, because I can prove the utter truth of the accusation I am nowmaking. You deny it as I expected. Your part was ready traced, and youmight be expected to act so: all other paths were closed to you. Onlyone of you, the youngest, the one who perhaps had the greatest right toemploy reprisals, has always remained equal to his mission; and, thoughour enemies have tried several times to brand him, he has ever remainedfirm, as the Mexicans themselves allow. This Chief you know as well as Ido: it is the Jaguar. Only yesterday, at the head of some of our men, heaccomplished one of the most glorious and extraordinary exploits."

  All pressed round the stranger, and eagerly questioned him.

  "What need for me to tell you what has occurred? You will know it withina few hours
. Suffice it for you to know for the present, that theconsequence of the Jaguar's daring achievement is the immediatesurrender of Galveston, which cannot hold out against us any longer."

  "Then we triumph!" one of the Campesinos exclaimed.

  "Yes; but all is not over yet: if we have succeeded in taking the townof Galveston from the Mexicans, they have fifty others left, in whichthey can shut themselves up. Hence, believe me, instead of giving way toimmoderate joy, and imprudent confidence, redouble, on the contrary,your efforts and self-denial, if you wish to remain victors to the end."

  "But what is to be done to obtain the result we desire as much as youdo?" the one who had already spoken asked.

  "Follow blindly the counsels I give you, and obey without hesitation orcomment the orders I send you. Will you promise me this?"

  "Yes," they exclaimed, enthusiastically; "you alone, Don Benito, canguide us safely and ensure our victory."

  There was a moment's silence. The man who had just been addressed as DonBenito went to a corner of the room hidden behind a curtain of greenserge. This curtain he drew back, and behind it was an alabaster statueof the Virgin Soledad, with a lamp burning in front of it, and thenturned to the others.

  "On your knees, and take off your hats," he said.

  They obeyed.

  "Now," he continued, "swear to keep faithfully the promise you have justmade me of your own accord; swear to be merciful to the conquered inbattle, and gentle to the prisoners after the victory. At this price Ipledge myself to support you; if not, I retire immediately from a causewhich is at least dishonoured, if not lost."

  The three men, after piously crossing themselves, stretched out theirright arms toward the statue, saying in a firm voice--

  "We swear it, by the share we hope in Paradise."

  "It is well," Don Benito replied, as he drew the curtain across againand made them a sign to rise; "I know you are too thoroughly Caballerosto break so solemn an oath."

  The Colonel, confounded by this singular scene, which he did not at allcomprehend, did not know what to do, when he fancied he heard anindistinct sound not far from him. Drawing himself up at once, heconcealed himself behind the hedge, rather alarmed as to the cause ofthis noise, which was rapidly approaching. Almost immediately he noticedseveral men coming gently up; they were four in number, as he soon madeout, and carrying a fifth in their arms. They walked straight to thedoor, at which they tapped in a peculiar way.

  "Who's there?" was asked from inside.

  One of the newcomers replied, but in so low a tone, that it wasimpossible for the Colonel to hear the word pronounced. The door wasopened, and the strangers entered; it was then closed again, but notuntil the opener had cast a scrutinizing glance round him.

  "What does this mean?" the Colonel muttered.

  "It means," a rough voice said in his ear, "that you are listening towhat does not concern you, Colonel Melendez, and that it may provedangerous to you."

  The Colonel, astounded at this unexpected answer, and especially atbeing so well known, quickly drew a pistol from his belt, cocked it, andturned to his strange speaker.

  "On my word," he answered, "there is no worse danger to incur than thatof an immediate death, which I should not at all object to, I swear toyou."

  The stranger began laughing, and emerged from the thicket in which hewas hidden. He was a powerful-looking man, and, like the Colonel, held apistol in his hand.

  "You are aware that duelling is forbidden in the Mexican army," he said,"so take my advice, sir, and put up that pistol, which, if it exploded,might entail very disagreeable consequences for you."

  "Lower your weapon first," the Colonel said, coldly, "and then I willsee what I have to do."

  "Very good," the other remarked, still smiling, as he thrust his pistolinto his belt. The Colonel imitated him.

  "And now," the stranger continued, "I have to converse with you; but, asyou can see, this spot is badly chosen for a secret interview."

  "That is true," the Colonel interrupted, frankly assuming the tone ofthe singular man with whom chance had so unexpectedly brought himtogether.

  "I am delighted that you are of my opinion. Well, Colonel, as it is so,be kind enough to accompany me merely a few paces, and I will lead youto a spot I know, which is perfectly adapted for the conversation wemust have together."

  "I am at your orders, Caballero," the Colonel answered, with a bow.

  "Come, then," the stranger added, as he made a start.

  The Colonel followed him. The stranger led him to the spot where he hadtied up his horse, by the side of which another was now standing. Thestranger stopped.

  "Let us mount," he said.

  "What for?" the young officer asked.

  "To be off, of course. Are you not returning to Galveston?"

  "Certainly; still----"

  "Still," the stranger interrupted, "you would have had no objection toprowl a little longer round the rancho, I presume?"

  "I confess it."

  "Well, on my honour, you are wrong, for two excellent reasons: the firstis, that you will learn nothing more than you have surmised,--that is tosay, that the rancho is the headquarters of the insurrection. You seethat I am frank with you."

  "I perceive it. And now, what is your second reason?"

  "It is very simple: you run the risk, at any moment, of being salutedwith a bullet, and you know that the Texans are decent marksmen."

  "Certainly; but you know also that this reason possesses but slightvalue for me."

  "I beg your pardon; courage does not consist, in my opinion, at least,in sacrificing one's life without reason; it consists, on the contrary,in being only killed for a good price,--that is to say, for a motiveworth the trouble."

  "Thanks for the lecture, Caballero."

  "Shall we be off?"

  "At once, if you will be good enough to tell me who you are and where weare going?"

  "I am surprised that you did not recognise me long ago, for we have beenfor some time past on excellent, if not intimate terms."

  "That may be; the sound of your voice is rather familiar to me, and Ifancy I have heard it before, but it is impossible for me to recalleither when or under what circumstances."

  "By Heaven, Colonel! You will allow me to remark that you have apreciously short memory. But since our last meeting, so many events haveoccurred, that it is not surprising you should have forgotten me. Withone word I will recall everything to your mind--I am John Davis, theex-slave dealer."

  "You!" the Colonel exclaimed, with a start of surprise.

  "Yes, I am that person."

  "Ah! Ah!" the Colonel continued, as he crossed his arms haughtily andlooked him in the face, "In that case we have an account to settle."

  "I am not aware of the fact, Colonel."

  "You forget, Master Davis, in what manner you abused my confidence inorder to betray me."

  "I? You are in error, Colonel. To do that I must have been a Mexican,which is not the case, thank Heaven! I served my country as you serveyours, that is all; each for himself in a revolution, you know."

  "That proverb may suit you, Master Davis, I grant, but I only know oneway of acting honourably, with uplifted head."

  "Hum! There would be a good deal to say on that head, but it is not thequestion at this moment. The proof that you are mistaken and unjusttoward me is, that a few minutes ago I held your life in my hands, andwas unwilling to take it."

  "You were wrong, for I swear to you that unless you defend yourself Ishall take yours in a second," he said, as he cocked a pistol.

  "You are in earnest, then?"

  "Most earnest, he assured."

  "You are mad," said Davis, with a shrug of his shoulders; "what strangeidea is this of yours to insist on killing me?"

  "Will you defend yourself; yes or no?"

  "Wait a moment. What a man you are! There is no way of having anexplanation with you."

  "One word, then, but be brief."

  "Well, as you are aware, I am
not accustomed to make long speeches."

  "I am listening to you."

  "Why play with the butt of your pistol so? Vengeance is only real whencomplete. A shot fired would be the signal for your death, for you wouldbe surrounded and attacked on all sides at once before you had eventime to place a foot in the stirrup. You allow this, I suppose?"

  "To the point, Master Davis, for I am in a hurry."

  "You admit," the other said, with his old stoicism, "that I am seekingno unworthy subterfuge to avoid a meeting with you?"

  "I know that you are a brave man."

  "Thanks! I do not discuss the validity of the reason which makes youwish to exchange bullets with me: a pretext is nothing with men likeourselves. I pledge my word to be at your disposal on any day, and atany hour you please, with or without witnesses. Does that suit you?"

  "Would it not be better to mount, gallop into the plain that stretchesout before us, and settle the affair at once?"

  "I should like to do so, but, unfortunately, I must, for the present,deprive myself of the pleasure. I repeat to you that we cannot fight, atleast not at this moment."

  "But the reason, the reason?" the young man exclaimed, with feverishimpatience.

  "The reason is this, as you absolutely insist on my telling it you: I amat this moment entrusted with very great interests; in a word, I amcharged by the Chief of the Texan army with a mission of the utmostimportance to General Rubio, Military Governor of Galveston. You are toomuch of a gentleman not to understand that this prohibits me risking alife which does not belong to me."

  The Colonel bowed with exquisite politeness and uncocked the pistol,which he restored to his belt.

  "I am confounded at what has taken place," he said. "You will excuse me,Senor, for having allowed my passion to carry me away thus; I recognisehow worthy and delicate your conduct has been under the circumstances.May I venture to hope you will pardon me?"

  "Not another word about the past, Colonel. So soon as I have terminatedmy mission, I shall have the honour of placing myself at your orders.Now, if nothing further keeps you here, we will proceed together toGalveston."

  "I accept gladly the offer you make me. There is a truce between us: begood enough till further orders to consider and treat me as one of yourfriends."

  "That is settled; I was certain we should end by understanding eachother. To horse, then, and let us start."

  "I ask nothing better; still, I would observe that the night is as yetonly half spent."

  "Which means?"

  "That till sunrise, and perhaps later, it will be impossible for us tofind a boat in which to cross over to the island."

  "That need not trouble you, Colonel; I have a boat waiting for me, inwhich I shall be delighted to offer you a place."

  "Hum! All the measures of you revolutionary gentlemen seem to be welltaken; you want for nothing."

  "The reason is very simple; would you like to know it?"

  "I confess that I am curious in the matter."

  "It is because, up to the present, we have appealed to the hearts,rather than the purses of our confidants. The hatred of the MexicanGovernment renders every intelligent man a devoted partisan; the hope ofliberty gives us all we want; that is our whole secret. You are aware,Colonel, that the spirit of opposition is innate in the heart of everyman; insurrection or opposition, whichever you like to call it, is onlythat spirit organised."

  "That is true," said the Colonel, with a laugh.

  The two enemies, temporarily friends, mounted and set out side by side.

  "You have very singular ideas and opinions," the Colonel, whom theAmerican's remarks amused, continued.

  "Oh dear no!" the latter replied, carelessly; "Those ideas and opinionsare nothing but the fruit of lengthened experience. I do not ask of aman more than his organisation allows him to give, and enacting these Iam certain of never making a mistake. Hence, suppose that the Mexicansare expelled the country, and the government of Texas established andworking regularly----"

  "Good," the Colonel said, with a smile; "what will happen then."

  "This will inevitably happen," the American answered, imperturbably. "Ahot-headed or ambitious man will emerge from the crowd and rebel againstthe Government. He will immediately have partisans, who will make a flagof truce, and the same men who today are ready to shed their blood forus with the most utter abnegation, will act in the same way for him; notbecause they have to complain of the Government they desire tooverthrow, but merely on account of that spirit of opposition to which Ihave alluded."

  "Come, that is a little too strong," the Colonel exclaimed, as he burstinto a laugh.

  "You do not believe me? Well, listen to this: I who am speaking to youonce knew, no matter where, a man whose whole life was spent inconspiring. One day luck smiled on him, and chance enabled him, hardlyknowing how or why, to occupy the highest post in theRepublic--something like President. Do you know what he did, so soon ashe obtained power?"

  "Canarios! He tried to hold his ground, of course."

  "You are quite out. On the contrary, he went on conspiring, and sofamously that he overthrew himself and was condemned to perpetualimprisonment."

  "So that--?"

  "So that, if the man who succeeded to power had not amnestied him, hewould, in all probability, have died in prison."

  The two men were still laughing at John Davis's last repartee, when thelatter stopped, and made the Colonel a sign to follow his example.

  "Have we arrived?" he asked.

  "All but. Do you see that boat tossing about at the foot of the cliff?"

  "Of course I see it."

  "Well, it is the one which will convey us to Galveston."

  "But our horses?"

  "Don't be uneasy; the owner of that wretched rancho will take all propercare of them."

  John Davis raised a whistle to his lip and blew it twice sharply. Almostimmediately the door of the rancho opened and a man appeared; but, aftertaking one step forward, he took two backward, doubtless astonished atseeing two persons when he only expected one.

  "Halloh! halloh, John!" Davis shouted, "don't go in again."

  "Is it you, then?" he asked.

  "Yes! Unless it be the demon who has assumed my face."

  The fisherman shook his head with a dissatisfied air.

  "Do not jest so, John Davis," he said; "the night is black and the searough; so the demon is about."

  "Come, come, old porpoise," the American continued, "get your boatready, for we have no time to lose. This Senor is a friend of mine. Haveyou any alfalfa for our horses in your cabin?"

  "I should think so. Eh, Pedriello, come hither, muchacho. Take thehorses from the Caballero, and lead them to the corral."

  At this summons a tall young fellow came yawning from the rancho, andwalked up to the two travellers. The latter had already dismounted; thepeon took the horses by the bridle and went off with them, not saying aword.

  "Shall we go?" John Davis asked.

  "Whenever you please," the fisherman growled.

  "I hope you have men enough?"

  "My two sons and I are, I should think, enough to cross the bay."

  "You must know better than I."

  "Then, why ask?" the fisherman said with a shrug of his shoulders, as heproceeded toward the boat.

  The two men followed him, and found that he had not deceived them. Thesea was bad, being rough and lumpy, and it required all the old sailor'sskill to successfully cross the bay. Still, after two hours of incessanttoil, the boat came alongside Galveston jetty, and disembarked itspassengers safe and sound; then, without waiting for a word of thanks,the sailor at once disappeared in the obscurity.

  "We part here," said John Davis to the Colonel; "for we each follow adifferent road. Tomorrow morning, at nine o'clock, I shall have thehonour of presenting, myself at the General's house. May I hope that youhave spoken to him of me in sufficient favourable terms for him to grantme a kind reception?"

  "I will do all that depends on
myself."

  "Thank you, and good night."

  "One word, if you please, before parting."

  "Speak, Colonel."

  "I confess to you, that at this moment I am suffering from extremecuriosity."

  "What about?"

  "A moment before your arrival, I saw four men, carrying a fifth, enterthe rancho to which accident had brought me."

  "Well?"

  "Who is that man?"

  "I know no more about him than you do. All I can tell you is, that hewas picked up dying on the beach, at eleven o'clock at night, by some ofour men stationed as videttes to watch the bay. Now, who he is, or wherehe comes from, I do not know at all. He is covered with wounds; whenpicked up, he held an axe still clutched in his hand, which makes mesuppose that he belonged to the crew of the _Libertad_ corvette, whichour friends so successfully boarded. That is all the information I amable to give you. Is it all you wish to know?"

  "One word more. Who is the man I saw at the rancho, and to whom thepersons with him gave the name of Don Benito?"

  "As for that man, you will soon learn to know him. He is the supremeChief of the Texan revolution; but I am not permitted to tell you more.Good bye, till we meet again at the General's."

  "All right."

  The two men, after bowing courteously, separated, and entered the townfrom opposite sides; the Colonel proceeding to his house, and JohnDavis, in all probability, to crave hospitality from one of the numerousconspirators Galveston contained.