Chata and Chinita, Chapters XXXIII-XXXV [pp. 2-24]

1887.] Chata and Chinita. 17
he found so inadequate. She scarcely protested innocence of any scheme to baffle
seemed to hear him, and in her frenzy-terri- or injure the mountain chieftain. He unble to witness, though it was not loud-even derstood too well the ease with which a foe
Pepe's rough accents were unheeded. too weak to fight could assume the aspect
~\??na de nii alma!" he said " he is not of a friend; but, at the worst, Pepe' imagined,
dead. No, it is not a lie I tell thee! Who they might be forced to turn back on their
would lie to thee in such an hour as this? way to spend a few unwilling hours among
I have come to tell thee that he lives;`twas the bandit followers, until chance should
he himself who sent me. " give them opportunity to es~ape. But
He himself!" she echoed at last, turn- Ramirez 5 memory was keen as it was
ing her wild, tearless eyes upon his face. vengeful. Suddenly he bent and gazed
Ah it is because thou art here, that I know searchingly into the face of the elder prishe is dead, else thou wouldst not dare to leave oner.
him!" "Ah!" he exclaimed, with an oath, "I
"And by my faith, it is not of my own know thee! Thou art Pedro Sanchez."
will I am here!" answered Pepe' bluntly, Pedro, who till this moment had bent his
"Senor Don`Guardo, you can tell her that." head to avoid the gaze of his captors, raised
"I can in truth," replied Ashley, who it swiftly with ah ejaculation of amazement.
seeing that the peon's words were received A red handkerchief bound the brows of
by her but as empty attempts to defer the Ramirex; his face was swarthy and grimed
evil moment when the inevitable assurance with hard riding.
of the death of her foster-father must be given "Ah, and thou knowest me, too!" Ramiher-so well did she know the customs and rez cried. "Thou hast called me a devil
manners of her country people, ever prone moYe than once in thy life time; and now I
to useless prevarication, even in their deepest will prove thy word true! Hereafter thou
sorrow-hastened to describe to her the few wilt have no chance for that, any more than
scant means they found in his extremity to for opening the gate to the man who would
recall the exhausted Pedro to the life that make my He gnashed his teeth in
had apparently been thrust, and beaten, and speechless rage, and with his sword struck
driven from him forever. the keeper across the face.
The ball of the pistol had but grazed his The action spoke louder than words.
cheek; the blood and dust had deceived the Some one, in ready comprehension of the
accustomed eyes of Ramirez, as it had de- leader's mood, threw a lasso, and catching
ceived their own. The greater danger arose the prisoner across the breast, began to
from the frightful condition of laceration and mimic the wild shouts of the toreador. But
fatigue to which the mad race through the Ramirez was in no humor for pastime.
stony canon had reduced him. "On! on!" he cried. "`Tis nearly sun
In a few words Pepe' told the tale. set. Let us see how far on our way this
They had met but the day before, and it fellow can accompany us till then; and then
was while hastening to El Toro to apprize by a vow I made to my patron, San LeoniGonzales of the plot, that Pepe', in the peti- das, more than a score of years ago, he
tion of Chinita, revealed to him, that they shall die. Caram~a! did ever man play
had encountered face to face the irate chief- Ramirez f~lse and he forget to pay him his
tain and his followers. Pepe' understood dues."
little of the cause that led to their being Pep~, amid the vivas and laughter of the
seized, dragged from their horses, and band, heard the words with only a wild
threatened with instant death. Both alike sense of terror; but it was only when he
VoL. X.-No. 2.