Chata and Chinita, Chapters XXXIX-XLI [pp. 291-310]

1887.3 C~ata and Citinita. 309
from one of the bandits, which was abrupt- dently if there was a beast of burden in the
ly checked by the remark of the captain village it was securely hidden, and though
that this was no time for fooling, as there the money tempted them they were afraid.
was a rival gavilla but a half mile further on; " No, no," said one at length, "Three
and the elder women were not molested. weeks ago the Senore Liberales drove off our
Happily, the other gaz)iila did not present last cow, and the week after the Senore Conitself, and the three told their beads in de- servadore slaughtered the turkeys, and
vout thankfulness. "But we want neither cows nor turkeys,"
That night they remained at a miserable interrupted Carmen impatiently.
hu~, which served as a nieson, feeling a cer- "Quite true; but the Senorita would
tain protection in the presence of an aged have horses," answered the matma imperturpriest, who chanced to be awaiting there bably, "and yesterday the General Ramirez
an opportunity to proceed upon a long in- was bee
terrupted journey; and upon the following She paused as though it were unnecessary
morning he fbrmed one of the traveling to say more of the fate of their horses: and
party. Beyond bestowing upon them his Dona Isabel starting up impetuously, hurblessing, he said nothing to them - although riedly questioned the assembled gossips.
somewhat to her discomfort Dona Carmen Upon this subject of the visit of Ramirez
noticed that he often turned an inquiring they were eloquent. He and his followers
gaze upon them. Early in the afternoon had reached there spent with fatigue and
the diligence stopped at a miserable village, long fasting. In a few;n~oments the place
the nearest point at which, in the interrupted had been sacked of all its poor provision -
arrangements of travel, it approached Las there had not been enough to give one poor
Parras; and having deposited Dona Isabel's ration to the half-dozen prisoners who were
party and the priest, diverged towards the with them. They would have been shot, yes,
north. upon the very spot upon which their grace 5
Dona Isabel looked around her helplessly, were standing, but for the prayers of a
saying, "It is nearly eight leagues to Las young girl, who seemed to be the lieutenParras. I have often been here - I know ant's wife, at least she was in his care -
the road well. We shall never reach there!" and Ramirez had admitted it could be
"You will see, mother, you will see," done as well at the next halt. She
answered Dona Carmen cheerfully; and herself gave a drink of water to the poor
greatly to the astonishment of the priest and lads, "~or nzisericordia de Bios," and a torthe women who stood near, she drew forth tilla to one among them that she knew, poor
a half dozen onzas of gold, and held them Pepe' Ortiz; but he was too weak to swallow
up. "See," she said in her clear patrician it, and had given it to another less wretched
voice, "you are good people here; we are than he."
not afraid to trust you "- her quick eye Chata began to cry softly, while Dona
had shown her there was not an able-bodied Isabel demanded a description of the young
man in the almost ruinous place. "We are girl who had been of the party. This was
not so poor as we look, and I will give you vague enough; but insufficient as it was it
all this for three - four -" she glanced at made further delay impossible, and the
the priest - "horses, donkeys, or mules, be eloquence and gold of Dona Carmen, to
they ever so poor, upon which we can go on which was added the authority of the priest,
our way." presently induced the villagers to produce
T he women laughed stupidly and looked four sorry beasts, upon which with some
at each other, and then at the gold. Evi- difficulty the party were secured - for on