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019 - Chapter 18 The Brigands' Haunt · Redskin and Cow-Boy - A Tale of the Western Plains

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Speaker 1: Chapter eighteen of Redskin and Cowboy, A Tale of the
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Speaker 1: Western Plains by G. A. Henty. This liprivox recording is
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Speaker 1: in the public domain. Chapter eighteen The brigands Haunt. By
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Speaker 1: daybreak on the following morning, Hugh and his three companions
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Speaker 1: were far among the hills. They had halted an hour
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Speaker 1: before and intended to wait until noon before pursuing their journey.
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Speaker 1: They had already been eight hours in the saddle and
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Speaker 1: had traveled over sixty miles. They halted in a little
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Speaker 1: valley where there was plenty of grass for the horses,
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Speaker 1: and after cooking some food, lay down and slept until
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Speaker 1: the sun was nearly overhead. Fortunately, the two miners had
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Speaker 1: traversed the country several times and were able to lead
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Speaker 1: them across the mountains where otherwise it would have been
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Speaker 1: impossible to find a way. After four hours riding on
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Speaker 1: emerging from a valley, the doctor said, there, do you
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Speaker 1: see that village three miles away? That is the village
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Speaker 1: where we stopped. The gorge in which the house lies
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Speaker 1: runs from the village in this direction. You cannot see
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Speaker 1: it here. It is sort of a canyon cut out
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Speaker 1: ages ago by the water. The sides are nearly perpendicular,
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Speaker 1: but at the upper end the bottom rises rapidly, and
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Speaker 1: as far as we could see from the spot from
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Speaker 1: which we looked at it, there is no difficulty in
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Speaker 1: getting down there. As you see there are woods lying
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Speaker 1: back to the left. We have got to come down
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Speaker 1: at the back of them, and there is no chance
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Speaker 1: of our being seen. Even if they have got men
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Speaker 1: on the lookout on the high ground above the house,
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Speaker 1: they will be looking the other way. They can see
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Speaker 1: miles across the plain there. Of course, they have no
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Speaker 1: reason to believe that anyone knows of their haunt. Still
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Speaker 1: they are always on the lookout against treachery. Well, let's
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Speaker 1: go on at a trot now, doctor, we shall be
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Speaker 1: in the wood before sunset. When they reached the trees,
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Speaker 1: they dismounted and led their horses until they perceived daylight
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Speaker 1: through the trunks on the opposite side. Now we will
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Speaker 1: finish the remainder of our dinner, the doctor said, and
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Speaker 1: talk matters over. We are about half a mile now
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Speaker 1: from the end of the valley, and it is another
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Speaker 1: half mile down to the house. Now what are we
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Speaker 1: going to do? Are we all going? Or only one?
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Speaker 1: Hugh was silent? These men understood matters better than he did.
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Speaker 1: Only one, and of course, sim Howett said, the others
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Speaker 1: can come on to the top of the valley so
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Speaker 1: as to lend a hand if he is chased, But
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Speaker 1: it would be just chucking our lives away for more
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Speaker 1: than one to go. Well, it is either you or me, Doc,
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Speaker 1: why you asked, I am quite ready to go, and
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Speaker 1: I am sure Bill is too. Besides, this question of
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Speaker 1: the young ladies is more my affair than yours, since
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Speaker 1: you do not know them, and I certainly think I
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Speaker 1: ought to be the one to go. There is one
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Speaker 1: reason again at lightning, sim said what you say is true,
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Speaker 1: and if it came to running, you could leg it
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Speaker 1: a good bit faster than the dock or me, But
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Speaker 1: that don't count for much in the dark. It is
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Speaker 1: creeping and crawling that is wanted more than running. The
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Speaker 1: reason why the Dock or I must go is you
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Speaker 1: don't speak Mexican, and we do. It ain't likely that
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Speaker 1: the young ladies will be seen out in the veranda,
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Speaker 1: and one can't go and look into each of the
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Speaker 1: windows till we find the right one. We've got to listen,
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Speaker 1: and that way we may find whether they are there,
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Speaker 1: and if we are lucky, which room they are in.
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Speaker 1: So you see it is for one of us to go.
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Speaker 1: I shall go, sim the doctor said quietly. I can
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Speaker 1: walk as lightly as a cat. I have an above
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Speaker 1: half as much balk to hide as you have, and
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Speaker 1: I am cunning while you are strong. And this is
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Speaker 1: a case where cunning is of more use than strength.
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Speaker 1: So it is settled that I go. But you may
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Speaker 1: as well give me your six shooter. I may want
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Speaker 1: twelve barrels. I shall be sorry for the Mexicans if
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Speaker 1: you use the maul, Doc sim Hallett said, handing over
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Speaker 1: his pistol to the doctor. I would rather go myself,
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Speaker 1: but I know when you had once made up your
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Speaker 1: mind to anything, it ain't no sort of use our again,
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Speaker 1: that's right, the doctor said, putting the weapon into his belt. Well,
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Speaker 1: there is just time for a pipe before I start.
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Speaker 1: The sun has been down nearly half an hour, and
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Speaker 1: the moon won't be up over those hills there for
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Speaker 1: another hour, so we shall have it dark till I
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Speaker 1: get well down into the valley, and the moon won't
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Speaker 1: be high enough to throw its light down afore I
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Speaker 1: am back again. A wonderful man is the doctor sim
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Speaker 1: Hallett said, when with noiseless step he had made his
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Speaker 1: way down into the upper end of the ravine. You
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Speaker 1: wouldn't think much of him to look at him, But
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Speaker 1: you bet he has got as much grit as if
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Speaker 1: he was ten times as big. See him going about,
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Speaker 1: and you would say he might be one of them missionaries,
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Speaker 1: or a scientific chap such as those as comes round
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Speaker 1: looking after birds and snakes and such like. His sort
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Speaker 1: of seems most like a woman, with his low talk
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Speaker 1: and gentle way. And yet I suppose he has killed
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Speaker 1: more downright bad men than any five men on this
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Speaker 1: side of Missouri. You don't say so, Hugh said, in surprise, Yes, sir,
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Speaker 1: he is a whole team and a little dog under
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Speaker 1: the wagon. He is. He had a chap to quarrel.
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Speaker 1: He don't drink, and he don't gamble, and he speaks
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Speaker 1: everyone fair and civil. It ain't that, But he has
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Speaker 1: got something in him that seems to swell up when
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Speaker 1: he hears a bad goings on. When there is a
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Speaker 1: real bad man comes to the camp where he is
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Speaker 1: and takes to Boston the show into shooting free. After
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Speaker 1: a time, you can see the doctor gets uncomfortable in
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Speaker 1: his mind. But he goes on till that bad man
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Speaker 1: does something out of the way, shoots a fellow just
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Speaker 1: out of pure cussedness or something of that kind. Then
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Speaker 1: he just says, this must be put down, and off
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Speaker 1: he goes and faces that bad man and gives him
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Speaker 1: a fair show and lays him out. You mean he
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Speaker 1: doesn't fire until the other man has healed him. Yes,
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Speaker 1: I mean that. Then. How is it he hasn't got
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Speaker 1: himself killed? That is what we have said a hundred
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Speaker 1: times lighting He has been shot all over, but never mortally.
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Speaker 1: One thing. His looks are enough to scare a man.
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Speaker 1: Somehow he don't look altogether arthly with that white hair
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Speaker 1: of his, and it has been the same color ever
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Speaker 1: since I've known him, floating back from his face. He
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Speaker 1: goes in general bareheaded when he sets out a shoot,
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Speaker 1: and the hair somehow seems to stand out not a
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Speaker 1: bit like it does other times. I heard a chap
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Speaker 1: who had been a doctor afore he took to gold
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Speaker 1: dig and say his hair looked as if it had
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Speaker 1: been electrified. Then he gets as white as snow and
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Speaker 1: his eyes just blaze out. I tell you, sirree, it
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Speaker 1: is something frightful to see him. And when he comes
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Speaker 1: right into a crowded saloon and says to the man,
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Speaker 1: as he always does say in a sort of tone
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Speaker 1: that seems to somehow frizze up the blood of every
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Speaker 1: man that hears it, it is time for you to die.
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Speaker 1: You bet it makes the very hardest man weaken. I
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Speaker 1: tell you I would rather face Judge Lynch and one
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Speaker 1: hundred regulators than stand up again the doctor when his
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Speaker 1: fit is on. And I've seen men who never miss
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Speaker 1: their mark, for shoot wide of him altogether, and he
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Speaker 1: never misses. Royce asked. Miss sim repeated. The doctor couldn't
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Speaker 1: miss if he tried. I've never known his bullet to
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Speaker 1: go a hair's breadth off the mark. It always hits
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Speaker 1: plumb in the center of the forehead. If there is
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Speaker 1: more than one of them, the Doc turns on the
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Speaker 1: others and warns them get out of the camp aforenight,
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Speaker 1: and you bet they get He gives me a lot
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Speaker 1: of trouble the doc does in the way of nursing.
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Speaker 1: I put it to him over and over again if
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Speaker 1: it is fair on me that he should be on
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Speaker 1: his back three months every year, because that is about
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Speaker 1: what it's been since I've known him. He allows, as
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Speaker 1: it ain't fair, But as he says, it ain't me
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Speaker 1: sim I've got to do it. I'm like a melee
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Speaker 1: running amuck them's chaps out somewhere near China. He tells me,
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Speaker 1: as gets mad and goes for a whole crowd, and
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Speaker 1: I can't help it, and I don't think he can.
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Speaker 1: And yet you know, at other times he is just
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Speaker 1: about the kindest chap that breathes. He is always enussing
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Speaker 1: the sick and sitting up nights with them and such like.
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Speaker 1: That is why he got the name of doctor. He
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Speaker 1: isn't really a doctor. Then Hugh asked, well, Lightning, all
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Speaker 1: that's his secret, and if he thinks to tell you,
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Speaker 1: he can do it. I know he is the best
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Speaker 1: made a man ever had, and one of the best
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Speaker 1: critters in God's universe. And that is good enough for me.
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Speaker 1: I reckon he must be somewhere down among them Mexicans.
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Speaker 1: By this time he went on changing the subject abruptly.
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Speaker 1: I almost wish one of us had gone with him.
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Speaker 1: Royce said, so that if he should get found out,
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Speaker 1: we might make a better fight of it. He ain't
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Speaker 1: likely to get found out, sim said quietly, And if
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Speaker 1: he does, he can fight his way out. I don't
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Speaker 1: know what way the doctor will die, but I allowed
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Speaker 1: years ago that it weren't going to be by bullet.
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Speaker 1: I ain't scary about him. If I had thought there
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Speaker 1: were any kind of risk, I would have gone with him,
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Speaker 1: you bet. It was two hours before the doctor suddenly
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Speaker 1: stood in the moonlight before them. They had been listening
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Speaker 1: attentively for some time, but had not heard the slightest
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Speaker 1: sound until he emerged from the shadow at the ravine. Well, doctor,
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Speaker 1: are we on the right sand The girls are there,
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Speaker 1: sim sure enough. Now let us go back to the
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Speaker 1: wood before we talk. We have been caught asleep once
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Speaker 1: on this expedition when we thought we were so safe
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Speaker 1: that we needn't be on the watch. And I don't
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Speaker 1: propose to throw away a chance again. They went back
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Speaker 1: without another word to the wood. As soon as they
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Speaker 1: reached it, the doctor sat down at the foot of
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Speaker 1: the tree and lighted his pipe. The others followed his example. Well,
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Speaker 1: there was no danger about that job, he began. It
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Speaker 1: seems not to have struck the fools that anyone was
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Speaker 1: likely to come down from this end of the gulch
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Speaker 1: down at the other end. They have got two sentries
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Speaker 1: on each side upon the heights. I could see them
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Speaker 1: in the moonlight. I reckon they have some more at
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Speaker 1: the mouth of the valley, down near the village. But
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Speaker 1: you may guess I asked no questions about it. I
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Speaker 1: saw no one in the gulch until I got down
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Speaker 1: close to the house. It is as strong a place
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Speaker 1: as if it had been built for the purpose. It
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Speaker 1: stands on a sort of table of rock that juts
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Speaker 1: out from the hillside, so that on three sides it
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Speaker 1: goes straight down. There is a space around the house
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Speaker 1: forty or fifty feet wide. On the side where the
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Speaker 1: rock stands out from the hill, they've got a wall
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Speaker 1: twelve feet high with a strong gate in it. On
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Speaker 1: that side of the house. They have bricked all the
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Speaker 1: windows up so as to prevent their being commanded by
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Speaker 1: a force on the hillside above them, and all the
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Speaker 1: windows on the ground floor all round are bricked up too.
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Speaker 1: I expect the rooms are lighted from a courtyard inside,
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Speaker 1: So you see it is a pretty difficult sort of
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Speaker 1: place to take. All of a sudden, I could hear
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Speaker 1: the voices of five or six men sitting smoking and
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Speaker 1: talking outside the door, which is not on the side
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Speaker 1: facing the hill, but on the other side. I guessed
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Speaker 1: that when the house was built there must have been
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Speaker 1: steps up from that side, for there is a road
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Speaker 1: that runs along the bottom of the valley. So I
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Speaker 1: crawled up and found that it was so. There had
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Speaker 1: been flight of steps there. They had been broken away
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Speaker 1: and pulled down. Still they were good enough for me.
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Speaker 1: There were one or two blocks still sticking out from
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Speaker 1: the rock, and there were holes where other blocks had
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Speaker 1: been let in. And I made a shift to climb
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Speaker 1: up without much difficulty till I got my eyes level
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Speaker 1: with the top. The moon hadn't risen over the brow. Still,
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Speaker 1: it was lighter than I liked, but one had to
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Speaker 1: risk something, so I first of all pulled myself up,
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Speaker 1: crawled along the edge till I got round the corner,
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Speaker 1: and then went up to the house and examined the
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Speaker 1: windows on the other side, and then got back to
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Speaker 1: the top of the steps and began to listen. I
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Speaker 1: soon heard the girls were there. They had brought them
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Speaker 1: straight there after they had carried them off. A man
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Speaker 1: had started early the next morning with a letter to
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Speaker 1: Don Ramon demanding ransom. He was expected back sometime tonight.
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Speaker 1: They had had news so far that the Dawn was
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Speaker 1: taking no steps to raise the country. Though the news
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Speaker 1: of the girls being carried off was generally known. I
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Speaker 1: didn't hear what the sum named for the ransom was,
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Speaker 1: but the men were talking over what they should each
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Speaker 1: do with their share of it, and they reckoned that
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Speaker 1: each would have seven or eight thousand dollars. Well, there
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Speaker 1: wasn't anything new about this. The matter of interest to
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Speaker 1: us was which was the room where the girls were,
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Speaker 1: as the journey would have been of no sort of
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Speaker 1: use if I could not find that out. There was
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Speaker 1: nothing to do but get up again and crawl along
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Speaker 1: to the house. I had reckoned that I should most
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Speaker 1: likely want my rope and had wound it around my waist.
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Speaker 1: There was a guard at the gate, so it was
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Speaker 1: one of the sides I had to try. I had
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Speaker 1: learned from what the men said that most of the
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Speaker 1: gang were away scattered all over the country down to
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Speaker 1: El Paso, so as to bring news at once that
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Speaker 1: there was any search for the girls going on. The
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Speaker 1: chief and his lieutenant were down in the village and
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Speaker 1: would ride in with the messenger, who brought down Ramon's answer.
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Speaker 1: There was a guard inside the house because the men
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Speaker 1: at the fire said it was time for two of
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Speaker 1: them to go and relieve them. But I guessed that
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Speaker 1: otherwise the house was empty. I threw my rope over
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Speaker 1: a balcony and climbed up, opened to the fastening of
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Speaker 1: the window with my knife, and went in. Everything was quiet.
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Speaker 1: I felt my way across the room to a window
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Speaker 1: on the other side. I opened that and looked down
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Speaker 1: into the courtyard. Two or three lanterns were burning there,
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Speaker 1: and I saw two men sitting on a bench that
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Speaker 1: was placed across a door. They were smoking cigarettes and
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Speaker 1: had their guns leaning against the wall beside them. There
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Speaker 1: was no doubt that was the room where the girls were.
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Speaker 1: It was on the opposite side of the courtyard to
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Speaker 1: that where I was standing, That is on the side
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Speaker 1: of the house facing down the valley, and was the
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Speaker 1: corner room. I had learned everything I wanted now, so
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Speaker 1: I had nothing to do but to shut the window,
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Speaker 1: slide down the rope, shake it off the balcony, and
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Speaker 1: come back again. And here I am well done, doctor.
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Speaker 1: You have succeeded splendidly. But what a pity we didn't
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Speaker 1: all go with you, we could have cleared out that
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Speaker 1: lot and rescued the girls at once. You might not
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Speaker 1: have gone as quietly as I did. The doctor said,
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Speaker 1: four men make a lot more noise than one, and
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Speaker 1: at the slightest noise, the seven men at the door
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Speaker 1: would have been inside, the door bolted, and the first
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Speaker 1: pistol shot would have brought in the guard at the gate.
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Speaker 1: The four sentries on the height, and I expect does
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Speaker 1: many more from the mouth of the valley. It would
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Speaker 1: have been mighty difficult to break into the house with
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Speaker 1: nine men inside and as many out. Besides, it would
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Speaker 1: never do to run risks. And even if we had
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Speaker 1: done it and hadn't found the girls with their throats cut,
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Speaker 1: we should have had to fight our way up the
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Speaker 1: valley to the horses, and a bullet might have hit
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Speaker 1: one of them. No, no, this is a case where
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Speaker 1: we have no right to risk anything. It's for the
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Speaker 1: dawn to decide what is to be done. Now we
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Speaker 1: all know about it and can lay it before him lightning,
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Speaker 1: you had better saddle up and ride with me. You
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Speaker 1: must go because he knows you and will believe what
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Speaker 1: you tell him. I must go because he will want
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Speaker 1: me to guide the force back here so as to
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Speaker 1: avoid any chance of their being seen on the way.
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Speaker 1: The horses have done eighty miles since this time yesterday,
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Speaker 1: so it's no use thinking to starting tonight. Besides, there's
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Speaker 1: no hurry. We will be off in the morning after breakfast.
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Speaker 1: Sim was about to saddle the doctor's horse when Royce
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Speaker 1: said the doctor had better take my horse. He is
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Speaker 1: miles faster than his own. The girths were tightened. The
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Speaker 1: doctor as he mounted, said, to see you will keep
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Speaker 1: a sharp lookout over the house and reckon up how
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Speaker 1: many go in and come out. I expect that the
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Speaker 1: don writes to say he will pay the money. A
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Speaker 1: good many of those outside will come here. We will
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Speaker 1: keep our eyes open. Doctor. It may be two or
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Speaker 1: three days before you hear of us. Sim there's no hurry, doctor.
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Speaker 1: There will be lots to talk about how the ransom
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Speaker 1: is to be paid before anything is done. Do you
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Speaker 1: mean to go back the same way we came, Hugh
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Speaker 1: asked the doctor as they rode off. No, there's no
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Speaker 1: occasion for that. We will ride thirty miles or so
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Speaker 1: along the foot of the hills east and then strike
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Speaker 1: straight by the road for El Paso. It is about
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Speaker 1: nine o'clock. Now we shall be there by five o'clock.
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Speaker 1: We won't go in together. I will wait on the
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Speaker 1: road and come in by some other way after dark.
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Speaker 1: Or what would be better put up at Joseys. You
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Speaker 1: had better not go up to the Dons until tomorrow morning.
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Speaker 1: Were you to go up directly you return, the scoundrels
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Speaker 1: who were watching both you and the dawn might suspect
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Speaker 1: that your journey has had a connection with his business.
14:57
Speaker 1: Next morning, Hugh arrived at Don Ramon's, having obtained an
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Speaker 1: another horse at the hotel. Why where have you been,
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Speaker 1: signor Hugh Don Carlos exclaimed, as the servants showed him
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Speaker 1: into the room where they were at breakfast. When I
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Speaker 1: rode with my father into the town to give the
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Speaker 1: aclade notice, I went to the hotel and found that
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Speaker 1: you were out. We sent over there three times yesterday
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Speaker 1: and the day before, but they knew nothing of you.
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Speaker 1: You had taken your horse and gone out the evening
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Speaker 1: you returned, and had left no word when you would
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Speaker 1: come back. We have been quite anxious about you, and
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Speaker 1: feared that some harm had befallen you. Also, we were
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Speaker 1: quite sure that you would not have left without telling
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Speaker 1: us of your intentions. No, indeed, Hugh said, I should
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Speaker 1: have been ungrateful indeed for your kindness if I had
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Speaker 1: left you in such terrible trouble. But before I tell
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Speaker 1: you what I have been doing, please let me know
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Speaker 1: what has happened here. About midday, the day after my
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Speaker 1: daughters had been stolen, Don Ramon said, a horseman rode up.
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Speaker 1: I saw him coming and guessed he was the man
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Speaker 1: we were expecting. He was shown in here, and Carlos
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Speaker 1: and myself received him. He handed me a letter. Here
15:57
Speaker 1: it is I will translate it. Signor Don from mont Parles.
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Speaker 1: If you wish to see your daughters alive, you will,
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Speaker 1: as speedily as possible, collect two hundred thousand dollars in
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Speaker 1: gold and hand them over to the messenger I will
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Speaker 1: send for them. When I receive the money, your daughters
16:12
Speaker 1: shall be returned to you. I give you warning that
16:15
Speaker 1: if any effort is made to discover their whereabouts, or
16:18
Speaker 1: if any armed body is collected by you for the
16:20
Speaker 1: purpose of rescue, your daughters will at once be put
16:23
Speaker 1: to death. Signed Ignatius writierro And what did you reply,
16:28
Speaker 1: Don Ramon, I wrote that it would take some time
16:31
Speaker 1: to collect so great a sum in gold, but that
16:33
Speaker 1: I would send up to Santa Fe at once and
16:36
Speaker 1: use every effort to get it together in the shortest
16:38
Speaker 1: possible time. I demanded, however, what assurance I could have
16:42
Speaker 1: that after the money was paid, my daughters would be
16:44
Speaker 1: returned to me. To that I have received no answer. No,
16:48
Speaker 1: you could hardly get one before this morning. You said,
16:51
Speaker 1: you look surprised, Signor, but we have found out where
16:54
Speaker 1: they are hidden. You have found that out. The others
16:57
Speaker 1: cried in astonishment. My companions and I, Hugh said, indeed,
17:01
Speaker 1: beyond riding a good many miles, I have had but
17:04
Speaker 1: little to do with the matter. The credit lies entirely
17:07
Speaker 1: with the two miners I spoke to you, of with
17:09
Speaker 1: whom I was going shortly to start on an expedition
17:12
Speaker 1: to a placer they know of. He then related the
17:14
Speaker 1: reason why the miners had suspected where the gang of
17:16
Speaker 1: brigands had their headquarters, and the steps by which they
17:19
Speaker 1: had ascertained that the girls were really there, and then
17:22
Speaker 1: explained the scheme that he and the doctor had on
17:24
Speaker 1: their right down arranged for their rescue. Don Ramon, his
17:28
Speaker 1: wife and Son were greatly moved at the narrative. You
17:31
Speaker 1: have indeed rendered us the service that we can never repay,
17:34
Speaker 1: Don Ramone said, but the risk is terrible. Should you fail,
17:38
Speaker 1: it would cost you your lives and would ensure the
17:40
Speaker 1: fate of my daughters. We are in no way afraid
17:43
Speaker 1: about our own lives, Don Ramon. There are not likely
17:46
Speaker 1: to be more than twenty of these scoundrels there, and
17:48
Speaker 1: if we were discovered before we could get to your daughters,
17:51
Speaker 1: we could fight our way off. I think in that case,
17:54
Speaker 1: seeing that they were only four of us, they certainly
17:56
Speaker 1: would not throw away their prospect of a ransom by
17:58
Speaker 1: injuring their captives. They would suppose that we had undertaken
18:02
Speaker 1: it on our own account as a sort of speculation,
18:04
Speaker 1: And though no doubt they would remove your daughters at
18:07
Speaker 1: once to some other place, they would not injure them.
18:10
Speaker 1: You see, our plan is that the force we propose
18:12
Speaker 1: shall be at hand shall not advance unless they hear
18:15
Speaker 1: three shots fired at regular intervals. That will be the
18:18
Speaker 1: signal that we have succeeded in entering your daughter's apartment
18:21
Speaker 1: and that they are safe with us. In that case,
18:24
Speaker 1: you will push forward at once to assist us. If,
18:27
Speaker 1: on the other hand, you hear an outbreak of firing,
18:29
Speaker 1: you will know that we have been discovered before we
18:31
Speaker 1: reached your daughters, and will retreat with your force silently
18:34
Speaker 1: and return to El Paso by the same route by
18:36
Speaker 1: which you went out. And you would then, of course
18:39
Speaker 1: continue your negotiations for a ransom at any rate. Don
18:43
Speaker 1: Carlos said, I claim the right of accompanying you. It
18:47
Speaker 1: is my sisters who are in peril, and I will
18:49
Speaker 1: not permit strangers to risk their lives for them when
18:51
Speaker 1: I remain safe at a distance. You must agree to
18:54
Speaker 1: that signor I agree to that at once. Hugh said,
18:57
Speaker 1: I thought that it was probable that you would insist
18:59
Speaker 1: upon I'm going with us. It is clearly your right
19:02
Speaker 1: to do so. It must not be attempted. Don Ramone
19:05
Speaker 1: said gravely. If in any way I can recover my
19:08
Speaker 1: daughters by paying the ransom, the risk would be terrible,
19:11
Speaker 1: and although two hundred thousand dollars is a large sum,
19:15
Speaker 1: I would pay it four times over rather than that
19:17
Speaker 1: risk should be run. The question is what guarantee the
19:20
Speaker 1: brigands will give that they will return their captives after
19:23
Speaker 1: they have received the money. I shall know that soon.
19:26
Speaker 1: We will decide nothing until I receive the answer. Would
19:29
Speaker 1: it not be well, Signor for you to go over
19:31
Speaker 1: to arrange with the officer in command of the fort
19:33
Speaker 1: for twenty or thirty men to start with you at
19:36
Speaker 1: a moment's notice. If you decide to make this attempt
19:39
Speaker 1: to rescue your daughters, the sooner we set about it,
19:41
Speaker 1: the better. That is, if you intend to take troops
19:43
Speaker 1: instead of a party of your own men. I have
19:46
Speaker 1: already seen the commandant Don Ramone said he is a
19:49
Speaker 1: personal friend and wrote over here directly he heard the
19:52
Speaker 1: news and offered to place the whole of his force
19:54
Speaker 1: at my disposal, should I think fit to use it.
19:57
Speaker 1: At this moment, a servant entered and said that a
19:59
Speaker 1: man wish to see Don Ramon. The Mexican left the
20:02
Speaker 1: room and returned in a minute with a letter. It
20:04
Speaker 1: was brief, Signor. If you want your daughters back again,
20:08
Speaker 1: you must trust us. We give no guarantees beyond our
20:11
Speaker 1: solemn pledge. You will tell my messenger on what day
20:14
Speaker 1: you will have the money ready, and do not delay
20:17
Speaker 1: more than a week. He will come again to fetch it.
20:20
Speaker 1: See that he is not followed, for it will cost
20:22
Speaker 1: your daughters their lives. If an attempt is made to
20:24
Speaker 1: find out where he goes. Your daughters will be returned
20:28
Speaker 1: within twenty four hours of your sending out the money.
20:31
Speaker 1: We will try your plans. Signor don Ramon said firmly,
20:34
Speaker 1: I would not trust the word of these cutthroats or
20:37
Speaker 1: their oaths, even in the smallest matter, and assuredly not
20:40
Speaker 1: in one such as this. What shall I say in
20:42
Speaker 1: reply to this letter? I should write and say that
20:46
Speaker 1: although their conditions are hard, you must accept them. But
20:50
Speaker 1: yet you doubt whether you can raise so large a
20:52
Speaker 1: sum of gold in the course of a week. And
20:54
Speaker 1: you beg them to give ten days before the messenger
20:56
Speaker 1: returns for it. And you pledge your honor that no
20:59
Speaker 1: attempt whatever shall be made to follow or to ascertain
21:01
Speaker 1: the course he takes. Don Ramon wrote the letter and
21:04
Speaker 1: took it down to the hall where the messenger was waiting,
21:07
Speaker 1: surrounded by servants who were regarding him with no friendly aspect.
21:11
Speaker 1: There is my answer, Don Ramone said, as he handed
21:13
Speaker 1: the letter to the man. Tell your leader I shall
21:16
Speaker 1: keep my word, and that I trust him to keep his. Now,
21:19
Speaker 1: Signor Hugh, will you give me the details of your plan.
21:22
Speaker 1: How do you propose that the troops are to be
21:24
Speaker 1: close at hand when required, without their presence being suspected.
21:28
Speaker 1: The Doctor's idea was this signor that you should this
21:31
Speaker 1: morning send a letter by a servant to the commandant.
21:34
Speaker 1: Will you tell him that you believe you have a
21:36
Speaker 1: clue to your daughter's hiding place, but that everything depends
21:39
Speaker 1: upon the troops getting near the spot without suspicion being excited.
21:43
Speaker 1: Will you beg him to maintain an absolute silence as
21:46
Speaker 1: to any movements of the troops until tonight, and to
21:48
Speaker 1: issue no orders until the gates are shut and all
21:51
Speaker 1: communication closed. Will he then order an officer and twenty
21:55
Speaker 1: men to be ready at four o'clock in the morning
21:57
Speaker 1: to start under the guidance of a miner who will
22:00
Speaker 1: tonight arrive at the fort bearing your card. This will,
22:03
Speaker 1: of course be the doctor request the officer to place
22:06
Speaker 1: himself absolutely in his hands. Our plan is that they
22:09
Speaker 1: shall keep the other side of the river, travel some
22:12
Speaker 1: thirty miles up, and then halt until nightfall. At that
22:15
Speaker 1: point they would be as far from the brigand's hiding
22:17
Speaker 1: place as they are here. And if the fact that
22:19
Speaker 1: a detachment has started becomes known to the friends of
22:22
Speaker 1: the Brigands, it will not be suspected that there is
22:24
Speaker 1: any connection between their journey and the affair with your daughters.
22:28
Speaker 1: After nightfall, they will start again cross the river and
22:31
Speaker 1: meet you and myself at one o'clock near the village
22:33
Speaker 1: of Ajanko. Thence we shall go up into the hills,
22:37
Speaker 1: rest there all day and come down upon the gulch
22:40
Speaker 1: where the brigands haunt lies. That sounds an excellent plan,
22:43
Speaker 1: Signor but how do you propose that we shall get
22:45
Speaker 1: away without being noticed? Tomorrow evening? The Doctor and I
22:49
Speaker 1: agreed that the best plan you could adopt would be
22:51
Speaker 1: to ride over and see your banker the first thing
22:53
Speaker 1: in the morning. That will seem perfectly natural. Then in
22:57
Speaker 1: the evening after dark, you and Don Carlos should again
23:00
Speaker 1: ride down to him. You will naturally take at least
23:03
Speaker 1: four of your men down with you as a guard.
23:05
Speaker 1: You will leave your horses with them when you enter
23:07
Speaker 1: the bankers. You will then pass through his house and
23:09
Speaker 1: at once leave by the back entrance wrapped in your cloaks.
23:13
Speaker 1: You will then proceed to a spot half a mile
23:15
Speaker 1: out of the town where Juan, who you say knows
23:18
Speaker 1: the country, will be waiting with your horses, and I
23:20
Speaker 1: also will be there. The people who are watching you,
23:24
Speaker 1: and you will certainly be watched, will naturally suppose that
23:27
Speaker 1: you are at the bankers. At ten o'clock he will
23:30
Speaker 1: come to the door and tell your men to return
23:31
Speaker 1: home with your horses, and to bring them back at
23:33
Speaker 1: ten in the morning, as you and your son will
23:35
Speaker 1: sleep there. Even should anything be suspected, which is hardly likely,
23:40
Speaker 1: the scoundrels would have no clue whatever as to the
23:42
Speaker 1: direction you will have taken, as at any rate you
23:45
Speaker 1: will have had two hours start before they can begin
23:47
Speaker 1: to think that anything is wrong. That is a capital
23:50
Speaker 1: plan signor you keep on adding to our already deep
23:53
Speaker 1: obligations to you. Everything was carried out in accordance with
23:57
Speaker 1: the arrangements. Hugh returned at once to Passo, and in
24:00
Speaker 1: the evening the doctor mounted his horse and rode to
24:03
Speaker 1: the fort. The next day passed quietly, and as soon
24:06
Speaker 1: as it became dark, he went out to the stable,
24:08
Speaker 1: saddled his horse, without seeing any of the men about
24:11
Speaker 1: the yard, and rode off in the direction of Don Ramon's,
24:14
Speaker 1: and then making a circuit of the town arrived at
24:16
Speaker 1: the spot where Juan was waiting with the horses. They
24:19
Speaker 1: had been placed in a thicket a short distance from
24:21
Speaker 1: the road, so as to be unobserved by anyone who
24:24
Speaker 1: might happen to pass. Hugh took his post close to
24:27
Speaker 1: the road, and an hour later Don Ramon and his
24:29
Speaker 1: son came up. The horses were at once brought out,
24:32
Speaker 1: and they mounted and rode off, Juan riding ahead to
24:34
Speaker 1: show the way. They maintained a fast pace for at
24:37
Speaker 1: one o'clock they were to meet the troops at the
24:39
Speaker 1: appointed place. They arrived a quarter of an hour before
24:42
Speaker 1: the time, and ten minutes after the hour heard the
24:44
Speaker 1: tramping of horses. The doctor was riding ahead and halted
24:47
Speaker 1: when he came up to the group. Has it all
24:49
Speaker 1: gone well, lightning, he asked, excellently, As far as we know,
24:54
Speaker 1: this is Lieutenant Mason, who was in command of the troops,
24:56
Speaker 1: The doctor said, as a figure rode forward, Lieutenant Mason,
24:59
Speaker 1: This this is Don Herman Perreles. You are punctual signor,
25:03
Speaker 1: the officer said, I have orders to place myself and
25:06
Speaker 1: my men entirely at your disposal. I think we had
25:09
Speaker 1: better have half an hour's halt before we go further.
25:12
Speaker 1: We have ridden fast, and you must have ridden faster
25:14
Speaker 1: as your guide told me. You were not to leave
25:16
Speaker 1: al Paso until eight o'clock, and I presume we have
25:19
Speaker 1: a good deal farther to go tonight, another twenty miles.
25:22
Speaker 1: The doctor said, the men will be getting higher and
25:25
Speaker 1: we shall want all her light. It will do no
25:27
Speaker 1: harm if we halt an our lieutenant and eat our
25:29
Speaker 1: supper while the horses are eating theirs. During the halt,
25:32
Speaker 1: the doctor had a long talk with one who came
25:34
Speaker 1: from this part of the country and knew it well.
25:37
Speaker 1: When they mounted, instead of riding through the town, they
25:39
Speaker 1: struck off by a bypath. Before they reached it. Three
25:42
Speaker 1: hours later, they were deep among the hills and then
25:44
Speaker 1: again halted after turning off from the track they had
25:47
Speaker 1: been following into a ravine. The girths were loosened and
25:50
Speaker 1: the horses allowed to graze, and the men, wrapping themselves
25:53
Speaker 1: in cloaks or blankets, were soon asleep, a sentry being
25:56
Speaker 1: placed at the entrance to the ravine. At ten o'clock,
25:59
Speaker 1: all were on their feet, Fires were lighted and breakfast cooked,
26:02
Speaker 1: and then following mountain paths. They rode until two in
26:05
Speaker 1: the afternoon, at which time they reached the valley from
26:08
Speaker 1: which the party had before made their way down to
26:10
Speaker 1: the wood near the ravine. At dusk they again mounted
26:13
Speaker 1: and rode onto the wood. They were met at the
26:16
Speaker 1: edge of the trees by sim Howett and Royce. I
26:19
Speaker 1: was expecting you tonight, boys, sim said, We looked out
26:22
Speaker 1: for you last night, but I didn't reckon as you
26:24
Speaker 1: could possibly do it. Have you any news of my daughters, Dahn,
26:27
Speaker 1: Ravon asked eagerly. Narry a word, sim replied, Bill and
26:31
Speaker 1: me have never had our eyes off the house from
26:33
Speaker 1: sun up to sundown. Lots of fellows have come and
26:36
Speaker 1: gone on horseback. Of course, we cannot answer for what
26:38
Speaker 1: has been done after nightfall, but we reckon. There's about
26:41
Speaker 1: thirty men there now, not counting those they may have
26:43
Speaker 1: in the village and the sentries down by the mouth
26:45
Speaker 1: of the valley. I calculate the best part of the
26:48
Speaker 1: gang is there now. The chiefs would like to keep
26:50
Speaker 1: them under their eye. They will think the only thing
26:53
Speaker 1: they have got to be afraid of is treachery. I
26:55
Speaker 1: suppose matters stand as they did when you left. Doc,
26:58
Speaker 1: just the same four and Don Carlos are to go
27:01
Speaker 1: on and get at the ladies. When we are in
27:03
Speaker 1: there safe, three pistol shots are to be the signal.
27:06
Speaker 1: Then Don Ramon and the soldiers are to come down
27:08
Speaker 1: and surround them. Don Ramon had been very anxious to
27:11
Speaker 1: accompany the party, but the doctor had positively refused to
27:15
Speaker 1: take him with them. It would add greatly to our risks,
27:18
Speaker 1: he said, and do no good. If we can get
27:20
Speaker 1: to your daughters, Don Ramon, we five can keep the
27:22
Speaker 1: fellows at bay until you come up easily enough. I
27:25
Speaker 1: believe we could thrash the lot, but it is no
27:27
Speaker 1: good taking chances. But anyhow we can keep them off.
27:31
Speaker 1: I would rather have gone without your son, But as
27:33
Speaker 1: Latnin has passed his word, there is nothing more to
27:35
Speaker 1: be said on a job like this. The fewer there are,
27:38
Speaker 1: the better each man. After the first pretty nearly doubles
27:41
Speaker 1: the risk. By this time the troopers had dismounted and
27:44
Speaker 1: fastened their horses to the trees. Meat that had been
27:47
Speaker 1: cooked in the morning, and biscuits were produced from their haversacks.
27:50
Speaker 1: When the meal had been eaten, the soldiers lit their
27:52
Speaker 1: pipes while their officer proceeded with Hugh and the others
27:54
Speaker 1: to the lower end of the wood and walked on
27:56
Speaker 1: to the head of the ravine. There are the lights,
27:59
Speaker 1: Hugh said, Ah, I see they have lighted a fire
28:02
Speaker 1: on the terrace. Bill, I expect they are pretty crowded
28:05
Speaker 1: in the house. Bill said, but they go in to sleep.
28:08
Speaker 1: Sim and I have been down near the house twice,
28:10
Speaker 1: and though we were not quite close, we were able
28:12
Speaker 1: to make pretty sure that except one sentry there and
28:14
Speaker 1: another at the gate, the rest all go in. How
28:18
Speaker 1: far are we to go down, the officer asked, Well,
28:21
Speaker 1: I would rather you did not go down at all.
28:23
Speaker 1: Sim Hallett said, you can get down there from here
28:26
Speaker 1: in ten minutes after you start, if you look spry.
28:28
Speaker 1: And I'm desperately afraid some of your men might make
28:30
Speaker 1: a noise which they would hear. Certain if everything was quiet,
28:34
Speaker 1: there is no fear of their being heard when the
28:35
Speaker 1: fire and once begins down there. But if one of
28:38
Speaker 1: them fell over a rock and his gun went off
28:40
Speaker 1: before we had done our part of the affair, there
28:42
Speaker 1: would be an end of the whole business. That is
28:45
Speaker 1: what I think. Sim the doctor agreed. We have said
28:48
Speaker 1: all along we might get the ladies out by ourselves.
28:51
Speaker 1: But again we mayn't be able to get them off
28:53
Speaker 1: at all, but we can defend them easy enough if
28:56
Speaker 1: we can get into their room. Five minutes won't make
28:58
Speaker 1: any difference about that, And it is everything to avoid
29:01
Speaker 1: the risk of noise until we get at them. If
29:03
Speaker 1: they discover us before we get there, we just fall
29:05
Speaker 1: back fighting. They will think that we are only a
29:08
Speaker 1: small party, and the ladies will be none the worse.
29:11
Speaker 1: If you think that is the best way, we must
29:13
Speaker 1: agree to it, Don Ramon said, But we shall have
29:15
Speaker 1: a terrible time until we get to you. Don't you
29:18
Speaker 1: be afeared? Sim Hallett said the doctor me. Lightning and
29:22
Speaker 1: Bill could pretty well wipe them out by ourselves. And
29:24
Speaker 1: we reckon on our six shooters a site more than
29:26
Speaker 1: we do on the soldiers. End of Chapter eighteen, read
29:30
Speaker 1: by Dorry Smith.