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The cracking of dead sticks, and the loud rustling among the bushes, told that he was pressing through the grove in headlong flight. These noises had ceased so, too, the echo of hoofs which for a while came back from the galloping horse of the cibolero. Where were they now zambo and cibolero? Had they fled from each other?
He not only would not fear an encounter with the cibolero, but would hardly shun one with the devil; and, as for his skill in all sorts of Indian craft, his reputation among his kind is even greater than that of Carlos himself." "Who is he?" "I should say there are two of them, for the two always go together; one is a mulatto, who has formerly been a slave among the Americanos.
There was another hypothesis that gained more credit than this. It was that Captain Roblado was the man whom the cibolero had desired to make a victim; that he was guided against him by motives of jealousy; for the conduct of Carlos on the day of the fiesta was well-known, and had been much ridiculed that, in failing to reach Roblado, he had quarrelled with the Comandante, and so forth.
It was but a plot on the part of the cowardly thieves to take from me my whole cargo, without daring to do so openly. Carajo! I am lost!" This last phrase was uttered in a tone that partook equally of anger and grief. The cibolero was certainly placed in an unpleasant situation. All his hopes lately running so high were crushed in a single moment.
He had already exhibited a skill in horsemanship of a superior kind, and to take part in this would be seeking a superfluous triumph. Such was in fact the feeling of Carlos. But the chagrined Comandante had other views. Captain Roblado as well for the latter had seen, or fancied he had seen, a strange expression in the eyes of Catalina at each fresh triumph of the cibolero.
They are rather common than otherwise some have even said universal. It was no zealous feeling of religion, then, that could have "set" the monk in such hostile attitude against the family of the poor cibolero. No. It was some old grudge against the deceased father, some cross which the padre had experienced from him in the days of the former Comandante.
Dry logs and branches were found among the underwood, and these were brought forward and heaped upon the pile, until the flames blazed up, illuming the glade to its very circumference. The huge pitahayas, gleaming in the red light, looked like columns of stone; and upon these the eyes of the cibolero were now turned.
Perhaps I may garnish the table with the ears of the cibolero. Ha! ha! ha!" And uttering a diabolical laugh, the ruffian took down his sabre and buckled the belt around his waist. He then armed himself with a pair of heavy pistols; and, after looking to the straps of his spurs, strode out of the room. It wanted but an hour of midnight.
"That the cibolero will shortly start for the Plains to be gone, perhaps, for several months, cutting up buffalo-beef, tricking the Indians, and such-like employments." "Ho! that's not so bad." "So you see, querido camarado, there's no need for violence in the matter. Have patience time enough for everything.
Improbable as was this conjecture, it had many supporters, in the absence of the true motive for the conduct of the cibolero. There were but four men within the Presidio to whom this was known, and only three outside of it. By the general public it was not even suspected. In one thing all agreed in condemning Carlos the cibolero.
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