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"Look here, Jack," said he at length, "we can easily settle this affair. If Montilla is innocent, there's no harm done; if he's guilty well, better for one to suffer than thousands." "What do you propose?" "To waylay this Lureña. He is almost certain to have papers on him which will tell all we wish to know." "I can't do it, José.
"Do you mean the fellow with the pretty daughter?" some one asked. "Yes. I respect the girl. She is an out-and-out Royalist, and makes no attempt to deny it; but the old man is a schemer he runs with the hare and hunts with the hounds." "Don't vent your opinion too freely, my boy; Montilla has powerful influence in high quarters."
"Shall I tell you who these men were?" asked Sorillo. "One is Don Eduardo Crawford; the others stand here," and he pointed to the prisoners. "Listen to your accomplice, Felipe Montilla, if you care to hear the story repeated." Again Lureña gave his evidence glibly. I think he had no sense of shame, but only a strong desire to save his life.
"He is still serving against the Royalists, but his band has sadly diminished. He came here secretly one night, and informed me of your attempt to rescue Montilla. I think he was very angry; but he said it was a daring act, and almost successful. However, he bears no malice, and is as ready as ever to stand your friend."
It is through Lureña we get our information of the enemy's doings! No doubt Montilla employs him as a spy." "Then why was he so put out at meeting with us?" "Well, naturally he would not want his secret known." My father's idea was feasible enough, but it did not altogether satisfy me; yet what could I do? If Montilla were playing false, I seemed almost as guilty in not denouncing him.
On the very morning after my flight from Lima, a servant of the government paid my mother a visit of official importance. He brought with him a notable document full of curious legal phrases, which, put in simple language, meant that all my father's vast estates had been confiscated and given over to that loyal and worthy Spaniard Don Felipe Montilla.
The fellow admitted being a Royalist spy employed in carrying messages between General Canterac and Montilla. The Don, he declared, had procured him the pass signed by Riva-Aguero, and had given him the letter now in the guerilla chief's possession.
Then we waited in silence for the coming of Lureña, feeling confident that he would not leave the house till the night was far spent. This adventure was not to my liking, and I could only hope that in some way my presence might be of use to Montilla. Somehow I had not the slightest hope of my father's idea proving right.
As it chanced, however, his victim did not die, but his estates were confiscated and given to the man who had betrayed him." The speaker stopped. All was still; save for the leaping waters of the torrent, no sound was to be heard. I glanced at Montilla: he was deathly pale, and on his forehead stood great beads of perspiration, which, with his bound hands, he was unable to wipe away.
"What a time it is since I've had a smoke!" In Spain the giving and accepting of a cigar establishes bonds of hospitality similar to those founded in Eastern countries on the partaking of bread and salt. My friend turned out more talkative than I had hoped. However, though he claimed to belong to the partido of Montilla, he seemed very ill-informed about the country.
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