"Trust yourself to us," said Teotlili. "We know the ground well, and are accustomed to moving in the dark. Now, let us run, my lord, for in a little while the enemy will discover the ruse, and will come after us."
They set off at a run, but had gone only a little way before shouts in front told that the enemy were there also.
"This way, my lord," whispered Teotlili. "Now, come at your swiftest pace. Ah, our friends are doing their work well, and will give us a little time, perhaps. We must make the most of their help."
By now the town of Tlascala and its surroundings was in an uproar, the first shot from the arquebus having been followed by a fusillade, and afterwards by dropping shots which were aimed haphazard into the crowd.
Then shouts resounded from every side, Spanish and English and the Aztec tongues being mixed. Indeed, the combatants were all close together, hardly knowing where were friends or foes. But thanks to the care which Teotlili and his men had taken to get their bearings, the parties were able to make off in the darkness, and with the exception of a few meetings with the enemy, who were easily brushed aside, contrived to get away from the town.
"The horse!" said Teotlili, when he and Roger, with Tamba close behind, and their escort of natives had gone some little way; "I heard their trumpet-call, and there is the neigh of the animals. If they follow we shall be overtaken, for these strange animals travel quickly."
"On smooth ground," gasped Roger. "But we will lead on to rough ground if they come in our direction. Is there not a wood somewhere near?"
"There is a big one a mile from this," was the answer. "We shall be there in a little while."
"Then let us go at our fastest pace," cried Roger. "Once within the wood we can defy them."
After that there was silence, the men running as swiftly as possible.
Indeed, they could have gone even faster had it not been for the white friend whom they escorted. For though Roger"s recent experiences had sharpened his powers of perception, he was no match for these Aztecs, who seemed to be able to find their way about as well by night as during the day. They avoided obstacles over which our hero would have stumbled, and many a time did Teotlili and Tamba, with a word or a touch on the arm, draw him to one side in time to escape a fall.
"My lord is different," whispered Tamba, as if to excuse his interference. "We, who are forest bred, or used to travel at night, see where he cannot see. Press on, and we will look to your safety. I hear the hors.e.m.e.n."
There was no doubt that the Spanish hors.e.m.e.n had saddled and galloped after the group which included their last prisoner, he who was to be hanged on the following morning, and probably their allies had been able to put them on that track. They came at a quick trot now, and Roger could distinctly hear the jingle of their accoutrements, and the stamping of the horses" feet, for the cavalry wisely kept to the road.
Soon, however, they were forced to move from it, for the line of flight taken by Teotlili and his men led across country. A little later he turned to Roger with a cry of relief.
"The wood," he said. "It extends for some miles, and then opens into a bare country. Shall we make through it in the direction of Mexico?"
"And be caught at the other end," answered Roger, gasping for breath after the long run. "Let us reach its shelter first, and then we can decide."
A few minutes later the trees shadowed them, and they crept amongst the trunks, the n.o.ble leading the way till the whole band had disappeared into the forest. Then he halted, the same curious sound came from his lips, and the party came to a stop, all throwing themselves on the ground.
"We are safe for a time," he said, coming to Roger"s side, where the latter had thrown himself on the gra.s.s. "This wood extends some miles in the direction of Mexico, as I have already said, and if we push on we shall reach the farthest fringe before the dawn comes. Shall we do that, or have you better counsel to give?"
Roger thought for a little while before he ventured to answer.
"The wood extends some miles," he said at length. "Then the hors.e.m.e.n could not surround the whole?"
"But the footmen could. They have allies sufficient to cover every foot of the ground, my lord."
"At Tlascala they have," answered Roger, coolly, while he still gasped for breath. "They have the allies there in abundance, we all know. But the hors.e.m.e.n will arrive alone, and it will be long before the footmen follow. Will they not rather chase the other parties, leaving us to the Spanish horse?"
The question was an important one, and Teotlili was quick to decide it.
"I cannot say for certain," he said; "but it is more than likely that the hors.e.m.e.n alone are in chase. Give me a little while, and I can speak with full knowledge."
He rose to his feet and strode across to the men, all of whom were seated listening, and none showing much sign of distress, for these Aztecs were always in wonderful condition. Then he gave an order, and a dozen of the natives rose and disappeared from view.
"They will be back before long," said Teotlili, "and they will be able to say for certain if the hors.e.m.e.n are alone. If they are, what do you propose?"
That too was a difficult question to answer, and for a little longer Roger lay on the gra.s.s, his head buried in his hands. Suddenly he turned to Teotlili.
"Have the men the courage to attack the hors.e.m.e.n?" he asked. "You are sure of that?" he went on, as Teotlili gave him an emphatic reply. "Then I have a little plan. These hors.e.m.e.n will be here within a little while, and much will depend on their captain"s discretion. But if he hears us in the wood it is likely that he will dismount his men and send them in, leaving a small escort to guard the horses. Then this is the way in which we will act. When we hear the horses we will creep towards them, and then will induce the men to enter by breaking branches, and making so much noise as to lead them to think that we are forcing our way through the forest. If we hear the order given to dismount, we will creep to the very edge of the wood, while a dozen of our men will go on as before, luring the Spaniards in. Once they have gone some hundred paces we will attack the escort, kill them and scatter the horses. Then, don"t you see, these hors.e.m.e.n will be no better than ourselves."
"They will be dismounted, and they will be in the forest, where we could kill every man easily," said Teotlili, with an exclamation of delight.
"But we have no time for that. We must lure them in, and then escape. I will give the necessary instructions, and we will be ready to make for the edge of the wood as soon as we hear the enemy."
A little later the dull tramp of horses was heard, and one of the scouts came back with the information that the cavalry were close at hand, picking their way carefully over the rough ground. A few seconds later another came to Teotlili with the report that the hors.e.m.e.n were entirely alone, and that none of the native allies could be seen or heard.
"Then we can move," said the n.o.ble. "The hors.e.m.e.n are coming towards us from this side, and if we creep to the edge of the wood we shall be near enough to make an attack. Come, my lord, I will lead you as before."
"And I will give the signal for the attack and will head the men,"
whispered Roger. "Let them shout at my signal and rush out. There must be no delay. Warn them not to be frightened of the horses; they are nervous beasts which can be easily managed."
All was now silence in the forest, and as they crept to the edge, the edge by which they had come, voices in the distance could be heard, and of a sudden there was a loud command.
"These Mexicans seem to have sunk out of sight, doubtless in the forest.
Halt! Now listen!"
"Stop!" called out Roger, softly, and at his voice all came to a halt.
"Now, if only our men will begin to make as much commotion as possible, our plan may act."
"They will begin within a minute," whispered Teotlili. "I will send a man back to them."
It was wonderful the manner in which these Aztecs obeyed his orders.
All, in fact, seemed to possess unusual intelligence, and it wanted only a few words of explanation to send them on some special mission. And so Teotlili had hardly spoken before a man was running swiftly back to the twelve comrades who had been left farther in. Then came the crash of breaking branches, and the noise which would be made by a band of men escaping blindly through a wood at night, escaping at such a pace, and so fearfully, that they did not look where they went, and took no precaution to avoid noise.
"Ha! the dogs make sounds which are as easy to follow as a bell!"
exclaimed the same Spanish voice. "We will after them. Dismount. Now, let a dozen mount guard over the horses. The remainder follow me into the forest."
Again there was the jingle of spur and lance, the clatter of men"s boots on rocky ground. Horses neighed, and many kicked, so that other sounds were almost drowned. Not those, however, from the depths of the forest.
The crash of branches could still be heard, though dying away gradually.
"They are increasing their distance. Will you men take hours to dismount? Come, hasten, and let us get after them," shouted the eager commander of the Spaniards. "Now, all follow me, and we will take this Englishman, and kill those who have helped in his escape."
There was a babel of shouts. Men bellowed at one another as they swung themselves from their saddles. Then, showing considerable confusion in the darkness, the Spaniards managed to select a guard for their horses, while the greater number followed their commander towards the forest.
When they had arrived at the edge, they halted to let stragglers come up with them, and then dived into the dense shadow of the trees, pa.s.sing within a few feet of the spot where Roger and his friends lay. But the Spaniards never suspected their presence there. Their attention was wholly occupied by the shouts ahead, and by the noise of men forcing a way through the underwood. They plunged on recklessly, and soon became separated, shouting loudly to one another so as to keep in touch. The moment had come for action. The Aztecs, who were helpless against hors.e.m.e.n in the open, and, indeed, feared even a handful, could easily outstrip any Spaniard if he were dismounted, and they now prepared to carry out the bold attempt planned by Roger. They crept from the shadows till the stamping of the horses told that they were near at hand. Then Roger rose to his full height, and drew his sword from his belt.
"Charge!" he shouted. "Cut them down, and then collect again. Follow me!"
He ran forward towards the spot where the horses were stationed, and threw himself upon the Spaniards, a dozen of whom were gathered there.
An arquebus flashed in his face, and the contents roared past his ear, but he never paused till he had come to close quarters.
"Throw down your arms and surrender!" he shouted. Then, seeing that the Spaniards meant to fight, he parried a blow aimed at him, and, raising his sword, struck the Spaniard over the head with such force that the man fell to the ground like a log. Then he engaged another, and was gradually driving him backward, when a dark figure leapt on the man from behind and dragged him to the earth. A moment later Tamba rose to his feet, dagger in hand, while the scuffling which had been going on all round suddenly ceased.
"That is the last, master," he said. "Listen to the men in the forest."
"Time to be moving away," said Roger, calmly. "Collect the men. Where is Teotlili?"
"Here," came the answer from close at hand. "I had to fight fiercely. I thought the man was dead, but he struggled for long, and held me. He is silent now. What are my lord"s orders?"