"I am glad to a.s.sure you I believe every word you say; I forgot Captain Ramon Ortega, the brave officer and faultless gentleman, whose greatest good fortune is to come when he wins you."
"And his good fortune will be no greater than mine; but, Warrenia, to leave the most winsome of subjects for the most hateful, you will be safer at Zalapata with Major Jack, but neither of you will be secure until you are on the yacht and beyond reach of General Bambos, as well as of General Yozarro. I could almost advise you to wait here, and yet something whispers it will not do."
"But how am I to leave? It will not do to attempt the journey alone to Zalapata, and what way is there of sending word thither?"
"Why shall we not have our ponies brought up and ride direct to the capital? They are here already, with proper saddles. We can start tomorrow after breaking fast, and we should reach the capital by nightfall."
"Do you know the route?"
"As well as the walks around the old Seminary, where we spent the happiest days of our lives; I have gone over it many times in my girlhood and have done so since coming home."
"Neither of us carries any firearms and we must face danger."
"I was never in any danger, though I suppose there must be more or less of it. I shouldn"t like to meet a jaguar, tiger cat or zaratu, but we might do so without any harm coming to us."
"What of the serpents?"
"The big ones are near the streams and in the marshy country; we have a few coral snakes with their black heads and ringed bodies, but we are as safe from them without as with firearms. This part of the world is not so much infested as others. If I have no hesitation in making the venture should you feel any?"
"I do not; shall we take an escort?"
"It would seem we ought to do so, but I believe it best to have none."
"For what reason?"
"They would be soldiers of General Yozarro."
The significance of these words was not lost upon the other, who hastened to say:
"Let us go alone."
They sat communing until the night was far advanced. Their plans for the morrow may be summarized in what has been stated. Both believed that no special risk would be run in venturing upon a journey of something more than twenty miles by daylight, without firearms or escort. As a rule, strangers had little to fear in pa.s.sing through any section of either republic, and there were several native huts along the trail, where the Senorita had obtained refreshment and secured lodging on some of the journeys that were begun too late in the day to be completed before nightfall. Although she was always in the company of others, it was not on account of any misgiving or fear on her part.
Very rarely or never was a wheeled vehicle seen either in Zalapata or Atlamalco, and the connecting roads were naturally no more than simple trails; but all of these were so clearly marked that there was no cause for even a stranger losing his way. While the bifurcation of the river made the water communication between the republics more convenient, many preferred the overland journey. The ride through the craggy mountains, whose width may be roughly given as less than half a dozen miles, was romantic and easy enough when made on the back of a horse.
The strange, disturbing situation in which Miss Starland found herself kept her awake long after the gentle breathing of her friend at her side told her she was unconscious. The conditions were so singular and so alarming that at times she was mystified and doubted the wisdom of the course they had decided upon. She could not believe that the path was as free from danger as the Senorita supposed. None the less, she was resolved to make the venture. There was one comforting feature about it all: if they were followed and brought back under some pretext by the soldiers of General Yozarro, no unpleasant consequences would result therefrom to them. The man would be ready with some plausible justification of his course, but would be as effusive in his courtesy as ever. Finally the sorely troubled one slept.
Neither awoke until the sunlight streamed through the narrow windows, and then the two were roused by the knocking on the outer door, and the call of Juanita that she was waiting with their food. She was admitted and the meal on the broad silver tray was set on the stand in the middle of the apartment. Nothing could have been more appetizing, in that smothering climate, consisting as it did wholly of fruit, and delicious cocoa, including prepared rice, mandioc and ca.s.sava, the last being the most popular food in that part of the world.
Juanita having left the meal, courtesied, called down the blessings of the saints upon the visitors, and, a.s.suring them that it would be her happiness to come whenever wanted and to act the part of slave all her life to them, went away, and once more our friends were alone. The Senorita did not fasten the door, for there was no call to do so, and in due time, the two drew up their chairs and partook of the food with the zest of youth and health. There was abundance for both and they fully enjoyed it. By and by, Juanita returned and removed the remains of the repast.
Miss Starland walked to each of the narrow windows in turn and gazed out over the surrounding country. One of the openings gave a view of the Rio Rubio, as it wound to the eastward, until its reunion and onward flow to the Atlantic. She descried a catboat leaning far over and skimming up stream toward Atlamalco, and a canoe, in which were two natives, was observed, as one of the occupants swung his paddle like an American Indian and drove the tiny craft toward the northern sh.o.r.e. But as her vision roved up and down the river, she failed to see that for which she longed above everything else. The yacht which had brought her to this part of the world was still absent. In neither direction could she catch a glimpse of Atlamalco or Zalapata. The other window opened to the south, or toward the mountains, where the view had no interest for her.
As she had done before, she remarked upon the ma.s.siveness of the walls and the straightness of the window openings.
"They are so narrow that we could not force ourselves through."
"Our old buccaneer friend must have had them made thus on purpose.
Suppose some of those who hated him--which means all the others--should have become strong enough to clamber up the walls on the outside,--was it not well to make it impossible for them to enter the Castle?"
The matter, however, was of slight interest to our friends and they hurried their preparations for the journey. The Senorita donned her hat and led the way down the steps to the outside. To both it looked as if the number of guards had been increased during the night, for more than a dozen were in sight, without regarding those who had lain down to rest. The young women were saluted by all as they appeared, and the soldiers whom they recognized as their escort of the night before, came forward to learn their wishes.
"Carlos, the ponies that brought us here are still with you?"
"They are, Senorita."
"Have them saddled and brought out; we are to ride to Zalapata today, and wish to make an early start."
The man removed his hat, bowed and spoke with the utmost respect:
"I am grieved not to hasten to comply with your commands; but we have orders from General Yozarro that the Senoritas are to remain here till he comes, which will be in a few hours, I think. It fills my heart with sorrow, but as a soldier, the Senorita knows that no choice is left to me."
And this time, he made two obesiances,--one for each of the dumfounded young women.
CHAPTER XVIII.
The two looked at each other in speechless amaze. This was a direct interference with their personal freedom, the first either had known.
The Senorita was the first to find speech. Addressing the soldier, she said:
"You say this is the order of General Yozarro?"
"Were it not, I should not dare utter the words."
"What is his reason for the command?"
It was essentially a feminine question, but the soldier did not hesitate with the reply:
"War impends between Zalapata and Atlamalco; we are expecting at almost any hour an attack upon _Castillo Descanso_; the Senorita observes the armed force that has been placed here by General Yozarro; he cannot allow the Senoritas the danger of falling into the hands of the perfidious General Bambos and his barbarians."
It was on the tongue of Miss Starland to declare that she would prefer a hundred times that eventuality to remaining in charge of the Atlamalcans, but instead, her companion said what was in the minds of both:
"The order of General Yozarro may apply to me, but cannot apply to my friend who owes no allegiance to Atlamalco or Zalapata. She comes from the Great Republic of the North, and no one elsewhere has the right to say yea or nay to her."
"It distresses me very much, Senorita Estacardo, that special weight was laid by General Yozarro upon the order as affecting _la Americana_."
And looking toward the latter, he again removed his hat and bowed low, instead of contenting himself with the military salute that would have been the proper thing under the circ.u.mstances. The soldier was above the ordinary native in intelligence.
His words showed the futility of further argument. Without a word, but throwing back her head with a scornful gesture, the Senorita nodded to her friend to accompany her back into the gloomy building. Silently and slowly the two went up the sloping stone steps and re-entered the room which they had left a few minutes before. The Senorita locked the door and the two faced each other.
"What do you make of it, Manuela?"
"Only one thing can be made of it; it is as I said; General Yozarro is determined you shall remain here for some time to come and he gives no more thought to the foolhardiness of his action than if he were a child too young to walk."
"What of the story of a war between the republics?"