CHAPTER XI.
MATTERS RELATING TO THE REPUBLIC.
After breakfast I bade a reluctant good-bye to my kind entertainers, took a last longing lingering look at lovely Margarita, and mounted my horse. Scarcely was I in the saddle before Marcos Marcó, who was also about to resume his journey on the fresh horse he had borrowed, remarked—
"You are travelling to Montevideo, good friend; I am also going in that direction, and will take you the shortest way."
"The road will show me the way," I rejoined curtly.
"The road," he said, "is like a lawsuit; round about, full of puddles and pitfalls, and long to travel. It is only meant to be used by old blind men and drivers of bullock-carts."
I hesitated about accepting the guidance of this strange fellow, who appeared to have a ready wit under his heavy slouching exterior. The mixed contempt and humility in his speech every time he addressed me gave me an uncomfortable sensation; then his poverty-stricken appearance and his furtive glances filled me with suspicion. I looked at my host, who was standing near, thinking to take my cue from the expression of his face; but it was only a stolid Oriental face that revealed nothing. An ancient rule in whist is to play trumps when in doubt; now my rule of action is, When two courses are open to me and I am in doubt, to take the bolder course. Acting on this principle I determined to go with Marcos, and accordingly we rode forth together.
My guide soon struck away across country, leading me wide of the public road, through such lonely places that I at length began to suspect him of some sinister design against my person, since I had no property worth taking. Presently he surprised me by saying—"You were right, my young friend, in casting away idle fears when you accepted my company. Why do you let them return to trouble your peace? Men of your blood have never inflicted injuries on me that cry out for vengeance. Can I make myself young again by shedding your life, or would there be any profit in changing these rags I now wear for your garments, which are also dusty and frayed? No, no, sir Englishman, this dress of patience and suffering and exile, my covering by day and my bed by night, must soon be changed for brighter garments than you are wearing."
This speech relieved me very sensibly, and I smiled at the poor devil's ambitious dream of wearing a soldier's greasy red jacket; for I supposed that that was what his words meant. Still, his "shortest way" to Montevideo continued to puzzle me considerably. For two or three hours we had been riding nearly parallel to a range of hills, or cuchilla, extending away on our left hand towards the south-east. But we were gradually drawing nearer to it, and apparently going purposely out of our way only to traverse a most lonely and difficult country. The few estanciahouses we passed, perched on the highest points of the great sweep of moor-like country on our right, appeared to be very far away. Where we rode there were no habitations, not even a shepherd's hovel; the dry stony soil was thinly covered with a forest of dwarf thorn trees, and a scanty pasturage burnt to a rust-brown colour by the summer heats; and out of this arid region rose the hills, their brown woodless sides looking strangely gaunt and desolate in the fierce noon-day sun.
Pointing to the open country on our right, where the blue gleam of a river was visible, I said—"My friend, I assure you, I fear nothing, but I cannot understand why you keep near these hills when the valley over there would have been pleasanter for ourselves, and easier for our horses."
"I do nothing without a reason," he said, with a strange smile. "The water you see over there is the Rio de las Canas (River of grey hairs), and those who go down into its valley grow old before their time."
Occasionally talking, but oftener silent, we jogged on till about three o'clock in the afternoon, when suddenly as we were skirting a patch of scraggy woodland, a troop of six armed men emerged from it, and wheeling about came directly towards us. A glance was enough to tell us that they were soldiers or mounted policemen, scouring the country in search of recruits, or, in other words, of deserters, skulking criminals and vagabonds of all descriptions. I had nothing to fear from them, but an exclamation of rage escaped my companion's lips, and turning towards him I perceived that he had turned as white as ashes. I laughed, for revenge is sweet, and I still smarted a little at his contemptuous treatment of me earlier in the day.
"Is your fear so great?" I said.
"You do not know what you say, boy!" he returned fiercely. " When you have passed through as much hell-fire as I have and have rested as sweetly with a corpse for a pillow, you will learn to curb your impertinent tongue when you address a man."
An angry retort was on my lips, but a glance at his face prevented me from uttering it—it was, in its expression, the face of a wild animal worried by dogs.
In another moment the men had cantered up to us, and one, their commander, addressing me, asked to see my passport.
"I carry no passport," I replied. "My nationality is a sufficient protection, for I am an Englishman as you can see."
"We have only your word for that," said the man. "There is an English consul in the capital, who provides English subjects with passports for their protection in this country. If you have not got one you must suffer for it, and no one but yourself is to blame. I see in you only a young man complete in all his members, and of such the republic is in need. You must go with us."
"I shall do nothing of the sort," I returned.
"Do not say such things, master," said Marcos, astonishing me very much with the change in his tone and manner. "You know I warned you a month ago that it was imprudent to leave Moutevideo without passports. This officer is only obeying the orders he has received; still he might see that we are only what we represent ourselves to be."
"Oh!" exclaimed the officer, turning to Marcos, "you are also an Englishman unprovided with a passport, I suppose? You might at least have supplied yourself with a couple of blue crockery eyes and a yellow beard for your greater safety."
"I am only a poor son of the soil," said Marcos meekly. "This young Englishman is looking for an estancia to buy, and I came as his attendant from the capital. We were very careless not to get our passports before starting."
"Then, of course, this young man has plenty of money in his pocket?" said the officer.
I did not relish the lies Marcos had taken upon himself to tell about me, but did not quite know what the consequences of contradicting them might be. I therefore replied that I was not so foolish as to travel in a country like the Banda Oriental with money on my person. "To pay for bread and cheese till I reach my destination is about as much as I have," I added.
"The government of this country is a generous one," said the officer sarcastically, "and will pay for all the bread and cheese you will require. You must now come with me to the Juzgado de las Cuevas both of you."
Seeing no help for it, we accompanied our captors at a swinging gallop over a rough undulating country, and in about an hour and a half reached Las Cuevas, a dirty miserable-looking little village, composed of a few ranchos built round a large Plaza overgrown with weeds. On one side stood the church, on the other a square stone building with a flag-staff before it. This was the official building of the Juez de Paz, or rural magistrate: Just now, however, it was closed, and with no sign or life about it except an old dead-and-alive looking man sitting against the closed door, with his bare mahogany-coloured legs stretched out in the hot sunshine.
"This is a very fine thing!" exclaimed the officer with a curse. "I feel very much inclined to let the men go."
"You will lose nothing by doing so except, perhaps, a headache," said Marcos.
"Hold your tongue till your advice 1s asked!" retorted the officer, thoroughly out of temper.
"Lock them up in the calaboso till the Juez comes to-morrow, Lieutenant," suggested the old man by the door, and speaking through a bushy white beard and a cloud of tobacco smoke.
"Do you not know that the door is broken, old fool!" said the officer. " Lock them up! Here I am neglecting my own affairs to serve the state, and this is how I am treated. We must now take them to the Juez at his own house and let him look after them. Come on, boys."
We were then conducted out of Las Cuevas to a distance of about two miles, where the señor Juez resided in the bosom of his family. His private residence was a very dirty neglected-looking estancia-house with a great many dogs, fowls, and children about. We dismounted and were immediately taken into a large room, where the magistrate sat at a table on which lay a great number of papers—goodness knows what they were about. The Juez was a little hatchet-faced man, with bristly grey whiskers, standing out like a cat's moustache, and angry eyes,—or, rather, with one angry eye, for over the other a cotton handkerchief was tied. No sooner had we all entered than a hen, leading a brood of a dozen half-grown chickens, rushed into the room after us, the chickens instantly distributing themselves about the floor in quest of crumbs, while the mother, more ambitious, flew on the table, scattering the papers right and left with the wind she created.
"A thousand demons take the fowls cried the Juez, starting up in a fury. "Man, go and bring your mistress here this instant. I command her to come."
This order was obeyed by the person who had ushered us in, a greasy-looking swarthy-faced individual, in threadbare military clothes: and in two or three minutes he returned followed by a very fat slatternly woman, looking very good-tempered however, and who immediately subsided, quite exhausted, into a chair.
"What is it, Fernando?" she panted.
"What is it! How can you have the courage to ask such a question, Toribia? Look at the confusion your pestilent fowls are creating amongst my papers—papers that concern the safety of the republic! Woman, what measures are you going to take to stop this before I have your fowls all killed on the spot?"
"What can I do, Fernando—they are hungry, I suppose. I thought you wanted to ask my advice about these prisoners—poor fellows! and here you are with your hens."
Her placid manner acted like oil on the fire of his wrath. He stormed about the room, kicking over chairs and hurling rulers and paper-weights at the birds, apparently with the most deadly intentions, but with shockingly bad aim; shouting, shaking his fist at his wife, and even threatening to commit her for contempt of Court when she laughed. At last, after a great deal of trouble, the fowls were all got out, and the servant placed to guard the door with strict orders to decapitate the first chicken that should attempt to enter and disturb the proceedings.
Order being restored, the Juez lit a cigarette and began to smooth his ruffled feathers. "Proceed," he said to the officer, from his seat at the table.
"Sir," said the officer, "in pursuance of my duty I have taken in charge these two strangers, who are unprovided with passports or documents of any description to corroborate their statements. According to their story, the young man is an English millionaire going about the country buying up estates, while the other man is his servant. There are twenty-five reasons for disbelieving their story, but I have not sufficient time to impart them to you now. Having found the doors of the Juzgado closed I have brought these men here with great inconvenience to myself; and I am now only waiting to have this business dispatched without further delay, so that I may have a little time left to devote to my private affairs."
"Address not me in this imperative manner, sir officer!" exclaimed the Juez, his anger blazing out afresh. "Do you imagine, sir, that I have no private interests; that the state feeds and clothes my wife and children? No, sir, I am the servant of the republic, not the slave; and I beg to remind you that official business must be transacted during the proper hours and at the proper place."
"Sir Juez," said the officer, "it is my opinion that a civil magistrate ought never to have any part in matters which more properly come under the military authorities. However, since these matters are differently arranged, and I am compelled to come with my reports to you in the first place, I am only here to know, without entering into any discussion concerning your position in the republic, what is to be done with these two prisoners I have brought before you."
"Do with them! Send them to the devil! cut their throats; let them go; do what you like, since you are responsible, not I. And be sure, sir officer, I shall not fail to report your insubordinate language to your superiors."
"Your threats do not alarm me," said the officer; "for one cannot be guilty of insubordination towards a person he is not bound to obey. And now, sirs," he added, turning to us, "I have been advised to release you; you are free to continue your journey."
Marcos rose with alacrity.
"Man, sit down!" yelled the irate magistrate, and poor Marcos looking very crestfallen sat down again. "Sir Lieutenant, continued the fierce old man, "you are dismissed from further attendance here. The republic you profess to serve will, I have no doubt, be able to maintain its existence without your valuable aid. Go, sir, to attend to your private affairs, and leave your men here to execute my commands."
The officer rose, and having made a profound and sarcastic bow, turned on his heel and left the room.
"Take these two prisoners to the stocks," continued the little despot. "I will listen to them to-morrow."
Marcos was first marched out of the room by two of the soldiers; for it happened that an out-house on the place was provided with the usual wooden arrangement to make captives secure for the night. But when the other men took me by the arms, I recovered from the astonishment the magistrate's order had given me, and shook them roughly aside. "Señor Juez," I said, addressing him, "let me beg you to consider what you are doing. Surely my accent is enough to satisfy any reasonable person that I am not a native of this country. I am willing to remain in your custody, or to go wherever you like to send me; but I will let myself be torn to pieces before submitting to the indignity of the stocks. If you maltreat me in any way, I warn you that the government you serve will only censure, and perhaps ruin you, for your imprudent zeal."
Before he could reply, his fat spouse, who had apparently taken a great fancy to me, interposed on my behalf and persuaded the little savage to spare me.
"Very well," he said, "consider yourself a guest in my house for the present; if you are telling the truth about yourself, a day's detention cannot hurt you."
I was then conducted by my kind intercessor into the kitchen, where we all sat down to partake of maté and talk ourselves into good humour.
I began to feel rather sorry for poor Marcos, for even a worthless vagabond, such as he appeared to be, becomes an object of compassion when misfortune overtakes him, and I asked permission to see him. This was readily granted. I found him confined in a large empty room built apart from the house; he had been provided with a maté-cup and a kettle of hot water, and was sipping his bitter beverage with an air of stoical indifference. His legs confined in the stocks were thrust straight out before him; but I suppose he was accustomed to uncomfortable positions, for he did not seem to mind it much. After sympathising with him in a general way, I asked him whether he could really sleep in that position.
"No," he replied with indifference. "But do you know I do not mind about being taken. They will send me to the comandancia, I suppose, and after a few days liberate me. I am a good workman on horseback, and there will not be wanting some estanciero in need of hands to get me out. Will you do me one small service, friend, before you go to your bed?"
"Yes, certainly, if I can," I answered.
He laughed slightly and looked at me with a strange keen glitter in his eyes; then taking my hand he gave it a powerful grip. "No, no, my friend, I am not going to trouble you to do anything for me," he said. "I have the devil's temper, and to-day, in a moment of rage, I insulted you. It therefore surprised me when you came here and spoke kindly to me. I desired to know whether that feeling was only on the surface; for, as a rule, the men I meet with are like horned cattle. When one falls, his companions of the pasture-ground remember only his past offences and make haste to gore him."
His manner surprised me; he did not now seem like the Marcos Marcó I had travelled with that day. Touched with his words, I sat down on the stocks facing him and begged him to tell me what I could do for him.
"Well, friend," said he, "you see the stocks are fastened with a padlock; if you will get the key and take me out I will sleep well; then in the morning before the old oneeyed lunatic is up, you can come and turn the key in the lock again. Nobody will be the wiser.
"And you are not thinking of escaping?" I said.
"I have not even the faintest wish to escape," he replied.
"You could not escape if you wished," I said, "for the room would be locked, of course. But if I were disposed to do what you ask, how could I get the key?"
"That is an easy matter," said Marcos. "Ask the good señora to let you have it. Did I not notice her eyes dwelling lovingly on your face—for, doubtless, you reminded her of some absent relative, a favourite nephew, perhaps. She would not deny you anything in reason; and a kindness, friend, even to the poorest man, is never thrown away."
"I will think about it," I said, and shortly after that I left him.
It was a sultry evening, and the close smoky atmosphere of the kitchen becoming unendurable, I went out and sat down on a log of wood out of doors. Here the old Juez, in his character of amiable host, came and discoursed for half an hour on lofty matters relating to the republic. Presently his wife came out, and, declaring that the evening air would have an injurious effect on his inflamed eye, persuaded him to go indoors. Then she subsided into a place at my side, and began to talk about Fernando's dreadful temper and the many cares of her life.
"What a very serious young man you are!" she remarked, changing her tone somewhat abruptly. "Do you keep all your gay and pleasant speeches for the young and pretty señoritas?"
"Ah, señora, you are yourself young and beautiful in my eyes," I replied; "but I have no heart to be gay when my poor fellow-traveller is fastened in the stocks, where your cruel husband would also have confined me but fer your timely intervention. You are so kind-hearted, cannot you have his poor tired legs taken out in order that he may also rest properly to-night?"
"Ah, little friend," she returned, "I could not attempt such a thing. Fernando is a monster of cruelty, and would immediately put out my eyes without remorse. Poor me, what I have to endure!"—and here she placed her fat hand on mine.
I drew my hand away somewhat coldly; a born diplomatist could not have managed the thing better.
"Madam," I said, "you are amusing yourself at my expense. When you have done me a great favour, will you now deny me this small thing? If your husband is so terrible a despot, surely you can do this without letting him know! Let me get my poor Marcos out of the stocks, and I give you my word of honour that the Juez will never hear of it, for I will be up early to turn the key in the lock before he is out of his bed."
"And what will my reward be?" she asked, again putting her hand on mine.
"The deep gratitude and devotion of my heart," I returned, this time without withdrawing my hand.
"Can I refuse anything to my sweet boy?" said she. "After supper I shall slip the key into your hand; I am going now to get it from his room. Before Fernando retires, ask to see your Marcos, to take him a rug, or some tobacco or something; and do not let the servant see what you do, for he will be at the door waiting to lock it when you come out."
After supper the promised key was secretly conveyed to me, and I had not the least difficulty in liberating my friend in misfortune. Luckily the man who took me to Marcos left us alone for some time, and I related my conversation with the fat woman.
He jumped up, and, seizing my hand, wrung it till I almost screamed with pain.
"My good friend," he said, "you have a noble, generous soul, and have done me the greatest service it is possible for one man to render to another. You have, in fact, now placed me in a position to—enjoy my night's rest. Good night, and may Heaven's angels put it in my power to reward you at some future time!"
The fellow was overdoing it a little, I thought; then, when I had seen him safely locked up for the night, I walked back to the kitchen slowly and very thoughtfully.