Louise! tell me the truth! From what I have this night seen, more than from your own words, I know that you love this man. Has he taken advantage of your your-unfortunate passion?
Louise assured him that Maurice was too noble for that and was completely innocent.
Why oh! brother! why did you insult him?
Have I done so?
You have, Henry rudely, grossly.
I shall go after, and apologise. If you speak truly, sister, I owe him that much. I shall go this instant. I liked him from the first you know I did? I could not believe him capable of a cowardly act. I cannot rest till I have made reparation for my rudeness.
So spoke the forgiving brother; and gently leading his sister by the hand, he hastily returned to the hacienda intending to go after the young Irishman, and apologise for the use of words that, under the circumstances, might have been considered excusable.
As the two disappeared within the doorway, a third figure, hitherto crouching among the shrubbery, was seen to rise erect, and follow them up the stone steps. This last was their cousin, Cassius Calhoun.
He, too, had thoughts of going after the mustanger.
I wonder, muttered Cassius Calhoun, whether he is in earnest?[38] Going after to apologise to the man who has made a fool of his sister! Ha-ha! It would be a good joke were it not too serious to be laughed at.
Just as Calhoun turned his eye upon the door of the stable, his cousin Henry coming from the inside pushed it wide open; and then stepped over the threshold, with a saddled horse following close after him.
Fool! So youve let him off? spitefully muttered the ex-captain, as the other came within whispering distance. Give me back my bowie and pistol. Theyre not toys suited to such delicate fingers as yours! Where are you going?
After Maurice the mustanger to apologise to him for my misconduct.
The young gentleman sprang to his saddle; and rode hurriedly away.
Calhoun stood upon the stones, till the footfall of the horse became but faintly distinguishable in the distance.
Then, as if acting under some sudden impulse, he hurried along the verandah to his own room; reappeared in a rough overcoat; crossed back to the stable; came out with his own horse saddled and bridled; led the animal along the pavement, and once outside upon the turf, sprang upon his back, and rode rapidly away.
For a mile or more he followed the same road, that had been taken by Henry Poindexter. It could not have been with any idea of overtaking the latter: proceeding at a slower pace, Calhoun did not ride as if he cared about catching up with his cousin. He had taken the up-river road.
A chance still left, muttered he, a good one, though not so cheap as the other. It will cost me a thousand dollars. What of that, so long as I get rid of this Irish curse, who has poisoned every hour of my existence! If true to his promise, he takes the route to his home by an early hour in the morning. Theres yet time for the Coyote to get before him on the road! I know that. He spoke of his hut upon the Alamo. Thats the name of the creek where we had our picnic. The Mexican must know the place, or the trail leading to it.
On the same night that witnessed the tender and stormy scenes in the garden of Casa del Corvo, three travellers made the crossing of the plain that stretches south-westward from the banks of the Leona River.
The foremost of these nocturnal travellers seemed absorbed in some thought, sufficiently engrossing to render him unobservant of outward objects. Leaving his horse to its own guidance, he rode tranquilly over the prairie, till lost to view through the dimness of the light.
Almost on the instant of his disappearance a second horseman spurred out from the suburbs of the village; and proceeded along the same path. He appeared intent on overtaking someone. It might be the individual whose form had just faded out of sight?
This was all the more probable from the style of his equitation at short intervals he bent forward in his saddle, and scanned the horizon before him.
He also disappeared from view exactly at the same point, where his precursor had ceased to be visible.
Just at that very instant a third horseman rode forth from the outskirts of the little Texan town. He was proceeding at a slow pace. But his manner betokened a state of mind far from tranquil.
At intervals he would slue himself round in the stirrups and scan the track over which he had passed; all the while listening, as though he expected to hear some one who should be coming after him.
An hour later, and at a point of the prairie ten miles farther from Fort Inge, the relative positions of the three travellers had undergone a considerable change.
The foremost was just entering into a sort of alley or gap in the chapparal forest; which here extended right and left across the plain, far as the eye could trace it.
Though he saw not him, he was seen by the cavalier in the cloak, following upon the same track, and now scarce half a mile behind.
The latter, on beholding him, gave utterance to a slight exclamation. It was joyful, nevertheless; as if he was gratified by the prospect of at length overtaking the individual whom he had been for ten miles so earnestly pursuing.
Without hesitation, he rode after.
It was a longer interval before the third and hindmost of the horsemen approached the pass that led through the chapparal; but instead of riding into it, as the others had done, he turned off at an angle towards the edge of the wood; and, after leaving his horse among the trees, crossed a corner of the thicket, and came out into the opening on foot.
An hour elapsed, during which the nocturnal voices of the chapparal had kept up their choral cries by a thousand stereotyped repetitions.
Then there came an interruption; abrupt in its commencement, and of long continuance. It was the report of a gun, quick, sharp, and clear. But no other sound succeeded the shot neither the groan of a wounded man, nor the scream of a stricken animal.
1) Why did Calhoun awaken Henry?
2) What did Henry do when he saw Louise and Maurice together? What did Calhoun want him to do?
3) How did Louise and Maurice behave when Henry appeared?
4) Why did Henry want to overtake the mustanger?
5) Where did Calhoun go after the scene in the garden?
6) Who were the three horsemen?
Chapter Eleven
The planters family assembled in the sala were about to begin breakfast, when it was discovered that one of its members was missing.
Henry was the absent one.
Very strange Henry not being here to his breakfast! Where can the boy be? asked his father, for the fourth time, in that tone of mild conjecture that scarce calls for reply.
None was made by either of the other two guests at the table.
Surely he is not in bed till this hour? No-no he never lies so late. He may be in his room? It is just possible. Pluto!
He called Pluto, the sable coachee, and ordered him to go to Henrys sleeping-room and, if he was there, tell him they were half through with breakfast.
Hes not there, Master Woodley.
You have been to his room?
I havent been to the room itself; but Ive been to the stable, to look after Master Henrys horse. That old horse is not there; nor hasnt been all of this morning. No horse there, no saddle, no bridle; and of course no Master Henry.
It dont follow that Master Henry himself is not in his room. Go instantly, and see!
Theres something strange in all this, pursued the planter, as Pluto shuffled out of the sala. Henry from home; and at night too. Where can he have gone? I cant think of any one he would be visiting at such unseasonable hours!
Why is Henry still absent? reflected the young Creole. Ive sat up all night waiting for him. He must have overtaken Maurice, and they have fraternised. I hope so; even though the tavern may have been the scene of their reconciliation.
Her reflections were interrupted by the reappearance of Pluto; whose important air proclaimed him the bearer of eventful tidings.
In a voice that betrayed a large measure of emotion Pluto told the planter that Henry wasnt in his room but his horse was there at the gate.
Ah, Master Woodley, added he, I fear that the old horse has lost his rider! Come to the gate and see for yourself.
Not only the planter himself, but his daughter and nephew, hastily forsaking their seats, and preceded by the sable coachman, made their way to the outside gate of the hacienda.
A sight was there awaiting them, inspired all three with the most terrible apprehensions.
A negro man one of the field slaves of the plantation stood holding a horse, that was saddled and bridled. The animal was snorting and stamping the ground, as if but lately escaped from some scene of excitement, in which he had been compelled to take part. He was speckled with dark spots that were all of the colour of coagulated blood.
The horse came from the prairies. The negro had caught him, on the outside plain, as, with the bridle trailing among his feet, he was instinctively straying towards the hacienda.
The horse came from the prairies. The negro had caught him, on the outside plain, as, with the bridle trailing among his feet, he was instinctively straying towards the hacienda.
All present knew him to be the horse of Henry Poindexter. And the dark red spots on which they were distractedly gazing had spurted from the veins of Henry Poindexter. They had no other thought.
Hastily construing the sinister evidence, the half-frantic father leaped into the bloody saddle, and galloped direct for the Fort.
Calhoun, upon his own horse, followed close after.
The news soon spread abroad. Rapid riders carried it up and down the river, to the remotest plantations of the settlement.
Henry Poindexter the noble generous youth who had not an enemy in all Texas! Who but Indians could have spilled such innocent blood? Only the Comanches could have been so cruel?
Among the horsemen, who came quickly together on the parade ground of Port Inge, no one doubted that the Comanches had done the deed. It was simply a question of how, when, and where.
These were the questions discussed by the mixed council of settlers and soldiers, presided over by the commandant of the For.
It was decided that the searchers should proceed in a body.[39] A proposal to separate the command into several parties, and proceed in different directions, met with little favour from any one.