The Queen of the Savannah: A Story of the Mexican War

by Gustave Aimard

  CHAPTER XVII.

  LEONA VICARIO.

  El Saltillo, also called Leona Vicario, is situated about 600 milesto the north of Mexico, in a fine and well cultivated plain. Thistown which is now rich, and has a population of about 20,000, wasconsiderable at the period of the Spanish authority, and enjoyed somereputation through the salubrity of its climate. But we will saynothing about the Saltillo of today, which does not concern us; we willmerely try to give a sketch of the town at the time when our story tookplace.

  Like all the towns founded by the Spaniards, it is crammed withchurches, several of which are very handsome and rich. The streets arewide, clean, and bordered by houses built of stone, a very rare thingin Mexico, where a continued apprehension of earthquakes is felt.Owing to the numerous springs that burst out of the ground in most ofthe streets, the ground, which without that would be dry and sterile,enjoys a certain reputation for fertility. Saltillo was at that periodthe general _entrepot_ of the Spanish trade with the redskins, whowent there to make exchanges, and supply themselves with the variousarticles they needed. The population was divided into two classes: theSpaniards, or persons who called themselves such, though the majorityof them had not probably one-eighth of European blood in their veins;and the Tzascaltec Indians, the sole really intelligent and industriousinhabitants of the town.

  On the day when accident led the adventurer to Saltillo, the townfestival was being celebrated. In the morning after mass the clergy hadfetched with great pomp the image of the Virgin from the cathedral,carried it through all the streets with hymns and music, and then putit to rest in a theatre built by the side of the _acho_, or circus inwhich the bullfights are held. After the siesta, several bullfightscame off to the sound of bands stationed on either side the statue ofthe Virgin, then the procession continued its promenade, and finallyrestored the statue to the cathedral. Immediately afterwards, an openfair for the sale of cakes, sugarplums, and for gambling began, whichwas to last a week. The governor, who generally resided at Coahuila,the capital of the Intendancy, had come to Saltillo expressly towitness this festival, whose reputation was great throughout the land,and which attracted a crowd of strangers.

  Our travellers entered the town about two hours after the fair hadbeen opened, and suddenly found themselves in a crowd of promenadersand idlers who encumbered the streets and at some points impeded thecirculation. The little party only advanced with great difficultythrough the mob, which pressed round them on all sides, laughing,shouting, letting off fireworks, and throwing squibs in everydirection. Naturally the further the travellers got into the heart ofthe city, the greater the difficulties became, and the less easy wasit for them to advance; at last the crowd grew so compact around thetravellers, that they found it utterly impossible to advance anotherstep.

  "The deuce take the asses with their festival," the Canadian muttered,as he looked angrily at the living wall that stood before him; "wecannot remain here, though, till nightfall."

  "There is a way of arriving at the governor's house, if you like."

  "What is it?" the other asked.

  "It is to turn, back, take a side street, leave our horses at a_meson_, and then return on foot to mingle with the crowd. What isimpossible for a horseman in such a throng is not so to a pedestrian,who, if he is strong, can force a passage with his elbows andshoulders. It is true that we shall run the risk of a knife thrust; butomelettes cannot be made without breaking the eggs, and if you reallywish to arrive, I fancy you have no other method to employ."

  "iViva Dios! You are right this time, gossip, even if you were thegreatest liar in the whole of New Spain," the Canadian exclaimedjoyously, "and I will immediately follow your advice."

  But this was not so easy to perform as the adventurer imagined. Theforced stoppage they had been constrained to make had rendered thecrowd thicker around them, so that they were literally held in a viceby the pedestrians. Still they must deliver themselves at all risksfrom this pressure, which was momentarily becoming more tremendous.At an order from Diego Lopez, the two peons in the rear began gentlybacking their horses--for it was impossible to turn them--a movementimmediately imitated by the Canadian and his comrade, whose steedswheeled to the right and left with an almost imperceptible movement,which, however, gradually enlarged the circle round them. But then,a frightful concert of yells, oaths, and threats, began around thehapless travellers, who in vain apologized to the people whom theystruck or crushed against the walls.

  The tumult gradually attained tremendous proportions. Already couldbe seen flashing in the sun the bluish blades of the long knives whichMexicans always carry in the right boot. As Diego Lopez predicted,knife thrusts would soon be liberally dispensed. The position of thetravellers was becoming difficult, when suddenly a lepero, one of thosescamps such as are always to be found in a crowd, for whom an accidentof any nature is a rejoicing, unsuspectingly and probably involuntarilyfreed them from their dilemma. This worthy youth had about him a stockof squibs and crackers, which he took a delight in letting off betweenthe legs of women, or in the pockets of men, whom their evil starbrought within his reach. At the moment when the popular fury attainedits paroxysm, the lepero thought it a famous joke to light a squib, andlet it phizz under the nostrils of the Canadian's horse.

  The animal, already terrified by the shouts which deafened it, and theblows craftily dealt it, and now rendered mad by the fire that burnedits nostrils, reared with a snort of pain, laid back its ears, and, inspite of the desperate efforts its rider made to hold it in, dashedinto the very thickest of the crowd, throwing down everything in itspath, and opening with its chest a wide gap, through which the otherhorsemen, who were not at all desirous of being made responsible forbroken heads and women and children injured, galloped at their hardest.

  There was for a moment a fearful medley. We must do the lepero thejustice to say that the effort surpassed his expectations, and that heliterally writhed with laughter, so delighted was he with the successof his invention. He would probably have laughed much longer, had notthe horse of one of the peons, in the midst of his delight, given hima kick which hurled him to the ground, with cloven skull and chesttrampled in.

  Still, Clary was too thorough a horseman to feel afraid of beingthrown; unable to master his horse entirely, and wishing to cause theleast possible misfortune, he contented himself with turning it downa side street, the entrance to which was about a pistol shot off. Hewas lucky enough to succeed, and soon, thanks to the headlong speedof their horses, the four riders, after whom the mob had begun to runwith yells of fury, found themselves safe from pursuit in a completelydeserted street. So soon as the horses were no longer excited, theychecked their speed, and soon fell into a moderate pace.

  "iSangre de Cristo!" the adventurer exclaimed, so soon as he found timeto breathe, "That was sharp work; I fancied we should not get out ofit."

  "Well!" said Diego Lopez, "Your body and mine were within an ace ofbecoming knife sheaths. Oh!" he added, with a shudder of retrospectiveterror, "I can still feel the goose flesh."

  "In truth, our position was for a moment extremely critical. Confoundthe incarnate demon who dared to burn my horse's nostrils. I only hopewe have not smashed twenty of those wretches; I shall never forgivemyself if we have."

  "No," the peon answered, "thank heaven, they are more frightened thanhurt. Luckily the house doors were open, and they were able to findshelter in them; two or three at the most were injured."

  "Heaven grant that the mischief is no greater; but what are we to donow?"

  "Proceed to the nearest meson to get rid of our horses."

  "I ask for nothing better; lead me there directly."

  "Where are we, in the first place?" the peon said, as he lookedround to discover his whereabouts. "iViva Dios!" he continued at theexpiration of a moment, "We are in luck; there is a meson a few yardsfrom here; come on."

  They started again, and soon reached the meson Diego Lopez had spokenof. Mexican hostelries are all alike, and when you know one, y
ou knowa thousand. Travellers who bring with them their beds, provisions, andforage for their horses are alone certain of being well served, andwanting for nothing; those who neglect these essential precautionsrun a great risk of lying on the bare ground and dying of hunger. Thelandlords only supply water and a roof, and it is useless to ask themfor anything beyond that: not even a cigarette could be obtained forany money. It is true that Mexican landlords possess one preciousquality, or, to speak more logically, four. They are thievish,insolent, obstinate as mules, and only lodge travellers who have thegood luck to please them.

  Fortunate it was that Diego Lopez had long been acquainted with thelandlord to whose house he led his comrades. Had it not been so, theywould have run a great risk of not finding a shelter for the night.But, thanks to the peon's omnipotent intervention, the landlordconsented to receive the travellers, and allowed them to lead theirhorses to the _corral_. When the horses had been unsaddled, and a goodstock of alfalfa and maize had been laid before them, the Canadianwrapped himself up in his zarape, and prepared to go out.

  "Where are you going?" Diego asked him.

  "You know very well," he answered; "I am going to the palace."

  "You are quite determined, in spite of what I said to you?"

  "More than ever."

  "In that case wait for me."

  "What to do?"

  "iCaray! To accompany you. How do you expect to find your way through atown you have entered today for the first time in your life?"

  "That is true, and thank you."

  The peon, after giving his companions orders to await his return, andbowing courteously to the landlord, who deigned to return his salutewith a protecting air, left the meson, accompanied by the Canadian. Todo full justice to Oliver Clary, we will allow that he was anythingbut reassured as to the probable results of the step he was about totake, and the words of the peon buzzed in his ears. He did not make theslightest mistake as to his position, and in spite of the assurancesthe count had given him, he was perfectly well aware that he ran a riskof being hung, if the man before whom he was about to appear were suchas he had been represented.

  But the adventurer was one of those men who never play fast and loosewith what they consider a duty, and who, once they have formed aresolution, push on to the end, careless of what the consequencesmay be. Hence, when Diego Lopez, who, since he had learned that hiscompanion was a Catholic, felt sincerely attached to him, tried toreturn to what he had told him, and counsel himself once again to deferhis visit until his master's arrival, the hunter immediately badehim be silent, while perfectly understanding the correctness of hisreasoning, and obliged him to talk about indifferent matters.

  In spite of the ever increasing crowd in the street, the two menhad no serious difficulty in making their way. It is true that theywere men who created a certain amount of respect by their muscularappearance. Although they were obliged to advance very slowly, still ina comparatively short period they reached the Plaza Mayor, where, owingto its vast dimensions, they were enabled to walk more freely.

  We have said that Leona Vicario was a large town, that its squares werespacious and its streets wide. The Plaza Mayor, the largest of all,had really a grand aspect. Two sides were lined with portales in theshape of cloisters, lined with shops where goods of every descriptionwere sold; of the two other sides, one was occupied by the cathedral,the other by the _Cabildo_, or Town Hall. In the centre of the squarerose a monumental fountain, from which burst a clear and limpid streamof water. This fountain was surrounded by posts, fastened together bybronze chains of rather curious workmanship. Attracted by the fair, amultitude of peddlers had installed themselves in the square, vendingall sorts of rubbish to the mob which pressed around them.

  The two men who entered the square by the Calle de la Merced, wereobliged to go to the further extremity in order to reach the cabildo,which was the temporary residence of the governor general of theintendancy. The cabildo was at this period (I do not know if it bestill in existence) a building in a heavy and paltry style, built ofstone, and having tall, straight, narrow windows, defended by heavyiron bars. Two lancers were walking with a most weary air in front ofthe principal gate, which was thrown wide open, and gave access to theinterior by a flight of five steps.

  "We have arrived," said Diego Lopez, as he stopped in front of the uglybuilding we have just described.

  "At last!" the adventurer answered, as he looked curiously about him."iCaray! I was beginning to fancy that we should never reach ourjourney's end."

  "Here we are; as you insisted on my leading you hither, I have done so."

  "And I thank you for doing it, gossip; now that you have honourablyperformed the far from agreeable task entrusted to you, leave me to myown business, and go and amuse yourself at the fair."

  "Hang me if I do anything of the sort," the peon answered; "I am toosorrowful."

  "Nonsense! Why bother yourself so? All will finish, I feel convinced,much better than you have supposed."

  "That is possible, and I wish it may be so, but I confess that I do notexpect it; I will not attempt to dissuade you anymore; a fool cannot beprevented from committing folly."

  "Thank you," the adventurer said with a laugh. The other shook his headmournfully.

  "I am going to watch for my master," he continued; "he has greatinfluence over the governor, and, if you are not hanged, I hope he willsave you."

  "I hope too that I shall not be hanged."

  "_?Quien sabe?_" the peon muttered.

  The Canadian, who was not particularly pleased by these ill-omenedprognostics, hastened to take leave of his croaking companion.The latter looked after him until he disappeared in the cabildo,after exchanging a few words with the sentry; then he returned verythoughtfully to the meson, muttering--

  "I don't care; I will not start till I know whether he is hung; it issurely the least I can do for a good Catholic like him."