The Red Track: A Story of Social Life in Mexico

by Gustave Aimard

  CHAPTER XXV.

  LOS REGOCIJOS.

  On his return to the mansion, the capataz did not see his master, atwhich he was extremely pleased, for he desired to delay as long aspossible an explanation which, in spite of the wound he so complacentlydisplayed, he feared would turn out to his disadvantage, especiallywhen questioned by a man like the general, whose piercing glance woulddescend to the bottom of his heart to discover the truth, howevercleverly hidden it might be behind a network of falsehoods.

  As only a few hours had still to elapse before the explosion of theconspiracy, arranged with such care and mystery, the general wascompelled for a while to suspend his schemes for the satisfaction of hislove and his hatred, and only attend to those in which his ambition wasengaged. The principal conspirators had been summoned to Colonel Lupo's,and there the final arrangements had been made for the morrow, and thewatchword given.

  Although the government appeared plunged in the most profound ignoranceof what was preparing against it, and evinced complete security, stillthe President had made certain arrangements for the morrow's ceremonieswhich did not fail greatly to trouble the men interested in knowingeverything, and to whom the apparently most futile thing naturallycreated umbrage.

  The general, with the curiosity that distinguished him, was anxious toknow exactly the extent of the danger he had to meet, and proceeded tothe palace, merely accompanied by his two aides-de-camp. The generalpresident received Don Sebastian with a smile on his lips, and offeredhim the most gracious reception. This reception, so cordial, perhapstoo cordial, instead of reassuring the general, had, on the contrary,increased his anxiety, for he was a Mexican and knew the proverb of hiscountry--"Lips that smile, and mouth that tells falsehoods."

  The general was too calm to let his feelings be seen. He pretended to bedelighted, remained for some time with the President, who appeared totreat him with a friendly familiarity, complained of the rarity of hisvisits, and his obstinacy in not asking for a command. In a word, thetwo men separated apparently highly satisfied with each other.

  Still, the general remarked that all the courts were stuffed withsoldiers, who were bivouacking in the open air; that several guns hadbeen placed, accidentally perhaps, so as to sweep completely the chiefentrance gate, and, more serious still, that the troops quartered inthe palace were commanded by officers strangers to him, and who had,moreover, the reputation of being devoted to the President of theRepublic.

  After this daring visit, the general mounted his horse, and, under thepretext of going for a walk, went all over the city. Everywhere thepreparations for the coming festival were being carried on with thegreatest activity. In the square of Necatitlan, for instance, situatedin one of the worst parts of the capital, a circus had been made for thebullfights at which the president intended to be present.

  Numerous wooden erections, raised for the occasion, filled the spaceusually devoted to tauromachy, and formed an immense hall of verdure,with pleasant clumps of trees, mysterious walks, and charming retreats,prepared with the greatest care, where everybody would go on the morrowto eat and drink the atrocious productions of the Mexican art oncookery, and enjoy what is called in that country Jamaica.

  Exactly in the centre of the arena a tree about twenty feet in heightwas planted, with its branches and leaves entirely covered with colouredpocket-handkerchiefs that floated in the breeze. This tree was the MonteParnasso, intended to serve as a maypole for the leperos, at the momentwhen the bullfights begin, and a trial bull, _embolado_, that is to say,with its horns terminating in balls, is let into the ring.

  All the pulquerias near the square were thronged with a hideous, raggedmob, who howled, sang, shouted, and whistled their loudest, whilesmoking, and, at intervals, exchanging knife thrusts, to the greatdelight of the spectators.

  In all the streets the procession would pass through the houses weredecorated; Mexican flags were hoisted in profusion at every spot wherethey could be displayed; and yet, by the side of all these holidaypreparations, there was, we repeat, something gloomy and menacingthat struck a chill to the heart. Through all the gates fresh troopscontinually entered the city, and occupied admirably chosen strategicpoints. The Alameda, the Paseo de Bucareli, and even the Vega, wereconverted into bivouacs, and though these troops ostensibly only came toMexico to be present at the ceremony and be reviewed, they were equippedfor the field, and affected an earnestness which caused much thought tothose who saw them pass or visited their bivouacs.

  When a serious event is preparing, there are in the atmosphere certainsigns which never deceive the fosterers of revolutions; a vague andapparently causeless anxiety seizes on the masses, and unconsciouslyconverts their joy into a species of feverish excitement, at which theyare themselves startled, as they know not to what to attribute thischange in their humour.

  Hence the population of Mexico, mad, merry, and joyous, as usual whena festival is preparing, in the eyes of short-sighted persons, were inreality sternly sad and suffering from great anxiety. The general didnot fail to observe these prognostics; gloomy presentiments occupied hismind, for he understood that a terrible tempest was hidden beneath thisfictitious calmness. Valentine's gloomy predictions recurred to him.He trembled to see the hunter's menaces realized; and, though unableto discover when the danger would come, he foresaw that a great perilwas hanging over his head, and that his ambitious projects would soon,perhaps, be drowned in floods of blood.

  Unfortunately it was too late to desist; he must, whatever might happen,go on to the end, for he had not the time to give counter orders,and urge the conspirators to defer the explosion of the plot till amore favourable moment. Hence, after ripe reflection, the generalresolved to push on, and trust to accident. Ambitious men, by the way,reckon, far more than is supposed, on hazard, and those magnificentcombinations which are admired when success has crowned them, are mostfrequently merely the unforeseen results of fortuitous circumstances,completely beyond the will of the man whom they have profited.History, modern history especially, is full of these combinations,these results impossible to foresee, which sensible men would not havedared to suppose, and which have made the reputation of so-calledstatesmen of genius, who are very small fry, when regarded through themagnifying-glass or when actions are sifted.

  The general returned to his house at about six in the evening,despairing, and already seeing his plans annihilated. The report of hiscapataz added to his discouragement, for it was the drop of wormwoodwhich makes the brimful cup run over. He withdrew to his apartments in astate of dull fury, and in his impotent rage accused himself for havingventured into this frightful situation, for he felt himself rapidlygliding down a fatal slope, where it would be impossible for him to stop.

  What added to his secret agony was, that he must incessantly send offcouriers, receive reports, talk with his confidants, and feign in theirpresence not merely calmness and gaiety, but also encourage them, andimpart to them an ardour and hope which he no longer possessed.

  The whole night was spent thus. A terrible night, during which thegeneral endured all the tortures that assail an ambitious man on the eveof a scandalous plot against a government which he has sworn to defend.He was agitated by those dull murmurs of the conscience which can neverbe thoroughly stifled, and which would inspire pity for these unhappymen, were they not careful, by their own acts, to put themselves beyondthe pale of that humanity of which they have become real monsters. Themost wholesome lesson that could be given to those ambitious manikins,so frequent in the lower strata of society, would be to render themwitnesses of the crushing agony that attacks any _cabecilla_ during thenight that precedes the outbreak of one of its horrible plots.

  Sunrise surprised the general giving his final orders. Worn out by thefatigue of a long watch, with pallid brow, and eyes inflamed by fever,he tried to take a few moments of restorative rest, which he so greatlyneeded; but his efforts were fruitless, for he was suffering from anexcitement too intense, at the decisive hour, for sleep to come andclose his eyes
.

  Already the bells of all the churches were pealing out, and filling theair with their joyous notes. In all the streets, and in all the squares,boys and leperos were letting off crackers, and uttering deafeningcries, which more resembled bursts of fury than demonstrations of joy.The people, dressed in their holiday clothes, were leaving their housesin masses, and spreading like a torrent over the city.

  The review was arranged for seven o'clock A.M., so that the troops mightbe spared the great heat of the day. They were massed on the Paseo deBucareli and the road connecting that promenade with the Alameda.

  We have already stated that the Mexican army, twenty thousand strong,has twenty-four thousand officers. Hence, in the enormous crowdassembled to witness the review, uniforms were in a majority; for allthe officers living on half-pay in Mexico, for some reason or another,considered themselves bound to attend the review as amateurs.

  At a quarter to eight o'clock the drums beat, the troops presented arms,a deafening shout was raised by the crowd, and the President of theRepublic arrived on the Paseo, followed by a large staff, glisteningwith gold and lace, and with a cloud of feathers waving in their cockedhats.

  The Mexicans, much resembling in this respect another nation we areacquainted with, adore feathers, aiguillettes, and, before all,embroidered uniforms. Hence the President was warmly greeted by theenthusiastic crowd, and his arrival was converted into an ovation.General Guerrero had joined the President's staff in his full dressuniform, as Colonel Lupo and other conspirators had also done; therest, dispersed among the crowd, and well armed under their cloaks,were giving drink to the already half-intoxicated leperos, and secretlyexciting them to begin an insurrection.

  In the meanwhile the review went on without any hitch. It is true thatthe President restricted himself to riding along the front, and thenordering the troops to march past, for he did not dare, owing to thenotorious ignorance of the officers and soldiers, risk the execution ofany manoeuvre, for it would not have been understood, and would havebroken the charm under which the spectators were fascinated. Then thePresident, still followed by his staff, proceeded to the cathedral.We will not say anything about the official receptions, etc., whichoccupied all the morning.

  The hour for the bullfight arrived. Since the review no one troubledhimself about the troops, who seemed to have suddenly disappeared--nota soldier was visible in the streets; but the people did not think ofthem, for they were letting off fireworks, laughing and shouting, whichwas quite sufficient to amuse them. It was only noticed that thesesoldiers, though invisible about the city, had apparently passed theword to each other to be present at the bullfight. Nearly the whole ofthe _palcos de sol_ in the circus, that is to say, the parts exposedto the sun, were thronged with soldiers, grouped pell-mell with theleperos, and offering the most pleasant contrast with these raggedscamps, who were yelling and whistling.

  The President arrived, and the circus was, in a second, invaded bythe mob. Since an early hour the Jamaica had begun, that is to say,the framework of verdure raised in the centre of the arena, formingrefreshment rooms, had, since daybreak, been filled with a countlessnumber of leperos, who ate and drank with cries of ferocious delight.

  Suddenly, at a given signal, the gate of the torril was opened, and abull, _embolado_, rushed into the arena. Then began an extraordinaryindescribable scene, resembling one of those diabolical meetings soadmirably designed by Callot.

  The leperos, surprised by the arrival of the bull, darted, shouting,pushing, and upsetting each other, over the framework, which they threwdown and trampled underfoot in their terror, while seeking to escape thepursuit of the _embolado_, who, also excited by the tumult, hunted themvigorously. In a second the arena was deserted, the refreshment roomsswept clean, and the performers in the Jamaica sought any shelter theycould find on the edge of the palcos or upon the columns, from whichthey hung in hideous yelling and grimacing clusters.

  A few leperos, however, bolder than the rest, had darted to the MonteParnasso, not only to find a shelter there, but also to tear away allthe coloured handkerchiefs fastened to the branches. In a twinkling thethick foliage was hidden by the crowd of leperos who invaded it.

  The bull, after amusing itself for some minutes in tossing about theremains of the framework, stopped and looked cunningly around, andsoon noticed the tree, the only obstacle left to remove, in order tocompletely empty the arena.

  It remained motionless for an instant, as if hesitating ere it formeda resolution; then it bowed its head, made the sand fly with itsfore-feet, lashed its tail violently, and, rushing at the tree, dealt itrepeated and powerful blows.

  The leperos uttered a cry of despair. The tree, which was overladen,and incessantly sapped at its base by the bull, swayed, and at lastfell sideways, carrying down in its fall the leperos clinging to thebranches. The audience clapped their hands and broke into frenziedbravos, which changed into perfect yells of delight when a poor fellow,who was limping away, was suddenly caught up by the bull, and tossed tenfeet high in the air.

  All at once, and at the moment when the joy was attaining its paroxysm,several rounds of artillery were heard, followed by a well-sustainedmusketry fire. As if by magic the bull was driven back to the torril;the soldiers scattered about the circus leapt into the ring, andbecoming actors instead of spectators, drew up in good order, andlevelled their muskets at the occupiers of the galleries and boxes, whoremained motionless with terror, for they did not understand what wasgoing on.

  A door opened, and twenty bandsmen, followed by eight officers, andescorted by a dozen soldiers, entered the ring, and began beating thedrums. It was a governmental _bando_. So soon as silence was restoredmartial law was proclaimed, and sentence of outlawry passed on GeneralDon Sebastian Guerrero and his adherents, who had just raised thestandard of revolt, and pronounced against the established government.

  The crowd listened to the bando in a stupor which was heightened by thefact that with each moment the firing became sharper, and the artillerydischarges shook the air at more rapid intervals.

  Mexico was once again the prey of one of those scenes of murder andcarnage which, since the Proclamation of Independence, has too oftenstained her streets and squares with blood.

  The President was on horseback in the centre of the arena, sending offorders, listening to messages, or detaching reinforcements wherever theywere wanted. The circus was converted into the headquarters of the armyof order, and the spectators, although allowed to depart after somearrests had been effected among them, remained trembling in their seats,preferring not to venture into the streets, which had been convertedinto real battlefields.

  Still the pronunciamiento was assuming formidable proportions. GeneralGuerrero had not played for so heavy a stake without trying to secure tohis side all probable chances of success; and that success would mostably have crowned his efforts, had he not been betrayed. For, in spiteof all the precautions taken by the government, the affair had beenbegun so warmly and resolutely that, after the contest had continued forthree hours, it was impossible to say on which side the advantage wouldremain.