The Firebrand
Page 16
CHAPTER XVI
DON LUIS IS WILLING
So saying, Rollo went out and locked the door behind him, leaving LaGiralda with a loaded pistol seated beside it to prevent any egress, incase Fernandez had some way of opening the bolts from the inside knownonly to himself.
When Rollo returned from arranging these matters he found El Sarria'splace vacant. But the young man following the direction of La Giralda'snod went out, and in a chamber about which hung a peculiar atmosphere ofdrugs, he found the outlaw on his knees by a woman's bedside.
Rollo stole forward on tiptoe, and in the pale glimmer of dawn he sawfor the first time the features of Dolores, the wife of Ramon theoutlaw.
He could discern eye-lashes that lay very broad and dark upon colourlesscheeks, a white-wrapped form under snowy coverlets, straight as the deadarrayed for burial, but nevertheless evidently alive, and sleepingpeacefully with gently heaving breast.
The giant's head was sunk on the coverlet and his lips touched the dampfingers of the hand which lay without the sheet.
With true reverence Rollo touched Ramon on the shoulder and pointed tothe window. The pale unearthly green of the sky spaces between the darkpurple bars of cloud was fast changing to orange tinged with a smokyscarlet. The sun would not long delay, and there was a little matter outin the garden which must be arranged.
As Rollo anticipated, Tomas the scapegrace did not look handsome as helay on the upturned soil. The blood had hardened upon the bruise on hiscrown where his own spade in El Sarria's hands had beaten him down, muchas a gardener might level a rank stinging nettle.
"Carry him within," he ordered; "we will attend to his case betterindoors!"
Already with spade and mattock Rollo was filling up the grave, stampingdown the soil with his foot as he proceeded. Then after having laid awaythe tools in the little temple, he followed El Sarria upstairs. Tomaswas lying very limp and still on the table from which the trinkets hadbeen gathered into the box, and El Sarria, who gave himself no concernabout his handiwork, was bending over the box of jewellery, rapidlythrowing out all articles which he did not recognise as belonging to hiswife or himself.
Rollo reminded him of his gun which he had left in the dry river-bed,and El Sarria set off to fetch it lest it should be recognised.
Then Rollo, who was now thoroughly enjoying himself "in the belly of anadventure" as he expressed it, called out, "Lay down that pistol,mother, we shall not need it for a while, and do you give me a hand withthis rascal's sore head. What think you of it?"
"The stroke was dealt with a strong arm," said La Giralda, critically."I saw it done--also heard it. It sounded like the driving in of agate-post. But yet, most unfortunately, I do not think the man willdie--unless--unless"--she fingered the keen little knife she carriedlovingly--"unless indeed matters are a little assisted."
"Stop, mother; we cannot afford to have any _Barranco de los Martires_business this time! We are not in Granada within the gipsy barrio,remember, nor yet within hearing of the bells of Sevilla. Do as I bidyou, and help me to bathe and bind up the scoundrel's pate."
The old woman did so with an air of protest, finally, however,consenting to make a plaster of certain herbs which she found in thehousehold cabinet of simples, and having boiled them, applied the resultlike a turban to Don Tomas's unconscious crown.
All the while she murmured bitterly at intervals, "It is a pity! A pity!I do not believe he will die--unless, in spite of the Englishman, LaGiralda has the nursing of him!"
Presently Ramon returned with his gun, which he would have set himselfdown to clean with the utmost nonchalance, if Rollo had not summoned himaway to more important business.
"It is the accursed night-dew!" he said in explanation; "much depends onnever putting off the drying and oiling of one's weapons."
"Now," said Rollo, "if you are ready, I in my turn should like to havemy little interview with Don Luis!"
"You?" cried the outlaw, astonished.
Rollo nodded.
"Why not?" he said cheerfully; "we shall need his assistance very oftento-day! Open the door, La Giralda."
The door clicked open, and there sat Luis Fernandez blinking upon asmuggled keg of French spirits, and in the corner the Tia's littleblack eyes twinkled like restless stars from her uneasy pillow.
Ramon carried in the limp body of Tomas, at sight of which LuisFernandez flung up his hands with a shrill cry.
"You have killed him, then--as you will kill me!" he moaned, and rantowards the door of the strong room.
"Not so," said Rollo, stopping him with composure; "your brother is, asI think, as comfortable as the circumstances will permit, and morelikely to recover than he deserves. Be good enough to tell La Giraldawhere to find a lamp or candle-box, so that in taking care of him youmay not be hindered by darkness."
As he spoke Rollo had been arranging a couch of boxes and pillows, onwhich without the slightest regard to his enemy's comfort El Sarriaflung his burden down.
But Rollo did his best for the unconscious man, and then when La Giraldahad returned with a lamp, he turned sharply upon Don Luis.
"Sir," he said, "you know the causes of quarrel between yourself and DonRamon Garcia, for whom I am acting. You know also what chances you have,if I do not use the influence I possess to counsel other and mildermethods. Are you then willing to be guided entirely by me or do youprefer to be dealt with by my principal upon his own account, andwithout regard to my advice?"
Luis Fernandez clasped Rollo's hand.
"By the Virgin and all the saints," he cried, "I will do to the line andletter all that you desire of me in every particular. I know well that Ihave no other hope."
"Good," said Rollo; "then you will to-day show yourself about the Casaas usual. You will give any necessary orders to your foreman when hecomes at the accustomed hour. This you will do in your own chamber andin my presence, urging a slight _calentura_ as a reason for notventuring out. You will speak to La Giralda as to your servant, and infine--you will comport yourself as if nothing had occurred, and as if nosuch man as Ramon Garcia were within a thousand leagues of themill-house of Sarria! Do you agree?"
"I agree to anything, to everything!" said Fernandez, eagerly.
"But remember," continued Rollo, "in order to compass this I amstretching a good many points. I saw your eye brighten just now when Ispoke of giving orders. Now, remember, if there is the slightest attemptat foul play, we may indeed lose our game, and with it our lives, butfirst of all and quite suddenly, one man shall die, and that manis--Luis Fernandez."
He added this asseveration--
"And this, I, Rollo Blair, of Blair Castle in the Shire of Fife, swearby Almighty God and the honour of a Scottish gentleman."