The Free Lances Part 34

"Did you ever know me to be without them?"

"How lucky! I quite forgot mine."

"That's because your mind was bent upon Pepita. I saw you giving your moustache an extra twist this evening."

"Oh! bother Pepita. Let's have an _albur_ of monte."

"How about light?"

"The moon's clear enough, if it wasn't we could manage with our cigars.

Many's the game I've played that way."

"All right! But the stakes? I haven't a _cuartilla_--nay, not so much as a _claco_."

"_Carramba_! Nor I either. I spent the last on a drink just before we got into the saddle. It's bad; but we can bet upon the credit system, and use cartridges for counters."

"Ah, stay!"

At which he turned his eyes upon the dwarf with a look of peculiar significance, cupidity the prevailing expression.

The latter saw it with a heaviness of heart, and a shuddering throughout his frame. All the time apprehensive about the plunder with which his pockets were crammed, he instinctively antic.i.p.ated what was coming.

CHAPTER FIFTY TWO.

A DANAE'S SHOWER.

"Now, I shouldn't wonder," continued the corporal, shifting upon his seat, and facing fully round to the dwarf. "I shouldn't at all wonder but that this diminutive gentleman has some spare cash upon him; and maybe he'll oblige us by a little loan, considering the occasion. What say you, _Senor Enano_?"

"I haven't any," was the ready answer. "And sorry to say it too--that I am."

"It don't look much like he has," observed Perico, with a glance at the hunchback's tattered habiliments.

"Looks are not always to be relied on," persisted the corporal. "Who'd ever suspect a pearl inside an ugly oyster-sh.e.l.l?"

"I haven't, indeed, _Senor Cabo_," once more protested the dwarf with earnest emphasis. "If I had, you'd be welcome to the loan you speak of.

No man likes a game of _monte_ better than myself. Alas! so far from being in funds, I'm too like your worships--without a _claco_. I've been stripped of everything; and, if you knew my story, you'd pity me, I'm sure."

"What story?" demanded the _cabo_, becoming curious.

"Why, that I've been robbed of all the money I had. It wasn't much, to be sure, only two _pesetas_ and a _real_, but still that was better than empty pockets. It happened about half an hour ago. I was on my way to San Augustin, thinking I'd there get some supper, with a night's lodging; when not far from this, two men--footpads I suppose they were-- rushed out from the roadside, and made straight at me. One took the right, the other left. But I've good long arms, as you see, pretty strong too; and so I was able to keep them off for a while. Several times they caught hold of my wrists; but I succeeded in jerking them free again. I believe I could have wrestled them both, but that one getting angry, pulled out a long-bladed knife, and threatened to cut my throat with it. _Por dios_! I had to surrender then, seeing he was in earnest."

While giving this somewhat prolix account of an altogether imaginary adventure, he had started to his feet, and accompanied his speech with a series of pantomimic gestures; dancing and flinging his arms about, as he professed to have done while defending himself against the footpads.

The grotesqueness of the performance, though seen only in the dim light--for he kept under the shadow--set his listeners to laughing.

Little dreamt they why he was treating them to the spectacle, or how cleverly he was outwitting them.

But there was a third spectator of the scene, unknown to all of them, who was aware of it. The _cochero_ could not at first tell what were the things striking him in the pit of the stomach, as if he was being pelted with pebbles! But he could see they came from the hands of the hunchback, flung behind in his repeated contortions and gesticulations.

Moreover, that they glistened while pa.s.sing through the air, and looked whitish where they lay, after falling at his own feet.

"Well; what did they do to you then?" asked the corporal, when he and his comrade had finished their guffaw. "Stripped you clean, as you've said?"

"_Ay, Dios_! Just that, Senor. Took everything I had, except the rags I wear; and to them I might well have made them welcome."

"Now, are you sure they took everything?" questioned the other, still suspicious. The earnestness of the dwarfs affirmation made him so.

"Of course, Senor. Quite sure. I'll swear to it, if you like."

"Oh, there's no need for the formality of an oath. Simpler to search you! and more satisfactory. Draw up here in front of me!"

The hunchback obeyed with an air of confident alacrity. He had no reluctance to being searched now, knowing his pockets were empty. Of which the searcher satisfied himself by groping about among the rags, and sounding every receptacle where coin might be kept.

But if he found no money, an article turned up, which no little surprised himself and his comrade--a stiletto!

"_Caspita_!" he exclaimed, as his hand touched something hard in the waistband of the dwarfs breeches, stuck behind his back. "What have we here? As I live, a dagger!" drawing it out and holding it to the light.

"Silver-hilted, too! Yes; it's silver, sure; and blade beautifully chased--worth a _doblone_, at the very least!"

"Half mine," interrupted Perico, putting in his claim.

"All right, _camardo_. We'll settle that by-and-by. Now, you limb of Satan!" he continued to the hunchback, "you told us the footpads had stripped you clean. How do you explain this?"

"Easily enough, your worship. They only thought of trying in my pockets, and the stiletto being there behind where you've found it, luckily they overlooked it."

"Oh, indeed!" doubtingly rejoined the corporal; "and pray how did you become possessed of it, _Senor Enano_? A dagger worth a _doblone_ isn't a likely thing for such as you to be owner of--that is, in an honest way."

"I admit, your worship, it isn't likely. For all, I came honestly by the article. It's an heirloom in our family; belonged to my great-great-grandfather, and's descended through several generations.

For know, Senor, my ancestors were not deformed like poor me. Some of them were gallant soldiers, as yourself. Indeed, one of them rose to the rank of sergeant--that was my mother's grandfather; but this dagger didn't come down from him, being left in the main line."

"Well," laughingly returned the corporal, after listening to the quaint chapter of explanations, "the future herald of our family won't have to trace it beyond yourself. You're now under our protection, and have no need to warlike weapons. So we, your protectors, will take the liberty of appropriating the historical toy. Get out the cards, Perico! Let us see whether it is to be yours or mine."

"_May bueno_!" responded Perico. "How will you have the game? A single _albur_, or two out of three?"

"Well, as we've only the one stake, and no end of time for winning and losing it, we'd better make it the long game."

"All right--come on! I have the cards spread--_sota y caballo_. How sweet the Queen's face looks in the moonlight! Ah! she's smiling at me, I know, as good as to say--'Worthy Perico, that silver-handled weapon, your corporal tells you is worth all of an _onza_, will ere long be thine.'"

"Well, lay on the Queen if you like. I'll go the Jack, with all his grinning. Now shuffle, and deal off."

By this the two had seated themselves, _vis-a-vis_, just outside the verge where met moonlight and shadow, a suite of cards turned face up between them, the dealing pack in the hands of Perico. The hunchback, on his knees, with neck craned out, was a spectator; but one whose thoughts were not with his eyes. Instead, dwelling upon the valuables he had so cunningly chucked back, making the mental calculation as to how much they might be damaged by breakage, but caring less for that than the danger of their also becoming stakes in that game of _monte_.

Could he have known what was going on behind, he would possibly have preferred it so.

The unseen spectator, though silent, was not inactive, but the reverse.

From the moment of seeing himself shut up--as it were, in a pen--he had given all his thoughts to how he might escape out of it. It needed none to tell him there was no chance front-wards by the road. A rush he might make past the two soldiers, risking seizure, and surely having the bullets of their carbines sent after him. But even though he got off in that way, what would be the upshot? The hunchback would be certain to recognise him, remembering all. Knowing, too, that his dialogue with the Hussar colonel must have been overheard, he would hasten the very event which he, Jose, was now all anxious to provide against. The word of warning meant for those now so much needing it might reach them too late.

All these thoughts had pa.s.sed through the _cochero's_ mind before the card-playing commenced. More, too, for he had carefully inspected the cliff overhead, so far as the light would allow, aided by groping. To his joy, he had discovered that there was a possibility of scaling it.

A sharp pinnacle of rock was within reach of the swing of his halters; and skilled in the use of the _laso_, over this he had succeeded in flinging the head-stall of one, hooking it fast. It but remained to swarm up the rope, and he was watching for an opportunity, when glittering golden things, like a Danae's shower, came raining against his ribs, to fall at his feet.

He saw no reason for these being left to lie there, but a good one against it; so, stooping cautiously forward, he gathered up all, stowing them away in his pockets. Then turning and taking hold of the halter, with as little noise as possible, he hoisted himself up to the crest of the cliff.