the following morning i assisted pike in the preparation of a sketch of our trip, which had been most courteously requested by salcedo. walker offered his services, and would take no refusal. but we found more than one opportunity for a word apart, and pike told me that he was already in touch with the woolly-headed old cæsar, who had at once offered to help us to obtain information as to the country's mines, ranches, and government. he had begun by pointing out to my friend the closet in which were secreted the government maps that had hung on the walls before our arrival.
after dinner and the siesta, we received calls from a number of the most prominent gentlemen of chihuahua, including malgares's father-in-law, colonel mayron, and don manuel zuloaga, one of the under secretaries. almost in the first breath the latter insisted upon our visiting him that evening, and as he chanced to be the first in the field, we assented.
other invitations showered upon us thick and fast, so that it soon became apparent we should not lack for social entertainment, despite our equivocal position in the eyes of the governor-general. more than once we were urged to move to the luxurious homes of these generous gentlemen, but declined because salcedo had intimated his wish that we should stay in walker's quarters. otherwise there seemed to be no check upon our liberty. we were free to come and go in the city as we chose. to save us the annoyance of arrest by the night patrols, we were even given the especial countersign of "americanos."
during the afternoon malgares and señor vallois pressed pike and myself to receive loans from them of sufficient money to replenish our wardrobes. we declined, but later accepted a loan from señor zuloaga, on his representations that salcedo would soon comply with my friend's application for an official loan, and that we owed it to the dignity of our country to present a favorable appearance. accordingly, we went out with him to his tailor and to the stores, and made provisions for complete costumes in the prevailing mode of europe and our own country.
this occupied us until vespers, or la oracion, after which, having donned such articles of our new outfit as were ready for wear, we accompanied señor zuloaga to his house. as the señor was a bachelor, we spent a most interesting hour alone with him on the azotea, or flat earthen roof of his house, discussing the great questions of politics and religion.
our host talked with freedom, telling us, among other things, there was reason to dread that emperor napoleon had designs to seize spain and dethrone king ferdinand. in such event, he added, many of the loyal subjects in new spain would consider it the highest patriotism to declare for independence. as americans, pike and i heartily commended this revolutionary sentiment.
before we could further sound the position of our host, other callers arrived, and he shifted the conversation to less perilous topics. we descended to the sala, where there soon gathered a number of our new acquaintances and other persons of wealth and station who expressed themselves as eager for an introduction to the anglo-americano caballeros.
my truculent friend lieutenant medina came in early with walker, to whom he seemed to have much to say on the side. he greeted pike effusively, myself with marked reserve. after this he avoided us both, and soon sat down to gamble at cards with other officers. the rest of the company stood around or lolled on the divans, puffing their cigarros, and cigarritos, the younger men chatting about women and horses, the older ones adding to these stock topics the third one of fortune.
as politics was a subject unmentioned, pike attached himself to the group which seemed most disposed to discuss silver and gold mining and the other important industry of stock-raising. i kept more among the younger men, gleaning in the chaff of their sensual anecdotes for grains of information on military affairs. my harvest was so scant that i gave over the attempt at the serving of the dulces and wine, an hour or two before midnight.
this light refreshment proved to be the signal for a general change. the gamblers gave over their cards, the others their barren chatter. a guitar was brought in, and lieutenant medina sang a rollicking wine song, nearly all present joining in the refrain. the aide was gifted with a rather fine tenor voice—and knew it. at the end of the song, he tendered the guitar, with a flourish, to the americano lieutenant. pike declined the honor; upon which medina turned to me, with a yet deeper bow, his lip curled in a smile of malicious anticipation.
there was a general flash of surprise when i gravely accepted the instrument and set about readjusting the strings to my own key. i did not look at medina, for i had need to keep a cool head. after so many months my fingers bent stiffly to the strings. but i had not forgotten my lady's lessons, and as the refrain of the first song had enabled me to test my voice, i was able to render a spanish love ditty with some little success.
"bravo!" exclaimed our host as i handed him the guitar. "i did not know that you americanos were singers."
"we are not, as a rule," said pike. "for the most part, our people have been too intent upon hewing their way through the wilderness and fighting for life and freedom to find time for skilled voice-training. yet we have our singing-schools even on the outer frontiers."
"it is quite evident that señor robinson has found time to cultivate his fine voice," remarked one of the crowd.
"there will soon be a baritone beneath the balconies," added medina. "beware, all you who have wives and daughters!"
señor zuloaga handed the guitar back to me. "pray accept this little gift from a friend, don juan," he said. "the señoritas of chihuahua will be deprived of a great pleasure if you lack the means to serenade them."
"señor," i replied, accepting the guitar, "it would be most ungallant to refuse a gift presented in such terms. though i lack the skill and voice of lieutenant medina, i will do my best. may i ask if his excellency, the governor-general, is the father of one of your charming señoritas?"
a sudden hush fell upon the company at the mere mention of their master. the silence was broken by pike.
"better sheer off from that shore, john. should your ditties fail to please his excellency, you are apt to land in the calabozo."
"and the other fathers are apt to drop tiles upon my head," i sighed.
"not they," reassured zuloaga. "keep in the shadow, and it will not be known but that you are the suitor favored by the parents."
"yet what if i am discovered to be a stranger?" i inquired, with feigned concern.
a dozen voices hastened to reassure me that a serenade from one of the gallant americanos would be taken in good part by the most hard-hearted of parents.
"but how do you find the window of the fair one?" i asked.
"that is to be seen, señor doctor," put in medina. "my way is to station myself across the street and sing the first verse. that never fails to lure the coyest of coquettes from her secrecy."
"but, then, you have the voice," i mocked.
"it is true," he replied, taking me seriously.
"but what if the señorita's chamber is located in a remote part of the house?" i questioned.
"you are in truth a stranger to the women," he jeered. "count upon it that every señorita in chihuahua, however ugly, has a balconied chamber, either upon the front or the side street."
"muchas gracias, don lieutenant," i said, and turned to pike. "hola, don montgomery! would you keep the ladies waiting for their serenade?"
this raised a polite laugh, in the midst of which pike, walker, and i essayed the prolonged ceremony of leave-taking. at the door of the sala an attendant relieved me of the guitar, and for a little i thought zuloaga's presentation had been a mere formality. but as we passed the gate into the street the attendant returned the instrument, in a handsome case.
"you are in fortune, doctor," remarked walker. "that is as fine a guitar as is to be found in chihuahua."
"so?" i said. "then i really believe i will try it to-night."
"you may lose yourself, or be struck down by the knife of some murderous ladrone," he objected.
"not he," reassured pike. "i'd back him to out-wrestle a panther."
"what is more, i carry one of my pistols," i added. "so if, between you, my guitar case will not prove too much of a burden—"
"sacre!" muttered walker. "you may fall into trouble."
"that's my risk," i replied with unaffected cheerfulness, and handing the guitar case to my friend, i swung away up a side street before our dueño could interpose further objections.
as i sped along in the shadow of the houses, i could have leaped up and cracked my heels together for joy. i was alone and free for the first time since joining company with the two yutahs in the valley north of agua caliente. but my coltish impulse was short-lived. i had not questioned and planned for the last hour, to caper about in solitary darkness now.
the street up which i had bolted did not lead in the direction in which i wished to go. this was soon mended by turning at the first corner. the towers of the parroquia, looming high against the starlit sky, guided me to the plaza. i then needed only to skirt edge of the square to come to the street corner upon which stood the great mansion of don pedro.
more than once on my way i had heard the long-drawn notes of serenaders, and the thought that there might already be one beneath my lady's balcony hurried me into a run. but when, mindful of the counsel of the complacent medina, i slipped into a shadowy archway across from the stone façade of the vallois mansion, i could hear no music within two or three hundred paces. this surprised me not a little, and i stood for some moments wondering at it, for my brief stay in chihuahua had already confirmed all that doña dolores had written to malgares as to the great popularity of alisanda.
it was, however, no time to ponder mysteries. whatever reasons her other suitors might have for staying away, i was here to woo her, and woo her i would. i keyed my strings, and with my gaze roving from one to the other of the balconied windows across, began to sing that love ditty i had sung beneath my lady's window at natchez. the first verse brought me no response. every balcony remained empty, every window gaped black between its open hangings.
after a short interval i sang the second verse. but though i stared at the dim, ghostly outlines of the white stone mansion until my eyes ached, i saw no sign of my lady. it then occurred to me that her chamber might face upon the side street. i stepped out from my dark archway, to walk around. but as i crossed over i could not resist gazing up at the nearest balcony and whispering her dear name: "alisanda! alisanda! it is i—john."
almost instantly a little white object darted out over the balcony rail and came fluttering down through the limpid darkness. i caught it in the air, and felt in my closing palm a roll of paper twisted through a ring. that it was a note and from my lady i had no doubts. but i could not read it here, and my love made me too impatient to be able to content myself with this dumb favor. i thrust the missive into my pocket, and called again: "alisanda!—alisanda! speak to me, dearest one!"
i waited a full minute. but she gave no sign. by now i was in desperate earnestness.
"alisanda!" i appealed to her, "is it for this i have come to you all these many leagues? speak to me, dearest! i will not go—i cannot—until you speak to me!"
this time i did not call in vain. a shadowy form glided out the window and bent over the balcony rail, and the sweet notes of my lady's voice came down to me in heavenly music.
"juan! juan!" she murmured, in tender distress, "you must not take this risk! you will lose all! go now, dear friend, before you are discovered. go, read what i have written."
"what is a little risk, alisanda, to one who has crossed the barrier to reach you?"
"you do not know! the risk is that you may find you have crossed the barrier in vain. there is yet the gulf. go quickly! i hear a step—some one comes! he is almost here!"
"but, dearest one—!" i protested, as she vanished.
there came a sound of quick steps behind me, and an angry voice muttered the fierce oath, "carrajo!"
a man reared in the wilderness acquires the instinct of the wild creatures to act first and consider afterwards. i leaped away from that angry voice before the last syllable of the oath hissed out. even at that i felt the prick of a sword point beneath my shoulder as i bounded away. the owner of the voice had thrust—and thrust to kill. as my feet touched earth again i had out my pistol; as i spun about, i set the hair-trigger. the glint of a steel blade directed my gaze on the instant to the dim figure crouching to spring after me.
"halt, señor assassin!" i commanded. "take a step, and i shoot you down like a dog!"
"peste!" he cried, lowering his sword point. "it is the americano physician."
"and you are medina!" i muttered between my hard-set teeth—"medina, the aide-de-camp and bravo of salcedo,—medina the assassin."
"peste!" he repeated. "it is a lie."
"you had better pray than swear," i warned him. "the trigger of my pistol is set. the slightest touch of my finger, and you go straight to hell."
"santisima virgen!" he protested, a trace of concern beneath the continued anger of his tone. "you do not comprehend."
"i comprehend that you, an officer in the service of his most catholic majesty, sought to stab me in the back without warning. it was vile—it was cowardly! can you name a single reason why i should not shoot you?"
"you do not comprehend!" he insisted. "i mistook you for one of those whom i have warned."
"mistook me?" i repeated, catching at the chance for an explanation. it is not pleasant to think of a gentleman and officer turned assassin.
"yes," he answered. "i have made this my privilege. any man in chihuahua who wishes to serenade señorita vallois has my pledge that i will kill him."
"i am in chihuahua, and i have serenaded señorita vallois," i replied.
"but you did not know of my pledge. i will spare you this time."
"muchas gracias, señor. yet it seems to me it is a question of my sparing you."
"in that case, señor robinson might do well to consider that his excellency, the governor-general, would gladly welcome an excuse to garrotte a certain americano spy."
"that may be. still, a sword prick in the back is fair evidence against a dead assassin, even in a prejudiced court."
"true. then it may be that the americano caballero is sufficiently gallant to consider the scandal of a slaying beneath the window of a señorita of his acquaintance."
"a scandal which, it seems, one lieutenant medina did not consider. for all that, the argument is sound, vaya!" i ordered, lowering my pistol.
"no!" he rejoined. "i will not go and leave you here."
"you shall!"
"nada!"
for a moment i stood quivering with fury, wild to leap in, sword or no sword, and strike him down with my bare fist. but he had spoken truth. a death, or even a loud quarrel, beneath my lady's balcony, would draw upon her the talk of all chihuahua.
"you are right in this," i forced myself to say; "we owe it to the lady not to involve her in any scandal. you will give me your word, and i will give you mine, to start in opposite directions, and neither return here to-night."
"agreed!" he responded. "you have my word to it, señor physician."
"and you mine," i said, wheeling.
with punctilious precision he wheeled the other way and swaggered up the street as i stalked down. with a last glance at the empty balcony of my lady, i darted off across the corner of the plaza. almost in front of walker's quarters i ran plump into the midst of a night patrol.
"arreste!" cried the officer in charge, and i stopped short with half a dozen lances at my breast.
"americano!" i exclaimed.
"vaya," said the officer.
the lance points flew up. i darted on through the gateway and around the court to the rooms assigned to walker. our host and pike had retired, but old cæsar was dozing beside the door. i sent him hobbling to bed with a few medios to tickle his black palm, and the moment he had disappeared, drew out my precious missive in the light of the guttering candle.
the ring was a plain gold band without any setting. yet to me it was far more precious than any seal or gemmed ring, for on the inner side were engraved my lady's initials. i kissed the band and hastily forced it upon my little finger, that i might read my note without further delay. though the message was written in english, the paper had been so crumpled that i had to smooth it out with care before i could decipher her dear words.
"my knight," it began, "you have proved yourself a true champion. there is now no barrier between us. i pray the blessed virgin that you may also cross the gulf! but you still wear my colors. you have not honored them with your faith and courage to shrink now from the greater task! you should know, dear friend, that according to the spanish law my uncle, who is my guardian, has the bestowal of my hand. therefore be discreet. he will refuse your suit for a reason which i will tell you another time. talk as you please. it is the custom to pay the ladies of my people extravagant compliments. but for a time restrain yourself as to action, and pray be prudent in what you say about political affairs. i fear for you! he who is to decide your fate is in doubt as to how far policy will permit him to venture. he would like to execute you as a spy, or at least fling you into his dungeon, but hesitates for fear the outrage might precipitate war with your republic. such was the representation made to him by my uncle and the friends he has interested in your fate. therefore do not infuriate him beyond his self-control. seek out father rocus. he is a true gentleman and my friend. you have made a good impression upon him. he may be able to aid you to cross the gulf and avoid the danger which besets you. then it will be for me to overcome the objections of my uncle. now farewell. god preserve you, dear knight! i press my lips to that name, for you have earned the salute many times over. au revoir, my knight!"
