"Neither have I. So let us go on like peaceable travellers, and the chances are that these men, taking for granted that the others have let us pa.s.s, will not meddle with us. If they do, we must make the best fight we can."

"A happy thought! Let us act on it. If they ask any questions I will answer. Your English accent might excite suspicion."

The party before us consisted of nine hors.e.m.e.n, several of whom appeared to be officers.

"_Buene noche, senores_," said Carmen, so soon as we were within speaking distance.

"_Buene noche, senores_. You have met the troops, of course. How far are they ahead?" asked one of the officers.

"The main body are quite a league ahead by this time. The pack-mules and _arrieros_ pa.s.sed us about fifteen minutes ago."

"_Gracias!_ Who are you, and whither may you be wending, senores?"

"I am Sancho Mencar, at your service, _senor coronel_, a Government messenger, carrying despatches to General Salazar, at La Victoria. My companion is Senor Tesco, a merchant, who is journeying to the same place on business."

"Good! you can go on. You will meet two troopers who are bringing on a prisoner. Do me the favor to tell them to make haste."

"Certainly, _senor coronel. Adios, senores_."

"_Adio senores._"

And with that we rode on our respective ways.

"Two troopers and prisoner," said Carmen, thoughtfully.

"So there are more of them, after all! How many, I wonder? If this prisoner be a patriot we must rescue him, senor Fortescue."

"With all my heart--if we can."

"Only two troopers! You and I are a match for six."

"Possibly. But we don't know that the two are not followed by a score!

There seems to be no end of them."

"I don't think so. If there were the colonel would have asked us to tell them also to hurry up. But we shall soon find out. When we meet the fellows we will speak them fair and ask a few questions."

Ten minutes later we met them.

"_Buene noche, senores!_" said Carmen, riding forward. "We bring a message from the colonel. He bids you make haste."

"All very fine. But how can we make haste when we are hampered by this rascal? I should like to blow his brains out."

"This rascal" was the prisoner, a big powerful fellow who seemed to be either a zambo or a negro. His arms were bound to his side, and he walked between the troopers, to whose saddles he was fastened by two stout cords.

"Why don't you blow his brains out?"

"Because we should get into trouble. He is the colonel's slave, and therefore valuable property. We have tried dragging him along; but the villain throws himself down, and might get a limb broken, so all we can do is prod him occasionally with the points of our sabres; but he does not seem to mind us in the least. We have tried swearing; we might as well whistle. Make haste, indeed!"

"A very hard case, I am sure. I sympathize with you, senores. Is the man a runaway that you have to take such care of him?"

"That is just it. He ran away and rambled for months in the forest; and if he had not stolen back to La Victoria and been betrayed by a woman, he would never have been caught. After that, the colonel would not trust him at large; but he thinks that at Caracas he will have him safe. And now, senores, with your leave we must go on."

"Ah! You are the last, I suppose?"

"We are; curse it! The main body must be a league ahead by this time, and we shall not reach Caracas for hours. _Adios!_"

"Let us rescue the poor devil!" I whispered to Carmen.

"By all means. One moment, senores; I beg your pardon--now, Fortescue!"

And with that we placed our horses across the road, whipped out our pistols and pointed them at the troopers' heads, to their owners'

unutterable surprise.

"We are sorry to inconvenience you, senores," said my companion, politely; "but we are going to release this slave, and we have need of your horses.

Unbuckle your swords, throw them on the ground, and dismount. No hesitation, or you are dead men! Shall we treat them as they proposed to treat the slave, Senor Fortescue? Blow out their brains? It will be safer, and save us a deal of trouble."

"No! That would be murder. Let them go. They can do no harm. It is impossible for them to overtake the, others on foot."

Meanwhile the soldiers, having the fear of being shot before them, had dismounted and laid down their weapons.

"Go!" said Carmen, pointing northward, and they went.

"Your name?" (to the prisoner whose bonds I was cutting with my sword).

"Here they call me Jose. In my own country I was called Gahra--"

"Let it be Gahra, then. It is less common than Jose. Every other peon in the country is called Jose. You are a native of Africa?"

"_Si, senor._"

"How came you hither?"

"I was taken to Cuba in a slave-ship, brought to this country by General Salazar, and sold by him to Colonel Canimo."

"You have no great love for the Spaniards, I suppose?"

Gahra pointed to his arms which had been chafed by the rope till they were raw, and showed us his back which bore the marks of recent stripes.

"Can you fight?"

"Against the Spaniards? Only give me the chance, and you shall see,"

answered the negro in a voice of intense hate.

"Come with us, and you shall have many chances. Mount one of those horses and lead the other."

Gahra mounted, and we moved on.

We were now at the beginning of a stiff ascent. The road, which though undulating had risen almost continuously since we left Caracas, was bordered with richly colored flowers and shrubs, and bounded on either side by deep forests. Night was made glorious by the great tropical moon, which shone resplendent under a purple sky gilding the tree-tops and lighting us on our way. Owing to the nature of the ground we could not see far before us, but the backward view, with its wood-crowned heights, deep ravines, and sombre mountains looming in the distance, was fairy-like and fantastic, and the higher we rose the more extensive it became.