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Page 44
"Navarro must have been dreaming, or else greatly mistaken," he said to
himself, "for here is Dionysio fast asleep. Come, wake up!" he cried
aloud, at the same time prodding the prostrate form with his toe. As
there was no response, he stooped to give the sleeper a vigorous
shaking; but almost with the first touch he sprang back in horror. The
man lay on his back, but with his head so twisted about that only its
rear portion was visible, and Ridge instinctively knew that he was
dead. The other motionless form was that of a dead horse, the one
recently ridden by Lieutenant Navarro.
Having made this ghastly discovery, Ridge hastily returned to the hut
to gain from his companion an explanation of what had happened,
"I could not sleep," said the young Spaniard, in answer to his
inquiries, "though I lay still and tried hard to do so, until, by your
heavy breathing, I discovered that you were no longer awake."
"I am awfully ashamed of myself," said Ridge.
"It is not to be wondered at," rejoined the other, consolingly. "You
had not so much at stake as I, for only my life was threatened.
Somehow, I felt certain that the black fiend who thirsted for my blood
was also lying awake, and would make an attempt to kill me in my
hammock before morning. So, without disturbing you, I moved to the
back of the hut and waited for him. It must have been an hour before
the horses began to give signs of great uneasiness, and then one of
them fell. I suppose he must have killed it."
"Yes," said Ridge, "I reckon he did, since it now lies dead, and
bleeding from a stab behind the left fore-shoulder."
"I imagined something of the kind," continued the other, "but still
thought it safer for both of us not to disturb you. So I waited, more
keenly alert than before, but heard nothing, until I saw him slowly
rise and stand beside my hammock. The blow that he dealt it would have
cut me in two had I still occupied it; and, with this discovery of his
design, I fired three shots, one of which, I think, must have hit him.
At any rate, he uttered a great cry and staggered away."
"After that," said Ridge, "he must have tried to escape on my horse,
which probably flung him over her head and broke his neck. Didn't you,
old girl?"
Had Se�orita possessed the power of speech, she would certainly have
answered "Yes," for that was exactly what had happened.
"At any rate," continued the young trooper, with a sigh of relief, "I
am mighty glad my neglect of duty did not result more seriously. At
the same time we are left in an awkward shape for continuing our
journey."
"How so?" asked the other. "I am not afraid to walk."
"But I have lost my guide."
"You have lost one and gained another, who will serve you with equal
skill, since I know very well the road to Jiguani."
"Of course you must know it," replied Ridge. "How stupid of me not to
remember! and, as we can take turns at riding my horse, we shall
doubtless get along all right."
There was no more sleep for either of the young soldiers that night;
and by earliest dawn, having already eaten their frugal breakfast of
roasted yams--an article of diet of which Ridge was becoming heartily
tired--they set forth on the road to Jiguani.
As they were already on the southern slope of the mountains and
descending into a broad valley, they made such rapid progress, by
alternately riding and walking, that the sun had not passed its
meridian when they reached the Cauto--the longest river in Cuba. There
was formerly a small settlement at the crossing, but it had long since
been destroyed, and now only presented the sight, so common in Cuba, of
charred ruins devoid of human presence. There was neither bridge nor
boat, but Lieutenant Navarro declared the river fordable at this point.
Ridge regarded dubiously the chocolate-colored flood already swollen by
the first of the summer rains, and wished that they had at least two
horses with which to cross it. As they had not, and as nothing was to
be gained by delay, he took his companion up behind him, and Se�orita,
thus doubly burdened, plunged bravely into the stream. Until they were
half-way across all went well, the mare cautiously feeling her way, and
the water not reaching more than to her belly, Then, without warning,
she dropped into a hole so deep that the turbid current closed above
the heads of her riders as well as her own.
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