Suddenly a sharp spoken order opened up the ranks next to the house. Senor Montes appeared in the break, coming swiftly. His dark face wore a smile; his manner was courteous, important, authoritative.
"Senora, it is not too late!"
He spoke her language with an accent strange to her, so that it seemed to hinder understanding.
"Senora, you got here in time," he went on. "El Capitan Stewart will be free.""Free!" she whispered.
She rose, reeling.
"Come," replied Montes, taking her arm. "Perdoneme, Senora."Without his assistance she would have fallen wholly upon Nels, who supported her on the other side. They helped her alight from the car. For a moment the white walls, the hazy red sky, the dark figures of the rebels, whirled before Madeline's eyes. She took a few steps, swaying between her escorts; then the confusion of her sight and mind passed away. It was as if she quickened with a thousand vivifying currents, as if she could see and hear and feel everything in the world, as if nothing could be overlooked, forgotten, neglected.
She turned back, remembering Link. He was lurching from the car, helmet and goggles thrust back, the gray shade gone from his face, the cool, bright gleam of his eyes disappearing for something warmer.
Senor Montes led Madeline and her cowboys through a hall to a patio, and on through a large room with flooring of rough, bare boards that rattled, into a smaller room full of armed quiet rebels facing an open window.
Madeline scanned the faces of these men, expecting to see Don Carlos. But he was not present. A soldier addressed her in Spanish too swiftly uttered, too voluble for her to translate.
But, like Senor Montes, he was gracious and, despite his ragged garb and uncouth appearance, he bore the unmistakable stamp of authority.
Montes directed Madeline's attention to a man by the window. Aloose scarf of vivid red hung from his hand.
"Senora, they were waiting for the sun to set when we arrived,"said Montes. "The signal was about to be given for Senor Stewart's walk to death.""Stewart's walk!" echoed Madeline.
"Ah, Senora, let me tell you his sentence--the sentence I have had the honor and happiness to revoke for you."Stewart had been court-martialed and sentenced according to a Mexican custom observed in cases of brave soldiers to whom honorable and fitting executions were due. His hour had been set for Thursday when the sun had sunk. Upon signal he was to be liberated and was free to walk out into the road, to take any direction he pleased. He knew his sentence; knew that death awaited him, that every possible avenue of escape was blocked by men with rifles ready. But he had not the slightest idea at what moment or from what direction the bullets were to come.
"Senora, we have sent messengers to every squad of waiting soldiers--an order that El Capitan is not to be shot. He is ignorant of his release. I shall give the signal for his *******."Montes was ceremonious, gallant, emotional. Madeline saw his pride, and divined that the situation was one which brought out the vanity, the ostentation, as well as the cruelty of his race.
He would keep her in an agony of suspense, let Stewart start upon that terrible walk in ignorance of his *******. It was the motive of a Spaniard. Suddenly Madeline had a horrible quaking fear that Montes lied, that he meant her to be a witness of Stewart's execution. But no, the man was honest; he was only barbarous. He would satisfy certain instincts of his nature--sentiment, romance, cruelty--by starting Stewart upon that walk, by watching Stewart's actions in the face of seeming death, by seeing Madeline's agony of doubt, fear, pity, love. Almost Madeline felt that she could not endure the situation. She was weak and tottering.
"Senora! Ah, it will be one beautiful thing!" Montes caught the scarf from the rebel's hand. He was glowing, passionate; his eyes had a strange, soft, cold flash; his voice was low, intense.
He was living something splendid to him. "I'll wave the scarf, Senora. That will be the signal. It will be seen down at the other end of the road. Senor Stewart's jailer will see the signal, take off Stewart's irons, release him, open the door for his walk. Stewart will be free. But he will not know. He will expect death. As he is a brave man, he will face it. He will walk this way. Every step of that walk he will expect to be shot from some unknown quarter. But he will not be afraid. Senora, Ihave seen El Captain fighting in the field. What is death to him? Ah, will it not be magnificent to see him come forth--to walk down? Senora, you will see what a man he is. All the way he will expect cold, swift death. Here at this end of the road he will meet his beautiful lady!""Is there no--no possibility of a mistake?" faltered Madeline.
"None. My order included unloading of rifles.""Don Carlos?"
"He is in irons, and must answer to General Salazar," replied Montes.
Madeline looked down the deserted road. How strange to see the last ruddy glow of the sun over the brow of the mountain range!
The thought of that sunset had been torture for her. Yet it had passed, and now the afterlights were luminous, beautiful, prophetic.
With a heart stricken by both joy and agony, she saw Montes wave the scarf.