The Red Track: A Story of Social Life in Mexico. Gustave Aimard

than the time originally arranged.

      It was, hence, with well promising ardour that they rose on receiving their chiefs command, and prepared under his directions to dig the trench which was intended to protect them from a surprise. This trench was to be bordered by a line of tall stakes, running across the open space between the rocks, which gave the sole access to the terrace.

      The headquarters were first prepared, that is to say, the tent was raised, and the horses hobbled near pickets driven into the ground.

      At the moment when the leader proceeded with several peons armed with picks and spades toward the entrance, with the probable intention of marking the exact spot where the trench was to be dug, the capataz approached him obsequiously, and said with a respectful bow —

      "Mi amo, I have an important communication to make to you."

      His master turned and looked at him with ill-concealed distrust.

      "An important communication to make to me?" he repeated.

      "Yes, mi amo," the capataz replied with a bow.

      "What is it? Speak, but be brief, Carnero, for, as you see, I have no time to lose."

      "I hope to gain you time, excellency," the capataz said with a silent smile.

      "Ah, ah, what is it?"

      "If you will allow me to say two words aside, excellency, you will know at once."

      "Diablo! a mystery, Master Carnero?"

      "Mi amo, it is my duty to inform no one but your excellency of my discovery."

      "Hum! then you have discovered something?"

      The other bowed, but made no further answer.

      "Very well then," his master continued, "come this way: go on, muchachos," he added, addressing the peons, "I will rejoin you in a moment."

      The latter went on, while the leader retired for a few paces, followed by the capataz. When he considered that he had placed a sufficient distance between himself and the ears of his people, he addressed the half-breed again —

      "Now, I suppose, Master Carnero," he said, "you will see no inconvenience in explaining yourself?"

      "None at all, excellency."

      "Speak then, in the fiend's name, and keep me no longer in suspense."

      "This is the affair, excellency: I have discovered a grotto."

      "What?" his master exclaimed, in surprise, "you have discovered a grotto?"

      "Yes, excellency."

      "Where?"

      "Here."

      "Here! that's impossible."

      "It's the fact, excellency."

      "But where?"

      "There," he said, stretching out his arm, "behind that mass of rocks."

      A suspicious look flashed from beneath his master's eyelashes.

      "Ah!" he muttered, "that is very singular, Master Carnero; may I ask in what manner you discovered this grotto, and what motive was so imperious as to take you among those rocks, when you were aware how indispensable your presence was elsewhere?"

      The capataz was not affected by the tone in which these words were uttered; he answered calmly, as if he did not perceive the menace they contained —

      "Oh! mi amo, the discovery was quite accidental, I assure you."

      "I do not believe in chance," his master answered "but go on."

      "When we had finished breakfast," the capataz continued, soothingly, "I perceived, on rising, that several horses, mine among them, had become unfastened, and were straying in different directions."

      "That is true," his master muttered, apparently answering his own thoughts rather than the remarks of the capataz.

      The latter gave an almost imperceptible smile. "Fearing," he continued, "lest the horses might be lost, I immediately started in pursuit. They were easy to catch, with the exception of one, which rambled among the rocks, and I was obliged to follow it."

      "I understand; and so it led you to the mouth of the grotto."

      "Exactly, mi amo; I found it standing at the very entrance, and had no difficulty in seizing the bridle."

      "That is indeed most singular. And did you enter the grotto, Master Carnero?"

      "No, mi amo. I thought it my duty to tell you of it first."

      "You were right. Well, we will enter it together. Fetch some torches of ocote wood, and show us the way. By the by, do not forget to bring weapons, for we know not what men or beasts we may find in caverns thus opening on a high road." This he said with a sarcastic air, which caused the capataz to tremble inwardly in spite of his determined indifference.

      While he executed his master's orders, the latter selected six of his peons, on whose courage he thought he could most rely, ordered them to take their muskets, and, bidding the others to keep a good watch, but not begin anything till he returned, he made a signal to the capataz that he was ready to follow him. Ño Carnero had followed with an evil eye the arrangements made by his master, but probably did not deem it prudent to risk any remark, for he silently bowed his head, and walked toward the pile of rocks that masked the entrance of the grotto.

      These granite blocks, piled one on top of the other, did not appear, however, to have been brought there by accident, but, on the contrary, they appeared to have belonged in some early and remote age to a clumsy but substantial edifice, which was probably connected with the breastwork still visible on the edge of the voladero on the side of the precipice.

      The Mexicans crossed the rocks without difficulty, and soon found themselves before the dark and frowning entrance of the cavern. The chief gave his peons a signal to halt.

      "It would not be prudent," he said, "to venture without precautions into this cavern. Prepare your arms, muchachos, and keep your eyes open; at the slightest suspicious sound, or the smallest object that appears, fire. Capataz, light the torches."

      The latter obeyed without a word; the leader of the caravan assured himself at a glance that his orders had been properly carried out; then taking his pistols from his belt, he cocked them, took one in each hand, and said to Carnero —

      "Take the lead," he said, with a mocking accent; "it is only just that you should do the honours of this place which you so unexpectedly discovered. Forward, you others, and be on your guard," he added, turning to the peons.

      The eight men then went into the cavern at the heels of the capataz, who raised the torches above his head, doubtless in order to cast a greater light on surrounding objects.

      This cavern, like most of those found in these regions, seemed to have been formed through some subterranean convulsion. The walls were lofty, dry, and covered at various spots with an enormous quantity of night birds, which, blinded and startled by the light of the torches, took to flight with hoarse cries, and flew heavily in circles round the Mexicans. The latter drove them back with some difficulty by waving their muskets. But the further they got into the interior of the cavern, the greater the number of these birds became, and seriously encumbered the visitors by flapping them with their long wings, and deafening them with their discordant cries.

      They thus reached a rather large hall, into which several passages opened. Although the Mexicans were a considerable distance from the entrance, they found no difficulty in breathing, owing doubtless to imperceptible fissures in the rock, through which the air was received.

      "Let us halt here for a moment," the leader said, taking a torch from the capataz; "this hall, if the cavern has several issues as I suppose, will afford us a certain refuge: let us examine the spot where we are."

      While speaking he walked round the hall, and convinced himself, by certain still existing traces of man's handiwork, that at a former period the cave had been inhabited. The peons seated themselves idly on the blocks of granite scattered here and there, and with their guns between their legs carelessly followed their master's movements.

      The latter felt the suspicions