The Mark of Zorro (26 page)

And at Santa Barbara his hopes of basking in the
señorita's
smiles at San Francisco de Asis were cruelly shattered. For before the door of the
presidio
there was a gorgeous carriage that made Don Diego's appear like a
carreta,
and a score of horses were tethered there; and more troopers than were regularly stationed at Santa Barbara moved about the highway, laughing and jesting with one another.

The governor was in Santa Barbara!

His excellency had left San Francisco de Asis some days before on a trip of inspection, and intended to go as far south as San Diego de Alcalá, strengthening his political fences, rewarding his friends, and awarding punishment to his enemies.

He had reached Santa Barbara an hour before, and was listening to the report of the
comandante
there, after which he intended remaining during the night with a friend. His troopers were to be given quarters at the
presidio,
of course, and the journey was to continue on the morrow.

Captain Ramón's courier had been told that the letter he carried was of the utmost importance, and so he hurried to the office of the
comandante
and entered it like a man of rank.

“I come from Captain Ramón,
comandante
at Reina de Los Angeles, with a letter of importance for his excellency!” he reported, standing stiffly at salute.

The governor grunted and took the letter, and the
comandante
motioned for the courier to withdraw. His excellency read the letter with speed, and when he had finished there was an unholy gleam in his eyes, and he twirled his mustache with every evidence of keen satisfaction. And then he read the letter again, and frowned.

He liked the thought that he could crush Don Carlos Pulido more, but he disliked to think that Señor Zorro, the man who had affronted him, was still at liberty. He got up and paced the floor for a time, and then whirled upon the
comandante.

“I shall leave for the south at sunrise,” he said. “My presence is urgently needed at Reina de Los Angeles. You will attend to things. Tell that courier he shall ride back with my escort. I go now to the house of my friend.”

And so, in the morning, the governor started south, his escort of twenty picked troopers surrounding him, the courier in their midst. He traveled swiftly, and on a certain day at mid-morning entered the plaza of Reina de Los Angeles unheralded. It was the same morning that Don Diego rode to the Pulido
hacienda
in his carriage, taking his guitar with him.

The cavalcade stopped before the tavern, and the fat landlord almost suffered an apoplexy because he had not been warned of the governor's coming, and was afraid he would enter the inn and find it in a dirty state.

But the governor made no effort to leave his carriage and enter the tavern. He was glancing around the square, observing many things. He never felt secure concerning the men of rank in this
pueblo;
he felt that he did not have the proper grip on them.

Now he watched carefully as news of his arrival was spread and certain
caballeros
hurried to the plaza to greet him and make him welcome. He noted those who appeared to be sincere, observed those who were in no particular haste to salute him, and noticed that several were absent.

Business must receive his first attention, he told them, and he must hasten up to the
presidio.
After that he would gladly be the guest of any of them. He accepted an invitation, and ordered his driver to proceed. He was remembering Captain Ramón's letter, and he had not seen Don Diego Vega in the plaza.

Sergeant Gonzales and his men were away pursuing Señor Zorro, of course, and so Captain Ramón himself was awaiting his excellency at the
presidio
entrance, and saluted him gravely, and bowed low before him, and ordered the commander of the escort to take charge of the place and police it, stationing guards in honor of the governor.

He led his excellency to the private office, and the governor sat down.

“What is the latest news?” he asked.

“My men are on the trail, Excellency. But, as I wrote, this pest of a Señor Zorro has friends—a legion of them, I take it. My sergeant has reported that twice he found him with a band of followers.”

“They must be broken up, killed off!” the governor cried.

“A man of that sort always can get followers, and yet more followers, until he will be so strong that he can cause us serious trouble. Has he committed any further atrocities?”

“He has, Excellency. Yesterday a
fray
from San Gabriel was whipped for swindling. Señor Zorro caught the witnesses against him on the highroad, and whipped them almost to death. And then he rode into the
pueblo
just at dusk, and had the
magistrado
whipped.

“My soldiers were away looking for him at the time. It appears that this Señor Zorro knows the movements of my force, and always strikes where the troopers are not.”

“Then spies are giving him warnings?”

“It appears so, Excellency. Last night some thirty young
caballeros
rode after him, but did not find track of the scoundrel. They returned this morning.”

“Was Don Diego Vega with them?”

“He did not ride out with them, but he returned with them. It seems that they picked him up at his father's
hacienda.
You perhaps guessed that I meant the Vegas in my letter. I am convinced now, your excellency, that my suspicions in that quarter were unjust. This Señor Zorro even invaded Don Diego's house one night while Don Diego was away.”

“How is this?”

“But Don Carlos Pulido and his family were there.”

“Ha! In Don Diego's house? What is the meaning of that?”

“It is amusing,” said Captain Ramón, laughing lightly. “I have heard that Don Alejandro ordered Don Diego to get him a wife. The young man is not the sort to woo women. He is lifeless.”

“I know the man. Proceed!”

“So he rides straightway to the
hacienda
of Don Carlos and asks permission to pay his addresses to Don Carlos's only daughter. Señor Zorro was abroad, and Don Diego, going to his own
hacienda
on business, asked Don Carlos to come to the
pueblo
with his family, where it would be safer, and occupy his house until he returned. The Pulidos could not refuse, of course. And Señor Zorro, it appears, followed them.”

“Ha! Go on!”

“It is laughable that Don Diego fetched them here to escape Señor Zorro's wrath, when, in reality, they are hand in glove with the highwayman. Remember, this Señor Zorro had been at the Pulido
hacienda.
We got word from a native, and almost caught him there. He had been eating a meal. He was hiding in a closet, and while I was alone there and my men searching the trails, he came from the closet, ran me through the shoulder from behind, and escaped.”

“The low scoundrel!” the governor exclaimed. “But do you think there will be a marriage between Don Diego and the Señorita Pulido?”

“I imagine there need be no worry in that regard, Excellency. I am of the opinion that Don Diego's father put a flea in his ear. He probably called Don Diego's attention to the fact that Don Carlos does not stand very high with your excellency, and that there are daughters of other men who do.

“At any rate, the Pulidos returned to their
hacienda
after Don Diego's return. Don Diego called upon me here at the
presidio,
and appeared to be anxious that I would not think him a man of treason.”

“I am glad to hear it. The Vegas are powerful. They never have been my warm friends, yet never have they raised hands against me, so I cannot complain. It is good sense to keep them friendly, if that be possible. But these Pulidos—”

“Even the
señorita
appears to be giving aid to this highwayman,” Captain Ramón said. “She boasted to me of what she called his courage. She sneered at the soldiers.

“Don Carlos Pulido and some of the
frailes
are protecting the man, giving him food and drink, hiding him, sending him news of the troopers' whereabouts. The Pulidos are hindering our efforts to capture the rogue. I would have taken steps, but I thought it best to inform you and await your decision.”

“There can be but one decision in such a case,” said the governor loftily. “No matter how good a man's blood may be, or what his rank, he cannot be allowed to commit treason without suffering the consequences. I had thought that Don Carlos had learned his lesson, but it appears that he has not. Are any of your men in the
presidio?”

“Some who are ill, Excellency.”

“That courier of yours returned with my escort. Does he know the country well hereabouts?”

“Certainly, Excellency. He has been stationed here for some little time.”

“Then he can act as guide. Send half my escort at once to the
hacienda
of Don Carlos Pulido. Have them arrest the don and fetch him to
cárcel,
and incarcerate him there. That will be a blow to his high blood! I have had quite enough of these Pulidos.”

“And the haughty
doña,
who sneered at me, and the proud
señorita
who scorned the troopers?”

“Ha! It is a good thought! It will teach a lesson to all in this locality. Have them fetched to
cárcel
and incarcerated also!” the governor said.

Don Diego's carriage had just pulled up before his house when a squad of troopers went by it in a cloud of dust. He did not recognize any of them for men he had seen about the tavern.

“Ha! There are new soldiers on the trail of Señor Zorro?” he asked a man standing near.

“They are a part of the escort of the governor,
caballero.”

“The governor is here?”

“He arrived but a short time ago,
caballero,
and has gone to the
presidio.”

“I suppose they must have fresh news of this highwayman, to send them riding furiously through dust and sun like that. He appears to be an elusive rascal. By the saints! Had I been here when the governor arrived, no doubt he would have put up at my house. Now some other
caballero
will have the honor of entertaining him. It is much to be regretted.”

And then Don Diego went into the house, and the man who had heard him speak did not know whether to doubt the sincerity of that last remark.

Led by the courier, who knew the way, the squad of troopers galloped swiftly along the highroad, and presently turned up the trail toward Don Carlos's house. They went at this business as they would have gone about capturing a desperado. As they struck the driveway, they scattered to left and right, tearing up Doña Catalina's flower-beds and sending chickens squawking out of the way, and so surrounded the house in almost an instant of time.

Don Carlos had been sitting on the veranda in his accustomed place, half in a doze, and he did not notice the advance of the troopers until he heard the beating of their horses' hooves. He got to his feet in alarm, wondering whether Señor Zorro was in the vicinity again and the soldiers after him.

Three dismounted in a cloud of dust before the steps, and the sergeant who commanded them made his way forward, slapping the dust from his uniform.

“You are Don Carlos Pulido?” he asked in a loud voice.

“I have that honor,
señor.”

“I have orders to place you under military arrest.”

“Arrest!” Don Carlos cried. “Who gave you such orders?”

“His excellency, the governor. He now is in Reina de Los

Angeles,
señor.”

“And the charge?”

“Treason, and aiding the enemies of the state!”

“Preposterous!” Don Carlos cried. “I am accused of treason when, though the victim of oppression, I have withheld my hand against those in power? What are the particulars of the charges?”

“You will have to ask the
magistrado
that,
señor.
I know nothing of the matter except that I am to arrest you.”

“You wish me to accompany you?”

“I demand it,
señor.”

“I am a man of blood, a
caballero—”

“I have my orders!”

“So I cannot be trusted to appear at my place of trial? But perhaps the hearing is to be held immediately. So much the better, for all the quicker can I clear myself. We go to the
presidio?”

“I go to the
presidio
when this work is done. You go to
cárcel,”
the sergeant said.

“To
cárcel?”
Don Carlos screeched. “You would dare? You would throw a
caballero
into the filthy jail? You would place him where they keep insubordinate natives and common felons?”

“I have my orders,
señor.
You will prepare to accompany us at once!”

“I must give my superintendent instructions regarding the management of the
hacienda.”

“I'll go along with you,
señor.”

Don Carlos's face flamed purple. His hands clenched as he regarded the sergeant.

“Am I to be insulted with every word?” he cried. “Do you think I would run away like a criminal?”

“I have my orders,
señor!”
the sergeant said.

“At least, may I break this news to my wife and daughter without an outsider being at my shoulder?”

“Your wife is Doña Catalina Pulido?”

“Certainly.”

“I am ordered to arrest her also,
señor.”

“Scum!” Don Carlos cried. “You would put hands on a lady? You would remove her from her house?”