Wronged; or, Pedro the Torero

Part I. Chap

pAGE I. The Shipwreck ... ... ... ... i II. On Board 21 III. The Treasure ... ... ... ... 39 IV. A Haven 53 V. A Sea-given Saint... ... ... ... 67 VI. The Lobera Grande ... ... ... 83 VII. With the Archbishop 105 VIII. Sancho Navajo's Present ... ... ... 124 IX. Madilena's new Home ... ... ... 140

Part II

I. Priest and Protege ... ... ... 151 II. Retrospection ... ... ... ... 170 III. Fellow-Countryir.en ... ... ... 186 IV. Confidences ... ... ... ... 200 V. Betrayed 219 VI. The old Story 234 VII. The Destroyer 253 VIII. Just Indignation ... 267 IX. Until To-morrow 278 X. The Brindled Estramaduran ... ...

PART I CHAPTER

I. THE SHIPWRECK. " SAINTS in Heaven, how the wind howls ! Sancho — husband — thou wilt stay with me to-night and not venture forth upon that boisterous ocean until the morrow ? Chosen of my heart, why dost thou not reply ? " The appeal was low in tone, yet infinitely touching in its tender plaintiveness, and the earnestness of the speaker, even more than the caressing epithets that accompanied the request, seemed to stir to its depth the nature of the man to whom it was addressed. B WRONGED. 2 He knelt beside the pallet of the invalid — a striking figure even in the rough fisherman's garb that did its best to mar the symmetry of the form — with head buried in the patchwork coverlet, and a quiver ran through the stalwart frame as with one hand he gently clasped the thin fingers that were moving lovingly amidst the masses of his coal-black hair.

A faint wail at this moment became audible from beneath the scanty covering of the bed, and the young mother hastily drew her new-born infant closer to the warm shelter of her bosom, and remained contemplating it for some moments with a look of intensest love and sadness before continuing her appeal. " Hark, my Sancho," she murmured, when the infant's feeble cry was stilled, " it is not I alone that plead ; our little Pedro joins with me in entreating his father to stay with us until the morning. Husband, he is the only pledge of our love, and — listen, dear one — it is our Blessed Lady's will that we should not keep him. Look at him " — and she held the little creature towards the man, who raised his head slowly and bent his dark eyes lovingly upon his first-born — "look how shrunk and weakly he is.

I saw the compassion in old Antonia's eyes when she first laid our darling on my breast, and knew full well why she counselled that Father Tomas should be sent for and the rite of baptism performed without delay. Sancho, the angels will take him to their midst, perchance this very night when thou art absent. Oh, God ! this sorrow — this anguish — is the just reward of my sin, the punishment meted out to me by the heavenly host for abandoning my father, my mother, my home, my betrothed, and follow ing thee to wild Galicia. Yet think not I repent, dearest," and again her fingers toyed lovingly with the ebon hair, " for had it to be done once more I should not shrink from the task. But I know that our babe is to be taken from us — have learned it from a higher authority than kind old Antonia.

This after noon I saw a vision, Sancho — a vision awful in its dread reality. Nay, smile not, husband" — for a look of incredulity had risen to the man's eyes — " lest thou also shouldst be visited with punishment for thy unbelief." The rebuke, though gentle, was so earnest that the fisherman hastily crossed himself, while all sign of levity disappeared from his face. Superstition is rife throughout Spain, but in no part of the kingdom is it deeper, blinder, more unquestioning than in the wild WRONGED. 4 rugged province that fronts the great Atlantic and forms a rocky barrier to the waves of Biscay. Awed by his wife's tone and aspect — for she had half-risen from her recumbent position and a look of terror was visible in the large eyes that seemed to pierce infinity — Sancho awaited the revelation.

" It was after Gomez had reported the dismasted ship labouring to seaward," she continued, solemnly, "and thou hadst gone out gleefully with him to view the expected prey. Then slumber fell upon me, and in my sleep I beheld a vision. Yes, husband, I saw Heaven opened and the Great Judge seated on His throne with the Blessed Virgin by His side. A fear — terrible — irresistible — over whelmed me, and I would have hidden my face in awe, but a voice, which I felt com pelled to obey, bade me open my eyes, when I saw a woman's figure in shining white raiment approach the throne, holding in her arms an infant — our Pedro." Here she pressed the babe closer to her side, while the man on his knees crossed himself repeatedly, gazing at the speaker with fear plainly written on his swarthy features. " Yes, Sancho — our Pedro.

The Blessed Virgin would have received the babe in her pure bosom, but He — the Awful One — with held her, saying, in solemn tones, ' It was born in crime and died amidst ruthless bloodshed ; let it not enter here until the parents have repented.' With a scream of terror at this fearful sentence I awoke, and found old Antonia bending over me, looking at our little one with those sorrowful eyes. Then all hope for our darling died away, for I knew that he was doomed, and saw that the Judge was just. Yes, husband, just, for my thoughts at once reverted to the mission on which thou wast absent, and I saw the hapless ship struggling in vain against her fate, but being borne irresistibly upon the jagged teeth of this rock-bound coast. Then the full meaning of the Awful One came home to me — ' died amidst ruthless bloodshed.' Perchance amongst that doomed band there may be women and children — little infants pure and sinless as this beloved one whom our crime is devoting to an eternity of woe.

Do not, I beseech thee, husband, join the villagers in their savage work. Think of the love I bear thee — of the home that I have given up for thy sake. Think of the awful vision — of our little one refused admission to Paradise for WRONGED. 6 the sins of his parents. Listen to the heavenly warning ; have pity on my sorrow and refrain from joining in this night's pill age." The woman's tones during her recital had been awe-stricken and solemn, but the con cluding entreaty was poured forth in accents of wildest supplication. On her ceasing the man rose to his feet, when, for the first time, the flickering light fell full upon his swarthy features. He was still young, barely twenty five, but exposure and toil had already robbed the lineaments of their smoothness, although the manly beauty of the face had lost nothing by the change.

In repose it would have been characterized as stern, but both fear and pity had now imparted to it an unwonted softness, enhanced by the moisture that dimmed the fire of the fierce black eyes — one over whose supple figure an artist would have waxed eloquent, for not even the coarse fisherman's garb could destroy the graceful outlines ; one born to win women's brightest smiles, and many an Andalusian maiden had blushed with ill-concealed pleasure when bantered by her companion for the attentions of Sancho the Gallego. For full five minutes the young man strode to and fro in the narrow room, then coming to a standstill he stood looking lovingly at the prostrate form of his wife, who had sunk back exhausted by the vehemence of her appeal, and his lips were parted to speak — perchance to yield to her prayer, who knows ? — when a dull sound, plainly audible above the roar and shriek of the tempest raging without, echoed hollowly amidst the rafters of the cabin, whilst at the same moment the door was flung unceremoniously open, and the form of another fisherman was outlined against the darkness of the night.

" Haste thee to the beach, Sancho," cried the new-comer, in tones quivering with excitement. " She is firing guns, and the last flash showed her close to the Lobera grande. Half-an-hour of such glorious weather will see her on the rocks, and then the prize will rest with those bold enough to claim it. Jose's old mule, knee-haltered and with a lantern between its long ears, has been walked about the sand since sundown to mislead the blundering sailors." " Silence ! idiot," thundered Sancho, see ing the terror visible on his wife's face at this intelligence, " thou frightenest Madilena with thy coarse tongue. Get thee to the beach WRONGED. 8 alone and leave us, for I will have nought to do with this night's work." The intruder bent a keen glance upon the speaker, whilst a smile of derision curled his lip.

" Has the bold Sancho turned saint ? " he asked, sneeringly, casting his eyes upon the sick girl with covert contempt. But the mocking words had barely left his lips when the master of the cabin bounded forward, with wrathful mien, and hand laid menacingly on the haft of his long knife. "Pig!" he cried; but at the sudden onslaught the strange fisherman had hastily retreated and placed the half-open door between himself and his assailant, muttering, "Nay, I meant not to vex thee; but why dost thou refuse to reap thy share of the harvest that the blessed saints have sent us? Does Madilena wish to see thee poor whilst all thy companions are enriching them selves with the plunder of the wreck?" He had re-entered the room whilst speaking, for at his comrade's apologetic tone the anger had died out from Sancho's eyes, to be replaced by a look of wistful regret, which deepened as the tempter continued to improve the advantage which he saw his words had already gained him.

" Think, Sancho," he whispered, dropping bis voice in the hope that his devilish argu ment would escape the ear of the invalid, "think how the villagers will laugh on hear ing that thou wast hindered from becoming rich by thine Andalusian bride ; and reflect on the comforts that this windfall will enable thee to bestow upon her. There will be fine clothing — noble spars — new canvas that can be cut up into sails for thy boat- — perchance even treasure," and at the last thought the eyes of the wrecker glistened, whilst he involuntarily clasped the arm of his silent listener. "All this thou wilt lose," he con tinued in low, but impressive tones, " if thou art not on the spot to claim thy share of the booty. Besides " — he saw his comrade already wavering — " besides, how can we guide a boat through this heavy sea without the strong arm and steady eye of the best seaman in Olivier?

Thou wilt come, Sancho?" and the grasp laid upon the young man's shoulder was caressingly persuasive, " thou wilt come and be our pddron — our leader? Hark! another gun. Bid adieu to thy wife ; I will await thee outside." For full two minutes the young fisherman stood a prey to conflicting emotions. His heart was with the invalid, who lay watching WRONGED. the struggle, but uttering no word, for she saw that further remonstrance would be useless ; but the language of the tempter had awakened his cupidity and aroused the pride which is so dominant in every Spaniard's character. The contest was short ; another gun boomed amidst the rafters, then Sancho approached the bed. " I must go," he muttered, moodily, " must go, or they would think me both fool and coward ; but I will return soon, dear one, and perhaps with booty that will make thee happy."

" But how gained ! " sighed Madilena, her eyes brimming as the waverer bent forward to kiss both mother and infant. " Weak one," she added, regretfully, " I knew thou couldst never resist the temptation. Butr Sancho," she continued, impressively, as though struck by some sudden thought, " do this one good deed for the sake of thy wife and of thy little one, whose very hours on earth are numbered. If there should be any unfortunates still alive on board the vessel when thou reachest her, protect them from the murderous greed of thy companions. I know too well the horrible custom of this coast, and feel that it is a crime against humanity and the Almighty. Think of the vision that I saw not three hours past, and remember that by one deed of mercy thou mayestgain our babe admission into Paradise.

Thou wilt promise me this ? Then kiss thy little Pedro, and the saints grant that on thy return thou mayst find thyself still a father." The man pressed his lips to the forehead of the sleeping infant, and then lingeringly withdrew, followed by the sad, reproachful gaze of his wife ; but before reaching the door he turned back, and, flinging himself on bended knees, kissed the girl — she was but a girl — passionately, one would have said des pairingly. " I will send old Antonia to watch beside thee, light of mine eyes," he murmured, making use of the endearing epithet so familiar in the mouth of a Spanish lover. " I would stay with thee, dearest, would have no share in this night's work at thy bidding ; but — but — they must not call thy husband ' coward,' my Madilena," and with a last clinging embrace he tore himself away and rushed out into the darkness, where Gomez was awaiting his arrival.

The light inside the cabin was dim and un certain, but it seemed as noonday to the black WRONGED. darkness without, whilst the fierce blast that met him nearly threw the strong fisherman to the ground ; but his arm was seized by his watchful comrade, and both men proceeded rapidly down the narrow and dangerous track leading to the beach, a path that a new-comer might have recoiled from treading in broad daylight, but that custom had robbed of all dangers for the inhabitants of this rugged coast. Full two hundred feet beneath the roar of breakers was audible, and their white crests became momentarily visible as thev dashed themselves into sheets of seething foam against the boulder-strewn sand. All around and overhead complete darkness reigned, only broken by a wavering light that danced up and down like a boat upon an angry sea.

Coming to a halt Gomez pointed this out to his companion, whilst roaring in his ear — to speak in ordinary tones would have been useless amidst that conflict of the elements — " See the lantern, Sancho ? It is fastened to the head of Jose's mule as a decoy. Brave old beast ! she has brought us many a rich waif from the stormy ocean." Sancho made no reply, nor did his com panion seem to expect any, for he hurried him with even greater rapidity down the cliff until the flat ground at its base was reached, where some score of hovels were clustered, the in mates of which were gathered in a group, gazing earnestly towards the offing, where lay the dangerous reef on which the dismasted ship was expected to drive. All ages of both sexes were to be found in that small assem blage, from the old man bent and withered, with his snowy locks tossing on the blast, to the little girl just able to toddle, and sup porting her uncertain steps by clinging to her mother's skirt.

All alike — young and old — had their eyes filled with the lurid fire of greedy expectation ; but you might search in vain for any emotion akin to pity, or that might be construed into even passing com passion for the fellow-beings whom they were treacherously luring to destruction, and by whose untimely fate they hoped to enrich themselves. So engrossed were the crowd that for some seconds the arrival of thenew-comers remained unnoticed ; then the quick eye of a young girl resting upon them, she gave vent to a shrill shriek of delight, which rose high above the hoarse roar of breaker and tempest. " Amigos — -friends — here is brave Sanchito WRONGED. 14 come, and he will lend his boat and lead her to the wreck. Thou wert wont to regard me with loving eyes once," she continued, clasping the fisherman caressingly by the arm, and speaking into his ear.

" Before the Andalu sian woman bewitched him Sancho was con tent to look for a mate amongst his own people, and Serafina found favour in his sight ; now, by the memory of those old times, he will think of her when the brave silks are distributed?" she pleaded, suppressed love and greed mingling in her tones. " Silence ! foal of an ass," muttered an old crone, who viewed this artless manœuvre with much disfavour. " The bodies will belong to those that find them, and the cargo allotted to all concerned. Keep thy bright eyes off Sancho, Serafina, for another hath claims on him, and bend them on the surf to spy out the bonny corpses before the waves have battered them to pieces. Malediction on the rocks ! " she continued, stamping her foot ; " their sharp points rend like the teeth of a carding comb.

They were welcome to work their will on the bodies, so they would only spare the dainty raiment." "A rocket! a rocket!" burst from every throat as a fiery trail shone brightly in the darkness. " A signal of real distress, and close to the Lobera grande. In five minutes more she will be ashore." It was Serafina who uttered the last ghastly prophecy, and in her wild delight the girl danced upon the sand like some frenzied Mcenad. " To the boat ! to the boat ! " cried Gomez, touching Sancho on the shoulder. " Re member the beautiful dresses that thou wilt get for Madilena, and the comforts for thy weakly little Pedro." The speaker evidently expected that some reluctance still lingered in Sancho's breast, but none such showed itself. With the prey before him — almost in his grasp — the true wrecker spirit in which he had been nurtured gained the ascendency, and in the excitement of the moment all else was forgotten — the wife upon her lowly pallet, weeping silently ; the babe, whose little span of life was measured ; the vision that had impressed him so deeply not an hour before.

Even the pro mise that had been wrung from his lips was consigned to oblivion, and the young fisher man's eyes gleamed wildly in the light of the WRONGED. 16 flickering torches, with which the women had provided themselves, since the vessel could not now escape her doom, and further con cealment became unnecessary. " Viva! viva!" he cried, springing out in advance of the group and waving his cap recklesslv in the gale. " Follow me ! follow me to the boat ! The good saints have bidden the sea to send us something better than sar dines and bezugos. Farewell, Serafina ; thou shalt be clad in satins and velvet ere to morrow's sunset," and, carried away by ex citement, he flung his arms around the girl and kissed her ardently ; nor was the embrace apparently unwelcome to its recipient. " To the boat ! to the boat !

" echoed Go mez, both surprised and delighted that the young man responded so readily to his call. " Come, Fernand, Pablo, Enrique — follow Sancho ; " but he became suddenly silent on observing the love-passage between Serafina and his comrade, and his black eyes burnt fiercely as, striding up to the girl, he gripped her roughly by the arm, whilst hissing out, "You dare to kiss him — to my very face, too!" The rosy blush still lingering on the maiden's olive cheek died away to be replaced by a deadly pallor, for she was betrothed to Gomez, and feared his crafty and revengeful nature. Disengaging herself with difficulty from her lover's grasp, she shrank back terri fied, whilst he muttered — " The great devil swallow me if I do not pay the padron for this. Can he not rest content with his whey-faced Andalusian saint?

" The boat was in an adjacent cave, drawn up on the narrow fringe of sand to escape the violence of the waves, and thither the whole company hurried, headed by Sancho, who, as its owner and leader in the local fishing busi ness, assumed the office of padron without any question. On reaching the craft — which seemed terribly small and frail to encounter such an angry sea — a brief pause ensued whilst Sancho made choice of the men who were to accompany him, and gave final directions to the party left ashore. " Let the old women keep their torches waving, whilst the men and girls spread them selves along the beach and watch every yard of sand with a vigilant eye. Let nothing escape you, and if any of the fish should tumble ashore alive, why — the land is no place for them. You understand me ?

" " Knock any survivors on the head, that C WRONGED. is what the padron is driving at," explained Gomez, who saw no cause for fine phrases on such an occasion. " Sancho has grown mighty refined of late, neighbours, but he means well." The sneer which accompanied the last words, and the smile with which they were received by the bystanders, roused the young fisherman's hot Gallegan blood to boiling point. Lithe as a panther, he flung himself upon the scoffer, wresting from his hand the knife which the latter had promptly produced, and hurling him to the sand. " Art thou padron that thou shouldst dare to command in my presence? Ask my par don instantly, or I will crush every bone in thy worthless body. Listen, friends," he added, his passion suddenly subsiding as his promise to Madilena came to mind, " listen, and obey my directions, or this boat moves not a foot to-night.

Follow the custom of the coast with the men, but if any women or children are cast up, save them. I have reason for what I say, and remember, it were better for any amongst you to risk the authorities than to incur the wrath of Sancho Navajo," and he reared his form to its full height while scanning the eyes bent wonder ingly upon him. " Up, Gomez, and to work," he continued, extending a hand to assist his fallen comrade, for, like most hasty men, he bore no lasting ill-will. " I meant not to hurt thee, but I will brook no interference when in command. Take thy knife and let us to the boat." Gomez raised himself sullenly without making any reply, for he knew that a further struggle must end in his still greater discom fiture, owing to the superior strength of his opponent, and he grasped the hand which tbe latter extended in token of forgiveness and renewed friendship ; but inwardly he swore a bitter oath of revenge against the man who had incurred his hatred, not only by rendering him small in the eyes of the whole village, but by daring to tamper with his betrothed.

" Friend Sancho is richer than I am," he thought, "is stronger, handsomer, and of more consideration ; but a time comes to all who have learned how to wait, and, by the saints ! when the opportunity presents itself, there is that in my sash which shall square the account between us ! " This episode had made little or no impression on the fisher folk, amongst whom brawls were of daily occurrence and rarely ended so harmlessly as this. With a shout of joy the men lent their shoulders to the work of WRONGED. 20 launching the boat, and loud vivas broke forth from the whole throng as she took the water and the stout oarsmen propelled her from the shelter of the little creek into the darkness of the seething ocean. Whatever misgivings were awakened by the padron' s positive injunctions to save life found no out ward expression ; only Serafina whispered to old Juanita, whose displeasure she had before incurred, " Didst thou hear his commands to save the women and children, mother?

" " Aye, aye," answered the ancient lady, in tones of deepest disapprobation ; " Sancho will be the ruin of us with his chicken heartedness and new-fangled ideas about rescuing shipwrecked people. If the blessed saints did not intend them to be drowned, is it likely they would allow them in the sea at all?" The logic was unanswerable, and the girl made no reply. " It is the Andalusian witch whom he has brought into our midst that leads him astray," continued the crone. " The lad is destroyed — utterly destroyed — and the sea will never render us a bonny harvest of corpses until Madilena is tied to a stake at low water and drowned for sorcery."

Chapter II. On Board

INTO the darkness of the night plunged the boat, soon leaving behind the quiet of the sheltered cove, and entering upon an earnest battle with the angry waves. It was no slight struggle upon which that handful of desperadoes had embarked, for a full gale was dead in their teeth, a heavy sea taxed the skill of the oarsmen to their utmost, and a strong current drifted the boat to the eastward, making the passage to the Lobera grande a difficult task even for hardy fishermen inured to toil and intimately acquainted with the coast. Patiently and unwearyingly they plied the oars, Sancho standing upright at the helm and skilfully meeting each surge that threatened to over- WRONGED. 22 whelm the frail craft. In the bows crouched Gomez, peering into the darkness with his fierce black eyes, and wholly unmindful of the drenching spray that flew over him as the boat half buried her nose in the angry waters.

The roar of the wind and the tumult of the sea drowned all conversation, and the crew bent to the stout ash staves with com pressed lips and teeth hard set in dogged resolution. Yet if the darkness that en shrouded them had been suddenly removed, another and more dominant expression would have been found imprinted on the features of each member of that lawless band. Many, indeed most, active callings in life blunt the feelings. Early in his career the soldier becomes accustomed to bloodshed, and views the fall of his comrade with a slender regret that resembles apathy ; the miner strikes the secreted match for an illicit pipe perfectly reckless of the danger entailed by his wilfulness on the fellow-workmen around him. But these men share the peril they provoke, and at any moment the hand of death may be laid heavily on their shoulder, whilst the hideous occupation of the wrecker has no such excuse to offer in extenuation.

It stands out in bold relief as an inexcusable form of human turpitude, for whilst prompted solely by the most ignoble and degrading of human passions — cupidity — and the selfish desire to profit by the sufferings and misfor tunes of others, it gives entry to no single trait of better feeling to redeem it from detestation. A mark, distinct as that of Cain, sits on the brow of each man engaged in this unholy calling, albeit not stamped there by the hand of God, but by the vilest motives through which humanity can .be swayed. Such a brand, such an expression, was printed deep on each face in that struggling boat — a low, grovelling, all-absorbing, merci less greed. God have pity on the poor mariner who may fall into their clutches ! The distance from the village of Olivier to the dangerous ridge of rocks known as the Lobera grande was little above a mile, yet more than an hour's hard pulling was needed to bring the boat into the comparatively smooth water to leeward of the shoal.

Here the men laid on their oars, whilst all eyes were directed towards the foaming line of surf that marked the reef. The darkness had now become less intense, and objects near at hand could be made out with tolerable distinctness; still, nothing but the troubled line of foam WRONGED. was visible to the searching gaze of the wreckers until a shout of triumph rang from the lips of Gomez as he pointed to a dark spot in the line of fleecy breakers. " There she lies — jammed hard and fast on the weather-side of the Lobera. She is ours, a?nigos, for not all the saints in heaven could heave her off that rocky ridge ! " he cried exultantly, and a few cautious strokes, bringing the boat nearer, convinced his comrades that the man was correct. " Impossible to board her now ! " said Sancho, regretfully.

" We must anchor and wait for daylight. Pray heaven that she holds together. If built of stout English oak she will last until the morning, otherwise her timbers will melt away under that surf like a lighted taper." The grapnel was dropped and the weary crew curled themselves under the thwarts until their services should be again required ; only Gomez retaining his post in the bows, with eyes fixed upon the small black spot, on reaching which his covetous heart was bent. Suddenly he started up, peered eagerly to the northward, then, stepping aft, he shook Sancho by the shoulder. " Up, padron," he whispered. " This is no time to be dozing. The gale is dying away and the other villages — maledictions on them ! — are sending boats out for a share of the spoil. There is a craft now on our port quarter, but her people have not seen us yet, and little suspect that we are beforehand with them.