Chapter XII. The Shadow in the Forest

by Joseph A. Altsheler

　　Luiz and his comrades escorted Henry back to the prison, andthe expressive face of Luiz showed pleasure. He made a vigorouspantomime and spoke words in Spanish.

　　"Yes, I understand your meaning if not your language, myfriend," said Henry, "and I thank you. I am glad to know that Ihave your good will."

　　When the door of his prison was thrown open and Henry wasthen shut in again with his comrades they looked at himexpectantly.

　　"Well?" said Paul.

　　"What happened?" said Long Jim.

　　"Anything to tell?" said Tom Ross.

　　"How's your shoulder, Paul?" asked Henry.

　　"Fast getting well," replied Paul, who knew that his comradewould speak in his own good time.

　　Henry sat on the floor and leaned against the wall in ascomfortable a position as he could assume. Then he looked ratherhumorously at his comrades.

　　"Alvarez wanted to bribe me," he said.

　　"To bribe you? What do you mean?"

　　"Yes, to bribe me - and all of us together. He wanted us toserve him here in Louisiana, and help him in an attempt to bringover Kentucky to Spain."

　　"That is, he wanted to make Braxton Wyatts out of us?" saidPaul.

　　"You put it exactly right, Paul," said Henry. "I laughed athim, and called him by the names that belonged to him. Hebrought in Braxton Wyatt and the soldiers and ordered me to beput in irons, there in his presence."

　　"What!" exclaimed Paul, "did he dare that, too?"

　　"Yes. His object, of course, was to humiliate me - and allof us. It was stopped by one who came in at the right moment.You couldn't guess who it was."

　　"It must a-been Shif'less Sol," said Long Jim, whose mindran to physical deeds. "I guess he sent a bullet right into themiddle uv that rascal crew. Sol's the boy to be right on thespot when he's needed."

　　Henry laughed.

　　"No, Jim," he said. "That's a pretty wild guess. It wasnone other than Father Montigny, the man whom we helped. He paidus back sooner than we thought. You ought to have seen him,Paul. He looked like an avenging angel. He stood there, asingle, unarmed man, and they were afraid of him. I could seefear on every one of their faces."

　　Paul's vivid imagination instantly painted the whole scene.It appealed to him with tremendous power. It was the triumph ofmind and character over force and wickedness.

　　"I can see Father Montigny now," he said. "A man who alwaysdoes right and has no fear whatever of death, is afraid ofnothing, either in this world or the world to come."

　　"Which gives him a pow'ful sight uv freedom," said Long Jim.

　　"When he told them to stop they took away their balls andchain," said Henry, "and sent me back here. Alvarez realizedthat he had gone too far, but I think that he fears FatherMontigny for other reasons, too. The priest may put the GovernorGeneral on his guard."

　　"So we ain't alone," said Long Jim musingly. "Curious howyou git help when you ain't expectin' it. The wicked hev ittheir way fur a while, an' then they don't. They don't ever seemable to finish up their work. Sometimes I think the right isjest like a river flowin' on in its nateral channel, an' boun' togit to the sea after a while, no matter what happens. The wrongis all them dams, an' san' bars an' snags, and brush an'drift-wood that people an' chance pile up in the way. They dochoke up the waters, an' send 'em around in other channels. Theycan make a heap uv trouble, but by and by them waters git to thesea jest the same."

　　"I hope so, Jim," said Paul.

　　"Now thar ain't no doubt uv what I say," said Long Jim.."Take this case uv ourn. Jest when we need it most fur athousand miles uv river travel we git a bee-yu-ti-ful boat, allfitted up with everything we want. Jest when that Spaniard gitshis paws on us, he don't git his paws on one uv us, an' that'sShif'less Sol out thar in the woods. An' so long ez Shif'lessSo! is free out thar in the woods we're mighty nigh freeourselves. Then, when this same Spaniard is ready to load ironson Henry in a way that no free-born man kin stand, in pops apriest who likes us - an' we don't belong to his church either -an' puts a stop to the whole thing."

　　While they were talking Francisco Alvarez also was busy witha kindred theme, as he entertained a guest. That guest wasFather Montigny, to whom he had made up his mind to be courteous,although he would not condescend to any further apology. Heordered that the priest should receive food and attention, andthat men should look after and replenish his canoe which was nowtied in the bayou. After all these orders were given, Alvarezsat in the great room of Beaulieu and smoked the cigarro of histime.

　　There was a bitter drop in the well of his satisfaction.The coming of the priest had been unforeseen and unfortunate. Heknew Father Montigny, and Father Montigny knew him. Now how muchdid Father Montigny know of his plans? That was the importantquestion.

　　While he was yet speaking, Father Montigny, whom a verylittle of rest and food always sufficed, entered the room, hismanner full of austerity. Francisco Alvarez rose, all blandnessand courtesy.

　　"Be seated, Father," he said. "It is a poor place that wehave here, but we give you of our best. Who would deserve itmore than you, a man of such long travels and such greathardships in the holiest of all causes?"

　　The face of the priest did not relax. He sat down upon oneof the cane chairs and gazed sternly at Alvarez. Truly, it is aterrible thing to meet the accusing gaze of a man who fearsneither torture, nor death, nor the world to come! Theaccusation is likely to be true. Alvarez looked away. Twicewithin one day he who, with reason, thought himself so courageoushad been forced to yield to the gaze of another, and his heartwas full of angry rebellion. But he knew that knowledge andpower dwelt under the simple black robe of this man.

　　"It seems," said Father Montigny, and there was a slighttouch of irony in his tone, "that I came at the right moment."

　　Francisco Alvarez compelled his face to smile, though hisheart was raging.

　　"I have already apologized, Father Montigny," he said, "forwhat I was about to do. And yet the phrase 'about to do' iswrong. Even if you had not come I should have repented ofmyself, and sent away the irons. I can repeat, too, in mydefense that I was provoked beyond endurance by this youth'sinsolence."

　　His tone was silky, light, indolent, as if he would dismissa trifle about which too much had been said already. It mighthave been convincing to any other man, but he felt the stern,reproving gaze of Father Montigny still fixed upon him.

　　"And what of the ring and the professional swordsman?" saidthe priest. "Are you to turn a youth to a gladiator, even as theblessed martyrs were given to the lions and tigers by the Romanpagans! What of that, Francisco Alvarez? Are such deeds to bedone, here, in our day, in Louisiana, and to pass unchallenged?"

　　The priest's voice rose and it cut like the sharp edge of aknife. Never since his boyhood had Francisco Alvarez flushedmore deeply, and he moved uneasily on his cane chair.

　　"You give it a name that does not belong to it," he said."It was play, or not much more. Romildo, the swordsman, hadorders not to hurt him much."

　　"That may or may not be true, Francisco Alvarez," said thepriest, speaking slowly and precisely. "But I have more to askyou. What of this plot of yours to set the Indian tribes and aSpanish force with cannon upon Kaintock? What of your plan tobecome Governor General in place of Galvez? What of yourintention to make distant war upon the rebel colonies andtherefore commit Spain to an alliance with England? Answer me,Francisco Alvarez. What of these things?"

　　The priest rose from his seat, as he spoke, and lifted thatstern, accusing finger. Alvarez was as still as if struck bylightning. His great plan known to this man, this man who fearednot even torture, or death, or the world to come! He shrankvisibly both mentally and physically, but then his courage cameback under the spur of dreadful necessity.

　　"A priest can take great liberties," he said. "Sometimes Ithink it scarcely fair that you of the Book may denounce us ofthe sword and that we may say nothing in return, although we maybe right and you may be wrong. It is sufficient now for me totell you that I do not know what you are talking about. I, theGovernor General! Any man may dream of that! I have done so,and I have no doubt that many others have done the same. Ifavor, too, an alliance with England, as do nearly all theSpanish officers in Louisiana, but I am a faithful servant of HisMajesty, the King, and though I may hold my opinions, I know ofno plot, either against Bernardo Galvez or to make a war uponKaintock."

　　"I have heard you, Francisco Alvarez," said the priest, "butit is for your actions to prove the truth of your words. See toit, also, that there is no further cruelty practiced againstthese men from Kaintock."

　　"They are my prisoners," replied Alvarez, "and I mean tohold them. There you cannot interfere, Father Montigny. Theywere taken in arms against us upon our soil of Louisiana, andthat they are my prisoners even you cannot dispute.

　　"No," replied Father Montigny. "I do not dispute it; atleast not for the present. But if they are held as prisonersthey should be sent to Bernardo Galvez at New Orleans, and not beretained here."

　　He walked out without waiting for an answer, and FranciscoAlvarez was glad to see him go. Five minutes later the Spaniardsent for Braxton Wyatt and the two remained long in consultation.Meanwhile, something was stirring in the forest not far fromBeaulieu. It was a forest of magnolia, willow, and cypress, andof oaks, from which hung great solemn festoons of moss. A deepstill bayou cut across it, and here and there were pools ofstagnant water, in which coiling black forms swam.

　　Night was deepening over the wilderness upon which theestate of Beaulieu had made only a scratch. Pale moonlight fellover the drooping green forest and across the deep waters of thebayou. The something that had stirred resolved itself into theshadowy figure of a man who came out of the heart of the foresttoward its edge. He walked with a singularly agile step. Hismoccasined feet made no noise when they touched the ground andthe bushes seemed to part for the passage of his body.

　　When the man reached the edge of the forest next to theChateau of Beaulieu, he paused for a long time, standing in theshadow of the trees. Always he looked fixedly at a singlebuilding, the log hut, in which Alvarez held his four prisonersfrom Kaintock. While he stood there, stray rays of moonlightcoming through the cypresses fell upon him, revealing a tannedface, yellow hair, and a tall, athletic form. He did not looklike a Spaniard or an Acadian, or one of the Frenchmen who hademigrated from Canada, or any kind of a West Indian.

　　His was certainly an alien presence in those regions. Themoon slid back behind a cloud, the silver rays failed, and thefigure of the man became more indistinct, almost a shadow, thinand impalpable. Then he bent far over in a stooping position,passed rapidly through a patch of scrub bushes, and came muchnearer to the log prison.

　　At the edge of the bushes he stopped again and watched theprison for at least a minute. Two soldiers were on watch infront of it before the single door, two soldiers in Spanishuniform, who were suffering from tedium, and who were quite sure,anyway, that unarmed prisoners could not escape from a one-roombuilding of logs with but a single door, secured by a huge, oakshutter, and two windows, each too small to admit the passage ofa boy's or man's body.

　　The two soldiers slouched in their walk, and presently, whentheir beats met before the door, they let the butts of their gunsrest on the ground, and exchanged pleasant talk about pretty,dark girls that they had known in far-away Spain. One boldlylighted a cigarrito and the other encouraged by his example didlikewise. Hark, what was that? "A lizard in the grass," saidCarlos. "Yes, certainly," said Juan. They continued to smoketheir cigarritos blissfully, and talk of the pretty, dark girlsthat they had known in far-away Spain.

　　As they smoked and talked, and found smoke, talk, andcompany pleasant, they did not see a shadow glide swiftly fromthe bushes and pass to the rear of the log prison that they wereguarding so well. Nor could they see the shadow, since thebuilding was now between them, resolve itself again into thefigure of a man, who stood upright against the wall, his face atone of the little slits of windows.

　　Their own talk was so pleasant, and the sound of theirvoices was such a cure for lonesomeness on a dark night, thatthey did not hear the man at the little slit of a window utter afaint warning hiss. Nor did they hear something a moment laterfall with a slight metalic sound on the bark floor of the prison.The sound was repeated in an instant, but still they did not hearit, and then the figure of a man, melting back to a shadow,glided away from the house and into the bushes and thence to theforest, where it was lost.

　　Carlos and Juan chatted until their cigarritos were smokedout. Then they shouldered their muskets and continued the watchthat seemed to them so easy. How could unarmed men escapethrough such a thickness of logs? The shadow in the forest waslost to the sight of any possible Spaniard, but not to the sightof another shadow that arose from the bushes and flitted afterit. The two shadows were now deep in the forest, but the secondhung close on the first, making no noise, and sinking quickly tothe ground, when the other looked back.

　　This second shadow, as it passed through a partially openspace, also revealed itself in the moonlight as a man, but a manghastly and terrible in appearance. He had a hideous, felineface, and he was naked, save a breech-cloth at the waist. Hecarried but a single weapon, a knife in his ready hand, but theeyes were those of the most utter savage expecting a speedy prey.

　　The first shadow reached a little grove free fromundergrowth and stopped. He was about to lie down, rifle by hisside, and seek sleep, but his ear, attuned to the wilderness,caught a faint sound. It was not the wind among the leaves, northe gliding of a snake, nor the chirp of an insect, but a soundthat was not a part of the night harmony. The sensitive ear hadgiven him warning, as the instinct of an animal warns that anenemy has come.

　　The first shadow slid from the grove and into theundergrowth, sank low, and, waiting, caught sight of the secondshadow, the man who pursued. He saw the naked figure, the felineface, and the ready knife in hand. The skill and wonderfulforest intuition of the second man had been matched by those ofthe first.

　　The pursued, when he caught that glimpse of his pursuer,laid his rifle carefully on the earth, because he did not wish ashot to be heard, and drew his own knife. Slight as was thesound that he made the other heard it, turned in a flash, and thetwo sprang at each other.

　　The moonlight streamed for a moment along their knife bladesand then they struck. One stepped back, and remained standingupright. The other swayed a moment and then fell without asound, lying upon his back.

　　He who lay staring with sightless eyes up at the moon wasthe man with the feline face and the body naked save for thecloth at the waist. The other, unharmed, stood, looking at him amoment or two, and then plunged deeper into the forest.

　　Morning dawned. The sun swung up through a terrace of rosyclouds, and Luiz brought the four their breakfast, callas touschauds, other food of La Louisiane, and milk and coffee. Theyate and drank with a great appetite, and it seemed to Luiz thatthey were quite cheerful, for which he was truly glad, becauseone of these men had saved his life, and the wounded youth whomade an especial appeal to him had been subjected to barbaroustreatment. But Paul could use his injured arm already. His wasso healthy that the scratch of the sword healed fast.

　　Three hours later Francisco Alvarez and Braxton Wyattentered the prison. The renegade was not above showing by hislooks that he rejoiced in his triumph over his enemies, but theface of Alvarez was without expression.

　　"I have come to tell you," said the Spaniard, "that you willbe held here subject to my will. But you will not be treatedbadly. At such time as I think fit you may be taken to NewOrleans."

　　"It seems that the words of Father Montigny were not to bedespised," said Henry maliciously.

　　"Father Montigny disposes of nothing here," said Alvarez."This is to be done because I think it best."

　　Then he and Wyatt went out, but that afternoon when Alvarezwas sitting in the cool shadow of the pillared portico, therecame to him a man, dusty, and riding fast, who delivered to him adocument sealed with red seals, and important in appearance.

　　When Alvarez read the paper he frowned, and then cursedunder his breath. It was written in plain letters and itsmeaning was plain, also. It stated that Bernardo Galvez, theGovernor General at New Orleans, had learned that his brave andloyal captain, Don Francisco Louis Philip Ferdinand Alvarez, heldin his possession four prisoners from Kaintock, persons ofdaring, whose presence in Louisiana might be of greatsignificance. Therefore His Excellency, Bernardo Galvez,Governor General of Louisiana, commanded his trusty and loyalcaptain, Don Francisco Louis Philip Ferdinand Alvarez, to bringthe aforesaid four prisoners, from Kaintock, to New Orleans atonce.

　　"At once!" repeated Alvarez angrily to himself. "That meansnot next week but now, and I am compelled to obey. To refuse orto evade would make a breach too soon."

　　He sent for Braxton Wyatt and told him of the letter. Therenegade was startled, but he counseled immediate obedience frommotives of policy.

　　"How could Galvez have known?" said Alvarez. "How could thenews have reached New Orleans so soon?"

　　"Perhaps the priest has told," suggested Wyatt.

　　"No, that is impossible. He came from up river, and I amglad to say that he left again in his canoe this morning. ThoseCapuchins to whom he belongs shall be well punished, if I gainthe power in Louisiana. They shall be expelled, every one ofthem, from New Orleans, and their old rivals, the Jesuits, shalltake their place. It's one of the first things that I mean todo."

　　"It would be a wise thing to do," said Braxton Wyatt. Hecared nothing for either Capuchin or Jesuit, but he hated andfeared Father Montigny, and would be glad to know that he wasdriven from the country.

　　"We must start in the morning" said Alvarez. "It will nottake us long to reach New Orleans by the river, and I can spin atale that will lull the suspicions of Galvez."

　　"You can prove many things by me," said Braxton Wyattsignificantly.

　　"Yes, Senior Wyatt, you are a good lieutenant," saidAlvarez, and he meant it. We will make our preparations to-nightand start with a strong force in the morning. We need not bringthe prisoners forth until we are ready."

　　Alvarez slept peacefully that night. He had recovered hisspirits, shaken by the arrival of the King's messenger. Aided bythe dexterous renegade, Braxton Wyatt, he would soon persuadeBernardo Galvez that he had acted for the best in the matter ofthe men from Kaintock.

　　He rose early the next morning and, as a mark of signalfavor, invited Braxton Wyatt to take breakfast with him. Whilethey sat together Luiz came in with a long face.

　　"Now what is it, my brave Luiz?" said Alvarez, who was in anexceeding good humor, "why this saturnine countenance?"

　　"I beg to report, your Excellency," said Luiz, "that theNatchez Indian whom they call The Cat has been found dead in theforest, of a knife thrust that came out behind the shoulder."

　　"That is bad," said Alvarez. "Have they found out who didit?"

　　"No, Your Excellency. There were some signs of a struggle,and a few traces of foot-steps, but the trail was gone beforethey had followed it a dozen yards."

　　"We have lost a good man," said Alvarez, "a matchless spyand trailer, but it cannot be helped. I suppose it was a quarrelwith some savage like himself. I would investigate the matter,but we have not time now. Come, Luiz, we will take out theprisoners, and then to the boats."

　　He led the way across the grass to the log house,two sentinels, again it was Carlos and Juan, walked up and downin front of it, and the Spanish captain was pleased at theirvigilance. He gave them a very good morning as they salutedrespectfully.

　　"Unlock the door, Luiz," he said. "This is a strong prisonand a close one. I've no doubt our gallants from Kaintock, wherethere is much room, will be glad to be outside again."

　　Luiz inserted the huge iron key, turned it in the lock, andthrew wide the door. Alvarez looked in, and then uttered a cryso charged with rage that even Braxton Wyatt was startled. Hepressed close up to his chief and gazed over his shoulder.The prison was empty!

　　"What does this mean?" shouted Alvarez at the tremblingsentinels. "The prisoners have escaped! Idiots! Blind men!What have you been doing? Have you helped them yourselves? Ifit is so, both of you shall be shot!"

　　The unfortunates, Carlos and Juan, stared at the emptyprison and crossed themselves. "Witchcraft," muttered Carlos,the readier of the two. "We have watched faithfully all night,my captain. We saw nothing, we heard nothing, and the door waslocked, as you behold. We are honest men and we have beenfaithful!"

　　Braxton Wyatt pointed to the dark corner of the prison."See," he said, "that is how they went."

　　Heaped against the wall was a pile of dirt, and in its placea hole large enough to admit a man's body led under the logs.The Spaniard cried out in rage again.

　　"We see how they have gone!" he exclaimed, "but in what waydid they do it? Who has helped them!"

　　Braxton Wyatt examined the tunnel. The bottom logs of thecabin rested squarely upon the ground, after the primitivefashion. The floor was of bark, and a section of this had beenlifted. The prisoners had then dug their hole under the log.

　　"It was done with metal tools of some kind," said Wyatt."But they had nothing when we locked them in here. I can swearto that, as I was one of those who searched them well."

　　"Then they must have had help!" exclaimed Alvarez, and againhe turned fiercely upon the sentinels, but Braxton Wyattintervened. He was glad that he could patronize Alvarez at leastonce and show himself to be the superior in discernment.

　　"These men, Your Excellency, of whom I told you to beware,were five," he said. "We captured four, therefore one was left,and I said beware of him, even alone. He is a fellow of greatcunning and skill who would try anything. He has come for hiscomrades, and he has taken them away with him."

　　"It must be as you say," said Alvarez, seeking now to hidehis anger. He was not sorry on the whole that the sentinels wereobviously innocent, as he needed as many adherents as he couldkeep, in order to carry out his great plan.

　　"Knowing that the window was too small to admit them, wewatched only the front where the door is, Your Excellency," saidCarlos, still trembling. "Who would have dreamed that these menof Kaintock were magicians, that without picks or shovels theycould burrow under the earth and be gone like ghosts."

　　"Begone yourselves!" exclaimed Alvarez. "Get ready for theboats at once!"

　　Carlos and Juan fled away, glad to escape the sight of theirmaster.

　　"Now that they have escaped, what do you think they willdo?" asked Alvarez of Wyatt.

　　"They will go to New Orleans," replied the renegadepromptly, "and appear before Bernardo Galvez to denounce you."

　　"Then our own start must not be delayed a moment!" exclaimedAlvarez.

　　In an hour he and his force were ready to embark.