A slight scrutiny satisfied me that it was a boot; and, guided by what the trapper had said, I saw that it could be no other than one of the pair I had prevented Laundrich from pilfering from the corpse of the Mexican officer.
I had only hindered him for the time. He had evidently returned to the tent, and made a finish of his filthy work.
A loud angry halt! brought the troop to a stand.
I ordered Laundrich to ride out of the ranks; unstrap his cloak from the saddle; and spread it out. On his doing so, the buff boots fell to the ground where they were permitted to lie.
I could not contain my temper at the double disobedience of orders; and riding alongside the ruffian, I struck him over the crown with the flat of my sabre.
He made no movement to avoid the blow, nor did he stir on receiving it further than to show his white teeth, like a savage dog suffering chastisement.
With Laundrich once more in the saddle, we were about to move on; when the corporal, touching his cap, came up to me.
Captain! said he, theres even worse than him among the men. Theres one o them got in his havresack a thing I think you ought to see. Its a scandal to the corps.
Which one who?
Bully,
the Englishman.
Order Bully to ride this way.
The trooper thus designated, on being summoned by the corporal, drew his horse out of the rank, and rode up though evidently with an awkward reluctance.
He was quite as ill-favoured as the delinquent just punished. His evil aspect was of a type altogether different. He was bullet-headed and bull-faced, with a thick fleshy neck, and jowls entirely destitute of beard; while, instead of being of dark complexion, like the Jew-German, his face was of the hue of dirty shining tallow, not adorned by a close crop of hay-coloured hair that came far down upon a low square forehead. His nose was retroussé, with nostrils widely spread, like those of a pure-bred bull dog; and his eyes were not very unlike the optics of the fierce Molossian.
The man was known by the name above given to him; though whether he answered to this appellation at roll-call, or whether it was only a sobriquet bestowed upon him by his comrades, I really do not now remember.
His appearance was simply stupid and brutal, while that of Laundrich was cunning and savage.
They were the two worst men in the troop; and I had reason to believe that both had been convicts in their respective countries; but this was not much in the ranks of a campaigning army.
Bully! I demanded, as he drew near; let us see what youve got in your havresack!
A hideous grin overspread the fellows features, as he proceeded to draw out the contents of the bag.
What is it? I inquired of the corporal, impatient to learn what could be carried in a cavalry havresack, calculated to set a stigma upon a whole troop.
A piece o a man, was the reply.
By this time Bully had produced the identical article. Knowing what was wanted of him, he saw there would be no use in attempting to dodge the demand; and, without troubling the other impedimenta, which the sack contained, he drew out only the article requiring inspection.
It was the finger of a man, encircled by a heavy gold ring, deeply embedded in the swollen flesh! It had been cut off at the posterior joint, close to the hand; and a portion of the muscle of the two adjacent fingers was still attached to it. All this had been done to secure the ring which could not, without breaking it, have been detached from the finger.
The sight, taken in connection with the history deduced from its being in possession of the trooper, was sufficiently horrible.
I did not allow my eyes to dwell upon it; and the shower of blows which I administered to the inhuman scoundrel were not the less heavily dealt on my being told that the finger had belonged to the same corpse which Laundrich had despoiled of its boots!
Ordering the fragment of humanity to be brought along with the design of some day sending the ring to the friends of the mutilated man I resumed the route; painfully impressed with the disagreeable circumstances, which had thus disturbed the tranquillity of my temper.
Story 1, Chapter XVII A Riderless Horse
Corral FalsoI know not why the name; but certain it is, that a large enclosure of mason work, with a portion of it in ruins, occupied the summit of the slight eminence where the village stands.
This enclosure may have been a corral or penn for cattle, or perhaps a paraje for pack mules; though it seemed to be no longer used for any purpose as it exhibited the appearance of a ruin overgrown with bushes and rank weeds.
The village itself may also have seen more prosperous days in the times of vice-regal rule but Corral Falso, on the occasion of my making halt in it, was nothing more than a very small collection of huts, constructed out of tree poles Jacales and constituting that grouping, known in Mexico as a rancheria a collection of ranchos.
The vanquished army, in its retreat, as well as the victors in their pursuit having passed through the place, had temporarily deprived Corral Falso of its inhabitants. They had taken to the wild chapparal which grew close to their village; and there had they hidden themselves.