THE INSURGENCE of CHAN SANTA CRUZ

 

BOOK SIX:  THE FIRST of the BOOKS of CHANGE

 

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR

 

          The General's curses... once Miguel Chankik had gone... were lost on the old xaman, but not upon three men standing beneath Bravo's window. Presently they slunk along the side of the building, until reaching the corner, and strolled towards the shelter of a tree at the corner of the plaza.

          "Rosa was right," said one who, like the others, wore the uniform of the Federal army.

          "I cannot believe it still," another said. This man bore the rank of a Cabo, a corporal, and was the leader of the three. "Rafael may have heard this story during his illness."

          "But what about the indian?" another asked.

          "What of it?" the second responded. "Those were only the sort of things any indian would say. Superstitions! I've been told that old man is perfectamente loco," he added, slapping his head to show the place where Chankik's brains were not.

          "But the General did not deny a word of it," the first replied. "That means there must be something, at the least, to the matter..."

          The second of the soldiers frowned. "More of the sick would have heard don Ignacio and Doctor Rosario as Rafael did, only they have not had the fortune of a woman to attend to them. Were we to pay a visit to the hospital, I think this matter soon would be resolved - one way or the other."

          "Is Gabriel Segura still alive?" the third asked.

          "He has not been taken out for burial," the second answered. "Consumption is a terrible thing... I would, myself, rather be shot. But at least it does not affect the mind. He hears, and if he can still speak we'll have our answer."

          "But what about the doctor?" said the first.

          The Cabo, more venturesome than the others, pointed to the twilight. "By now," he said, "Rosario should be in no position to object to the visit of friends to a Federal soldier." His eyes narrowed. "And if he does we'll have a bottle with us. Gustavo here can match cups with that doctor."

          "No man can match cups with Dr. Rosario," Gustavo protested. "I shall never return," he added, morosely.

          "It would be your duty to the Republic," the corporal replied. "Don't you want to get out of this place? I have not heard from my village for months, it may not even still be there."

          "And our wages," the first said, "the ones which are being held for us in this bank... we'll get them out when we go. The longer that Bravo's banker holds on to them, the more likely we'd finally be paid off in someone's useless money.

          Gustavo was outnumbered. "Then I must do my duty," he agreed with a sigh.

          "Good man," the Cabo said, clapping him on the back.

          "Brave man," said the other.

 

RETURN to HOMEPAGE – “THE INSURGENCE of CHAN SANTA CRUZ”

 

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