Chapter 21. Cooperation.
Fortunately Zorro was able to find the trail without difficulty.
"They are heading south." he said pointing in that direction.
"They are almost an hour ahead of us." said Don Alejandro.
"Maybe she will manage to slow them down. It's hard to take someone against their will if they don't want to harm them."
Zorro slowed Toronado's gallop a bit to allow the alcalde to catch up with them. "You mentioned that the lady's brother is a count. Have you sent a message?"
The alcalde looked at him thoughtfully. "No, and it would be a good idea." He turned and looked with his eyes for one of the soldiers. "Soldado Moreno, I want you to take the coast road and ask in Santa Paula if the Count of Altamira de Puebla is there, or if they know what direction he has taken. Tell him that his sister has been kidnapped by a man who falsely claimed to be her fiancé, and that we have begun our search for her. When we find her we will return to Los Angeles." he said with an authoritative tone.
"Sí, señor." said the soldier turning his horse around immediately.
Zorro spurred his horse again to retake the lead of the column of riders. As he did so he looked at the ground again and raised his hand. "Halt, we are not following the fugitives. Their trail must have strayed further back."
They all stopped at Zorro's command, which made him feel a little strange. So many years running ahead of the soldiers and now they obeyed without batting an eye. However, he could not waste time, he had to retrace his steps and watch the sides of the road. He decided to ask the collaboration of someone else to gain time.
"Do any of the soldiers have a good eyesight?" he asked without taking his eyes off the side of the road.
Sergeant Mendoza answered. "I would say Ortega."
"Have him scour the other side of the road looking for tracks leading off it."
"Ortega, you heard him." said the alcalde immediately.
A couple of minutes later the soldier exclaimed. "I think I've got something."
Zorro turned to where the other man was pointing and saw footprints.
"How many men were there that took the woman?" he asked remembering that he wasn't supposed to have been there.
"There were eleven of them, sir, counting the boss."
"The prints match. Besides..." he said getting off his horse. "On this ground you can see more clearly. This animal is carrying quite a bit of weight, it's possible he's carrying one of the men and the lady. The man who took her, is he heavyweight?"
The alcalde replied in the affirmative.
"If he insists on carrying her himself all the time his horse will not be able to keep up with the others. That will give us an advantage." said Zorro, immediately got back on his horse and they all followed him.
Zorro stopped again further ahead. Don Alejandro approached to ask him "Do you see anything else that can help us?"
"Yes, the horse carrying two people started limping further back and here they stopped. I think they have abandoned two of the men, they went that way." he said pointing to a gully not passable on horseback.
"Should we go look for them?"
Zorro looked up. "Alcalde!" he exclaimed.
The alcalde approached curiously.
"Why have we stopped?"
"The group we are pursuing has split up. Two men are traveling on foot along that trail, the others have continued south."
"Are you sure it's two men who have split up?"
"Yes, those are men's boots, and they sure weigh more than the lady."
"Then we'll chase the main party."
Almost an hour later Zorro saw something he didn't like. There were bits of cloth snagged on a bush, and as he descended he saw small bloodstains.
"What have you seen now?" asked the alcalde.
"From the broken branches and the pieces of dress I think the young lady fell off her horse, or maybe she jumped trying to escape."
The alcalde could not help a gesture of concern. "Do you think she was injured?"
"There are traces of blood, but not much. Maybe some scratches. Then I think she put up a fight. Here it looks like she was dragged."
Zorro advanced a few steps. "This confirms what I said before. Here you can clearly see that there are two horses close together. She's probably being tied up and someone is pulling on her reins."
"Can you deduce all that from some tracks?"
"You have to know what to look at." replied the masked man.
"And who taught you how to do that?"
"You can't expect me to tell you my secrets. We'd better get on."
Zorro again had gone ahead when they saw him get off his horse and finish climbing a small hill on foot. He signaled for the others to stop. Don Alejandro dismounted and approached him by crouching down a little, and the alcalde decided to imitate him.
"There they are." said Zorro pointing to the group they came chasing.
"I think that's the Aliso River canyon. They won't be able to cross here." said Don Alejandro.
"They have sent a man in each direction." said Zorro pointing to two riders heading in opposite directions along the cut. "Surely they are looking for where to cross."
The lady was standing a little away from the horses and despite the distance by her posture Zorro could guess that her hands were tied. The woman shouted to the man standing next to her and the alcalde visibly tensed. It was unclear what she was saying, but the tone was quite clear.
"It seems the lady has a temper." said Zorro.
"She wasn't like that when I knew her. Perhaps señorita Escalante has been a bad influence." mused de Soto.
Zorro and don Alejandro looked at him reproachfully.
"If there has been a bad influence in her life I don't think it was Victoria." said Don Alejandro very seriously.
"Those men are armed. We need a distraction." said Zorro.
"We should surround them, they are out in the open right now. With the two men they left behind and the ones they have sent to scout there are only seven left. If we place two men behind those rocks and two more in the shelter of that group of trees they will be in a good position to shoot." said Don Alejandro.
"That's a good idea. Do you want to add anything, Zorro?" said the alcalde.
"I'm afraid I can't contribute much alcalde, I work alone, but if you choose two men I can help you get to those trees without being seen."
The alcalde descended the hill followed by the other two men. After a brief discussion between Don Alejandro and de Soto they finally decided on the positions to be taken by the soldiers and the men from the Vega ranch.
"We outnumber them." said the alcalde trying to gain confidence.
The two men who accompanied el Zorro were thin and moved easily over the uneven terrain. One was a soldier and the other a ranch cowboy. Carefully they approached the group of trees from an angle that made it difficult to see the group they were trying to surprise.
From that position Zorro did get to hear part of the conversation.
"You can repeat it a thousand times if you like, but I will never marry you."
"You will learn to obey me or suffer the consequences."
"You will suffer the consequences when my brother finds you. You cannot have access to my money and my lands without his cooperation, and believe me, he will not cooperate with you when you know what you have done."
"I have taken you out of a shabby village and I will make you my wife. I will have the rights to your property as the law dictates."
"Even if you get a priest to marry us I will fight to annul the marriage."
At that moment a shot rang out.
"Stop in the name of the law." said the alcalde.
"Ignacio! You're alive!" exclaimed Marina astonished.
"No way, I shot you." said the kidnapper.
De Soto pointed a gun at him, and behind him the soldiers also pointed their rifles at the group.
"I'm afraid we haven't been introduced, sir." said de Soto. "I would like to know who I am arresting."
"I am Emiliano Urquijo."
"Ignacio de Soto." said the alcalde without lowering his gun. "You are under arrest for kidnapping."
Don Emiliano's men looked hesitant, but one of them who was positioned so that his horse was between the soldiers and he tried to draw his gun. A shot from the trees changed his mind.
"You are surrounded. I want you all to put up your hands and position yourselves in sight."
The men were still hesitating. The alcalde decided to intervene.
"You work for Don Emiliano." he said addressing the oldest one. "Does he pay on time or has he had problems with money lately?"
"What are you implying by that?" the man replied warily.
"That if he's so keen to marry the lady for her money, when it's clear there's no affection between them, maybe it's because he's broke."
Some of the men began to murmur among themselves.
The next to speak was Marina.
"You will not have my money. I have already told you, my brother will not give you access to my goods. And if I die you should know that I made a will and it will all go to my son, who is safe away from you. As there is also no recognized father, my brother would be his guardian until he comes of age."
"You made a will?" said Emiliano angrily.
"That's right, I wrote it in my own handwriting in front of five witnesses, and sent it with a messenger to the judge in Puebla. No man will have access to my fortune by marrying me by force." (1)
El Zorro greatly enjoyed the alcalde's surprised face. Don Alejandro, who had been one of the witnesses, also smiled slightly. While the conversation was going on, Zorro had taken the opportunity to approach them. When the kidnapper, furious at seeing all his plans frustrated, pulled out a pistol, Zorro's whip made it fall immediately. The girl took advantage of that moment to free herself with a jerk and run towards the person she trusted most of all those present: Don Alejandro.
Emiliano drew his sword and Zorro did the same with a small mocking bow.
"No, Zorro." said the alcalde. "It is mine."
"As you wish." said Zorro taking a couple of steps back.
Note:
(1) In those days a woman, whether married or unmarried, could make a will without any of her relatives having to intervene. An "escribano" (the equivalent of today's notary) and three witnesses were needed, or five witnesses (all men) if there was no notary. Curiously, according to the Laws of the Indies, the natives could make a will with fewer witnesses, who could also be women, since many of them lived in very remote areas.