Chapter 13
By Jennifer Schooley
The sun burned hot, and the high desert air seemed to hang like a heavy
blanket as Diego mounted a powerfully built palomino.Diego dug his heels into
the horse's sides; it exploded into action. He seemed to grow wings as he
virtually flew over ground.
*******
Bernardo looked around the small canyon. The high rocky walls hung over them
in several places. Large boulders littered the area where the group of
bandits gathered. A few scrub oaks and digger pines struggled to drive their
roots down into the dry soil, vainly looking for water. Mondego's men tied
their horses to the lower limbs of the scraggly trees and now stamped their
feet uneasily.
"Calm those horses down!" commanded Mondego. "Anyone within miles is
going to hear them!" Under his breath he muttered, "Not that they'd live through
their discovery." Bernardo studied Mondego's cold icy blue eyes. "What are you
staring at, dead man?... Ahhhhhh.... He can't hear me" Mondego kicked a small
stone that bounced across an open area in the canyon floor.
As the time slowly passed the smothering heat made Bernardo wish he was in
the cool cave whose opening he could see about half way up the canyon wall.
*********
"Get my father! Send him up to my room!" Diego commanded the first servant
he saw as he raced through the gate of the de la Vega Hacienda.
Tossing the panting, froth covered palomino's reins to a vaquero, his only
words were, "Take care of him!" as he dashed toward his room.
On the way home a fragile plan to save Bernardo had formed in his mind, but
there were several large holes in it that made him feel very uncomfortable.
Zorro would have to think on the fly if Bernardo was to see the colors of
even today's sunset.
Stripping off his gloves as he dashed into his room, Diego glanced over at
the picture of his beloved, yet short lived mother on the wall. He muttered
as if to her, "I need all the help I can get on this one." Seconds later he
was in the secret room.
"Where's Bernardo?" Alejandro asked as he rushed into the room from the
stairs. He listened intently while helping Diego transform into Zorro.
"But what will you do at that point?" queried Alejandro as Zorro slipped his
sword into it's scabbard.
"It will depend on how everything comes together," responded Zorro.
"In other words, you don't have any idea?" asked Alejandro.
"I'd rather think of it as planning as I go."
Together they dashed down the stairs. A quick whistle was answered by a
nicker from Tornado who raced up to the mouth of the cave. "Come Tornado!"
commanded Zorro. Instead Tornado pawed nervously but refused to enter the
cave.
"What is wrong with him?" gasped an amazed Alejandro.
"Tornado! Come!" Zorro again commanded.
Tornado nickered nervously as he skittered into the cave, his tail firmly
tucked between his legs.
Quickly Alejandro and Zorro saddled and bridled the dancing horse.
"Tornado! Stand!" Zorro was extremely frustrated by this point as he
struggled to tighten and secure the saddle girth.
Tornado chewed on the bit furiously, foam began to form at the edge of his
mouth.
Alejandro held Tornado's head as Zorro mounted and watched open mouthed
as the horse and rider plunged out the mouth of the cave.
Once clear of the cave Tornado settled down to an even gallop, seeming to be
relieved to be free of the confining rock walls.
Fingering the two, jewel incrusted necklaces that he planned to use to secure
Bernardo's freedom, Zorro laid low over Tornado's neck. "Fly low my friend;
we must save Bernardo. You must now make up for the time we lost while you
were being thoughtless back in the cave."
*********
Bernardo tried hard not to consider the length of time that had passed, but
the sun was sliding closer and closer to the edge of the canyon wall. The
horses who had never really settled down had stomped down all the weeds
under
the trees, and now a light cloud of dust hung over the restless mounts.
Mondego strode over to him, leveling him with an icy stair. "So, are you
enjoying your last few minutes on earth? Your time is about up!" Starting to
turn he stopped himself with an evil laugh; "Ha! You probably have no idea
what is going on. You're nothing but a stupid fool." He laughed as he strode
back to the little knot of banditos.
Bernardo turned his gaze back to the horses. He had never seen such a
group of anxious horses. Suddenly, a movement up the wall caught his eye.
Struggling to stand in spite of the ropes around his feet, he did his best to
find his balance as a cougar dashed down the canyon wall straight in his
direction.
In spite of the treatment he had so recently received, he vainly struggled to
call out a warning to all present. But to his stunned amazement, the big cat
rushed past him so closely she nearly knocked him down. She made no
detours as she dashed through the group of startled men. Everyone fell
back in fear, yet she looked neither to the left or right but charged past
the panic stricken horses and out of the canyon.
As she made one last turn out of the canyon, Bernardo noticed for the first
time that she had something in her mouth.
Rushing to the horses, the men did all they could to keep them from breaking
their bridles and escaping the scent of their mortal enemy. Bernardo took a
deep breath to quiet his own heart.
Bernardo studied the confusion and knew that if he had not been bound, he
could have easily slipped away. Flopping back down on the ground he franticly
rubbed the rope against the rock he had been leaning on. He had been working
on the rope for more than two hours but cautiously. Now, with no one
watching, he struggled desperately against it's hold.
"She must have been why the horses have been so nervous," remarked one of the
banditos.
No sooner did the little group settle back down than the cat raced back into
the canyon. Again the horses panicked. Again she nearly knocked down the men
who dashed to get out of her way. Bernardo rolled away from her path and
watched as she scaled the canyon wall and vanished into the cave.
In spite of the shouts of the men and cries of the horses, Bernardo did not
take his eyes away from the cave's mouth. Moments later, the big mountain
lion reappeared. Again she was carrying something in her mouth. Bernardo
intently studied that little object as she dashed in his direction. It was so
small he couldn't be sure what it was. But as she again dashed past him he
heard tiny "mews" coming from the tiny kitten which the mother cat carefully
but quickly carried out of the canyon.
He heaved a sigh and quietly smiled at the determined protectiveness of the
two kittens' mother.
In the distance a flock of birds were startled from a grove of trees. For a
moment Bernardo thought he heard Tornado's hoof beats as did the other's
who were present, but Zorro did not appear.
Bernardo continued to rake his ropes across the rock. Suddenly, he felt one
of them loosen. Momentarily he froze. Casually he glanced around, but no one
seemed to notice. Instead them seemed more concerned with the horses who
continued to paw and pull against their ties.
Again what sounded like hoof beats drew everyone's attention to the canyon's
opening. This time Zorro galloped in.
Mondego strode forward. "So, Diego does know you!"
"He did get a message to me," replied Zorro.
Bernardo slowly reached forward and quickly untied the knot that fastened his
ankles.
"Did you bring the ransom?" Mondego haughtily demanded.
"For obvious reasons I could not bring everything, but I brought these as
proof that I know where the rest is." Zorro held up the two diamond and
emerald necklaces.
Mondego's eyes drank in the beautiful of the sparkling jewels.
Walking forward he reached up as if to take them from Zorro, suddenly his
sword flashed out with vicious hate as he snatched Tornado's reins.
"Get off!" he commanded pointing the sword at Zorro.
Zorro moved as if to dismount then drove his knees into Tornado's side. The
black horse bolted forward knocking Mondego flat.
The banditos dashed forward as Bernardo bolted for Zorro and Tornado.
Someone again grasped Tornado's reins but fell under the powerful
stallions front hooves. For a moment it looked like they would make it.
The next moment they were completely surrounded, and again Bernardo
found himself with a dagger at his throat.
With blood gushing from his nose Mondego screamed, "Get off!"
This time Zorro slowly dismounted. Bernardo looked at Zorro questioningly.
Zorro could not give his faithful friend any hope.
Suddenly Bernardo felt as if he was going to be sick. It was strange; he
wasn't afraid to die. He was just sick. Glancing over at Zorro he noticed he
too looked strangely pale. His eyes moved from one bandito to the next.
Everyone suddenly seemed sick. No one moved.
Tornado, however, seemed to go crazy. His instinct as a stallion screamed to
the surface as he tore, teeth exposed, at the horses tied to the nearby
trees. Already terrified, the horses sat back against their reins and ropes
snapping whatever had held them to trees. Freed at last, all but Tornado fled
from the canyon as if possesd.
At first the men thought it was the thunder of hooves that shook the ground.
But the rolling grew stronger. A rumbling sound, louder that then thundering
hooves of the vanishing horses erupted from the ground. Rocks began falling
from the canyon walls.
The banditos were transfixed in terror. Zorro and Bernardo, however, were
not. Tornado raced to their side. In one, fluid motion the men mounted the
black stallion. In a split second his powerful legs were racing over the
heaving ground for the mouth of the canyon, away from the deadly boulders.
*********************end of Part Thirteen********************
