The Mysterious Don Miguel - Versus Three

As he started to follow them around the rocks, he heard the señorita scream.

Don Diego ran forward as swiftly as he could through the heavy sand. He rounded the rocks, and came upon a scene.

Valentino Vargas and his friends had ben waiting at San Juan Capistrano for the party to arrive. They were hiding in native huts, paying their way handsomely. It was the intention of Valentino Vargas to make a last attempt here to get the gold and jewels of Don Felipe Ramón, regardless of what Zorro had told him of Don Miguel's wish that Don Felipe go unmolested.

Vargas and Pedro Pico were in a hut at that moment, but their three friends were not. They had observed the party walking on the beach, and had crept down through the rocks to intercept them.

Señorita Carmelita wore jewels on her fingers and around her pretty throat, and Don Felipe himself had heavy rings studded with diamonds, and a scarf buckle heavy with precious stones. The three rogues decided to get what they could, and flee to the Canyon of the Cocopahs, for the night of the full moon was only two nights away.

Down from the rocks they had dashed, one holding a pistol and the other two with naked blades in their hands. And when Don Diego rounded the point of the rocks he beheld Don Felipe being forced backward at the point of a blade, and another rogue keeping Señora Vallejo at a distance, while the third had grasped the señorita and was trying to get her jewels.

Though his raiment was that of Don Diego Vega, the spirit became that of Señor Zorro now. His eyes aflame at this indignity, Don Diego whipped out his blade as he ran forward. He gave a cry of rage and made for the nearest man.

The three turned to confront him, and one laughed.

"It is the weakling!" he cried. "Let us muss up his silks and laces."

They set about it, while Señorita Carmelita clung to Señora Vallejo's arm, and Don Felipe lurched forward, though unarmed, expecting to see Don Diego instantly slain by these ruffians.

But Don Diego Vega appeared fully capable of caring for himself. He disarmed the first man and ran him through the shoulder neatly. The second discharged his pistol, and the ball whistled past Don Diego's ear, and the burning powder scorched the lace of his collar.

"Scum!" Don Diego cried.

His blade flashed, and came back red, and the man coughed as he collapsed to the sand, twitched, and was still.

The third came rushing forward, howling curses, blade up and ready. Don Diego retreated a few paces before his wild rush, stumbled in the sand, and almost went down, but recovered in time to meet the attack.

This third man knew something of fencing, but not enough. In an instant, as soon as Don Diego got the feel of him, he knew he was undone. He retreated step by step, until he was on firm ground at the end of the mass of rocks. And suddenly he darted aside, turned his back, and ran.

"Scum!" Don Diego howled after him.

Don Felipe's cries had attracted the attention of some at the mission, and they came hurrying to ascertain the trouble, Capitán Gonzales among them. They saw a wounded man and a dead one, and one running away, and beheld Don Diego Vega cleaning his blade in the sand.

"Who says he is not a man?" Don Felipe Ramón was thundering.

"Three against him, and he did not falter. What manner of country is this, where rogues may attack persons within a stone's throw of the mission? No doubt it has inferior soldiery."

"Pardon, Don Felipe, but I offered to accompany you on your walk," Capitán Gonzales said. "I feared something like this might occur."

"We had no need of the soldiery," Don Felipe told him. "Gentlemen know how to defend their ladies."

Señora Vallejo had dropped upon the sand, and was sitting there moaning and fanning herself. The señorita left her and stepped to Don Diego's side, and timidly touched his arm.

"Forgive me, Señor, for some thoughts I have held concerning you," she begged, her eyes shining as she looked up at him. "They were wrong thoughts."

He smiled down at her.

"It distresses me that you saw me in a moment of uncontrolled passion," he replied.


- The Mysterious Don Miguel, Chapter 8