"Zorro!"
In the soft light of morning, the peons and merchants were setting out their wares, getting ready for the day’s business, when a black whirlwind rode through the plaza, scattering people and things in his wake. He rode a coal black horse, and his cape flew on the air behind him like the wings of a great raven. The horse and rider knocked over a cart full of pottery, the crashing sound echoing throughout the plaza. They plowed through a display of vegetables. Gathering himself, the black horse leapt over a table displaying jewelry and toilette items, his back leg striking it and causing the wares to cascade over the ground. Following close behind was the lancer patrol led by Sergeant Garcia. They were in pursuit of the masked rider, riding at full speed through the town, and in their haste, trampling on the things their quarry had missed. Santiago was just coming out of the inn and saw the whole thing. Running with the others, he watched as the riders disappeared around a corner of the pueblo.
"Who was that!" he shouted, feigning surprise. "Who were they chasing?"
"Zorro!" the people cried. "It was Zorro, Your Excellency! Zorro has returned to Los Angeles!"
Santiago was pleased at the fear he saw in the people as they milled about, talking and waving their hands in excitement. Uresti’s timing had been perfect. He had found Garcia’s early morning patrol at the exact place where Santiago had told him it would be and, as Zorro, he had led them on a mad chase right through the town. Yes, Zorro had indeed returned to Los Angeles.
"Do not worry, everyone!" Santiago called out to calm the people. "I am certain the lancers will soon capture him and place him in our jail."
He was amused, though he was careful not to show it, when the people crowded around him and said, "You do not know, Zorro, Your Excellency. No one can catch Zorro! No one!"
"Be calm, be calm," he said, soothingly. "My lancers have been training hard and they are ready to capture any outlaw who presents himself, even this Zorro, whoever he is. Go back and pick up your things. Carry on with your business. We will take care of Zorro." Holding up his hands to shoo them away gently, he said, "Go on now."
The crowd walked back to the plaza and scattered to pick up their wares, different ones turning to look back over their shoulders at the place where Zorro had vanished. Santiago stood on the corner of the street and watched them. The people gathered in knots of two or three and talked among themselves, still looking around fearfully. Santiago saw that Lozano had come out of his shop and was doing his job. He was talking to some of the people in order to find out what had happened, as if he did not know, and was then making his little comments here and there which would reinforce the rumors that Zorro was getting closer to the day when his army would swoop down from the hills. Lozano was quite good at this. While the merchants went about their business and opened their booths, some of the peons were rolling up their wares and leaving. Fear was sending them to their homes. Santiago watched all of this with satisfaction before turning to go to his office.
Several hours later, Sergeant Garcia and his lancers rode back into the pueblo. They were tired and covered in dust. One of the soldiers was being supported in his saddle by two of the others. Garcia sent the lancers on to the cuartel while he stopped at the Magistrado’s office. He was quickly received.
"Report, Sergeant," said Santiago.
"I am sorry, but I must tell you that Zorro got away, Your Excellency," said Garcia, standing at attention and looking up at the ceiling, not wanting to meet the Magistrado’s eyes. He remembered how it was when he had been forced to face his former capitán with the same lack of success.
"Got away?" said Santiago.
"Sí, Your Excellency," said Sergeant Garcia. Then he looked at the Magistrado as he said, "We almost caught him, Your Excellency. He is riding a different horse, one that is not so fast as the old one and we almost caught him. We were this close," he held up his thumb and index finger very close together.
"Well, what happened? How did he get away?" asked Santiago. He was indeed very curious to hear how Uresti had almost gotten himself caught. That would not do at all.
"He turned his horse around and fired right at us, Your Excellency. He has never done that before." Garcia was very puzzled and saddened at the same time.
"He has never . . . he is an outlaw, Sergeant," said Santiago. "You mean that he has never shot at the lancers before this?"
"Sí, Your Excellency, . . . I mean no, Your Excellency. Zorro has fired his pistol before, but he has never really tried to kill us like this. Lugo was wounded in the shoulder this time," Garcia shook his head sadly. "It is just not like Zorro to do this." He became silent as he thought about it.
Santiago knew that Uresti would do whatever was necessary to prevent his capture. He did not fault the man for that. Besides, the wounded soldier would only serve to add to the idea that Zorro was dangerous. He asked, "Sergeant, where did you lose sight of Zorro?"
"We lost him in the hills at the northern boundary of the de la Vega rancho, Your Excellency. We took cover in the rocks after Lugo was shot and Zorro got away then. When we did not see him anymore, we turned around and came back to the pueblo. We needed to get Lugo to the doctor."
"Very well, Sergeant. Go and see to your man and get cleaned up. We will talk of this later," said Santiago. After Garcia left, Santiago leaned back in his chair and stroked his beard thoughtfully. He was quite satisfied with Uresti’s performance this morning. He was sure that the peons who had left the plaza after the incident were spreading the news of Zorro’s return. And now that one of the soldiers had been wounded by the masked outlaw, everyone in the district would know. Now for the best part. Diego de la Vega would be returning from Buena Ventura this very afternoon from an assignment. That he was out of town when Zorro was sighted and would have been in the vicinity of the place where the patrol lost the outlaw as he traveled home would be one of the facts which would be presented at the coming trial. The Magistrado would merely have to intimate that Diego had the opportunity to meet with Zorro today, corroborated by the Sergeant’s testimony of Zorro’s whereabouts and there, another nail in de la Vega’s coffin would be driven home. Santiago savored this for a few moments more before turning to the papers on his desk. He still had his work to do as the Magistrado and he was quite a conscientious man. He laughed quietly to himself as he dipped his pen into the inkwell.
