"Kidnaped by Zorro"
With his free arm, Uresti held the nine-year-old boy firmly to his chest as he kept the boy from wriggling loose. The boy’s hat blew off of his head. They were galloping at full tilt across the hills as Uresti, in the guise of Zorro, urged his horse on. Uresti laughed. Everything had gone perfectly. The stupid lancers were scouring the hills south of here for signs of El Zorro while he had been far to the north, watching the hacienda of Don Alfredo. Señor Santiago had given him a detailed description of the hacienda and instructions to snatch one of the don’s children to take back with him to Santa Barbara. Dressed as Zorro, Uresti had bided his time and found a moment just before the noontime hour when none but the wife, the household servants and the children were at home. Two of the children, a boy and a girl, were playing in the garden just outside of the high-walled inner courtyard. This was his chance. He rode in with one of his pistols drawn as he put his horse at the low wall which surrounded the garden. The children looked up just in time to see the caped outlaw’s horse alight just inside the garden in a cloud of dust, like some black bird of prey. They both screamed in fright.
One of the servants came to see what was the matter, and her eyes grew wide with fear as she saw the outlaw. She ran screaming back into the house. "Zorro! It is Zorro!" she cried out.
Looking down from his horse, Zorro pointed the pistol at the children and said, "Come here! Both of you!" But the children just backed away from him fearfully, the boy standing protectively in front of his sister, his blue eyes looking up at the outlaw. Zorro smiled at the boy’s small bravery. A man, an old vaquero from the looks of him, came running into the garden brandishing a wooden pitchfork as a weapon. Zorro took careful aim and shot the pitchfork from the old man’s hands. He would have just as soon killed the old man, but Señor Santiago had strict orders about that. He dismissed the old vaquero as the man fell to the ground cradling his hand to his chest. Apparently, the bullet had hit his hand. That was too bad.
Zorro smiled as he turned his attention back to the children. He tucked the spent pistol back into his banda and pulled out the other one he was carrying. "Do not make me shoot you," he said, continuing to smile. "You boy, come here." He had decided he would take the boy. A boy would be easier to handle than a girl.
Swallowing hard, the boy timidly approached Zorro. "Please, do not hurt my sister, Señor Zorro," he pleaded, scrubbing his tear streaked face with the back of his hand.
"I won’t harm a hair on her head if you do what I say, boy. Understand?" The boy nodded. "Good." Dropping the reins on his horse’s neck, Zorro leaned down and pulled the blond-headed boy up in front of him by grabbing the boy’s blue jacket in his large fist. Keeping an eye out for other members of the household who might appear, he took the reins once again.
"Eduardo!" a woman’s voice called out in fear. Zorro turned to see the boy’s mother coming out of the hacienda, her hand clutching at her throat in fear. "What are you doing with my son?" she cried out to him.
Spinning his horse to face her, Zorro called out, "If you want to see your boy alive again, let no one try to follow me. Tell the boy’s father that he will be receiving instructions later telling him what he must do to get his son back safe and sound. And do not worry! I will take good care of the boy! He is worth a great deal to us!" Laughing, he bowed flamboyantly to the woman and threw his arm around Eduardo, kicking his horse into a gallop. They cleared the low wall easily. He could hear the boy’s mother crying and calling, "Eduardo! Eduardo!" as they rode away. The boy tried to struggle, but was no match for his captor. He cried out for his mama and the tears flowed.
"Stop that crying," said Zorro. "It will do you no good. Besides, you are too big to cry, eh?" Eduardo snuffled and rubbed his nose with the back of his sleeve, trying to stop. "That’s better," said Zorro. "We have a long ride ahead of us and your crying will only make it seem longer. Besides, what other boy can say he has ridden with the great outlaw, Zorro?" Uresti laughed out loud and saw the boy had stopped crying. "There, see? It is not so bad as all that. Now just sit still while we put some miles between us and Los Angeles." He sent his horse flying over the ground, going due east from the hacienda. This part of Santiago’s plan had gone well, as had all the rest of the Magistrado’s plans. But Uresti/Zorro chafed, nevertheless. Things were taking so long. He was tired of living in the hills and he missed the sweet little señorita he had left behind. If it were not for Santiago, he would slip around and see her sometimes, but he did not wish to incur Santiago’s disfavor. For now, he would take this boy north, to his camp in the hills near the de la Vega rancho after he had laid a false trail by riding to the east from here. Then he would wait to hear from Lozano.
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Word of the kidnaping came just as Diego was getting ready to go home for the day. He was eager to be away so that he and Bernardo could continue their own search for the elusive imposter. The tired and dusty lancer patrol had just returned without finding the false Zorro, but they did report the trail of two horses which seemed to have quartered back and forth across the area. Diego was glad no one asked his opinion about the trail. Everyone just assumed the tracks belonged to Zorro and some companion of his. Fortunately, the lancers were not able to follow the trail all the way back to the de la Vega hacienda. The precaution which Diego had taken to walk their horses in a stream for a half mile or so before turning for home was time well spent. The Magistrado was extremely disappointed the patrol had found nothing more than tracks. He vowed again that upon the next reported sighting of the outlaw, he would lead the soldiers personally. Diego could see the soldiers were impressed by this. They would be proud to have the Magistrado ride with them. Sargent Garcia told them to see to their horses and get some rest.
Some moments later, Diego was just preparing to take his leave of the Magistrado when a peon came riding into the plaza at full tilt, calling for help. Santiago followed Diego out onto the balcony to see what was happening. The peon rode up to the gates of the cuartel and jumped from his horse. "Help! Help!" he cried to the soldiers. "My master’s child has been kidnaped! Help!" One of the soldiers ran to get Sergeant Garcia.
Santiago looked at Diego. Returning inside his office, he picked up his sword and came back out, securing it to his belt. "Come," he said. They descended the stairs and with long strides, his hand on his sword hilt, the Magistrado covered the ground. Diego was right by his side, his strides no less long. They arrived at the cuartel just as Garcia was coming to the gates. Everyone in the plaza had stopped to see what was happening.
"Sergeant!" called Santiago. "What is the matter? What is this man saying?"
"That is what I have come to find out, Your Excellency," said Sergeant Garcia. Turning to the peon, he said, "Carlos, what is it? What is wrong?"
The peon swallowed and gathered his breath. "Oh, Sergeant! The eldest son of Don Alfredo has been kidnaped and taken away. Oh, come quickly, Sergeant!"
Santiago put his hand on the peon’s shoulder. "Who has done this thing, Carlos? Who kidnaped Eduardo?"
"Zorro! It was Zorro, Your Excellency!" exclaimed Carlos, looking up at Santiago.
"Zorro!" said many voices from the crowd which had gathered at the cuartel gates. Diego’s heart stopped. He mouthed the name silently to himself. He was no less taken aback than the people in the crowd. Perhaps more so.
"Are you sure, Carlos? It was Zorro?" asked Santiago, clearly taking charge.
"Sí, Your Excellency! With her own eyes, Doña Florintina saw him take Eduardo."
"In which direction did he go?" asked Santiago.
"To the east, that is what Doña Florintina said. That is what the other servants said." Carlos continued, "Don Alfredo has not yet returned and the Doña is crying for her child. The few vaqueros at the hacienda are guarding the Doña and the other children. They are awaiting Don Alfredo’s return, but we thought the Magistrado should know, and so I came."
Diego was taking in all of this. Again this false Zorro was raising the stakes. From robbing a few peons and burning a few hovels, he had now taken to kidnaping the son of a don. A don who was one of his father’s closest friends. The imposter had to be stopped. His attention returned to Santiago.
"We must help Don Alfredo. Sergeant, turn out the lancers," ordered the Magistrado. "Get fresh horses and have mine saddled as well. We will search the hills for this vile outlaw, Zorro, and we will return Don Alfredo’s son to him. Hurry. Meet me in front of my house in five minutes."
Sergeant Garcia saluted and said, "Sí, Your Excellency!" Turning to the lancers, he said, "To horse, lancers! To horse! Full equipment and be ready to go in five minutes! Go!" The soldiers scurried to get ready, followed by Garcia, who shouted orders at his men as they worked.
"But Señor Magistrado, Zorro said not to follow him or the boy might be hurt!" exclaimed Carlos.
Santiago put his hand on the man’s shoulder as he said, "We cannot allow this outlaw to think he can get away with this crime. Justice has been denied too long in his case." There were nods all around from the people in the crowd. Santiago spoke directly to them. "We will track him down and recover Don Alfredo’s son for him. We will put an end to Zorro’s evil plans. We shall do everything in our power to make sure that the boy is not harmed."
There were murmurs of appreciation from the crowd and Carlos nodded as he fearfully accepted Santiago’s words. What other choice did he have but to trust the Magistrado?
"Carlos, you will ride with us back to the hacienda," said Santiago.
"Sí, Your Excellency," said Carlos, bowing. He went to get his horse.
Diego took this moment to speak earnestly. "Your Excellency, I would like to go with you. To help in the search. Don Alfredo is a great friend of our family." He saw the gentle pity in Santiago’s dark eyes as the man turned to him.
"I’m sorry, Diego, but you are not particularly . . . suited to this kind of activity." He put his hand on the younger man’s shoulder. "I know you want to help, but you must leave this to those of us who are trained to handle such matters." Diego felt the eyes of those around them. They also believed they knew the truth of the Magistrado’s words.
"But, . . ." he began.
"No, Diego," said Santiago kindly, but with some force. "You will remain here or at your hacienda. Believe me, it is for your own protection. Now I must go and get ready to leave myself. Excuse me?" With that, Santiago turned and walked hurriedly toward his house leaving Diego standing with the town’s people. Diego was frustrated once again. Among all the people who could be searching for this outlaw, Diego was the man most suited for the job and he knew it. He knew the hills as only the real Zorro could, having ridden through them many times on his missions and as many times as he was being pursued by those who would capture him. His frustration was that he was still precluded from doing so by the very persona which had allowed Zorro to exist. Clenching his teeth, Diego tried to reign in his emotions and to think clearly. Don Alfredo’s son was out there, the victim of the imposter. That should be his first priority. His personal problems would just have to wait.
Placing his hat upon his head, Diego strode over to his horse and took the reins loose from the hitching rail. He looked over the plaza at the people still gathered in knots as they spoke of the kidnaping among themselves. Then with a loud clatter, the lancers, with Sergeant Garcia at their head, rode out of the cuartel and over to the Magistrado’s house. There Santiago joined them, taking his horse from the servant who was waiting for him. The Magistrado mounted, and soon he and the entire company of soldiers were galloping out of the pueblo toward Don Alfredo’s hacienda, leaving behind a cloud of dust which hung suspended in the air.
Diego would have given anything to have gone with them. He slapped the reins again and again into the palm of his hand as he thought. He knew that he was about to disobey a direct order from the Magistrado. He would go by the de la Vega rancho and pick up Bernardo, then he and his servant would go to the hacienda of Don Alfredo. By the time they arrived, the Magistrado and his search party would be gone and Diego would be able to ask his own questions of the Doña Florintina and the others. He might discover things that the others could miss. Then he and Bernardo were going to conduct their own search. He had often been forced to operate outside of the law in order to set things right before this. Was this so different? He would not be breaking the law, per se, only disobeying his superior’s orders. He was sure Señor Santiago would understand. Diego would make him understand. A boy’s life was at stake.
End of Book One
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