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diff --git a/old/42117.txt b/old/42117.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 35a44d0..0000000 --- a/old/42117.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,11761 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Pirates of the Prairies, by Gustave Aimard - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: The Pirates of the Prairies - Adventures in the American Desert - -Author: Gustave Aimard - -Translator: Lascelles Wraxall - -Release Date: February 17, 2013 [EBook #42117] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE PIRATES OF THE PRAIRIES *** - - - - -Produced by Camilo Bernard and Marc D'Hooghe at -http://www.freeliterature.org (Scans at the Internet -Archive-by Google) - - - - - -THE PIRATES OF THE PRAIRIES - -ADVENTURES IN THE AMERICAN DESERT, - -BY - -GUSTAVE AIMARD - - -AUTHOR OF "THE TRAIL HUNTER," "THE TIGER SLAYER," "THE INDIAN CHIEF," ETC. - - -LONDON - -WARD AND LOCK - -158, FLEET STREET - - -MDCCCLXII - - - - -PREFACE - - -The present is the second of the series of Indian tales, commencing with -the "Trail-Hunter," and which will be completed in one more volume, -entitled the "Trapper's Daughter." It must be understood, however, that -each of these volumes is complete in itself, although the characters -already introduced to the reader are brought on the stage again, and -continue their surprising adventures through succeeding works. For this, -Gustave Aimard can quote the example of his predecessor, Fenimore -Cooper, whose "Deer Slayer," appears in a long succession of volumes, -not necessarily connected, but which all repay perusal. I believe that -few who have commenced with one volume of Cooper's Indian tales, but -have been anxious to follow the hero through the remainder of his -adventures; and I sincerely trust that a perusal of the "Pirates of the -Prairies" may lead to a demand for the other volumes by the same author, -which have already appeared, and for those which have still to follow. - - LASCELLES WRAXALL. - - - -CONTENTS. - - - I. The Cache - II. The Ambuscade - III. An Old Acquaintance of the Reader - IV. Red Cedar at Bay - V. The Grotto - VI. The Proposition - VII. Ellen and Dona Clara - VIII. The Flight - IX. The Teocali - X. The White Gazelle - XI. The Apaches - XII. Black Cat - XIII. The Great Medicine - XIV. The Succour - XV. On the Island - XVI. Sunbeam - XVII. Indian Hospitality - XVIII. Love! - XIX. The Dance of the Old Dogs - XX. A Hand-to-Hand Fight - XXI. The Avenger - XXII. Explanatory - XXIII. Apaches and Comanches - XXIV. The Scalp-Dance - XXV. The Torture - XXVI. Two Women's Hearts - XXVII. Shaw - XXVIII. The Departure - XXIX. The Ambuscade - XXX. The Pirate's Confession - XXXI. The Rivals - XXXII. Fray Ambrosio - XXXIII. The Trail - XXXIV. The Hunt - XXXV. The Combat - XXXVI. The Earthquake - - - - -CHAPTER I. - -THE CACHE. - - -Two months have elapsed since we left the Trail-Hunter commencing his -adventurous journey, and we are in the heart of the desert. Before us -immensity is unfolded. What pen, however eloquent, would venture to -describe those illimitable oceans of verdure to which the North -Americans have in their imagery, given the poetic and mysterious name of -the Far West? That is to say, the truly unknown region, with its scenes -at once grand and striking, soft and terrible; unbounded prairies in -which may be found that rich and luxuriant Flora, against whose magic -growth only the Indian can successfully struggle. - -These plains, at the first glance, offer the dazzled eye of the rash -traveller who ventures on them a vast carpet of verdure embossed with -flowers, furrowed by large streams; and they appear of a desperate -regularity, mingling in the horizon with the azure of the sky. - -It is only by degrees, when the sight grows accustomed to the picture, -that, gradually mastering the details, the visitor notices here and -there rather lofty hills, the escarped sides of the water courses, and a -thousand unexpected accidents which agreeably break that monotony by -which the eye is at first saddened, and which the lofty grass and the -giant productions of the Flora completely conceal. - -How can we enumerate the products of this primitive nature, which form -an inextricable confusion and interlacement, describing majestic curves, -producing grand arcades, and offering, in a word, the most splendid and -sublime spectacle it was ever given to man to admire through its eternal -contrasts and striking harmony? - -Above the gigantic ferns, the _mezquite_, the cactuses, nopales, -larches, and fruit-laden arbutuses, rise the mahogany tree with its -oblong leaves, the _moriche_, or pine tree, the _abanijo_, whose wide -leaves are shaped like a fan, the _pirijao_, from which hang enormous -clusters of golden fruit, the royal palm whose stem is denuded of -foliage, and balances its majestic and tufted head at the slightest -breath; the Indian cane, the lemon tree, the guava, the plantain, the -_chinciroya_, or intoxicating fruit, the oak, the pine tree, and the wax -palm, distilling its resinous gum. - -Then, there are immense fields of dahlias, flowers whiter than the snows -of the Caffre de Perote or the Chimborazo, or redder than blood, immense -lianas twining and circling round the stems of trees and vines -overflowing with sap; and in the midst of this inextricable chaos fly, -run, and crawl, in every direction, animals of all sorts and sizes, -birds, quadrupeds, reptiles, amphibious, singing, crying, howling and -roaring with every note of the human gamut, some mocking and menacing, -others soft and melancholy. - -The stags and deer bounding timidly along, with ear erect and eye on the -watch, the bighorn leaping from rock to rock, and then resting -motionless on the verge of a precipice, the heavy and stupid buffaloes -with their sad eyes; the wild horses, whose numerous _manadas_ make the -earth re-echo in their purposeless chase; the alligator, with its body -in the mud, and sleeping in the sun; the hideous _iguana_ carelessly -climbing up a tree; the puma, that maneless lion; the panther and jaguar -cunningly watch their prey as it passes; the brown bear, that gluttonous -honey-hunter; the grizzly, the most formidable denizen of these -countries; the _cotejo_, with its venomous bite; the chameleon, whose -skin reflects every hue; the green lizard, and the basilisk crawling -silent and sinister beneath the leaves; the monstrous boa, the coral -snake, so small and yet so terrible; the _cascabel_, the _macaurel_, and -the great striped serpent. - -The feathered flock sing and twitter on the branches, hidden beneath the -dense foliage; the tanagers, the curassos, the chattering _lloros_, the -_haras_, the flycatcher, the toucans, with their enormous beaks, the -pigeons, the _trogons_, the elegant rose flamingos, the swans balancing -and sporting in the streams, and the light and graceful gray squirrels -leaping with unimaginable speed from creeper to creeper, from shrub to -shrub. - -In the highest regions of air, hovering in long circles over the -prairie, the eagle of the Sierra Madre, with wide-spread wings, and the -bald-headed vulture, select the prey on which they dart with the -rapidity of lightning. - -Then, suddenly, crushing under his horse's hoofs the sand and -gold-studded pebbles sparkling in the sun, appears, as if by -enchantment, an Indian, with his red skin glistening like new copper, -robust limbs, gestures stamped with majesty and grace, and a commanding -eye; a Navajo, Pawnee, Comanche, Apache or Sioux, who, whirling his -lasso or _lakki_ round his head, drives before him a herd of startled -buffaloes or wild horses, or else a panther, ounce, or jaguar, that fly -his presence with hoarse roars of rage and terror. - -This child of the desert, so grand, so noble, and so disdainful of -peril, who crosses the prairies with incredible speed, and knows its -thousand turnings, is truly the king of this strange country, which he -alone can traverse night and day, and whose countless dangers he does -not fear. He struggles inch by inch with that European civilisation -which is slowly advancing, driving him into his last intrenchments and -invading his lands on all sides. - -Hence, woe to the trapper or hunter who ventures to traverse these -prairies alone! His bones will bleach on the plain, and his scalp adorn -the shield of an Indian chief, or the mane of his horse. - -Such is the sublime, striking, and terrible spectacle the Far West -offers even at the present day. - -The day on which we resume our story, at the moment when the sun -attained its zenith, the mournful silence brooding over the desert was -suddenly troubled by a slight sound, which was heard in the tufted -clumps that border the Rio Gila, in one of the most unknown districts of -this solitude. - -The branches were cautiously parted, and amid the leaves and creepers a -man displayed his face dripping with perspiration, and marked with an -expression of terror and despair. - -This man, after looking around him anxiously, and assuring himself that -no one was on the watch, slowly disengaged his body from the grass and -shrubs that conceal it, walked a few steps in the direction of the -river, and fell to the ground, uttering a profound sigh. - -Almost simultaneously an enormous mastiff, with a cross of the wolf and -Newfoundland, bounded from the shrubs and lay down at his feet. - -The man who appeared so unexpectedly on the banks of the Rio Gila was -Red Cedar.[1] - -His position appeared most critical, for he was alone in the desert, -without weapons or provisions. We say without weapons, for the long -knife passed through his deerskin girdle was almost useless to him. -In the Far West, that infinite ocean of verdure, an unarmed man is a -dead man! - -The struggle becomes impossible for him with the numberless enemies who -watch his passing, and only await a favourable moment to catch him. Red -Cedar was deprived of those inestimable riches of the hunter, a rifle -and a horse. Moreover he was alone! - -Man, so long as he can see his fellow, even though that fellow be an -enemy, does not believe himself abandoned. In his heart there remains a -vague hope for which he cannot account, but which sustains and endows -him with courage. - -But, so soon as every human form has disappeared, and man, an -imperceptible grain of dust in the desert, finds himself face to face -with God, he trembles, for the feeling of his weakness is then revealed -to him; he comprehends how insignificant he is before these colossal -works of nature, and how insensate is the struggle he must carry on, in -order to raise only a corner of the winding sheet of sand gradually -settling down on him, and which assails him from all sides at once. - -Red Cedar was an old wood ranger. Many times, during his excursions in -the prairies, he had found himself in almost desperate situations, and -he had always got out of them by his boldness, patience, and above all, -his firm will. - -Still, he had never before been so denuded of everything as he was at -this moment. - -Still, he must make up his mind to something. He arose, stifling an -oath, and whistling to his dog, the only being that remained faithful in -his misfortunes, he set out, not even taking the trouble to find out his -direction. In fact, what need had he to choose one? Were not all good -for him, and would they not all lead within a given period to the same -end--death? - -He walked on thus for several hours with drooping head, seeing the -bighorns and asshatas bounding round, as if mocking him. The buffaloes -scarce deigned to raise their heads as he passed, and looked at him with -their large melancholy eyes, as if comprehending that their implacable -foe was disarmed, and they had nothing to fear from him. The elks, -balanced on the points of the rocks, leaped and sported round him, while -his dog, who did not at all comprehend this very novel affair, looked at -its master, and seemed to ask him what it all meant. - -The day passed thus, without producing the least change for the better -in the squatter's position; but, on the contrary, aggravating it. At -nightfall he fell on the sand, exhausted by fatigue and hunger. The sun -had disappeared, and the darkness was already invading the prairie. The -howling of the wild beasts could be heard as they emerged from their -lair to quench their thirst and go in search of food. The disarmed -squatter could not light a fire to keep them at bay. - -He looked around him; a last instinct of preservation, perhaps, or the -final gleam of hope, that divine spark which is never extinguished in -the heart of the most unfortunate man, urged him to seek a shelter. He -climbed up a tree, and after tying himself securely, through fear of a -fall, if, as was very improbable, he fell asleep, he closed his eyes and -sought slumber, in order to cheat for a few moments, at any rate, that -hunger which devoured him, and forget his deplorable position. - -But sleep does not thus visit the unfortunate, and obstinately refused -to come, when most earnestly invoked. No one, who has not experienced -it, can imagine the horror of a sleepless night in the desert! The -darkness is peopled with mournful spectres, the wild beasts roar, the -serpents twine round the trees, and at times clasp in their cold and -viscous coils the wretched man half-dead with terror. - -No one can say of how many centuries a minute is composed in this -terrible situation, or the length of this nightmare, during which the -sickly mind creates the most monstrous lucubrations. Especially when the -stomach is empty, and, through that very circumstance, the brain is more -easily invaded by delirium. - -At sunrise the squatter breathed a sigh of relief. And yet, of what -consequence to him was the appearance of light, for it was only the -beginning of a day of intolerable suffering and frightful torture? But, -at any rate, he could see, he could notice, what went on around him; the -sun warmed and restored him some slight strength. He came down from the -tree in which he had passed the night, and continued his journey. - -Why did he go on? He did not know himself; still, he walked as if he had -a point to reach, although he was perfectly well aware he had no help to -expect from anyone, and that, on the contrary, the first face he -perceived would be that of an enemy. - -But the man whose mind is powerfully constituted is so. He never gives -up; he struggles to the last moment, and if he cannot trust to -Providence, he hopes in accident, without daring to confess it to -himself. - -It would be impossible for us to explain the thoughts that crossed the -squatter's brain while, with uncertain step he crossed silently and -sadly the vast solitudes of the prairie. - -Toward midday, the heat became so intense, that, overcome by so much -moral and physical suffering, he sank exhausted at the foot of a tree. -He remained for a long time extended on the ground; but, at length, -impelled by want, he rose with an effort, and sought for roots and herbs -which might lull the hunger that gnawed his vitals. His search was long -in vain, but at last he found a species of _yucca_, a pasty root -somewhat like manioc, which he devoured with delight. He laid in a stock -of this root, which he shared with his dog, and, after a deep draught -from the stream, he prepared to continue his journey, slightly -re-invigorated by this more than frugal meal; when all at once his eye -emitted a flash, his face grew animated, and he murmured in a voice -trembling with emotion: - -"Suppose it was one!" - -This is what had caused Red Cedar's exclamation. At the moment he was -setting out again after looking mechanically around him, he fancied he -noticed at a certain spot that the grass was closer and taller than -anywhere else. This difference, visibly only to a man long accustomed to -the prairie, did not escape him. - -The Indians and hunters, often compelled to make a hurried journey, -either to avoid a hostile ambuscade or follow up the game, are -necessitated to abandon a large portion of their plunder or merchandise -they carry with them for trading purposes. As they are not at all -inclined to lose it, however, they make what is called in trapper -language a _cache_. - -It is effected in the following way. - -They begin by spreading blankets and buffalo skins round the spot where -they intend making the cache: then they remove large sods of grass, -square, round, or oval, and dig out the soil, being careful to lay it on -the blankets or skins. When the hole is deep enough, the sides are lined -with buffalo hides, for fear of damp, and the articles are laid in it: -the soil is then put in again, and the grass laid over it, which is -watered to make it grow, and the rest of the earth is carried to the -river, into which every particle is thrown, in order to hide any trace -of the cache, which is so closely concealed, that a man must have an -extraordinary skilful eye to discover one, and he often only finds old -caches which have been ransacked and have nothing left in them. - -The objects placed in the caches will keep for five or six years without -deteriorating. How many things concealed in this way have been lost -through the death of their owners who bear with them in the tomb the -secret of the spot where they have deposited their wealth! - -We have said, that the squatter imagined he had found such a cache. In -his position, such a discovery was of inestimable value to him: it might -offer him articles of primary necessity he wanted, and restore him, as -it were, to life, by supplying him with means to recommence his -existence of hunting, plunder, and vagabondage. - -He stood for some minutes with his eye fixed on the spot where he -suspected the cache, his mind agitated by undefinable feelings. At -length he moderated his emotion, and his heart palpitating with fear and -hope, carefully laid his blanket and buffalo robe by the cache to hold -the earth, with that honesty innate in men accustomed to a prairie life, -who, though they may be bandits and plunder the property of others -unscrupulously, still consider it a point of honour not to squander it, -or deprive the legal owner of anything but what is absolutely necessary -to themselves; then he knelt down and with his knife removed a sod of -grass. - -It is impossible to describe the quiver and anxiety of this man when he -first plunged his knife into the ground. He then carefully removed all -the turf that seemed to him to form the outline of the cache. This first -task ended, he rested for a moment to take breath, and at the same time -to indulge in that emotion so full of pleasure and pain felt on -accomplishing an act from which life or death depends. - -After a quarter of an hour, he passed his hand over his dank forehead, -and set to work resolutely, digging up the ground with his knife, and -removing it with his hands to the blanket. It was really a rude task, -especially for a man exhausted by fatigue and weakened by privations. -Several times he was compelled to stop through the exhaustion of his -strength: the work advanced slowly, and no sign as yet corroborated the -squatter's belief. - -Several times he was on the point of abandoning this vain search, but it -was his only chance of safety; there alone, if he succeeded, would he -find the means to become once more a wood ranger: hence he clung to this -last plank of safety which chance offered him, with all the energy of -despair, that Archimedean lever, which finds nothing impossible. - -Still, the unhappy wretch had been digging for a long time; a large hole -was gaping before him, but nothing offered him a prospect of success; -hence, in spite of the invincible energy of his character, he felt -despair invading his mind once again. A tear of impotent rage brooded in -his fever-inflamed eyelids, and he hurled his knife into the hole, -uttering an oath, and giving heaven a bitter look of defiance. - -The knife sprung back with a metallic sound; the squatter seized it and -examined it closely--the point was broken clean off. - -He began digging again frenziedly with his nails, like a wild beast, -disdaining the use of his knife any longer, and he soon laid bare a -buffalo hide. Instead of lifting this skin at once, which doubtless -covered all the treasures whose possession he coveted, he began gazing -at it with terrible anxiety. - -Red Cedar had not deceived himself: he had really discovered a cache. -But what did it contain? Perhaps it had already been ransacked, and was -empty. When he had only one movement to make, in order to assure -himself, he hesitated--he was afraid! - -During the three hours he had been toiling to reach this point, he had -formed so many chimeras, that he instinctively feared to see them vanish -suddenly, and fall back rudely into the frightful reality which held him -in its iron claws. - -For a long time he hesitated in this way; at length suddenly forming a -resolve, with hands trembling with emotion, palpitating heart and -bloodshot eye, he tore away the buffalo skin, with a movement rapid as -thought. He felt dazzled, and uttered a roar like a wild beast--he had -hit upon a thorough hunter's cache! - -It contained iron traps of every description, rifles, double and single -pistols, powder horns, bags filled with bullets, knives, and the -thousand objects suitable for wood rangers. - -Red Cedar felt himself born again: a sudden change took place in him, he -became again the implacable and indomitable being he had been prior to -the catastrophe, without fear or remorse, ready to recommence the -struggle with all nature, and laughing at the perils and snares he might -meet with on the road. - -He selected the best rifle, two pairs of double-barrelled pistols, and a -knife with a blade fifteen inches in length. He also took the necessary -harness for a horse; two powder horns, a bag of bullets, and an elk skin -game pouch richly embroidered in the Indian fashion, containing a -tinderbox and all the necessaries for bivouacking. He also found pipes -and tobacco, which he eagerly clutched, for his greatest privation had -been the inability to smoke. - -When he had loaded himself with all he thought he needed, he restored -all to its primitive condition, and skilfully removed the traces which -might have revealed to others the cache which had been so useful to -himself. This duty of an honest man performed, Red Cedar threw his rifle -over his shoulder, whistled to the dog, and went off hurriedly -muttering: - -"Ah, ah! You fancied you had forced the boar in its lair; we shall see -whether it can take its revenge." - -By what concourse of extraordinary events was the squatter, whom we saw -enter the desert at the head of a numerous and resolute troop, reduced -to such a state of urgent peril? - - -[1] See the Trail-hunter. - - - - -CHAPTER II. - -THE AMBUSCADE. - - -We said at the close of the "Trail-Hunter," that another band entered -the desert at the heels of the troop commanded by Red Cedar. This band, -guided by Valentine Guillois, was composed of Curumilla, General Ibanez, -Don Miguel Zarate, and his son. These men were not seeking a placer, but -vengeance. - -On reaching the Indian territory, the Frenchman looked inquiringly round -him, and stopping his horse, turned to Don Miguel. - -"Before going further," he said, "I think we had better hold a council, -and settle a plan of campaign from which we will not deviate." - -"My friend," the hacendero answered "you know that all our hopes rest -on you: act, therefore, as you think advisable." - -"Good," Valentine said; "this is the hour when the heat compels all -living creatures in the desert to seek shelter under the shade of the -trees, so we will halt; the spot where we now are is admirably suited -for a day's bivouac." - -"Be it so," the hacendero answered laconically. - -The horsemen dismounted, and removed their horses' bits, so that the -poor creatures might obtain a little nourishment by nibbling the scanty -and parched grass which grew on this ungrateful soil. The spot was -really admirably chosen: it was a large clearing traversed by one of -those many nameless streams which intersect the prairie in every -direction, and which, after a course of a few miles, go to swell the -rivers in which they are lost. A dense dome of foliage offered the -travellers an indispensable shelter against the burning beams of a -vertical sun. Although it was about midday, the air in the clearing, -refreshed by the exhalations of the stream, invited them to enjoy that -day sleep so well called the siesta. - -But the travellers had something more serious to attend to than sleep. -As soon as all the precautions were taken against any possible attack, -Valentine sat down at the foot of a tree, making his friends a sign to -join him. The three whites immediately acquiesced, while Curumilla, -according to his wont, went rifle in hand to the skirt of the clearing, -to watch over the safety of all. After a few moments' reflection, -Valentine took the word: - -"Caballeros," he said, "the moment has arrived for a frank explanation: -we are at present on the enemy's territory; the desert extends for more -than two thousand miles around us. We shall have to fight not only with -the white men or redskins we meet on our road, but also contend with -hunger, thirst, and wild beasts of every description. Do not try to give -my words any other meaning than that I myself attach to them. You have -known me a long time, Don Miguel, and the friendship I have vowed to -you." - -"I know it, and thank you," Don Miguel said, gratefully. - -"In short," Valentine continued, "no obstacle, of whatever nature it may -be, will be powerful enough to check me in the mission I have undertaken." - -"I am convinced of it, my friend." - -"Good, but I am an old wood ranger; desert life, with its privations and -perils, is perfectly familiar to me; the trail I am about to follow will -only be child's play to me and the brave Indian, my companion." - -"What are you coming to?" Don Miguel interrupted him anxiously. - -"To this," the hunter frankly answered. "You caballeros, accustomed to a -life of luxury and ease, will perchance not be able to endure the rude -existence to which you are about to be condemned: in the first moment of -grief you bravely rushed, without reflecting, in pursuit of the -ravishers of your daughter, and without calculating the consequences of -your deed." - -"That is true," Don Miguel murmured. - -"It is, therefore, my duty," Valentine went on, "to warn you: do not be -afraid to withdraw; but be frank with me as I am with you: Curumilla and -myself will suffice to carry out the task we have undertaken. The -Mexican frontier stretches out about ten miles behind you; return to it, -and leave to us the care of restoring your child to you, if you do not -feel capable of braving, without giving way, the innumerable dangers -that menace us. A sick man, by delaying our pursuit, would not only -render it impossible for us to succeed, but might expose us all to the -risk of being killed and scalped. Hence, reflect seriously, my friend, -and putting away any question of self-esteem, give me an answer that -allows me full liberty of action." - -During this species of sermon, whose justice he recognised in his heart, -Don Miguel had remained with his head bowed on his chest, and with -frowning eyebrows. When Valentine ceased, the hacendero drew himself up -and took the hunter's hand, which he pressed warmly, as he said-- - -"My friend, what you have said to me it was your duty to say: your -remarks do not at all offend me, because they were dictated by the -friendship you bear me. The observations you have made to me, I had -already made to myself; but, whatever may happen, my resolution is -immovable. I shall not turn back till I have found my daughter again." - -"I knew that such would be your reply, Don Miguel," the hunter said. "A -father cannot consent to abandon his daughter in the hands of bandits, -without attempting all means to deliver her; still, it was my duty to -make the remark I did. Hence we will not speak about it again, but -prepare on the spot to draw up our plans of action." - -"Oh, oh," the general said, with a laugh, "I am anxious to hear that." - -"You will excuse me, general," Valentine answered; "but the war we carry -on is completely different from that of civilised people; in the desert -craft alone can triumph." - -"Well, let us be crafty: I ask nothing better, especially as, with the -slight forces we have at our disposal, I do not see how we could act -otherwise." - -"That is true," the hunter continued, "There are only five of us; but, -believe me, five determined men are more dangerous than might be -supposed, and I soon hope to prove it to our enemies." - -"Well spoken, friend," Don Miguel said, gladly. "_Cuerpo de Dios_, those -accursed Gringos shall soon realise that fact." - -"We have," Valentine continued, "allies who will second us valiantly -when the moment arrives: the Comanche nation proudly calls itself the -'Queen of the Prairies,' and its warriors are terrible enemies. Unicorn -will not fail us, with his tribe; and we have also a friend in the -enemy's camp in the Chief of the Coras." - -"What are you saying?" the General gaily remarked. "Why, our success is -insured." - -Valentine shook his head. - -"No," he said; "Red Cedar has allies too: the Pirates of the Prairies -and the Apaches will join him, I feel convinced." - -"Perhaps so," Don Miguel observed. - -"Doubt is not admissible under the circumstances; the scalp hunter is -too well used to a desert life not to try and get all the chances of -success on his side." - -"But, if that happen, it will be a general war," the hacendero said. - -"Doubtless," Valentine continued; "that is what I wish to arrive at. Two -days' march from where we now are there is a Navajo village; I have done -some slight services to Yellow Wolf, the principal chief; we must -proceed to him before Red Cedar attempts to see him, and insure his -alliance at all risks. The Navajos are prudent and courageous warriors." - -"Do you not fear the consequences of this delay?" - -"Once for all, caballeros," Valentine answered, "remember that in the -country where we now are the straight line is ever the longest." - -The three men bowed resignedly. - -"Yellow Wolf's alliance is indispensable to us: with his support it will -be easy for us to--" - -The sudden appearance of Curumilla interrupted the hunter. -"What is the matter now?" he asked him. - -"Listen!" the chief answered laconically. - -The four men anxiously stopped talking. - -"By Heavens!" Valentine said, as he hurriedly arose, "What is the matter -here?" - -And, followed by his comrades, he stepped into the thicket. The -Mexicans, whose senses were dulled, had heard nothing at the first -moment; but the noise which had struck the hunter's practised ear now -reached them. It was the furious galloping of several horses, whose -hoofs re-echoed on the ground with a noise resembling that of thunder. -Suddenly, ferocious yells were heard, mingled with shots. - -The five travellers, hidden behind trees, peered out, and soon noticed a -man mounted on a horse lathered with foam, who was pursued by some -thirty mounted Indians. - -"To horse!" Valentine commanded in a low voice. "We cannot let this man -be assassinated." - -"Hem!" the general muttered, "We are playing a dangerous game, for they -are numerous." - -"Do you not see that the man is of our own colour?" Valentine went on. - -"That is true," said Don Miguel. "Whatever happens, we must not allow -him to be massacred in cold blood by those ferocious Indians." - -In the meanwhile, the pursuers and pursued had come nearer the spot -where the hunters were ambushed behind the trees. The man the Indians -were so obstinately following drew himself up haughtily in his saddle, -and, while galloping at full speed, turned from time to time to fire his -rifle into the thick of his enemies. At each discharge a warrior fell; -his comrades then uttered fearful yells, and answered by a shower of -arrows and bullets. But the stranger shook his head disdainfully, and -continued his career. - -"_Caspita!_" the general said with admiration; "That is a brave fellow." - -"On my soul," Don Pablo exclaimed, "it would be a pity to see him -killed." - -"We must save him," Don Miguel could not refrain from saying. - -Valentine smiled gently. - -"I will try it," he said. "To horse!" - -Each leaped into the saddle. - -"Now," Valentine continued, "remain invisible behind the shrubs. These -Indians are Apaches; when they come within range, you will all fire -without showing yourselves." - -Each set his rifle, and held in readiness. There was a moment of supreme -expectation, and the hunters' hearts beat violently. - -The Indians still approached, bowed over the necks of their panting -steeds, brandishing their weapons furiously, and uttering at intervals -their formidable war cry. They came up at headlong speed, preceded about -one hundred yards by the man they were pursuing, whom they must soon -catch up, for his wearied horse stumbled continually, and was sensibly -diminishing its speed. - -At length the stranger passed with lightning speed the thicket which -concealed those who were about to try a diversion in his favour, that -might ruin them. - -"Attention," Valentine commanded in a low voice. The rifles were lowered -on the Apaches. - -"Aim carefully," the Trail-hunter added. "Every bullet must, kill its -man." - -A minute elapsed--a minute an age in length. - -"Fire!" the hunter suddenly shouted; "Fire now." - -Five shots were discharged, and the same number of Apaches fell. - - - - -CHAPTER III. - -AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE OF THE READER. - - -On this unforeseen attack the Apaches uttered a yell of terror; but, -before they could pull up their horses, a second discharge made four -fresh victims in their ranks. A mad terror then seized on the Indians, -and they turned and fled in every direction; ten minutes later they had -disappeared. The hunters did not dream for a moment of pursuing them; -but Curumilla had dismounted, and crawling out to the scene of action, -conscientiously finished and scalped the Apaches who had fallen under -his comrades' bullets. At the same time he lassoed a riderless horse -which passed a few paces from him, and then rejoined his friends. - -"To what tribe do those dogs belong?" Valentine asked him. - -"The Buffalo," Curumilla made answer. - -"Oh, oh," the hunter went on; "we were in luck's way then. Stanapat, I -believe, is the chief of the Buffalo tribe." - -Curumilla nodded an assent; and after hobbling the horse he had lassoed -by the side of the others, quietly seated himself on the river bank. - -The stranger had been quite as much surprised as the Apaches by the -unforeseen help that had so providentially arrived at the moment when he -believed himself hopelessly lost. At the sound of the firing he checked -his horse, and, after a moment's hesitation, slowly turned back. - -Valentine watched all his movements. The stranger, on reaching the -thicket, dismounted, pulled back with a firm hand the brambles that -barred his way, and boldly proceeded to the clearing where the hunters -were ambushed. This man, whom the reader already knows, was no other -than the person Red Cedar called Don Melchior, and of whom he seemed so -terribly afraid. - -When he found himself in the presence of the Mexicans, Don Melchior took -off his hat and bowed courteously; the others politely returned his -salute. - -"_Viva Dios!_" he exclaimed. "I do not know who you are, caballeros; but -I thank you sincerely for your interference just now. I owe my life to -you." - -"In the Far West," Valentine answered nobly, "an invisible bond connects -all the individuals of one colour, who only form a single family." - -"Yes," the stranger said, with a thoughtful accent, "it should be so; -but unfortunately," he added, shaking his head in denial, "the worthy -principles you enunciate, caballero, are but very slightly put in -practice: but I ought not at this moment to complain of them being -neglected, as it is to your generous intervention that I owe my being -among the living." - -The listeners bowed, and the stranger went on: - -"Be kind enough to tell me who you are, gentlemen, that I may retain in -my heart names which will ever be dear to me." - -Valentine fixed on the man who thus spoke a piercing glance, that seemed -to be trying to read his most secret thoughts. The stranger smiled sadly. - -"Pardon," he then said, "any apparent bitterness in my words: I have -suffered much, and, in spite of myself, gloomy thoughts often rise from -my heart to my lips." - -"Man is sent on the earth to suffer," Valentine gravely replied. "Each -of us has his cross to bear here: Don Miguel de Zarate, his son and -General Ibanez are a proof of my assertion." - -At the name of Don Miguel, a vivid blush purpled the stranger's cheeks, -and his eye flashed, despite all his efforts to remain unmoved. - -"I have often heard of Don Miguel de Zarate," he said, with a bow. "I -have been informed of the dangers he has incurred--dangers from which he -only escaped by the aid of a man--an honest hunter." - -"That hunter is before you," Don Miguel said. "Alas! We have other and -greater dangers still to incur." - -The stranger looked at him attentively for an instant--then stepped -forward, and crossed his arms on his chest. - -"Listen!" he said, in a deep voice. "It was truly Heaven that inspired -you to come to my help--for from this moment I devote myself, body and -soul, to your service; and I belong to you as the haft does to the -blade. I know the reason that compelled you to break up all old habits -to visit the frightful solitudes of the Far West." - -"You know it?" the hunter exclaimed, in surprise. - -"Everything," the stranger firmly answered. "I know the treachery which -cast you into the power of your enemies. I know, too, that your daughter -has been carried off by Red Cedar." - -"Who are you, then, to be so well informed?" Valentine asked. - -A sad smile played for a second round the stranger's lips. - -"Who am I?" he said in a melancholy voice. "What matters, since I wish -to serve you?" - -"Still, as we answered your questions, we have a right to expect the -same from you." - -"That is just," the stranger said, "and you shall be satisfied. I am the -man with the hundred names: in Mexico I am called Don Luis Arroyal, -partner in the firm of Simpson, Carvalho, and Company--in the northern -provinces of Mexico, where I have long rendered myself popular by -foolish squandering, El Gambusino--on the coasts of the United States, -and in the Gulf of Mexico, where I sometimes command a cutter, and chase -the slavers, I am called the Unknown--among the North Americans, the Son -of Blood--but my real name, and the one men give me who know the little -about me I think proper to tell them--it is la Venganza (Vengeance). Are -you satisfied now, gentlemen?" - -No one replied. The hunters had all heard of this extraordinary man, -about whom the strangest rumours were rife in Mexico, the United States, -and even on the prairie. By the side of heroic deeds, and acts of -kindness deserving all praise, he was branded with crimes of unheard-of -cruelty and unexampled ferocity. He inspired a mysterious terror in the -whites and redskins, who equally feared to come in contact with him, -though no proof had ever yet been brought forward of the contradictory -stories told about him. - -Valentine and his comrades had frequently heard talk of Bloodson; but -this was the first time they had found themselves face to face with him; -and, in spite of themselves, they were surprised to see so noble and -handsome a man. Valentine was the first to regain his coolness. - -"For a long time," he said, "your name has been familiar to me. I was -anxious to know you. The opportunity offers, and I am pleased with it, -as I shall be at length able to judge you, which was hitherto -impossible, through the exaggerated stories told about you. You say that -you can be useful to us in the enterprise we are meditating, and we -accept your offer as frankly as you make it. On an expedition like this, -the help of a brave man must not be despised--the more so, as the man we -wish to force in his lair is dangerous." - -"More than you imagine," the stranger interrupted him in a gloomy voice. -"I have been struggling with Red Cedar for twenty years, and have not -yet managed to crush him. Ah! He is a rough adversary! I know it, for I -am his most implacable enemy, and have in vain tried all the means at my -command to take an exemplary vengeance on him." - -While uttering these words, the stranger's face had assumed a livid -tint; his features were contracted, and he seemed to be suffering from -an extraordinary emotion. Valentine looked at him for an instant with a -mingled feeling of pity and sympathy. The hunter, who had suffered so -much, knew, like all wounded souls, how to feel for the grief of men -who, like himself, bore their adversity worthily. - -"We will help you," he said, as he cordially offered him his hand, -"Instead of five, we shall be six, to fight him." - -The stranger's eye flashed forth a strange gleam. He squeezed the -offered hand, and answered in a dull voice, but with an expression -impossible to render: - -"We shall be fifty; for I have comrades in the desert." - -Valentine bent a joyous glance on his companions at this news, which -announced to him a valuable support, that he was far from anticipating. - -"But fifty men are not sufficient to contend against this demon, who is -associated with the Pirates of the Prairies, and allied with the most -dangerous Indians." - -"Do not trouble yourself about that," Valentine observed. "We will also -ally ourselves with Indian tribes. But I swear to you that I shall not -quit the prairie till I have seen the last drop of that villain's blood -run out." - -"May heaven hear you!" the stranger muttered. "If my horse were not so -tired, I would ask you to follow me; for we have not a moment to lose if -we wish to force the wild beast. Unfortunately, we are compelled to wait -some hours." - -Curumilla stepped forward. "Here is a horse for my pale brother," he -said, as he pointed to the animal he had lassoed a few minutes -previously. - -The stranger uttered a cry of joy. - -"To horse!" he loudly exclaimed, "To horse!" - -"Where are you taking us?" Valentine asked. - -"To join my comrades in the hiding place I have selected for them. Then -we will arrange the means we must employ to destroy our common enemy." - -"Good," Valentine remarked, "that is excellent reasoning. Are we far -from the place?" - -"No, twenty to twenty-five miles at the most; we shall be there by -sunset." - -"We will start then," Valentine added. - -The gentlemen leaped into their saddles, and started at a gallop in the -direction of the mountains. A few minutes later, the spot had returned -to its usual calmness and silence. Nothing was left to prove that man -had passed that way, save a few mutilated corpses over which the -vultures were already beginning to circle with hoarse croaking before -they settled upon them. - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - -RED CEDAR AT BAY. - - -The six men rode one after the other, following one of those -inextricable tracks made by the wild beasts, which cross the desert in -every direction. Bloodson served as guide to the little party, followed -immediately by Curumilla. The Indian chief, with the genius peculiar to -his race, advanced silently as usual, but casting right and left peering -glances, which nothing escaped, and which render the redskins peculiar -beings. - -All at once Curumilla dismounted, and bent over the ground, uttering an -exclamation of surprise. This was so extraordinary a fact, and so -contrary to the habits of the Ulmen of the Araucanos, that Valentine -hurried up to enquire what had happened. - -"What's the matter with you, chief?" he asked, as soon as he came up -with him. - -"My brother can look," Curumilla said simply. - -Valentine dismounted and stooped to the ground. The Indian showed him a -half-effaced footstep, which still bore, however, the shape of a -horseshoe. The hunter looked at it for some time with the utmost -attention, then began walking cautiously in the direction the hoof marks -seemed to go. Others soon presented themselves to him. His comrades had -stopped, and silently awaited his explanation. - -"Well!" Don Miguel at length said. - -"There is no doubt possible," Valentine answered, as if speaking to -himself, "Red Cedar has passed along here." - -"What," the general observed, "do you believe it?" - -"I am sure of it. The chief has just shown me the perfectly formed mark -of his horse's hoof." - -"Oh! Oh!" Don Miguel objected, "a horseshoe is a very slight sign; all -are alike." - -"Yes, as one tree resembles the other," Valentine answered quickly. -"Listen: the chief has observed that the squatter, I know not by what -accident, is mounted on a horse shod on all four feet, while the men -composing his band have theirs only shod on the front feet; in addition, -this horse in stepping throws back its feet, which causes the mark to be -indistinct." - -"In truth," Bloodson remarked, "the observation is correct, and only an -Indian could make it; but Red Cedar is at the head of a numerous party, -which cannot have passed along this way, or we should notice the trail." - -"That is true," the general said; "what do you conclude from that?" - -"A very simple thing; it is probable that Red Cedar has, for reasons -unknown to us, left his men encamped some miles from here, and has -ridden this way alone." - -"I have it," Bloodson said; "not far from the spot where we now are, -there is a nest of pirates, and Red Cedar has probably gone to ask their -assistance in case of need." - -"That's it," Valentine added; "the track is quite fresh, so our man -cannot be far from us." - -"We must pursue him," Don Pablo quickly said, who had, till this moment, -maintained a gloomy silence. - -"What do you say, gentlemen?" Valentine asked, turning to the rest. - -"Pursue him," they answered unanimously. - -Then, without further deliberation, they began following the trail, -under the guidance of Valentine and Curumilla. - -What the hunter stated had really happened. Red Cedar, when he entered -the desert, after installing his band in a strong position, remounted -his horse and set out, warning all his comrades that he should return -within four days at the most, and leaving them temporarily under the -orders of the monk. - -Red Cedar did not fancy himself so closely pursued by Valentine, and -hence had taken but slight precautions to conceal his track. - -As he proceeded alone, in spite of the trail found by Curumilla, he -would doubtless have escaped pursuit, had not a dog followed him from -camp without his knowledge. The track left by that animal served as a -guide to the pursuers at the moment when they had completely lost his -trail. Valentine and Curumilla had dismounted, and were advancing slowly -and examining the sand and soil over which they passed. - -"Take care," the Trail-hunter said to his comrades, who followed him -step by step; "do not come on so quickly; when picking up a trail you -must mind where you put your foot down, and not look on both sides. -Stay," he added, suddenly stooping and stopping Don Pablo; "here are -traces you were just about to efface. Let us have a look at this: they -are the marks of the horseshoe we have lost for some time. Red Cedar's -horse has a peculiar way of putting down its feet, which I guarantee to -recognise at the first glance. Hum, hum," he continued, "now I know -where to find him." - -"You are sure of it?" Don Miguel interrupted. - -"It is not difficult, as you shall see." - -"Forward, forward!" Don Pablo and the general shouted. - -"Caballeros," the hunter observed, "be good enough to remember that on -the prairies you must never raise your voice. The branches have eyes and -the leaves ears here. Now, to remount and cross the river." - -The six men, combined in a compact body, in order to afford a greater -resistance to the current, which was very powerful at this spot, forced -their horses into the Gila. The passage was executed without any -obstacle, and the horses soon landed on the other bank. - -"Now," Valentine said, "open your eyes, for the hunt begins here." - -Don Pablo and the general remained on the bank to guard the horses, and -the remainder of the party set out, forming a line of tirailleurs sixty -feet long. Valentine had recommended his companions to concentrate their -researches on a space of one hundred and fifty yards at most, in a -semicircle, so as to reach an almost impenetrable thicket, situated at -the foot of the hill by the riverside. - -Each man advanced cautiously, with his gun thrust forward, looking on -all sides at once, and not leaving a bush, a pebble, or a blade of grass -unexamined. Suddenly Curumilla imitated the cry of the jay, the signal -for assembling in the event of any important discovery. All rushed -toward the spot whence the signal came; in the midst of the lofty grass, -the ground was trampled and the lower branches broken. - -"Red Cedar's horse was tied up here," Valentine said. "Attention! We are -about to catch the bear in his den. You know with what sort of men we -have to deal; be prudent: if not, there will soon be broken bones and -punctured skins among us." - -Without adding a word further, the hunter again took the head of the -file. He carefully parted the bushes, and unhesitatingly entered the -thicket. At this moment the furious barking of a dog could be heard. - -"Hilloh!" a rough voice shouted: "What's the matter, Black? Did not the -redskins have a sufficient lesson last night, that they want to try it -again?" - -These words were followed by the grating sound of a rifle being cocked. -Valentine made his comrades a sign to stop, and boldly advanced. - -"They are not Indians," he said, in a loud and firm voice: "it is I, -Koutonepi, an old acquaintance, who wishes to have a chat with you." - -"I have nothing to say to you," Red Cedar, still invisible, answered. "I -know not why you have followed me to this place: we never were such good -friends, I fancy, that you should desire the pleasure of my company." - -"That's true," the hunter remarked: "you may be fully assured that we -were always very bad friends: but no matter; call off your dog." - -"If your intentions are good, and you are alone, you can advance, and -will be received as a friend." - -And he whistled to his dog, which rejoined him. - -"As regards my intentions, I can assure you that they are good," the -Trail-hunter replied, as he drew back the branches. - -He suddenly found himself in front of Red Cedar, who was standing, rifle -in hand, in the narrow entrance of a grotto. The two men were scarce -fifteen yards apart, examining each other suspiciously. This is, -however, the custom of the prairies, where all meetings are the same: -distrust always holds the first place. - -"Stop," the squatter shouted. "For what we have to say to each other, we -need not be ear to ear. What do we care if the birds and serpents hear -our conversation? Come, speak! What have you come here for? Empty your -wallet, and make haste about it; for I have no time to listen to your -stories." - -"Hum!" the other answered; "my stories are as good as yours, and perhaps -you would have done better by spending your time in listening to them, -rather than acting as you have done." - -"What do you mean?" Red Cedar said, as he struck the ground with the -butt of his rifle: "You know I am not fond of sermons. I am a free -hunter, and act as I think proper." - -"Come, come," the huntsman went on in a conciliatory tone, while quietly -drawing nearer; "do not take up that tone: all may be arranged. Hang it, -what is the question, if we come to that? Only about a woman you have -carried off!" - -The bandit listened to Valentine without attaching much importance to -his remarks. For some instants his attentive ear appeared to be catching -vague sounds; his eye sounded the depth of the woods; his nostrils -dilated; and all the instincts of the wild beast were revealed. A -presentiment told him that he was incurring some unknown danger. - -On his side, the hunter watched the slightest movements of his -adversary: not one of the changes on his face had escaped him, and -though apparently unmoved, he kept on his guard. - -"Traitor!" the squatter suddenly shouted, as he raised his rifle to his -shoulder; "You shall die!" - -"What a fellow you are!" Valentine retorted, as he dodged behind a tree. -"Not yet, if you please." - -"Surrender, Red Cedar!" Don Miguel shouted, as he appeared, followed by -the stranger and Curumilla: "Surrender!" - -"What do you say? I surrender! First try and force me to do so. I swear -that I will kill you first," the bandit answered with a terrible accent: -"I hold your life in my hands. Are you aware of that?" - -"Come," Valentine retorted, "don't be so rough! There are four of us, -and I suppose you do not intend to kill us all." - -"For the last time, will you retire?" the bandit said, with a furious -gesture. - -"Come, come," Bloodson shouted in a loud voice, "do not attempt any -useless resistance. Red Cedar, your hour has arrived." - -At the sound of this voice, the bandit's face was suddenly covered by a -livid pallor, and a convulsive tremor passed over his limbs. - -"Look out, he is going to fire!" Valentine shouted. - -Two shots were fired so closely together, that they sounded as one. The -squatter's gun, shattered in his hands, fell to the ground. Valentine, -who wished to capture the bandit alive, could only hit on this way of -turning his bullet, which, in fact, whistled harmlessly past his ear. - -"_Con mil demonios!_" the scalp hunter yelled, as he rushed madly into -the grotto, closely followed by his enemies, with the exception of -Curumilla. - -There they found him armed with his pistols, like a boar tracked to its -lair. The bandit struggled with all the frenzy of despair, not yet -giving up the hope of escape. His dog, standing by his side, with -bloodshot eyes and open jaws, only awaited a signal from its master to -rush on the assailants. The squatter suddenly fired four shots, but too -hurriedly to wound anybody. He then hurled the useless weapons at his -foemen's heads, and, bounding like a panther, disappeared at the end of -the grotto, shouting with a sinister grin:-- - -"I am not caught yet!" - -During all the incidents of this scene, the bandit had preserved his -coolness; calculating the chances of safety left him, so that he might -profit by them immediately. While occupying his enemies, he remembered -that the grotto had a second outlet. - -Suddenly he stopped, uttering a ghastly oath: he had forgotten that the -swollen Gila at the moment inundated this issue. The villain walked -several times round the grotto with the impotent rage of a wild beast -that has fallen into a trap. He heard, in the windings of the cavern, -the footsteps of his pursuers drawing closer. The sands were counted for -him. One minute later, and he was lost. - -"Malediction!" he said, "All fails me at once." - -He must escape at all risks, and try to reach his horse, which was -fastened up a short distance off on a small islet of sand, which the -water, continually rising, threatened soon to cover. The bandit took a -parting look round, bounded forward, and plunged into the abyss of -waters, which hoarsely closed over him. - -Valentine and his comrades almost immediately appeared, bearing torches; -but the bandit had wholly disappeared. All was silent in the grotto. - -"The villain has committed suicide," the hacendero said. - -The hunter shook his head. - -"I doubt it," he said. - -"Listen!" the stranger hurriedly interrupted. - -A shot echoed through the cave, and the three men rushed forward. This -is what had happened:-- - -Instead of following his comrades, the Indian chief, certain that the -bandit had not been such a fool as to enter a cave without an outlet, -preferred watching the banks of the river, in case Red Cedar tried to -escape in that way. The chiefs previsions were correct. Red Cedar, as we -have seen, attempted to fly by the second outlet of the grotto. After -swimming for some distance, the squatter landed on a small islet, and -almost immediately disappeared in a dense clump of trees. - -Not one of his movements had escaped Curumilla, who was hidden behind a -projecting rock. Red Cedar reappeared on horseback. The Indian chief -took a careful aim at him, and at the moment the animal put its hoof in -the water it fell back, dragging down its rider with it. Curumilla had -put a bullet through the horse's skull. Red Cedar rose with the rapidity -of lightning, and dashed into the water. The hunters looked at each -other for a moment in disappointment. - -"Bah!" Valentine said, philosophically. "That bandit is not to be feared -now; we have clipped his nails." - -"That is true," said Bloodson; "but they will grow again!" - - - - -CHAPTER V. - -THE GROTTO. - - -We will now resume our narrative at the point where we left it at the -end of our first chapter, and rejoin Red Cedar, who thanks to the -weapons found in the cache, had regained all his ferocity and was -already dreaming of revenge. - -The bandit's position, however, was still very perplexing, and would -have terrified any man whose mind was not so strong as his own. However -large the desert may be--however perfect a man's knowledge may be of the -prairie refuges--it is impossible for him, if alone, to escape for any -length of time the search of persons who have an interest in catching -him. - -This had just been proved to Red Cedar in a peremptory way: he did not -conceal from himself the numberless difficulties that surrounded him, -and could not dream of regaining his encampment. The enemies on his -track would not fail to catch him, and this time they would not allow -him to escape so easily. - -This position was intolerable, and it must be put an end to at all -risks. But Red Cedar was not the man to remain crushed by the blow that -had struck him: he drew himself together again, in order to prepare his -vengeance promptly. Like all evil natures, Red Cedar regarded as an -insult all attempts persons made to escape from his perfidity. At this -moment he had a rude account to settle with whites and redskins. Alone -as he was, he could not think of rejoining his comrades and attacking -the enemies, who would have crushed him under their heel like a venomous -serpent: he needed allies. - -His hesitation was but short, and his plan was formed in a few minutes. -He resolved to carry out the project for which he had left his comrades, -and proceeded toward an Apache village, situate a short distance off. - -Still, he did not intend to go there, for the present at least, for, -after a rapid walk of more than three hours, he suddenly turned to his -right, and retiring from the banks of the Gila, which he had hitherto -followed, he left the road to the village, and entered a mountainous -region, differing entirely in its character from the plains he had -hitherto traversed. - -The ground rose perceptibly, and was intersected by streams that ran -down to the Gila. Clumps of the ferns, drawing closer together, served -as the advanced guard of a gloomy virgin forest on the horizon. The -landscape gradually assumed a more savage and abrupt aspect, and spurs -of the imposing Sierra Madre displayed here and there their desolate -peaks. - -Red Cedar walked along with that light and springy step peculiar to men -accustomed to cover long distances on foot, looking neither to the right -nor left, and apparently following a direction he was perfectly -acquainted with. Smiling at his thoughts, he did not seem to notice that -the sun had almost entirely disappeared behind the imposing mass of the -virgin forest, and that night was falling with extreme rapidity. - -The howling of the wild beasts could be heard echoing in the depths of -the ravines, mingled with the miauwling of the carcajous and the barking -of the prairie wolves--bands of which were already prowling at a short -distance from the bandit. But he, apparently insensible to all these -hints about getting a resting place for the night, continued his advance -in the mountains, among which he had entered some time previously. - -On reaching a species of crossroad, if such a term can be employed in -speaking of a country where no roads exist, he stopped and looked all -around him. After a few moments' hesitation, he buried himself in a -narrow path running between two hills, and boldly climbed up a very -steep ascent. At length, after a fatiguing climb, that lasted nearly -three-quarters of an hour, he reached a spot where the path, suddenly -interrupted, only presented a gulf, in the bottom of which the murmurs -of invisible waters could be just heard. - -The precipice was about twenty yards in width, and over it lay an -enormous log, serving as a bridge. At the end of this was the entrance -of a natural grotto, in which the flames of a fire flashed up at -intervals. Red Cedar stopped--a smile of satisfaction curled his thin -lips at the sight of the flames reflected on the walls of the grotto. - -"They are there," he said, in a low voice, and as if speaking to -himself. - -He then put his fingers in his mouth, and imitated with rare skill the -soft and cadenced note of the _maukawis_. An instant after, a similar -cry was heard from the grotto; and Red Cedar clapped his hands thrice. - -The gigantic shadow of a man, reflected by the light of the fire, -appeared in the entrance of the grotto, and a rude and powerful voice -shouted in the purest Castilian-- - -"Who goes there?" - -"A friend," the bandit answered. - -"Your name, _caray_," the stranger continued; "there are no friends in -the desert at this hour of the night." - -"Oh, oh!" Red Cedar continued; bursting into a hoarse laugh, "I see that -Don Pedro Sandoval is as prudent as ever." - -"Man or demon, as you know me so well," the stranger said, in a somewhat -softer tone, "tell me what your name is, I say once again, or, by -heaven, I'll lodge a couple of slugs in your skull. So do not let me run -the risk of killing a friend." - -"Come, come, calm yourself, hidalgo; did you not recognise my voice, and -have you so short a memory that you have already forgotten Red Cedar." - -"Red Cedar!" the Spaniard repeated in surprise, "then you are not hung -yet, my worthy friend?" - -"Not yet; to my knowledge, gossip. I hope to prove it to you ere long." - -"Come across, in the devil's name; do not let us go on talking at this -distance." - -The stranger left the bridgehead, where he had stationed himself, -probably to dispute the passage in case of necessity, and drew off, -uncocking his rifle. Not waiting for a second invitation, Red Cedar -bounded on to the tree and crossed it in a few seconds; he -affectionately shook the Spaniard's hand, and then they entered the -grotto together. - -This grotto or cavern, whichever you please to call it, was wide and -lofty, divided into several compartments by large frames of reeds, -rising to a height of at least eight feet, and forming ten rooms or -cells, five on either side the grotto, beginning at about twenty paces -from the entrance--a space left free to act as kitchen and dining room. -The entrance to each cell was formed by a zarape, which descended to the -ground after the fashion of a curtain door. - -At the extremity of the passage that ran between the two rows of cells -was another compartment, serving as storehouses; and beyond this a -natural passage ran through the mountain, and terminated almost a league -off, in an almost inaccessible ravine. - -All proved that this grotto was not a bivouac chosen for a night or two, -but an abode adopted for many years past, in which all the comfort had -been collected which it is possible to procure in these regions remote -from any centre of population. - -Round the fire, over which an enormous quarter of elk meat was roasting, -nine men, armed to the teeth, were sitting and smoking in silence. On -Red Cedar's entrance, they rose and came up to shake his hand eagerly, -and with a species of respect. These men wore the garb of hunters or -wood rangers: their marked features, their ferocious and crafty faces, -on which the traces of the most disgraceful and ignoble passions were -marked in indelible characters, strongly lighted up by the fantastic -flashes of the fire, had something strange and gloomy about them, which -inspired terror and revulsion. - -It could be guessed at the first glance that these men, the unclean scum -of adventurers of all nations, lost in sin and compelled to fly to the -desert to escape the iron hand of justice, had declared an obstinate war -against those who had placed them beyond the pale of the common law of -nations, and were, in a word, what are called, by common consent, -pirates of the prairies. - -Pitiless men, a hundredfold more ruffianly than the most ferocious -redskins, who conceal a soul of mud and a tiger's heart under a human -appearance, and who, having adopted the savage life of the Far West, -have assumed all the vices of the white and red races, without retaining -one of their qualities. Villains, in a word, who only know murder and -robbery, and for a little gold are capable of the greatest crimes. Such -was the company Red Cedar had come so far to seek. - -We are bound to add, and the reader will easily believe it, that he was -not out of his place, and that his antecedents, on the contrary, gained -him a certain degree of consideration from these bandits, with whom he -had been long acquainted. - -"Caballeros," Sandoval said, bowing with exquisite politeness to the -brigands, his comrades, "our friend, Red Cedar, has returned among us; -let us greet him like a jolly companion whom we have missed too long, -and whom we are delighted to see again." - -"Senores," Red Cedar answered, as he took a seat by the fire, "I thank -you for your cordial reception, and hope soon to prove to you that I am -not ungrateful." - -"Well!" one of the bandits said, "Has our friend any good news to impart -to us? It would be welcome, deuce take me! For a whole month we have had -to scheme a living." - -"Are you really in that state?" the squatter asked, with interest. - -"Quite so," Sandoval confirmed him; "and Perico has only spoken the -exact truth." - -"Hang it all!" Red Cedar went on, "I have come at the right moment, -then." - -"Eh?" the bandits said, pricking up their ears. - -"And yet I fancy that, for some time past, caravans have been becoming -more numerous in the desert: there is no lack of white or red trappers, -who every now and then can be saved the trouble of carrying their beaver -skins. I have even heard speak of several parties of gambusinos." - -"The gambusinos are as badly off as ourselves," Sandoval replied; "and -as for trappers, they are the very men who injure us. Ah! My friend, the -desert is not worth a hang now; the white men are drawing too close -together, they are gradually invading the territory of the redskins, and -who knows whether, in ten years from this time, we shall not have towns -all round the spot where we now are?" - -"There is some truth in your remark," Red Cedar observed, as he shook -his head thoughtfully. - -"Yes," Perico said; "and, unfortunately, the remedy is difficult, if not -impossible to find." - -"Perhaps so," Red Cedar went on, tossing his head in a way which caused -the Pirates to wonder what he was driving at. "In the meanwhile," he -added, "as I have made a long journey, feel very tired, and have a -tremendous appetite, I will feed, with your permission, especially as it -is late, and the meal is admirably cooked." - -Without further ceremony, Red Cedar cut a large slice of elk, which he -placed before him, and began incontinently devouring. The pirates -followed his example, and for some time the conversation was naturally -suspended. A hunter's meal is never long; the present one was soon over, -owing to the impatience of the band, whose curiosity was aroused to the -highest degree by the few words dropped by the squatter. - -"Well," Sandoval began again, as he lit a cigarette, "now that supper is -over, suppose we have a chat. Are you agreeable, comrade?" - -"Willingly," Red Cedar replied, as he settled himself comfortably, and -filled his pipe. - -"You were saying then--" Sandoval remarked. - -"Pardon me," the squatter interrupted him; "I was saying nothing. You -were complaining, I believe, about the whites destroying your trade by -coming closer and closer to your abode." - -"Yes, that was what I was saying." - -"You added, if my memory serves me right, that the remedy was impossible -to find?" - -"To which you answered, perhaps." - -"I said so, and repeat it." - -"Explain yourself, then." - -"The affair I have come to propose to you is extremely simple: For some -years past the whites have been gradually invading the desert, which, in -a given time which is not remote, will end by disappearing before the -incessant efforts of civilisation." - -"It is true." - -"Well, if you like, within a month you shall be rich men." - -"We will, _caray_," the bandits exclaimed in a formidable voice. - -"I will tell you the affair in two words: I have discovered a placer of -incalculable wealth; twenty leagues from here, I have left one hundred -men devoted to my fortunes. Will you imitate them and follow me? I -promise each of you more gold than he ever saw in his life or ever -dreamed of possessing." - -"Hum!" said Sandoval; "It is tempting." - -"I thought of you, my old comrades," Red Cedar continued with -hypocritical simplicity, "and have come. Now, you know my plan; reflect -on what I have said to you; tomorrow, at sunrise, you will give me your -answer." - -And, without mingling further in the conversation, Red Cedar rolled -himself up in a zarape, and fell asleep, leaving the bandits to discuss -among themselves the chance of success his magnificent proposal offered. - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - -THE PROPOSITION. - - -Red Cedar, immediately that he entered the Far West, had, with the -experience of old wood rangers which he possessed in the highest degree, -chosen a suitable site for his band to encamp. He did not wish to enter -the desert without ensuring allies on whom he could count, in the event -of his being attacked. - -The Pawnee ambuscade, prepared with the skill characteristic of the -savages, which had been on the point of succeeding, and from which he -had only escaped by accident, was a warning to him of the snares that -would be laid for him, and the dangers that would menace him at every -step daring the long journey he was about to undertake across the -prairies. - -Red Cedar was one of those men who make it a principle to neglect -nothing that can insure the success of their plans; he, therefore, -resolved to protect himself from any attack as speedily as possible. His -first care was to choose a spot where he could encamp his band, so as to -be protected from all Indian marauders, and offer an advantageous -resistance, in the case of a serious attack. - -The Rio Gila forms a multitude of wooded islets, some of which rising -in a conical form, are very difficult of access owing to the escarpment -of their banks, and especially through the rapidity of the current. -It was on one of these islands that Red Cedar bivouacked his men. -Peru trees, mezquites, and cottonwood trees, which grew abundantly on -this island, mingled with creepers that twined round their stems in -inextricable confusion, formed an impenetrable thicket, behind which -they could boldly sustain a siege, while offering the immense advantage -of forming a wall of verdure, through whose openings it was easy to -watch both banks of the river, and any suspicious movements on the -prairie. - -So soon as the gambusinos had landed on the island, they glided like -serpents into the interior, dragging their horses after them, and being -careful to do nothing that might reveal their encampment to the -sharp-sighted Indians. So soon as the camp was established, and Red -Cedar believed that, temporarily at least, his band was in safety, he -assembled the principal leaders, in order to communicate his intentions -to them. - -They were, first, Fray Ambrosio, then Andres Garote, Harry and Dick, the -two Canadian hunters, and, lastly, the squatter's two sons, Nathan and -Sutter, and the Chief of the Coras. Several trees had been felled to -form a suitable site for the fires and the tents of the women, and Red -Cedar, mounted on his steed, was soon in the centre of the chiefs -collected around him. - -"Senores," he said to them, "we have at length entered the Far West: our -expedition now really commences, and I count on your courage, and, above -all, your experience, to carry it out successfully; but prudence demands -that on the prairies, where we run the risk of being attacked by enemies -of every description at any moment, we should secure allies who, in case -of need, could protect us efficiently. The ambuscade we escaped, scarce -eight and forty hours ago, renders it a duty to redouble our vigilance, -and, above all, hasten to enter into communication with the friends we -possess in the desert." - -"Yes," said the monk; "but I do not know these friends." - -"But I know them, and that is enough," Red Cedar replied. - -"Very good," Fray Ambrosio went on; "but where are they to be found?" - -"I know where to find them. You are here in an excellent position, where -you can hold your own for a long time, without any fear of it being -carried. This is what I have resolved on." - -"Come, gossip, explain yourself; I am anxious to know your plans," said -the monk. - -"You shall be satisfied: I am going to start at once in search of my -friends, whom I am certain of finding within a few hours: you will not -stir from here till my return." - -"Hum! And will you be long absent?" - -"Two days, then, at the most." - -"That is a long time," Garote remarked. - -"During that period you will conceal your presence as far as possible. -Let no one suspect you are encamped here. I will bring you the ten best -rifles in the Far West, and with their protection, and that of Stanapat, -the great Apache Chief of the Buffalo tribe, whom I expect to see also, -we can traverse the desert in perfect safety." - -"But who will command the band in your absence?" Fray Ambrosio asked. - -"You, and these caballeros. But remember this: you will under no pretext -leave the island." - -"'Tis enough, Red Cedar, you can start; we shall not stir till you -return." - -After a few more words of slight importance, Red Cedar left the -clearing, swam his horse over the river, and on reaching firm ground, -buried himself in the tall grass, where he soon disappeared. - -It was about six in the evening, when the squatter left his comrades, to -go in search of the men whom he hoped to make his allies. The gambusinos -had paid but slight attention to the departure of their chief, the cause -of which they were ignorant of, and which they supposed would not last -long. The night had completely fallen. The gambusinos, wearied by a long -journey, were sleeping, wrapped in their zarapes, round the fire, while -two sentries alone watched over the common safety. They were Dick and -Harry, the two Canadian hunters, whom chance had so untowardly brought -among these bandits. - -Three men leaning against the trunk of an enormous ungquito were -conversing in a low voice. They were Andres Garote, Fray Ambrosio, and -Eagle-wing. A few paces from them was the leafy cabin, beneath whose -precarious shelter reposed the squatter's wife, her daughter Ellen, and -Dona Clara. - -The three men, absorbed in the conversation, did not notice a white -shadow emerge from the cabin, glide silently along, and lean against the -very tree, at the foot of which they were. - -Eagle-wing, with that penetration which distinguishes the Indians, had -read the hatred which existed between Fray Ambrosio and Red Cedar; but -the Coras had kept this discovery in his heart, intending to take -advantage of it when the opportunity presented itself. - -"Chief," the monk said, "do you suspect who the allies are Red Cedar has -gone to seek?" - -"No," the other replied, "how should I know?" - -"Still it must interest you, for you are not so great a friend of the -Gringo as you would like to appear." - -"The Indians have a very dense mind; let my father explain himself so -that I may understand him, and be able to answer him." - -"Listen," the monk continued, in a dry voice and with a sharp accent, "I -know who you are: your disguise, clever and exact though it be, was not -sufficient to deceive me: at the first glance I recognised you. Do you -believe that if I had said to Red Cedar, this man is a spy or a traitor; -he has crept among us to make us tall into a trap prepared long -beforehand: in a word, this man is no other than Moukapec, the -principal Cacique of the Coras? Do you believe, I say, that Red Cedar -would have hesitated to blow out your brains, eh, chief? Answer." - -During these words whose significance was terrible to him, the Coras had -remained unmoved; not a muscle of his face had quivered. When the monk -ceased speaking, he smiled disdainfully, and contented himself with -replying in a haughty voice, while looking at him fixedly: - -"Why did not my father tell this to the scalp hunter? He was wrong." - -The monk was discountenanced by this reply, which he was far from -expecting; he understood that he had before him one of those energetic -natures over which threats have no power. Still he had advanced too far -to draw back: he resolved to go on to the end, whatever might happen. - -"Perhaps," he said, with an evil smile, "at any rate, I have it in my -power to warn our chief in his return." - -"My father will act as he thinks proper," the chief replied drily, -"Moukapec is a renowned warrior, the barking of the coyotes never -terrified him." - -"Come, come, Indian, you are wrong," Garote interposed, "you are -mistaken as to the Padre's intentions with respect to you; I am -perfectly convinced that he does not wish to injure you in any way." - -"Moukapec is not an old woman who can be cheated with words," the Coras -said; "he cares little for the present intentions of the man, who, -during the burning of his village, and the massacre of his brothers, -excited his enemies to murder and arson. The chief follows his vengeance -alone, he will know how to attain it without allying himself to one of -his foes to get it. I have spoken." - -After uttering these words, the Indian chief rose, dressed himself in -his buffalo robe, and withdrew, leaving the two Mexicans disconcerted by -this resistance which they were far from anticipating. Both looked after -him for a while with admiration mingled with anger. - -"Hum!" the monk at length muttered; "Dog of a savage, Indian, brute, -beast, he shall pay me for it." - -"Take care, senor Padre," the Gambusino said, "we are not in luck at -this moment. Let us leave this man with whom we can effect nothing, and -seek something else. Every man reaches his point who knows how to wait, -and the moment will arrive to avenge ourselves on him; till then, let us -dissimulate--that is the best thing, I believe, for us to do." - -"Did you notice that, on leaving us, Red Cedar did not say a syllable -about his prisoner?" - -"For what good? He knows she is in perfect safety here, any flight from -this island is impossible." - -"That is true; but why did he carry off this woman?" - -"Who knows? Red Cedar is one of those men whose thoughts it is always -dangerous to sound. Up to the present, we cannot read his conduct -clearly enough; let him return, perhaps then the object he has in view -will be unfolded to us." - -"That woman annoys me here," the monk said in a hollow voice. - -"What's to be done? Down there at Santa Fe I did not hesitate to serve -you in trying to get rid of her; but now it is too late--it would be -madness to dream of it. What matter to us, after all, whether she be -with us, or not? Believe me, make up your mind to it, and speak no more -about it. Bah! She will not prevent us reaching the placer." - -The monk shook his head with a dissatisfied air, but made no reply. The -Gambusino wrapped himself in his zarape, lay down on the ground, and -fell asleep. Fray Ambrosio, for his part, remained plunged in gloomy -thoughts. What was he thinking of? Some treachery, doubtless. - -When the woman who had been leaning against the tree, perceived that the -conversation was at an end, she glided softly away, and re-entered the -cabin. - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - -ELLEN AND DONA CLARA. - - -Since she had fallen again into the power of Red Cedar, Dona Clara, a -prey to a gloomy sorrow, had yielded unresistingly to her abductors, -despairing ever to escape from them; especially since she had seen the -men in whose power she was, definitely take the road to the desert. - -For a maiden, accustomed to all the refinements of luxury, and all those -little attentions which a father's love continually lavished on her, the -new existence commencing was an uninterrupted succession of tortures, -among half savage ruffians, whose brutal ways and coarse language -constantly made her fear insults she would have been too weak to -repulse. - -Still, up to this moment, Red Cedar's conduct had been--we will not say -respectful, for the squatter was ignorant of such refinements--but, at -any rate, proper, that is to say, he had affected to pay no attention to -her while ordering his men not to trouble her in any way. - -Dona Clara had been entrusted by the scalp hunter to his wife Betsy and -his daughter Ellen. - -The Megera, after giving the maiden an ugly look, had turned her back on -her, and did not once address her--conduct which was most agreeable to -the young Mexican. As for Ellen, she had constituted herself, on her -private authority, the friend of the prisoner, to whom she rendered all -those small services her position allowed her, with a delicacy and tact -little to be expected from a girl educated in the desert by a father -like hers. - -At the outset, Dona Clara, absorbed in her grief, had paid no attention -to Ellen's kindness, but gradually, in spite of herself, the young -American's unchanging gentleness, and her patience, which nothing -rebuffed, affected her; she had felt the services which the other -occasionally rendered her, and had gradually learned to feel for the -squatter's daughter a degree of gratitude which presently ripened into -friendship. - -Youth is naturally confiding; when a great grief oppresses it, the need -of entrusting that grief to a person who seems to sympathise with it, -renders it expansive. Alone among the bandits, to whom chance had handed -her over, Dona Clara must inevitably--so soon as the first paroxysm of -suffering had passed--seek for someone to console her, and help her in -enduring the immense misfortune that crushed her. - -And this had occurred much more rapidly than under ordinary -circumstances, thanks to the sympathising kindness of the young -American, who had in a few hours found the way to her heart. - -Red Cedar, whom nothing escaped, smiled cunningly at the friendship of -the two maidens, which, however, he feigned not to perceive. It was a -strange thing, but this scalp hunter, this man that seemed to have -nothing human about him, who perspired crime at every pore, whose -ferocity was unbounded, had in his heart one feeling which attached him -victoriously to the human family, a profound, illimitable love for -Ellen--the love of the tiger for its cubs. - -This frail girl was the sole creature for whom his heart beat more -violently. How great, how powerful was the love Red Cedar experienced -for this simple child! It was a worship, an adoration. A word from her -little mouth caused the ferocious bandit to feel indescribable delight; -a smile from her rosy lips overwhelmed him with happiness. By her -charming caresses, her gentle and insinuating words, Ellen had power to -govern despotically that gathering of birds of prey which was her -family. The chaste kiss his daughter gave him every morning, was the -sunbeam that for the whole day warmed the heart of the terrible bandit, -before whom everybody trembled, and who himself trembled at a slight -frown from her, who combined all the joy and happiness of his life. - -It was with extreme satisfaction that he saw his daughter become his -innocent accomplice by acquiring the confidence of his prisoner, and -gaining her friendship. This gentle girl was in his sight the securest -gaoler he could give Dona Clara. Hence, in order, to facilitate, as far -as possible, all that could enhance the friendship, he had completely -closed his eyes, and feigned to be ignorant of the approximation between -the two girls. - -It was Ellen who had listened to the conversation between the monk and -the Gambusino. At the moment she was re-entering the hut, the stifled -sound of voices induced her to listen. Dona Clara was speaking in a low -voice to a man, and that man was the Sachem of the Coras. Ellen, -surprised in the highest degree, listened anxiously to their -conversation, which soon greatly interested her. - -After leaving the two Mexicans, Eagle-wing had, for some minutes, walked -about the camp with an affected carelessness, intended to remove the -suspicions of any who might have been tempted to watch his movements. - -When he fancied he had dispelled any suspicions, the Indian chief -insensibly drew nearer to the cabin, which served as a refuge to the -maidens, and entered it, after assuring himself by a glance, that no one -was watching. - -Dona Clara was alone, at this moment. We have told the reader where -Ellen was; as for the squatter's wife, faithful to her husband's -instructions not to annoy the prisoner in any way, she was quietly -asleep by the fire, in the clearing. - -The maiden, with her head bowed on her bosom, was plunged in deep and -sad thought. At the sound of the Indian's steps, she raised her head, -and could not restrain a start of terror on seeing him. - -Eagle-wing immediately perceived the impression he produced on her, he -stopped on the threshold of the cabin, folded his arms on his chest, and -bowed respectfully. - -"My sister need not be alarmed," he said in a gentle and insinuating -voice, "it is a friend who is speaking to her." - -"A friend!" Dona Clara murmured, as she took a side glance at him; "the -unfortunate have no friends." - -The Indian drew a few steps nearer to her, and went on, as he bent over -her: - -"The jaguar has been forced to put on the skin of the crafty serpent, in -order to introduce himself among his enemies, and gain their confidence. -Does not my sister recognise me?" - -The Mexican girl reflected for a moment, and then answered with -hesitation, and looking at him attentively: - -"Although the sound of your voice is not unfamiliar to me, I seek in -vain to remember where, and under what circumstances I have already seen -you." - -"I will help my sister to remember," Eagle-wing continued. "Two days -ago, at the passage of the ford, I tried to save her, and was on the -point of succeeding, but before that my sister had seen me several -times." - -"If you will mention a date and a circumstance, I may possibly succeed -in remembering." - -"My sister need not seek, it will be useless; I prefer telling her my -name at once, for moments are precious. I am Moukapec, the great Chief -of the Coras, of the Del Norte. My sister's father and my sister herself -often helped the poor Indians of my tribe." - -"That is true," the maiden said, sadly. "Oh! I remember now. Poor -people! They were pitilessly massacred, and their village fired by the -Apaches. Oh! I know that horrible story." - -A sardonic smile played round the chief's lips at these words. - -"Coyote does not eat coyote," he said, in a hollow voice; "the jaguars -do not wage war on jaguars. They were not Indians who assassinated the -Coras, but scalp hunters." - -"Oh!" she said, in horror. - -"Let my sister listen," the Coras continued quickly; "now that I have -told her my name, she must place confidence in me." - -"Yes," she answered, eagerly, "for I know the nobility of your -character." - -"Thanks! I am here for my sister's sake alone. I have sworn to save her, -and restore her to her father." - -"Alas!" she murmured sadly, "that is impossible. You are alone, and we -are surrounded by enemies. The bandits who guard us are a hundredfold -more cruel than the ferocious beasts of the desert." - -"I do not know yet in what way I shall set about saving my sister," the -chief said, firmly; "but I shall succeed if she is willing." - -"Oh!" she exclaimed with febrile energy, "If I am willing! Whatever -requires to be done, I will do without hesitation. My courage will not -fail me, be assured of that, chief." - -"Good!" the Indian said with joy; "My sister is truly a daughter of the -Mexican kings. I count on her when the moment arrives. Red Cedar is -absent for a few days; I will go and prepare everything for my sister's -flight." - -"Go, chief; at the first sign from you I shall be ready to follow you." - -"Good! I retire; my sister can take courage, she will soon be free." - -The Indian bowed to the maiden, and prepared to leave the hut. Suddenly, -a hand was laid on his shoulder. At this unexpected touch, in spite of -his self-command, the chief could not repress a start of terror. He -turned, and Red Cedar's daughter stood before him, with a smile on her -lips. "I have heard all," she said in her pure and melodious voice. - -The chief bent a long and sad look on Dona Clara. - -"Why this emotion," Ellen continued, "which I read on your features? I -do not mean to betray you, for I am a friend of Dona Clara. Reassure -yourself; if accident has made me mistress of your secret, I will not -abuse it--on the contrary, I will help your flight." - -"Can it be so? You would do that?" Dona Clara exclaimed, as she threw -her arms round her neck, and buried her face in her bosom. - -"Why not?" she simply answered; "You are my friend." - -"Oh! Oh! I love you, for you are good. You had pity on my grief, and -wept with me." Eagle-wing fixed on the maiden a glance of undefinable -meaning. - -"Listen," Ellen said; "I will supply you with the means you lack. We'll -leave the camp this very night." - -"We?" Dona Clara asked; "What do you mean?" - -"I mean," Ellen continued, quickly, "that I shall go with you." - -"Can it be possible?" - -"Yes," she said, in a melancholy voice; "I cannot remain here longer." - -On hearing these words, the Coras Chief quivered with joy; a sinister -ray flashed from his dark eyes; but he immediately resumed his stoical -appearance, and the maidens did not notice his emotion. - -"But what shall we do to procure means of flight?" - -"That is my affair, so do not trouble yourself about it. This very -night, I repeat, we shall start." - -"May Heaven grant it!" Dona Clara sighed. - -Ellen turned to the chief and said: - -"Does my brother know, at a short distance from the spot where we now -are, any Indian pueblo where we can seek shelter?" - -"Two suns from here, in a northwestern direction, there is a pueblo, -inhabited by a tribe of my nation. It was thither I intended to lead my -white father's daughter after her escape." - -"And we shall be in safety with that tribe?" - -"The daughter of Acumapicthzin will be as safe as in her father's -hacienda," the Indian answered, evasively. - -"Good! Can my father leave the camp?" - -"Who is strong enough to arrest the flight of the condor? Moukapec is a -warrior, nothing stops him." - -"My brother will set out." - -"Good!" - -"He will proceed by the shortest road to the pueblo of his nation, then -he will return to meet us with the warriors he has collected, in order -that we may defend ourselves, in the event of being followed by the -Gambusinos." - -"Very good," the Indian answered joyfully. "My sister is young, but -wisdom dwells in her heart; I will do what she desires--when may I -start?" - -"At once." - -"I go. What hour will my sister quit the camp?" - -"At the hour when the owl sings its first hymn to the rising sun." - -"My sister will meet me at the most four hours after her departure. She -must remember in her flight always to go in a northwestern direction." - -"I will do so." - -Eagle-wing bowed to the maidens and left the cabin. - -The gambusinos were in a deep sleep round the fire; only Dick and Harry -were awake. The Coras glided like a phantom through the trees, and -reached the edge of the water unnoticed, which was the more easy to -effect, because the Canadians were not watching the island, from which -they had no danger to apprehend, but had their eyes fixed on the -prairie. The chief took off his clothes and made them into a parcel, -which he fastened on his breast; he slipped into the water, and swam -silently in the direction of the mainland. - -So soon as the Indian left the cabin Ellen bent over Dona Clara, gave -her a loving kiss on the forehead, and said softly--"Try to sleep for a -few hours, while I prepare everything for our flight." - -"Sleep!" the Mexican answered, "How can I with the restlessness that -devours me." - -"You must!" Ellen insisted, "For we shall have great fatigue to endure -tomorrow." - -"Well," Dona Clara said, softly, "I will try, as you wish it." - -The maidens exchanged a kiss and a shake of the hand, and Ellen left the -hut in her turn, smiling to her friend, who followed her with an anxious -glance. When left alone, Dona Clara fell on her knees, clasped her -hands, and addressed a fervent prayer to God. Then, slightly -tranquilised by her appeal to Him, who is omnipotent, she fell back on -the pile of dry leaves that served as her bed, and, as she had promised -Ellen, attempted to sleep. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - -THE FLIGHT. - - -The night covered the tranquil desert with its dark blue sky, studded -with dazzling stars. A majestic silence brooded over the prairie; all -were asleep in the island save the two Canadian sentries, who, leaning -on their rifles, followed with absent eye the tall shadows of the wild -beasts that slowly came down to drink in the river. - -At times a mysterious quiver ran over the trees, and shook their tufted -crests, whose leaves rustled with a strange sound. - -Dick and Harry, the two worthy hunters, interchanged a few words in a -low voice to while away the tedium of their long sentry go, to which -they were condemned, when suddenly a white shadow glided through the -trees, and Ellen stood by their side. - -The young men started on seeing her; but the maiden greeted them with a -smile, sat down on the grass, and with a graceful gesture made them a -sign to seat themselves by her side. They hastened to obey her. - -The hunters looked at the maiden, who smiled on them with that infantile -grace which no expression can render. - -"You were talking when I came up." - -"Yes," Harry answered, "we were talking of you." - -"Of me?" she said. - -"Was it not for your sake alone that we joined this troop of bandits?" -Dick said, in an ill-humoured tone. - -"Do you regret being here?" she asked, with a soft smile. - -"I did not say that," the young man continued; "but we are not in our -place among these villains. We are free and loyal hunters, honourable -wood rangers; the life we lead oppresses us." - -"Were you not talking of that when my presence interrupted you?" - -They remained silent. - -"Answer boldly!" she went on. - -"Good heavens! You know that such a life is as oppressive to me as it -is to you." - -"What do I know?" Harry said. "Many times I have proposed to you to fly, -and leave these men whose hands are constantly polluted with blood, but -you have ever refused." - -"That is true," she said sadly; "alas! Although these men are criminal, -one of them is my father." - -"For two years that we have been following you everywhere, you have -given us the same answer." - -"It was because I hoped that my father and brother would abandon this -career of crime." - -"And now?" - -"I have no hope left." - -"In that case?" Harry exclaimed sharply. - -"I am ready to follow you," she answered, sharply. - -"Is that the truth? Is it your heart that is speaking, Ellen? Do you -really consent to abandon your family and trust to our honour?" - -"Listen," she answered, sorrowfully; "for two years I have thought -deeply, and the more I reflect the more does it appear to me that Red -Cedar is not my father." - -"Can it be possible?" the hunter exclaimed, in amazement. - -"I can say nothing certain; but when I go back I fancy (though this is -vague and surrounded by shadows in my mind) I can remember another -existence, very different from the one I am leading at present." - -"You can remember nothing positive?" - -"Nothing: I see pass, as in a vision, a lovely pale lady, a man with a -proud glance, and of tall stature, who takes me in his arms, and covers -me with kisses, and then--" - -"Well, and then?" the hunters exclaimed, in a panting voice. - -"And then I see flames, blood, and nothing more, but a man carrying me -off through the night on an impetuous steed." - -The maiden, after uttering these words in a broken voice, hid her head -in her hands. There was a lengthened silence, during which the Canadians -attentively observed her: at length they drew themselves up, and Harry -laid his hand on her shoulder: she raised her head. - -"What would you of me?" she said. - -"Ask you a question." - -"Speak!" - -"Since you have grown up have you never tried to clear up your doubts by -questioning Red Cedar?" - -"Yes," she answered, "once." - -"Well?" - -"He listened to me attentively, let me say all I had to say, and then -gave me a glance of undefinable meaning, shrugged his shoulders, and -answered, 'You are silly, Ellen; you must have had a bad dream. That -story is absurd.' Then he added, in an ironical voice, 'I feel sorry for -you, poor creature, but you are really my daughter.'" - -"Well," Dick said, in a tone of conviction, as he struck the butt of his -rifle fiercely on the ground, "I tell you that he lied, and that man is -not your father." - -"Doves do not lay their eggs in the nests of vultures," Harry added. -"No, Ellen, no, you are not that man's daughter." - -The maiden rose, seized each of the hunters by the arm, and, after -looking at them for a moment, said: - -"Well, and I believe so too. I know not why, but for some days past a -secret voice has cried in my heart and told me that this man cannot be -my father; that is why I, who, up to this day, have always refused your -offers, have come to trust myself to your honour, and ask you if you will -protect my flight." - -"Ellen," Harry answered in a grave voice, and with an accent full of -respect, "I swear to you before that God who hears us, that my companion -and myself will risk death to protect or defend. You shall always be a -sister to us, and in that desert we are about to traverse in order to -reach civilised countries, you shall be as safe and treated with as much -respect as if you were in Quebec Cathedral, at the foot of the high -altar." - -"I swear that I will do all Harry has just said; and that you can, in -all confidence, place yourself under the safeguard of our honour," Dick -added, raising his right hand to Heaven. - -"Thanks, my friends," the maiden answered. "I know your honour. I accept -without reservation, persuaded as I am that you will fulfil your -promise." - -The two men bowed. - -"When shall we start?" Harry asked. - -"It will be better to take advantage of Red Cedar's absence to fly," -said Dick. - -"That thought is mine, too," Ellen remarked, but added, with some -hesitation, "I should not like to fly alone." - -"Explain yourself," Dick said. - -"It is needless," Harry quickly interrupted him. "I know what you -desire. Your thought is an excellent one, Ellen, and we gladly assent to -it. The young Mexican lady can accompany you. If it be possible for us -to restore her to her family, who must feel in despair about her, we -will do it." - -Ellen gave the young man a look, and slightly blushed. - -"You are a noble-hearted fellow, Harry," she replied. "I thank you for -having guessed what I did not know how to ask of you." - -"Is there anything else you want of us?" - -"No." - -"Good! Then bring your companion here as speedily as possible, and, when -you return, we shall be ready. The gambusinos are asleep. Red Cedar is -absent. We have nought to fear, but you had better make haste, so that -before sunrise we may be far enough from here not to fear those who will -doubtless pursue us when they observe your flight." - -"I only ask you for a few minutes," the maiden said, and soon -disappeared in the shrubs. - -In vain had Dona Clara sought sleep, in obedience to her friend's -recommendations. Her mind, agitated by hopes and fears, had not allowed -her to enjoy a moment's rest. With eye and ear on the watch, she -listened to the voices of the night, and strove to distinguish, in the -gloom, the shadows that at times glided through the trees. - -Ellen found her awake, and ready to start. The maidens' preparations for -flight were not lengthy, for they only took with them a few -indispensable articles. - -In rummaging an old box, which Red Cedar and his family employed to keep -their clothes in, Ellen discovered a small coffer, about the size of her -hand, of carved rosewood, inlaid with silver, which the squatter hardly -ever left out of his possession, but which he had not thought it -necessary to take with him on the present expedition. - -The maiden examined this coffer for a moment, but it was closed. By an -intuitive movement, for which she could not account, but which -completely mastered her, she seized it, and put it in her bosom. - -"Let us go," she said to Dona Clara. - -"I am ready," the young Mexican replied, laconically, though her heart -bounded. - -The maidens left the hut, holding each other's hand. They crossed the -clearing, and proceeded in the direction of the Canadians. The -gambusinos lying ground the fire did not stir. They were all fast -asleep. - -For their part, the two hunters had made their preparations for flight. -While Dick fetched out to the riverside the four sturdiest horses he -could find, Harry collected the saddles and bridles of the other horses, -and threw them into the river, where they immediately disappeared in the -current. The Canadian had reflected that the time the gambusinos would -occupy in making up their loss would be so much gained to them. - -The maidens reached the riverbank at the moment when Dick and Harry were -finishing saddling the horses. They mounted at once, the Canadians -placed themselves at their side, and the fugitives forced their horses -into the river. Fortunately, the water was low; and hence, although the -current was rather powerful in the centre, the horses managed to cross -the Gila without obstacle. - -It was about eleven in the evening when the fugitives landed. So soon -as they were concealed in the tall grass, so as not to be seen from the -island, they drew bridle to let their horses breathe after the rude -passage they had just made. - -"Let us profit by the hours we have before us to travel the whole -night," Harry said, in a low voice. - -"Our absence will not be observed till sunrise," Dick observed. "The -time spent in seeking us on the island, and in providing some substitute -for the bridles, will give us twelve or fourteen hours which we must -profit by to get away as far as possible." - -"I ask nothing better," Harry said; "but, before starting, we must -choose our road." - -"Oh!" Ellen said, "the direction we must follow is easily settled: we -must only go straight to the northwest." - -"Be it so," the hunter went on; "one direction is as good as another. -Our principal object is to get off as soon as possible: but why -northwest rather than any other quarter of the wind?" - -Ellen smiled. - -"Because," she said, "a friend you know--the Indian chief who formed -part of the band--left the camp before us, in order to warn his -warriors, and bring us help in the event of an attack." - -"Well thought of," the hunter said. "Let us be off, and not spare our -horses, for on their speed our safety depends." - -Each bowed over the neck of the horses. The little party started with -the speed of an arrow in a northwestern direction, as had been agreed -on. The four riders soon disappeared in the darkness; the footsteps of -their horses ceased to re-echo on the hardened ground, and all fell back -into silence. - -The gambusinos were peacefully sleeping on the island. - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - -THE TEOCALI. - - -We will now return to Valentine and his companions. - -The six horsemen were still galloping in the direction of the mountains; -and, about midnight, they stopped at the base of an enormous granite -mass, which rose solitary and glowing in the prairie. - -"This is the spot," said Bloodson, as he dismounted. His companions -followed his example, and Valentine took a scrutinising glance around. - -"If what I suppose be true," he said, "your dwelling might be an eagle -nest." - -"Or a vulture's," the stranger hoarsely answered. "Wait a few seconds." - -He then imitated the cry of the tiger-serpent. Suddenly, as if by -enchantment, the mass of granite was illumined from top to bottom, and -torches, shaken by vague and indistinct forms, ran rapidly along the -slopes, bounding with extreme velocity until they arrived close to the -astonished travellers, who found themselves all at once surrounded by -some fifty men in strange garbs and with sinister faces, rendered even -more sinister by the reflection of the torches which the wind drove in -every direction. - -"These are my men," the stranger said, laconically. - -"Hum!" Valentine remarked, "You have a formidable army." - -"Yes," Bloodson went on; "for all these men are devoted to me. On many -occasions, I have put their attachment to rude trials. They will let -themselves be killed at a signal from me." - -"Oh, ho!" the hunter went on, "The man who can speak thus is very -strong, especially if he wish to gain an honourable end." - -The stranger made no answer, but turned his head away. - -"Where is Shaw?" he asked. - -"Here I am, master," the man he had asked after said as he showed -himself. - -"What!" Valentine exclaimed, "Red Cedar's son!" - -"Yes: did I not save his life which his brother sought to take? By that -title he belongs to me. Now," he added "come, my guests, do not remain -any longer outside. I will show you my domain. Shaw, do you take the -horses." - -The travellers followed the stranger, who, preceded by several -torch-bearers, was already escalading the abrupt sides of the granite -block. The ascent was ruder still. It was easy to recognise the steps of -a staircase, beneath the roots, creepers, and brambles that overgrew -them. The travellers were plunged in the utmost astonishment. Valentine -and Curumilla alone affected an indifference which caused their host to -ponder. - -When about one-third up the mountain, Bloodson stopped before an -excavation made by human hands, through whose gaping entrance a thread -of light emerged. - -"You did not, perhaps, expect," said Bloodson, as he turned to his -friends, "to find in the Far West a keep as strong as this." - -"I confess, Don Miguel, that I did not expect it." - -"Oh, my friends, your memory fails you, I fancy," Valentine said with a -smile; "this mountain, if I am not mistaken, is nothing but a Teocali." - -"It is true," Bloodson said, with an air of annoyance he tried in vain -to hide, "I have placed my abode in the interior of an ancient Teocali." - -"There are a good many about here, history relates that it was in this -country the Aztecs assembled before finally invading the plateau of -Anahuac." - -"For a stranger, Don Valentine," Bloodson remarked, "you were well -acquainted with the history of this country." - -"And with that of its inhabitants; yes, senor caballero," the hunter -replied. - -They went in, and found themselves in an immense hall, with white walls, -loaded with sculpture, which, as Valentine had stated, must date back to -the epoch of the Aztecs. A great number of torches, fixed in iron -sockets, spread a fairylike light over this hall. Bloodson did the -honours of this strange abode, as a man perfectly versed in the habits of -civilised life. A few minutes after their arrival, the hunters enjoyed a -meal which, though served in the desert, left nothing to be desired as -regarded the delicacy of the dishes or the order in which it was served. - -The sight of Shaw had involuntarily inspired Valentine with a secret -distrust of their host; the latter, with the penetration and knowledge -of mankind he possessed, at once noticed it, and resolved to get rid of -it by a frank explanation between the hunter and himself. - -As for Curumilla, the worthy Indian ate with good appetite, as was his -wont, not uttering a word, though he did not lose a syllable of what was -said around him, and his piercing eye had already scrutinised the most -secret nooks of the spot where he was. - -When the supper was ended, Bloodson gave a signal, and his comrades -suddenly disappeared at the end of the hall, where they stretched -themselves on piles of dry leaves which served them as beds. The hunters -remained alone with their host, and at a sign from the latter, Shaw took -a place by his side. For some time they smoked in silence, until -Bloodson threw far from him the end of the cigarette he had been -smoking, and took the word. - -"Senores caballeros," he said, with a tone of frankness that pleased his -hearers, "all that you see here may reasonably surprise you, I allow. -Still, nothing is more simple; the men you, have seen belong to all the -Indian tribes that traverse the desert; only one of them is a white man, -and that is Shaw. If Don Pablo will be kind enough to reflect, he will -tell you that the man found in the streets of Santa Fe with a knife in -his chest was saved by me." - -"In truth," the young man said, "Father Seraphin and myself picked up -the poor wretch, who gave no sign of life. You only could recall him to -existence." - -"All the others are in the same case; proscribed by tribes, menaced with -instant death by their enemies, they have sought a refuge with me. -There is now another point, I desire to clear up, in order that no cloud -may exist between us, and that you may place the most perfect confidence -in me." - -His hearers bowed respectfully. - -"For what good?" Valentine said; "Every man in this world has his -secret, caballero, and we do not ask for yours. We are connected by the -strongest bond that can attach men, a common hatred for the same -individual, and the desire to take a striking revenge on him--what more -do we want?" - -"Pardon me, in the desert, as in the civilised life of towns," Bloodson -said with dignity, "men like to know those with whom accident has -brought them into relationship. I am anxious you should know that the -force I have at my service, and which is really formidable, Don -Valentine, as you were good enough to observe, is employed by me to act -as the police of the desert; repulsed by the world, I resolved to -revenge myself on it by pursuing and destroying those pirates of the -prairies who attack and plunder the caravans that cross the desert. It -is a rude task I have undertaken, I assure you, for the villainies are -numerous in the Far West, but I wage an obstinate war on them, and so -long as Heaven permits, I will carry it on without truce or mercy." - -"I have already heard what you say spoken of," Valentine replied, as he -held out his hand sympathisingly; "the man who thus comprehends his -mission on earth must be one in a thousand, and I shall ever be happy to -be counted in the number of his friends." - -"Thanks," Bloodson answered with emotion, "thanks for your remark, which -compensates me for many insults and much miscomprehension. And now, -caballeros, I place at your disposal the men who are devoted to me; do -with them whatever you please, and I will be the first to offer the -example of obedience." - -"Listen," Valentine replied, after a moment's reflection; "we have to -deal with a thorough-paced villain, whose principal weapon is cunning, -and we shall only succeed in conquering him by employing the same. A -considerable party is soon tracked on the prairie; Red Cedar has the eye -of a vulture and the scent of a dog; the more we are, the less chance we -have of catching him." - -"What is to be done then, my friend?" Don Miguel asked. - -"This," Valentine went on: "surround him, that is to say, enclose him in -a circle whence he cannot emerge, by securing allies among all the -desert Indians; but it is understood that these allies will act -separately, until we have so well succeeded in tracking the villain that -he must surrender." - -"Yes, your idea is good, though difficult and dangerous in its -execution." - -"Not so much as you suppose," Valentine responded warmly. "Listen to me: -tomorrow, at daybreak, Curumilla and myself will go in search of Red -Cedar's trail, and I swear to you that we shall find it again." - -"Good," said Don Miguel; "and afterwards?" - -"Wait; while one of us remains to watch the bandit, the other will -return to warn you of the spot where he is. During that time you will -have formed alliances with the _pueblos_ Indians, and be in a condition to -force the boar in its lair." - -"Yes," Bloodson remarked, "that plan is simple, and for that very reason -must succeed. It is a struggle of cunning, that is all." - -"Yes," General Ibanez objected; "but why should we not go on his trail -also?" - -"Because," Valentine answered, "though you are as brave as your sword, -general, you are a soldier--that is to say, you understand nothing of -the Indian warfare we are about to carry on, a war composed entirely of -ambushes and treachery. You and our friends, in spite of your well-known -courage, and I might almost say, on account of it, would prove more -injurious than useful, owing to your ignorance of the country in which -we are, and the manners of the men we have to fight." - -"That is true," Don Miguel said; "our friend is in the right, leave him -to act; I am convinced that he will succeed." - -"And so am I," Valentine exclaimed, with an accent of conviction; "that -is why I wish to be free, so that I may act as I please." - -"In short," the general went on, "in a game so serious as that we are -playing with men so clever and determined as those we have to fight -with, nothing must be left to accident. I resign myself to inaction; -carry out your schemes as you think proper, Don Valentine." - -"Pardon me," Don Pablo exclaimed, hotly. "My father and you may consent -to remain here, for I can understand that your age and habits render you -but little fitting for the life you would be obliged to lead; but I am -going. I am strong, able to stand fatigue, and long accustomed by -Valentine himself to the terrible demands of the desert life you are -ignorant of. My sister's safety is at stake: we wish to rescue her from -the hands of her ravishers; and hence I must join the men who are going -in search of her." - -Valentine gave him a glance full of tenderness. "Be it so," he said to -him. "You will come with us, Pablo: this will complete your initiation -into desert life." - -"Thanks, my friend, thanks," the young man said gladly. "You have -removed an immense weight from my heart. Poor sister! I shall -cooeperate, then, in her deliverance!" - -"There is another man you must take with you, Don Valentine," Bloodson -said. - -"Why so?" Valentine asked. - -"Because," the other answered, "as soon as you have departed, I shall go -and visit the Indian villages: when the moment arrives, we must know -where to meet." - -"Yes, but how is it to be managed?" - -"Shaw will accompany you." - -A flash of joy passed into the young man's eye, although his face -remained unmoved. - -"So soon as you have found the trail, Shaw, who knows my hiding places, -will be sent off by you to advise me, and he will find me, wherever I -may be." - -"Yes," the squatter's son said, laconically. Valentine examined him for -a moment attentively, and then turned to Bloodson: - -"Be it so," he said; "he shall come. I am greatly mistaken, or this -young man has a greater interest than we suppose in the success of our -plans; and we can trust entirely to him." - -Shaw lowered his eyes with a blush. - -"And now," Bloodson said, "it is late: we have hardly four hours of -night left. I believe that we have come to a perfect understanding, and -that we shall do well to sleep. We do not know what the morrow reserves -for us." - -"Yes, let us sleep," Valentine said, "for I intend starting at sunrise." - -"Will your horses be rested?" - -"Let them rest, for we do not want them; a trail can only be properly -followed on foot." - -"You are right; a man on foot can pass anywhere." - -After exchanging a few more words, each rose to go and throw himself on -a pile of dry leaves. - -Don Miguel seized Valentine's arm and clutched it firmly, as he said, -with tears in his voice,-- - -"Friend, restore me my daughter." - -"I will do so," the hunter said, with emotion, "or die." - -The hacendero went away a few paces, but then hurriedly returned to the -Frenchman's side. - -"Watch over my son," he said in a choking voice. - -"Do not be alarmed, my friend," the hunter answered. - -Don Miguel warmly pressed the hunter's hand, uttered a sigh, and -retired. - -A few moments later, and all were sound asleep in the Teocali, with the -exception of the sentries that watched over the common safety. - - - - -CHAPTER X. - -THE WHITE GAZELLE. - - -Red Cedar's proposition was too advantageous for the Pirates to hesitate -about accepting it. This was the reason:-- - -For some years past a man had appeared on the prairies, at the head of -fifty or sixty determined companions, and had waged such a rude war on -the adventurers or pirates, that it had become almost impossible to -carry on their old trade with impunity. - -On his private authority, this man had constituted himself the defender -of the caravans that crossed the desert, and protector of the trappers -and hunters, whom they no longer dared plunder, through fear of being -attacked by this unknown redressor of grievances. - -This existence was growing insupportable, and an end must be put to it. -Unfortunately the means had hitherto failed the pirates to deal a heavy -blow, and free themselves from the crushing yoke Bloodson bowed them -under. Hence they did not hesitate, as we have seen, to accept Red -Cedar's proposition. - -These men had been acquainted with the bandit for several years: he had, -indeed, been their chief for some time; but at that period they were -still civilised brigands, if we may employ that expression when speaking -of such fellows, prowling along the frontiers of the American Union, -assaulting isolated farms, and plundering and killing the defenceless -inhabitants. - -This band, which was at that time composed of about fifty, was gradually -driven back on the desert, where Bloodson, who hunted them like wild -beasts, had decimated them so thoroughly in many a fight, that the band, -now reduced to only ten persons, was literally at bay, and compelled to -live on the produce of the chase, or the rare occasions for plunder -offered by isolated travellers, whom their unlucky star brought into the -vicinity of the pirates' lair. - -As they were perfectly concealed by the Indian garb they wore, the few -travellers who escaped them fancied they had been plundered by redskins. -This disguise caused their security, and allowed them to go at times and -sell the produce of their plunder in the seaport towns. - -We have said that the bandit band was composed of ten men, but we were -incorrect; for one of them was a woman. - -There was a strange anomaly in this creature, scarce twenty years of -age, with delicate features, a tall and lithe form, living among these -ruffians whom she ruled over with all the force of a vast mind, -indomitable courage, and an iron will. The brigands had a superstitious -adoration for her which they could not exactly account for; obeying her -slightest caprices without a murmur, and ready to let themselves be -killed at the least sign from her rosy fingers. - -She was, as it were, their palladium. The girl was perfectly well aware -of the uncontrolled power she exercised over her terrible guardians, and -abused it constantly, while they never attempted resistance. The Indians -themselves, seduced by the grace, vivacity, and sympathetic charms of -the young creature, had christened her the White Gazelle; a name -harmonising so well with her character, that she was known by no other. - -She wore a fanciful costume of extraordinary wildness and eccentricity, -which was admirably suited to the gentle, though decided, and slightly -dreamy expression of her face. It was composed of loose Turkish -trousers, made of Indian cashmere, fastened at the knees with diamond -garters; while boots of stamped deer hide protected her leg, and -imprisoned her little foot. To her heels were fastened heavy gold -Mexican spurs; double-barrelled pistols and a dagger were passed through -her China crape girdle, which confined her delicate waist. A jacket of -violet velvet, buttoned over the bosom with a profusion of diamonds, -displayed her exquisite bust. A brilliant-hued Navajo zarape, fastened -at the neck with a clasp of rubies, served as her cloak, and a Panama -hat of extreme fineness (_doble paja_), decorated with an eagle plume, -covered her head, while allowing tresses of jet black hair to fall in -disorder on her neck, and which, had they not been bound by a ribbon, -would have trailed on the ground. - -This girl was asleep when Red Cedar entered the cavern, and the pirates -were accustomed to do nothing without her assent. - -"Red Cedar is a man in whom we can place entire confidence," Pedro -Sandoval said, as he summed up the affair, "but we cannot give him -answer till we have consulted the _nina_." - -"That is true," a second confirmed him--"hence, as any discussion will -be useless, I think the best thing we can do, is to follow Red Cedar's -example, and go to rest." - -"Powerfully reasoned," said one of the bandits, called Orson; a little -man with ignoble features, grey eyes, and a mouth extending from ear to -ear, while laughing so as to display two rows of white teeth, wide and -sharp as those of a wild beast; "so shall I say good night." - -The other pirates did the same, and in a few minutes the deepest silence -prevailed in the grotto, whose inhabitants, secure in the strength of -their position, slept peacefully. - -At daybreak Red Cedar opened his eyes, and rose from the hard bed on -which he had rested, in order to stretch his limbs, and restore the -circulation of the blood. - -"Up already!" Sandoval said, as he emerged, cigarette in mouth, from one -of the sleeping cells. - -"My bed was not so attractive as to keep me longer," Red Cedar answered -with a smile. - -"Bah!" the other said, "'Tis the fortune of war; therefore I do not -complain about it:" the squatter continued, drawing his comrade to the -entrance of the grotto. "And now, gossip, answer me, if you please; what -do you think of my proposal? You have had time for reflection, I -suppose?" - -"_Cascaras!_--it did not require much reflection to see that it was a -good bargain." - -"You accept," Red Cedar said, with a movement of joy. - -"If I were to be master, I should not make the slightest difficulty, -but--" - -"Hang it, there is a but." - -"You know very well there always is one." - -"That is true; and what is the but?" - -"Oh, less than nothing; we must merely submit the question to the Nina." - -"That is true: I did not think of that." - -"You see now." - -"_Cristo!_ She will accept." - -"I am certain of it. Still, we must lay it before her." - -"Of course. Stay, comrade, I prefer you should undertake it: while you -are doing it, I will go and kill some game for breakfast. Does that suit -you?" - -"Very well." - -"Good-bye for the present, then." - -Red Cedar threw his rifle over his shoulder and left the grotto, -whistling to his dog. - -Sandoval, when left alone, prepared to discharge his commission, while -saying to himself in an aside-- - -"That devil of a Red Cedar is always the same, as timid as he used to -be: that results from not having been used to the society of ladies. - -"Good morning, Sandoval," a gentle and melodious voice breathed in his -ear. - -And the White Gazelle tapped the shoulder of the old bandit, while -smiling kindly on him. The girl was really a ravishing creature. She -wore the costume we just now described; but she held in her hand a -rifle, damascened with silver. Sandoval gazed on her for a moment with -profound admiration, and then answered in a trembling voice-- - -"Good morning, child; did you have a good night?" - -"I could not have had a better; I feel in glorious spirits this -morning." - -"All the better, dear girl, all the better; for I have to present to you -an old comrade, who ardently desires to see you again." - -"I know whom you are alluding to, father," the girl replied. "I was not -asleep last night when he arrived, and even supposing I had been so the -noise you made would have awakened me." - -"You heard our conversation, then?" - -"From one end to the other." - -"And what is your advice?" - -"Before answering, tell me who are the people we are to attack." - -"Do you not know?" - -"No; since I ask you." - -"Hang it; they are Americans, I believe." - -"But what sort of Americans? Are they Gringos or Gachupinos?" - -"I did not inquire into such details; to me all Americans are alike; and -provided they are attacked, I ask for nothing more." - -"That is possible, old father," the girl answered, with a little pout; -"but I make a grand difference between them." - -"I do not exactly see the use of it." - -"I am free to think as I please, I suppose," she interrupted him, as she -stamped her foot impatiently. - -"Yes, my child, yes--do not be angry, I entreat you." - -"Very good; but pay attention to what I am going to tell you. Red Cedar -is a man on whom I do not put the slightest trust. He is ever accustomed -to pursue a gloomy object, which escapes his partners; they only serve -him as a cat's paw in all his undertakings; and he abandons them -unblushingly so soon as they are of no further use to him. The affair -Red Cedar proposes to you is magnificent at the first glance; but, on -reflecting, far from offering us profits, it may bring a multitude of -annoyances on us, and bring us into a wasp's nest, whence we cannot -emerge." - -"Then, your opinion is to decline?" - -"I do not say that; but I wish to know what you intend doing, and what -our chances of success are?" - -During this conversation, the other bandits had left their cells and -ranged themselves round the speakers, whose discussion they followed -with the deepest interest. - -"On my word, my dear child, I do not know what answer to make you. Last -evening Red Cedar spoke to me of the affair, and it appeared to us -grand; but if it does not please you we will give it up. We will not -mention it again; and that's all about it." - -"That is how you always are, Sandoval; it is impossible to discuss any -point with you. At the slightest objection offered you flare up, and -will not listen to the reasons which may be given to you." - -"I am not so, my child; I only state facts. However, here is Red Cedar; -have it out with him." - -"That will not take long," the girl answered; and turning to the -squatter, who entered the grotto, bearing on his shoulders a magnificent -elk he had shot, and which he threw on the ground, she said-- - -"Answer me a single question, Red Cedar." - -"Twenty, if it be agreeable to you, charming Gazelle," the bandit said, -with a constrained smile, which rendered him hideous. - -"No, one will be sufficient. Who are the people you are engaged with?" - -"A Mexican family." - -"I want to know their name." - -"I will tell it you. It is the Zarate family, one of the most -influential in New Mexico." - -At this answer a vivid flush ran over the girl's face, and she displayed -marks of profound emotion. - -"I also propose," the bandit continued, whose notice this flush had not -escaped, "to finish with that demon, Bloodson, on whom we have so many -insults to avenge." - -"Good!" she said with increasing emotion. - -The astounded brigands gazed anxiously on the girl. At length, by a -violent effort, the Gazelle succeeded in reassuming an air of coolness; -and, addressing the Pirates, said to them, in a voice whose accent -revealed a great internal agitation-- - -"That entirely changes the question. Bloodson is our most cruel enemy. -If I had known that at first, I should not have opposed the enterprise -as I did." - -"Then--?" Sandoval ventured to interrupt. "I consider the idea excellent; -and the sooner we put it in execution, the better." - -"Very good," Red Cedar exclaimed. "I felt sure that the nina would -support me." - -The Gazelle smiled on him. - -"Whoever could understand women?" Sandoval muttered in his moustache. - -"Now," the young girl added, with extraordinary animation, "let us -hasten to make our preparations for departure, as we have not an instant -to lose." - -"Caspita! I am glad we are going to do something at last," said Orson, -as he prepared to cut up the elk brought in by Red Cedar: "we were -beginning to moulder in this damp hole." - -"Leonard," Sandoval said, "look after the horses; fetch them from the -corral, and bring them to the subterraneous passage." - -"Hang it all," said Red Cedar; "talking about horses, I haven't one." - -"That is true," Sandoval replied; "you arrived on foot yesterday; but I -fancied you had left your horse in the chaparral." - -"No, it was killed in an ambuscade, where I all but left my hide. Since -then, my dog has carried the saddle." - -"We have more horses than we want, so Leonard shall bring one to you." - -"Thanks, I will make it up to you." - -Leonard and another bandit collected the harness and went off. When the -meal was finished, which did not take long, as the Pirates were anxious -to start, the separations forming the rooms were taken down, and two or -three Pirates, arming themselves with powerful levers, moved an enormous -rock, under which was the hole, serving as cache to the band, when -obliged to leave its den temporarily. In this hole they placed any -objects of value which the grotto contained, and the rock was then -returned to its place. - -This duty accomplished, Sandoval shouted as he proceeded to the mouth of -the grotto-- - -"Some men to help." - -At a sign from Sandoval, half a dozen men seized the end of a tree -serving as a bridge, lifted it, balanced it for a moment in the air, and -hurled it into the precipice, down which it rolled, with a sound -resembling the discharge of a park of artillery. The exterior of the -grotto was then covered with shrubs, in order to conceal it as far as -possible. - -"Ouf," Sandoval said, "at present all is in order; we will start when -you please." - -"At once!" the girl said, who seemed a prey to a great impatience, and -who during all these lengthened preparations had not ceased to, scold -the Pirates for their delay. - -The band entered the passage without further delay; and, after a march -of about half an hour, entered a ravine, where the horses, under the -guard of a Pirate, were nibbling the pea vines and young tree shoots. - -All mounted. The White Gazelle allowed her comrades to pass, and managed -to remain a little in the rear. Then, approaching Red Cedar, she looked -at him in a peculiar way, and laid her dainty hand on his shoulder. - -"Tell me, scalp hunter," she muttered, in a low and concentrated voice, -"it is really Don Miguel de Zarate, the father of Don Pablo, whom you -wish to crush?" - -"Yes, senorita," the squatter answered, feigning astonishment at this -question. "Why do you ask me that?" - -"Nothing," she said, with a shrug of her shoulders; "merely an idea." - -And, spurring her horse, which bounded forward with a snort of pain, she -rejoined the band, which started at a long trot. - -"Why does she take such interest in Don Pablo?" Red Cedar asked himself, -so soon as he was alone. "I must know that! Perhaps it may help me -to--" - -A sinister smile curled the corners of his thin lips, and he added, as -he watched the girl gallop on-- - -"You fancy your secret well kept. Poor fool! I shall soon know it." - - - - -CHAPTER XI. - -THE APACHES. - - -The little band galloped silently through one of those primitive -landscapes which owe nothing to art, and whose imposing and grand aspect -makes us understand the infinite power of the Creator, and plunges the -soul into a gentle reverie. It was one of those fresh, but lovely autumn -mornings, on which travelling is so pleasant. The sun, gently rising in -the horizon, spread its vivifying heat over nature, which seemed smiling -on it. When you look around you in the valleys, all seemed spotted with -white and blackish gray. The hills bore on their crests enormous -mushrooms of granite, which affected the quaintest shapes. The soil of -these hills was grayish white, and was only covered with a few faded -plants already in seed. - -In the plain the vegetation was yellow; here and there in the distance a -few male buffaloes were scattered over the prairie like black dots. The -flying locusts, some with brown wings, but the majority of a light -yellow colour, were so numerous, that they literally covered the earth at -certain spots. - -At a slight distance off rose the lofty Bears-hand mountain, whose crest -was already covered by a slight layer of snow. The crows formed vast -circles in the air, and the buffaloes, elks, asshatas, and bighorns ran -and bounded in every direction, bellowing and lowing. - -The pirates, insensible to the charms of the scenery, and having no -other moving principle than greed, galloped in the direction of the -village of the Buffalo tribe, of which Stanapat (the handful of blood) -was the Sachem, gradually approaching the banks of the Gila, which was -still invisible, but whose course could now soon be traced, owing to the -mass of vapour that rose from its bosom, and floated majestically over -it, incessantly drawn up by the sunbeams. - -Toward midday the band stopped to let the horses breathe, but, owing to -the impatience of Red Cedar, and specially of the White Gazelle, soon -started again. After descending a very steep hill, and marching for some -distance in a deep ravine, that formed a species of canyon, the band at -length debouched on the banks of the Gila. - -A strange spectacle was the result: on both sides the stream a number of -Indians apparently encamped at the spot, although their village stood a -little distance off at the top of a hill, in accordance with the fashion -of the Pueblos, to convert their habitations into little fortresses, -were running and seeking in every direction, shrieking, gesticulating, -and making the most fearful disturbances. - -So soon as they perceived strangers advancing in a straight line toward -them, and not attempting to conceal themselves, but marching in perfect -order, they uttered frenzied yells, and rushed to meet them, brandishing -their weapons, and making ready for a fight. - -"Confound it!" said Sandoval, "the Indians do not seem in a good temper. -Perhaps we do wrong in accosting them at this moment: from their present -appearance they may play us a trick, so we will keep on our guard." - -"Bah! Let me act. I take everything on myself," Red Cedar answered, with -assurance. - -"I ask for nothing better, my friend," Sandoval remarked; "do exactly -what you please; deuce take me if I try to interfere. _Caray_, I know -those demons too well to get into trouble with them rashly." - -"Very good! That is agreed; do not trouble yourself any further." - -At a sign from Red Cedar the Pirates stopped, waiting impatiently what -was going to happen, and resolved, at any rate, with that brutal egotism -characteristic of scamps of that sort, to remain unmoved spectators. -The squatter, not displaying the slightest trepidation, threw back his -rifle on its sling, and taking off his buffalo robe which he waved -before him, advanced towards the Apaches. - -The latter, seeing the strangers halt with their hands on their guns, -and this man advancing alone as ambassador, hesitated for a moment. -They formed a group, and consulted; after a hurried deliberation, two -men moved forward, and also waving their buffalo robes, stood about ten -paces in front of the hunter. - -"What does my brother want of the warriors of my nation?" one of the -Indians said, in a haughty voice; "Does he not know that the hatchet has -been dug up between the palefaces and redskins, or has he brought us his -scalp, to save us the trouble of going to fetch it?" - -"Is my brother a chief?" the Pirate answered, displaying no emotion. - -"I am a chief," the Indian replied--"my brothers call me Black Cat." - -"Very good," Red Cedar continued. "I will therefore answer my brother -that I have known for a long time that the hatchet has been dug up for a -long time between the 'Great hearts of the East' and the Apaches. As for -my scalp, I am weak enough to set an enormous value on it, gray as it -is, and I have no intention of letting it be raised." - -"In that case my brother acted very imprudently in coming to deliver -himself up." - -"The future will prove the truth of that. Will my brother hear the -propositions I am commissioned to make him?" - -"My brother can speak, but he must be brief, for my sons are impatient." - -"What I have to say only concerns Black Cat." - -"My ears are open." - -"I have come to offer my brother the help of my comrades and my -own--that is to say, the eleven best rifles in the prairie. By the -council fire, I will explain to the chiefs what we can do to deliver -them from their implacable enemy, Bloodson." - -"Bloodson is a cowardly dog," the chief answered; "the Indian women -despise him. My brother has spoken well, but the whites have a forked -tongue: what proof will my brother give me of his sincerity?" - -"This," the Pirate intrepidly answered, as he approached near enough to -touch the Indian, "I am Red Cedar, the scalp hunter." - -"Wah!" the chief said, his eyes flashing. - -The squatter continued, without displaying any emotion-- - -"I have to avenge myself on Bloodson--to succeed in it I have come to -you, who, till this day, have been my enemies, and on whom I have -inflicted so many injuries, and I place myself in your hands, with my -comrades, frankly and unreservedly, bringing you as proof of my -sincerity a skin full of firewater, three plugs of tobacco, and two -female buffalo-robes, white as the snows of the Bears-hand. My brother -will decide--I await his answer." - -The Indians, who display extraordinary temerity, are good judges of -courage. A bold action always pleases them, even from an enemy; on the -other hand, a present of firewater makes them forget the deepest -insults. - -In the meanwhile Black Cat consulted for some minutes with the chief who -accompanied him. After a very long discussion, cupidity doubtless gained -the victory in the Apache's mind over the desire for vengeance, as his -countenance brightened up, and he held out his hand to the squatter, -saying-- - -"The chiefs of my tribe will smoke the calumet with my brother and his -companions." - -Then, taking off his cap of antelope hide, adorned with feathers, he -placed it himself on Red Cedar's head, adding--"My brother is now -sacred; he and his companions can follow me without fear--no insult will -be offered them." - -The Pirates had anxiously watched the phases of this conversation. -Though too far off to overhear it, they followed all the gestures of the -speakers. When Black Cat placed his cap on their comrade's head, they -immediately advanced, without waiting for him to give them the signal. -They knew that from this moment they had nothing to fear; but, on the -contrary, they would be treated with the greatest respect and utmost -consideration by all the members of the tribe. - -A strange fact, worthy of remark, is the way in which the American races -understand and practice hospitality. The most ferocious tribes, and -those most addicted to pillage, respect in the highest degree the -stranger who takes a seat at their fire. This man may have killed one of -the members of the family which shelters him; he may have the most -precious articles about him, and be alone, but no one will dare to -insult him; everyone will strive to do him all sorts of services, and -supply him with everything that may be useful to him, reserving the -right of mercilessly killing him a week later, if they meet him on the -prairie. - -The Pirates were, consequently, received with open arms by the Apaches; -a tent was put up expressly for them, and they were supplied with -everything they could want. - -The first care of Red Cedar was to carry out his bargain with Black Cat, -and pay him what he had promised. The chief was delighted; his little -eyes sparkled like carbuncles, he leaped, gesticulated, and was half out -of his mind. The squatter had paid him a royal ransom, which he was far -from expecting ever to receive. Hence he did not leave his new friend -again, whom he overwhelmed with attentions. - -When the Pirates had rested and had their food, Red Cedar turned to -Black Cat. - -"When the council assembles," he said, "I will point out to the chief -the spot where Bloodson now is." - -"My brother knows it?" - -"I suspect it." - -"In that case I will warn the _hachesto_, that he may assemble the -chiefs round the council fire." - -"Why not light the fire here, instead of returning to the village, which -will occasion a great loss of time?" - -"My brother is right," the chief answered. - -He rose, and immediately quitted the tent. A few moments after, the -hachesto of the hill mounted a species of hillock, and shaking his -_chichikoui_ with all his strength, invited the chiefs of the nation to -assemble in council. The same announcement was made in the camp on the -other side of the Gila. - -An hour later, the principal Apache chiefs were crouching round the -council fire, lit in the prairie at a short distance from the tent of -the white men. - -At the moment when Black Cat rose and was preparing to utter a few -words, probably with the intention of explaining the reason of the -meeting, a great noise was heard, and a mounted Indian galloped up, -shouting-- - -"The Buffaloes! Stanapat, Stanapat!" - -Another Indian arriving at equal speed from the opposite direction, -shouted at the same time: - -"The Siksekai! The Siksekai!" - -"Here are our allies," Black Cat then said; "my sons will prepare to -receive them." - -The council was broken up. The warriors hurriedly assembled, formed in -two large bands, flanked on the wings by horsemen, and ranged themselves -for battle in the two directions indicated by the scouts. - -The war detachment of the Buffaloes appeared descending a hill, and -advancing in good order. It was composed of about five hundred warriors, -perfectly armed and painted for war, and looking most martial. - -A detachment of the Siksekai of about equal strength appeared -immediately after, marching in good order. - -So soon as the four Indian bands saw each other, they uttered their war -cry, discharged their muskets and brandished their lances, while the -horsemen, starting at full speed, executed the most singular evolutions, -rushing on each other as if charging, turning and curvetting round the -detachments which marched on at quick step, singing, shouting, firing -their guns, rattling their chichikouis, blowing their shells, and -incessantly sounding their war whistles. - -There was something really imposing in the aspect of these savage -warriors, with their stern faces, clothed in fantastic costumes, and -covered with feathers and hair, which the wind blew in every direction. - -When the four parties arrived at a short distance from each other, they -stopped and the noise ceased. Then the principal chiefs, holding in -their hand the totem of their tribe, left the ranks, followed by the -pipe-bearer, carrying a great sacred calumet; they walked a few paces -toward each other, and planted the totem on their right. - -The pipe-bearers filled the calumets, lighted them, bowed to the four -cardinal points, and handed them in turn to the chief, while holding the -bowls in their hands, and being careful that no one was passed over. - -This preliminary ceremony accomplished, the principal sorcerer of the -Buffaloes placed himself between the totems, and turned to the sun. - -"Home of light!" he said, "thou who vivifiest everything in nature, -servant and visible representative of the Great Invisible Spirit who -governs the world which he has created, thy children long separated are -assembling today to defend their villages and hunting grounds, unjustly -and incessantly attacked by men without faith or country, whom Niang, -the Spirit of Evil, has let loose upon them. Smile on their efforts, O -Sun, and grant them the scalps of their enemies! Grant that they be -victorious, and accept this offering made thee by thy most fervent -adorer, to render thee favourable to thy sons, and make thy Apache -children invincible!" - -While uttering these words, he seized a light stone axe hanging at his -girdle, and placing his left arm on a rock, laid open his wrist with one -blow. - -The blood poured profusely from this horrible wound; but the sorcerer, -impassive and apparently insensible to pain, drew himself up with an eye -flashing with enthusiasm and religious fanaticism, and shaking his arm -in every direction, sprinkled the chiefs with his blood, while shouting -in a loud voice: - -"Sun, Sun, grant us our enemies, as I have given thee my hand!" - -All the Indians repeated the same prayer. - -The yells recommenced, and in an instant the redskins, seized with a -spirit of frenzy, rushed upon each other, brandishing their weapons to -the sound of the chichikouis and war whistles, and imitating all the -evolutions of a real battle. - -The sorcerer, still stoical, wrapped up his mutilated arm in grass, and -retired with a slow and measured step, saluted on his passage by the -Indians whom his action had electrified. When the tumult was slightly -calmed, the chiefs assembled for the second time round the council fire, -whose circle had been enlarged to make room for the allies. - -The newly arrived warriors were mingled with those of Black Cat, and the -greatest cordiality prevailed among those ferocious men, whose number -amounted at this moment to nearly two thousand, and who only dreamed of -blood, murder, and pillage. - -"Confederate sachems of the powerful nation of the Apaches," Stanapat -said, "you know the cause which once again draws us up arms in hand -against the perfidious white men. It is, therefore, useless to enter -into details you know; still, I believe, that since the hatchet has been -dug up, we ought to use it till it is completely blunted. The palefaces -daily invade our territory more and more; they respect none of our laws; -they kill us like wild beasts. Let us forget our personal habits for an -instant, to combine against the common foe, that Bloodson, whom the -genius of evil has created for our ruin. If we can manage to remain -united, we shall exterminate him, for we shall be the stronger! When we -have conquered, we will share the spoils of our enemy. I have spoken." - -Stanapat sat down again, and Black Cat rose in his turn. "We are -unanimous enough to commence the war with advantage; within a few days -other auxiliaries will have found us. Why wait longer? Ten white hunters -of the prairies, our allies, offer to surrender to us the den of the -long knives of the East, in which they tell me they have friends. What -do we wait for? Let us utter our war cry and start at once; any delay -may be deadly for us, by giving our enemies time to prepare a desperate -resistance, against which all our efforts will be broken. Let my -brothers reflect. I have spoken." - -"My brother has spoken well," Stanapat answered; "we must fall like -lightning on our enemy, who will be terrified by an unexpected attack; -but we should not be imprudent. Where are the white hunters?" - -"Here," Black Cat replied. - -"I ask," the sachem continued, "that they be heard by the council." - -The other chiefs bowed their heads in assent, and Black Cat rose and -went to the Pirates, who were impatiently awaiting the result of the -deliberation of the sachems. - - - - -CHAPTER XII. - -BLACK CAT. - - -In order to understand the ensuing incidents, we are compelled to return -to the maidens whom we left at the moment when they escaped from Red -Cedar's camp, escorted by the Canadian hunters. - -The fugitives stopped a few moments before sunrise on a little tongue of -sand forming a species of promontory a few yards in length on the waters -of Gila, which were rather deep at this point, whence the river or -prairie could be surveyed. - -All was calm and tranquil in the desert. The impetuous Gila rolled along -its yellowish stream between two banks clothed with wood and thick -chaparral. Amid the dark green branches thousands of birds were striking -up a concert, with which was mingled at intervals the lowing of the -buffaloes. - -The first care of the hunters was to kindle a fire and prepare the -morning meal, while their hobbled horses nibbled the young tree shoots. - -"Why breakfast already, Harry?" Ellen asked, "When we have been -travelling hardly four hours." - -"We do not know what await us in an hour, Miss Ellen," the hunter -answered; "hence we must profit by the moment of respite Providence -grants us to restore our strength." - -The maiden let her head droop. The meal was soon ready, and when it was -over they remounted and the flight commenced. - -All at once, a shrill and peculiar whistle was heard in the tall grass, -and some forty Indians, as if emerging from the ground, surrounded the -party. At the first moment, Ellen fancied that these men were the Coras -warriors Eagle-wing was to bring up; but the illusion lasted a very -short while, and a glance sufficed for them to recognise Apaches. - -Dona Clara, at first alarmed by this unexpected attack, almost -immediately regained her coolness, and saw that any resistance was -impossible. - -"You would sacrifice yourselves in vain for me," she said to the -Canadians; "leave me temporarily in the hands of these Indians, whom I -fear less than Red Cedar's gambusinos. Fly, Ellen--fly, my friends." - -"No!" the American girl exclaimed, passionately; "I will die with you, -my friend." - -"The two women will follow us, as well as the paleface hunters," one of -the Indians commanded. - -"For what purpose?" Dona Clara asked, softly. - -At a sign from the chief, two men seized the young Mexican lady, and -tied her to her horse, though not employing any violence. - -With a movement swifter than thought, Harry lifted Ellen from her -saddle, threw her across his horse's neck, and trying a desperate -effort, threw himself, followed by Dick, into the thick of the redskins. -Employing their rifles like clubs, they began felling the Apaches. There -was, for a moment, a terrible contest, but at length Harry succeeded, -after desperate efforts, in forcing his way, and set off at full speed, -bearing with him Red Cedar's daughter, who had fainted from terror. - -Less lucky than he, Dick, after felling two or three Indians, was hurled -from his horse, and nailed to the ground by a lance. The young man, in -falling, cast a despairing glance at her whom he had been unable to -save, and for whom he died. An Indian leaped on his body, raised his -scalp, and brandished it, all blood dripping, with cries of ferocious -laughter, before the eyes of Dona Clara, who was half dead with terror -and pain. The redskins then started at a gallop, carrying off their prey -with them. - -The Indians are not in the habit now-a-days of ill-treating their -prisoners as they used to do, especially if they are women. Hence Dona -Clara's abductors had not made her endure any unkind treatment. - -These Indians formed part of an Apache war party, about one hundred -strong, and commanded by a renowned chief, called Black Cat. All these -warriors were well armed, and mounted on handsome and good horses. - -Immediately after capturing the maiden, they started at a gallop across -the prairie for nearly six hours, in the hope of outstripping any party -that might start in pursuit, and toward nightfall they halted on the -banks of the Gila. At this spot the river flowed majestically between -two escarped banks, bordered by lofty rocks carved in the strangest -fashion. The ground was still covered by a grass at least three feet -high, and a few clumps of trees scattered over the plain agreeably -diversified the landscape, which was enlivened by flocks of buffaloes, -elks, and bighorns, which could be seen feeding in the distance. - -The Indians raised their tents on a hill, from the top of which a very -extensive view could be enjoyed. They lit several fires, and prepared to -pass the night in waiting for the other warriors to join them. Dona -Clara was placed by herself in a tent of buffalo skins, in which a fire -was lighted, as at this advanced season the nights are cold in the Far -West. - -Accustomed to desert life, and familiarised with Indian customs, Dona -Clara would have patiently supported her position, had it not been for -the thought of the misfortunes which had so long crushed her, and of her -father's fate of which she was ignorant. - -Seated on buffalo skins by the fire, she had just finished eating a few -mouthfuls of roast elk, washed down with smilax water, and was -reflecting deeply on the strange and terrible events which had marked -this day, when the curtain of the tent was raised, and Black Cat -appeared. - -The chief was a man of lofty stature. He was upwards of sixty years of -age, but his hair was still black. He enjoyed in his tribe a reputation -for courage and wisdom, which he justified in every respect. A cloud of -sorrow veiled his naturally soft and placid features. He walked slowly -in, and took a seat by the side of Dona Clara, whom he regarded for some -moments with interest. - -"My daughter is afflicted," he said, "she is thinking of her father, her -heart is with her family; but my daughter will take courage, and not be -cast down. Natosh (God) will come to her, and dry her tears." - -The young Mexican shook her head sadly, but made no reply; the chief -continued-- - -"I also suffer: a cloud is very heavy on my mind. The paleface warriors -of her nation wage an obstinate war with us, but I know the way to make -them assume the feet of antelopes, to fly far from our hunting grounds. -Tomorrow, on reaching the village of my tribe, I will have recourse to a -great medicine. My daughter will console herself; no harm will happen to -her among us; I will be her father." - -"Chief," Dona Clara answered, "lead me back to Santa Fe, and I promise -you my father will give you as many rifles, powder, bullets, and looking -glasses as you like to ask of him." - -"That is not possible; my daughter is too precious a hostage for me to -think of surrendering her. My daughter must forget the whites, whom she -will never see again, and prepare to become the wife of a chief." - -"I!" the maiden exclaimed in terror, "Become the wife of an Indian? -Never!--make me undergo all the tortures you please to inflict on me, -instead of condemning me to such a punishment." - -"My daughter will reflect," Black Cat answered, "of what does the White -Lily of the Valley complain? We are only doing to her what has been done -to us frequently--that is the law of the prairies." - -Black Cat rose, giving Dona Clara a mingled glance of tenderness and -pity, and slowly left the tent. - -After his departure the poor girl fell into a state of utter -prostration; the horror of her position appeared before her in all its -truth. - -The night passed then for her, weeping and sobbing, alone, amid the -laughter and songs of the Apaches, who were celebrating the arrival of -the warriors of their detachment. - -The next morning, at daybreak, the warriors started again, several men -watching the movements of the prisoner; but Black Cat kept aloof from -her. - -The Indians marched along the Gila, through a yellowish prairie. -Gloomy lines of chaparral, intersected by trees, whose red or -grayish-brown colour contrasted with the yellow frondage of the poplars, -bordered the road; on the horizon rose grand hills of a whitish grey, -covered with patches of coloured grass and dark green cedar. - -The band undulated like an immense serpent in this grand desert, -proceeding towards the village, whose approaches could already be -detected by the mephitic miasmas, exhaling from scaffoldings, seen in -the distance, on which the Indians keep their dead, and let them -decompose, and dry in the sun, instead of burying them. - -At about two o'clock the warriors entered the village, amid the shouts -of inhabitants, and the sound of the chichikouis, mingled with the -furious barking of the dogs. - -This village, built on the top of a hill, formed a tolerably regular -circle. It was a considerable number of earth huts, built without order -or symmetry. Wooden palisades, twelve feet high, served it as ramparts, -and at equal distances four bastions of earth supplied with loopholes, -and covered inside and outside with intertwined willow branches, -completed the system of defence. In the centre of the village was a -vacant space, of about forty feet in diameter, in the centre of which -was the "ark of the first man," a species of small round cylinder, -formed of wide planks, four feet high, round which creepers twined. To -the west of the spot we have just described was the medicine lodge, -where the festivals and religious rites of the Apaches were celebrated. -A mannikin made of animal skins, with a wooden head, painted black, and -wearing a fur cap, decorated with plumes, was fixed on a tall pole, to -represent the spirit or genius of evil. Other quaint figures of the same -nature were dispersed in various squares of the village, and were -offerings made to the lord of life. - -Between the huts was a great number of several storied scaffoldings, on -which the maize, wheat, and vegetables of the tribe were drying. - -Black Cat ordered Dona Clara to be conducted to a _calli_ he had -inhabited for a long time, and whose position, in the centre of the -village, offered sufficient guarantee for the security of the prisoner. -He then went to prepare himself for the great magical conjuration, by -which he hoped to destroy the palefaces, his enemies. - -When Dona Clara found herself alone, she fell despondingly on a pile of -leaves, and burst into tears. The cabin serving her as a prison was like -all the rest in the village; it was round, and slightly arched at the -top; the entrance was protected by a species of porch, closed with a -dried skin, stretched on the cross sticks. In the centre of the roof was -an orifice, intended to let the smoke out, and covered with a sort of -rounded cap made of sticks and branches. The interior of the hut was -large, clean, and even rather light. - -The mode of building these abodes is extremely simple. They consist of -eleven to fifteen stakes, four or five feet in length, between which -shorter ones are placed very closely together. Upon the higher poles -rest long beams, inclining to the centre, and which, placed very close -to each other, support the roof. Externally, they are covered with a -sort of trellis work, made of branches, fastened together with bark; -straw is laid over them, and earth on the top of that again. - -The maiden, although she was so wearied, did not feel the slightest -inclination to repose on the bed prepared for her. It was formed of a -long parchment box, with a square entrance; the interior was lined with -several bears' skins, on which she could have stretched herself -comfortably, but she preferred crouching in the centre of the hut, near -the hole in which the fire, lit to protect her from the cold, was on the -point of expiring. - -Toward midnight, at the moment when, despite her firm resolution to keep -awake, she was beginning to doze, Dona Clara heard a slight sound at the -entrance of her hut. She ran hastily, and by the dying flashes of the -fire, perceived an Indian warrior. - -It was Eagle-wing. The maiden suppressed with difficulty a cry of joy at -the sudden appearance of the Coras Chief. The latter laid a finger on -his lip; then, after looking scrutinisingly around, he walked up to the -maiden, and said in a voice soft as a sigh: - -"Why did not the Lily follow the road laid down Eagle-wing? Instead of -being at this hour the prisoner of the Apache dogs, the pale virgin -would be by her father's side." - -At this remark a heart-rending sob burst from Dona Clara's bosom, and -she hid her face in her hands. - -"The Apaches are cruel, they sell women. Does my sister know the fate -that threatens her?" - -"Too well, alas!" - -"What will my sister the Lily do?" the Indian asked. - -"What I will do?" the Mexican girl answered, her eye suddenly gleaming -with a dark flash; "A daughter of my race will never be the slave of an -Apache; if my father will give me his knife, he will see whether I fear -death." - -"It is well," the sachem continued; "my sister is brave; great courage -and cunning will be needed to succeed in what I am about to attempt." - -"What does my brother mean?" the maiden asked, with a lively movement of -hope. - -"My sister will listen; the moments are precious; has the Lily -confidence in me?" - -Dona Clara looked the Indian in the face; she regarded his honest -countenance for a moment, then, seizing the warrior's hand and pressing -it in hers, said warmly: - -"Yes, yes, I have confidence in you, Eagle-wing; speak, what do you ask -of me?" - -"To save you, I, an Indian, am about to betray the men of my race," the -sachem proceeded sadly; "I do not say this to heighten the value of my -deed, sister; I will restore you to your father. Tomorrow Black Cat will -undergo, in the presence of the whole tribe, the great medicines of the -sweating cabin, in order that Bloodson may fall into his hands with all -the warriors he commands." - -"I know it." - -"My sister will be present at the ceremony. She must pay attention to my -slightest signs, but, above all, must be careful that none of the Apache -warriors notice the glances she exchanges with me, or we shall both be -lost. Till tomorrow." - -Then, bowing with a respect blended with tenderness, Eagle-wing left the -calli. Dona Clara fell on her knees, clasped her trembling hands, and -addressed a fervent prayer to Heaven. Without, the barking of the dogs -could be heard, mingled with the howls of the coyotes, and the measured -steps of the Apache warriors watching the hut. - -Moukapec was one of the sentinels. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII. - -THE GREAT MEDICINE. - - -Before going further we will give some indispensable information -respecting the Pueblos Indians, who are destined to play a great part in -this story, which, we believe, through its novelty, will interest the -reader. - -These Indians hold the centre between the redskins of North America, and -that race of Toltecs, on whom were grafted all the branches whose -amalgamation composes the great indigenous nation of Mexico. Though -living chiefly by trade and agriculture, they have not resigned all -their warlike tastes. - -The Pueblos are established all along the northern line of Mexico, the -principal tribes being the Navajos, Apaches, Yutas, Caignas, and -Comanches. The Apaches differ a little from the redskins properly so -called, with whom they have a common character, however; and so do the -Comanches. - -The latter tribe is the most redoubtable in the desert, and calls itself -proudly the Queen of the Prairies. The Comanches alone of all the -Indians have managed to shield themselves from a taste for strong -liquors, which are so pernicious to the red race. The Comanches possess -a haughty and independent character, as the reader will be enabled to -judge in the progress of our story. We will only mention here one of -their customs, which will be sufficient to let them be appreciated at -their full value. - -Polygamy is allowed among the Comanches; each chief has six, eight or -ten wives; but, among this people a marriage is arranged neither by soft -words nor presents; the Comanche warrior reaches a surer and more solemn -pledge. This is how he acts: - -So soon as he fancies himself beloved by a woman, he kills one of his -horses, plucks out its heart, and nails it all bleeding to the door of -the girl he is courting. She takes it down, roasts it, and then divides -it equally, giving one half to her lover, eating the other herself, and -the marriage is concluded. - -Up to the present, none have been able to enslave this nation, which is -the terror of all the Mexican frontiers. After this explanation, we will -go on with our story. - -Dona Clara was aroused at an early hour by the sound of the chichikouis -and other Indian instruments, with which was incessantly mingled the -barking of the countless pack of dogs that always accompanies the -redskins. At sunrise Black Cat entered the prisoner's cabin, and, after -bowing to her, told her in his honeyed voice, while gazing eagerly at -her, that he was about to make the great medicine of the Bah-oh-akan-es, -in order to obtain from the Master of Life the surrender of his enemy -into his hands; and that if, instead of remaining alone with her grief, -she desired to witness the ceremony, she could follow him. - -The young Mexican, not wishing the chief to notice the delight she -experienced at this proposal, appeared to submit, and not to accept his -offer. - -The whole population of the village was astir, the women and children -running in all directions, uttering deafening yells. Even the warriors -and old men seemed to have forgotten the Indian stoicism. In a few -minutes the village was deserted, so eager were all to proceed to a vast -plain running along the banks of the Gila, where the great medicine -talisman was to be accomplished. - -Black Cat, cunning as he was, was deceived by the apparent weakness of -his prisoner, and her feigned despondency. After giving her a piercing -glance to assure himself that she was not playing with him, he made her -a sign to leave the hut and mix with the aged women, who, like all the -rest, wished to witness the ceremony; and he then retired, without -having the slightest suspicion. - -Dona Clara placed herself at the foot of a tree, whose tufted branches -bent over the river; and there, with palpitating heart, restless mind, -and eye and ears on the watch, she impatiently awaited the hour of her -deliverance, although feigning to be attracted by all that went on -around her. - -The Indians had built a small hut, covered externally with buffalo -robes, and having a low and narrow door. In order to reach this hut, a -path forty feet long and one wide had been traced, crossing the village -road at right angles. The grass had been torn up all along this path, -and collected at its termination opposite the hut. Forty pair of -moccasins had also been placed, one behind the other, in two rows, all -the extent of the path. - -By the side of the mound of grass burned a fire, in which the flat -stones were heated. When they were red hot, they were carried into the -hut, and placed on a hearth made for the purpose. - -The entire population of the village, with the exception of a few women, -whom their age kept apart, were seated along the two sides of the path, -with a large number of dishes of Indian corn, broth, grease, and meat -before them. The sorcerer was standing on the mound of grass. - -At a signal he rose, and proceeded to the sweating lodge, being careful -always to place his feet on the moccasins. At the door of the lodge -Black Cat was standing, naked to the waist. The sorcerer, after -remaining a few minutes in the lodge, came out again, holding a cutlass -in his hand. He walked silently towards Black Cat, who, on seeing him, -rose and stretched his left hand, saying: - -"I gladly give the first joint of the forefinger of this hand to Natosh, -if he will surrender my enemy to me, and allow me to lift his scalp." - -"Natosh has heard thee: he accepts," the sorcerer replied, laconically. - -With a blow of his cutlass he cut off the joint, which he threw over his -head, uttering some mysterious words; while Black Cat, apparently -insensible to the pain, continued his prayers. This operation -terminated, the sorcerer took a rod made of willow branches and fastened -by the tail of a prairie wolf: he dipped it in each of the dishes, and -scattered the contents in the direction of the four winds, while -invoking the Lord of life, fire, water, and air. These dishes, which no -one had yet touched, were then divided among the spectators, who -devoured them in a twinkling. - -After this, the oldest warriors entered the medicine lodge: the women -carefully covered them, and threw over the red-hot stones water which -they drew from the sacred vessels, with sprigs of wormwood. After this -ceremony, all the inhabitants began dancing round the hut, accompanying -themselves with their chichikouis. During this time, he had placed on -the pile of grass in front of the lodge, a buffalo head with its muzzle -to the wind: then, taking a long pole covered with a brand new red -blanket, which he offered to the Master of Life, he proceeded, followed -by his relations and friends, to plant it before the sweating lodges. - -The songs and dances continued. The sounds of the chichikouis became -more animated. A species of frenzy seemed to seize on all the Indians, -and the old women, who, till this moment, had remained passive -spectators of the ceremony, rushed in disorder towards the lodge, -uttering loud yells, and mingled with the noisy crowd. - -Dona Clara remained alone at the foot of the tree, near the riverbank. -No one paid any further attention to her. It seemed as if she had been -forgotten in the general excitement. She took an anxious glance around: -by a species of intuition she felt that the help she expected would -arrive from the direction of the river. Carelessly and slowly, stooping -every second to cull one of the charming flowers--something like our -violets--which are the last to enamel the prairie, she approached the -bank. All at once she felt herself pulled back by the skirt of her -dress, and felt terribly alarmed. At the same time as this mysterious -hand seized her, a voice whispered the simple words: - -"To the right, and stoop." - -The maiden guessed, rather than heard the words; but she obeyed without -hesitation. Two minutes after, following a small path that opened before -her, she found herself sheltered behind an enormous rock, on the -riverbank. Two horses, saddled in the Indian fashion, were fastened to a -picket near the rock. At a sign from Eagle-wing, Dona Clara leaped on to -one of the horses, while the Indian bestrode the other. - -"Good," he said, in his sympathising voice; "brave heart!" And letting -loose the bridles of both horses, he said: - -"Quicker than the storm!" - -The half-tamed mustangs started more rapidly than the wind, making the -pebbles strike fire under their hoofs. It was broad day, the prairie -extended for an enormous distance, flat, naked, and undiversified; and -at only a few paces off, the whole population of the village would not -fail soon to notice them. The position was most perilous and critical; -the two fugitives knew it, and redoubled their ardour, boldly braving -danger. All at once a yell of rage vibrated in the air. - -"Courage!" the chief said. - -"I have it," the girl replied, with clenched teeth, as she urged her -horse to increased speed. "They shall never capture me alive." - -The Apaches, who had left their village for a religious festival, had -not brought their arms with them, and their horses naturally remained in -the stables. This was an hour's respite granted the fugitives. - -So soon as the Indians had perceived Dona Clara's flight, the ceremony -was interrupted, and all rushed tumultuously toward the village, noisily -demanding their weapons and horses. Within a few minutes the most active -were in the saddle, and galloping in the traces of Dona Clara and -Eagle-wing. - -The most celebrated European riders can form no idea of what a pursuit -is on the prairies. The Indians are the finest horsemen in the world. -Riveted to their steeds, which they squeeze and hold up between their -nervous knees, they become identified with them, communicating their -passions to them, as it were, by an electric fluid, and, like the -Centaurs in the fable, they perform prodigies on horseback; rocks, -ravines, hedges, currents--nothing stops or checks this furious race -which is allied to madness: a living whirlwind, they fly through space -with headlong speed, enveloped in a halo of dust. - -Two hours passed thus, and the fugitives, bent over their horses' necks, -were unable to take a moment's rest. Their half-maddened steeds, with -their coats white with foam, and bleeding nostrils, reeled with fatigue -and terror; their trembling sinews scarce supported them, and yet, urged -on by their riders, they devoured the space, guessing instinctively that -the furious band of Indians was pursuing them at a short distance. - -Scarce a thousand yards separated the two parties. Black Cat, furious at -having been cheated by a woman, was two horses' length in advance, and -was followed by seven or eight Indians, whose horses, fresher than those -of the others, had forged ahead. Eagle-wing turned round, and saw four -warriors a hundred paces from him. - -"Forward!" he shouted to the maiden, as he struck her horse's croup with -his whip; and it bounded forward, with a supreme effort, uttering a -snort of pain. - -At the same time the Coras turned back, and rushing like lightning on -his enemies, ere they had time to place themselves in a posture of -defence, he discharged his rifle at them. An Apache fell dead. The -sachem, whose horse was exhausted, felled a second foe with the butt of -his gun; then, with extraordinary skill, he leaped onto the steed of the -first warrior he had killed, caught the other by the bridle, and went -off again, leaving the Apaches astounded by this act of boldness. - -Ten minutes later he rejoined Dona Clara, who had seen with a terror, -mingled with admiration, the heroic action of her defender. The maiden, -beneath her apparent weakness, concealed a thoroughly manly soul. With -her cheeks slightly tinged, her eyebrows contracted, her teeth clenched, -and animated by the fixed idea of escaping her ravishers, fatigue seemed -to have no mastery over her. It was with a feeling of indescribable joy -that she mounted the fresh steed the Indian brought her. - -Owing to Eagle-wing's bold stroke, the fugitives had a considerable -advance on their pursuers; for the Apaches, as they came up to the spot -where their two companions had been killed, leaped off their horses, and -surrounded their corpses with lamentations. - -Eagle-wing understood that this flight could not last, and that sooner -or later they must die or yield; he therefore altered his tactics. - -At a little distance from the spot where they now were the Gila was -contracted; the river, reduced to a width of one hundred and fifty yards -at the most, ran between two wooded hills. - -"We are lost," he hurriedly said to his companion, "if we continue to -fly thus. A desperate resolve can alone save us." - -"Let us try it at all risks," the maiden answered, intrepidly, with -quivering lip and flashing eye. - -"Come!" he continued. - -Dona Clara followed him without hesitation to the rugged bank of the -river, when the warrior stopped. - -"There," he said, hoarsely, as he pointed with a gesture full of -nobility to the Apaches coming up at full speed, "slavery, infamy, and -death. Here," he continued, as he pointed to the river, "death, perhaps, -but liberty." - -"Let us be free or die!" she replied. - -As we have said, the river ran between two elevated banks, and the -fugitives were now standing like two equestrian statues on the top of a -hillock twenty or five-and-twenty feet in height, from which they must -throw themselves into the river, an enormous leap for the horses which -ran a risk of being crushed in falling, and dragging their riders down -with them. But any other means of flight had become impossible. - -The Apaches, spread all over the plain, had succeeded in surrounding the -fugitives. - -"Has my sister decided?" the Indian asked. - -Dona Clara took a glance around her. - -The redskins, headed by Black Cat, were scarce one hundred and fifty -yards distant. - -"Let us go, in Heaven's name," she said. - -"May Natosh protect us!" the Indian said. - -They energetically pressed the flanks of their horses, lifting them at -the same moment, and the two noble animals leaped into the river, -uttering a snort of terror. The Apaches arrived at this moment on the -brow of the hill, and could not restrain a yell of disappointment and -wrath at the sight of the desperate act. - -The waters had closed over the fugitives, sending up to heaven a cloud -of spray, but the horses soon reappeared swimming vigorously toward the -other bank. The Indians had halted on the hill, insulting by their yells -and threats the victims who escaped by such a prodigy of daring. One of -them, urged by his fury, and unable to pull up his horse in time, -plunged into the Gila; but, having taken his precautions badly, the fall -was mortal to the horse. - -The Indian slipped off, and began striking out for the bank. Instead of -continuing his flight, as he should have done, Eagle-wing, impelled by -that spirit of bravado natural to the redskins, re-entered the river -without hesitation, and, at the moment when the Apache warrior -reappeared on the surface, he bent over, seized him by his long hair, -and buried his knife in his throat. Then, turning to his enemies, who -watched with a shudder this terrible drama, he drew up the wretch to his -saddle-bow, scalped him, and brandishing this sanguinary trophy with an -air of triumph, he uttered his war yell. - -The Apaches poured a shower of bullets and arrows round the Coras -Sachem, who, standing motionless in the middle of the river, still waved -his horrible trophy. At length he turned his horse's head, and rejoined -his companion, who was awaiting him timorously on the bank. - -"Let us go," he said, as he fastened the scalp to his waist belt. "The -Apaches are dogs, who can do nought but bark." - -"Let us go," she replied, as she turned her head away in horror. - -At the moment when they started again without troubling themselves about -their enemies, who, scattered along the other bank, were eagerly seeking -a ford, Eagle-wing perceived a cloud of dust, which, on dissipating, -permitted him to see a party of horsemen galloping up at lightning -speed. - -"There is no hope left," he muttered. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV. - -THE SUCCOUR. - - -We will leave Eagle-wing and Dona Clara for a moment, and return to -Bloodson's Teocali. - -A few minutes before sunrise, Valentine awoke. "Up," he said to his -companions, "it is the hour for starting." - -Don Pablo and Shaw opened their eyes and got ready; but Curumilla was -not there. - -"Oh, oh," the hunter said; "the chief is up already, I fancy. Let us go -down to the plain. We shall probably soon come across him." - -The three men left the grotto, and began, by the uncertain rays of the -moon, sliding down the abrupt sides of the Teocali, leaving their -comrades asleep. A few minutes later, they reached the plain, where -Curumilla was waiting for them, holding four horses by the bridle. -Valentine gave a start of surprise. - -"We had agreed to go on foot, chief," he said. "Have you forgotten -that?" - -"No," the other replied, laconically. - -"Then, why the deuce did you saddle these horses, which are useless to -us?" - -The Indian shook his head. - -"We shall be better on horseback," he said. - -"Still," Don Pablo observed, "I fancy that it's better to follow a trail -on foot, as you said yourself yesterday, Don Valentine." - -The latter reflected for an instant; then, turning to the young man, he -answered him with a significant toss of the head: - -"Curumilla is a prudent man. We have lived together for nearly fifteen -years, and I have always found it best to follow his advice. Only once I -wanted to have my own way, and then I all but lost my scalp. We will -mount, Don Pablo. The chief has his reasons for acting as he is now -doing, as the result will in all probability prove." - -The hunters leaped into the saddle, and, after a farewell glance at the -Teocali, where their friends were resting, they let their horses feel -the spur. - -"In what direction are we going?" Don Pablo asked. - -"Let us first gain the riverbank," Valentine answered. "So soon as we -have got there, we shall see what we have to do. But, mind we do not -separate; for in the darkness it will be almost impossible to find each -other." - -On the prairies, the only roads that exist, and can be followed, are -paths traced for ages by buffaloes, elks, and wild beasts. These paths -form labyrinths; of which the Indians alone hold the thread; hunters, -however well acquainted they may be with the prairies, only enter them -with the utmost precautions. When they fancy they recognise a path, they -will not leave it under any pretext, certain that if they Were so -imprudent as to turn to the right or left, they would not fail to lose -themselves, and have infinite difficulty in finding their road again. - -Valentine was, perhaps, the only white hunter on the prairies who, owing -to the profound knowledge he possessed of the desert, could enter this -maze with impunity. However, as all the paths inevitably lead to the -banks of rivers, and this direction was the one the little party was to -follow, Valentine's remark was only intended to moderate Don Pablo's -ardour, and compel him to march at his side. - -After a hurried ride of two hours, the hunters at length found -themselves on the banks of the Gila, which rolled its yellow and turbid -waters along beneath them. At the moment when they reached the river, -the sun rose majestically on the horizon in a mist of purpled clouds. - -"Let us stop here a moment," Valentine said, "in order to form our plan -of action." - -"We do not need a long discussion for that." Don Pablo replied. - -"You think so?" - -"Hang it all, the only thing to be done, I fancy, is to follow Red -Cedar's trail." - -"True: but to follow it we must first find it." - -"Granted: so let us look for it." - -"That is what we are about to do." - -At this moment furious yells were heard not far from them. The hunters, -surprised, looked about them anxiously, and soon saw a band of Indians -running in every direction along the river bank. These were not more -than half a league distant. - -"Oh, oh," Valentine said, "what's the meaning of this?" - -"They are Apaches," Shaw remarked. - -"I can see that," the Frenchman said. "But what the deuce is the matter -with those devils? On my honour, they seem mad." - -"Wah!" Curumilla suddenly exclaimed, who was also looking, though not -speaking, as was his wont. - -"What's, the matter now?" Valentine asked, as he turned to the chief. - -"Look," the latter replied, as he stretched out his arm, "Dona Clara!" - -"What, Dona Clara!" the hunter exclaimed, with a start of surprise. - -"Yes," Curumilla observed, "my brother must look." - -"It is, in truth, Dona Clara," Valentine said after a minute; "what on -earth can she be doing here?" - -And without caring for the Indians, who, on seeing him, would not fail -to start in pursuit, he hurried at full gallop in the direction of the -maiden. His comrades followed him; not caring for the width of the -stream at this spot, they plunged in, resolved to reach the other bank, -and fly to the help of the maiden, under a shower of arrows which the -Indians fired at them, while uttering yells of rage at these new -enemies, who rose as if by enchantment before them. - -Eagle-wing and Dona Clara were still flying, unheeding the shouts of the -hunters; the horsemen the Coras had perceived were Apache warriors -returning to their village from a buffalo hunt. Although they were -ignorant of what had happened, the sight of their friends galloping -along the river bank, and the two riders escaping at full speed, -revealed the truth to them, that is to say, that prisoners had escaped, -and warriors of their tribe were in pursuit of them. - -The river was soon crowded with Apache warriors, who crossed it to catch -up with the fugitives. The pursuit was beginning to reassume alarming -proportions for Eagle-wing and Dona Clara, in spite of the considerable -advance they still had on their enemies. - -The Gila is one of the largest and most majestic rivers in the Far West; -its course is winding and capricious--it is full of rapids, cataracts, -and islets formed by the change of bed which it effects when, by an -abundant overflow of water, it spreads far and wide over the country, -inundating it for four or five leagues around. - -Eagle-wing had seen that the only chance of safety left him was not on -the prairie, where he had, not a single covert to attempt a desperate -resistance, but on one of those little islets of the Gila, whose rocks -and thick scrubs would offer a temporary shelter, that could not be -violated with impunity. His vagabond course had, therefore, no other -object but to return to the river by a zigzag route. - -Valentine and his comrades had not lost one of the fugitive's movements; -although they were themselves hotly pursued, they anxiously followed the -incidents of this terrible struggle. - -"They are lost!" Don Pablo suddenly shouted. "That Indian is mad, on my -soul. See, he is trying to turn back in this direction--it is running -into the wolf's throat!" - -"You are mistaken," Valentine answered; "the tactics of that man are, on -the contrary, extremely simple, and at the same time most clever. The -Apaches have guessed them; for look, they are trying to cut him off from -the river as far as they can." - -"'Tis true, by heavens!" Shaw said; "We must help that man in his -manoeuvre." - -"That depends on ourselves," Valentine answered, quickly; "let us turn -and suddenly attack the Apaches; perhaps that diversion will enable our -friends to succeed." - -"Well, that is an excellent idea," remarked Don Pablo; "how wise it was -of Curumilla to make us ride." - -"What did I say to you?" Valentine said with a smile. "Oh! the chief is -an invaluable man." - -Curumilla smiled proudly, but maintained silence. - -"Are you ready to follow me and be killed, if necessary to save Dona -Clara?" Valentine went on. - -"_Cascaras!_" the hunters answered. - -"Forward, then, in heaven's name! Each of us must be worth ten men!" the -Frenchman shouted, as he suddenly turned his horse on its hind legs. The -four men rushed at full speed on the Apaches, uttering a formidable -yell. On arriving within range they discharged their rifles, and four -Apaches fell. - -The Indians, intimidated by this sudden attack, which they were far from -anticipating, dispersed in every direction to avoid the shock of their -daring adversaries; then, collecting in a compact mass, they charged in -their turn, uttering their war cry, and brandishing their weapons. But -the hunters received them with a second discharge, which hurled four -more Indians on the sand, and then started in different directions to -collect again, one hundred and fifty yards further on. - -"Courage, my friends!" Valentine cried, "Those scoundrels do not know -how to use their weapons; if we liked We could hold them in check the -whole day." - -"That will not be necessary," Don Pablo remarked; "look there!" - -In fact, the fugitives, profiting by the moment's respite which the -hunters' attack on the Apaches granted them, had reached an islet about -one hundred yards in circumference, in the middle of the stream, where -they were temporarily in safety. - -"It is now our turn," Valentine loudly shouted; "a final charge to drive -those devils back, and then to the islet!" - -"Hurrah! Hurrah!" the hunters then shouted, and they rushed on the -Apaches. - -There were a few minutes of hand-to-hand fighting, but the Apaches at -length broke, and the hunters, freed by prodigies of valour, retreated to -the riverbank, from which they were not more than twenty yards distant. -The others plunged into the river, but suddenly Valentine's horse stood -up, gave a prodigious bound, and fell back on its rider--the noble -animal was literally riddled with arrows. - -The Apaches uttered a formidable yell of joy, on seeing one of their -enemies rolling on the ground, and they rushed up to scalp him. But -Valentine had risen to his feet immediately; kneeling behind the body of -his horse, which he converted into a breastwork, he discharged at the -Indians first his rifle, and then his pistols, being supported by the -fire of the hunters, who had reached the islet. - -The Apaches, exasperated at being held in check by one man, rushed upon -him, as if to crush him beneath their weight. Valentine, to whom his -firearms were now useless, seized his rifle by the barrel, and employed -it like a mace, falling back step by step, but always keeping his front -to the enemy. - -By a prodigious chance, Valentine had not yet received a wound, save a -few unimportant scratches, for the Indians were so close together that -they could not use their arms for fear of wounding one another. But -Valentine felt his strength deserting him, his ears buzzed, his temples -throbbed as if bursting; a veil was gradually spread over his eyes, and -his wearied arms only dealt uncertain blows. - -Human strength has its limits, and however great the energy and will of -a man may be, the moment arrives when further fighting becomes -impossible, his strength betrays his courage, and he is forced to -confess himself vanquished. - -Valentine was reduced to this supreme point. His rifle broke in his -hands; he was disarmed, and at the mercy of his ferocious enemies. All -was over with the gallant Frenchman. - -But the hunters, whom the Indians had forgotten in the heat of the -action, seeing the imminent peril of their companion, resolutely hurried -to his aid. While Eagle-wing, Don Pablo, and Shaw attacked the Indians -and compelled them to fall back, Curumilla carried off his friend on his -shoulders. - -The contest began again, more obstinate and terrible than before, but, -after extraordinary efforts, the hunters succeeded in regaining the -islet, in spite of the stubborn resistance of the redskins. - -Valentine had fainted, and Curumilla carried him to a perfectly -sheltered spot, and silently busied himself with recalling him to life. -But fatigue alone had produced the hunter's syncope, so he soon reopened -his eyes, and ten minutes later he was perfectly restored. - -When the Apaches saw their enemies in safety, they ceased a contest -henceforth useless, and retired out of rifle range. The day passed -without fresh incidents, and the hunters were able to intrench -themselves as well as they could on the islet, which they had succeeded -in reaching with so much toil. - - - - -CHAPTER XV. - -ON THE ISLAND. - - -The sun had descended on the horizon, and darkness was invading the sky; -ere long a dense veil of gloom was spread over the entire face of -nature. The Indians seemed to have given up all idea of attacking the -whites, but did not leave the riverbank; on the contrary, their number -momentarily increased. On either bank of the Gila they had lit large -fires, and put up their tents. - -The situation of the fugitives was far from reassuring; sheltered on an -island, whence they could not escape without being seen by their -vigilant enemies, their provisions were reduced to a few handfuls of -maize boiled in water, and a little pemmican. Their ammunition consisted -of twenty charges of powder at the most. - -The hunters lit no fire, for fear of letting the Apaches know the exact -spot where they were; collected in the middle of the island in a dense -thicket, they watched over Dona Clara, who, overwhelmed by the terrible -emotions of the day, had yielded to sleep, and was lying on a bed of dry -leaves. - -Valentine and his friends watched the movements of the enemy by the -light of their bivouac fires. Opposite the island, and round a fire -larger than the rest, several chiefs, among whom Black Cat could be -clearly distinguished, appeared engaged in a lively discussion. At -length, two men rose and advanced slowly to the water's edge; on -reaching it, they took off their buffalo robes, raised them above their -heads, and let them float in the breeze. - -"Do you see that?" Don Pablo said to Valentine. "The redskins wish to -parley with us." - -"What the deuce can they have to say to us?" the hunter answered; "the -demons must know in what extremities we are." - -"No matter. I fancy we shall do well by receiving them. - -"What does Eagle-wing think of it?" Valentine asked the Coras, who, -crouched near them with his head resting on the palms of his hands, was -reflecting deeply. - -"The Apaches are foxes without courage," the sachem answered; "let us -hear what they want." - -"And you, _penni_, what is your opinion?" the hunter said, turning to -Curumilla. - -"My brother is prudent," the Aucas Ulmen replied; "we can hear the -propositions of the Apaches." - -"Well, as you all wish it, I consent; but I feel certain that no good -will come of this interview." - -"Perhaps so," Shaw remarked. - -"That is not my opinion," Don Pablo said. - -"Koutonepi must not receive them here," Curumilla went on. "The Apache -are very crafty; they have an extremely forked tongue, and the eyes of -tiger cats." - -"That is true," said Valentine; "let us go and see what they want." - -He rose, making Curumilla a sign to follow him; and after assuring -himself that his arms were in good condition, he walked to the end of -the island. The Indians were still continuing their signals, and -Valentine raised his hands to his mouth in the shape of a speaking -trumpet. - -"What do the Buffalo Apaches want?" he shouted. - -"The chiefs have to speak with the palefaces, but they cannot hear them -at such a distance. Will the palefaces promise them safety if the -warriors come to them?" - -"Come," Valentine replied, "but mind, only two of you." - -"Good," the chief said, "two warriors will come." - -The Apaches consulted for an instant together, and then took from among -the lofty grass in which it was concealed a light raft, which the -hunters had not noticed, and prepared to gain the island. - -The whites awaited them, resting on their rifles, apparently careless, -but anxiously watching the shrubs on the bank, behind which the Apache -warriors were doubtless hidden, and watching them in their turn. - -The Indians landed and walked toward the hunters with all the etiquette -prescribed by the law of the prairies. On seeing that the Indians were -unarmed, Valentine handed his rifle to Don Pablo, who laid it a few -paces behind him. - -"Good," Black Cat muttered, with a smile; "my brother acts loyally. I -expected that from him." - -"Hum, chief!" Valentine answered, sharply; "Enough of compliments--what -have you to say to me?" - -"My pale brother does not like to lose time in vain words," the Indian -said; "he is a wise man. I bring him the propositions of the principal -chiefs of the tribe." - -"Let us hear them, chief. If they are just, although we are not in so -bad a position as you may suppose, we may possibly accept them, merely -for the sake of saving bloodshed." - -"There are at this moment more than two hundred warriors assembled on -the riverbank; tomorrow there will be five hundred. Now, as the -palefaces have no canoes, as they are not otters to plunge unseen into -the 'endless river,' or birds to soar in the air--" - -"What next?" Valentine interrupted him impertinently. - -"How will my brothers eat, when the little provision they have is -exhausted? With what will my brothers defend themselves when they have -burnt all their powder?" - -"I presume that is of little consequence to you, chief," the hunter -answered, with ill-concealed impatience. "You did not ask the interview -I have granted to talk nonsense, so I must ask you to come to facts." - -"I only wished to prove to my brother that we are well-informed, and -know that the palefaces have no means of flight or safety. If, then, my -brothers are willing, they can rejoin their nations, without being -impeded by us in their retreat." - -"Ah, ah! And in what way, chief, if you please?" - -"By delivering to us immediately two persons who are here." - -"Only think of that! And who may these two persons be?" - -"The White Lily and the Coras Chief." - -"Listen, chief: if you took the trouble to come here in order to make me -such a proposal, you were wrong to leave your comrades," Valentine said, -with a grin. - -"My brother will reflect," the Apache said, with perfect calmness. - -"I never reflect when the question is the commission of an act of -cowardice, chief," Valentine answered sharply. "We have known each -other for a long time; many of your warriors have been sent by me to the -happy hunting grounds. I have often fought against you, and never on the -desert have you or your brothers had to reproach me with an action -unworthy of an honest hunter." - -"That is true," the two chiefs answered, with a deferential bow; "my -brother is beloved and esteemed by all the Apaches." - -"Thanks. Now listen to me: the maiden you call White Lily, and whom you -made prisoner, is free by right and in fact, and you know very well that -you have no right to ask her of me." - -"Several of our brothers, the most valiant warriors of our tribe, have -gone to the happy hunting grounds before their hour marked by the -Wacondah: their blood cries for vengeance." - -"That does not concern me; these were killed fighting like brave men, -and those are the chances of war." - -"My brother has spoken well," Black Cat said. "The Lily is free; she can -remain with the warriors of her nation. I consent to it. But my brother -cannot refuse to give up to me the Indian hidden in his camp." - -"That Indian is my friend," the hunter answered nobly; "he is not my -prisoner, that I can deliver him up. I have no right to compel him to -leave me. If he prefers to remain with us, the chief knows that -hospitality is sacred on the prairie; if Moukapec wishes to return to -his brothers, he is free. But what interest have the Apaches in my -giving this man into their hands?" - -"He has betrayed his nation, and must be punished." - -"Do you imagine, chief, that I should deliberately, and stifling every -feeling of gratitude within me, place in your hands a man I love, whose -devotion is known to me, in order that you may kill him with horrible -torture? On my soul, chief, you must be mad." - -"You must do it, or woe to you!" Black Cat said with a degree of heat he -could not repress. - -"It shall not be," Valentine answered coldly. - -"It shall be!" a calm and haughty voice said. - -And Eagle-wing suddenly appeared in the midst of the group. - -"What!" Valentine exclaimed with amazement, "you would give yourself up -to torture? I will not suffer it, chief: remain with your friends, we -will save you, or perish together." - -The Coras shook his head sadly. - -"No!" he said, "I cannot do that, it would be cowardly. The White Lily -of the Valley must be saved. I have sworn to her father to devote myself -to her, and my brother Koutonepi must let me accomplish my promise." - -"But these men," Valentine continued to urge, "have no claim on you." - -Moukapec let his head sink. - -"By Nuestra Senora del Pilar," Don Pablo interrupted him with emotion, -"we cannot thus abandon a man who has done us many services." - -Valentine, with his eyes fixed on the ground, was reflecting. - -"Good," Black Cat went on; "Eagle-wing is here, the palefaces are free: -they will return to their great lodges whenever they please: they will -find the roads open. The Apaches have only one word; let the warrior -follow me." - -The Indian took a parting glance at his friends, and a sigh escaped from -his chest; but with a superior effort he overcame the sorrow that choked -him, his face assumed its usual mask of stoicism, and turning to the two -Apache chiefs, he said in a firm voice-- - -"I am ready: let us go." - -The hunters exchanged a glance of discouragement, but they made no -attempt to oppose the Coras' resolution, for they knew that it would be -futile. But at this moment Dona Clara suddenly appeared, walked boldly -up to the Indian, and touched him lightly on the shoulder. - -"Stay!" she exclaimed. "I will not have you go, chief." - -Eagle-wing turned as if he had received an electric shock, and gave the -maiden a glance of undefinable expression; but he overcame this emotion, -and reassumed his apparent coolness. - -"I must go," he said softly, "the Lily must not restrain me; she is -doubtless ignorant that her safety depends on my departure." - -"I have heard everything," she quickly retorted. "I know the odious -propositions these men have dared to make, and the condition they had -audacity to insist on." - -"Well, why then does my sister wish to stop me?" - -"Because," the maiden energetically exclaimed, "I will not accept that -condition." - -"By Heavens! That is fine," Valentine said joyfully; "that is what I -call speaking." - -"Yes," the young lady continued, "in my father's name I order you not to -leave this island, chief--in my father's name, who, were he here, would -order you as I do." - -"I answer for that," Don Pablo said; "my father has too noble a heart to -assent to an act of cowardice." - -The maiden turned to the Indian chief, who had been stoically witnessing -the scene. - -"Begone, redskins," she went on with a majestic accent, impossible to -render, "you see that all your victims escape you." - -"Honour bids me go," the warrior murmured feebly. - -Dona Clara took his hand between hers, and looked at him softly. - -"Moukapec!" she said to him, in her melodious and pure voice, "do you -not know that yours would be a useless sacrifice? The Apaches are only -striving to deprive us of our most devoted defender, that they may make -an easier conquest of us. They are very treacherous Indians; remain with -us." - -Eagle-wing hesitated for a moment, and the two chiefs tried in vain to -read on his face the feelings that affected him. During several seconds, -a leaden silence weighed on this group of men, whose hearts could be -heard beating. At length the Coras raised his head, and answered with an -effort-- - -"You insist; I remain here." - -Then he turned to the chief, who was waiting anxiously. - -"Go," he said to them in a firm voice, "return to the tents of your -tribe. Tell your brothers, who were never mine, but who at times have -granted me a cordial hospitality, that Moukapec, the great Sachem of the -Coras of the lakes, takes back his liberty: he gives up all claim to -fire and water in their villages; he wishes to have nothing more in -common with them; and if the Apache dogs prowl round him, and seek him, -they will find him ever ready to meet them face to face on the warpath. -I have spoken." - -The Buffalo chiefs had listened to these words with that calmness which -never abandons the Indians; not a feature on their faces had quivered. -When the Coras warrior finished speaking, Black Cat looked at him -fixedly, and replied to him with a cold and cutting accent-- - -"I have heard a crow, the Coras are cowardly squaws, to whom the Apache -warriors will give petticoats. Moukapec is a prairie dog, the sunbeams -hurt his eyes, he will make his lair with the paleface hares, my nation -no longer knows him." - -"Much good may it do him," Valentine remarked with a smile, while -Eagle-wing shrugged his shoulders at this outburst of insults. - -"I retire," Black Cat continued; "ere the owl has twice saluted the sun, -the scalps of the palefaces will be fastened to my girdle." - -"And," the second chief added, "the young men of my tribe will make war -whistles of the white thieves' bones." - -"Very good," Valentine replied, with a crafty smile; "try it, we are -ready to receive you, and our rifles carry a long distance." - -"The palefaces are boasting and yelping dogs," Black Cat said again. "I -shall soon return." - -"All the better," said Valentine; "but in the meanwhile, as I suppose -you have nothing more to say to us, I fancy it is time for you to rejoin -your friends, who must be growing impatient at your absence." - -Black Cat gave a start of anger at this parting sarcasm; but repressing -the passion that inflamed him, he folded himself haughtily in his -buffalo robe, remounted the raft with his comrade, and they rapidly -retired from the island. - - - - -CHAPTER XVI. - -SUNBEAM. - - -The situation of the fugitives was most critical, as the Indians had -stated; the number of their warriors hourly increased, and on both sides -of the island there were large encampments, indicated by numerous fires. - -The day passed in this way, and there was no attack. No incident even -disturbed the tranquillity of the robbers till about the middle of the -following night. At this moment the darkness was thick, and not a star -glistened in the sky; the moon, obscured by clouds, only displayed her -pallid disc at intervals. - -One of those intense fogs which frequently prevail at this season on the -Rio Gila, had fallen, and ended by confusing all objects; the banks of -the river had disappeared from sight, and even the Indian campfires were -no longer visible. The hunters, seated in a circle, maintained the -deepest silence; each was yielding to the flood of bitter thoughts that -rose from his heart. All at once, amid the silence of the night, a -confused and indistinct sound was audible, like that of a paddle -striking the side of a canoe. - -"Hilloh! what's the meaning of this?" Valentine said. "Can the Apaches -be dreaming of surprising us?" - -"Let us have a look, at any rate," Don Pablo remarked. - -The five men rose, and glided silently through the bushes, in the -direction of the sound which had aroused them. After proceeding a -certain distance, Valentine stopped to listen. - -"I am certain I was not mistaken," he said to himself; "it was the sound -produced by a paddle falling in a canoe that I heard. Who can have come -to visit us? Perhaps it is some Indian deviltry." - -And the hunter sounded the darkness around him with his piercing and -unerring eye. All at once, he fancied he saw an object moving in the -fog. He went on; then after carefully examining this person, who grew -every moment more and more distinct, he drew himself up, and leant on -his rifle. - -"What the deuce do you want here at this hour, Sunbeam, my dear child?" -he asked in a low voice. - -The young Indian squaw, for it was really she whom the hunter had -addressed, laid a finger on her lip as if recommending prudence. - -"Follow me, Koutonepi," she said to him so softly that her voice -resembled a sigh. - -After going a few yards, the girl stooped, and made the hunter a sign to -follow her example. - -"Look," she said, pointing to one of those long and light canoes which -the Indians hollow out of enormous trees, and which carry ten persons -with ease. "Look." - -Valentine, in spite of his self-command, had difficulty in suppressing a -cry of joy. He held out his hand, saying with considerable emotion: - -"My brave girl!" - -"Sunbeam remembers," the Indian girl replied with a smile, "that -Koutonepi saved her; the heart of the white lady is kind, Sunbeam wishes -to save them all." - -The first moment of emotion past, the hunter, who was thoroughly -acquainted with the cunning and roguery of the redskins, bent a -scrutinising gaze on the girl. The Indian's face had an expression of -honesty which commanded confidence, and Valentine entered the canoe. - -It contained paddles, provisions, and, what caused him more pleasure -than all else, six large buffalo horns, full of gunpowder, and two bags -of bullets. - -"Good!" he said, "my daughter is grateful, Wacondah will protect her." - -Sunbeam's face expanded at these words. - -At this moment Don Pablo and the other hunters rejoined Valentine, and -learned with delight what had happened; the sight of the canoe restored -them all their energy. Shaw remained on guard, while Valentine, -accompanied by the others, and Sunbeam, returned to Dona Clara, whom -anxiety had aroused. - -"Here is a new friend I present to you," the hunter said, pointing to -the young Indian, who stood timidly behind him. - -"Oh! I know her," Dona Clara replied, as she embraced the girl, who was -quite confused by these caresses. - -"But tell me, Sunbeam," Valentine said, after the expiration of a -moment, "how comes it that you arrived here?" - -The Indian girl smiled haughtily. - -"Unicorn is a great warrior," she answered; "he has the glance of the -eagle, he knows all that happens in the prairie; he saw the danger his -brother, the great paleface hunter, ran, and his heart trembled with -sadness." - -"Yes," Valentine said, "the chief loves me." - -The Indian continued. - -"Unicorn sought a mode of coming to his brother's assistance; he was -wandering along the riverbank when the fog supplied him with the means -he so greatly desired; he placed Sunbeam in a canoe, ordered her to -come, and she came with joy, laughing at the Apache dogs, whose mole -eyes could not perceive her, when she passed in front of them." - -"Yes, it must be so," Valentine said, "but why did not the chief come -himself with his warriors, instead of sending you?" - -"Unicorn is a sachem," the squaw answered, "he is wise and prudent as he -is brave. The warriors had remained in the village; the chief was alone -with Sunbeam." - -"May heaven grant that your words be sincere, and that we may not have -cause to repent having placed confidence in you," Don Pablo said. - -"Sunbeam is a Comanche woman," the Indian replied haughtily; "her heart -is red, and her tongue is not forked." - -"I answer for her," Dona Clara said, impetuously; "she would not deceive -us." - -"I believe it," Valentine said; "but, at any rate, we shall see. There -is some honour among the redskins; besides, we shall be prudent. Now, I -presume that, like myself, you are all anxious to quit this island? My -advice is, that we should at once take advantage of the canoe this young -woman has brought us." - -"It is true, then," Dona Clara said joyfully, as she sprang up. - -"Yes," Valentine answered, "a magnificent canoe, in which we shall be -perfectly at our ease; and, better still, it is capitally found in food -and ammunition. Still, I think we should not do wrong by taking -advantage of the fog to escape, without giving the Indians a chance of -seeing us." - -"Be it so," Don Pablo said; "but once on firm ground, what road shall we -follow, as we have no horses? Come, Sunbeam, can you give us any advice -on that head?" - -"Listen," the young squaw said; "the Apaches are preparing for a great -expedition. They have called under arms all their brethren; and more -than three thousand warriors are traversing the prairie in every -direction at this moment. Their war parties hold all the paths. Two -nations alone would not respond to the invitation of the Apaches: they -are the Comanches and the Navajos. The villages of my tribe are not far -off, and I can try to lead you to them." - -"Very good," Don Pablo answered. "From what you tell us, the riverbanks -are guarded. Going up the Gila in a canoe is impossible, because within -two hours we should be inevitably scalped. I am therefore of opinion -that we should proceed by the shortest road to the nearest Comanche or -Navajo village. But, to do that, we require horses, for we must let no -grass grow under our feet." - -"Only one road is open," Sunbeam said, firmly. - -"Which?" Don Pablo asked. - -"The one that crosses the Apache camp." - -"Hum!" Valentine muttered, "That seems to me very dangerous. We are -only seven, and two of them are women." - -"That is true," Eagle-wing remarked, who had hitherto been silent; "but -it is, at the same time, the road which offers the best chances of -success." - -"Let us hear your plan, then," Valentine asked. - -"The Apaches," the sachem went on, "are numerous; they believe us -crushed and demoralised by the critical position in which we are. They -will never suppose that five men will have the audacity to enter their -camp; and their security is our strength." - -"Yes, but horses! Horses!" the hunter objected. - -"The Wacondah will provide them," the chief replied. "He never abandons -brave men, who place their confidence in him." - -"Well, let us trust in Heaven!" Valentine said. - -"I believe," said Dona Clara, who had listened to the conversation with -deep attention, "that the advice of our friend, the Indian warrior, is -good, and we ought to follow it." - -Eagle-wing bowed, while a smile of satisfaction played over his face. - -"Let it be as you desire," the hunter said, turning to the young Mexican -girl, "we will start without further delay." - -The cry of the jay was heard twice. - -"Hilloh!" the hunter went on, "What is going on now? That is Shaw's -signal." - -Everybody seized his weapon, and proceeded at full speed in the -direction whence the signal came; Dona Clara and Sunbeam remaining -behind, concealed in a thicket. - -Though unable to guess the motive which had caused Sunbeam to act in the -way she had done, Dona Clara had however, understood at the first word, -with that intuition which women possess, that Sunbeam was to be -trusted--that in the present case she was acting under the impression of -a good thought, and was entirely devoted to them for some reason or -another. Hence she bestowed the most affectionate caresses on her. - -Knowing, besides, the desire for rapine and the avarice which are the -foundation of the redskin character generally, she took off a gold -bracelet she wore on her right arm, and fastened it on the Indian's, -whose joy and happiness were raised to their acme by this pretty -present. - -Seduced by this unexpected munificence, although already devoted to -Valentine by the services he had rendered her, she attached herself -unreservedly to Dona Clara. - -"The pale virgin need not feel alarmed," she said in her soft and -musical voice; "she is my sister. I will save her, with the warriors who -accompany her." - -"Thanks," Dona Clara answered, "my sister is good; she is the wife of a -great chief; I shall ever be her friend. So soon as I have rejoined my -father, I will make her presents far more valuable than this." - -The young Indian clapped her dainty little hands, in sign of joy. - -"What is the matter there?" Valentine asked, on reaching Shaw, who, -lying on the ground with his rifle thrust forward, seemed trying to -pierce the darkness. - -"On my honour, I do not know," the latter replied simply, "but it seems -as if something extraordinary were going on around us. I see shadows -moving about the river, but can distinguish nothing, owing to the fog; I -hear dull sounds, and plashing in the water, and I fancy that the -Indians are going to attack us." - -"Yes," Valentine muttered, as if speaking to himself, "these are their -favourite tactics. They like to surprise their enemies, so let us look -out for the canoe." - -At this instant, a black mass pierced the fog, advancing slowly and -noiselessly up to the island. - -"Here they are," Valentine said, in a low voice. "Attention! Do not let -them land." - -The hunters hid themselves behind the shrubs. Valentine was not -mistaken: it was a raft loaded with Indian warriors coming up. So soon -as the Apaches were only a few yards from the island, five shots were -fired simultaneously, which spread death and disorder among them. - -The Apaches believed they should surprise their enemies asleep, and were -far from expecting so rough a reception. Seeing their plans foiled, and -that the enemy were ready for action, there was a momentary hesitation; -still, shame gained the victory over prudence, and they continued to -advance. - -This raft was the vanguard of some dozen others, still hidden in the -fog, awaiting the result of the reconnoissance made by the first. If the -hunters were awake, they had orders to return without attacking them, -which they obeyed. The first raft had the same instructions, but it had -either got into a current which urged it on, or, as was more probable, -the Indians wished to avenge their comrades, and they consequently -advanced. - -This time the word of command was given by Valentine, and the Apaches -landed without being disturbed. They all rushed forward brandishing -their clubs, and uttering their war yell, but were received with clubbed -rifles, felled or drowned, ere they had scarce time to walk a couple of -paces on land. - -"Now," Valentine said coldly, "we shall be quiet the whole night. I know -the Indians, they will not recommence the attack. Don Pablo, be so good -as to warn Dona Clara: Shaw and the Coras warrior will get the canoe -ready, and, if you think proper, we will start at once." - -Curumilla had already prepared to pull the canoe into a more suitable -spot for embarking than the mass of tall grass and shrubs in which it -was concealed, but, as he was about to leap into it, he fancied he saw -that it was sensibly moving from the bank. - -Curumilla, much surprised, stepped into the river, in order to discover -the cause of this unusual movement. The canoe was moving further and -further, and was already three or four yards from the bank. Completely -liberated from the reeds, it was cutting the current at right angles, -with a continuous and regular movement, which proved that it was obeying -some secret and intelligent influence. - -Curumilla, more and more surprised, but determined to know the truth, -proceeded silently to the bow of the boat, and then all was explained. -An end of rope, intended to tie up the canoe and prevent it from -drifting, was hanging over; an Apache was holding this end between his -teeth, and swimming vigorously in the direction of the camp, dragging -the canoe with him. - -"My brother is fatigued," Curumilla said, ironically; "he must let me in -my turn direct the canoe." - -"Ouchi!" the Indian exclaimed, in his alarm; and, letting loose the -rope, he dived. Curumilla dived upon him. For some minutes the river was -agitated by a submarine shock, and then the two men reappeared on the -surface. Curumilla held the Apache tightly by the throat. - -He then drew his knife, buried it twice in the Indian's heart and lifted -his scalp, and letting go of the corpse, which floated swiftly on the -river, he leaped into the canoe, which during the short struggle had -continued to drift, and brought it back to the isle. - -"Hilloh!" Valentine said, laughing; "Where on earth do you come from, -chief? I thought you were lost." Without uttering a syllable, Curumilla -showed him the bloody scalp hanging from his girdle. - -"Good," said Valentine; "I comprehend; my brother is a great warrior, -nothing escapes him." - -The Araucano smiled proudly. The little party had collected; the -embarkation took place at once, and the men, each seizing a paddle, -began crossing the river slowly and silently, thanks to Curumilla's -precaution of muffling the paddles with leaves. - -The hearts of these men, brave as they were, palpitated with fear, for -they did not yet dare believe in the success of their daring project. - - - - -CHAPTER XVII. - -INDIAN HOSPITALITY. - - -Not only was the attempt of the hunters to escape not so desperate as -the reader might be inclined to suppose, but it even offered, up to a -certain point, great chances of success. - -The Apaches, when encamped in sight of an enemy, never keep watch, -unless they form a weak detachment of warriors, and find themselves -opposed to a far superior force; but even in that case these sentries -are so careless that it is extremely easy to surprise them, which often -happens, by the way, without rendering them any the more cautious. - -In the case of which we write, hardly a few miles from their village, -and having an effective strength of nearly eight hundred bold warriors, -they could not suppose that five men, who had sought shelter in an -island, without the means of quitting it, would attempt such a daring -stroke. - -Hence, after their attempted surprise of the whites had failed, they -returned to sleep, some round the fires, others in the tents erected by -their wives, waiting patiently for the morrow to attack their foes from -all sides at once, which offered a certain chance of success. - -In the meanwhile the hunters advanced toward the bank, concealed by the -fog that enfolded them like a winding sheet, and hid their movements -from the eyes interested in spying them. In this way they arrived in -sight of the fires, whose uncertain gleams became weaker and weaker, and -they saw their enemies lying down asleep. - -Eagle-wing, at a hint from Sunbeam, steered the canoe to the foot of a -rock, whose commanding mass stood about thirty feet over the river, and -offered them under its flank a propitious shelter to disembark in -security. - -So soon as they landed, the hunters took Indian file, and with their -rifles ready, they stealthily marched toward the camp, stopping at -intervals to look anxiously around them, or listen to any suspicious -sound. - -Then, when all became quiet again, they resumed their venturesome march, -gliding past tents and at times stepping over the sleepers at the fire, -whom the slightest badly-calculated movement would have aroused. - -It is impossible to form a correct idea of such a march unless you have -made one yourself. A man gifted with the most energetic mind could not -endure its terrible emotions for an hour. With oppressed chest, haggard -eyes, and limbs agitated by a feverish and convulsive motion, the -hunters passed through the midst of their ferocious enemies, knowing -perfectly well that, if they were discovered, it would be all over with -them, and that they would perish in the most horrible agony. - -On reaching almost the extreme limit of the camp, an Indian, lying -across the path they were following, suddenly made a movement and sat -up, instinctively seizing his lance. One shout and the hunters were -lost! Curumilla walked straight up to the Indian, who was stupefied by -the sight of this funereal and fantastic procession, which he could not -comprehend, and was followed by his comrades, whose step was so light -that they seemed to glide over the ground without touching it. - -The Apache, terrified by this apparition, which, in his superstitious -belief, he attributed to the heavenly powers, crossed his arms on his -chest and silently bowed his head. The band passed, the Indian not -making a sigh or uttering a word. The hunters had scarce disappeared -behind some rising ground, when the Apache ventured to lift his eyes; he -was then convinced that he had had a vision, and without trying to -account for what he had seen, he lay down and went quietly to sleep -again. By this time the hunters had emerged from the camp. - -"Now," said Valentine, "the worst is over." - -"On the contrary," Don Pablo observed, "our position is more precarious -than ever, since we are in the midst of our enemies, and have no -horses." - -Curumilla laid his hand on his shoulder, and looked at him softly. "My -brother will be patient," he said, "he will soon have them." - -"How so?" the young man asked. - -"Sunbeam," the Aucas Chief continued, "must know where the horses of the -tribe are." - -"I know it," she replied, laconically. - -"Very good; my sister will guide me." - -"Chief, one moment: the deuce!" Valentine exclaimed, "I will not let you -run this new danger alone; it would be a dishonour to my white skin." - -"My brother can come." - -"That is exactly what I mean to do. Don Pablo will remain here with Shaw -and Eagle-wing near Dona Clara, while we attempt this new expedition. -What do you think of it, Don Pablo?" - -"That your plan, my friend, is worth nothing." - -"Why so?" - -"For this reason: we are here two paces from the Apaches, and one of -them may awake at any moment. Just now we escaped only by a miracle; who -knows how our enterprise will turn? If we separate, perhaps we may never -come together again. My opinion is, that we should all go together to -look for the horses; we should then save time in useless coming and -going, and this will give us a considerable advantage." - -"That is true," Valentine answered; "let us go together, and in that way -we shall have finished sooner." - -Sunbeam then began guiding the little party, but instead of re-entering -the camp, as the hunters feared, she skirted it for some distance; then, -making a sign to her companions to stop and wait, she advanced alone. -Within five minutes she returned. - -"The horses are there," she said, pointing to a spot in the fog; "they -are hobbled, and guarded by a man walking up and down near them. What -will my pale brothers do?" - -"Kill the man, and seize the horses we want," Don Pablo said; "we are -not in such a situation that we can be fastidious." - -"Why kill the poor man, if he can be got rid of otherwise?" Dona Clara -said, softly. - -"That is true," Valentine supported her, "we are not wild beasts, hang -it all!" - -"The warrior shall not be killed," Curumilla said, in his grave voice; -"my pale brothers must wait." - -And seizing the lasso he always carried about him, the Aucas lay down on -the ground, and began crawling through the tall grass. He soon -disappeared in the fog. - -The Apache sentry was strolling carelessly along, when Curumilla -suddenly rose behind him, and seizing his neck in both his hands, he -squeezed it with such force that the Apache, taken unawares, had not -time to utter a cry. - -In a turn of the hand he was thrown down, and garotted, and that so -promptly that he was choked as much by the sudden attack as by the -terror that had seized on him. The chief put his prisoner on his -shoulders, and deposited him at Dona Clara's feet, saying--"My sister's -wishes are accomplished, this man is safe and sound." - -"Thank you," the maiden answered, with a charming smile. - -Curumilla turned red with delight. - -Without loss of time, the hunters seized the seven best horses they came -across, which they saddled, and then shod with _parfleche_ to avoid the -sound of their hoofs on the sand. - -This time, Valentine assumed the command of the party. So soon as the -horses were urged into a gallop, all their chests, oppressed by the -moving interludes of the struggle which had continued so long, dilated, -and hope returned to their hearts. The hunters were at length in the -desert; before them they had space, good horses, arms and ammunition. -They fancied themselves saved, and were so to a certain extent, as -their enemies still slept, little suspecting their daring escape. - -The night was half spent, and the fog covered the fugitives. They had at -least six hours before them, and they profited by them. - -The horses, urged to their utmost speed, went two leagues without -stopping. At sunrise the fog was dissipated by the first beams; and the -hunters instinctively raised their heads. The desert was calm, nothing -disturbed its majestic solitude; in the distance a few elks and -buffaloes were browsing on the prairie grass, a sure sign of the absence -of Indians, whom these intelligent animals scent at great distances. - -Valentine, in order to let the horses breathe awhile, as well as draw -breath himself, checked the headlong speed, which had no further object. -The region on which the hunters found themselves in no way resembled -that they had quitted a few hours previously; here and there, the -monotony of the landscape was broken by lofty trees; on either side -stretched out high hills. At times they forded some of the innumerable -streams which fall from the mountains, and, after the most capricious -windings, are swallowed up in the Gila. - -At about eight o'clock Valentine noticed, a little to the left, a light -cloud of bluish smoke rising in a spiral to the sky. - -"What is that?" Don Pablo asked, anxiously. - -"A hunter's encampment, doubtless," Valentine answered. - -"No," Curumilla said; "that is not a paleface, but an Indian, fire." - -"How the deuce can you see that, chief? I fancy all fires are the same, -and produce smoke," Don Pablo said. - -"Yes," Valentine remarked, "all fires produce smoke; but there is a -difference in smoke--is there not, chief?" he added, addressing -Curumilla. - -"Yes," the latter answered laconically. - -"All that is very fine," Don Pablo went on; "but can you explain to me, -chief, by what you see, that the smoke is produced by a redskin fire?" - -Curumilla shrugged his shoulders without replying--Eagle-wing took the -word. - -"The whites, when they light fires," he said, "take the first wood to -hand." - -"Of course," said Don Pablo. - -"Most frequently they collect green wood: in that case the wood, which -is damp, produces in burning a white thick smoke, very difficult to hide -on the prairie; while the Indians only employ dry wood, whose smoke is -light, thin, almost impalpable, and soon becomes confused with the sky." - -"Decidedly, on the desert," Don Pablo said, with an air of conviction, -"the Indians are better than us; we shall never come up to them." - -"Humph!" said Valentine; "If you were to live with them a while, they -would teach you plenty more things." - -"Look," Eagle-wing continued; "what did I tell you?" - -In fact, during this conversation the hunters had continued their -journey, and at this moment were not more than a hundred yards from the -spot where the fire burned which had given rise to so many comments. -Two Indians, completely armed and equipped for war, were standing in -front of the travellers, waving their buffalo robes in sign of peace. - -Valentine quivered with joy on recognising them; these men were -Comanches, that is to say, friends and allies, since the hunter was an -adopted son of that nation. Valentine ordered his little party to halt, -and carelessly throwing his rifle on his back, he pushed on, and soon -met the still motionless Indians. - -After exchanging the different questions always asked in such cases on -the prairie, as to the state of the roads and the quantity of game, the -hunter, though he was well aware of the fact, asked the Indians to what -nation they belonged. - -"Comanches," one of the warriors answered, proudly. "My nation is the -Queen of the Prairies." - -Valentine bowed, as if fully convinced. "I know," he said, "that the -Comanches are invincible warriors. Who can resist them?" - -It was the Indian's turn to bow, with a smile of satisfaction at this -point-blank compliment. - -"Is my brother a chief?" Valentine again asked. - -"I am Pethonista (the Eagle)," the Indian said, regarding the hunter -like a man persuaded that he was about to produce a profound sensation. - -He was not mistaken; for the name was that of one of the most venerated -chiefs of the Comanche nation. - -"I know my brother," Valentine answered; "I am very happy to have met -him." - -"Let my brother speak; I am listening to him: the great white hunter is -no stranger to the Comanches, who have adopted him." - -"What?" the hunter exclaimed; "Do you know me too, chief?" - -The warrior smiled. - -"Unicorn is the most powerful Sachem of the Comanches," he said. "On -leaving his village twelve hours ago, he warned his brother Pethonista -that he expected a great white warrior adopted by the tribe." - -"It is him," said Valentine. "Unicorn is a part of myself, and the sight -of him dilates my heart. Personally, I have nothing to say to you, -chief, since the sachem has instructed you; but I bring with me friends -and two females--one is Sunbeam, the other the White Lily of the -Valley." - -"The White Lily is welcome among my people: my sons will make it a duty -to serve her," the Indian answered nobly. - -"Thanks, chief. I expected nothing less from you. Permit me to rejoin my -companions, who are doubtless growing impatient, to tell them of the -fortunate meeting with which the Master of Life has favoured me." - -"Good. My brother can return to his friends, and I shall go before him -to the village, in order to warn my young men of the arrival of a -warrior of our nation." - -Valentine smiled at this remark. - -"My brother is the master," he said. - -After bowing to the Indian chief, he returned to his companions, who did -not know to what circumstance they should attribute his lengthened -absence. - -"They are friends," Valentine said, pointing to Pethonista, who had -leaped on a mustang, and started at full speed. "Unicorn, on leaving his -village, ordered the chief I have been speaking to, to do us the honours -until his return. So look, Don Pablo, how he hurries to announce our -arrival to the warriors of his tribe." - -"Heaven be praised!" the young man said, "For ease and rest in safety. -Suppose we push on?" - -"Do not do so, my friend. On the contrary, if you will take my advice, -we shall reduce our pace. The Comanches are doubtless preparing us a -reception, and we should annoy them by arriving too soon." - -"I do not wish that," Don Pablo replied. "In fact, we have nothing to -fear now, so we can continue our journey at a trot." - -"Yes; for nothing presses on us. In an hour at the most we shall have -arrived." - -"May Heaven be thanked for the protection it has deigned to grant us," -the young man said, looking up with a glance of gratitude. - -The little party continued to advance in the presumed direction of the -village. - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII. - -LOVE! - - -An hour later, the hunters, on reaching the top of a hill, perceived, -about a mile ahead of them, a large village, before which three hundred -Indian warriors were ranged in battle array. - -At the sight of the whites the warriors advanced at a gallop, making -their horses curvet and dance, and discharging their muskets in the air. -They uttered their war cry, and unfolded their buffalo robes, -performing, in a word, all the usual evolutions in a friendly reception. - -Valentine made his companions to imitate the Indians; and the hunters, -who asked nothing better than to display their skill, descended the hill -at headlong speed, shouting and discharging their rifles, amid the yells -of joy from the redskins, who were delighted at this triumphal arrival -among them. - -After the usual salutations and expressions of welcome, the Comanches -formed a semicircle round the hunters, and Pethonista advanced to -Valentine, and held out his hand, saying:-- - -"My brother is an adopted son of the nation. He is at home. The -Comanches are happy to see him. The longer he remains among them with -the persons who accompany him, the more pleasure he will cause them. A -calli is prepared for my brother, and a second for the White Lily of the -Valley; a third for his friends. We have killed many buffaloes; my -brothers will eat their meat with us. When our brother leaves us, our -hearts will be swollen with sorrow. Hence my brother must remain as long -as possible with his Comanche friends, if he wishes to see them happy." - -Valentine, well versed in Indian customs, replied graciously to this -harangue, and the two bands, smiling, made their entry into the village -to the sound of the chichikouis, conches, and Indian instruments, -mingled with the voices of the women and children, and the barking of -the dogs, which produced the most horrible row imaginable. - -On reaching the village square, the chief conducted the guests to the -huts prepared to receive them, which stood side by side, after which he -invited them to rest, with a politeness that a man more civilised than -him might have envied, after telling them at twelve o'clock they would -be summoned to the meal. - -Valentine thanked Pethonista for the kind attention he displayed to him -and his comrades: then, after installing Dona Clara in a hut with -Sunbeam, he entered his own, after recommending the hunters to display -the greatest prudence toward the Comanches, who, like all Indians, are -punctilious, irascible, and susceptible to the highest degree. - -Curumilla lay down without saying a word, like a good watchdog, across -the door of the lodge inhabited by Dona Clara. So soon as the two -females were alone, Sunbeam seated herself at the Mexican lady's feet, -and, fixing on her a bright glance, full of tenderness, she said, in a -soft and caressing voice-- - -"Is my sister, the White Lily of the Valley, satisfied with me? Have I -faithfully fulfilled the obligation I contracted toward her?" - -"What obligation was that, child?" the girl said, as she passed her hand -through the Indian's long hair which she began plaiting. - -"That of saving you, my sister, and conducting you in safety to the -callis of my nation." - -"Yes, yes, poor girl," she said, tenderly, "your devotion to me has been -unbounded, and I know not how I can ever requite it." - -"Do not speak of that," the Indian said, with a charming pout. "Now that -my sister has nothing more to fear, I will leave her." - -"You would leave me, Sunbeam?" Dona Clara exclaimed anxiously. "Why so?" - -"Yes," the young woman answered, as she frowned, and her voice became -stern, "I have a duty to accomplish. I have taken an oath, and my sister -well knows that is sacred. I must go." - -"But where are you going, my poor child? Whence arises this sudden -thought of leaving me? What do you intend? Where are you about to -proceed?" - -"My sister must not ask me. Her questions would only grieve me, for I -cannot answer her." - -"Then you have secrets from me, Sunbeam. You will not give me your -confidence? Fool! Do you fancy I do not know what you intend doing?" - -"My sister knows my plan!" The Indian interrupted her with flashing eye, -while a convulsive tremor passed over her limbs. - -"Yes, I do," the other answered with a smile. "Unicorn is a renowned -warrior, and my sister is doubtless anxious to rejoin him?" - -The Indian shook her head in denial. - -"No," she said, "Sunbeam is following her vengeance." - -"Oh, yes, poor child," Dona Clara said, as she pressed the young squaw -to her heart, "I know from what a fearful catastrophe Don Valentine -saved you." - -"Koutonepi is a great warrior. Sunbeam loves him; but Stanapat is a dog, -son of an Apache devil." - -The two women wept for several minutes, silently mingling their tears, -but the Indian, overcoming grief, dried her red eyes with a passionate -gesture, and tore herself from the arms that held her. - -"Why weep?" she said. "Only cowards and weak people groan and lament. -Indian squaws do not weep. When they are insulted they avenge -themselves," she added, with an accent full of strange resolution. "My -sister must let me depart! I can no longer be useful to her, and other -cares claim my attention." - -"Go, then, poor girl. Act as your heart orders you. I have no right -either to retain you or prevent you acting as you please." - -"Thanks," the Indian said. "My sister is kind. The Wacondah will not -desert her." - -"Cannot you tell me what you intend doing?" - -"I cannot." - -"At any rate, tell me in what direction you are going?" - -The girl shook her head with discouragement. - -"Does the leaf detached from the tree by a high wind know in what -direction it will be carried? I am the leaf. So my sister must ask me no -more." - -"As you wish it, I will be silent; but before we separate, perhaps -forever, let me make you a present, which will recall me to mind when I -am far from you." - -Sunbeam laid her hand on her heart with a charming gesture. - -"My sister is there," she said, with emotion. - -"Listen," the maiden continued: "last night I gave you a bracelet; here -is another. These ornaments are useless to me, and I shall be happy if -they please you." - -She unfastened the bracelet, and fastened it on the Indian's arm. The -latter allowed her to do it, and, after kissing the pearl several times, -she raised her head and held out her hand to the young Mexican. - -"Farewell!" she said to her, with a shaking voice. "My sister will pray -to her God for me: He is said to be powerful, perhaps He will come to my -help." - -"Hope, poor child!" Dona Clara said, as she held her in her arms. - -Sunbeam shook her head sadly, and, making a last sign of farewell to her -companion, she bounded like a startled fawn, rushed to the door, and -disappeared. - -The young Mexican remained for a long time pensive after Sunbeam's -departure; the Indian's veiled words and embarrassed countenance had -excited her curiosity to the highest degree. On the other hand, the -interest she could not forbear taking in this extraordinary woman, who -had rendered her a signal service, or, to speak more correctly, a gloomy -presentiment warned her that Sunbeam was leaving her to undertake one of -those dangerous expeditions which the Indians like to carry out without -help of any soul. - -About two hours elapsed. The maiden, with her head bowed on her bosom, -went over in her mind the strange events which had led her, incident by -incident, to the spot where she now was. All at once a stifled sigh -reached her ear; she raised her head with surprise, and saw a man -standing before her, humbly leaning against a beam of the calli, and -gazing on her with a strange meaning in his glance. It was Shaw, Red -Cedar's son. - -Dona Clara blushed and looked down in confusion; Shaw remained silent, -with his eyes fixed on her, intoxicating himself with the happiness of -seeing and contemplating her at his ease. The girl, seated alone in this -wretched Indian hut, before the man who so many times had nobly risked -his life for her, fell into profound and serious thought. - -A strange trouble seized upon her--her breast heaved under the pressure -of her emotion. She did not at all comprehend the delicious sensations -which at times made her quiver. Her eye, veiled with a soft languor, -rested involuntarily on this man, handsome as an ancient Antinous, who -with his haughty glance, his indomitable character, whom a frown from -her made tremble--the wild son of the desert, who had hitherto known no -will but his own! - -On seeing him, so handsome and so brave, she felt herself attracted to -him by all the strength of her soul. Though she was ignorant of the word -love, for some time an unconscious revolution had taken place in her -mind: she now began to understand that divine union of two souls, which -are commingled in one, in an eternal communion of thoughts of joy and -suffering. - -In a word, she was about to love! - -"What do you want with me, Shaw?" she asked, timidly. - -"I wish to tell you, senorita," he answered, in a rough voice, marked, -however, with extraordinary tenderness, "that, whatever may happen, -whenever you have need of a man to die for you, you will have no -occasion to seek him for I will be there." - -"Thanks," she answered, smiling, in spite of herself, at the strangeness -of the offer and the way in which it was made; "but here we have nothing -to fear." - -"Perhaps," he went on. "No one knows what the morrow has in store." - -Women have a decided taste for taming ferocious animals: like all -natures essentially nervous, woman is a creature of feeling, whose -passion dwells in her head rather than in her heart. Love with a woman -is only an affair of pride or a struggle to endure: as she is weak, she -always wishes to conquer, and above all dominates at the outset, in -order to become presently more completely the slave of the man she -loves, when she has proved her strength, by holding him panting at her -feet. - -Owing to that eternal law of contrasts which governs the world, a woman -will never love any man but him who, for some reason or another, -flatters her pride. At any rate, it is so in the desert. I do not -pretend to speak for our charming European ladies, who are a composite -of grace and attraction, and who, like the angels, only belong to -humanity, by the tip of their little wing, which scarce grazes the -earth. - -Dona Clara was a Mexican. Her exceptional position among Indians, the -dangers to which she had been exposed, the weariness that undermined -her--all these causes combined must dispose her in favour of the young -savage, whose ardent passion she divined, with that intuition peculiar -to all women. - -She yielded so far as to answer him, and encourage him to speak. Was it -sport, or did she act in good; faith? No one could say: woman's heart is -a book, in which man has never yet been able to construe a word. - -One of those long and pleasant conversations now begun between the two -young people, during which, though the word "love" is not once uttered, -it is expressed at every instant on the lips, and causes the heart to -palpitate, which it plunges into those divine ecstacies, forgotten by -ripe age, but which render those who experience them so happy. - -Shaw, placed at his ease by the complacent kindness of Dona Clara, was -no longer the same man. He found in his heart expressions which, in -spite of herself made the maiden quiver, and put her into a confusion -she could not understand. - -At the hour indicated by Pethonista, a Comanche warrior appeared at the -door of the calli, and broke off the conversation. He was ordered to -lead the strangers to the meal prepared for them in the chief's lodge. -Dona Clara went out at once, followed by Shaw, whose heart was ready to -burst with joy. - -And yet what had Dona Clara said to him? Nothing. But she had let him -speak, and listened to him with interest, and at times smiled at his -remarks. The poor young man asked no more to be happy, and he was so, -more than he had ever been before. - -Valentine, Don Pablo, and the two Indians were awaiting Dona Clara. So -soon as she appeared, all proceeded to the calli of the chief, preceded -by the Comanche warrior, who served as guide. - - - - -CHAPTER XIX. - -THE DANCE OF THE OLD DOGS. - - -Pethonista received his guests with all the refinements of Indian -courtesy, obliging them to eat when he fancied he noticed that what was -placed before them pleased their taste. - -It is not always agreeable to a white man to be invited to an Indian -dinner; for, among the redskins, etiquette prescribes that you should -eat everything offered you without leaving a mouthful. Acting otherwise -would greatly offend the Anfitryon. Hence the position of small eaters -is very disagreeable at times: owing to the vast capacity of Indian -stomachs, they find themselves under the harsh necessity of undergoing -an attack of indigestion, or attract on themselves a quarrel which must -have serious consequences. - -Fortunately nothing of this sort occurred on the present occasion, and -the repast terminated satisfactorily to all. When dinner was over, -Valentine rose, and bowing thrice to the company, said to the chief-- - -"I thank my brother, in the name of my comrades and myself, for his -gracious reception. In a thousand moons the recollection of it will not -be effaced from my mind. But warriors have something else to do than to -eat, when serious interests claim their attention. Will my brother -Pethonista hear the news I have to impart to him?" - -"Has my brother a secret communication to make to me, or does his -message interest the whole tribe?" - -"My message concerns all." - -"Wah! my brother must be patient, then. Tomorrow--perhaps in a few -hours--Unicorn, our great sachem, will have returned, and my brother can -then speak with him." - -"If Unicorn were here," Valentine said quickly, "two words would -suffice; but he is absent, and time presses. For a second time I ask my -brother to listen to me." - -"Good; as my brother wishes it, in an instant all the chiefs shall be -assembled in the great audience lodge, above the vault in which burns -the fire of Montecuhzoma." - -Valentine bowed in acquiescence. - -We will say something here about the fire of Montecuhzoma, which is not -without interest to the reader. - -This singular custom has been handed down from age to age, especially -among the Comanches. They state that, at the period of the conquest, and -a few days prior to his death, Montecuhzoma,[1] having a presentiment of -the fate that surely awaited him, lit a sacred fire and ordered their -ancestors to keep it up, never allowing it to expire until the day when -he returned to deliver his people from the Spanish yoke. - -The guard of this sacred fire was confided to picked warriors; it was -placed in a vault, in a copper basin, on a species of small altar, where -it constantly smoulders under a dense layer of ashes. - -Montecuhzoma announced at the same time that he would return with the -Sun, his father; hence, at the first hour of day, many Indians mount on -the roof of their callis, in the hope of seeing their well-beloved -sovereign reappear, accompanied by the day planet. These poor Indians, -who constantly maintain in their hearts the hope of their future -regeneration, are convinced that this event, will be accomplished, -unless the fire go out, through some reason impossible to foresee. - -Scarce fifty years ago, the persons appointed to maintain the secret -fire were relieved every two days, thus passing eight-and-forty hours -without eating, drinking or sleeping. It frequently happened that these -poor wretches, asphyxiated by the carbonic gas in the narrow space where -they stopped, and weakened by the long fast, succumbed to their -religious devotion. Then, according to the Indians, the bodies were -thrown into the den of a monstrous serpent, which devoured them. - -At the present day this strange belief is beginning to die out, although -the fire of Montecuhzoma may be found in nearly all the pueblos; but the -old custom is not kept up so vigorously, and the serpent is obliged to -obtain his food in a different fashion. - -I knew at the Paso del Norte a rich hacendero of Indian origin, who, -though he would not confess it, and asserted a very advanced degree of -belief, preciously kept up the fire of Montecuhzoma, in a vault he made -for this express purpose, at a considerable expense. - -The Comanches are divided into a number of small tribes, all placed -under the orders of a special chief. When this chief is old or infirm, -he surrenders the military command to the one of his sons most -distinguished by his bravery, only retaining the civil jurisdiction; on -the father's death, the son attains the complete sovereignty. - -The chief summoned an old Indian who was leaning against the wall of the -lodge, and bade him assemble the council. In the Comanche villages the -old men incapable for active service, and whom their merits have not -raised to the rank of chief, perform the office of crier. They undertake -to announce the news to the population, transmit the orders of the -sachem, organise the ceremonies, and convene the council. They are all -men gifted with powerful voices; they mount on the roof of a calli, and -from this improvised pulpit perform those duties, with an extraordinary -quantity of shouts and gestures. - -When the chiefs were assembled, Pethonista humbly led his guests to the -council lodge, called the great medicine lodge. It was a large cabin, -completely without furniture, in the midst of which an enormous fire -burned. Some twenty chiefs were assembled, and gravely crouched in a -circle; they maintained the most profound silence. - -Ordinarily, no stranger is admitted to the council; but on this occasion -this was departed from, owing to Valentine's quality as an adopted son -of the tribe. The newcomers took their place. A chair of sculptured -nopal was placed in a corner for Dona Clara, who, by a privilege -unprecedented in Indian manners, and through her double quality of white -woman and stranger, was present at the council, which is never permitted -a squaw, except in the rare instance when she holds the rank of warrior. - -So soon as each was comfortably settled, the pipe bearer entered the -circle, holding the calumet, which he presented ready-lighted to -Pethonista. The chief pointed it to the four cardinal points, and smoked -for a few seconds; then, holding the bowl in his hand, he offered the -stem to all present in turn, who imitated him. When all had smoked, the -chief returned the pipe to the bearer, who emptied it into the fire, -while pronouncing some mysterious words addressed to the Sun, that great -dispenser of all the good things of this world, and walked backward out -of the circle. - -"Our ears are open, my brother; the great pale hunter can take the word. -We have removed the skin from our heart, and the words his bosom -breathes will be carefully received by us. We impatiently await the -communications which he has to make us," the chief said, bowing -courteously to Valentine. - -"What I have to say will not take long," the hunter answered. "Are my -brothers still the faithful allies of the palefaces?" - -"Why should we not be so?" the chief sharply interrupted him. "The great -pale hearts have been constantly good to us; they buy of our beaver -skins and buffalo robes, giving us in exchange gunpowder, bullets, and -scalping knives. When we are ill, our pale friends nurse us, and give us -all we need. When the winter is severe--when the buffaloes are gone, -and famine is felt in the villages--the whites come to our help. Why, -then, shall we no longer be their allies? The Comanches are not -ungrateful; they have a noble and generous heart; they never forget a -kindness. We shall be the friend of the whites so long as the sun lights -the universe." - -"Thanks, chief," the hunter answered; "I am glad you have spoken in that -way, for the hour has come to prove your friendship to us." - -"What does my brother mean?" - -"The Apaches have dug up the hatchet against us: their war parties are -marching to surround our friend, Bloodson. I have come to ask my -brothers if they will help us to repulse and beat back our enemies." - -There was a moment's silence, and the Indians seemed to be seriously -reflecting on the hunter's words. At length, Pethonista said, after -giving the members of the council a glance-- - -"The enemies of Bloodson and of my brother are our enemies," he said, in -a loud and firm voice. "My young men will go to the help of the -palefaces. The Comanches will not suffer their allies to be insulted. My -brother may rejoice at the success of his mission. Unicorn, I feel -convinced, would not have answered differently from me, had he been -present at the council. Tomorrow, at sunrise, all the warriors of my -tribe will set out to the assistance of Bloodson. I have spoken. Have I -said well, powerful chiefs?" - -"Our father has spoken well," the chiefs replied, with a bow. "What he -desires shall be done." - -"Wah!" Pethonista went on; "my sons will prepare to celebrate worthily -the arrival of our white friends in their village, and prove that we are -warriors without fear. The Old Dogs will dance in the medicine lodge." - -Shouts of joy greeted these words. The Indians, who are supposed to be -so little civilised, have a number of associations, bearing a strong -likeness to Freemasonry. These associations are distinguished by their -songs, dances, and certain signs. Before becoming a member, the novice -has certain trials to undergo, and several degrees to pass through. The -Comanches have eleven associations for men and three for women, the -scalp dance not included. - -We will allude here solely to the Band of the Old Dogs, an association -which only the most renowned warriors of the nation can join, and whose -dance is only performed when an expedition is about to take place, in -order to implore the protection of Natosh. - -The strangers mounted on the roof of the medicine lodge with a multitude -of Indians, and when all had taken their places, the ceremony commenced. -Before the dancers appeared, the sound of their war whistles,--made of -human thigh bones, could be heard; and at length ninety "Old Dogs" came -up, attired in their handsomest dresses. - -A portion were clothed in gowns or shirts of bighorn leather; others had -blouses of red cloth, and blue and scarlet uniforms the Americans had -given them, on their visits to the frontier forts. Some had the upper -part of the body naked, and their exploits painted in reddish brown on -their skin; others, and those the most renowned, wore a colossal cap of -raven plumes, to the ends of which small tufts of down were fastened. -This cap fell down to the loins, and in the centre of this shapeless -mass of feathers were the tail of a wild turkey and that of a royal -eagle. - -Round their necks the principal Old Dogs wore a long strip of red cloth, -descending behind to their legs, and forming a knot in the middle of the -back. They had on the right side of the head a thick tuft of screech owl -feathers, the distinctive sign of the band. All had round their necks -the long _ihkochekas_, and on the left arm their fusil, bow, or club, -while in their right hand they held the chichikoui. - -This is a stick adorned with blue and white glass beads, completely -covered with animals' hoofs, having at the upper end an eagle's feather, -and at the lower a piece of leather embroidered with beads and decorated -with scalps. - -The warriors formed a wide circle, in the centre of which was the drum, -beaten by five badly dressed men. In addition to these, there were also -two others, who played a species of tambourine. When the dance began, -the Old Dogs let their robes fall behind them, some dancing in a -circle, with the body bent forward, and leaping in the air with both -feet at once. - -The other Dogs danced without any order, their faces turned to the -circle, the majority collected in a dense mass, and bending their heads -and the upper part of the body simultaneously. During this period, the -war whistles, the drums, and chichikouis made a fearful row. This scene -offered a most original and interesting sight--these brown men, their -varied costumes, their yells, and the sounds of every description -produced by the delighted spectators, who clapped their hands with -grimaces and contortions impossible to describe, in the midst of the -Indian village, near a gloomy and mysterious virgin forest, a few paces -from the Rio Gila; in this desert where the hand of God is marked in -indelible characters--all this affected the mind, and plunged it into a -melancholy reverie. - -The dance had lasted some time, and would have been probably prolonged, -when the fierce and terrible war cry of the Apaches re-echoed through -the air. Shots were heard, and Indian horsemen rushed like lightning on -the Comanches, brandishing their weapons, and uttering terrible yells. -Black Cat, at the head of more than five hundred warriors, had attacked -the Comanches. - -There was a frightful disorder and confusion. The women and children ran -frantically in every direction, pursued by their ferocious enemies, who -pitilessly scalped and massacred them, while the warriors collected, -mostly badly armed, in order to attempt a desperate, but almost -impossible, resistance. - -The hunters, stationed, as we have said, on the top of the hut whence -they had witnessed the dance, found themselves in a most critical -position. Fortunately for them, thanks to their old habit as wood -rangers, they had not forgotten their weapons. - -Valentine understood the position at the first glance. He saw that, -unless a miracle occurred, they were all lost. Placing himself with his -comrades before the terrified maiden, to make her a rampart of his body, -he resolutely cocked his rifle, and said to his friends, in a firm -voice:-- - -"Lads, the question is not about conquering, but we must all prepare to -die here!" - -"We will," Don Pablo said haughtily. - -And with his clubbed rifle he killed an Apache who was trying to -escalade the hut. - - -[1] And not Montezuma, as ordinarily written. All Mexican names had, and -still have, a meaning. Montecuhzoma means the "severe Lord." It is also -sometimes written in old Mexican MSS. of the time of the conquest -Moctecuhzoma, but never Montezuma, which has no meaning. - - - - -CHAPTER XX. - -A HAND-TO-HAND FIGHT. - - -In order to explain thoroughly to our readers the sudden attack on the -Comanche village, we are compelled to return to Red Cedar. - -Black Cat had left the council to proceed to the pirates, who were ready -to follow him; but as Red Cedar had noticed that the agitation -prevailing in the camp on his arrival had increased instead of -diminishing, he could not refrain from asking the chief what it all -meant, and what had happened. - -Black Cat had hastened to satisfy him by narrating the miraculous flight -of Dona Clara, who had disappeared with her companions, and no one could -imagine what had become of them. Since the morning, the most experienced -warriors of the tribe had been on the search, but had discovered -nothing. Red Cedar was far from suspecting that the maiden he had left -in his camp was the one so eagerly sought by the Apaches. He reflected -for some moments. - -"How many white men were there?" he asked. - -"Three." - -"Was there no one else with them?" - -"Yes," the chief said, frowning, and his eyes flashing with fury. "There -were also two redskin warriors, one of them a cowardly Coras, a renegade -of his nation." - -"Very good," Red Cedar answered. "The chief will lead me to the -council, and I will tell them where the prisoners are." - -"My brother knows it, then?" Black Cat asked, quickly. - -Red Cedar threw his rifle on his back, whistled softly, but gave no -answer. - -They reached the council lodge. Red Cedar, taking the responsibility on -himself, undertook to answer the questions addressed to him by the -Indians. Since Black Cat's departure, not a word had been uttered in the -council. The Indians were patiently awaiting the result of the promises -made by the chief. The latter resumed his place at the council fire; -and, addressing the other sachem, said-- - -"Here are the white hunters." - -"Very good," an old warrior answered, "let them speak, we hear." - -Red Cedar advanced, and, leaning on his rifle, he took the word, at a -sign from Black Cat. - -"My red brothers," he said, in a clear and marked voice, "are all as -wearied as ourselves by the continual attacks of that coyote who belongs -to no nation, or no colour, and who is called the Son of Blood. If they -will allow themselves to be guided by the experience of a man who has, -for many years, been thoroughly acquainted with tricks and villany of -which that man is capable, before long, in spite of the imposing force -he has at his command, they will have driven him disgracefully from the -prairies, and compelled him to recross the frontier, abandoning forever -the rich hunting grounds over which he pretends to reign as a master." - -"We await till our brother has explained himself more clearly, with -frankness, and without equivocation," Black Cat interrupted him. - -"That is what I am about to do," the squatter went on. "The prisoners -you made were precious to you, because there was a white woman among -them. You allowed them to escape, and must capture them again. They will -be important hostages for you." - -"My brother does not tell us where these prisoners have sought shelter." - -Red Cedar shrugged his shoulders. - -"That is, however, very easy to know. The prisoners had only one spot -where they could obtain a refuge, before reaching the frontier." - -"And that is?" Black Cat asked. - -"The great summer village of the Comanches of the mountains, the most -faithful allies of Bloodson, the sons of Unicorn, that nation which has -renounced the faith of its fathers, to become completely dependent on -the whites, and to whom you ought to send petticoats. Hence you need not -seek your prisoners elsewhere, for they are there." - -The Indians, struck by the correctness of this reasoning, gave -unequivocal marks of approval, and prepared to listen with greater -interest to what the hunter had still to say to them. - -"My brother must, therefore, do two things," the squatter continued; -"first, surprise the Comanches' village, and, secondly, march -immediately against Bloodson." - -"Good," Stanapat said, "my brother is a wise man; I have known him a -long time; his advice is good; but the Teocali inhabited by Bloodson is -well defended. In what way will my brother set about seizing it?" - -"My brother will listen," Red Cedar continued. "I have ten bold hunters -with me; but I have left eighty, all armed with good rifles, on an -island of the endless river where they are encamped, which are awaiting -my return. The detachment intended to attack the Teocali will invest it -on all sides, though the warriors will not let themselves be seen; -during that time I will accompany Black Cat and his tribe to the -Comanche village. As soon as the prisoners have fallen into our hands, I -will go and fetch my young men from the island where I left them, and -return with them and Black Cat to help my brother in seizing the -Teocali, which cannot resist us." - -This promise, made in a loud and firm voice, produced all the effect the -squatter expected. The Indians, dreaming of the immense pillage they -could indulge in, and the incalculable wealth collected at the spot, -had only one desire: to seize the Teocali as soon as possible. Still, -through the Indian stoicism, none of the passions boiling in their veins -were displayed in their faces, and it was in a cold and calm voice that -Black Cat thanked Red Cedar and told him he could withdraw while the -chiefs deliberated on what he had brought before them. The squatter -bowed and left the council, followed by his companions. - -"Well," the Gazelle asked him, "what do you fancy the redskins will do?" - -"Do not be uneasy, senorita," the squatter answered, with a most meaning -smile, "I know the Indians; the plan I have submitted to them is too -simple, and offers too many advantages for them to decline it; I can -assure you beforehand that they will follow it exactly." - -"Is it far from here to the Comanche village?" - -"No," the other said, emphatically; "by starting at once we should reach -it this evening." - -The girl gave vent to a sigh of satisfaction, and a vivid blush suffused -her charming face. Red Cedar, who was watching her aside, could not -refrain from muttering to himself: - -"I must have the solution of the enigma ere long." - -They returned to the tent. - -In the Council of the Chiefs all happened as Red Cedar had foreseen: -after a short deliberation, referring more to the mode of execution than -to the plan itself, it was adopted unanimously. - -An hour later, all was movement in the camp; the warriors rose to join -the detachments and form squadrons; there was an indescribable -confusion. At length, calm was gradually restored, the two war parties -started in the directions proposed by Red Cedar, and soon, of the crowd -of warriors who had been yelling and dancing in the camp, only thirty -remained to receive the warriors as they arrived. - -Black Cat placed himself at the head of his band, followed by the -Pirates. The Apaches started for the Comanche village in Indian file, at -their peculiar pace, which a trotting horse finds difficulty in keeping -up with. The greatest silence and caution prevailed in the ranks, and it -seemed as if the Apaches did not wish to be heard even by the birds. - -With extraordinary dexterity, of which the Indians alone are capable, -each marched in the other's footsteps so exactly that it looked as if -only one person had gone along the path, carrying their care to such an -extent as to stoop for fear of grazing the branches, and avoiding any -contact with the shrubs. They marched as far as was possible on broken -earth or rocks, that their traces might be less visible, making detours -after detours, and returning a dozen times to the same spot, for the -purpose of so thoroughly confusing their trail that it would be -impossible to discover it. - -When they reached the bank of a stream, instead of crossing it at right -angles, they followed or went up it for a considerable distance, not -landing again till the soil was hard enough to take the marks of their -footsteps. They did all this with exemplary patience, without checking -their speed, and still advancing to the object they had chosen. - -They found themselves at about half past six in the evening at the top -of a hill, whence the summer village of the Comanches could be perceived -scarce two miles distant. The sound of the songs and chichikouis reached -the Apaches at intervals, thus telling them that their enemies were -rejoicing and celebrating some ceremony without any suspicion of a -sudden attack. The Indians halted and consulted as to their final -measures. - -The Comanches have two sorts of villages, summer and winter. The latter -are built with care, and some regularity. Their houses are of two -stories, well arranged, light, and even elegant. But the Comanches are -birds of prey, continually exposed to invasions, and menacing their -enemies with them: hence they construct their villages on the point of -rocks, exactly like eagles' nests, and seek all means to render them -impregnable. The most curious village we have seen is formed by two -lofty pyramids, standing on either side of a ravine, and connected by a -bridge some distance up. These pyramids are about four hundred and -twenty-five feet long by one hundred and forty-eight wide; as they rise -this width diminishes, and the total height is about eighty-six feet. -These two villages, divided into eight floors, contain five hundred -inhabitants, who are enabled to defend themselves against a swarm of -enemies from these extraordinary fortresses. - -In the Comanche winter villages the door is not on the ground floor, as -in Europe and civilised countries. The Comanche, when he wishes to enter -his house, places a ladder against the side, mounts on the roof, and -thence descends by a trap to the lower floors. When the ladder is once -drawn up, it is impossible to enter the house. - -The Pueblo of Aronco is situated on the summit of a scarped rock, over a -precipice several hundred feet in depth. The inhabitants only enter by -means of ladders, as is the case in some Swiss villages; but in time of -war the ladders disappear, and the pueblo can only be reached by notches -cut at regular distances in the rock. - -The summer villages are only constructed for habitation in fine weather, -or peace times, to facilitate getting in the crops and the chase; so -soon as the first frost arrives, or a sound of war is heard, they are -immediately deserted. - -All the summer villages are alike; the one to which we allude here was -surrounded by palisades and a wide ditch, but the fortifications, which -had not been kept up, were in a complete state of dilapidation; the -ditch was filled up at several spots, and the palisades, torn down by -the squaws to light fires, offered, at many places, a convenient passage -for assailants. - -The Apaches wished to descend into the plain, unnoticed by the -inhabitants; which would have been difficult, almost impossible, for -European troops; but the Indians, whose wars are only one succession of -surprises and ambushes, know how to surmount such difficulties. - -It was arranged that the band, divided into three detachments, the first -commanded by Black Cat, the second by another chief, and the third by -Red Cedar, should crawl down the hillside, while the few men left to -guard the horses would come up when the village was invaded. - -This settled, Black Cat had torches prepared. When all was ready, the -three detachments lay down on the ground, and the descent of the hill -began. Assuredly, a man standing sentry in the place could not have -suspected that more than five hundred warriors were marching on the -village, crawling in the lofty grass like serpents, not even making the -branches or leaves under which they crept oscillate, and keeping such -order in their march that they always formed front. - -The descent had lasted more than an hour, and as soon as the plain was -reached the greatest difficulty was surmounted; for owing to the height -of the plants and bushes, it was almost impossible for them to be -perceived. At length, gaining ground inch by inch, after surmounting -enormous obstacles and difficulties, they reached the palisade. - -The first to arrive was Black Cat, who imitated the barking of the -coyote. Two similar signals answered him, uttered by the chiefs of the -other detachments, who had also arrived. Black Cat, now confident of -being vigorously supported by his friends, seized his war whistle, and -produced from it a shrill and piercing sound. - -All the Indians rose as one man, and, bounding like tigers, rushed on -the village, uttering their formidable war cry. They entered the village -by three sides simultaneously, driving before them the terrified -population; who, taken unawares, fled in every direction, howling with -terror. - -Some of the Apaches, as soon as they got in, lit their torches, and -threw them on the straw roofs of the callis. The huts immediately -caught, and the fire spreading around, served as the vanguard of the -Apaches, who excited it with everything they could lay hands on. - -The unhappy Comanches, surprised in the middle of a ceremony, surrounded -by a belt of fire, and attacked on all sides by their ferocious enemies, -who were killing and scalping women and children, suffered from the most -profound despair, and only offered a weak resistance to this fierce -assault. In the meanwhile the fire spread further. The village became a -burning furnace--the heated air was oppressive to breathe, and masses of -sparks and of smoke, driven by the wind, blinded and burnt the eyes. - -The hunters, on the roof of the calli, defended themselves vigorously, -not hoping to escape, but wishing, at least, to sell their lives dearly. -They were already surrounded by the flames which met over their heads, -and yet they did not dream of giving ground. - -Still, when the first moment of terror had passed, a band of Comanche -warriors had succeeded in uniting, and offered a most obstinate -resistance to the Apaches. All at once, White Gazelle, with flashing -eye, suffused face, clenched teeth, and blanched lips, rushed forward, -followed by Red Cedar and the Pirates, who followed at her heels. - -"Surrender!" she cried to Valentine. - -"Coward!" the latter replied, who took her for a man; "here is my -answer!" - -And he fired a pistol at the girl. The bullet passed through Orson's -arm, who uttered a yell of pain, and rushed madly into the medley. - -"Surrender! I say again," the girl went on, "you must see that you will -be killed." - -"No! A hundred times no," Valentine shouted. "I will not surrender." - -The Gazelle, by a prodigious effort, reached the wall of the calli, and -by the help of her hands and feet, succeeded in reaching the roof before -her intention was suspected. With the energy and fierceness of a tiger, -she bounded on Dona Clara, seized her round the waist, and put a pistol -to her forehead. - -"Now, will you surrender?" she said furiously. - -"Take care, Nina; take care," Sandoval shouted. - -It was too late: Curumilla had felled her with the butt end of his -rifle. The pirates rushed to her aid, but Valentine and his friends -repulsed them. A horrible hand-to-hand combat began over the body of the -girl, who lay senseless on the ground. - -Valentine took a scrutinising glance around him; with a movement swift -as thought he caught up Dona Clara, and, leaping from the calli, he fell -into the midst of a detachment of Comanches, who welcomed him with -shouts of joy. Without loss of time the hunter laid the maiden, who was -half dead with terror, on the ground, and placing himself at the head of -the warriors, he made so successful a charge, that the Apaches, -surprised in their turn, were compelled to give ground. Don Pablo and -the others then rejoined the hunters. - -"By Jove! It is warm work," said the Frenchman, whose hair and eyebrows -were scorched. "Our friend, Red Cedar, has brought this on us. I was -decidedly wrong in not killing him." - -In the meanwhile the Comanches had recovered from their terror; the -warriors had found arms and assumed the offensive. Not only did the -Apaches no longer advance, but at various points they began falling -back, inch by inch, it is true but it was already a retreat. The -pirates, rendered desperate by the wound of their darling child, -surrounded her, and tried in vain to recall her to life. Red Cedar alone -fought at the head of the Apaches, and performed prodigies of valour. - -Night had set in, and the combat was still going on by the sinister -glare of the fire. Valentine took Pethonista aside, and whispered a few -words. - -"Good," the chief answered; "my brother is a great warrior: he will -save my nation." - -And he straightway disappeared, making some of his men a sign to follow -him. - -Dona Clara was not long despondent; when the first effect of terror had -passed she rose and seized a pistol. - -"Do not trouble yourself about me," she said to Valentine and her -brother. "Do your duty as brave hunters: if I am attacked, I can defend -myself." - -"I will remain by your side," said Shaw, giving her a passionate glance. - -"Be it so," she answered with a kind smile; "henceforth I shall be in -safety." - -The Comanches had entrenched themselves with their squaws in the great -square of the village, where the flames did not affect them greatly. -Indeed, the wretched callis had not taken long to burn; the fire was -already expiring for lack of nourishment, and they were fighting on a -heap of cinders. - -Valentine, while fighting in the first ranks of his allies, contented -himself with holding the positions he had succeeded in occupying, and -did not attempt to repulse the Apaches. All at once the war cry of the -Comanches, mingled with a formidable hurrah, sounded in the rear of the -Apaches, who were attacked with incredible fury. - -"Bloodson! Bloodson!" the Apaches shouted, attacked with extraordinary -terror. - -It was, in truth, the stranger, who, followed by Don Miguel, General -Ibanez, Unicorn, and all his comrades, rushed like a whirlwind on the -Apaches. Valentine gave vent to a shout of joy in response to the hurrah -of his friends, and rushed forward at the head of his warriors. From -this moment the medley became horrible: it was no longer a combat, but a -butchery, an atrocious carnage! - - - - -CHAPTER XXI. - -THE AVENGER. - - -In order fully to comprehend the ensuing facts, we are constrained to -relate here an event which occurred about twenty years before our story -commences. - -At that remote period Texas belonged, if not _de facto_, still _de -jure_, to Mexico. Marvellously situated on the Mexican Gulf, endowed -with a temperate climate and a fertile soil, which, if tickled with a -spade, laughs with a harvest, Texas is assuredly one of the richest -countries in the New World. Hence, the Government, foreseeing the future -of this province, did all in its power to populate it. - -Unfortunately, it effected very little, incapable as it was of -populating even Mexico. Still, a considerable number of Mexicans went -across and settled in Texas. - -Among the men who let themselves be tempted by the magic promises of -this virgin soil were two brothers, Don Stefano and Don Pacheco de -Irala, of the best families in the province of Nuevo-Leon. The active -part they played in the war of independence had ruined them, and not -obtaining from the liberals, after the triumph of their cause, the -reward they had a right to expect for the services they had -rendered--Don Gregorio, their father, having even paid with his life for -his attachment to the party--they had no other resource but settling in -Texas, a new country, in which they had hopes of speedily -re-establishing their fortunes. - -Owing to their thorough knowledge of agriculture, and their -intelligence, they soon gave a considerable extension to their -settlement, which they had the pleasure of seeing daily grow more -prosperous, in defiance of Indians, buffaloes, tempests, and illness. -The Hacienda del Papagallo (Parrot farm), inhabited by the two brothers, -was, like all the houses in this country, which are continually exposed -to the inrods of the savages, a species of fortress built of carved -stone and surrounded by a thick and embrasured wall, with a gun at each -corner: it stood on the top of a rather lofty hill, and commanded the -plain for a considerable distance. - -Don Pacheco, the elder of the two brothers, was married and had two -daughters, little creatures scarce three years of age, whose joyous -cries and ravishing smiles filled the interior of the hacienda with -gaiety. Hardly three leagues from the farm was another, occupied by -Northern Americans, adventurers of more than dubious conduct, who had -come to the country no one knew how, and who, since they inhabited it, -led a mysteriously problematical existence, which gave birth to the -strangest and most contradictory reports about them. - -It was whispered that, under the guise of peaceful farmers, these men -maintained relations with the bandits who flocked into the country from -every side, and that they were the secret chiefs of a dangerous -association of malefactors, who had ravaged the country for several -years past with impunity. On several occasions the two brothers had -disputes with these unpleasant neighbours about cattle that had -disappeared and other pecadillos of the same nature. In a word, they -lived with them on the footing of an armed peace. - -A few days previous to the period to which this chapter refers, Don -Pacheco had a sharp altercation with one of these Americans of the name -of Wilkes, about several slaves the fellow tried to seduce from -hacienda, and the result was, that Don Pacheco, naturally hot-tempered, -gave him a tremendous horsewhipping. The other swallowed the insult -without making any attempt to revenge himself; but he had withdrawn, -muttering the most terrible threats against Don Pacheco. - -Still, as we have said, the affair had no further consequences. Nearly a -month had passed, and the brothers had heard nothing from their -neighbours. On the evening of the day which we take up our narrative, Don -Stefano, mounted on a mustang, was preparing to leave the hacienda, to -ride to Nacogdoches, where important business called him. - -"Then, you are really going?" Don Pacheco said. - -"At once: you know that I put off the journey as long as I could." - -"How long do you expect to be absent?" - -"Four days, at the most." - -"Good: we shall not expect you, then, before." - -"Oh, it is very possible I may return sooner." - -"Why so?" - -"Shall I tell you? Well, I do not feel easy in mind." - -"What do you mean?" - -"I am anxious, I know not why. Many times I have left you, brother, for -longer journeys than this--" - -"Well!" Don Pacheco interrupted him. - -"I never felt before as I do at this moment." - -"You startle me, brother. What is the matter with you?" - -"I could not explain it to you. I have a foreboding of evil. In spite of -myself, my heart is contracted on leaving you." - -"That is strange," Don Pacheco muttered, suddenly becoming thoughtful. -"I do not dare confess it to you, brother; but I have just the same -feeling as yourself, and am afraid I know not why." - -"Brother," Don Stefano replied in a gloomy voice, "you know how we love -each other. Since our father's death, we have constantly shared -everything--joy and sorrow, fortune or reverses. Brother, this -foreboding is sent us from Heaven. A great danger threatens us." - -"Perhaps so," Don Pacheco said sadly. - -"Listen, brother," Don Stefano remarked, resolutely. "I will not go." - -And he made a movement to dismount, but his brother checked him. - -"No," he said, "we are men. We must not, then, let ourselves be -conquered by foolish thoughts, which are only chimeras produced by a -diseased imagination." - -"No. I prefer to remain here a few days longer." - -"You told me yourself that your interests claim your presence at -Nacogdoches. Go, but return as soon as possible." - -There was a silence, during which the brothers reflected deeply. The -moon rose pallid and mournful on the horizon. - -"That Wilkes is a villain," Don Stefano went on; "who knows whether he -is not waiting my departure to attempt on the hacienda one of those -terrible expeditions of which he is accused by the public voice?" - -Don Pacheco began laughing, and, stretching out his hand in the -direction of the farm, whose white walls stood out clearly on the dark -blue sky, he said:-- - -"The Papagallo has too hard sides for those bandits. Go in peace, -brother, they will not venture it." - -"May Heaven grant it!" Don Stefano murmured. - -"Oh, those men are cowards, and I inflicted a well-merited punishment on -the scoundrel." - -"Agreed." - -"Well?" - -"It's precisely because those men are cowards that I fear them. -Canarios! I know as well as you that they will not dare openly to attack -you." - -"What have I to fear, then?" Don Pacheco interrupted him. - -"Treachery, brother." - -"Why, have I not five hundred devoted peons on the hacienda? Go without -fear, I tell you." - -"You wish it?" - -"I insist on it." - -"Good-bye, then," Don Stefano said, stifling a sigh. "Good-bye, brother, -till we meet again." - -Don Stefano dug his spurs into his horse's flanks and started at full -speed. For a long time his brother followed the rider's outline on the -sandy road, till he turned a corner, and Don Pacheco re-entered the -hacienda with an anxious heart. - -Don Stefano, stimulated by the vague alarm that oppressed him, only -stopped the absolutely necessary period at Nacogdoches to finish his -business, and hurried back scarce two days after his departure. -Strangely enough, the nearer he drew to the farm, the greater his -anxiety grew, though it was impossible for him to explain the causes of -the feeling. - -Around home all was tranquil--the sky, studded with an infinite number -of glistening stars, spread over his head its dome of azure; at -intervals, the howling of the coyote was mingled with the hoarse lowing -of the buffaloes, or the roars of the jaguars in quest of prey. - -Don Stefano still advanced, bowed over his horse's neck, with pale -forehead and heaving chest, listening to the numerous sounds of the -solitude, and trying to pierce with vivid glance the darkness that hid -from him the point to which he was hurrying with the speed of a tornado. - -After a ride of six hours, the Mexican suddenly uttered a yell of agony, -as he violently pulled up his panting steed. Before him the Hacienda del -Papagallo appeared, surrounded by a belt of flames. The magnificent -building was now only a shapeless pile of smoking ruins, reflecting its -ruddy flames on the sky for a considerable distance. - -"My brother! My brother!" Don Stefano shrieked in his despair. - -And he rushed into the furnace. - -A mournful silence brooded over the hacienda. At every step the Mexican -stumbled over corpses half-consumed by the flames and horribly -mutilated. Mad with grief and rage, with his hair and clothes burned by -the flames that enveloped him, Don Stefano continued his researches. - -What was he seeking in this accursed charnel house? He did not himself -know, but still he sought. Not a shriek, not a sigh! On all sides the -silence of death!--that terrible silence which makes the heart leap, and -ices the bravest man with fear! - -What had taken place during Don Stefano's absence?--What enemy had -produced these ruins in a few short hours? - -The first beams of dawn were beginning to tinge the horizon with their -fugitive opaline tints, and the sky gradually assumed that ruddy hue -which announces sunrise. Don Stefano had passed the whole night in vain -and sterile researches, and though he had constantly interrogated the -ruins, they remained dumb. - -The Mexican, overcome by grief, and compelled to acknowledge his own -impotence, gave Heaven a glance of reproach and despair, and throwing -himself on the calcined ground, he hid his face in his hands, and wept! -The sight of this young, handsome, brave man weeping silently over the -ruins whose secret he had been unable to discover must have been -heartrending. - -Suddenly, Don Stefano started up, with flashing eye, and a face on which -indomitable energy was imprinted. - -"Oh!" he shouted, in a voice that resembled the howl of a wild beast, -"vengeance! Vengeance!" - -A voice that seemed to issue from the tomb answered his, and Don Stefano -turned round with a shudder. Two yards from him, his brother, pale, -mutilated, and bleeding, was leaning against a fallen wall, like a -spectre. - -"Ah!" the Mexican exclaimed, as he rushed toward him. - -"You come too late, brother," the wounded man murmured, in a voice -choking with the death rattle. - -"Oh! I will save you, brother," Don Stefano said, desperately. - -"No," Don Pacheco replied sadly, shaking his head, "I am dying, brother; -your foreboding did not deceive you." - -"Hope!" - -And, raising his brother in his powerful arms, he prepared to pay him -that attention which his condition seemed to demand. - -"I am dying, I tell you--all is useless," Don Pacheco continued, in a -voice that momentarily grew weaker. "Listen to me." - -"Speak!" - -"Say that you will avenge me, brother?" the dying man asked, his eye -emitting a fierce flash. - -"I will avenge you," Don Stefano answered; "I swear it by our Saviour!" - -"Good! I have been assassinated by men dressed as Apache Indians, but -among them I fancied I recognised--" - -"Whom?" - -"Wilkes the squatter, and Samuel, his accomplice." - -"Enough! Where is your wife?" - -"Dead! My daughters, save them!" Don Pacheco murmured. - -"Where are they?" - -"Carried off by the bandits." - -"Oh! I will discover them, even if hidden in the bowels of the earth! -Did you not recognise anyone else?" - -"Yes, yes, one more," the dying man said, in an almost unintelligible -voice. - -Don Stefano bent over his brother in order to hear more distinctly. - -"Who? Tell me--brother, speak in Heaven's name!" - -The wounded man made a supreme effort. - -"There was another man, formerly a peon of ours." - -"His name?" Don Stefano asked eagerly. - -Don Pacheco was growing weaker, his face had assumed an earthy hue, and -his eyes could no longer distinguish objects. - -"I cannot remember," he sighed rather than said. - -"One word, only one, brother." - -"Yes, listen--it is Sand--ah!" - -He suddenly fell back, uttering a terrible cry, and clutching at his -brother's arm; he writhed in a final convulsion, and all was over. - -Don Stefano knelt by his brother's corpse, embraced it tenderly, piously -closed its eyes, and then got up. He dug a grave with his machete among -the smoking ruins of the hacienda, in which he laid his brother's body. -When this sacred duty was performed, he addressed an ardent prayer to -the Deity in behalf of the sinful man who was about to appear before His -judgment seat, and then, stretching out his arms over the grave, he said -in a loud, distinct voice-- - -"Sleep in peace, brother, sleep in peace. I promise you a glorious -revenge." - -Don Stefano slowly descended the hill, found his horse, which had spent -the night in nibbling the young tree shoots, and started at a gallop, -after giving a parting glance to these ruins, under which all his -happiness lay buried. - -No one ever heard of Don Stefano again in Texas: was he dead too, -without taking that vengeance which he had sworn to achieve? No one -could say. The Americans had also disappeared since that awful night and -left no sign. In these primitive countries things are soon forgotten: -life passes away there so rapidly, and is so full of strange incidents, -that the events of the morrow obliterate the remembrances of those of -the eve. Ere long the population of Texas had completely forgotten this -terrible catastrophe. - -Every year, however, a man appeared on the hill where the hacienda once -stood, whose ruins the luxuriant vegetation of the country had long ago -overgrown; this man seated himself on the silent ruins, and passed the -whole night with his face buried in his hands. - -"What did he there?" - -"Whence did he come?" - -"Who was he?" - -These three questions ever remained unanswered, for at daybreak the -stranger rode off again, not to return till the following year on the -anniversary of the frightful tragedy. One strange fact was proved -however, after every visit paid by this man--one, two, or even sometimes -three horribly mutilated human heads were found lying on the hill. - -What demoniac task was this incomprehensible being performing? Was it -Don Stefano pursuing his vengeance? - -We shall probably see presently. - - - - -CHAPTER XXII. - -EXPLANATORY. - - -We are compelled to retrograde a short distance in our story, in order -to explain to the reader the arrival of that help which in an instant -altered the face of the fight, and saved Valentine and his friends from -captivity, probably from death. - -Unicorn carefully watched the movements of Red Cedar and his band; since -the Pirate's arrival on the desert he had not once let him out of sight. -Hidden in the chaparral on the riverbank, he had been an unseen -spectator of the bandit's fight with the hunters; but, with that caution -which forms the basis of the Indian character, he had left his friends -perfect liberty to act as they thought proper, with the design of -interfering when necessary. - -When he saw the Pirates disarmed, and reduced to his last shifts, he -considered it useless to follow him longer, and proceeded in the -direction of his village, to assemble his warriors, and go at their head -to attack the camp of the scalp hunters. - -The Comanche chief was alone with his squaw, from whom he scarcely ever -separated; they were both galloping along the bank of the Gila, being -careful to hide themselves among the brushwood, when suddenly deafening -cries, mingled with shots, and the hasty gallop of a horse, struck his -ears. - -Unicorn made his companion a signal to halt, and dismounted; then, -cautiously crawling among the trees, he glided like a serpent through -the tall grass to the skirt of the chaparral which sheltered him. On -reaching this point he cautiously rose on his knees and looked out. - -A man, bearing a fainting woman across his saddle-bow, was coming up at -full speed; in the distance several Indian warriors, doubtless wearied -of an useless pursuit, were slowly retiring, while the fugitive rapidly -drew nearer Unicorn. - -The chief perceived at the first glance that he was a white. On arriving -within a short distance of the spot where he lay in ambush, the newcomer -looked round several times nervously; then he dismounted, took the -female in his arms, laid her tenderly on the grass, and ran to the river -to fill his hat with water. It was Harry, the Canadian hunter, and the -female was Ellen. - -So soon as he had gone off, Unicorn started from his hiding place, -giving his wife a sign to follow him, and both approached the maiden, -who was lying senseless on the ground. Sunbeam knelt by the side of the -American girl, gently raised her head, and began paying her those -delicate attentions of which women alone possess the secret. Almost -immediately after, Harry ran up; but at the sight of the Indian he -hurriedly dropped his hat, and drew a pistol from his girdle. - -"Wah!" Unicorn said quickly, "My pale brother need not pull out his -weapons--I am a friend." - -"A friend?" Harry replied, ill-humouredly; "Can a redskin warrior be the -friend of a white man?" - -The chief crossed his arms on his broad chest, and boldly walked up to -the hunter. - -"I was hidden ten paces from you," he said; "had I been an enemy, the -paleface would have been dead ere now." - -The Canadian shook his head. - -"That is possible," he said; "may heaven grant that you speak frankly, -for the struggle I have gone through in saving this poor girl has so -exhausted me that I could not defend her against you." - -"Good!" the Indian continued, "She has nothing to fear; Unicorn is chief -of his nation, when he gives his word he must be believed." - -And he honestly offered his hand to the hunter. The latter hesitated for -a moment, then suddenly forming a resolution, he cordially pressed the -hand, saying-- - -"I believe you, chief; your name is known to me; you have the reputation -of a wise man and brave warrior, so I trust to you; but I implore you to -help me in recovering this unhappy girl." - -Sunbeam gently raised her head, and gave the hunter a glance of tender -sympathy, as she said in her harmonious voice-- - -"The pale virgin runs no danger, in a few minutes she will come to -herself again; my brother may be at his ease." - -"Thanks, thanks, young woman," the Canadian said, warmly; "the hope you -give me fills me with joy; I can now think about avenging my poor Dick." - -"What does my brother mean?" the chief asked, surprised at the flash of -fury from the hunter's dark eye. - -The latter, reassured as to the state of his companion, and attracted by -the open and honest reception the Indian gave him, did not hesitate to -confide to him not only what had occurred to himself, but also the -causes which had brought him into this deserted country. - -"Now," he said in the close, "I have only one desire--to place this girl -in security, and then avenge my friend." - -The Indian has listened unmoved and without interruption to the hunter's -long story. When he had finished he seemed to reflect for some minutes, -and then answered the Canadian, as he laid his hand on his shoulder-- - -"Then my brother wishes to take vengeance on the Apaches?" - -"Yes!" the hunter exclaimed; "So soon as this girl is in a safe place I -will go on their trail." - -"Ah!" the Indian said, as he shook his head, "One man cannot fight with -fifty." - -"I do not care for the number of my enemies so long as I can come up -with them." - -Unicorn gave the daring young man an admiring glance. - -"Good!" he said, "My brother is brave--I will help him to his -vengeance." - -At this moment Ellen partly opened her eyes. - -"Where am I?" she murmured. - -"Reassure yourself, Ellen," the hunter replied; "for the moment at least -you have nothing to fear as you are surrounded by friends." - -"Where is Dona Clara? I do not see her," she continued, in a weak voice. - -"I will tell you presently, Ellen, what has happened to her," the hunter -remarked. - -Ellen sighed and was silent; she understood that Harry would not tell -her fresh misfortune in her present state of weakness. Owing to -Sunbeam's increasing attentions she, however, soon completely regained -her senses. - -"Does my sister feel her strength returned?" the squaw asked her -anxiously. - -"Oh," she said, "I am quite well now." - -Unicorn looked fixedly at her. - -"Yes," he said, "my sister is at present in a condition to travel. It is -time to start, our road is long; Sunbeam will give her horse to the pale -virgin, that she may be able to follow us." - -"Where do you intend taking us, chief?" the hunter asked, with -badly-veiled anxiety. - -"Did not my brother say that he wished to avenge himself?" - -"Yes, I did." - -"Well, he can follow me, and I will lead him to those who will help -him." - -"Hum!" the Canadian muttered, "I require nobody for that." - -"My brother is mistaken; he requires allies, for the enemy he will have -to fight is powerful." - -"That is possible. But I should like to know these allies, at any rate; -I am not inclined to league myself with the villainous bandits, who -flock to the desert and dishonour our colour. I am a frank and honest -hunter, for my part." - -"My brother has spoken well," the chief answered, with a smile; "he can -be at rest, and place entire confidence in those to whom I am about to -lead him." - -"Who are they, then?" - -"One is the father of the maiden the Apaches have carried off, the -others--" - -"Stay, chief," the hunter quickly exclaimed, "that is sufficient, I do -not want to know the rest. We will start when you please, and I will -follow you anywhere." - -"Good; my brother will get the horses ready, while I give some -indispensable orders to my squaw." - -Harry bowed in sign of acquiescence, and deftly accomplished the task, -while the Comanche took his wife aside, and conversed with her in a -whisper. - -"Now we will go," the Comanche said, as he returned to the hunter. - -"Does not Sunbeam accompany us?" Ellen asked. - -"No," the chief answered laconically. - -The young Indian woman smiled pleasantly on the squatter's daughter and -gliding swiftly among the trees, disappeared almost instantaneously. -The others mounted and started at a gallop in the opposite direction. - -The Comanche warrior fancied he knew where to find Valentine and his -comrades, and hence went in a direct line to the Teocali. - -After the Trail-hunter's departure, Don Miguel and the other characters -of our story, who remained in Bloodson's fortress, continued to sleep -peaceably for several hours, and when they awoke the sun was already -high on the horizon. The hacendero and the general, fatigued by the -emotions of the preceding day, and but little accustomed to desert life, -had yielded to sleep like men who require to regain their strength; when -they opened their eyes, a plentiful meal awaited them. - -Several days passed without any incident. The stranger, in spite of the -cordiality of his reception, maintained a certain degree of reserve with -his guests, only speaking to them when it was absolutely necessary, but -never seeking to begin with them one of those conversations in which -people gradually forget themselves, and insensibly glide into -confidential talk. There was something frigid about the manner of this -strange man, which could not be explained, but which prevented any -friendly relations. - -One evening, at the moment when Don Miguel and the general were -preparing to lie down on the skins of wild beasts, which served as their -bed, their host approached them. Through the day the two gentlemen had -noticed a certain agitation among the denizens in the Teocali. An -unusual excitement had prevailed, and it was plain that Bloodson was -about to attempt one of those daring expeditions to which he was -accustomed. - -Although the two Mexicans eagerly desired to know their host's projects, -they were too much men of the world to question him, and restrained -their curiosity while patiently awaiting an explanation which he would -not fail soon to give them. - -"Good news, caballeros," he said, as he joined them. - -"Oh, oh!" the general muttered, "That's novel fruit here." - -Don Miguel awaited their host's explanation. - -"One of my friends," Bloodson continued, "arrived here this morning, -accompanied by a Canadian hunter and Red Cedar's daughter." - -At this unexpected good news the Mexicans started with joy and surprise. - -"Ah," Don Miguel said, "she will be a precious hostage for us." - -"That is what I thought," Bloodson continued; "however, the poor child -is perfectly innocent of her father's crimes; and if she is at this -moment in our power, it is only because she wished to save your -daughter, Don Miguel." - -"What do you mean?" the hacendero asked, with an internal tremor. - -"You shall understand it," Bloodson answered. - -And without any further preamble, he told his listeners all the details -connected with the flight of the girls, which the reader already knows. - -When he had finished his narrative there was a moment's silence. - -"The position is a serious one," the general said, shaking his head. - -"We must save our friends, at all risks," Don Miguel exclaimed, -impetuously. - -"That is my intention," said Bloodson; "at present the position of -affairs is improved." - -"How so?" the hacendero asked. - -"Because it is better for Dona Clara to be a prisoner with the Apaches -than with Red Cedar." - -"That is true," Don Miguel observed. - -"How can we get her out of their clutches?" asked the general. - -"That does not embarrass me," Bloodson said; "tomorrow, at daybreak, we -will start with all our people, and go to Unicorn's village, who will -join his warriors to ours, and then we will attack the Apaches in their -village." - -"Very good; but shall we be sure of finding my daughter at the village?" - -"In the desert everything is seen and known. Do you fancy that Don -Valentine has remained inactive since he left us? You may feel assured -that he has long been on the trail of the young lady, if he has not -already liberated her." - -"May heaven grant it," the father remarked with a mournful sigh; "but -who will advise us of what he has done?" - -"Himself, you may be convinced of that. Still, as we are a very long -distance from the village where your daughter is probably confined, we -must hasten to get nearer to her; hence, my guests, get up your -strength, for tomorrow will be a tiring day, I warn you. Now, permit me -to wish you good night, and leave you, in order to give my final -orders." - -"One word more, I beg of you." - -"Speak." - -"What do you intend doing with the girl whom a strange accident has -thrown into your power?" - -"I do not know; events will decide her fate; I shall regulate my conduct -by that of our common enemy." - -"You said yourself," Don Miguel continued, "that the girl is innocent of -her father's crimes." - -Bloodson gave him a peculiar glance - -"Do you not know, Don Miguel," he answered, in a hollow voice, "that in -this world the innocent always suffer for the guilty?" - -And, not adding a word further, he gave the Mexicans a profound bow, and -slowly retired. - -The two gentlemen looked after him, as he gradually disappeared in the -gloom of the Teocali; then they fell back on their beds despondingly, -not daring to impart to each other the sorrowful thoughts that oppressed -them. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIII. - -APACHES AND COMANCHES. - - -At daybreak some forty horsemen, at whose head rode Bloodson, Don -Miguel Zarate, and General Ibanez, started in the direction of the -Comanche village, guided by Unicorn. In the midst of the band rode -Ellen, closely watched, and Harry, who would not leave her for a moment, -galloped by her side. - -The maiden had guessed, in spite of the attentions offered her, or -perhaps through them, that she was regarded rather as a prisoner than a -friend by the men who surrounded her. Hence, on leaving the Teocali, she -had given Harry a suppliant glance to remain by her side. The hunter had -understood this glance, and, in spite of all that Bloodson urged to -induce him to ride with him at the head of the party, he obstinately -remained by Ellen's side. - -By a strange coincidence, at the very moment when the partisans, guided -by Unicorn, were leaving the Teocali to go in search of news of their -friends at the Comanche village, the latter were executing their -miraculous flight, had left the islet on which they had defended -themselves so bravely, and, after boldly crossing the Apache camp, were -also proceeding, though by a different route, to the same village. - -The march of a numerous party in the desert is generally less rapid than -that of a few men, and it is easy of explanation. Two or three men -proceeding together pass without difficulty anywhere, gliding through -the chaparral, and following the track of wild beasts; but some forty -persons compelled to adopt the Indian file, that is to say, march one -after the other, along these problematical paths, scarce wide enough for -one horseman, are constrained to cheek their pace, and advance with -extreme precaution, especially on an expedition of the sort the -partisans were now undertaking. - -Hence, in spite of all the diligence they displayed, they advanced but -slowly. The ruddy disc of the sun was rapidly descending on the horizon, -the shadow of the lofty trees was lengthening more and more, the evening -breeze was beginning to sough through the virgin forest, which extended -for an enormous distance on the right of the travellers, while on the -riverbank the alligators were clumsily leaving the bed of mud in which -they had been slothfully wallowing, and were regaining the deep waters -of the Gila. - -The horses and riders, harassed by the fatigues of a long journey, were -slowly dragging along, when Unicorn, who was about one hundred yards -ahead, suddenly turned back and rejoined his comrades, who at once -halted. - -"What is the matter?" Bloodson asked, so soon as the chief found him; -"Has my brother seen anything that alarms him?" - -"Yes," the Indian laconically replied. - -"I am waiting for my brother to explain." - -"The desert is not quiet," the chief went on in a grave voice; "the -vultures and white-headed eagles are flying in long circles, the deer -and buffaloes are restless, the asshatas are bounding in every -direction, and the antelopes flying with all the speed of their limbs -northward." - -Bloodson frowned and waited a moment ere he replied. The Mexicans -examined him anxiously, but at length he raised his head. - -"What do you conclude from these signs?" - -"This: the Apaches are crossing the prairie; they are numerous, for the -desert is disturbed for a very considerable extent." - -"Why the Apaches sooner than others?" Bloodson answered. "Cannot wood -rangers have produced the excitement you have noticed, as well as the -Indians?" - -The Comanche warrior shook his head in contradiction. - -"They are Apaches," he said, peremptorily. "This is not the season of -the great hunts, the animals are not troubled by man at this period of -the year. They know it, and do not desperately fly from him, as they are -certain of not being pursued. The wood rangers march alone, or only -three or four together, employing precautions not to startle the game. -But the Apaches are ignorant dogs, who, like the coyotes they resemble, -continually assemble in large parties, and, instead of marching like men -or warriors, pass like a hurricane over the prairie, burning, -destroying, and devastating everything in their passage." - -"That is true," Bloodson muttered; "your sagacity has not deceived you, -chief; only the Apaches can be near here." - -"Good; and what will my brother do?" the Comanche asked. - -The stranger's eye flashed fire. - -"We will fight them," he said. - -The Indian gave an almost imperceptible shrug of his shoulders. - -"No," he said; "that is no good; we must not fight at this moment." - -"Speak then, in the devil's name," the stranger exclaimed, impatiently, -"and explain your plan to us." - -The Indian smiled. - -"My brother is quick," he said. - -Bloodson, ashamed of having given way to his temper, had already -regained his coolness. - -"Pardon me, chief; I was wrong." - -And he held out his hand, which Unicorn took and pressed warmly. - -"My brother is wise," he replied; "I know that he did not wish to insult -a friend." - -"Speak, chief; time is slipping away; explain your plan to me." - -"Behind that hill is Unicorn's village; the warriors will remain here -while he advances alone, in order to know what is going on." - -"Good; my brother can go; we will wait." - -In the desert, long conversations are not the fashion; moments are too -precious to be lost in words. The Indian set spurs to his horse and went -off, and he soon disappeared from their sight. - -"What do you think of what the chief has just told us?" the general -asked. - -"It is very serious," the stranger answered. "The Indians have an -extraordinary skill for discovering what goes on in the desert--they -have an infallible instinct which never deceives them. This man is one -of the most intelligent I know. I am only acquainted with two men in the -world capable of contending with him--that frightful scoundrel, Red -Cedar, and Don Valentine, that French hunter whom the Indians themselves -have surnamed the Trail-Hunter." - -"Ah!" Don Miguel said, "Then your opinion is--" - -"That we must await the result of the step Unicorn is taking at this -moment; his village is only an hour's march at the most from the spot -where we now are." - -"But, in that case, why stop us?" - -"An Indian never returns home till he has assured himself that all is in -order. Who can foresee what has happened during his absence?" - -"That is true; let us wait, then," the hacendero said, stifling a sigh. - -Nearly an hour passed thus. All the partisans seated on their horses, -with their finger on the trigger of their rifle, remained motionless as -bronze statues. In the meanwhile the sun had set in a mist of vapour, the -shadow spread gradually over the desert like a thick winding sheet, and -the stars were slowly lit up in the dark blue sky. Still Unicorn did not -return. - -The hunters did not exchange a word; each, persuaded in his heart that -the position was a serious one, was reflecting deeply. Not a sound was -audible, save the hoarse and continuous rustling of the Rio Gila over -the pebbles and rocks that border its banks. - -Suddenly, Bloodson, whose eye had been obstinately fixed in the -direction where the Comanche Chief had disappeared, gave a slight start -and whispered in Don Miguel's ear: - -"Here he is." - -In fact, the gallop of a horse was heard gradually drawing nearer till -the chief reappeared. - -"Well?" the stranger shouted to him. - -"Koutonepi and the pale virgin are in the village," he said; "the hunter -has delivered the maiden." - -"May Heaven be praised!" Don Miguel said, fervently. - -Unicorn looked at him sadly. - -"The Apaches are pursuing them," he added; "at this moment the village -is being attacked, but our friends defend themselves bravely." - -"Let us fly to their help," the Mexicans shouted. - -Bloodson turned to them. - -"Patience," he said; "let the chief explain." - -"My pale brother," the Comanche continued, "with one-half of the -warriors, will turn the hill and enter the village by the north, while -I, with the other half, will enter by the south." - -"Good," said Bloodson; "but we are far off yet; perhaps our friends will -be unable to hold out till our arrival." - -Unicorn smiled scornfully. - -"The Apaches are cowardly dogs," he said. "The Comanches will defend -themselves: they know not flight." - -Without replying, the partisan divided his band, taking the command of -one party, and entrusting the other to the Comanche warrior. All these -men were Indians, long habituated to a war of ambushes and surprises: -this bold stroke was a Godsend to them: with flashing eyes and quivering -lips, though apparently unmoved, they impatiently awaited the signal for -departure. - -"Let us go," Bloodson vociferated, brandishing his rifle over his head. - -All bent over their horses manes and started forward. On reaching the -foot of the hill one band went to the right, the other to the left, -Ellen remaining behind, under the guard of a few warriors and the -Canadian hunter, who would not leave her. This little band moved forward -gently as a rearguard. - -In the meanwhile, the partisans reached the village at headlong speed; -and it was high time for them to arrive, for the huts, enveloped in -flames, resembled a volcano. By the gleam of the fire, shadows could be -seen darting hither and thither; and shouts of pain and rage, mingled -with the discharge of firearms, incessantly rose from this burning mass. - -The partisans rushed into this horrible furnace, uttering their war yell -and brandishing their arms, and the medley became frightful. The -Apaches, thus attacked on two sides simultaneously, underwent a -momentary stupor, which soon changed into a panic and utter rout, at the -sight of these new opponents, who seemed to rise from the ground to -crush them, and change their triumph into a defeat. - -But flight was not easy. The entire population of the village was under -arms: women and children, electrified by their example, and joining the -warriors, rushed madly on the Apaches, who, seeing their surprise -foiled, only tried to reach the open country again. - -For a quarter of an hour the massacre was fearful. At length the -Apaches, led by Stanapat and Black Cat, who vainly performed prodigies -of valour in order to restore the chances of the fight, succeeded in -clearing a gap through their enemies, and rushed in every direction, -closely followed by the Comanches, who felled them with their war clubs -and pitilessly scalped them. - -Only one band still resisted. - -Leaning against the palisades, which they had not yet found time to -cross, the pirates, bearing in their midst the body of their beloved -Gazelle, had recoiled inch by inch before the enemies who enveloped them -on all sides, dashing forward every now and then, and compelling their -foes to give ground in their turn. - -But the struggle was too unequal, and a long resistance soon became -impossible. The pirates, skilfully profiting by a moment of disorder, -started to fly each in a different direction, hoping to escape more -easily in this way. Sandoval had taken on his robust shoulders the body -of the girl, and with an extraordinary effort, which despair alone made -successful, had leaped out on the plain, where he hoped to conceal -himself in the grass. - -He would have probably succeeded in this, but he had to do with four -men, who seemed to have made up their minds to hunt him down. At the -moment he drew himself up after his leap, Valentine and his comrades -threw themselves upon him, without giving him time to defend himself, -and, in spite of his desperate resistance and furious yells, tied him -securely. - -The old pirate, on finding himself a prisoner, let his head sink on his -chest, and giving a sad glance at the girl he had been unable to save, -he gave vent to a deep sigh, and a burning tear silently coursed down -his furrowed cheeks. At the same moment Ellen entered the village, in -the middle of her escort: on seeing her, Valentine started. - -"Oh!" he muttered; "Where is Dona Clara?" - -"My daughter, my daughter!" the hacendero exclaimed, suddenly appearing -before the hunter, with his clothes disordered and his brow pale with -fear. The unhappy father, since he had entered the village, had only -attended to one thing--seeking his daughter. - -Followed step by step by the general, he entered the thickest of the -fight, asking after his daughter of all those he met, thrusting aside -the weapons that menaced him, and not thinking of the death which at -every moment rose before him, under every shape. Protected, as it were, -by an invisible talisman, he had traversed the whole village and entered -every hut the fire had spared, Seeing nothing, hearing nothing, having -only one object--that of finding his child. Alas! His search had been -in vain. - -Dona Clara had disappeared: although Valentine had intrusted her to -Shaw, no one knew what had become of her. The hacendero fell into his -friend's arms, and burst into heartrending sobs. - -"My daughter," he groaned. "Valentine, restore my daughter to me!" - -The hunter pressed him to his manly breast. - -"Courage, poor father," he said to him. "Courage!" - -But the hacendero no longer heard him; grief had at length overpowered -him, and he fainted away. - -"Oh!" Valentine said, "Red Cedar, you viper, shall I never succeed in -putting my heel on your chest!" - -Aided by the general and Don Pablo, he carried Don Miguel to the -medicine lodge, which the flames had not reached, and laid him a bed of -dry leaves. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIV. - -THE SCALP-DANCE. - - -When the combat was at an end, the Comanches busied themselves in -repairing the ravages caused by the Apache attack. Though their losses -were great, they were not so serious as might be supposed; because, as -the season was already far advanced, they had sent the larger portion of -their property to the winter village. This accidental circumstance saved -the greater part of their wealth. - -On the other hand, the Apaches had been in such haste, and the defence -had been so promptly organised and obstinate, that they had found no -time to plunder. Although all the callis were reduced to ashes, that -damage was trifling, and could be repaired in a few days. - -The most serious part of the affair was the loss of some twenty -warriors, who had courageously fallen in the defence of their homes. -Several women and children had also fallen; but the Apaches had suffered -a far more considerable loss. Without counting more than eighty warriors -killed during the rout, Black Cat and six other Apache warriors had -fallen alive into the power of their adversaries, and a terrible fate -awaited them. - -"What does my brother intend to do with his prisoners?" Unicorn asked -Valentine. - -"My brother need not feel anxious about them," the latter answered; -"they are whites, and I intend disposing of them as I think proper." - -"It shall be done as my brother desires." - -"Thanks, chief; I should feel obliged, however, by your lending me two -or three warriors to guard them." - -"It is unnecessary," Sandoval interrupted. "I pledge my word of honour -and that of my comrade not to try and escape for the next twenty-four -hours." - -Valentine fixed on him a glance that seemed trying to read his most -secret thoughts. - -"It is well," he said presently. "I accept your parole." - -"Are you going to leave this poor creature without help?" - -"You love him?" - -"As my son; had it not been so, you would not have captured me." - -"Very good. We will try to save him; but, perhaps, it would be better -for him to die at once." - -"Perhaps so," the old Pirate said, shaking his head, and speaking, as it -seemed, to himself. - -"In a few moments the scalp dance will begin; will my brothers be -present at it?" Unicorn asked. - -"I will," Valentine replied, who, although caring very little for this -ceremony, understood that it would be impolitic not to appear at it. - -We have already said that Ellen had reached the village by this time. On -seeing her, Don Pablo felt his heart quiver with emotion, and he -trembled in all his limbs. Ellen, whose glance was idly wandering -around, let her eyes settle accidentally on him; she suddenly blushed, -and let her eyelashes droop to hide her look of pleasure. - -Instinctively she felt reassured on finding she had near her this young -man, whom, however, she hardly knew, and who had only addressed her once -or twice. A cry of joy died away on her lips. Don Pablo walked up to -her. He had already learned by what a concourse of singular events she -had fallen into the hands of the partisans. - -"You are free, senorita," he said to her; "henceforth you have nothing -more to fear here, for you are under my protection." - -"And mine," Harry said, roughly, as he hastily surveyed Don Pablo. "I -alone am sufficient to defend Miss Ellen from any insult." - -The two young men exchanged a very significant glance: at the first word, -each recognised in the other a rival. - -"I have no desire to withdraw Miss Ellen from your protection, -caballero," the Mexican said coldly. "Still, as you are a stranger in -this village, where I am among devoted friends, I fancy that my support -will not be useless to her, and offer it--that is all." - -"I gratefully accept, caballero," she replied with a charming smile. "Be -kind enough to employ your influence in procuring me some shelter, where -I can take a few minutes' repose, which I so greatly need." - -"Be good enough to follow me," the young man answered, with a bow; "your -wishes shall be immediately satisfied." - -Ellen then turned to Harry. - -"Thanks, brother," she said to him, cordially offering her hand. "Now, -think of yourself; we shall meet again soon." - -Then she added, addressing Don Pablo: - -"I follow you, caballero." - -The Canadian hunter stood for a moment abashed by this hurried -leave-taking, but soon raised his head again. - -"Hum!" he muttered, "that's the way she leaves me, is it? But why be -angry with her, all women are alike--and, then, I have sworn to defend -her! Can I compel her to love me?" - -And after these philosophical reflections, which restored him all his -tranquillity of mind, he threw his rifle over his shoulder, and quietly -mixed among Bloodson's partisans. - -Don Pablo, in the meanwhile, had conducted the maiden to a cabin -miraculously preserved from the flames. At the moment they entered, they -were joined by Valentine. - -"Ah, a woman," he said, gaily, "all the better." - -And laying White Gazelle on the buffalo hides, he added with a smile: - -"Permit me, madam, to entrust to your care this young person, whom my -friend Curumilla has half killed. We must do all our best to restore -life." - -Pedro Sandoval, so soon as he had pledged his word, had been freed from -his ligatures, though his weapons were taken from him. - -"Companero," he said, "let the senorita do what is necessary; she will -manage better than we can." - -"Poor child!" Ellen murmured, sympathisingly. "Be assured, gentlemen, -that I will take care of her." - -"Thanks, madam, thanks," the old Pirate said, as he several times kissed -the maiden's hands. "I would give my last drop of blood to see her smile -on me again." - -"Is she your daughter?" Ellen asked with interest. - -The Pirate shook his head sadly. - -"We have no children or family, we the accursed ones of civilisation," -he said, in a hollow voice; "but, as I have watched over this poor girl -almost since her birth, I love her as we are capable of loving. I have -always acted as her father, and my greatest grief today is to see her -suffering and be unable to relieve her." - -"Leave that care to me; I hope you will soon hear her voice and see her -smile on you." - -"Oh, do that, madam," he exclaimed, "and I, who never yet blessed -anything, will worship you as an angel." - -The maiden, affected by such devoted love in a nature so rough as that -of the Pirate, renewed her assurance of giving the prisoner all the care -her position demanded, and the two women remained alone in the tent. - -In the meanwhile, a new village had risen, as if by enchantment, on the -ruins of the old one. Within a few hours, buffalo skin tents were -erected in every direction, and only a few traces remained of the -sanguinary contest of which the spot had been the scene on that same -day. - -A fire was kindled in the public square, and the Apache prisoners, -fastened to stakes put up expressly for them, were stoically awaiting -the decision on their fate. - -All were getting ready for the scalp dance, and a great number of men, -tall, handsome, and well dressed, soon invaded every corner of the -square. Their faces were blackened, as were those of Unicorn and -Pethonista, who led them; after these the old women and children came up -in procession, and ranged themselves behind the men. Last of all, the -other females came up in close column, two by two, and occupied the -centre of the square. - -Seven warriors belonging to the Old Dogs formed the band; they, too, had -blackened their faces, and three of them carried drums; the other four, -chichikouis. The warriors, wrapped in their buffalo robes, had their -heads uncovered, and generally adorned with feathers, which fell down -behind. The women's faces were also painted, some black, others red; -they wore buffalo robes, or blankets dyed of different colours. Two or -three, the wives of the principal chiefs, had on white buffalo robes, -and wore on their heads an eagle plume, placed perpendicularly. - -As Sunbeam, Unicorn's squaw, was absent, the first wife of Pethonista -took her place, and, alone, wore the grand sacred cap of feathers. All -the other women held in their hands war clubs or muskets, decorated with -red cloth and small feathers, the butt of which they struck on the -ground while dancing. - -We will remark here, that in the scalp dance the women carry arms, and -put on the war costume, to the exclusion of the men. - -The chieftainess stood at the right extremity of the band. She had in -her hand a long wand, from whose upper end were suspended four scalps, -still dripping with blood, surmounted by a stuffed jay, with -outstretched wings; a little lower, on the same staff, were five more -scalps. Opposite her stood another woman, carrying eight scalps in the -same way, while the majority of the rest had either one or two. - -The women formed a semicircle; the musicians, placed on the right, began -their deafening noise, beating the drums with all their strength, -singing their exploits, and shaking the chichikouis. The squaws then -began dancing. They took little steps, balancing to the right and left; -the two ends of the semicircle advanced and fell back in turn; the -dancers shrieked at the top of their lungs, and produced a fearful -concert, which can only be compared to the furious miauwling of a -multitude of cats. - -The Apache prisoners were fastened to stakes in the centre of the -circle. Each time the women approached them in their evolutions, they -overwhelmed them with insults, spat in their faces, and called them -cowards, hares, rabbits, and dogs without hearts. - -The Apaches smiled at these insults, to which they replied by -enumerating the losses they had entailed on the Comanches, and the -warriors they had killed. When the dance had lasted more than an hour, -the women, exhausted with fatigue, were compelled to rest, and the men -advanced in their turn, and stood before the prisoners. - -Among them was one Valentine would have liked to save--it was Black Cat. -The hunter therefore resolved to interfere, and employ all his influence -with Unicorn to obtain the life of the Apache chief. - -Valentine did not conceal from himself the difficulty of such an -undertaking with men to whom vengeance is the first duty, and whose good -will he was, above all, afraid of alienating. But powerful reasons -compelled him to act thus, and he resolved to attempt it. He therefore -advanced without hesitation to Unicorn, who was preparing the punishment -of the prisoners, and touched him lightly on the arm. - -"My brother is the first sachem of the Comanches," he said to him. - -The chief bowed silently. - -"His calli," Valentine continued, in an insinuating voice, "disappears -under the scalps of his enemies, so numerous are they, for my brother is -more terrible than lightning in combat." - -The Indian regarded the hunter with a proud smile. - -"What does my brother want?" he asked. - -"Unicorn," Valentine continued, "is no less wise at the council fire -than he is intrepid in battle. He is the most experienced and revered of -the warriors of his nation." - -"My brother, the great pale hunter, must explain himself clearly, in -order that I may understand him," the sachem answered, with a shade of -impatience. - -"My brother will listen to me for a moment," Valentine continued, quite -unmoved. "Several Apache warriors have fallen alive into his hands." - -"They will die!" the chief said, hoarsely. - -"Why kill them? Would it not be better to set a ransom on them and send -them back to their tribe, thus proving to the Apaches that the Comanches -are great warriors, who do not fear them?" - -"The palefaces understand nothing about war: a dead man is no longer to -be feared. If you pardon an enemy, you run the risk of him taking your -scalp on the morrow. The Apaches must die. They have burnt my village, -killed the squaws and children of my young men. Blood demands blood. -They have an hour to live!" - -"Very good," the hunter replied, who understood that if he attempted to -save all the prisoners he should not succeed, and was therefore -compelled, much against the grain, to compromise; "the warriors must -die; that is the law of war, and I do not seek to oppose it; but among -them there is one for whom my heart swells with pity." - -"The Apache prisoners are mine," Unicorn objected. - -"I do not deny it, and my brother has the right to dispose of them as he -pleases, and I cannot object; hence I ask a favour of my brother." - -The chief frowned slightly, but Valentine went on without seeming to -notice the tacit dissatisfaction of the Comanche: - -"I have a great interest in saving this man." - -"My brother is white. The palefaces have a gilded tongue; they know how -to find words which say all they wish. My brother is aware that I can -refuse him nothing. Who is the warrior he desires to save?" - -"Does my brother promise me that the man shall not perish, whoever it -may be, whose life I may demand?" - -The Comanche Chief was silent for a moment, looking fixedly at the -hunter, who watched him with equal attention. - -"Unicorn is my friend," Valentine continued. "I have a perfectly new -rifle: if it pleases my brother, I will give it to him." - -At this insinuation a slight smile enlivened the chief's face. - -"Good: I accept the rifle," he answered. "It is a proper weapon for a -sachem. My brother has my word. Who is the warrior he wishes to save?" - -"Black Cat." - -"Wah! I suspected it: however, no matter, my brother, can be at his -ease. Black Cat shall be saved." - -"I thank my brother," Valentine said warmly. "I see that his heart is -noble! He is a great warrior!" - -Then, alter affectionately pressing the chief's hand, Valentine returned -to his station, suppressing a sigh of satisfaction. - - - - -CHAPTER XXV. - -THE TORTURE. - - -The Apaches, who had been fastened for a long time to the stakes at -which they would be tortured, regarded the terrible preparations for -their atrocious punishment with a calm eye, and not a muscle quivering -in their stoical and indifferent faces. So great was their carelessness, -or, at any rate, it appeared so, that you might have fancied that they -were merely about to figure as spectators in the gloomy tragedy -preparing, although they were destined to play so terrible a part in it. - -So soon as Valentine left him, Unicorn ordered the torture to commence, -but he suddenly altered his mind. - -"My sons," he said, addressing the Comanche warriors, and pointing to -Black Cat; "this man is a chief, and as such can claim an exceptional -death, in which he can prove to us his constancy and courage under -suffering. Send him to the happy hunting grounds in such a way that the -warriors of his nation whom he meets in another life may give him a -reception worthy of him. Tomorrow the old men and chiefs will assemble -round the council fire, to invent a punishment meet for him. Take him -from the stake." - -The Indians frenziedly applauded these words, which promised them so -attractive a spectacle for the morrow. - -"The Comanches are boasting and cowardly women," Black Cat broke out; -"they do not know how to torture warriors. I defy them to make me utter -a groan, if the punishment lasted a whole day." - -"The Apache dogs can bark," Unicorn said coldly; "but if their tongue is -long, their courage is short; tomorrow, Black Cat will weep like a -daughter of the palefaces." - -Black Cat shrugged his shoulders contemptuously, and the Comanches -repeated their frenzied applause. - -"Unfasten him," Unicorn commanded a second time. - -Several warriors approached the Apache chief, cut the cords that bound -him to the stake, and then secured his limbs and threw him at the foot -of a tree, Black Cat not deigning to make a sign evidencing the -slightest irritation. After exchanging a glance with Valentine, Unicorn -placed himself at the head of a band of warriors, who formed a -semicircle round the prisoners. The chieftainess placed herself -opposite to him, with the women; the band struck up more noisily than -ever, and the torture began. - -The squaws and warriors danced round the prisoners, and in passing -before them, each, whether a man or woman, cut off a strip of flesh with -long, sharp scalping knives. In making these wounds, the Comanches -employed the utmost precaution to prevent the knives running too deep -into the flesh, lest the victims should run the chance of dying at once, -which would have unpleasantly modified the intention of the Indians, by -depriving them of a sight from which they promised themselves so much -pleasure. - -The Apaches smiled on their torturers, and excited them still more by -telling them that they did not know how to treat their prisoners; that -their wounds were only so many mosquito stings; that the Apaches were -far more skilful; and that the many Comanche prisoners they had made -endured in their tribe much more atrocious sufferings. - -The unfortunate men were in a pitiable state: their bodies were only one -wound, from which the blood streamed. The Comanches grew excited and -rage seized upon them, on hearing the insults of their enemies. A woman -rushed all at once on one of the prisoners whose words were the -bitterest, and with her sharp and curved talons tore out his eyes, which -she swallowed on the spot, saying to him-- - -"Dog, you shall not see the sun again." - -"You have torn out my eyes, but left me my tongue," the prisoner -replied, with a smile rendered more hideous by the two empty and -bleeding sockets. "'Twas I who devoured the quivering heart of your son, -Running-water, when he entered my calli to steal horses. Do what you -please, I am revenged beforehand!" - -The woman, exasperated by this last insult, rushed upon him and buried -her knife in his heart. The Apache burst into a hoarse laugh, which -suddenly changed into the death rattle, and fell a corpse while uttering -the words-- - -"I said truly that you do not know how to torture your prisoners--dogs, -rabbits, thieves!" - -The Comanches doubled their fury on the wretched victims, incessantly -hacking and stabbing them, and though the majority were dead already, -they did not leave off till they had destroyed all appearance of -humanity. The scalps were then raised, and the victims thrown into the -fire prepared for them. - -The Comanches danced and howled round this fire until their voice and -strength failed them, and they fell exhausted, in spite of the drums and -chichikouis. The men and women, stretched on the ground pell-mell, soon -fell asleep, in that strange state of intoxication produced by the odour -of the blood shed during this atrocious butchery. - -Valentine, despite the almost insurmountable disgust this scene had -occasioned him, did not wish to retire, as he feared lest Black Cat -might be massacred by the Comanches in a moment of mad fury. This -precaution was not vain: several times, had he not resolutely -interfered, the Apache chief would also have been sacrificed to the -hatred of his enemies, who had attained a paroxysm of fury impossible to -describe. - -When the camp was plunged in silence, and everybody asleep, Valentine -proceeded cautiously in the direction where the Apache chief lay bound, -who watched him come up with a very peculiar glance. Not saying a word, -the hunter, after assuring himself that nobody was watching his -movements, cut all the cords that bound him. The Apache bounded like a -jaguar, but fell back again on the ground; the cords had been tied so -securely that they had entered into his flesh. - -"My brother must be prudent," the Frenchman said gently. "I wish to save -him." - -He then took his flask and poured a few drops of brandy on the pallid -lips of the chief, who gradually recovered, and at length stood on his -feet. Bending a searching glance on the man who so generously paid him -attentions he was far from expecting, he asked in a hoarse voice-- - -"Why does the pale hunter wish to save me?" - -"Because," Valentine answered, without hesitation, "my brother is a -great warrior in his nation, and must not die. He is free." - -And holding out his hand to the chief, he helped him to walk. -The Indian followed him unresistingly, but without a word. On reaching -the spot where the horses of the tribe were picketed, Valentine selected -one, saddled it, and led it to the Apache, who, during the hunter's -short absence, had remained motionless on the same spot. - -"My brother will mount," he said. - -The warrior was still so weak that Valentine was compelled to help him -into the saddle. - -"Can my brother keep on his horse?" he asked, with tender solicitude. - -"Yes," the Apache answered, laconically. - -The hunter took the gun, bow, and panther skin quiver of the chief which -he handed to him, saying gently-- - -"My brother will take back his arms. A great warrior as he is must not -return to his tribe like a timid woman; he should be able to kill a -stag, if he met one on the road." - -The Indian seized the weapons; a convulsive tremor ran over his limbs, -and joy gained the victory over Indian stoicism. This man, who had faced -a horrible death without change of countenance, was conquered by the -Frenchman's noble conduct; his granite heart was softened; a tear, -doubtless the first he had ever shed, escaped from his fever parched -eyes, and a sob burst from his overcharged breast. - -"Thanks," he said, in a choking voice, so soon as words could find their -way to to his lips; "thanks, my brother is good, he has a friend." - -"My brother owes me nothing," the hunter replied, simply; "I act as my -heart and my religion order me." - -The Indian remained pensive for a moment, then he muttered, shaking his -head dubiously: - -"Yes, I have heard that said before, by Father Seraphin, the Chief of -Prayer of the palefaces. Their God is omnipotent, He is before all -merciful; is not that a blessing?" - -"Remember, chief," Valentine quietly interrupted him, "that I save your -life in the name of Father Seraphin, whom you seem to know." - -The Apache smiled softly. - -"Yes," he said, "these are his words, 'Requite good for evil.'" - -"Remember those divine precepts which I put in practice today," -Valentine exclaimed, "and they will support you in suffering." - -Black Cat shook his head. - -"No," he said, "the desert has its own laws, which are immutable; the -red skins are of a different nature from the palefaces: their law is one -of blood, and they cannot alter it. Their law says: 'Eye for eye, and -tooth for tooth.' The maxim is derived from their fathers, and they are -obliged to submit to it, and follow it; but the redskins never forget an -insult or a kindness. Black Cat has a great memory." - -There was a silence of some minutes, during which the two men regarded -each other attentively. At length the Apache spoke again. - -"My brother will lend me his gourd." - -The hunter gave it to him; the Apache quickly raised it to his lips, and -took a mouthful. Then, bending down to Valentine, he placed his hands on -his shoulders, and kissed him on the lips, while allowing a portion of -the fluid he held in his mouth to pass into the hunter's. - -On the prairies of the Far West this ceremony is a species of mysterious -initiation, and the greatest mark of attachment one man can give -another. When two men have embraced in this way, they are henceforth -friends, whom nothing can separate save death, and they help one another -without hesitation under all circumstances. - -Valentine knew this, and hence, in spite of the disgust he internally -experienced, he did not oppose the action of the Apache chief. On the -contrary, he yielded to it joyfully, comprehending the immense -advantages he should, at a later date, derive from this indissoluble -alliance with one of the most influential Apache sachems, those allies -of Red Cedar, on whom he had sworn to take an exemplary revenge. - -"We are brothers," Black Cat said, gravely. "Henceforth, by day or -night, wherever the great pale hunter may direct his footsteps, a friend -will constantly watch over him." - -"We are brothers," the hunter replied; "Black Cat will ever find me -ready to come to his assistance." - -"I know it," said the warrior. "Farewell; I will return to the warriors -of my tribe." - -"Farewell," Valentine said. - -And vigorously lashing his horse, the Apache Chief started at full -speed, and soon disappeared in the darkness. Valentine listened for a -moment to the echo of his horse's hoofs on the hardened ground, and then -returned thoughtfully to the calli, in which Ellen was nursing White -Gazelle. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVI. - -TWO WOMEN'S HEARTS. - - -Ellen felt moved with pity at the sight of this young and lovely woman, -who lay on the floor of the hut, and whom life seemed to have quitted -forever. She felt for her, although she never remembered to have seen -her before, a sympathy for which she could not account, and which -instinctively attracted her. - -Who was this woman? How had she, still so young, become mixed up in -these scenes of murder and associated with these savage prairie men, to -whom every human being is an enemy, every valuable article a booty? -Whence arose this strange ascendancy which she exerted over outlaws, -whom she made cry like children? - -All these thoughts crossed Ellen's mind, and heightened, were that -possible, the interest she felt in the stranger. And yet, in her heart, -a vague fear, an undefinable presentiment warned her to be on her guard, -and that this woman, gifted with, a strange character and fatal beauty, -was an enemy, who would destroy her happiness forever. - -As Ellen was one of those rare women for whom evil sentiments did not -exist, and who made it a principle to obey, under all circumstances, the -impulse of her heart, without reflecting on the consequences that might -result from it, she silenced the feeling of revolt within her, and bent -over White Gazelle. - -And with that exquisite tact, innate in the female heart, she sat down -by the side of the sufferer, laid her beautiful head on her knees, -loosened her vest, and gave her that busy attention of which the other -sex alone possess the secret. - -The two maidens, thus grouped on the uneven floor of a wretched Indian -hut, offered an exquisite picture. Both deliciously lovely, though of -different beauty--for Ellen had the most lovely golden locks ever seen, -while the Gazelle, on the contrary, had the warm tint of the Spanish -woman, and hair of a bluish black--presented the complete type, in two -different races, of the beau-ideal of woman, that misunderstood and -incomprehensible being, the fallen angel in whose heart God seems to -have let fall a glorious beam of His divinity, and who retains a vague -reminiscence of that Eden which she made us lose. - -The American woman, that perfect whole, a composition of graces, -volcanic and raging passions, angel and demon, who loves and hates -simultaneously, and who makes the man she prefers feel in the same -second the joys of paradise and the nameless tortures of the Inferno! -Who could even analyze this impossible nature, in which virtue and -vices, strangely amalgamated, seem to personify the terrible convulsions -of the soil on which she lives, and which has created her? - -For a long time, Ellen's cares were thrown away. White Gazelle remained -pale and cold in her arms. The maiden began to grow alarmed. She knew -not to what she should have recourse, when the stranger made a slight -movement, and a faint ruddiness tinged her cheeks. She uttered a -profound sigh, and her eyelids painfully rose. She looked round her in -amazement, and then closed her eyes again. - -After a moment, she opened them once more, raised her hand to her brow -as if to dissipate the clouds that obscured her mind, fixed her eyes on -the person who was attending to her, and then, with a frown and -quivering lips, she, tore herself from the arms that entwined her, and, -bounding like a panther, sought shelter in one of the corners of the -hut, without ceasing to gaze fixedly at the young American, who was -startled at this strange conduct, and could not understand it. - -The two girls remained thus for a few seconds, face to face, devouring -each other with their eyes, but not exchanging a syllable. No other -sound could be heard in the hut, save the panting respiration of the two -females. - -"Why do you shun me?" Ellen at length asked in her harmonious voice, -soft as the cooing of a dove. "Do I frighten you?" she added, with a -smile. - -The Spaniard listened to her as if she did not catch her meaning, and -shook her head so passionately that she broke the ribbon confining her -hair, which fell in thick ringlets over her white shoulders, and veiled -them. - -"Who are you?" she asked, impetuously, with an accent of menace and -anger. - -"Who am I?" Ellen replied, in a firm voice, in which a slight tinge of -reproach was perceptible. "I am the woman who has just saved your life." - -"And who told you I wished it to be saved?" - -"In doing so, I only consulted my own heart." - -"Oh, yes, I understand," the Gazelle said, ironically. "You are one of -those women called in your country Quakeresses, who spend their life in -preaching." - -"I am nothing of the sort," Ellen said, softly. "I am a woman who -suffers like yourself, and whom your misfortunes affect." - -"Yes, yes," the Spaniard shrieked, as she writhed her hands -despairingly, and burst into tears--"I suffer all the torments of hell." - -Ellen regarded her for a moment with compassion, and walked towards her. -"Do not cry, poor girl!" she said to her, mistaking the cause that made -her shed tears. "You are in safety here. No one will do you any harm." - -The Spaniard threw up her head haughtily. - -"Nay!" she said, impetuously. "Do you fancy, then, that I am not in a -condition to defend myself, were I insulted? What need have I of your -protection?" - -And, roughly seizing Ellen's arm, she shook her passionately as she -said:-- - -"Who are you? What are you doing here? Answer!" - -"You, who were with the bandits when they attacked this village, should -know me," Ellen replied, drily. - -"Yes, I know you," the Spaniard said presently, in a hoarse voice. "You -are the woman whom the genius of evil brought across my path to rob me -of all my happiness! I did not expect to find you here, but I am -delighted at doing so, for I can at length tell you how I hate you," she -added, stamping her foot passionately. "Yes, I hate you!" - -Ellen, in her heart, was alarmed at the stranger's violence; she tried -in vain to explain her incomprehensible words. - -"You hate me!" she replied, softly. "For what reason? I do not know you. -This is the first time that accident has brought us together. Up to this -day, we never had any relations together, near or remote." - -"Do you think so?" the Spaniard continued, with a cutting smile. "In -truth," she added, "we never had any relations together. You are right, -and yet I know you thoroughly. Miss Ellen, daughter of the squatter, the -scalp hunter, the bandit, in a word, Red Cedar, and who dares to love -Don Pablo de Zarate, as if you did not belong to an accursed race. Have -I forgotten aught--are those all your titles? Answer, will you?" she -said, thrusting her face, inflamed with passion, close to Ellen's, and -shaking her violently by the arm. - -"I am, indeed, Red Cedar's daughter," Ellen answered, coldly; "but I do -not understand what you mean by your allusion to Don Pablo de Zarate." - -"Do you not, innocent lamb!" the Spaniard retorted with irony. - -"And supposing it were so," the American answered with some haughtiness, -"what does it concern you? By what right do you cross-question me?" - -"By what right?" the Spaniard said, violently, but suddenly checked -herself, and, biting her lips till the blood came, she folded her hands -on her breast, and, surveying Ellen with a glance full of the utmost -contempt, she continued:-- - -"In truth, you are an angel of purity and gentleness; your life has -passed calmly and softly at the hearth of honest and respectable -parents, who inculcated in you at an early age all the virtues they -practice so well--ah, ah! Is not that what you meant to say to me?-- -while I, who am an associate of brigands, who have spent my whole life -on the prairie, who understand nothing of the narrow exigencies of your -paltry civilisation, who have always breathed the sharp and savage air -of liberty--by what right should I come to interfere in your family -arrangements, and interfere in your chaste loves, whose sentimental and -insipid incidents are so well regulated by feet and inches? You are -right, I cannot, with my savage manner, and burning heart, cross your -love, and destroy for a caprice all your combinations--I am, indeed, -mad," she added, as she rudely repulsed the maiden. - -She folded her arms on her chest, and leant against the wall of the hut -in silence. Ellen looked at her for a while, and then said, in a soft -and conciliating voice-- - -"I try in vain to understand your allusions, but if they refer to any -fact effaced from my mind, if, under any circumstance, I may have -unconsciously offended you, I am ready to offer you all the apologies -you may require. Our position among these ferocious Indians is too -critical for me not to try, by all means in my power, to draw more -closely together the bonds of friendship between ourselves, the only -representatives of the white race here, which alone can enable us to -escape the snares laid for us, and resist the attacks that threaten us." - -The Spaniard's face had gradually lost the hateful and wicked expression -that disfigured it, and her features had become calmer. Now that she had -reflected, she repented the imprudent words she had uttered on the first -outburst of passion. She would have liked to recall her secret; still she -hoped that it was not too late to do so; and with that craft innate in -woman, and which renders her so dangerous under certain circumstances, -she resolved to deceive her companion, and efface from her mind the bad -impression which her foolish words must have left there. - -Hence it was with a smile, and in her softest voice, that she answered -the American-- - -"You are good-hearted; I am not worthy of the attention you have paid -me, or of the gentle words you address to me, after what I dared to say -to you. But I am more unfortunate than wicked. Abandoned when a child, -and adopted by the bandits with whom you saw me, the first sounds that -struck my ear were cries of death, the first light I saw was the glare -of incendiary fires. My life has been passed in the desert, far from the -towns, where people learn to grow better. I am an impetuous and -obstinate girl; but, believe me, my heart is good; I can appreciate a -kindness, and remember it. Alas! A girl in my position is more to be -pitied than blamed." - -"Poor child!" Ellen said, with involuntary emotion, "So young, and -already so unhappy." - -"Oh, yes, most unhappy," the Spaniard went on; "I never knew the -sweetness of a mother's caresses, and the only family I have had is -composed of the brigands, who accompanied the Apaches when they attacked -you." - -The girls remained seated side by side, with their arms intertwined and -head on each other's shoulder, like two timid doves. They talked for a -long time, describing their past life. Ellen, with the candour and -frankness that formed the basis of her character, allowed her companion -to draw from her all her secrets, harmless as they were, not perceiving -that the dangerous woman who held her beneath the charm of her -blandishments, continually excited her to confidence, while herself -maintaining the utmost reserve. - -The hours passed thus rapidly, nearly the whole night slipped away in -their confessions, which did not terminate till sleep, which never -surrenders its sway over young and animated people, closed the drooping -eyelids of the American girl. - -The Spaniard did not sleep; when the other maiden's head fell on her -chest she raised it cautiously, and laid it delicately on the skins and -furs arranged to act as a bed; then, by the flickering and uncertain -light of the pinewood torch fixed in the ground, which lit up the hut, -she gazed long and attentively on the squatter's daughter. - -Her face had lost its placid mask and assumed an expression of hatred of -which such lovely features would have been thought incapable; with -frowning brow, clenched teeth, and pallid cheeks, as she stood before -the maiden, she might have been taken for the genius of evil, preparing -to seize the victim which it holds fascinated and gasping beneath its -deadly glance. - -"Yes," she said, in a hollow voice, "this woman is lovely; she has all -needed to be beloved by a man. She told me the truth--he loves her! And -I," she added, with a movement of rage, "why does he not love me? I am -lovely too--more lovely than this one, perhaps. How is it that he has -been at least twenty times in my presence, and his heart has never been -warmed by the fire that flashed from my eyes? Whence comes it that he -has never noticed me, that all my advances to make him love me have -remained futile, and that he has never thought of anyone but the woman -lying asleep there, who is in my power, and whom I could kill if I -pleased?" - -While uttering these words she had drawn from her girdle a small -stiletto, with a blade sharp as the tongue of a cascabel. - -"No!" she added, after a moment's reflection, "No, it is not thus that -she must die! She would not suffer enough. Oh, no! I mean her to endure -all the sufferings that are lacerating me. Jealousy shall torture her -heart as it has done mine for so long. _Voto a Dios!_ I will avenge -myself as a Spanish woman should do. If he despise me, if he will not -love me, neither of us shall have him; we shall both suffer, and her -torture will alleviate mine. Oh! Oh!" she said, with a smile, as she -walked round the sleeping girl with the muffled tread of a wild beast; -"fair-haired girl, with lily complexion, your cheeks covered with the -velvety down of a peach, will ere long be as pale as mine, and your -eyes, red with fever, will no longer find tears to soothe them." - -She bent over Ellen, attentively listened to her regular breathing, and -certain that she was plunged in a deep sleep, she walked toward the -curtain door of the hut, raised it cautiously, and after looking around -her in the obscurity, feeling assured by the calmness that surrounded -her, she stepped over the body of Curumilla, who was lying across the -door, and started off hurriedly, but with such light steps that the most -practised ear could not have noticed the sound. - -The Indian warrior had taken on himself the duty of watching over the -two women. When the scalp dance was ended he returned to install himself -at the spot he had selected, and, in spite of the remarks of Valentine -and Don Pablo, who assured him that they were in safety, and it was -unnecessary for him to remain there, nothing could make him give up his -resolution. - -Phlegmatically shaking his head at his friend's remarks, he took off his -buffalo robe without any further response; he stretched it on the -ground, and lay down on it, wishing them good night with a brief but -peremptory nod. The others, seeing the Araucano's immoveable resolve, -philosophically went away, shaking their heads. - -Curumilla was not asleep--not one of the Spanish girl's movements -escaped him; and she had scarce gone ten yards when he was already on -her trail, watching her carefully. Why he did so he was himself -ignorant; but a secret foreboding warned him to follow the stranger, and -try to learn for what reason, instead of sleeping, she traversed at so -late an hour the camp in which she was a prisoner, and where she -consequently exposed herself to come in contact at each step with a -ferocious enemy, who would have killed her with delight. - -The reason that made her brave so imminent a danger must be very -powerful, and that reason the Indian chief determined on knowing. - -The girl had difficulty in finding her way through this inextricable -labyrinth of huts and tents, against which she stumbled at every step. -The night was dark; the moon, veiled under a dense mass of clouds, only -displayed its sickly disc at lengthened intervals; not a star gleamed in -the sky. - -At times the girl halted on her journey, stretching forth her hand to -listen to any suspicious sound, or else returned hurriedly on her -footsteps, turning in the same circle, while careful not to go far from -Ellen's hut. - -It was evident to Curumilla that the prisoner was seeking, though unable -to find, a tent that contained the person she wished to speak with. At -length, despairing probably of ever succeeding in this search of which -she did not hold the thread, the girl stopped and imitated twice the -snapping bark of the white coyote of the Far West. This signal, for it -was evidently one, succeeded better than she expected, for two similar -barks, uttered at points diametrically opposed, answered her almost -immediately. The girl hesitated for a second; a dark flush passed over -her face, but recovering at once, she repeated the signal. - -Two men appeared simultaneously at her side--one, who seemed to rise out -of the ground, was Red Cedar, the second, Pedro Sandoval. - -"Heaven be praised!" the Spaniard said, as he pressed the girl's hand, -"You are saved, Nina, and I fear nothing more now. _Canarios!_ You may -flatter yourself with having caused me a terrible fright." - -"Here I am," said Red Cedar; "can I be of any service to you? We are -ambushed a few steps from here, with two hundred Apaches; speak, what is -to be done?" - -"Nothing at present," the Gazelle said, as she returned the pressure of -her two friends' hands. "After our ill success of this evening, any -attempt would be premature, and fail. At daybreak, from what I have -heard, the Comanches will set out to take up your trail. Do not let -their war party out of sight. It is possible that I may require your -help on the way; but till then do not show yourself; act with the -greatest prudence, and before all try to keep your enemies in ignorance -of your movements." - -"You have no other recommendations to give me?" - -"None; so retire; the Indians will soon wake up, and it would not be -well for you if they surprised you." - -"I obey." - -"Above all, do what I told you." - -"That is agreed," Red Cedar repeated. - -He glided into the gloom and disappeared among the tents. Curumilla was -inclined to follow him and kill him as he fled; but after a short -hesitation he allowed him to escape. - -"It is now your turn," the Gazelle continued, addressing Sandoval; "I -have a service to ask of you." - -"A service, Nina; say rather an order to give me; do you not know that I -am happy to please you in everything?" - -"I am aware of it, and feel grateful to you, Pedro; but this time what I -have to ask of you is so important and so serious, that, in spite of -myself, I hesitate to tell you what I expect from you." - -"Speak without fear, my child, and whatever it may be, I swear to you to -do it." - -"Even if the life of a person were at stake?" she said, with a bright -and fixed glance, resembling that of a wild beast. - -"All the worse for him: I would kill him." - -"Without hesitation?" - -"Yes. Has anyone insulted you, my child? If so, point him out to me, -that you may be the sooner avenged." - -"What I would ask of you is worse than killing a man." - -"I do not understand you." - -"I wish--you understand me clearly, my dear Pedro?--I wish that on the -road we should escape--" - -"If it is only that, it is easy." - -"Perhaps so! But that is not all." - -"I am listening." - -"When we escape, you must carry off and take with us the girl to whom -you entrusted me last evening." - -"What the deuce would you do with her?" the pirate exclaimed, astonished -at this singular proposition, which he was far from expecting. - -"That is my business," the Gazelle answered rudely. - -"Of course, still it seems to me--" - -"After all, why should I not tell you? There is, I think, in a country a -long distance from here, a savage and ferocious race called the Sioux?" - -"Yes, and they are precious scoundrels, I can assure you, senorita; but -I do not see what connection there is--" - -"You shall see," she sharply interrupted him. "I wish that the girl you -carry off tomorrow shall be handed over as a slave to the Sioux." - -This proposition was so monstrous, that Pedro Sandoval could not refrain -from a glance of stupefaction at the young Spaniard. - -"You have heard me," she continued. - -"Yes, but I should prefer killing her: it would be sooner done, and the -poor girl would suffer less." - -"Ah, you pity her!" she said with a demoniac smile; "the fate I reserve -for her, then is very atrocious? Well, that is exactly what I want; she -must live and suffer for a long time." - -"This woman must have terribly insulted you?" - -"More than I can tell you." - -"Reflect on the horrible punishment to which you condemn her." - -"All my reflections are made," the girl replied in a sharp voice; "I -insist on it." - -The Pirate hung his head silently. - -"Will you obey me?" she asked. - -"I must, for am I not your slave?" - -She smiled proudly. - -"Take care, Nina! I know not what has happened between this girl and -yourself, but I am conscious that vengeance often produces very bitter -fruits, Perhaps you will repent hereafter what you do today?" - -"What matter? I shall be avenged. That thought will render me strong, -and give me the courage to suffer." - -"Then, you are quite resolved?" - -"Irrevocably." - -"I will obey." - -"Thanks, my kind father," she said, eagerly; "thanks for your devotion." - -"Do not thank me," the Pirate said, sadly; "perhaps you will curse me -some day." - -"Oh, never!" - -"May Heaven grant it!" - -With these words, the accomplices separated. - -Pedro re-entered the tent allotted to him, while the Gazelle rejoined -Ellen, who was still sleeping her untroubled sleep, smiling at the -pleasant dreams that lulled her. - -Curumilla lay down again at the entrance of the lodge. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVII. - -SHAW. - - -We have said that Dona Clara had disappeared. - -At the moment when the struggle was most obstinate, Valentine, taking -Dona Clara in his arms, leaped from the top of the lodge on which he had -hitherto been fighting, intrusted the maiden to Shaw, and rushed back -into the fight at the head of the Comanches, who, recovering from the -terror caused by the unforeseen attack of their implacable foes the -Apaches, gradually assembled to the powerful war cry of their chief, -Pethonista. - -"Watch over her," Valentine said to Red Cedar's son; "watch over her, -and, whatever may happen, save her." - -Shaw took the maiden in his powerful arms, threw her over his shoulder, -and with flashing eye and quivering lip, he brandished his axe, that -fearful squatter's instrument he never laid aside, and rushed head -foremost among the Apaches, resolved to die or break the human barrier -that rose menacingly before him. - -Like a boar at bay, he dashed madly forward, felling and trampling -mercilessly on all who attempted to bar his progress. A living catapult, -he advanced step by step over a pile of corpses, incessantly dropping -his axe, which he raised again dripping with blood. He had only one -thought left--to save Dona Clara or die! - -In vain did the Apaches collect around him; like an implacable reaper, -he cut them down as ripe corn, while laughing that dry and hoarse grin, -a nervous contraction which affects a man who has reached the last -stage of rage or madness. - -In fact, at this moment, Shaw was no longer a man, but a demon. -Trampling over the quivering bodies that fell beneath the terrible blows -of his axe, feeling the body of her for whose safety he fought trembling -on his shoulder, he struggled without stopping in his impossible task, -but resolved to cut a hole, at all risks, through the human wall -constantly arising before him. - -Shaw was a man of tried courage, long habituated to fighting, and -pitiless to the redskins. But alone, on this night, only illumined by -the blood-red hue of the fire, and confined in a fatal circle, he felt a -great fear involuntarily coming over him; he breathed with difficulty, -his teeth were clenched, an icy perspiration ran down his body, and he -felt on the point of succumbing. - -Falling would have been death. He would have immediately disappeared -under the avalanche of ferocious Indians yelling around him. - -This discouragement did not last so long as a lightning flash. The young -man, sustained by that hope which springs eternal in the human breast, -as well as by his love for Dona Clara, prepared to continue the unequal -contest. - -Bounding like a jaguar, he hurled himself into the thick of the fight. -This contest of a single man against a swarm of enemies had something -grand and startling about it. Shaw, as if under the influence of a -horrible nightmare, struggled in vain against the incessantly renewed -cloud of foemen; in him every feeling of self had vanished, he no longer -reflected, his life had become entirely physical, his movements were -automatic, his arms rose and fell with the rigid regularity of a -pendulum. - -He had managed, without knowing how, to clear the fortifications of the -village; at a few paces from him the Gila flowed silently on, and -appeared to him in the moonlight like an immense silver ribbon. Could he -reach the river, he was saved; but there is a limit which human -strength, however great it may be, cannot go beyond, and Shaw felt that -he was reaching this limit. - -He took an anxious glance around; Apaches hemmed him in on all sides! He -uttered a sigh, for he thought that he was about to die. At this solemn -moment, when all was about to fail him, a final shriek burst from his -chest. A cry of agony and despair, of terrifying meaning, and re-echoed -for a second far and wide, so that it drowned all the battle sounds; it -was the parting protest of a man who at length confesses himself -conquered by fatality, and who, before succumbing, summons his fellow -men to his aid, or implores the succour of Heaven. - -A cry answered his! Shaw, astonished, unable to count on a miracle, as -his friends were too far off and themselves too busy to help him, -fancied himself the victim of a dream or hallucination; still, -collecting all his strength, feeling hope well up again in his heart, he -gave vent to a more startling shout than the former. - -"Courage!" - -This time, it was not echo that answered him. - -Courage! This word alone was borne on the wings of the wind, weak as a -sigh, and, in spite of the horrible yells of the Apaches, was distinctly -heard by Shaw. - -In moments of frenzy, or when a man is at bay, the senses acquire a -perfection for which it is impossible otherwise to account. Like the -giant Antaeus, Shaw drew himself up, and seemed restored to that life -which was on the point of leaving him. He redoubled his blows on his -innumerable enemies, and at length succeeded in breaking through the -barrier they opposed to him. - -Several horsemen appeared galloping over the plain; shots illumined the -darkness with their transient flash, and men, or rather demons, rushed -suddenly on the throng of the Apaches, and commenced a frightful -carnage. The redskins, surprised by their unexpected attack, rushed -toward the village, uttering yells of terror: their prey had escaped -them. - -Shaw had fought bravely and firm as a rock up to the last moment; but -when his enemies disappeared, he sank to the ground in a state of -unconsciousness. - -How long did he remain in this state? He could not say: but when he -recovered his senses it was night. He fancied at first, that only a few -hours had elapsed since the terrible struggle he had undergone, and he -looked inquiringly around him. He was lying by a fire in the centre of a -clearing; Dona Clara was a few paces from him, weak and pale as a -spectre. - -Shaw uttered a cry of surprise and terror on recognising the men who -surrounded him, and who had probably saved him by answering his final -shout. They were his two brothers, Fray Ambrosio, Andres Garote, and a -dozen Gambusinos. - -By what strange accident had he rejoined his comrades at the moment when -he had so great interest in shunning them? What evil chance had brought -them across his path? - -The young man let his head sink on his chest, and fell into a sad and -gloomy reverie. His comrades, lying like him by the fire, maintained the -most obstinate silence, and did not seem at all eager to cross-question -him. - -We will take advantage of the momentary respite allowed Shaw, to explain -what had taken place on the island since we quitted it to follow Dona -Clara, Ellen, and the two Canadian hunters. - -Until sunrise no one perceived the flight of the girls. At breakfast, -Nathan and Sutter, amazed at not seeing their sister appear, ventured on -entering the hut of branches that served as shelter to the two females, -and then all was explained. They went in a furious rage to Fray Ambrosio -to tell him what had happened, and the monk completed the news they gave -him by announcing in his turn the flight of Eagle-wing, Dick, and Harry. - -The fury of the two brothers was unbounded, and they proposed to raise -the camp at once, and go in pursuit of, the fugitives. Fray Ambrosio and -his worthy friend Garote had infinite difficulty in making them -understand that this would lead to no result; that, moreover, they had -as guide an Indian thoroughly acquainted with the topography of the -country, and the hiding places, and that it would be folly to suppose -that the persons who had escaped had not so arranged their flight as to -foil all attempts made to seize them again. - -Another and more powerful reason obliged them to remain on the island, -to which the squatter's sons were compelled to yield. Red Cedar, on -going away, ordered that under no pretext should they quit the post he -had selected; he had moreover promised to join his band again there, and -if they left it, it would be impossible for him to find them, as he -would not know in what direction they had gone. - -The young men were forced to allow that Fray Ambrosio was right; but, in -order to satisfy their conscience, they placed themselves at the head of -a few resolute men, crossed the river, and beat up the neighbourhood. We -need scarcely say that they found nothing, for at about a league from -the Gila the traces were finally lost. - -The young men were in despair; but Fray Ambrosio, on the other hand, was -delighted. He had only one desire, that of seeing the band quit of Dona -Clara, who, according to his views, impeded its progress and prevented -it marching with the speed circumstances required; and now, instead of -one woman, two had gone! - -The worthy monk could scarce contain himself for joy; he, listened with, -a sympathising air and expressions of condolence to the advice and -complaints of his comrades at this extraordinary flight; but in his -heart he was delighted. - -Still, as there was no perfect happiness in this world, and wormwood -must always be mixed with the honey of life, an unexpected incident -suddenly troubled the beatitude of Fray Ambrosio. - -At starting, Red Cedar, while concealing the object of his journey, had -dropped hints to his comrades that he would bring them allies; moreover, -he informed them, that his excursion would not last more than three or -four days at the most. In the desert, especially in the Far West, there -is no regular road; travellers are compelled, for the greater part of -the time, to march axe in hand, and cut a path by force. The gambusinos -knew this by experience, and hence were not surprised, because Red Cedar -did not return at the period he had fixed. - -They were patient, and as their provisions were beginning to give out, -they scattered on either side the river, and organised great hunting -expeditions to renew their stock. But days had slipped away, and Red -Cedar did not return: a month had already passed, and no news or sign -arrived to tell the gambusinos that he would come soon. Another -fortnight also passed, and produced no change in the position of the -gold-seekers. - -By degrees the band began to grow discouraged, and soon, without anyone -knowing how, the most sinister news circulated at first in a whisper, -but then they acquired the almost certainty, that the squatter, -surprised in an ambuscade by the redskins, had been massacred, and that, -consequently, it was useless waiting for him any longer. - -These rumours, to which Fray Ambrosio attached but slight importance at -the outset, became presently so strong that he grew anxious in his turn, -and tried to dissipate them; but this was difficult, not to say -impossible. Fray Ambrosio knew no more than the rest about Red Cedar's -movements; his fears were, at least, as great as those of his comrades; -and whatever he might do, he was compelled to allow that he had no valid -reason to offer them, and was completely ignorant of the fate of their -common chief. - -One morning the gambusinos, instead of setting out to hunt as they did -daily, assembled tumultuously before the _jacal_, which served as -headquarters for the monk and the squatter's sons, and told them plainly -that they had waited long enough for Red Cedar: as he had given them no -news of his movements for upwards of two months, he must be dead: that -consequently the expedition was a failure; and as they had no -inclination to fall, some fine morning, into the power of their foes, -the redskins, they were going to return at once to Santa Fe. - -Fray Ambrosio in vain told them that, even supposing Red Cedar was -dead--which was not proved--although it was a misfortune, it did not -cause the expedition to fail, as he alone held the secret of the placer, -and promised to lead them to it. The gambusinos, who placed no -confidence in his talents as guide, or in his courage as a partisan, -would not listen to anything; and, whatever he might do to check them, -they mounted their horses, and rode off from the island, where he -remained with the squatter's sons, Andres Garote, and five or six other -men still faithful to him. Fray Ambrosio saw them land, and spur their -horses into the tall grass, where they speedily disappeared. The monk -fell to the ground in despair; he saw his plans for a fortune -irredeemably ruined; plans which he had fostered so long, and which were -crushed at the very moment when they seemed on the point of realisation. - -Any other man than Fray Ambrosio, after such a disaster, would have -yielded to despair; but he was gifted with one of those energetic -natures which difficulties arouse instead of crushing; and, in lieu of -renouncing his schemes, he resolved, as Red Cedar did not return, to go -in search of him, and leave the island at once. An hour later, the -little party set out on its march. - -By an extraordinary coincidence, they set out on the very day when the -Apaches started to attack the Comanche village; and as when accident -interposes it does not do things by halves, it led them to the vicinity -of the village at the moment when the desperate contest was going on -which we have described in a previous chapter. - -Their predacious instincts invited them to draw nearer the village -under the protection of the darkness, in the hope of obtaining some -Indian scalps, which were very valuable to them. It was then that the -gambusinos heard Shaw's cry for help, to which they responded by -hurrying up at full speed. - -They rushed boldly into the medley, and saved the young man and the -precious burthen he still held enclasped; then, after cutting the -throats of several Indians, whom they conscientiously scalped, as they -considered it imprudent to venture further, they started off again as -quickly as they had come, and reached a forest where they concealed -themselves, intending to ask Shaw, when he regained his senses, how he -happened to be at the entrance of this village, holding Dona Clara in -his arms, and fighting alone against a swarm of Indians. - -The young man remained unconscious the whole day. Although the wounds he -had received were not dangerous, the great quantity of blood he had -lost, and the extraordinary efforts he had been obliged to make, plunged -him into such a state of prostration, that several hours still elapsed -after he had regained his senses before he seemed to have restored -sufficient order in his ideas to be able to give an account of the -events in which he had played so important a part. - -It was, therefore, Fray Ambrosio's advice to grant time to recall his -thoughts before beginning to cross-question him, and hence the affected -indifference of the gambusinos toward him, an indifference which he -profited by, to seek in his mind the means to part company with them, -carrying off for the second time Dona Clara, who had so unhappily fallen -into their hands again. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVIII. - -THE DEPARTURE. - - -On the day after the battle, at sunrise, there was a busy scene in the -Comanche village. The criers or hachestos mounted on the piles of ruins, -summoned the warriors, who arrived one after the other, still fatigued -by the dances and combats of the previous night. The war whistles, the -shells, the drums and chichikouis, made an infernal disturbance, and -hence the entire population was speedily assembled. - -Unicorn was a chief of great prudence. Being on the point of undertaking -an expedition which might separate him for a long time from his friends, -he did not wish to leave the women and children exposed defencelessly to -an attack like that of the previous evening. As the season was advanced, -he resolved to abandon the village definitively, and escort those who -were not selected to accompany him, to the winter village of the nation, -situated at no great distance off, in a virgin forest, and in an -impregnable position. - -The appearance of the village was most picturesque; the warriors, -painted and armed for war, formed two companies of one hundred men each, -collected on the square, having on each flank a squadron of twenty-five -horsemen. Between the two detachments the women, children, and old men -placed themselves, with the dogs fastened to the sledges, which bore all -their valuable property, such as furniture, furs, &c. - -Unicorn, surrounded by his staff, composed of the subordinate chiefs of -the tribe, held in his hands the totem, and gave his orders with a word -or a gesture, which were immediately executed with an intelligence and -dexterity that would have done honour to the most civilised nation. - -Valentine was also on the public square, with his comrades and -prisoners. The two maidens, calm and smiling, were side by side, -conversing together, while Curumilla was holding his head down, and -frowning. - -Bloodson had gone off at daybreak, with his band, to try and surprise, -in his turn, the Apache village, which was no great distance off. It was -a strange fact, but the hunters and Mexicans felt an extraordinary -pleasure at the departure of this man, who had, however, rendered them -an immense service. Certainly, it would have been impossible for them to -explain this feeling, which all experienced. Still, when he was no -longer among them, their chests expanded, and they breathed with greater -ease; in a word, it seemed as if an immense weight had been suddenly -removed. - -And yet, we repeat, the hunters and Mexicans had only terms of praise in -which to allude to this man's treatment of them. Whence came this -instinctive repulsion with which he inspired them?--the truth was, that -Bloodson had something about him which caused those to whom accident -brought into contact with him to feel disgust mingled with fear. - -A great noise was suddenly heard in the square, and two or three Indians -came up to speak to the chief. Unicorn uttered an exclamation of anger -and feigned the greatest disappointment. - -"What is the matter, chief?" Valentine asked, with the most indifferent -air he could assume. - -"Our most valuable Apache prisoner," Unicorn said, "has found means to -escape, I do not know how." - -"That is a misfortune," Valentine said: "still, it may not be -irreparable." - -"How so?" - -"Who knows? Perhaps he may have escaped very recently; if you were to -send couriers in every direction, it is possible that he may be -recaptured. Besides, if that measure did not produce the anticipated -result," he added, as he gave the young Spaniard a cold and stern -glance, which made her start, "it would, at any rate, tell us what has -become of our Apache enemies, and if they have not left round the -village spies ordered to watch our movements." - -The sachem smiled at this proposal; he made a sign, and a dozen horsemen -galloped out in the plain. While awaiting the return of the scouts, the -final preparations for departure were made. - -After overhearing the conversation between the Gazelle and the Pirates, -Curumilla repeated it to Valentine. The latter thanked him, and begged -him to watch the movements of the girl and Pedro Sandoval. The advice -Valentine gave the chief, and which he readily followed was intended to -unmask the Apaches, compel them to retire, and hence deprive the Pirate -of the assistance he expected in effecting his escape. - -In fact the Apaches on seeing their enemies spread all over the plain, -not knowing their intentions, but fearing lest they should be surprised -by them, fell back, and that so rapidly, that the scouts returned to the -village without seeing anything, after a two hours' ride. - -On the report they delivered of all being quiet in the neighbourhood and -the road quite clear, Unicorn gave the signal for departure: the immense -caravan slowly set out to the sound of musical instruments, mingled with -the yells of the warriors and the barking of the dogs. Valentine, for -greater security, placed the two females at the head of the column, in -the group of horsemen formed by the subordinate chiefs. - -The day had opened with a pure sky and dazzling sun; the atmosphere, -perfumed by the exhalations from the prairie flowers, pleasantly dilated -the lungs, and caused the hunters to feel in the highest spirits. The -caravan was unfolded like an immense serpent on the prairie, advancing -in good order through an enchanting landscape. - -The hunters were crossing at this moment the spot called the Bad Lands, -a continuation of the Black Coast, which the Gila intersects. The -prairie extended along the river, then gradually ascended in rollers -toward the mountains, and was covered with blocks of greyish-brown -granite, displaying various strata. All around rose a marvellous chain -of tall greyish and barren mountains, with extraordinarily shaped -summits, and spotted with dark patches of conifera. - -The Rio Gila, which was rather narrow found its way with difficulty -through the lofty crests of schist, granite, and clay, and the nude and -dead scenery that surrounded it was but slightly animated on the banks -by the poplars and pine bushes that bordered it. - -To the right was a village of prairie dogs: these pretty little animals, -which are not at all savage, were seated on the flattened roofs of their -house, watching the caravan, as they shook their tails rapidly and -uttered their shrill cry, which is not a perfect bark; then they -disappeared in the ground. - -The caravan rapidly advanced toward a virgin forest, whose gloomy spurs -stretched out nearly to the river's bank, and which they reached after -two hours' march. On reaching the first trees, the caravan halted for a -while, in order to make the final arrangements, before burying itself -beneath the gloomy dome which would serve as its shelter for several -months. - -Before leaving his friends, the white hunters, the Comanche Chief had -the neighbourhood beaten up, but no trail was visible; the Apaches seemed -to have definitely declined further fighting, and gone off. In fact, it -would have been signal folly for them to try and attack the Comanches, -thrice as strong as themselves, rendered haughty by their last victory, -and who, before entering the forest, would have liked nothing better -than to have a parting fight with their implacable enemies. But nothing -disturbed the calmness of the prairie. - -"My brother can continue his journey," Unicorn said to Valentine; "the -Apache dogs have fled with the feet of antelopes." - -"Oh, we do not fear them," the hunter replied, disdainfully. - -"Before the eighth sun, my brother will see me again," the chief -continued. - -"Good." - -"Farewell." - -And they separated. The Comanche warriors entered the forest; for a -while the sound of their footsteps and the tinkling of the bells -fastened to their dogs' necks re-echoed under the gloomy arcades of the -forest; then silence was gradually re-established, and the hunters found -themselves alone. They were six resolute and well-armed men, who feared -no danger; they could continue their journey in perfect safety. - -"Are we still far from the island where Red Cedar's band is encamped?" -Valentine asked the Sachem of the Coras. - -"Scarce four leagues," Eagle-wing answered. "Were it not for the -countless turnings we shall have to take, we should reach it in an hour; -but we shall not arrive till the last song of the _maukawis_." - -"Good; you and Don Pablo will go on ahead with the squarer's daughter." - -"Do you fear anything?" Don Pablo asked. - -"Nothing; but I wish to speak a few minutes with the Spanish girl." - -"All right." - -The two men pushed on with the maiden, and Valentine took his place on -the right of the Gazelle, who was riding thoughtfully, without paying -any attention to her horse. - -The revelations made by Curumilla had the more struck Valentine, because -he did not at all comprehend the Gazelle's hatred of Ellen. Every -feeling must have its reason, every hatred a cause; and both these -escaped him. In vain did he seek in his memory a fact which might -account for, if not excuse, the strange conduct of White Gazelle; he -found nothing that would put him on the right track. - -He recalled to mind that he had seen the girl several times in the -vicinity of Don Miguel de Zarate's hacienda, at the Paso del Norte; he -also remembered that Don Pablo had done her a slight service, when she -craved his help, but her relations with the hacendero's son had -terminated there. - -He believed it certain that, although Red Cedar's daughter lived near -the hacienda, the Gazelle had never seen her before they met at the -Indian village. Still, as he knew Don Pablo's love for Ellen, a love of -which the young man had never spoken to him, but which he had long seen; -as, too, the position was grave, and Ellen might at any moment fall -into danger, which must be avoided at any cost, Valentine resolved to -have a conversation with the Spanish girl, and try to read clearly in -her heart, were that possible. - -But if gentle means failed, he would show her no indulgence, or let a -gentle and unoffending creature be exposed to the perfidy of a cruel -woman, whom no consideration seemed to arrest in her sinister plans. - -Valentine looked round. Ellen was about two hundred yards ahead, between -Eagle-wing and Don Pablo. Temporarily reassured, he turned to the -Spanish girl, who at this moment was talking eagerly, and in a loud -voice, with Pedro Sandoval. The girl blushed, and ceased speaking. -Valentine, not appearing to notice the confusion his presence caused the -speakers, bowed slightly to the Spaniard, and addressed her in a calm -voice:-- - -"I beg your pardon," he said, "if I interrupt a doubtless interesting -conversation; but I wish to have a few words with you." - -The girl blushed still more deeply. Her black eye flashed fire under the -long lash that veiled it, but she answered in a trembling voice, as she -stopped her horse-- - -"I am ready to listen to you, senor caballero." - -"Do not stop, I beg, senora," Valentine said. "This worthy man, who -doubtless shares all your secrets," he added, with an ironical smile, -"can hear our conversation, which, indeed, will relate to him." - -"In truth," the girl answered, in a firmer voice, as she let her horse -proceed, "I have nothing hidden from this worthy man, as you do him the -honour of calling him." - -"Very good, senora," the hunter continued with equal coldness. "Now, be -good enough not to take in ill part what I am about to say to you, and -answer a question I shall take the liberty of asking you." - -"I presume you intend me to undergo an interrogation?" - -"That is not my intention, at least at this moment; it will depend on -you, madam, that we do not pass the limits of a friendly conversation." - -"Speak, sir. If the question you ask me is one of those a woman may -answer, I will satisfy you." - -"Be good enough to tell me, madam, whether you found us cruel enemies -last night?" - -"Why this question?" - -"Be so kind as to answer it first." - -"I can only speak in terms of praise of your conduct." - -"I thank you. And how did Miss Ellen treat you?" - -"Admirably." - -"Good. You are not ignorant, I think, that through your yesterday's -aggression, an aggression which may be regarded as attempted murder and -robbery, since, as you are not at war with the Indians, and as, -belonging to our race, should regard us as friends--you are not -ignorant, I say, that you have rendered yourself amenable to the prairie -law, which says, 'an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.'" - -"What do you wish to arrive at?" - -"Pardon me. You are not ignorant, I assume, that, instead of treating -you as I did, with the most perfect respect, I should have been quite -justified in passing a rope round your neck, and hanging you, with your -worthy friend, to the branches of the first tree: and there are some -magnificent specimens in these parts!" - -"Sir!" the girl exclaimed, as she drew herself up, and became livid with -fury. - -"Pardon me," Valentine continued impressively. "I am alluding here to an -incontestable right, which you cannot deny: do not get in a passion, but -answer me categorically, yes, or no." - -"Well, sir, yes; you had that right, and you still have it. What checks -you? Why do you not use it?" she added, as she gave him a defiant look. - -"Because it does not suit me to do so at this moment," Valentine said, -coldly and drily. - -These stern words suddenly checked the passion that was boiling in the -girl's heart: she let her eyes fall, and replied:-- - -"Is that all you have to say to me?" - -"No, it is not all; and I have a final question to ask you." - -"Speak, sir, as I am condemned to listen to you." - -"I will not occupy much of your time." - -"Oh, sir," she answered ironically, "my time cannot be employed better -than in conversing with so polished a gentleman as yourself." - -"I thank you for the good opinion you are kind enough to have of a poor -hunter like myself," he replied, with a tinge of sarcasm; "and I now -reach the second question I wished to ask you." - -"In truth, it seems, sir, that like the _juces de letras_, your -accomplices," she added bitterly, "you have classified in your head the -questions that compose my examination: for, in spite of what you did me -the honour of telling me, I persist in seeing only an examination in what -it pleases you to call our conversation." - -"As you please, madam," Valentine replied with imperturbable coolness. -"Will you explain to me how it is, that, after having been treated, -according to your own statement, by us so kindly, you laid aside all -gratitude and feelings of honour last night, to join two villains in a -plot for carrying off a girl to whom you owe your life, and handing her -over as a slave to the most ferocious Indians on the prairies--the -Sioux?" - - - - -CHAPTER XXIX. - -THE AMBUSCADE. - - -If the lightning had struck the ground at the Spanish girl's feet, it -would not have caused her greater terror than this revelation, which she -was far from expecting, made in a dear, dry, and unmoved voice. - -Her features were contracted--the blood mounted to her head--she -tottered on her horse, and would have fallen off, had not Valentine held -her. But overcoming by the strength of her will the terrible emotion -that troubled her, she repulsed the young man, saying in a firm voice, -and with an implacable accent: - -"You are well informed, sir; such is my intention." - -Valentine felt momentarily stupefied. He regarded this woman, who had -hardly emerged from childhood, whose lovely features, distorted by the -passions that agitated them, had become almost hideous: he recalled, as -in a dream, another woman nearly as cruel whom he had once known. An -indescribable feeling of sorrow pervaded his heart at the terrible -reminiscence thus suddenly evoked. So much perfidity seemed to him to go -beyond the limits of human wickedness; and for an instant he almost -fancied himself in the presence of a demon. - -"And you dare confess it to me?" he at length said, with badly concealed -terror. - -"And why not? What can you do to me? Kill me! A glorious revenge for a -brave man! And, besides, what do I care for life? Who knows? perhaps, -without wishing it, and fancying you are punishing me, you would do me -an uncommon service by killing me." - -"Kill you? Nonsense," the hunter said, with a smile of contempt. -"Creatures of your kind are not killed. In the first flush of passion we -crush them under our boot heel, like venomous reptiles: but, on -reflection, we prefer plucking out their teeth. That is what I have -done, viper? Now bite if you dare!" - -A fearful rage took possession of the Spanish girl; she raised her whip, -and with a movement more rapid than thought struck Valentine across the -face, merely hissing the word: - -"Coward!" - -At this insult the hunter lost his coolness. He drew a pistol and fired -it point blank at this woman, who sat before him motionless, and -smiling. But she had not lost one of the Frenchman's movements out of -sight. She made her horse leap on one side, and the bullet whistled -inoffensively past her ear. - -At the sound of the firing, the hunters felt alarmed, and they galloped -up to the spot, to inquire what had occurred. The shot had been scarce -fired ere Pedro Sandoval, who had hitherto listened with apparent -indifference to the conversation, dashed at Valentine, brandishing a -long knife which he had managed to conceal. - -The hunter, who had regained his presence of mind, awaited him firmly; -and as the pirate came up to him, he stopped him short with a bullet -through his body. The villain rolled on the ground with a yell of -disappointed rage. - -The Spanish girl looked around her disdainfully, made her horse bound, -and started at an incredible pace amidst the bullets that whizzed round -her from all sides, crying in a hoarse voice:-- - -"We shall meet again, soon, Valentine. Till then, farewell." - -The hunter would not allow her to be pursued, and she soon disappeared -in the tall grass. - -"Oh, oh, this scamp seems to me very ill," the general said, after -dismounting. "What the deuce shall we do with him?" - -"Hang him!" Valentine observed, drily. - -"Well," the general continued, "that is not such a bad idea. In that -way, we shall get rid of one of the villains, and, on reflection, that -will prevent him feeling the pain of his wound." - -"Let us finish with him," Don Miguel interrupted. - -"_Caspita!_ what a hurry you are in, my friend," the general answered. -"Hum! I am certain he is not in such haste--are you, my good fellow?" - -"Come," Valentine said, with that mocking expression he had through his -Parisian birth, and which broke out at intervals--"our friend is in -luck. He has fallen at the foot of a splendid tree, which will form an -observatory whence he can admire the landscape at his ease. Curumilla, -my worthy fellow, climb up the tree, and bend down that branch as much -as you can." - -Curumilla, according to his laudable habit, executed immediately the -order given him, though without uttering a word. - -"Now, my good fellow," the hunter continued, addressing the wounded man, -"if you are not a thorough Pagan, and can recollect any prayer, I should -recommend you to repeat it, for it will do you more good than ever it -did." - -And, raising Sandoval in his arms, who maintained a gloomy silence, he -passed the cord round his neck. - -"One moment," Curumilla remarked, as he seized with his left hand the -bandit's thick hair. - -"That is true," said the hunter. "It is your right, chief, so make use -of it." - -The Indian did not wait for this to be repeated. In a second he had -scalped the Spaniard, who looked at him with flashing eyes, and coldly -placed the dripping scalp in his girdle. Valentine turned away his head -in disgust at this hideous sight, but the Spaniard did not give vent to -a groan. - -As soon as he had placed the running noose round the bandit's neck, -Valentine threw the cord to Curumilla, who attached it firmly to the -branch, and then came down again. - -"Now that justice is done, let us go," said Valentine. - -The witnesses of the execution remounted. The branch which had been held -down flew back, bearing with it the body of the pirate. - -Pedro Sandoval remained alone, quivering in the last convulsions of -death. - -So soon as Valentine and his comrades were out of sight, several -Apaches, at the head of whom were Red Cedar and the White Gazelle, -started out of a thicket. An Indian climbed up the tree, cut the rope, -and the body of the Spaniard was gently laid on the ground. He did not -give a sign of existence. - -The girl and Red Cedar hastened to give him help, in order to recall -life, were it possible, to this poor and fearfully mutilated body; but -all their efforts seemed futile. Pedro Sandoval remained cold and inert -in the arms of his friends. In vain had they removed the slip knot -which pressed his throat--his swollen and blue veins would not diminish -in size, or his blood circulate. All seemed over. - -As a last chance, an Apache took a skinful of water, and poured the -contents on the bare and bleeding skull of the Spaniard. At the contact -of this cold shower, his whole body trembled, a deep sigh burst with an -effort from his oppressed chest, and the dying man painfully opened his -eyes, fixing a sad and languishing glance on those who surrounded him. - -"Heaven be praised!" said the girl; "He is not dead." - -The bandit looked at the girl with that glassy and wandering stare which -is the infallible sign of a speedy death; a smile played round his -violet lips, and he muttered in a low and inarticulate voice: - -"No, I am not dead, but I shall soon be so." - -Then he closed his eyes again, and fell back, apparently in his former -state of insensibility. The spectators anxiously followed the progress -of this frightful agony: White Gazelle frowned, and, bending over the -dying man, put her mouth to his ear. - -"Do you hear me, Sandoval?" she said to him. - -The bandit suddenly quivered, as if he had received an electric shock. -He turned toward the speaker, and partially opened his eyes. - -"Who is near me?" he asked. - -"I, Pedro. Do you not recognise me, old comrade?" Red Cedar said. - -"Yes," the Pirate said, peevishly, "I recognise you; but it was not you -I wished to see." - -"Whom do you mean?" - -"The Nina. Has she abandoned me too--she, for whom I am dying!" - -"No, I have not abandoned you," the girl quickly interrupted him; "your -reproach is unjust--for it was I who succoured you. Here I am, father." - -"Ah," he said, with a sigh of satisfaction, "you are there, Nina; all -the better. God, if there be a God, will reward you for what you have -done." - -"Do not speak of that, but tell me why you asked for me, father." - -"Do not give me that name," the bandit said violently; "I am not your -father!" - -There was a moment's silence; at length the Pirate continued, in an -almost indistinct voice, and as if speaking to himself-- - -"The hand of God is in this--it was He who decreed that at the last -moment the daughter of the victim should see one of the principal -assassins die." - -He shook his head piteously, sighed and added, mournfully-- - -"That is the hand of God." - -His hearers looked at each other silently; an instinctive fear, a -species of superstitious terror had seized upon them, and they did not -dare question this man. A few minutes elapsed. - -"Oh, how I suffer!" he suddenly muttered; "my head is a red-hot -furnace--give me drink." - -Water was quickly brought him, but he repulsed it, saying-- - -"No, not water--I want to regain my strength." - -"What will you have, then?" Red Cedar asked him. - -"Give me aguardiente." - -"Oh!" the girl said imploringly; "do not drink spirits--they will kill -you." - -The bandit grinned horribly. - -"Kill me?" he said, "Why, am I not a dead man already, poor fool?" - -The White Gazelle gave Red Cedar a glance. - -"Let us do what he wishes," the latter whispered; "he is a lost man." - -"Aguardiente," the sufferer said again; "make haste, if you do not wish -me to die ere I have spoken." - -Red Cedar seized his gourd, and in spite of the girl's entreaties, -thrust the neck between the pirate's lips. Sandoval drank deeply. - -"Ah!" he said, with a sigh of satisfaction; "at present I feel strong. I -did not believe that it was so difficult to die. Well, if there be a -God, may His will be done. Red Cedar, give me one of your pistols, and -leave me your gourd." - -The squatter did as his comrade requested. - -"Very good," he went on; "now, retire all of you; I have to speak with -the Nina." - -Red Cedar could not conceal his dissatisfaction. - -"Why weary yourself?" he said; "it would be better for you to let us pay -you that attention your condition demands." - -"Oh!" the bandit said, with a grin, "I understand you; you would sooner -see me die like a dog, without uttering a syllable, for you suspect what -I am about to say--well, I feel sorry for you, gossip, but I must and -will speak." - -The squatter shrugged his shoulders. - -"What do I care for your wanderings?" he said; "It is only the interest -I feel in you that--" - -"Enough!" Sandoval interrupted him, sharply. "Silence! I will speak! no -human power can force me in my dying hours to keep the secret longer; it -has been rankling in my bosom too long already." - -"My good father--" the girl murmured. - -"Peace," the bandit went on authoritatively, "do not oppose my will, -Nina. You must learn from me certain things before I render my accounts -to Him who sees everything." - -Red Cedar fixed a burning glance on the dying man, as he convulsively -clutched the butt of a pistol; but he suddenly loosed his hold, and -smiled ironically. - -"What do I care?" he said; "It is too late now." - -Sandoval heard him. - -"Perhaps so," he replied; "Heaven alone knows." - -"We shall see," the squatter retorted, sarcastically. - -He made a signal; the Apaches retired silently with him, and the girl -remained alone near the dying man. - -White Gazelle was a prey to an extraordinary emotion, for which she -could not account; she experienced a curiosity mingled with terror, that -caused her a strange oppression and trouble. She regarded the man lying -half dead at her feet, and who while writhing in atrocious pain, fixed -on her a glance full of indescribable pity and irony. - -She feared, and yet desired that the bandit should make to her the -gloomy confession she expected. Something told her that on this man her -life and future fortune depended. But he remained gloomy and dumb. - - - - -CHAPTER XXX. - -THE PIRATE'S CONFESSION. - - -A few moments passed, during which the Pirate seemed painfully -collecting his thoughts before speaking. White Gazelle, with her eyes -fixed on him, waited with anxious curiosity. - -At length, the bandit seized the gourd, raised it to his lips a second -time, and after drinking heartily, replaced it by his side. A feverish -flush immediately spread over his cheeks, his eyes grew brighter, and he -said, in a firmer voice than might have been expected-- - -"Listen to me attentively, child, and profit by what you are about to -hear. I am dying and men do not lie at such a moment. The words I shall -utter are true. You well know me." - -He stopped for some seconds, and then continued with an effort-- - -"I have not always been a pirate of the prairies, or tiger with a human -face--one of those wretches whom it is permissible to hunt like wild -beasts. No! there was a time when I was young, handsome, and rich; at -that remote period I was called Walter Stapleton, and was so rich that I -did not know the amount of my fortune. Like everyone else you fancied me -a Spaniard, and have been equally deceived--I am a citizen of the United -States, descended from an old puritan family, long settled at New York. -My parents died before I was twenty years of age; master of an immense -fortune, I had become connected with all the scamps in the city; two -especially became my intimate friends, and succeeded in a short time in -getting such a hold on me, that I only acted on their impulses and by -their suggestions. One of them was born in New York like myself, the -other was a Mexican. Both were, like myself, young, good-looking, and -rich, or, at least, they appeared so, for they squandered enormous sums. -Their names were--but why tell you them?" he added, "I am not speaking -of them here, but only of myself. One day the Mexican came to me with a -letter in his hand; his family called him home, for he was to enter the -church; but he would not, or, at least, could not leave New York at the -moment. I never knew the reason; but one month later we were all three -compelled to seek a refuge in Mexico, after a mournful tragedy, in which -my two friends played the chief part, leaving behind them a trail of -blood. I repeat to you that I never learned the circumstances." - -At this moment a rustling was audible in the bushes against which the -bandit was leaning; but the Gazelle, overcome by the increasing interest -of the story, did not notice it. There was an interruption for some -minutes. Pedro Sandoval was growing perceptibly weaker. - -"I must finish, however," he said; and making an effort, he continued: ---"We were at Mexico, where we lived nobly. In a short time I gained the -reputation of a finished gentleman. A great gambler, and adored by -women, shall I repeat to you the follies and extravagances that filled -my days? What good would it be? Suffice it for you to know that I -deserved this reputation in every respect. One day, a stranger arrived -in Mexico. He was, it was said, a caballero from an upcountry province, -enormously rich, and travelling for his pleasure. This man in a short -time displayed such recklessness, that his reputation soon equalled and -even surpassed mine. I, who had always been the first in every wild -scheme, was placed in the second rank. My friends laughed at the sudden -change effected, and by this incessant raillery augmented my anger and -detestation of this Don Pacheco de Tudela, as the man was called. -Several times already we had met face to face at the tertulias, and each -time our glances crossed like sword blades. I comprehended that this man -hated me. For my part, a dull jealousy devoured me when his name was -mentioned in my presence. - -"A crisis was imminent, and we both sought it. One evening, when we were -both at the tertulia of the Governor of Arispe, a game of monte was -arranged. You know that game, which is the ruling passion of the -Mexicans. I had held the bank for some hours, and an incredible run of -luck had made me gain immense sums, which were piled up before me, and -covered nearly the whole of the table. The gamblers, terrified by this -constant good luck, retired in terror. I was about to collect and send -off my money, when I heard a few paces from me Don Pacheco saying -ironically to a party of friends:--'I am not jealous of senor -Stapleton's good luck. I have allowed him to win that he may repair his -ruined fortune, and stop the cries of his creditors, who have been -yelping for a long time at his heels.' - -"These words wounded me the more because they were true. My fortune, -mortgaged beyond its value, only existed on paper, and numerous -creditors incessantly pursued me. I walked up to Don Pacheco, and looked -him boldly in the face. - -"'To prove to you that I do not fear losing,' I said to him, 'I offer to -stake on one hand with you all it has taken me so many hours to win.' - -"The stranger looked at me in his turn; then he said, in his cutting -voice, and with the sarcastic accent habitual to him:-- - -"'You are wrong, my dear sir. This money is very necessary to you; and, -if I were mad enough to play with you, I warn you that you would lose.' - -"He laughed in my face, and turned his back on me. - -"'Oh!' I said to him, 'you are afraid--and then, again, you probably do -not possess one quarter the sum there, and that is why you dare not -play.' - -"Don Pacheco shrugged his shoulders without replying to me, and -addressed the richest banker of Arispe, who was standing near him:-- - -"'Senor Don Julio Baldomero,' he said to him, 'how much do you think -there is on that table?' - -"The banker took a glance in my direction, and then answered:-- - -"'Six hundred thousand piastres, or nearly so, senor.' - -"'Very good,' the other said. 'Don Julio, be good enough to give me a -bill for twelve hundred thousand piastres, payable at sight, on your -bank.' - -"The banker bowed, took out his pocketbook, and wrote a few words on a -leaf which he tore out, and handed to Don Pacheco. - -"'Do you believe, sir,' the Mexican said to me, 'that this bill -represents the sum before you?' - -"These words were accompanied by the sarcastic smile this man constantly -had on his lips, and which drove me wild. - -"'Yes,' I replied haughtily, 'and I am awaiting your determination.' - -"'It is formed,' he said. 'Ask for new cards, and let us begin. Still, -you can recall your word, if you like.' - -"'Nonsense,' I said, as I undid a fresh pack of cards. - -"Although our altercation had been short, as everybody knew our feelings -toward each other, the conversation had broken off, and all the guests -at the tertulia had collected around us. A profound silence prevailed in -the room, and the faces expressed the curiosity and interest aroused by -this strange scene. After shuffling the cards for some time, I handed -them to my opponent to cut. The stranger laid his right hand on the -pack, and said to me impertinently:-- - -"'There is yet time.' - -"I shrugged my shoulders as reply. He cut, and I began dealing. At the -fourth hand I had lost, and was ruined!" - -The pirate stopped. For some time his voice had been growing weaker, and -it was only by making extreme efforts that he succeeded in speaking -distinctly. - -"Drink!" he said so softly that the girl scarce heard him. She caught up -a skin of water. - -"No," he said, "brandy." - -White Gazelle obeyed him. - -The pirate eagerly drank two or three mouthfuls. - -"All was over," he continued, in a firm voice, with sparkling eye, and -face flushed by the fever preying on him. "Concealing my rage in my -heart, I prepared to leave the table with a smile on my lips. - -"'One moment, sir,' my opponent said. 'The game is not over yet.' - -"'What do you want more?' I answered him. 'Have you not won?' - -"'Oh!' he said, with a gesture of supreme contempt: 'That is true. I -have won this wretched sum. But you have a stake still to risk.' - -"'I do not understand you, sir.' - -"'Perhaps so! Listen to me. There are on this table eighteen hundred -thousand piastres, that is to say, a fabulous fortune, which would form -the happiness of a dozen families.' - -"'Well?' I answered in a surprise. - -"'Well, I will play you for them, if you like. Hang it, my dear sir, I -am in luck at this moment, and I will not let fortune escape me while I -hold her.' - -"'I have nothing more to stake, sir, and you know it,' I said in a loud -and haughty voice. 'I do not understand what you are alluding to.' - -"To this he replied, without seeming in the least disconcerted, 'You -love Dona Isabella Izaguirre?' - -"'How does that concern you?' - -"'If I may believe public rumour, you are to marry her in a few days,' he -continued calmly. 'Well, I too love Dona Isabel, and I have made up my -mind she shall be mine by fair means or foul.' - -"'And?' I interrupted him violently. - -"'And, if you like, I will stake these eighteen hundred thousand -piastres against her hand. You see that I appreciate her value,' he -added, as he carelessly lit his panatellas. - -"'_Canario!_ A splendid game! What a magnificent stake! A man cannot act -more gallantly!' Such were the remarks made around me by the witnesses -of this scene. - -"'You hesitate?' Don Pacheco asked me in his ironical way. - -"I looked defiantly round me, but no one accepted my challenge. - -"'No,' I answered in a hollow voice, my teeth clenched with rage. 'I -accept.' - -"The audience uttered a cry of admiration. Never in the memory of -players at Arispe, had a game of monte afforded such interest, and all -eagerly collected round the table. I felt for Dona Isabel that profound -love which constitutes a man's existence. - -"'Who is to deal?' I asked my adversary. - -"'You!' he replied, with his infernal smile. - -"Five minutes later, I had lost my mistress!" - -There was a moment's silence; a nervous tremor had assailed the pirate, -and for some instants it was only by an extraordinary effort that he had -been enabled to utter the words that seemed to choke him. It was evident -that the wound in his heart was as vivid as on the day when he received -it, and that only a strong interest induced him to refer to it. - -"At length," he continued with a certain volubility, as he wiped away -the cold perspiration that beaded on his forehead, and mingled with the -blood that oozed from his wound, "the stranger approached me. - -"'Are you satisfied?' he said. - -"'Not yet,' I replied in a gloomy voice: 'we have still one game to play -out.' - -"'Oh,' he said, ironically, 'I fancied you had nothing more to lose.' - -"'You were mistaken. You have still my life to gain from me.' - -"'That is true,' he said, 'and by heaven, I will win it from you. I wish -to cover your stake to the end, so let us go out.' - -"'Why do that?' I said to him. 'This table served as the arena for the -first two games, and the third shall be decided upon it.' - -"'Done!' he said. 'By Jupiter! You are a fine fellow! I may kill you, -but I shall be proud of my victory.' - -"People attempted in vain to prevent the duel; but neither the stranger -nor myself would listen to it. At length they consented to give us the -weapons we asked for; and then, moreover, this strange combat in the -flower-adorned room, on the table covered with gold, among lovely young -women, whose freshness and beauty the lights heightened, had something -fatal about it which inflamed the imagination. The two heroes of Arispe, -the men who had for so long a time formed the sole topic of -conversation, had at length decided to settle which should definitely -hold the palm. - -"I leaped on the table, and my opponent at once followed my example. I -enjoyed the reputation of being a fine swordsman, and yet, at the second -pass, I fell with my chest pierced through and through. For three months -I hovered between life and death, and when my youth and powerful -constitution at length triumphed over my horrible wound, and I was -approaching convalescence, I inquired about my adversary. On the day -after our duel, this man had married Dona Isabel; a week later, both -disappeared, and no one could tell me in what direction they had gone. - -"I had only one object, one desire--to revenge myself on Don Pacheco. -So soon as I was sufficiently recovered to leave the house, I sold the -little left me, and quitted Arispe in my turn, followed by my friends, -who were as poor as myself, for the blow that had struck me had struck -them too, and, like myself, they only desired revenge on Don Pacheco. -For a long time our researches were vain, and many years elapsed ere I -grew weary of seeking their trail. There were only two of us now to do -it, for the third had left us. - -"What had become of him? I do not know, but one day, by chance, at an -American frontier village where I had gone to sell my peltry, Satan -brought me face to face with this friend, whom I never expected to meet -again. He wore a monk's gown, and so soon as he perceived me, walked up -to me. The first words he addressed to me after our lengthened -separation were: - -"'I have found them again.' - -"I understood without it being necessary for him to make any further -explanation, for my hatred had taken such deep root in my heart. What -more shall I tell you, Nina?" he added, with an effort, while a fearful -smile crisped his blue lips. "I took my revenge. Oh! This vengeance was -long in coming, but it was terrible!... Our foe had become one of the -richest hacenderos in Texas; he lived happily with his wife and -children, respected and loved by all who surrounded him. I bought a farm -near his, and then, on the watch, like a jaguar with its prey, I -followed his every movement, and introduced myself into his house. So -lengthened a period had elapsed since our last meeting, that he did not -recognise me, although a foreboding seemed from the outset to warn him -that I was his enemy. - -"One night, at the head of a band of pirates and Apaches, my two friends -and myself, after assuring ourselves that all were quietly sleeping in -Don Pacheco's hacienda, glided like serpents through the darkness; the -walls were escaladed, and our vengeance began. The hacienda was given up -to the flames; Don Pacheco and his wife, surprised in their sleep, were -pitilessly massacred, after undergoing atrocious tortures. I tore both -yourself and your sister from the arms of your dying mother, who sobbed -at our feet, imploring me to spare you in memory of my old love for her. - -"I swore it, and kept my promise. I do not know what became of your -sister; I did not even trouble myself about her. As for you, Nina, have -you had ever any cause to reproach me?" - -The girl had listened to this fearful revelation with frowning eyebrows -and livid cheeks. When the bandit stopped, she said harshly: - -"Then you are the murderer of my father and mother?" - -"Yes," he replied, "but not alone; there were three of us, and we took -our revenge." - -"Wretch!" she burst forth; "Vile assassin!" - -The girl uttered these words with such an implacable accent, that the -bandit shuddered. - -"Ah!" he said, "I recognise the lioness. You are truly my enemy's -daughter. Courage, child, courage. Assassinate me in your turn. What -restrains you? Rob me of the short span of life still left me, but make -haste, or Heaven will prevent your vengeance." - -And he fixed on her his eye, which was still proud, but already clouded -by the hand of death. The girl gave no answer. - -"You prefer seeing me die; well, receive this last present," he said, -plucking from his bosom a bag, suspended from a steel chain; "in it you -will find two letters, one from your father, the other from your mother; -you will learn who you are, and what name you should bear in the world, -for the one I mentioned is false; I wished to deceive you to the end. -That name is my last vengeance.... Nina, you will remember me." - -The girl bounded on to the bag and seized it. - -"Now, good-bye," the Pirate said; "my work is accomplished on this -earth." - -And seizing the pistol Red Cedar had left him, he blew out his brains, -fixing on the girl a glance of strange meaning. But she did not seem to -notice this tragical end, for she was tearing the bag with her teeth. -When she succeeded in opening it, she unfolded the papers it contained, -and hurriedly perused them. Suddenly she uttered a shriek of despair, -and fell back, clutching the letters in her hand. - -The Indians and pirates ran up to help her, but, quicker than lightning, -a horseman darted from the chaparral, reaching the girl without checking -the speed of his horse; he bent down, raised her up in his powerful -arms, threw her across his saddle-bow, and passed like a tornado through -the astounded spectators. - -"We shall meet again soon, Red Cedar," he said in a loud voice, as he -passed the squatter. - -Before the latter and his comrades could recover from their surprise, -the horseman had disappeared in the distance in a cloud of dust. - -The horseman was Bloodson! - -Red Cedar shook his head sadly. - -"Can what the priests say be true?" he muttered; "Is there really a -Providence?" - - - - -CHAPTER XXXI. - -THE RIVALS. - - -After the tragic execution of the Pirate, the hunters slowly continued -their journey. The scenes we have described in previous chapters had -spread over them a gloom which nothing could dissipate. Since his -daughter's disappearance, Don Miguel Zarate, who had been suddenly -hurled from the height of his hopes, maintained a gloomy and stern -silence. This man, so strong and energetic, at length conquered by -misfortune, marched silently by the side of his comrades, who respected -his grief, and offered him those little attentions to which suffering -minds are so sensitive. - -Valentine and General Ibanez were holding an animated conversation, the -two Indians, Curumilla and Moukapec, going in front and serving as -guides. Don Pablo and Ellen rode side by side; they alone of the small -party seemed happy, and a smile now and then played over their faces. -Alone of the little band the two young people had the faculty of -forgetting past sufferings through the present joy. - -During Sandoval's execution Ellen had been kept aloof, hence she was -ignorant of what had occurred; and nothing happened to dull the pleasure -she experienced at seeing herself reunited to the man to whom she had -mentally given her heart. - -One of the privileges of love is forgetting; the two young people, -absorbed in their passion, remembered nothing, but the happiness of -meeting again. The word "love" had not been uttered; still, it was so -fully reflected in their glances and smiles, that they understood each -other perfectly. - -Ellen was describing to Don Pablo how Dona Clara and herself escaped -from Red Cedar's camp, protected by the two Canadian hunters. - -"Ah!" Don Pablo said, "talking of those hunters, what has become of -them?" - -"Alas!" Ellen replied, "One of them was killed by the Apaches, and the -other--" - -"Well and the other?" - -"There he is," she said; "oh, he is devoted to me body and soul." - -Don Pablo turned round with an angry movement, and a dull jealousy was -inflamed in him. He looked at the hunter who rode a few paces in the -rear, but at the sight of this open, honest face, over which a tinge of -melancholy was spread, the young man seriously upbraided himself for his -apprehensions. He quickly went up to the hunter, while Ellen regarded -them with a smile; when he was at the Canadian's side, he offered him -his hand. - -"Thanks," he said to him simply, "for what you did for her." - -Harry pressed the hand, and answered sadly but nobly: "I did my duty; I -swore to defend her and die for her: when the hour arrives, I will keep -my oath." - -Don Pablo smiled gracefully, - -"Why do you not ride by our side?" - -"No," Harry answered with a sigh, as he shook his head; "I ought not, -and do not wish to be the third in your conversation. You love each -other, and be happy. It is my duty to watch over your happiness; leave -me in my place and remain in yours." - -Don Pablo thought for a moment over these words, then pressed the -hunter's hand a second time. - -"You have a noble heart," he said to him; "I understand you;" and he -rejoined his companion. A smile played round the hunter's pallid lips. - -"Yes," he muttered so soon as he was alone; "yes, I love her. Poor -Ellen! She will be happy, and if so, what matter what becomes of me?" - -He then reassumed his indifferent look; but at times he gazed with a -feeling of sorrowful pleasure on the young people who had renewed their -conversation. - -"Is he not a glorious fellow?" Ellen said to the young man as she -pointed to the hunter. - -"I think so." - -"And I have been certain of it for a long time. Harry watches over me; I -have always found him at my side in the hour of danger: to follow me he -has abandoned everything, country, friends, family, without hesitation -or reflection, and has done it without any hope of ever being rewarded -for such abnegation and devotion." - -Don Pablo sighed. - -"You love him," he murmured. - -The maiden smiled. - -"If you mean by those words that I place an unbounded confidence in him, -that I feel a sincere and deep affection for him, in that sense, yes, I -do love him." - -Don Pablo shook his head. - -"That is not what I mean," he said. - -She gazed on him fixedly, and remained silent for some minutes, the -Mexican not daring to question her. At length she turned to him, and -laid her hand on his shoulder; at this touch the young man started, and -quickly raised his head. - -"Listen, Don Pablo," she said, in her clear and harmonious voice. - -"I am listening," he answered. - -"Accident one day brought us together," she continued, with a sort of -feverish animation, "under extraordinary circumstance. On seeing you, I -felt a sensation at once sweet and painful: my heart contracted, and -when, after defying my brothers, you set off, I looked after you so long -as I could perceive you through the trees. At length I returned dreamily -to our cabin, for I felt that my fate was decided; your words echoed in -my ears, your image was in my heart, and yet you had appeared to me as -an enemy: the words you uttered in my presence were threats. Whence -arose the strange emotion that agitated me?" - -She stopped. - -"Oh, you loved me!" the young man exclaimed impetuously. - -"Yes, did I not?" she continued. "It is what is called love," she added, -in a quivering voice, while two tears fell from her long lashes and -coursed down her pale cheeks; "in what will that love result? The -daughter of a proscribed race, I am not so much your friend as your -prisoner, or, at any; rate, your hostage. I inspire your comrade with -contempt, perhaps with hatred; for I am the daughter of their implacable -foe--of the man whom they have sworn to sacrifice to their vengeance." - -Don Pablo bowed his head, with a sigh. - -"What I say is true, is it not?" she continued; "you are forced to allow -it." - -"Oh, I will protect--I will save you," he exclaimed impetuously. - -"No," she said firmly; "no, Don Pablo, for you must defend me against -your own father; you would not dare do it; and if you did," she added, -with a flashing eye, "I would not suffer it." - -There was a moment's silence: then Ellen continued-- - -"Leave me to accomplish my destiny, Don Pablo; renounce this love, which -can have only one result--our mutual wretchedness: forget me!" - -"Never," he exclaimed; "never! I love you, Ellen, so greatly as to -sacrifice all for you--my life, if you order it." - -"And I," she replied--"do you fancy that I do not love you?--have I not -given you sufficient proof of that love?--I who betrayed my father for -your sake. But you see, I am strong; imitate me, and do not enter on a -mad struggle." - -"Whatever happens, I shall ever love you. Ellen! What do I care for your -family! Children are not responsible for the faults of their parents. -You are noble, you are holy: I love you, Ellen, I love you!" - -"And do you think I doubt it?" she replied. "Yes, you love me, Don -Pablo; I know it; I am sure of it; and, shall I confess it? This love, -which causes my despair, renders me at the same time happy. Well, you -must forget me; it must be so." - -"Never," he repeated wildly. - -"Listen, Don Pablo; you and your comrades are on my father's trail; if, -as is almost certain, you find him, nothing will save him, neither tears -nor entreaties, but you will kill him." - -"Alas!" the young man murmured. - -"You understand," she said, with great agitation, "that I cannot be an -unmoved witness of the death of the man to whom I owe my life. This man, -whom you hate, on whom you wish to revenge yourself, is my father; he -has always been kind to me. Be merciful, Don Pablo!" - -"Speak, Ellen; whatever you may ask I will swear to do." - -Ellen fixed on him a glance of strange meaning. - -"Is it true? Can I really trust to your word?" she said, with marked -hesitation. - -"Order, and I will obey." - -"This evening, when we reach the spot where we are to bivouac, when your -comrades are asleep--" - -"Well?" he said, seeing that she stopped. - -"Let me fly, Don Pablo, I implore you." - -"Oh, my poor child," he exclaimed; "let you fly! But what will become of -you alone, and lost in this desert?" - -"Heaven will guard me." - -"Alas! It is death that you ask." - -"What matter, if I have done my duty." - -"Your duty, Ellen?" - -"Must I not save my father?" - -Don Pablo made no reply. - -"You hesitate--you refuse," she said, bitterly. - -"No," he answered. "You ask, and your will shall be accomplished; you -shall go." - -"Thanks," she said, joyfully, as she offered the young man her hand, -which he pressed to his lips. - -"And now," she said, "one last service." - -"Speak, Ellen." - -She drew a small box from her bosom and handed it to her companion. - -"Take this, box," she continued. "I know not what it contains; but I -took it from my father before escaping from his camp with your sister. -Keep it preciously, in order that, if Heaven allow us ever to meet -again, you may restore it to me." - -"I promise it." - -"Now, Don Pablo, whatever may happen, know that I love you, and that -your name will be the last word that passes my lips." - -"Oh! Let me believe, let me hope that one day perhaps--" - -"Never!" she exclaimed, in her turn, with an accent impossible to -describe. "However great my love may be, my father's blood will separate -us eternally." - -The young man bowed his head in despair at these words--a gloomy -malediction, which enabled him to measure the depth of the abyss into -which he had fallen. They continued their journey silently, side by side. - -The Sachem of the Coras, as we said, acted as guide to the little party. -On reaching a spot where the path he followed took a sudden bend in the -river bank, he stopped, and imitated the cry of the jay. At this signal, -Valentine dug his spurs into his horse and galloped up to him. - -"Is there anything new?" he asked. - -"Nothing, except that in a few minutes we shall be opposite the islet -where Red Cedar established his camp." - -"Ah, ah!" said Valentine; "In that case we will halt." - -The hunters dismounted, and concealed themselves in the shrubs; the -utmost silence prevailed on the riverbank. - -"Hum!" Valentine muttered; "I believe the bird has flown." - -"We shall soon know," Eagle-wing replied. - -Then, with that prudence characteristic of the men of his race, he -stepped cautiously from tree to tree, and soon disappeared from his -comrades' sight. - -The latter awaited him motionless, and with their eyes fixed on the spot -where he had vanished, as it were. They had long to wait, but at the -end of an hour a slight rustling was audible in the shrubs, and the -Indian rose before them. It was easy to see that he had emerged from the -water, for his clothes were dripping. - -"Well?" said Valentine. - -"Gone!" - -"All?" - -"All." - -"How long?" - -"Two days at least! the fires are cold." - -"I suspected it," said the hunter, as if speaking to himself. - -"Oh!" Don Miguel exclaimed, "this demon will constantly escape us." - -"Patience," Valentine replied. "Unless he has glided through the river -like a fish, or risen in the air like a bird, we shall find his trail -again--I swear it." - -"But what shall we do?" - -"Wait," said the hunter. "It is late, we will pass the night here; -tomorrow, at daybreak, we will start in pursuit of our enemy." - -Don Miguel sighed, and made no answer. The preparations for a hunter's -bivouac are not lengthy. Harry and Eagle-wing lit a fire, unsaddled and -hobbled the horses, and then the supper was got ready. With the -exception of Don Miguel and his son, who ate but little, though for -different reasons, the hunters did honour to the frugal meal, which the -fatigues of the day caused them to find delicious. So soon as the supper -was over, Valentine threw his rifle on his shoulder, and gave Curumilla -a sign to follow him. - -"Where are you going?" Don Miguel asked. - -"To the isle where the gambusinos' camp was." - -"I will go with you." - -"Hang it all! And so will I," said the general. - -"Very good." - -The four men set out, and only Don Pablo, Ellen, the Chief of the Coras, -and Harry were left in the encampment. So soon as the footsteps of the -hunters had died out in the distance, Ellen turned to Don Pablo. - -"The time has arrived," she said. - -The Mexican could not repress a nervous start. - -"You wish it?" he answered her, sadly. - -"It must be," she continued, stifling a sigh. - -She rose and walked up to Harry. - -"Brother, I am going," she said. - -"It is well," the hunter replied. - -Without any further explanation, he saddled two horses, and waited with -apparent indifference. Moukapec slept, or feigned to sleep. Ellen -offered her hand to Don Pablo, and said, in a trembling voice-- - -"Farewell!" - -"Oh!" the young man exclaimed, "Remain, Ellen, I implore you!" - -The squatter's daughter shook her head sadly. - -"I must rejoin my father," she murmured; "Don Pablo, let me go." - -"Ellen! Ellen!" - -"Farewell, Don Pablo!" - -"Oh!" he said, in his despair, "Can nothing move you?" - -The maiden's face was inundated with tears, and her bosom heaved. - -"Ungrateful man," she said, with an accent of bitter reproach, "he does -not understand how much I love him." - -Don Pablo made a final effort; he overcame his grief, and said, in a -stammering voice-- - -"Go, then, and may Heaven protect you!" - -"Farewell!" - -"Oh! Not farewell--we shall meet again." - -The girl shook her head sadly, and leaped on the horse the Canadian held -ready for her. - -"Harry," said Don Pablo, "watch over her." - -"As over my sister," the Canadian answered, in a deep voice. - -Ellen gave a parting signal of farewell to Don Pablo, and loosened the -bridle. The young man fell on the ground in despair. - -"Oh! All my happiness has fled me!" he muttered, in a broken voice. - -Moukapec had not made a move; his sleep must have been very sound. Two -hours later, Valentine and his friends returned from their trip to the -island, and Don Miguel at once noticed the absence of the squatter's -daughter. - -"Where is Ellen?" he asked, quickly. - -"Gone!" Don Pablo muttered. - -"And you allowed her to fly?" the hacendero exclaimed. - -"She was not a prisoner, hence I had no right to oppose her departure." - -"And the Canadian hunter?" - -"Gone too." - -"Oh!" Don Miguel exclaimed, "We must start in pursuit of them without -the loss of a moment." - -A shudder of terror and joy ran over the young man's body, as he turned -pale at this proposition. Valentine gave him a searching glance, and -then laid his hand on his friend's shoulder. - -"We will do nothing of the sort," he said, with a meaning smile; "on the -contrary, we will allow Red Cedar's daughter to withdraw unimpeded." - -"But--" Don Miguel objected. - -Valentine bent down and whispered a few words in his ear. The hacendero -started. - -"You are right," he muttered. - -"Now," the hunter went on, "let us sleep, for I promise you a hard day's -work tomorrow." - -Everyone seemed to acknowledge the justice of this remark, and scarce a -quarter of an hour after it had been made, the hunters were lying asleep -round the fire. Curumilla alone was leaning against a larch tree, of -which he seemed to form part, watching over the common safety. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXII. - -FRAY AMBROSIO. - - -We will now return to the gambusinos. - -Sutter and Nathan had not said a word to their brother; while he, for -his part, did not appear to have recognised them. When all were -preparing to sleep, Shaw also laid himself on the ground, while -imperceptibly approaching Dona Clara. - -The maiden, with her head buried in her hands, and her elbows supported -on her knees, was weeping silently. These tears broke Shaw's heart, and -he would have laid down his life to stop their flow. - -In the meanwhile, the night grew more and more dark; the moon, veiled by -thick clouds which passed incessantly over its pale disc, only cast -forth dim rays, too weak to pierce the dome of foliage under which the -gambusinos had sought shelter. Shaw, reassured by the complete -immobility of his comrades and the mournful silence that brooded over -the clearing, ventured slightly to touch the young lady's arm. - -"What do you want with me?" she asked in a mournful voice. - -"Speak low," he replied; "in Heaven's name, speak low, senora, or one of -the men lying there may overhear us. These villains have so fine an ear, -that the slightest sighing of the wind through the leaves is sufficient -to awake them and put them on their guard." - -"Why should I care whether they awake?" she continued, reproachfully -"Thanks to you, in whom I trusted, have I not fallen into their hands -again?" - -"Oh!" he said, writhing his hands in despair, "you cannot believe me -capable of such odious treachery." - -"Still, you see where we are." - -"Alas! I am not to blame for it; fatality has done it all." - -An incredulous smile hovered round the maiden's pallid lips. - -"Have at least the courage to defend your bad deed, and confess you are -a bandit like the men sleeping there. Oh," she added, bitterly, "I have -no right to reproach you; on the contrary, I ought to admire you; for -though you are still very young, you have displayed, under present -circumstances, a degree of skill and cunning I was far from suspecting -in you: you have played your part with consummate talent." - -Each of these cruel words entered the unhappy young man's heart like a -dagger, and made him endure atrocious torture. - -"Yes," he said sadly, "appearances are against me; in vain should I try -to persuade you of my innocence, for you would not believe me; and yet -Heaven is my witness that I attempted all it was humanly possible to do, -in order to save you." - -"You were very unfortunate then, sir," she continued sarcastically; "for -it must be allowed that all these attempts of which you boast strangely -turned against you." - -Shaw uttered a deep sigh. - -"Good Heaven!" he said, "What proof can I give you of my devotion?" - -"None," she replied coldly. - -"Oh! madam." - -"Sir," she interrupted him in a firm and ironical voice, "spare me, I -beg of you, your lamentations, in whose sincerity I cannot believe, as -there are too many undeniable proofs against you; even more odious than -treachery are the hypocritical protestations of a traitor. You have -succeeded, so what more do you want? Enjoy your triumph. I repeat to you -that I do not reproach you, for you have acted as your instincts and -training urged you to do; you have been true to yourself and faithful to -your antecedents: I need say no more. Now, if I may be allowed to ask a -favour of you, let us break off a conversation no longer possessing any -interest, as you will not succeed in destroying my impressions about -you: imitate the example of your comrades, and let me indulge in my -grief without any obstacle." - -Shaw thunderstruck by these words, pronounced in a tone that admitted of -no reply; he saw the fearful position he was in, and a mad fury seized -on him. Dona Clara had left her head fall again in her hands and was -weeping: The young man felt a sob choking him. - -"Oh!" he said, "What pleasure you take in torturing my heart. You say I -betrayed you, I who loved you so!" - -Dona Clara drew herself up, haughty and implacable. - -"Yes," she answered ironically, "you love me, sir, but it is after the -fashion of wild beasts, that carry off their prey to their den to rend -it at their pleasure; yours is a tiger's love." - -Shaw seized her arm violently, and looked firmly in her eyes. - -"One word more, one insult further, madam," he gasped, "and I stab -myself at your feet: when you see my corpse writhing on the ground, -possibly you may then believe in my innocence." - -Dona Clara, surprised, gazed at him fixedly. - -"What do I care?" she then said, coldly. - -"Oh!" the young man exclaimed in his despair, "You shall be satisfied." - -And with a movement rapid as thought, he drew his dagger. Suddenly a -hand was roughly laid on his arm; but Dona Clara had not stirred. - -Shaw turned round. Fray Ambrosio was standing behind him, smiling, but -not relaxing his grasp. - -"Let me go," the young man said, in a hollow voice. - -"Not so, my son," the monk said gently, "unless you first promise to -give up your homicidal project." - -"Do you not see," Shaw exclaimed passionately, "that she believes me -guilty?" - -"It must be so: leave it to me to persuade her of the contrary." - -"Oh! if you did that?" the young man muttered, with an accent of doubt. - -"I will do it, my son," Fray Ambrosio said, still smiling; "but you must -first be reasonable." - -Shaw hesitated for a moment, then let fall the weapon, as he muttered-- - -"There will still be time." - -"Excellently reasoned," said the monk. "Now, sit down, and let us talk. -Trust to me: the senora ere long will not feel the slightest doubt about -your innocence." - -During this scene Dona Clara had remained motionless as a statue of -grief, apparently taking no interest in what passed between the two men. - -"This young man has told you the perfect truth," he said; "it is a -justice I take pleasure in rendering him. I know not what cause urged -him to act so, but, in order to save you, he achieved impossibilities; -holding you in his arms, he fought with a cloud of redskins thirsting -for his blood. When Heaven sent us so miraculously to his assistance, he -was about to succumb, and he rolled unconscious under our horses' hoofs, -still holding against his bleeding breast the precious burthen which had -doubtless been confided to him, and from which he had sworn only death -should separate him. That is the real truth, madam: I swear it on my -honour." - -Dona Clara smiled bitterly. - -"Oh," she answered, "keep these deceitful and useless protestations to -yourself, father; I have learned to know you too, thanks be to Heaven, -for some time past, and am aware what faith can be placed in your word." - -The monk bit his lips spitefully. - -"Perhaps, you are mistaken, madam," he answered, with a humble bow, "and -too readily put faith in false appearances." - -"Very false, in truth," the girl exclaimed, "since your conduct, up to -this day, has only proved their correctness." - -A flash shot from the monk's savage eye, which expired as soon as it -burst forth; he composed his countenance, and continued with immoveable -gentleness-- - -"You judge me wrongly too, senorita; misfortune renders you unjust. You -forget that I owe all to your father." - -"It is not I, but you, who have forgotten it," she said, sharply. - -"And who tells you, madam," he said, with a certain degree of animation, -"that if I am in the ranks of your enemies, it is not to serve you -better?" - -"Oh!" she answered, ironically; "it would be difficult for you to supply -me with proofs of such admirable devotion." - -"Not so much as you suppose; I have at this moment one at my service, -which you cannot doubt." - -"And that proof is?" she asked with a sneer. - -"This, madam. My comrades are asleep; two horses have been tied up by -myself fifty paces from here in the forest; I will lead you to them, and -guided by this unhappy young man, who is devoted to you, although you -have been cruel to him, after the perils to which he has exposed himself -for your sake--it will be easy for you to get out of our reach in a few -hours, and foil any pursuit. That is the proof, madam; can you now say -it is false?" - -"And who will guarantee me," she replied, "that this feigned solicitude -you take in me, and which, I fancy, is very sudden, does not conceal a -new snare?" - -"Moments are precious," the monk said again, still imperturbable; "every -second that slips away is a chance of safety you are deprived of. I will -not argue with you, but limit myself to saying--of what use would it be -to me to pretend to let you escape?" - -"How do I know? Can I guess the causes on which you act?" - -"Very good, madam, do as you think proper; but Heaven is my witness that -I have done all in my power to save you, and that it was you who -refused." - -The monk uttered these words with such an accent of conviction, that, in -spite of herself, Dona Clara felt her suspicions shaken. Fray Ambrosio's -last observation was correct: why feign to let her escape, when he had -her in his power? She reflected for a moment. - -"Listen," she said to him, "I have sacrificed my life; I know not if you -are sincere; I should like to believe so; but as nothing can happen to -me worse than what threatens me here, I confide in you; lead on, -therefore, to the horses you have prepared for me, and I shall soon know -whether your intentions are honest, and I have been deceived in my -opinion of you." - -A furtive smile lit up the monk's face, and he uttered a sigh of -satisfaction. - -"Come," he said, "follow me; but walk cautiously, so as not to arouse my -comrades, who are probably not so well disposed towards you as I am." - -Dona Clara and Shaw rose and noiselessly followed the monk, the -squatter's son walking before the maiden and removing all the obstacles -to her passage. The darkness was thick, hence it was difficult to walk -through the thickets, interlaced as they were with creepers and -parasitical plants; Dona Clara stumbled at every step. - -At the expiration of half an hour, they reached the skirt of the forest, -where two horses, fastened to trees, were quietly nibbling the young -tree shoots. - -"Well," the monk said, with a triumphant accent, "do you believe me now, -senora?" - -"I am not saved yet," she sadly answered; and she prepared to mount. -Suddenly, the branches and shrubs were violently parted, six or eight -men rushed forward, and surrounded the three, ere it was possible for -them to attempt a defence. Shaw, however, drew a pistol, and prepared to -sell his life dearly. - -"Stop, Shaw," Dona Clara said to him, gently; "I now see that you were -faithful, and I pardon you. Do not let yourself be uselessly killed; you -see that it would be madness to resist!" - -The young man let his head droop, and returned the pistol to his girdle. - -"Hilloh!" a rough voice shouted, which caused the fugitives to tremble, -"I felt sure that these horses belonged to somebody. Let us see what we -have here. A torch here, Orson, to have a look at them." - -"It is unnecessary, Red Cedar, we are friends." - -"Friends," Red Cedar answered, hesitating, for it was really he; "that -is possible; still, I would sooner be convinced of it. Light the torch, -lad, all the same." - -There was a moment's silence, during which Orson lit a branch of candle -wood tree. - -"Ah, ah," the squatter said, with a grin; "in truth, we are among -friends. But where the deuce were you going at this hour of the night, -senor Padre?" - -"We were returning to the camp, after a ride, in which we have lost our -way," the monk answered, imperturbably. - -Red Cedar gave him a suspicious glance. - -"A ride!" he growled between his teeth; "It is a singular hour for that. -But there is Shaw. You are welcome, my boy, though I little expected to -meet you, especially in the company of that charming dove," he added, -with a sarcastic smile. - -"Yes, it is I, father," the young man answered in a hollow voice. - -"Very good; presently you shall tell me what has become of you for so -long, but this is not the moment. Did you not say that your camp was -near here, senor Padre? Although, may the devil twist my neck, if I can -understand how that is, as I was going to seek you on the isle where I -left you." - -"We were compelled to leave it." - -"All right; we have no time to lose in chattering. Lead me to the camp, -my master; at a later date, all will be cleared up, never fear." - -Guided by the monk, and followed by the pirates, who had Shaw and Dona -Clara in their midst, Red Cedar entered the forest. This unforeseen -meeting once again robbed the poor girl of a speedy deliverance. As for -Fray Ambrosio, he walked along apparently as calmly as if nothing -extraordinary had happened to him. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXIII. - -THE TRAIL. - - -The dawn was just commencing to overshadow the horizon with transient -opaline tints; a few stars were still glistening in the dark blue sky. -The wild beasts were leaving their watering places, and slowly retiring -to their dens, disturbing at intervals the solemn silence of the desert -with their sinister howling. - -Valentine opened his eyes, looked around him anxiously, and after -employing a few seconds in shaking off his drowsiness, he rose slowly -and awoke his comrades, who were still sleeping, rolled up in their -blankets. - -Soon, the whole little party were collected round the fire, on which the -hunter had thrown a few armfuls of dry wood, and in whose brilliant -flames the breakfast was now preparing. - -The Mexicans, with their eyes fixed Valentine, silently awaited his -explanation, for they guessed that he had important communications to -make to them. But their expectations were foiled, at least for the -present, and the Frenchman remained quite silent. - -When the meal was ready, Valentine made his comrades a signal to eat; -and for some twenty minutes no other sound could be heard save that -caused by the formidable appetites of the hunters. When they had -finished, Valentine quietly lit his Indian pipe, and indicated to his -companions that he wished to speak. All turned toward him. - -"My friends," he said, in his sympathetic voice, "what I feared has -happened. Red Cedar has left his island camp; he has, if I am not -mistaken, several days' start of us, and in vain did I try last night to -take up his trail: it was impossible. Red Cedar is a villain, endowed -with a fortunately far from common ferocity, whose destruction we have -sworn, and I hope we shall keep our word. But I am compelled to do him -the justice of saying, that he is one of the most experienced hunters in -the Far West; and no one, when he pleases, can more cleverly hide his -own trail, and discover that of others. We are, therefore, about to have -a trial of patience with him, for he has learned all the stratagems of -the redskins, of whom, I am not ashamed to say, he is the superior in -roguery." - -"Alas!" Don Miguel muttered. - -"I have sworn to restore your daughter to you, my friend," Valentine -continued, "with the help of heaven. I shall keep my oath, but I am -about to undertake a gigantic task: hence I ask of you all the most -perfect obedience. Your ignorance of the desert might, under certain -circumstances, cause us serious injury, and make us lose in a few -minutes the fruit of lengthened researches: hence I ask of your -friendship that you will let yourselves be entirely guided by my -experience." - -"My friend," Don Miguel replied, with an accent full of majesty, -"whatever you may order, we will do; for you alone can successfully -carry out the difficult enterprise in which we are engaged." - -"Good! I thank you for the obedience you promise me, my friend: without -it, it would be impossible to succeed. Now leave me to arrange with the -Indian chiefs." - -Valentine rose, made a sign to Curumilla and Eagle-wing, and the three -sat down a short distance off. Valentine passed his calumet to the -Araucano, who took a few whiffs and then handed it to Eagle-wing, and -he, after smoking also, returned it to the hunter. - -"My brothers know why I have convened them in council," Valentine said -presently. - -The two chiefs bowed in reply. - -"Very good," he continued; "now what is the advice of my brother? Let -the Sachem of the Coras speak first. He is a wise chief, whose counsels -can only be good for us." - -"Why does Koutonepi ask the advice of his red brothers?" he said. -"Koutonepi is a great warrior: he has the eye of the eagle, the scent of -the dog, the courage of the lion, and the prudence of the serpent. No -one can discover better than him a trail lost in the sand: what -Koutonepi does is well done: his brothers will follow him." - -"Thanks, chief," Valentine continued; "but in what direction should we -proceed?" - -"Red Cedar is the friend of Stanapat: after his defeat the scalp hunter -will have sought a refuge with his friend." - -"That is also my opinion," the hunter remarked. "What do you think, -chief?" he said, turning to Curumilla. - -The Araucano shook his head. - -"No," he said, "Red Cedar loves gold." - -"That is true," said Valentine: "besides, the Apaches are too near us. -You are right, chief: we must therefore proceed northward?" - -Curumilla nodded an assent. - -"No horses," he said, "they destroy a trail." - -"We will go on foot. Have you Red Cedar's measure?" - -Curumilla fumbled in his medicine bag, and produced an old worn -moccasin. - -"Oh!" Valentine said eagerly; "that is better still: let us be off at -once." - -They broke up the conference. - -"My friends," the hunter said to the Mexicans, "this is what we have -resolved on: you three, alone, will be mounted. Each of you will lead -one of our horses, so that we may mount at the first signal. The two -chiefs and myself will march on foot, in order to let no sign escape us. -You will keep two hundred yards, behind us: and as I noticed that there -are at this moment a great many trumpeter swans in the river, that will -be our rallying cry. All this is arranged?" - -"Yes," the three gentlemen answered unanimously. - -"Good! now to set out, and try never to let us out of sight." - -"Be at your ease, my friend, about that," the general said; "we have too -great an interest in not quitting you. _Canarios!_ what would become of -us alone, lost in this confounded desert?" - -"Come, come, something tells me that we shall succeed," Valentine said -gaily, "so we will have courage." - -"May heaven grant you are not mistaken, my friend," Don Miguel said -sadly. "My poor child!" - -"We will deliver her. I have followed a more difficult trail before -now." - -With these consolatory words, the two Indians and the hunter set out. -Instead of taking Indian file, as ordinarily adopted on the prairie, and -marching one after the other, they spread like a fan, in order to have a -greater space to explore, and not lose the slightest indication. So soon -as the scouts were at the arranged distance, the Mexicans mounted and -followed them, being careful not to let them out of sight, as far as was -possible. - -When Valentine told Don Miguel that he had followed more difficult -trails, he was either boasting, or, as is more probable, judging from -his frank character, he wished to restore hope to his friend. - -In order to follow a trail, it must exist. Red Cedar was too old a wood -ranger to neglect the slightest precaution, for he knew too well that, -however large the desert may be, a man habituated to cross it always -Succeeds in finding the man he is pursuing. - -He knew, too, that he was followed by the most experienced hunter of the -Far West, whom, by common accord, white and half-breed trappers, and the -redskins themselves, had surnamed "The Trail-hunter." Hence he surpassed -himself, and nothing was to be seen. - -Although Valentine and his two comrades might interrogate the desert, it -remained dumb and indecipherable as a closed book. For five hours they -had been walking, and nothing had given an embodiment to their -suspicions, or proved to them that they were on the right track. - -Still, with that patience which characterises men accustomed to prairie -life, and whose tenacity no word can express, the three men marched on, -advancing, step by step, with their bodies bent, their eyes fixed on the -ground, never yielding to the insurmountable difficulties that opposed -them, but, on the contrary, excited by these very difficulties, which -proved that they had an adversary worthy of them. - -Valentine walked in the centre, with Curumilla on his right and -Eagle-wing on his left. They were crossing at this moment a level plain, -where a considerable view could be enjoyed; on one side stood the -outposts of the virgin forest, on the other was the Gila, running over a -sand bed. On reaching the bank of a small stream, obstructed with -shrubs, Valentine noticed all at once that two or three small branches -were broken a few inches from the ground. - -The hunter stopped, and in order to examine more closely, lay down on -the ground, carefully regarding the fracture of the wood, as he thrust -his head into the copse. Suddenly he started up on his knees, uttering a -cry of joy: his comrades ran up to him. - -"Ah, by Heaven," Valentine exclaimed; "now I have him. Look, look!" - -And he showed the Indians a few horse's hairs he held in his hand. -Curumilla examined them attentively, while Eagle-wing, without saying a -word, formed with earth and stones a dyke across the bed of the stream, -which was only a few yards in width. - -"Well, what do you say to that, chief?" Valentine asked. "Have I guessed -it?" - -"Wah," the Indian replied, "Koutonepi has good eyes; these hairs come -from Red Cedar's horse." - -"I noticed that the horse he rode was iron grey." - -"Yes; but it halts." - -"I know it, with the off foreleg." - -At this moment the Coras summoned them: he had turned the course of the -stream, and the traces of a horse's hoofs could be distinctly traced in -the sand. - -"Do you see?" said Valentine. - -"Yes," Curumilla remarked; "but he is alone." - -"Hang it, so he is." - -The two warriors looked at him in amazement. - -"Listen," Valentine said, after a moment's reflection, "this is a false -trail. On reaching this stream, where it was impossible for him not to -leave signs, Red Cedar, supposing that we should look for them in the -water, crossed the stream alone, although it would be easy for men less -accustomed to the desert than ourselves to suppose that a party had -crossed here. Look down there on the other side, at a horse's marks. Red -Cedar wanted to be too clever; showing us a trail at all has ruined him. -The rest of the band, which he joined again presently, instead of -crossing, descended the bed of the stream to the Gila, where they -embarked and passed to the other side of the river." - -The two Indians, on hearing this clear explanation, could not repress a -cry of admiration. Valentine burst the dyke, and with their help formed -another one hundred yards below, a short distance from the Gila. The bed -of the stream was hardly dry, ere the two Indians clapped their hands, -while uttering exclamations of delight. - -Valentine had guessed aright: this time they had discovered the real -trail, for the bed of the stream had been trampled by a large band of -horses. - -"Oh, oh," Valentine said; "I fancy we are on the right road." - -He then imitated the cry of a swan, and the Mexicans, who had been -puzzled by the movements of the hunters, and were anxious to hear the -news, galloped up. - -"Well?" Don Miguel shouted. - -"Good news," said Valentine. - -"You have the trail?" the general asked, hurriedly. - -"I think so," the hunter modestly replied. - -"Oh!" said Don Pablo, joyously; "In that case we shall soon catch the -villain." - -"I hope so. We must now cross the river; but let us three go first." - -The three hunters leaped on their horses and crossed the river, followed -at a distance by the others. On reaching the other side of the Gila, -instead of ascending the bank, they followed the current for some -distance, carefully examining the ground. - -"Ah!" Valentine suddenly exclaimed, as he stopped his horse. "I think -the men we are pursuing landed here." - -"That is the place," said Curumilla, with a nod. - -"Yes," Moukapec confirmed him; "it is easy to see." - -In fact, the spot was admirably adapted for landing without leaving any -signs. The bank was bordered for nearly one hundred yards with large -flat rocks, shaped like tombstones, where the horses could rest their -hoofs without any fear of leaving a mark. These atones extended for a -considerable distance into the plain, and thus formed a species of -natural highway, nearly half a mile in width. - -Still, a thing had happened which no one could have foreseen, and which -would have passed unnoticed, save for Valentine's watchful eye. One of -the horses, in climbing on to the rock, had miscalculated its distance -and slipped, so that an almost imperceptible graze, left by its hoof on -the stone, showed the quick-sighted hunter where the party struck the -bank. - -The hunters followed the same road; but, so soon as they had landed, the -trail disappeared anew. Although the scouts looked around with the most -minute attention, they found nothing that would indicate to them the -road followed by the enemy on leaving the water. - -Valentine, with his hands resting on the muzzle of his rifle, was -thinking deeply, at one moment looking on the ground, at another raising -his eyes to the sky, like a man busied with the solution of a problem -which seems to him impossible, when suddenly he perceived a white headed -eagle soaring in long circles over a mass of rocks, situated a little to -the right of the spot where he was standing. - -"Hum," the hunter said to himself, as he watched the eagle, whose -circles were growing gradually smaller, "what is the matter with that -bird? I am curious to know." - -Summoning his two comrades, he threw his rifle on his back, and hurried -toward the spot above which the bird of prey still continued to hover. -Valentine imparted to the Indians the suspicions that had sprung up in -his mind, and the three men began painfully climbing up the mass of -rocks strangely piled up one on the other, and which rose like a small -hill in the middle of the prairie. - -On reaching the top the hunters stopped to pant; the eagle, startled by -their unexpected appearance, had flown reluctantly away. They found -themselves on a species of platform, which must infallibly have once -served as a sepulchre to some renowned Indian warrior, for several -shapeless fragments lay here and there, near a rather wide cavity, some -ten yards in width. - -Valentine bent over the edge of this hole, but the obscurity was so -dense, owing to the shape of the cavity, that he could perceive nothing, -though his sense of smell was most disagreeably assailed by a fetid odour -of decaying flesh. - -"Hilloah! what is this?" he asked. - -Without speaking, Curumilla had lit a candle wood torch which he handed -the hunter. Valentine bent over again and looked in. - -"Ah!" he exclaimed, "Red Cedar's horse--I have you now, my fine fellow! -but how the deuce did he manage to get the animal up here without -leaving any trail?" After a moment he added: "Oh, what a goose I am! The -horse was not dead, he led it up here, and then forced it into the hole. -By Jove! It is a good trick: I must confess that Red Cedar is a very -remarkable rogue, and had it not been for the eagle, I should not have -discovered the road he took--but now I have him! Were he ten times as -cunning he would not escape me." - -And, all delighted, Valentine rejoined the Mexicans, who were anxiously -awaiting the result of his researches. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXIV. - -THE HUNT. - - -"Then," Don Miguel asked the hunter, "you believe, my friend, that we are -on the right track, and that the villain cannot escape us." - -"I am convinced," Valentine replied, "that we have followed his trail up -to the present. As for assuring you that he will not escape us, I am -unable to say that; I can only assert that I shall discover him." - -"That is what I meant," the hacendero remarked, with a sigh. - -They started once more. The prairie became more broken, here and there -clumps of trees diversified the landscape, and in the distance rose -hills, the first spires of the Sierra Madre, which jagged the blue -horizon, and undulated the soil. The hunters reached at about an hour -before sunset the first trees of an immense virgin forest, which -stretched out like a curtain of verdure, and completely hid the prairie -from their sight. - -"Wah!" said Curumilla, suddenly stooping and picking up an object which -he handed Valentine. - -"Hilloah!" the latter exclaimed, "if I am not mistaken, it is Dona -Clara's cross." - -"Give it me, my friend," Don Miguel said, hurriedly advancing. - -He seized the article the hunter handed him; it was, in truth, a small -diamond cross, which the maiden constantly wore. The hacendero raised -it to his lips, with a joy mingled with sorrow. - -"Oh, heavens!" he exclaimed, "What has happened to my poor girl?" - -"Nothing," Valentine replied; "reassure yourself, my friend. The chain -has probably broken, and Dona Clara lost it--that is all." - -Don Miguel sighed, two tears burst from his eyes, but he did not utter a -word; at the entrance of the forest Valentine halted. - -"It is not prudent," he said, "to go among these large trees by night; -perhaps those we seek may be waiting here to attack us under covert. If -you will listen to me, we will bivouac here." - -No one objected to this proposal, and consequently the encampment was -formed. Night had completely set in, and the hunters, after eating their -super, had rolled themselves up in their blankets, and were sleeping. -Valentine, Curumilla, and Eagle-wing, gravely seated around the fire, -were conversing in a low voice, while watching the neighbourhood. - -All at once Valentine sharply seized the Ulmen by the collar, and pulled -him to the ground; at the same moment a shot was fired, and a bullet -struck the logs, producing myriads of sparks. The Mexicans, startled by -the shot, sprung up and seized their arms, but the hunters had -disappeared. - -"What is the meaning of this?" Don Miguel asked, looking round vainly in -the darkness. - -"I am greatly mistaken," said the general, "if we are not attacked." - -"Attacked!" the hacendero continued; "By whom?" - -"By enemies, probably," the general remarked; "but who those enemies are -I cannot tell you." - -"Where are our friends?" Don Pablo asked. - -"Hunting, I suppose," the general replied. - -"Stay, here they come," said Don Miguel. - -The hunters returned; but not alone; they had a prisoner with them, and -the prisoner was Orson, the pirate. So soon as he had him in the -bivouac, Valentine bound him securely, and then examined him for some -minutes with profound attention. The bandit endured this examination -with a feigned carelessness, which, well played though it was, did not -quite deceive the Frenchman. - -"Hum!" the latter said to himself, "this seems to me a cunning scamp; -let me see if I am wrong--who are you, ruffian?" he roughly asked him. - -"I?" the other said with a silly air. - -"Yes, you." - -"A hunter." - -"A scalp hunter, I suppose?" Valentine went on. - -"Why so?" the other asked. - -"I suppose you did not take us for wild beasts?" - -"I do not understand you," the bandit said, with a stupid look. - -"That is possible," said Valentine, "what is your name?" - -"Orson." - -"A pretty name enough. And why were you prowling round our bivouac?" - -"The night is dark, and I took you for Apaches." - -"Is that why you fired at us?" - -"Yes." - -"I suppose you did not expect to kill us all six?" - -"I did not try to kill you." - -"Ah, ah! You wished to give us a salute, I suppose?" the hunter -remarked, with a laugh. - -"No, but I wished to attract your attention." - -"Well, you succeeded; in that case, why did you bolt?" - -"I did not do so--I let you catch me." - -"Hum," Valentine said again; "well, no matter, we have got you and -you'll be very clever if you escape." - -"Who knows?" the pirate muttered. - -"Where were you going?" - -"To join my friends on the other bank of the river." - -"What friends?" - -"Friends of mine." - -"I suppose so." - -"The man is an idiot," Don Miguel said, with a shrug of his shoulders. - -Valentine gave him a significant look. - -"Do you think so?" he said. - -As the hacendero made no reply, Valentine continued his -cross-questioning. - -"Who are the friends you were going to join?" - -"I told you--hunters." - -"Very well--but those hunters have a name." - -"Have you not one, too?" - -"Listen, scamp," Valentine said, whom the Pirate's evasions were -beginning to make angry, "I warn you that, if you do not answer my -questions simply, I shall be forced to blow out your brains." - -Orson started back. - -"Blow out my brains!" he exclaimed. "Nonsense, you would not dare." - -"Why not, mate?" - -"Because Red Cedar would avenge me." - -"Ah ah, you know Red Cedar?" - -"Of course I do, as I was going to join him." - -"Hilloh!" Valentine said distrustfully. "Where, then?" - -"Wherever he may be." - -"That is true--then you know where Red Cedar is?" - -"Yes." - -"In that case you will guide us to him." - -"I shall be delighted," the Pirate said quickly. - -Valentine turned to his friend. - -"This man is a traitor," he said. "He was sent to draw us into a snare, -in which we will not let ourselves be caught. Curumilla, fasten a rope -to a branch of that oak tree." - -"What for?" Don Miguel asked. - -"To hang this scamp, who fancies we are fools." - -Orson trembled. - -"One moment," he said. - -"What for?" the hunter asked. - -"Why, I do not wish to be hanged." - -"And yet, it will happen to you within ten minutes, my good fellow--so -you had better make up your mind to it." - -"Not at all, since I offer to lead you to Red Cedar." - -"Very good--but I prefer going alone." - -"As you please. In that case, let me go." - -"That is not possible, unfortunately." - -"Why not?" - -"I will tell you: because, if you were set at liberty, you would go -straight and tell the man who sent you what you have seen, and I do not -wish that. Besides, I know at present as well as you do, where Red Cedar -is." - -"Red Cedar does not hide himself, and can always be found." - -"Very good. You have five minutes to recommend your soul to Heaven, and -that is more than you deserve." - -Orson understood from the hunter's accent that he was lost. Hence he -made up his mind bravely. - -"Bravo!" he said, "well-played." - -Valentine looked at him. - -"You are a plucky fellow," he said to him, "and I will do something for -you. Curumilla, unfasten his arms." - -The Indian obeyed. - -"Look here," said Valentine, offering him a pistol. "Blow out your -brains, it will be sooner over, and you will suffer less." - -The bandit seized the weapon with a diabolical grin, and, with a -movement swift as thought, fired at the hunter. But Curumilla was -watching him, and cleft his skull with his tomahawk. The bullet whistled -harmlessly past Valentine's ear. - -"Thanks," said the bandit, as he rolled on the ground. - -"What men!" Don Miguel exclaimed. - -"_Canarios_, my friend," the general said, "you had a narrow escape." - -The three men dug a hole into which they threw the bandit's body. The -rest of the night passed without incident, and at daybreak the hunt -recommenced. About midday, the hunters found themselves again on the -river bank, and saw two Indian canoes drifting down with the current. - -"Back, back!" Valentine suddenly shouted. - -All lay down on the grass, and at the same instant bullets ricochetted -from the rocks, and arrows whizzed through the leaves, but no one was -wounded. Valentine disdained to reply. - -"They are Apaches," he said. "Let us not waste our powder; besides, they -are out of range." - -They set out again. Gradually, the forest grew clearer, the trees became -rare, and they at length entered a vast prairie. - -"Stop," said Valentine, "we must be approaching. I believe we shall do -well, now that we have an expanse before us, to examine the horizon." - -He stood upright in his saddle, and began looking carefully around. -Presently, he got down. - -"Nothing," he said. - -At this moment, he saw something glistening in the grass, on the river -bank. - -"What is that?" he asked himself, and bent down. But, instead of rising -again, he bent lower still, and in a second turned to Curumilla. - -"The moccasin," he said, sharply. - -The Indian handed it to him. - -"Look!" the hunter said. - -At this spot the sand was damp, and, under a pile of leaves, there -appeared clearly and distinctly the trace of a man's foot, with the toes -in the water. - -"They are only two hours ahead of us," said Valentine. "One of them lost -a horse bell here." - -"They have crossed the river," said Eagle-wing. - -"That is easy to see," the general remarked. - -Valentine smiled, and looked at Curumilla, who shook his head. - -"No," the hunter said. "It is a trick, but they shall not catch me." - -Making his comrades a signal not to stir, Valentine turned his back to -the river, and walked rapidly toward a tree covered hill a short -distance off. - -"Come!" he shouted, so soon as he reached the top. Several dead trees -lay scattered in an open space. Aided by Curumilla, Valentine began -removing them. The Mexicans, whose curiosity was aroused to an eminent -degree, also lent a hand. - -In a few minutes, several trees were rolled on one side. Valentine then -removed the leaves, and discovered the remains of a fire, with the ashes -still warm. - -"Come, come," he said, "Red Cedar is not so clever as I thought." - -Don Miguel, his son, and the general were astounded, but the hunter only -smiled. - -"It is nothing," he said. "But the shadow of the sun is already -lengthening on the horizon, within three hours, it will be night; so -remain here. When the gloom is thick, we will start again." - -They bivouacked. - -"Now, sleep," Valentine bade them. "I will awake you when necessary, for -you will have smart work tonight." - -And joining example to precept, Valentine lay down on the ground, closed -his eyes, and slept. At about an hour after sunset, he woke again; he -looked around, his comrades were still asleep, but one was -absent--Curumilla. - -"Good," Valentine thought; "the chief has seen something, and gone to -reconnoitre." - -He had scarce finished this aside, when he noticed two shadows standing -out vaguely in the night; the hunter darted behind a tree, and cocked -his rifle. At the same instant, the cry of the swan was audible a short -distance off. - -"Halloh!" said Valentine, as he withdrew his rifle, "Can Curumilla have -made another prisoner? Let me have a look." - -A few minutes later, Curumilla arrived, closely followed by an Indian -warrior, who was no other than Black Cat. On seeing him, Valentine -repressed with difficulty a cry of surprise. - -"My brother is welcome," he said. - -"I was expecting my brother," the Apache chief said, simply. - -"How so?" - -"My brother is on the trail of Red Cedar?" - -"Yes." - -"Red Cedar is there," said Black Cat, pointing in the direction of the -river. - -"Far?" - -"About half an hour." - -"Good. How does my red brother know it?" the hunter asked, with -ill-concealed suspicion. - -"The great pale warrior is the brother of Black Cat; he saved his life. -The redskins have a long memory. Black Cat assembled his young men, and -followed Red Cedar to deliver him to his brother Koutonepi." - -Valentine did not for an instant doubt the good faith of the Apache -Chief; he knew how religiously the Indians keep their oaths. Black Cat -had formed an alliance with him, and he could place implicit confidence -in his words. - -"Good," he said, "I will wake the pale warriors; my brother will guide -us." - -The Indian bowed and folded his arms on his chest. A quarter of an hour -later, the hunters reached the encampment of the redskins, when they -found that Black Cat had spoken the truth, for he had one hundred picked -warriors with him, so cleverly concealed in the grass that ten paces off -it was impossible to perceive them. - -Black Cat drew Valentine aside, and led him a short distance from the -bivouac. - -"Let my brother look," he said. - -The hunter then saw, a little way off, the fires of the gambusinos. Red -Cedar had placed his camp against a hillside, which prevented the -hunters seeing it. The squatter fancied he had thrown Valentine out, and -this night, for the first time since he knew he was pursued, he allowed -his people to light a fire. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXV. - -THE COMBAT. - - -Red Cedar's camp was plunged in silence; all were asleep, save three or -four gambusinos who watched over the safety of their comrades, and two -persons who, carelessly reclining before a tent erected in the centre of -the camp, were conversing in a low voice. They were Red Cedar and Fray -Ambrosio. - -The squatter seemed suffering from considerable anxiety; with his eye -fixed on space, he seemed to be sounding the darkness and guessing the -secrets which the night that surrounded him bore in its bosom. - -"Gossip," the monk said, "do you believe that we have succeeded in -hiding our trail from the white hunters?" - -"Those villains are dogs at whom I laugh; my wife would suffice to drive -them away with a whip," Red Cedar replied, disdainfully; "I know all the -windings of the prairie, and have acted for the best." - -"Then, we are at length freed from our enemies," the monk said, with a -sigh of relief. - -"Yes, gossip," the squatter remarked with a grin; "now you can sleep -calmly." - -"Ah," said the monk, "all the better." - -At this moment, a bullet whistled over the Spaniard's head, and -flattened against one of the tent poles. - -"Malediction!" the squatter yelled, as he sprang up; "those mad wolves -again. To arms, lads; here are the redskins." - -Within a few seconds, all the gambusinos were alert and ambuscaded -behind the bales that formed the wall of the camp. At the same moment, -fearful yells, followed by a terrible discharge, burst forth from the -prairie. - -The squatter's band comprised about twenty resolute men, with the -pirates he had enlisted. The gambusinos did not let themselves be -terrified; they replied by a point-blank discharge at a numerous band -of horsemen galloping at full speed on the camp. The Indians rode in -every direction, uttering ferocious yells, and brandishing burning -torches which they constantly hurled into the camp. - -The Indians, as a general rule, only attack their enemies by surprise; -when they have no other object in view but pillage, as soon as they are -discovered and meet with a vigorous resistance, they cease a combat -which has become objectless to them. But on this occasion the redskins -seemed to have given up their ordinary tactics, so obstinately did they -assail the gambusino intrenchments; frequently repulsed, they returned -with renewed ardour, fighting in the open and trying to crush their -enemies by their numbers. - -Red Cedar, terrified by the duration of a combat in which his bravest -comrades had perished, resolved to attempt a final effort, and conquer -the Indians by daring and temerity. By a signal he collected his three -sons around him, with Andres Garote and Fray Ambrosio; but the Indians -did not leave them the time to carry out the plan they had formed; they -returned to the charge with incredible fury, and a cloud of incendiary -arrows and lighted torches fell on the camp from all sides at once. - -The fire added its horrors to those of the combat, and ere long the camp -was a burning fiery furnace. The redskins, cleverly profiting by the -disorder the fire caused among the gambusinos, escaladed the bales, -invaded the camp, rushed on the whites, and a hand-to-hand fight -commenced. In spite of their courage and skill in the use of arms, the -gambusinos were overwhelmed by the masses of their enemies; a few -minutes longer, and all would be over with Red Cedar's band. - -The squatter resolved to make a supreme effort to save the few men still -left him; taking Fray Ambrosio aside, who, since the beginning the -action, had constantly fought by his side, he explained his intentions -to him; and when he felt that the monk would certainly carry out his -plans, he rushed with incredible fury into the thickest of the fight, -and felling or stabbing the redskins who stood in his way, succeeded in -entering the tent. - -Dona Clara, with her head stretched forward, seemed to be anxiously -listening to the noises outside. Two paces from her, the squatter's wife -was dying; a bullet had passed through her skull. On seeing Red Cedar, -the maiden folded her arms on her bosom, and wailed. - -"_Voto a Dios!_" the brigand exclaimed. "She is still here. Follow me, -senora, we must be off." - -"No," the Spaniard answered, resolutely. "I will not go." - -"Come, child, obey; do not oblige me to employ violence; time is -precious." - -"I will not go, I tell you," the maiden repeated. - -"For the last time, will you follow me--yes or no?" - -Dona Clara shrugged her shoulders. The squatter saw that any discussion -was useless, and he must settle the question by force; so, leaping over -the corpse of his wife, he tried to seize the girl. But the latter, who -had watched all his movements, bounded like a startled fawn, drew a -dagger from her breast, and with flashing eye, quivering nostrils, and -trembling lips, she prepared to go through a desperate struggle. - -There must be an end of this, so the squatter raised his sabre, and with -the flat dealt such a terrible blow on the girl's delicate arm, that she -let the dagger fall, and uttered a shriek of pain. But the unhappy girl -stooped at once to pick up her weapon with her left hand; Red Cedar took -advantage of this movement, bounded upon her, and made her a girdle of -his powerful arms. The maiden, who had hitherto resisted in silence, -shrieked with all the energy of despair-- - -"Help, Shaw, help!" - -"Ah!" Red Cedar howled; "he, then, was the traitor! Let him come, if he -dare." - -And, raising the girl in his arms, he ran toward the entrance of the -hut, but he fell back suddenly, with a ghastly oath: a man barred his -passage, and that man was Valentine. - -"Ah, ah!" the hunter said, with a sarcastic smile; "There you are again, -Red Cedar. _Caray_, my master, you seem in a hurry." - -"Let me pass," the squatter yelled, as he cocked a pistol. - -"Pass?" Valentine repeated, with a laugh, while carefully watching the -bandit's movements. "You are in a great haste to leave our company. -Come, no threats, or I kill you like a dog." - -"I shall kill you, villain," Red Cedar exclaimed, pulling with a -convulsive movement the trigger of the pistol. - -But, although the squatter had been so quick, Valentine was not less so; -he stooped smartly to escape the bullet, which did not strike him, and -raised his rifle, but did not dare fire, for Red Cedar had fallen back -to the end of the tent, and employed the maiden as a buckler. At the -sound of the shot Valentine's comrades hurried up to the tent, which was -simultaneously invaded by the Indians. - -The few gambusinos who survived their companions, about seven or eight, -whom Fray Ambrosio had collected by the squatter's orders, guessing what -was occurring, and desiring to aid their chief, crept stealthily up, and -seizing the tent ropes, cut them all at once. - -The mass of canvas, no longer supported, fell in, burying and dragging -down with it all who were beneath it. There was a moment of terrible -confusion among the Indians and hunters, which Red Cedar cleverly -employed to step out of the tent and mount a horse Fray Ambrosio held in -readiness for him. But, at the moment he was going to dash off, Shaw -barred his passage. - -"Stop, father," he shouted, as he boldly seized the bridle, "give me -that girl." - -"Back, villain, back," the squatter howled, grinding his teeth; "back!" - -"You shall not pass," Shaw continued. "Give me Dona Clara!" - -Red Cedar felt that he was lost: Valentine, Don Miguel, and their -comrades, at length freed from the tent, were hurrying up at full speed. - -"Wretch!" he exclaimed. - -And, making his horse bound, he cut his son down with his sabre. The -witnesses uttered a cry of horror, while the gambusinos, starting at -full speed, passed like a whirlwind through the dense mass of foes. - -"Oh!" Don Miguel shrieked, "I will save my daughter." - -And leaping on a horse, he rushed in pursuit of the bandits; the hunters -and Indians, leaving the burning camp to a few plunderers, also started -after them. But suddenly an incomprehensible thing occurred: a terrible, -superhuman noise was heard; the horses, going at full speed, stopped, -neighing with terror; and the pirates, hunters, and redskins, -instinctively raising their eyes to Heaven, could not restrain a cry of -horror. - -"Oh!" Red Cedar shouted, with an accent of rage impossible to render; "I -will escape in spite of Heaven and Hell!" - -And he buried his spurs in his horse's flanks; the animal gave vent to a -snort of agony, but remained motionless. - -"My daughter, my daughter!" Don Miguel shouted, striving in vain to -reach the Pirate. - -"Come and take her, dog," the bandit yelled; "I will only give her to -you dead." - - - - -CHAPTER XXXVI. - -THE EARTHQUAKE. - - -A frightful change had suddenly taken place in Nature. The heavenly -vault had assumed the appearance of a vast globe of yellow copper: the -pallid moon emitted no beams; and the atmosphere was so transparent, -that the most distant objects were visible. A stifling heat weighed on -the earth, and there was not a breath in the air to stir the leaves. The -Gila had ceased to flow. - -The hoarse roar which had been heard before was repeated with tenfold -force: the river, lifted bodily, as if by a powerful and invisible hand, -rose to an enormous height, and suddenly descended on the plain, over -which it poured with incredible rapidity: the mountains oscillated on -their base, hurling on to the prairie enormous blocks of rock, which -fell with a frightful crash: the earth, opening on all sides, filled up -valleys, levelled hills, poured from its bosom torrents of sulphurous -water, which threw up stones and burning mud, and then began to heave -with a slow and continuous movement. - -"_Terremoto!_ (earthquake)," the hunters and gambusinos exclaimed, as -they crossed themselves and recited all the prayers that recurred to -their mind. - -It was, in truth, an earthquake--the most fearful scourge of these -regions. The ground seemed to boil, if we may employ the -expression--rising and falling incessantly, like the waves of the sea -during a tempest. The bed of the rivers and streams changed at each -instant, and gulfs of unfathomable depth opened beneath the feet of the -terrified men. - -The wild beasts, driven from their lairs and repulsed by the river, -whose waters constantly rose, came, mad with terror, to join the men. -Countless herds of buffaloes traversed the plain, uttering hoarse -lowings, dashing against each other, turning back suddenly to avoid the -abysses that opened at their feet, and threatening in their furious -course to trample under everything that offered an obstacle. - -The jaguars, panthers, cougars, grizzly bears, and coyotes, pell-mell -with the deer, antelopes, elks, and asshatas, uttered howls and -plaintive yells, not thinking of attacking each other, so thoroughly had -fear paralysed their bloodthirsty instincts. - -The birds whirled round, with wild croakings in the air impregnated with -sulphur and bitumen, or fell heavily to the ground, stunned by fear, -with their wings outstretched, and feathers standing on end. - -A second scourge joined the former, and added, were it possible, to the -horror of this scene. The fire lit in the gambusino camp by the Indians -gradually gained the tall prairie grass; suddenly it was revealed in its -majestic and terrible splendour, kindling all in its sparks with a -whizzing sound. - -A person must have seen a fire on the prairies of the Far West to form -an idea of the splendid horror of such a sight. Virgin forests are burnt -to the ground, their aged trees writhing, and uttering complaints and -cries like human beings. The incandescent mountains resemble ill-omened -light-houses, whose immense flames rise as spirals to the sky, which -they colour for a wide distance with their blood-red hue. - -The earth continued at intervals to suffer violent shocks; to the -northwest the waters of the Gila were bounding madly forward; in the -south-west, the fire was hurrying on with sharp and rapid leaps. -The unhappy redskins, the hunters, and the pirates their enemies, saw -with indescribable terror the space around them growing momentarily -smaller, and every chance of safety cut off in turn. - -In this supreme moment, when every feeling of hatred should have been -extinguished in their hearts, Red Cedar and the hunters, only thinking -of their vengeance, continued their rapid hunt, racing like demons -across the prairie, which would soon doubtless serve as their sepulchre. - -In the meanwhile, the two scourges marched towards one another, and the -whites and redskins could already calculate with certainty how many -minutes were left them, in their last refuge, ere they were buried -beneath the waters, or devoured by the flames. At this terrible moment -the Apaches all turned to Valentine as the only man who could save them; -and at this supreme appeal, the hunter gave up for a few seconds his -pursuit of Red Cedar. - -"What do my brothers ask?" he said. - -"That the great Hunter of the palefaces should save them," Black Cat -said without hesitation. - -Valentine smiled mournfully, as he took a look at all these men who -awaited their safety from him. - -"God alone can save you," he said, "for He is omnipotent; His hand has -weighed heavily on us. What can I, a poor creature, do?" - -"The pale hunter must save us," the Apache chief repeated. - -The hunter gave a sigh. - -"I will try," he said. - -The Indians eagerly collected around him. The simple men considered that -this hunter, whom they were accustomed to admire, and whom they had seen -do so many surprising deeds, had a superhuman power at his command: they -placed a superstitious faith in him. - -"My brothers will listen;" Valentine went on: "only one chance of safety -is left them--a very weak one, but it is at present the only one they -can attempt. Let each take his arms, and without loss of time kill the -buffaloes madly running about the prairie; their skins will serve as -canoes to fly the fire that threatens to devour everything." - -The Indians gave vent to a shout of joy and hope, and without further -hesitation attacked the buffaloes, which, half mad with terror, let -themselves be killed without offering the slightest resistance. - -So soon as Valentine saw that his allies were following his advice, and -were busily engaged in making their canoes, he thought once more of the -pirates, who, for their part, had not remained idle. Directed by Red -Cedar, they had collected some uprooted trees, attached them together -with their lassos, and after this, forming a raft which would bear them -all, they thrust it into the water, and entrusted themselves to the -current. - -Don Pablo, seeing his enemy on the point of escaping him a second time, -did not hesitate to cover him with his rifle. But Andres Garote had a -spite on the Mexican, and taking advantage of the opportunity he quickly -raised his rifle, and fired. The bullet, disturbed by the oscillation of -the raft, did not hit the young man, but hit his rifle in his hands, at -the moment he was pulling the trigger. - -The pirates uttered a shout of triumph which was suddenly changed into a -cry of anger. Senor Andres Garote fell into their arms with a bullet -through his chest, presented to him by Curumilla. - -Just at this moment the sun rose gloriously on the horizon, lighting up -the magnificent picture of travailing nature, and restoring a little -courage to the men. - -The redskins, after making, with their peculiar quickness and skill, -some twenty canoes, were already beginning to launch them. The hunters -tried to lasso the raft, and draw it to them, while the pirates on the -other hand, employed the utmost efforts to keep it in the current. -Curumilla had succeeded in throwing his lasso so as to entangle it in -the trees, but Red Cedar cut it twice with his knife. - -"We must finish with that bandit," Valentine said, "kill him at all -risks." - -"One moment, I implore you," Don Miguel entreated, "let me first speak -to him, perhaps I may move his heart." - -"Humph!" the hunter muttered, as he rested his rifle on the ground, "it -would be easier to move a tiger." - -Don Miguel walked a few paces forward. "Red Cedar," he exclaimed, "have -pity on me--give me back my daughter." - -The pirate grinned, but gave no answer. - -"Red Cedar," Don Miguel went on, "have pity on me, I implore you, I will -pay any ransom you ask; but in the name of what there is most sacred on -earth, restore me my daughter; remember that you owe your life to me." - -"I owe you nothing," the squatter said brutally; "the life you saved you -tried to take from me again; we are quits." - -"My daughter! Give me my daughter." - -"Where is mine? Where is Ellen? restore her to me; perhaps, after that, -I will consent to give you your daughter." - -"She is not with us, Red Cedar, I swear it to you; she went away to join -you." - -"A lie!" the Pirate yelled, "A lie!" - -At this moment, Dona Clara, whose movements nobody was watching, boldly -leaped into the water. But, at the sound of the dive, Red Cedar turned -and plunged in after her. The hunters began firing again on the Pirate, -who, as if he had a charmed life, shook his head with a sarcastic laugh -at every bullet that struck the water near him. - -"Help!" the maiden cried in a panting voice; "Valentine, my father, help -me!" - -"I come," Don Miguel answered: "courage, my child, courage!" - -And, only listening to paternal love, Don Miguel bounded forward, but, -at a sign from Valentine, Curumilla and Eagle-wing stopped him, in spite -of all his efforts to tear himself from their grasp. The hunter took his -knife in his teeth and leaped into the river. - -"Come, father!" Dona Clara repeated--"Where are you? Where are you?" - -"Here I am!" Don Miguel shrieked. - -"Courage! Courage!" Valentine shouted. - -The hunter made a tremendous effort to reach the maiden, and the two -enemies found themselves face to face in the agitated waters of the -Gila. Forgetting all feeling of self preservation they rushed on each -other knife in hand. - -At this moment a formidable sound, resembling the discharge of a park of -artillery, burst from the entrails of the earth, a terrible shock -agitated the ground, and the river was forced back into its bed with -irresistible force. Red Cedar and Valentine, seized by the colossal wave -produced by this tremendous clash, turned round and round for some -moments, but were then hastily separated, and an impassible gulf opened -between them. At the same instant a cry of horrible pain echoed through -the air. - -"There!" Red Cedar yelled, "I told you I would only give you your -daughter dead--come and take her!" - -And with a demoniac laugh, he buried his knife in Dona Clara's bosom. -The poor girl fell on her knees, clasped her hands, and expired, crying -for the last time-- - -"Father! Father!" - -"Oh!" Don Miguel shrieked--"Woe! Woe!" and he fell unconscious on the -ground. - -At the sight of this cowardly act, Valentine, rendered powerless, -writhed his hands in despair. Curumilla raised his rifle, and ere Red -Cedar could start his horse at a gallop, fired; but the bullet, badly -aimed, did not strike the bandit, who uttered a yell of triumph, and -started at full speed. - -"Oh!" Valentine shouted, "I swear by Heaven I will have that monster's -life!" - -The shock we just alluded to was the last effort of the earthquake, -though there were a few more scarcely felt oscillations, as if the earth -were seeking to regain its balance, which it had momentarily lost. - -The Apaches, carried away in their canoes, had already gained a -considerable distance; the fire was expiring for want of nourishment on -the ground, which had been inundated by the waters of the river. - -In spite of the help lavished on him by his friends, Don Miguel did not -return to life for a long time. The general approached the hunter, who -was leaning, gloomy and pensive, on his rifle, with his eyes fixed on -space. - -"What are we doing here?" he said to him; "Why do we not resume our -pursuit of that villain?" - -"Because," Valentine replied, in a mournful voice, "We must pay the last -duties to his victim." - -The general bowed, and an hour later the hunters placed Dona Clara's -body in the ground. Don Miguel, supported by the general and his son, -wept over the grave which contained his child. - -When the Indian Chief had filled up the hole, and rolled onto it rocks, -lest it might be profaned by wild beasts, Valentine seized his friend's -hand, and pressed it forcibly. - -"Don Miguel," he said to him, "women weep, men avenge themselves." - -"Oh, yes!" the hacendero cried, with savage energy; "Vengeance! -Vengeance!" - -But, alas! This cry, uttered over a scarce-closed tomb, died out without -an echo. Red Cedar and his companions had disappeared in the -inextricable windings of the desert. Many days must yet elapse before -the so greatly desired hour of vengeance arrived, for God, whose designs -are inscrutable, had not yet said Enough! - - -[The further adventures of the hunters and the fate of Red Cedar have -yet to be described, in the last volume of this series, entitled "THE -TRAPPER'S DAUGHTER," which will speedily appear.] - - -THE END. - - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's The Pirates of the Prairies, by Gustave Aimard - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE PIRATES OF THE PRAIRIES *** - -***** This file should be named 42117.txt or 42117.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/4/2/1/1/42117/ - -Produced by Camilo Bernard and Marc D'Hooghe at -http://www.freeliterature.org (Scans at the Internet -Archive-by Google) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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