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diff --git a/old/42119.txt b/old/42119.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 704c23f..0000000 --- a/old/42119.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,14134 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Trapper's Daughter, 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 Trapper's Daughter - A Story of the Rocky Mountains - -Author: Gustave Aimard - -Translator: Lascelles Wraxall - -Release Date: February 17, 2013 [EBook #42119] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE TRAPPER'S DAUGHTER *** - - - - -Produced by Camilo Bernard and Marc D'Hooghe at -http://www.freeliterature.org (Scans at the Internet -Archive, by Google) - - - - - -THE TRAPPER'S DAUGHTER - -STORY OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS. - -BY - -GUSTAVE AIMARD. - -AUTHOR OF "PRAIRIE FLOWER," "PIRATES OF THE PRAIRIES," ETC. - -LONDON - -WARD AND LOCK - -158, FLEET STREET. - -MDCCCLXI. - - - - -CONTENTS. - - I. The Jacal - II. Inside the Cabin - III. A Conversation - IV. A Backward Glance - V. The Hacienda Quemada - VI. The Apaches - VII. The Hill of the Mad Buffalo - VIII. Black Cat and Unicorn - IX. The Meeting - X. A War Stratagem - XI. In the Forest - XII. The Missionary - XIII. Return to Life - XIV. An Old Acquaintance of the Reader - XV. Convalescence - XVI. An Accomplice - XVII. Mother and Son - XVIII. The Consultation - XIX. Bloodson - XX. Red Cedar - XXI. Curumilla - XXII. El Mal Paso - XXIII. El Rastreador - XXIV. The Camp in the Mountains - XXV. A Game at Hazard - XXVI. Nathan Paints Himself - XXVII. A Trail in the Air - XXVIII. The Fight with the Grizzly - XXIX. A Mother's Love - XXX. The Sorcerer - XXXI. White Gazelle - XXXII. The Escape - XXXIII. Plot and Counterplot - XXXIV. Cousin Bruin - XXXV. The Hunt Continued - XXXVI. The Last Refuge - XXXVII. The Casket - XXXVIII. Smoke in the Mountains - XXXIX. The Boar at Bay - XL. Lynch Law - - - - - -PREFACE. - - -In the present volume another series of Indian adventures is concluded, -and the further career of the hero is described in the series beginning -with the "Tiger-slayer." It must be understood, however, that the -stories are not arbitrarily connected--each is complete in itself; but -those who have read one volume will, I hope, be sufficiently interested -in the hero to desire to know more of his career. The following, -therefore, is the order in which the volumes should be read:-- - - - 1. TRAIL HUNTER. - 2. PIRATES OF THE PRAIRIES. - 3. THE TRAPPER'S DAUGHTER. - 4. TIGER SLAYER. - 6. GOLD SEEKERS. - 7. INDIAN CHIEF. - - -In all probability, M. Aimard will favour us with other volumes; but, in -the mean time, the above can be read collectively or separately, with -equal interest. - - - LASCELLES WRAXALL - - - - - -THE TRAPPER'S DAUGHTER BY GUSTAVE AIMARD - - - - -CHAPTER I. - -THE JACAL. - - -About three in the afternoon, a horseman, dressed in the Mexican -costume, was galloping along the banks of a stream, an affluent of the -Gila, whose capricious windings compelled him to make countless detours. -This man, while constantly keeping his hand on his weapons, and watching -for every event, urged his horse on by shouts and spur, as if anxious to -reach his journey's end. - -The wind blew fiercely, the heat was oppressive, the grasshoppers -uttered their discordant cries under the herbage that sheltered them; -the birds slowly described wide circles in the air, uttering shrill -notes at intervals: coppery clouds were incessantly passing athwart the -sun, whose pale, sickly beams possessed no strength; in short, all -presaged a terrible storm. - -The traveller seemed to notice nought of this; bowed over his horse's -neck, with his eyes fixed ahead, he increased his speed, without -noticing the heavy drops of rain that already fell, and the hoarse -rolling of distant thunder which began to be heard. - -Still this man, had he wished it, could easily have sheltered himself -under the thick shade of the aged trees in the virgin forest which he -had been skirting for more than an hour, and thus let the heaviest part -of the storm pass; but a weightier interest, doubtless, urged him on, -for, while increasing his speed, he did not think of drawing his zarape -over his shoulders to protect him from the rain, but contented himself, -as each gust of wind howled past him, with drawing his hat a little -tighter on his head, while repeating to his horse, in a sharp tone: - -"Forward! Forward!" - -In the meanwhile, the stream, whose banks the traveller was following, -grew gradually narrower, and at a certain spot the bank was completely -obstructed by an undergrowth of shrubs and interlaced creepers, which -completely prevented any approach. On reaching this point the traveller -stopped; he dismounted, carefully inspected the vicinity, took his horse -by the bridle, and led it into a copse, where he concealed it; attaching -it with his lasso to the trunk of a large tree, after removing the -_bozal_ to let it browse at liberty. - -"Rest here, Negro," he said, as he softly patted it; "do not neigh, for -the enemy is at hand--I shall soon return." - -The intelligent animal seemed to comprehend the words its master -addressed to it, for it stretched out his head and rubbed it against his -chest. - -"Good, good, Negro! Wait awhile!" - -The stranger then took from his holsters a brace of pistols, which he -placed in his girdle, threw his rifle on his shoulder, and started -hurriedly in the direction of the river. He buried himself without -hesitation in the shrubs that bordered the stream, carefully separating -the branches which at each step barred his progress. On reaching the -edge of the water he stopped for a moment, bent forward, seemed to be -listening, and then drew himself up, muttering: - -"There is no one; all is safe." - -He then stepped on a mass of intertwined lianas, which extended from one -bank to the other, and formed a natural bridge. This bridge, apparently -so slight, was firm, and though it oscillated under the traveller's -footsteps, he crossed it in a few seconds. He had scarce reached the -other bank, when a girl emerged from a clump of trees which concealed -her. - -"At last!" she said, as she ran up to him: "oh! I was afraid you would -not come, Don Pablo." - -"Ellen," the young man answered, with his whole soul in his glance, -"death alone would keep me away." - -The traveller was Don Pablo Zarate; the girl, Ellen, Red Cedar's -daughter.[1] - -"Come," she said. - -The Mexican followed her, and they walked on for some time without -exchanging a word. When they had passed the chaparral which bordered the -river, they saw a short distance before them a wretched _jacal_, which -leant solitary and silent against a rock. - -"There is my home," the maiden said, with a sad smile. - -Don Pablo sighed, but made no reply, and they continued to walk in the -direction of the jacal, which they soon reached. - -"Sit down, Don Pablo," the maiden went on, as she offered her comrade a -stool, on which he sank. "I am alone; my father and two brothers went -off this morning at sunrise." - -"Are you not afraid," Don Pablo answered, "of remaining thus alone in -the desert, exposed to innumerable dangers, so far from all help?" - -"What can I do? Has not this life been ever mine?" - -"Does your father go away often?" - -"Only during the last few days. I know not what he fears, but he and my -brothers seem sad and preoccupied, they go on long journeys, and when -they return quite worn out, the words they address to me are harsh and -snappish." - -"Poor child!" said Don Pablo, "I can tell you the cause of these long -journeys." - -"Do you fancy I have not guessed it?" she replied; "No, no, the horizon -is too gloomy around us for me not to perceive the gathering storm which -will soon burst over us; but," she added, with an effort, "let us speak -of ourselves, the moments are precious; what have you done?" - -"Nothing," the young man said, mournfully; "all my researches have been -in vain." - -"That is strange," Ellen muttered; "and yet the coffer cannot be lost." - -"I am as convinced of that as you are; but into whose hands has it -fallen? That is what I cannot say." - -The maiden reflected. - -"When did you notice its disappearance?" Don Pablo went on a moment -after. - -"Only a few minutes after Harry's death; frightened by the sounds of the -fight and the fearful uproar of the earthquake, I was half mad. Still, I -can remember a circumstance which will doubtless put us on the right -track." - -"Speak, Ellen, speak, and whatever is to be done I will do." - -The girl looked at him for a moment with an indefinable expression. She -bent over to him, laid her hand on his arm, and said, in a voice soft as -a bird's song: - -"Don Pablo, a frank and loyal explanation between us is indispensable." - -"I do not understand you," the young man stammered, as he let his eyes -fall. - -"Yes you do," she replied, with a sad smile; "you understand me, Don -Pablo; but no matter, as you pretend to be ignorant of what I wish to -say to you, I will explain myself in such a way that any further -misconception will be impossible." - -"Speak! Ellen; though I do not suspect your meaning, I have a foreboding -of misfortune." - -"Yes," she continued, "you are right; a misfortune is really concealed -under what I have to say to you, if you do not consent to grant me the -favour I implore of you." - -Don Pablo rose. - -"Why feign longer? Since I cannot induce you to give up your plan, -Ellen, the explanation you ask of me is needless. Do you believe," he -went on, as he walked in great agitation up and down the jacal, "that I -have not already regarded the strange position in which we find -ourselves from every side? Fatality has impelled us toward each other by -one of those accidents which human wisdom cannot foresee. I love you, -Ellen, I love you with all the strength of my soul, you, the daughter of -the enemy of my family, of the man whose hands are still red with my -sister's blood, which he shed by assassinating her coldly, in the most -infamous manner. I know that, I tremble at thinking of my love, which, -in the prejudiced eyes of the world, must seem monstrous. All that you -can say to me, I have said repeatedly to myself; but an irresistible -force drags me on this fatal incline. Will, reason, resolution, all are -broken before the hope of seeing you for a moment and exchanging a few -words with you. I love you, Ellen, so as to leave for your sake, -relatives, friends, family, aye, the whole universe." - -The young man uttered these words with sparkling eye, and in a sharp -stern voice, like a man whose resolution is immovable. Ellen let her -head droop, and tears slowly ran down her pallid cheeks. - -"You weep!" he exclaimed, "Oh Heavens! Can I be mistaken? You do not -love me?" - -"I love you, Don Pablo!" she replied in a deep voice; "yes, I love you -more than myself; but alas! That love will cause our ruin, for an -insurmountable barrier separates us." - -"Perhaps," he exclaimed impetuously; "no, Ellen, you are mistaken, you -are not, you cannot be the daughter of Red Cedar. Oh, that coffer, that -accursed coffer, I would give half the time Heaven will still grant me -to live, could I recover it. In it, I feel certain, are the proofs I -seek." - -"Why cheat ourselves with a wild hope, Don Pablo? I believed too lightly -in words uttered unmeaningly by the squatter and his wife: my childhood -recollections deceived us, that is unhappily too certain. I am now -convinced of it: all proves it to me, and I am really that man's -daughter." - -Don Pablo stamped his foot angrily. - -"Never, never," he shouted, "it is impossible, the vulture does not pair -with the dove, demons cannot be betrothed to angels. No, that villain is -not your father! Listen, Ellen; I have no proof of what I assert--all -seems, on the contrary, to prove that I am wrong; appearances are quite -against me; but still, mad as it may seem, I am sure that I am right, -and that my heart does not deceive me when it tells me that man is a -stranger to you." - -Ellen sighed. - -Don Pablo continued. - -"See, Ellen, the hour has arrived for me to leave you. Remaining longer -with you would compromise your safety; give me then the information I am -awaiting." - -"For what good?" she murmured despairingly, "The coffer is lost." - -"I am not of your opinion; I believe, on the contrary, that it has -fallen into the hands of a man who intends to make use of it, for what -purpose I am ignorant, but I shall know it, be assured." - -"As you insist on it, listen to me, then, Don Pablo, though what I have -told you is extremely vague." - -"A gleam, however weak it may be, will suffice to guide me, and perhaps -enable me to discover what I seek." - -"May Heaven grant it!" she sighed; "This is all I can tell you, and it -is quite impossible for me to say certainly whether I am not mistaken, -for, at the moment, terror so troubled my senses that I cannot say -positively I saw what I fancied I saw." - -"Well, go on," the young man said, impatiently. - -"When Harry fell, struck by a bullet, and was writhing in the last -throes, two were near him, one already wounded, Andres Garote the -ranchero, the other, who stooped over his body, and seemed riffling his -clothes--" - -"Who was he?" - -"Fray Ambrosio. I even fancy I can remember seeing him leave the poor -hunter with a badly restrained movement of joy, and hiding in his bosom -something which I could not distinguish." - -"No doubt but he had seized the coffer." - -"That is probable, but I cannot say positively, for I was, I repeat, in -a condition which rendered it impossible for me to perceive anything -clearly." - -"Well," said Don Pablo, pursuing his idea; "what became of Ambrosio?" - -"I do not know; after the earthquake, my father and his comrades rushed -in different directions, each seeking his safety in flight. My father, -more than any other, had an interest in concealing his trail, the monk -left us almost immediately, and I have not seen him since." - -"Has Red Cedar never spoken about him before you?" - -"Never." - -"That is strange! No matter. I swear to you, Ellen, that I will find him -again, if I have to pursue him to hell; it is that scoundrel who has -stolen the coffer." - -"Don Pablo," the maiden said as she rose, "the sun is setting, my father -and brothers will soon return, we must part." - -"You are right, Ellen, I leave you." - -"Farewell, Don Pablo, the storm is bursting; who knows if you will reach -your friends' bivouac safe and sound?" - -"I hope so, Ellen, but if you say to me farewell, I reply that we shall -meet again: believe me, dear girl, put your trust in Heaven, for if we -have been permitted to love, it is because that love will produce our -happiness." - -At this moment lightning flashed across the sky, and the thunder burst -ominously. - -"There is the storm," the maiden exclaimed; "go, go, in Heaven's name!" - -"Good bye, my well-beloved, good bye," the young man said, as he rushed -from the jacal; "put your trust in Heaven, and in me." - -"Oh, Heaven!" Ellen exclaimed, as she fell on her knees, "Grant that my -presentiments have not deceived me, or I shall die of despair." - - -[Footnote 1: See the Trail Hunter and Pirates of the Prairies.] - - - - -CHAPTER II. - -INSIDE THE CABIN. - - -After Don Pablo's departure, the maiden remained for a long time -thoughtful, paying no attention to the mournful sounds of the raging -tempest, or the hoarse whistling of the wind, every gust of which shook -the jacal, and threatened to carry it away. Ellen was reflecting on her -conversation with the Mexican; the future appeared to her sad, gloomy, -and storm-laden. In spite of all the young man had said to her, hope had -not penetrated to her heart; she felt herself dragged involuntarily down -the incline of a precipice, into which she must fall: all told her that -a catastrophe was imminent, and that the hand of God would soon fall -terribly and implacably on the man whose crimes had wearied justice. - -Toward midnight, the sound of horses was heard, gradually approaching, -and several persons stopped before the jacal. Ellen lit a torch of -candlewood and opened the door: three men entered. They were Red Cedar -and his two sons, Nathan and Sutter. - -For about a month past, an inexplicable change had taken place in the -squatter's way of acting and speaking. This brutal man, whose thin lips -were constantly curled by an ironical smile, who ever had in his mouth -mockery and cruel words, who only dreamed of murder and robbery, and to -whom remorse was unknown, had been for some time sad and morose: a -secret restlessness seemed to devour him; at times, when he did not -fancy himself observed, he gave the girl long glances of inexplicable -meaning, and uttered profound sighs while shaking his head in a -melancholy way. - -Ellen had noticed this change, which she could not account for, and -which only augmented her alarm; for it needed very grave reasons thus to -alter a nature so energetic and resolute as Red Cedar's. - -But what were these reasons? Ellen sought them in vain, but nothing gave -an embodiment to her suspicions. The squatter had always been kind to -her, so far as his savage training permitted it, treating her with a -species of rough affection, and softening, as far as was possible, the -harshness of his voice when he addressed her. But since the change which -had taken place in him, this affection had become real tenderness. He -watched anxiously over the maiden, continually striving to procure her -those comforts and trifles which so please women, which it is almost -impossible to procure in the desert, and hence possess a double value. - -Happy when he saw a faint smile play on the lips of the poor girl, whose -sufferings he guessed without divining the cause, he anxiously examined -her, when her pallor and red eyes told him of sleepless nights and tears -shed during his absence. This man, in whom every tender feeling seemed -to be dead, had suddenly felt his heart beat through the vibration of a -secret fibre, of whose existence he had ever been ignorant, and he felt -himself re-attached to humanity by the most holy of passions, paternal -love. There was something at once grand and terrible in the affection of -this man of blood for this frail and delicate maiden. There was -something of the wild beast even in the caresses he lavished on her; a -strange blending of a mother's tenderness with the tiger's jealousy. - -Red Cedar only lived for his daughter and through his daughter. With -affection shame had returned, that is to say, while continuing his life -of brigandage, he feigned, before Ellen, to have completely renounced -it, in order to adopt the existence of the wood rangers and hunters. The -maiden was only half duped by this falsehood: but how did it concern -her? Completely absorbed in her love, all that was beyond it became to -her indifferent. - -The squatter and his sons were sad, and seemed buried in thought when -they entered the jacal; they sat down without uttering a word. Ellen -hastened to place on the table the food she had prepared for them during -their absence. - -"Supper is ready," she said. - -The three men silently approached the table. - -"Do you not eat with us, child?" Red Cedar asked. - -"I am not hungry," she replied. - -"Hum!" said Nathan, "Ellen is dainty--she prefers Mexican cookery to -ours." - -Ellen blushed, but made no reply; Red Cedar smote the table with his -fist angrily. - -"Silence!" he shouted; "How does it concern you whether your sister eats -or not? She is at liberty to do as she likes here, I suppose." - -"I don't say the contrary," Nathan growled; "still she seems to affect a -dislike to eat with us." - -"You are a scoundrel! I repeat to you that your sister is mistress here, -and no one has a right to make any remarks to her." - -Nathan looked down angrily, and began eating. - -"Come here, child," Red Cedar continued, as he gave his rough voice all -the gentleness of which it was susceptible, "come here, that I may give -you a trifle I have bought you." - -The maiden approached and Red Cedar drew from his pocket a gold watch -attached to a long chain. - -"Look you," he said, as he put it round her neck, "I know that you have -desired a watch for a long time, so here is one I bought of some -travellers we met on the prairie." - -While uttering these words, the squatter felt himself blush -involuntarily, for he lied; the watch had been torn from the body of a -woman killed by his hands when attacking a caravan. Ellen perceived this -blush; she took off the watch and returned it to Red Cedar without -saying a word. - -"What are you about, girl?" he said, surprised at this refusal, which he -was far from expecting; "Why don't you take this toy, which, I repeat -to you, I procured expressly for you?" - -The maiden looked at him sternly, and replied in a firm voice: - -"Because there is blood on that watch, and it is the produce of a -robbery--perhaps of a murder." - -The squatter turned pale; instinctively he looked at the watch, and -there was really a patch of blood on the case. Nathan burst into a -coarse and noisy laugh. - -"Bravo!" he said; "Well done--the little one guessed the truth at the -first look." - -Red Cedar, who had let his head droop at his daughter's reproaches, drew -himself up as if a viper had stung him. - -"I told you to be silent," he exclaimed, furiously; and seizing the -stool on which he had been sitting, he hurled it at his son's head. - -The latter avoided the blow and drew his knife--a struggle was imminent. -Sutter, leaning against the walls of the jacal, with his arms crossed -and his pipe in his mouth, prepared, with an ironical smile, to remain -spectator of the fight; but Ellen threw herself boldly between the -squatter and his son. - -"Stay!" she shrieked; "Stay, in Heaven's name! What, Nathan, would you -strike your father? And are you not afraid to hurt your first-born son?" - -"May the devil twist my father's neck!" Nathan replied; "Does he take me -for a child, or does he fancy I am disposed to put up with his insults? -By heavens! We are bandits; our only law is force, and we recognise no -other. My father will ask my pardon, and I will see whether I forgive -him." - -"Ask your pardon, dog!" the squatter shouted; and bounding like a tiger -with a movement swifter than thought, he seized the young man by the -throat and fell heavily on him. - -"Ah, ah!" he continued, as he placed his knee on his chest, "The old -lion is good yet. Your life is in my hands--what do you say? Will you -play with me again?" - -Nathan howled as he writhed like a serpent to free himself from the -grasp that mastered him. At length he recognised his impotence, and -confessed himself conquered. - -"It is good," he said; "you are stronger than I--you can kill me." - -"No," said Ellen, "that shall not be. Rise, father, and set Nathan free; -and you, brother, give me your knife--should such a contest take place -between father and son?" - -She stooped down and picked up the weapon which the young man had let -fall from his hand. Red Cedar rose. - -"Let that serve you as a lesson," he said, "and teach you to be more -prudent in future." - -The young man, angered and ashamed of his downfall, sat down again -without a word. The squatter turned to his daughter, and offered her the -watch a second time. - -"Will you have it?" he asked her. - -"No," she replied, resolutely. - -"Very good." - -Without any apparent passion, he let the watch fall, and, putting his -heel on it, reduced it to powder. The rest of the supper passed off -without incident; the three men ate greedily, not speaking to each -other, and waited on by Ellen. When the pipes were lit, the maiden -wished to retire to the compartment which served as her bedroom. - -"Stay, my child," Red Cedar said. "I have to speak with you." - -Ellen sat down in a corner of the jacal and waited. The three men went -on smoking silently for some time, while outside the storm still -continued. At length, the young men shook the ashes out of their pipes, -and rose. - -"Then," said Nathan, "all is arranged." - -"It is," replied Red Cedar. - -"At what hour will they come to fetch us?" Sutter asked. - -"At an hour before sunrise." - -"Very good." - -The brothers lay down on the ground, rolled themselves in their furs, -and soon fell asleep. Red Cedar remained for some time plunged in -thought, while Ellen did not stir. At length he raised his head. - -"Come hither, child," he said. - -She came up and stood before him. - -"Sit down by my side." - -"For what good, father? Speak, I am listening," she answered. - -The squatter was visibly embarrassed; he knew not how to commence the -conversation, but, after some moments' hesitation, he said: - -"You are ill, Ellen." - -The maiden smiled sadly. - -"Did you not notice it before today, father?" she replied. - -"No, my child; I have noticed your sadness for a long time past. You are -not suited for a desert life." - -"That is true," was all she said. - -"We are about to leave the prairie," Red Cedar went on. - -Ellen gave an almost imperceptible start. - -"Soon?" she asked. - -"This very day; in a few hours we shall be on the road." - -The girl looked at him. - -"Then," she said, "we will draw nearer to the civilised frontier?" - -"Yes," he answered, with considerable emotion. - -Ellen smiled mournfully. - -"Why deceive me, father?" she asked. - -"What do you mean?" he exclaimed; "I do not understand you." - -"On the contrary, you understand me thoroughly, and it would be better -to explain your thoughts to me frankly than try to deceive me for a -purpose I cannot divine. Alas!" she continued, with a sigh, "Am I not -your daughter, and must undergo the consequences of the life you have -chosen?" - -The squatter frowned. - -"I believe that your words contain a reproach," he replied. "Life is -scarce opening for you; then how do you dare to judge the actions of a -man?" - -"I judge nothing, father. As you say, life is scarce opening for me; -still, however short my existence may have been, it has been one long -suffering." - -"That is true, poor girl," the squatter said, gently; "pardon me, I -should be so glad to see you happy. Alas! Heaven has not blessed my -efforts, though all I have done has been for your sake." - -"Do not say that, father," she quickly exclaimed; "do not thus make me -morally your accomplice, or render me responsible for your crimes, which -I execrate, else you would impel me to desire death." - -"Ellen, Ellen! you misunderstood what I said to you; I never had the -intention," he said, much embarrassed. - -"No more of this," she went on; "we are going, you said, I think, -father? Our retreat is discovered, we must fly; that is what you wish to -tell me?" - -"Yes," he said, "it is that, though I cannot imagine how you have -learned it." - -"No matter, father. And in what direction shall we proceed?" - -"Temporarily we shall conceal ourselves in the Sierra de los Comanches." - -"In order that our pursuers may lose our trail?" - -"Yes, for that reason, and for another," he added, in a low voice. - -But, however low he spoke, Ellen heard him. - -"What other?" - -"It does not concern you, child, but myself alone." - -"You are mistaken, father," she said, with considerable resolution; -"from the moment that I am your accomplice, I must know all. Perhaps," -she added, with a sad smile, "I may be able to give you good advice." - -"I will do without it." - -"One word more. You have numerous enemies, father." - -"Alas! Yes," he said, carelessly. - -"Who are those who compel you to fly today?" - -"The most implacable of all, Don Miguel Zarate." - -"The man whose daughter you assassinated in so cowardly a way." - -Red Cedar struck the table passionately. - -"Ellen!" he shouted. - -"Do you know any other appellation more correct than that?" she asked, -coldly. - -The bandit looked down. - -"Then," she continued, "you are about to fly--fly forever?" - -"What is to be done?" he muttered. - -Ellen bent over him, laid her white hand on his arm, and regarded him -fixedly. - -"Who are the men about to join you in a few hours?" she asked. - -"Fray Ambrosio, Andres Garote--our old friends, in short." - -"That is just," the girl murmured, with a gesture of disgust, "a common -danger brings you together. Well, my father, you and your friends are -all cowards." - -At this violent insult which his daughter coldly hurled in his teeth, -the squatter turned pale, and rose suddenly. - -"Silence!" he shouted, furiously. - -"The tiger, when attacked in its lair, turns on the hunters," the girl -went on, without displaying any emotion; "why do you not follow their -example?" - -A sinister smile played round the corners of the bandit's mouth. - -"I have something better in my pocket," he said, with an accent -impossible to describe. - -The maiden looked at him for a moment. - -"Take care," she at length said to him in a deep voice; "take care! The -hand of God is on you, and His vengeance will be terrible." - -After uttering these words, she slowly withdrew and entered the room set -apart for her. The bandit stood for a moment, crushed by this anathema; -but he soon threw up his head, shrugged his shoulders disdainfully, and -lay down by the side of his sons, muttering in a hoarse and ironical -voice: - -"God! Does He exist?" - -Soon, no other sound was audible in the jacal saving that produced by -the breathing of the three men. Ellen was praying fervently, while the -storm redoubled its fury outside. - - - - -CHAPTER III. - -A CONVERSATION. - - -On leaving the cabin, Don Pablo recrossed the river, and found his way -back to the thicket where he had tied his horse up. The poor animal, -terrified by the lightning and the hoarse rolling of the thunder, -uttered a snort of pleasure at seeing its master again. Without loss of -a moment, the young man leaped into the saddle and started at a gallop. - -The rain fell in torrents, the wind whistled violently, the young man -feared at each moment losing his way, and groped through the immense -solitude which stretched out before him, and which the darkness -prevented him from sounding. Like all well-gifted men habituated to an -adventurous life, Don Pablo de Zarate was well fitted for struggling. -His will grew in proportion to the difficulties that rose before him, -and instead of discouraging him, obstacles only confirmed him in his -resolution. So soon as he had chosen an object, he reached it in spite -of all. - -His love for Ellen, born, as it were, through a thunderclap--as, in -fact, most true loves spring into life, where the unexpected always -plays the chief part--this love, we say, for which he was in no way -prepared, and which surprised him at the moment which he least dreamed -of it, had assumed, without his will, gigantic proportions, which all -the reasons which should have rendered it impossible, only augmented. - -Although he bore the deepest hatred for Red Cedar, and, had the -opportunity presented itself, would have killed him without hesitation -like a dog, his love for Ellen had become a worship, an adoration about -which he no longer reasoned, but which he endured with that intoxication -and that delight felt in forbidden things. This girl, who had remained -so pure and chaste amid this family of bandits, possessed an -irresistible attraction for him. He had said in his conversation with -her he was intimately convinced that she could not be Red Cedar's -daughter. It would have been impossible for him to give his reasons; but -with that tenacity of purpose which only some few men possess he -necessarily sought the proofs of this conviction which nothing -supported, and, even more, he sought these proofs with the certainty of -finding them. - -For a month past, he had discovered, by an inexplicable chance, Red -Cedar's retreat, which Valentine, the skilful trail-hunter, had been -unable to detect. Don Pablo had immediately profited by his good -fortune to see again the girl he had believed lost for ever. This -unexpected success appeared to him a good omen; and every morning, -without saying anything to his friends, he mounted his horse upon the -first excuse that offered, and rode thirty miles to speak with her he -loved for a few moments. - -Every consideration was silent in presence of his love: he allowed his -friends to exhaust themselves in vain researches, preciously keeping his -secret in order to be happy, at least, for a few days; for he perfectly -foresaw that the moment must arrive when Red Cedar would be discovered. -But, in the meanwhile, he enjoyed the present. With all those who love -in this way, the future is nothing, the present is all in all. - -Don Pablo galloped on by the glare of the flashes, feeling neither the -rain that inundated him, nor the wind that howled round his head. -Absorbed in his love, he thought of the conversation he had held with -Ellen, and pleased himself with recalling all the words that had been -exchanged during the hour, which slipped away almost too rapidly. - -All at once, his horse, to which he paid no attention, neighed, and Don -Pablo raised his head intuitively. Ten paces ahead of him, a horseman -was standing motionless across his path. - -"Ah, ah!" said Don Pablo, as he drew himself up on the saddle, and -cocked his pistols; "You are very late on the road, comrade. Let me -pass, if you please." - -"I am no later than yourself, Don Pablo," was the immediate response, -"since I meet you." - -"Halloh!" the young man shouted, as he uncocked his pistols, and -returned them to his holsters; "What the deuce are you doing here, Don -Valentine?" - -"As you see, I am waiting." - -"Whom can you be waiting for at this advanced hour?" - -"For yourself, Don Pablo." - -"For me!" the Mexican said in surprise; "That is strange." - -"Not so much as you suppose. I desire to have a conversation with you, -which no one must overhear; and as that was impossible in camp, I came -to wait for you as you passed: that is simple enough, I fancy." - -"It is; but what is less so, is the hour and spot you have selected, my -friend." - -"Why so?" - -"Hang it, a terrible storm is let loose over our heads; we have no place -here to shelter us; and I repeat, it is nearer morning than night." - -"That is true; but time pressed, and I could not select the hour to my -fancy." - -"You alarm me, my friend; has anything new occurred?" - -"Nothing that I know of, up to the present; but ere long we shall see -something, you may feel assured." - -The young man stifled a sigh, but made no reply. While exchanging these -hurried sentences, the Trail-hunter and the Mexican had joined, and now -rode side by side. Valentine continued-- - -"Follow me for a few moments. I will lead you to a spot where we can -converse at ease, without fear of being disturbed." - -"What you have to say to me must be very important?" - -"You shall soon judge of that." - -"And are you going to lead me far?" - -"Only a few paces; to a grotto which I noticed in the flashes." - -"Let us go then." - -The two men spurred their horses, and galloped silently side by side; -they went on thus for hardly a quarter of an hour in the direction of a -thick chaparral which skirted the river. - -"We have arrived," said Valentine, as he checked his horse and -dismounted. "You had better let me go first, for it may happen that the -cave we are about to enter may have an occupier not at all disposed to -move for us, and it is as well to act prudently." - -"What do you mean? To what occupier do you allude?" - -"Hang it, I do not know," the Frenchman replied carelessly; "in any -case, it is as well to be on one's guard." - -While saying this, Valentine produced from under his zarape two -candlewood torches, which he lighted; he gave one to Don Pablo, and the -two men, after hobbling their horses, opened the bushes and advanced -boldly toward the cave. After walking a few steps, they suddenly found -themselves at the entrance of one of those magnificent natural grottos -formed by the volcanic convulsions so frequent in these parts. - -"Attention!" Valentine muttered in a low voice to his comrade. - -The sudden appearance of the two men startled a cloud of night birds and -bats, which flew away heavily in all directions, uttering shrill cries. -Valentine went on, not troubling himself about these funereal guests, -whose sports he so unexpectedly noticed. All at once, a hoarse and -prolonged growl came from a distant corner of the cave. - -The two men stopped as if rooted to the ground. They found themselves -face to face with a magnificent black bear, whose usual residence this -cavern doubtless was, and which, standing on its hind legs with open -mouth, showed the troublesome persons who came to trouble it so -inopportunely in its lair, a tongue red as blood, and glistening claws -of a remarkable length. It balanced itself clumsily, according to the -fashion of its congeners, and its round and dazzled eyes were fixed on -the adventurers in a manner that would cause reflection. Fortunately, -they were not the men to let themselves be intimidated for long. - -"Hum!" said Valentine, surveying the animal, "I was sure of it; there is -a young fellow who seems inclined to sup with us." - -"My rifle, on the contrary, will make us sup with him," Don Pablo said -with a laugh. - -"For Heaven's sake do not fire," the hunter said quickly, as he checked -the young man who had already shouldered his rifle; "a shot fired at -this spot will produce a fearful row: we do not know what sort of people -may be prowling around us; so we must not compromise ourselves." - -"That is true," Don Pablo remarked; "but what is to be done?" - -"That is my business," Valentine replied; "take my torch, and hold -yourself in readiness to help me." - -Then, resting his rifle against the side of the cave, he went out, while -the Mexican remained alone, facing the bear, which, dazzled and -perplexed by the light, did not venture to stir. In a few minutes -Valentine returned; he had been to fetch his lasso, fastened to the -saddle bow. - -"Now, stick your torches in the ground, to be ready for any accident." - -Don Pablo obeyed; the hunter carefully prepared the lasso and whirled it -round his head, while whistling in a peculiar way. - -At this unexpected appeal the bear moved heavily two or three paces -forward, but that was its ruin. The lasso started from the hunter's -hands, the slipknot fell on the animal's shoulders, and the two men -slipped back, tugging at it with all their strength. The poor quadruped, -thus strangled and stretching out a tongue a foot long, tottered and -fell, striving in vain to remove with its huge paws the unlucky collar -that compressed its throat. But the hunters were not conquered by their -enemy's tremendous efforts; they redoubled their strength, and did not -loose the lasso till the bear had given its last sigh. - -"Now," said Valentine, after he had assured himself that Bruin was -really dead, "bring the horses in here, Don Pablo, while I cut off our -enemy's paws, to roast them in the ashes while we are talking." - -When the young man re-entered the grotto, leading the horses, he found -Valentine, who had lighted a large fire, busied in flaying the bear, -whose paws were gently roasting in the embers, as he had said. Don Pablo -gave the horses their food, and then sat down before the fire near -Valentine. - -"Well," said the latter with a smile, "do you fancy this a comfortable -place for a gossip?" - -"Yes, it is," the young man carelessly replied, as he rolled between -his; fingers a husk cigarette with the dexterity apparently peculiar to -the Spanish race; "we are all right here: I am ready for your -explanation, my friend." - -"I will give it you," the hunter said, who had finished skinning the -bear, and quietly returned his knife to his boot, after carefully wiping -the blade; "how long have you known Red Cedar's hiding place?" - -At this point-blank question, which he was far from expecting, the young -man started; a feverish flush covered his face, and he did not know what -to answer. - -"Why--?" he stammered. - -"About a month, I think?" Valentine continued, not appearing to notice -his friend's confusion. - -"Yes, about," the other replied, not knowing what he said. - -"And for a month," Valentine continued, imperturbably, "you have left -your father's side each night to go and make love to the daughter of the -man who murdered your sister?" - -"My friend," Don Pablo said, painfully. - -"Would you assert that it is not true?" the hunter went on hastily, as -he bent on him a glance which made him look down: "explain yourself, -Pablo--I am waiting for your justification. I am curious to know how you -will manage to prove to me that you have acted rightly." - -The young man, while his friend was speaking, had time to regain, at any -rate, a portion, if not all, of his coolness and presence of mind. - -"You are severe," he said; "before accusing me, it would be, perhaps, -worthwhile to listen to the reasons I have to offer you." - -"Stay, my friend." Valentine said, quickly, "let us not turn from the -question, but be frank; do not take the trouble to describe your love to -me, for I know it as well as you do--I saw it born and grow; still, -permit me to tell you certainly I thought that after the assassination -of Dona Clara, this love, which had hitherto resisted everything, would -die out. It is impossible to love those we despise. Red Cedar's daughter -can only appear to you through a blood-stained cloud." - -"Don Valentine," the young man exclaimed, in grief, "would you render -that angel responsible for the crimes of a villain?" - -"I will not discuss with you the famous theory which lays down that -faults and crimes are personal; faults may be so, but in desert life the -whole family must be responsible for the crimes of its chief; were it -not so, no security would be possible for honest people." - -"Oh, how can you speak thus!" - -"Very good--let us change the ground, as that is disagreeable to you. -You possess the noblest and most honourable nature of any man I know, Don -Pablo. I presume you never had a thought of making Ellen your mistress?" - -"No!" the young man savagely protested. - -"Would you make her your wife, then?" Valentine said, with a cutting -accent, as he looked him fixedly in the face. - -Don Pablo bowed his head in despair. - -"I am accursed!" he exclaimed. - -"No," Valentine said, as he seized him sharply by the arm, "you are mad. -Like all young men, passion sways and overpowers you--you listen to that -alone; you despise the voice of reason, and hence commit faults which -may speedily become, in spite of yourself, crimes." - -"Do not speak thus, my friend." - -"You have only reached faults as yet," Valentine said, imperturbably; -"but take care." - -"Oh, it is you who are mad, my friend, to say such things to me. Believe -me, however great my love for Ellen may be, I shall never forget the -duties imposed on me by the strange position in which fate has placed -me." - -"And yet for a month you have known the hiding place of the most -implacable enemy of your family, and have kept it a profound secret, in -order to satisfy the claims of a passion which can only have a -disgraceful result for you! You see us vainly employing all the means in -our power to discover the traces of our enemy, and you betray us coldly, -deliberately, for the sake of a few love phrases which you find means -to exchange daily with a girl, while making us believe that, like -ourselves, you are engaged in fruitless researches. What name will you -give to your conduct save that of a traitor?" - -"Valentine, you insult me, the friendship you have for me does not -authorise you to act thus; take care, for patience has its limits." - -The hunter interrupted him by a coarse laugh. - -"You see it, boy," he said sternly, "already you threaten me." - -The young man rolled on the ground in despair. - -"Oh!" he exclaimed, "I have suffered enough." - -Valentine looked at him for a moment with tender pity, then bent over -him, and touching his shoulder: - -"Listen to me, Don Pablo," he said in a gentle voice. - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - -A BACKWARD GLANCE. - - -We will now take up our narrative at the point where we left it at the -conclusion of the "Pirates of the Prairies." During the six months which -had elapsed since the mournful death of Dona Clara, certain events have -taken place, which it is indispensable for the reader to know, in order -properly to understand the following story. - -He will probably remember that White Gazelle was picked up in a fainting -condition by Bloodson, while at the side of the old pirate, Sandoval. He -threw the girl across his horse's neck, and started at full speed in the -direction of the teocali, which served him as a refuge and fortress. We -will follow these two important persons, whom we reproach ourselves with -having too long neglected. - -Bloodson's mad course was frightful to look on. In the shadow of the -night the horse bounded forward, trampling beneath its nervous hoofs -everything they met, while its outstretched head cleft the air. Its ears -were thrown back, and from its widely opened nostrils issued jets of -steam which traced long white furrows in the gloom. It dashed forward, -uttering snorts of pain, and biting between its clenched teeth the -_bozal_ which it covered with foam, while its flanks, torn by the spurs -of its impatient rider, dripped with blood and perspiration. But the -faster it went, the more did Bloodson torment it, and seek to increase -its speed. - -The trees and rocks disappeared with marvellous rapidity on either side -the road, and White Gazelle was presently restored to life by the -violent shocks the movements of the horse gave to her body. Her long -hair trailed in the dust, her eyes, raised to Heaven, were bathed in -tears of despair, grief, and impotence. At the risking of fracturing her -skull against the stones, she made useless efforts to escape from the -arms of her ravisher, but the latter fixed on her a glance whose passion -revealed a ferocious joy, and did not appear to notice the terror he -caused the girl, or rather seemed to derive from it an unspeakable -pleasure. His compressed lips remained silent, only allowing passage at -intervals to a shrill whistle intended to increase the ardour of his -horse, which, exasperated by the pressure of its rider, seemed no longer -to touch the ground, and devoured the space like the fantastic steed in -the ballad of Lenore. - -The girl uttered a cry, but it was lost in the gloomy echoes, drowned in -the sound of this mad chase. And the horse still galloped on. Suddenly -White Gazelle collected all her strength, and bounded forward with such -vivacity, that her feet already touched the ground; but Bloodson was on -his guard, and ere she had regained her balance, he stooped down without -checking his steed, and seizing the girl by her long tresses, lifted her -up, and placed her again before him. A sob burst from the Gazelle's -chest, and she fainted once again. - -"Ah, you shall not escape me," Bloodson yelled; "no one in the world can -tear you from my grasp." - -In the meanwhile darkness had been succeeded by day; the sun rose in -all its splendour. Myriads of birds saluted the return of light by their -joyous strains; nature had awakened gaily, and the sky, of a diaphanous -azure, promised one of those lovely days, which the blessed climate of -these countries has alone the privilege of offering. - -A fertile landscape, exquisitely diversified, stretched out on either -side the road, and blended with the distant horizon. The girl's body -hung down the side of the horse, following unresistingly all the -movements imparted to it; with her face covered with a livid paleness, -half opened lips, clenched teeth, uncovered bosom and panting chest, she -palpitated under Bloodson's hand, which pressed heavily upon her. - -At length, they reached a cavern, where were encamped some forty -Indians, armed for war; these were Bloodson's companions. He made them a -sign, and a horse was brought to him; it was high time, for the one he -rode had scarce stopped ere it fell, pouring forth black blood from its -nostrils, mouth, and ears. Bloodson mounted, took the girl before him, -and started again. - -"To the hacienda Quemada (the burnt farm)," he shouted. - -The Indians, who doubtless were only awaiting their chief's arrival, -followed his example, and soon the whole band, with the stranger at -their head, galloped along, hidden by the dense cloud of dust they -raised. After five hours' ride, whose speed surpasses all description, -the Indians saw the tall steeples of a town standing out in the azure of -the horizon, beneath a mass of smoke and vapour. Bloodson and his band -had left the Far West. - -The Indians turned slightly to the left, galloping across fields, and -trampling under their horses' hoofs, with wicked fury, the rich crops -that covered them. At the expiration of about half an hour, they reached -the base of a lofty hill, which rose solitary in the plain. - -"Wait for me here," said Bloodson, as he checked his horse; "whatever -happens, do not stir till my return." - -The Indians bowed in obedience, and Bloodson, burying his spurs in his -horse's flanks, started again at full speed. But this ride was not long. -When Bloodson had disappeared from his comrades' sight, he stopped his -horse and dismounted. After removing the bridle, to let the animal -browze freely on the thick and tall grass of the plain, the stranger -raised in his arms the girl whom he had laid on the ground, where she -remained senseless, and began slowly scaling the hillside. - -It was the hour when the birds salute with their parting strains the -sun, whose disc, already beneath the horizon, shed around only oblique -and torpid beams. The shadow was rapidly invading the sky; the wind was -rising with momentarily increasing violence, the heat was oppressive, -large blackish clouds, fringed with grey and borne by the breeze, chased -heavily athwart the sky, drawing nearer and nearer to the earth. In a -word, all foreboded one of those hurricanes such as are only seen in -these countries, and which make the most intrepid men turn pale with -terror. - -Bloodson still ascended, bearing the girl in his arms, whose lifeless -head hung over his shoulder. Drops of lukewarm rain, large as dollars, -had begun to fall at intervals, and spotted the earth, which immediately -drank them up; a sharp and penetrating odour exhaled from the ground and -impregnated the atmosphere. - -But Bloodson still went up with the same firm step, his head drooping -and eyebrows contracted. At length he reached the top of the hill, when -he stopped and bent a searching glance around. At this moment, a -dazzling flash shot athwart the sky, illuminating the landscape with a -bluish tint, and the thunder burst forth furiously. - -"Oh!" Bloodson muttered with a sinister accent, and as if answering -aloud an internal thought, "nature is harmonising with the scene about -to take place here; but the storm of the Heavens is not so terrible as -the one growling in my heart. Come, come! I only needed this fearful -melody. I am the avenger, and am about to accomplish the demoniacal task -which I imposed on myself; during a night of delirium." - -After uttering these ill-omened words, he continued his progress, -proceeding toward a pile of half-calcined stones, whose black points -stood out of the tall grass a short distance off. The top of the hill -where Bloodson was, offered a scene of inexpressible savageness. Through -the tufts of grass might be noticed ruins blackened by fire, pieces of -wall, and vaults half broken in. Here and there were fruit trees, -dahlias, cedars, and a _noria_ or well, whose long pole still bore at -one end the remains of the leathern bucket once employed to draw water. - -In the centre of the ruins stood a large wooden cross, marking the site -of a tomb; at the foot of this cross were piled up, with ghastly -symmetry, some twenty grinning skulls, to which the rain, wind, and sun -had given the lustre and yellowish tinge of ivory. Round the tomb, -snakes and lizards, those guests of sepulchres, silently glided through -the grass, watching with their round and startled eyes the stranger who -dared to disturb their solitude. Not far from the tomb, a species of -shed, made of interlaced reeds, was falling to ruin, but still offered a -scanty shelter to travellers surprised by a storm. It was toward this -shed that Bloodson proceeded. - -In a few minutes he reached it, and was thus sheltered from the rain, -which at this moment fell in torrents. The storm had reached the height -of its fury--the flashes succeeded each other uninterruptedly; the -thunder rolled furiously, and the wind violently lashed the trees. It -was, in a word, one of those awful nights on which deeds without a name, -which the sun will not illumine with its brilliant beams, are -accomplished. - -Bloodson laid the girl on a pile of dry leaves in one of the corners of -the shed, and after gazing on her attentively for some seconds, he -folded his arms on his chest, frowned, and began walking up and down, -muttering unconnected sentences. Each time he passed before the maiden, -he stopped, bent on her a glance of undefinable meaning, and resumed his -walk with a shake of his head. - -"Come," he said hoarsely, "I must finish it! What! That girl, so strong -and robust, lies there, pale, worn out, half dead. Why is it not Red -Cedar that I hold thus beneath my heel?--but patience, his turn will -come, and then!" - -A sardonic smile played round his lips, and he bent over the girl. He -gently raised her head, and was about to make her smell a bottle he had -taken from her girdle, when he suddenly let her fall on her bed of -leaves, and rushed away, uttering a cry of terror. - -"No," he said, "it is not possible: I am mistaken, it is an illusion, a -dream." - -After a moments' hesitation, he returned to the girl, and bent over her -again. But this time his manner had completely changed: though he had -been rough and brutal previously, he was now full of attention to her. -During the various events to which White Gazelle had been the victim, -some of the diamond buttons which fastened her vest had been torn off, -and exposed her bosom. Bloodson had noticed a black velvet scapulary, on -which two interlaced letters were embroidered in silver, suspended round -her neck by a thin gold chain. It was the sight of this mysterious -cypher which caused Bloodson the violent emotion from which he was now -suffering. - -He seized the scapulary with a hand trembling with impatience, broke the -chain, and waited till a flash enabled him to see the cypher a second -time, and assure himself that he was not deceived. He had not long to -wait: within a few seconds a dazzling flash illumined the hill. Bloodson -looked, and was convinced: the cypher was really the one he fancied he -had seen. He fell to the ground, buried his head in his hands, and -reflected profoundly. Half an hour passed ere this man emerged from his -statue-like immobility; when he raised his head, tears were coursing -down his bronzed cheeks. - -"Oh! this doubt is frightful!" he exclaimed; "at all risks I will remove -it: I must know what I have to hope." - -And drawing himself up haughtily to his full height, he walked with a -firm and steady step toward the girl, who still lay motionless. Then, -as we saw him once before with Shaw, he employed the same method which -had been so successful with the young man, in order to recall White -Gazelle to life. But the poor girl had been subjected to such rude -trials during the last two days, that she was quite exhausted. In spite -of Bloodson's eager care, she still retained her terrible corpse-like -rigidity: all remedies were powerless. The stranger was in despair at -the unsatisfactory results of his attempts to recall the girl to life. - -"Oh!" he exclaimed at each instant, "She cannot be dead: Heaven will not -permit it." - -And he began again employing the measures whose futility had been proved -to him. All at once he smote his forehead violently. - -"I must be mad," he exclaimed. - -And searching in his pocket, he drew from it a crystal flask, filled -with a blood-red liquor; he opened with his dagger the girl's teeth, and -let two drops of the fluid fall into her mouth. The effect was -instantaneous: White Gazelle's features relaxed, a pinky hue covered her -face; she faintly opened her eyes, and murmured in a weak voice-- - -"Good Heaven! Where am I?" - -"She is saved!" Bloodson exclaimed with a sigh of joy, as he wiped away -the perspiration that ran down his forehead. In the meanwhile the storm -had attained its utmost fury; the wind furiously shook the wretched -shed, the rain fell in torrents, and the thunder burst forth with a -terrible din. - -"A fine night for a recognition!" Bloodson muttered. - - - - -CHAPTER V. - -THE HACIENDA QUEMADA. - - -It was a strange group formed by this charming creature and this rough -wood ranger, at the top of this devastated hill, troubled by the -thunder, and illumined by the coruscating lightning. - -White Gazelle had fallen back again, pale and inanimate. Bloodson gazed -out into the night, and reassured by the silence, bent a second time -over the girl. Pallid as an exquisite lily laid prostrate by the -tempest, the poor child seemed scarce to breathe. Bloodson raised her in -his nervous arms, and bore her to a piece of broken wall, at the foot of -which he laid his zarape, and placed her on this softer couch. The -girl's head hung senseless on his shoulder. Then he gazed at her for a -long time: grief and pity were painted on Bloodson's face. - -He, whose life had hitherto been but one long tragedy, who had no belief -in his heart, who was ignorant of softer feelings and sweet sympathies; -he, the avenger and slayer of the Indians, was affected, and felt -something new stirring within him. Tears ran down his cheeks. - -"Oh, my God!" he exclaimed anxiously, "Can she be dead? Yes," he added, -"I was cowardly and cruel toward this poor creature, and God punishes -me." - -The name, which he only used to blaspheme, he now pronounced almost with -respect; it was a species of prayer, a cry from his heart. This -indomitable man was at length conquered, he believed. - -"How to help her?" he asked himself. - -The rain that continued to fall in torrents, and inundated the girl, at -length recalled her to life; she partly opened her eyes, and muttered -softly: - -"Where am I? What has happened? Oh, I fancied I was dying." - -"She speaks, she lives, she is saved," Bloodson exclaimed. - -"Who is that?" she asked, as she raised herself with difficulty. - -At the sight of the hunter's bronzed face, she was frightened, closed -her eyes again, and fell back. She was beginning to remember. - -"Take courage, my child," Bloodson said softening his rough voice, "I am -your friend." - -"You my friend!" she exclaimed, "what means that word on your lips?" - -"Oh, pardon me, I was mad, I knew not what I did." - -"Pardon you, why? Am I not born to sorrow?" - -"What must she have endured?" Bloodson muttered. - -"Oh, yes," she continued, speaking as in a dream. "I have suffered -greatly. My life, though I am still very young, has, up to the present, -been one long suffering; still, I can remember having been happy -once--long, long ago. But the worst pain in this world is the -remembrance of happiness in misfortune." - -A sigh escaped from her overladen chest, she let her head fall in her -hands, and wept. Bloodson listened to and gazed on her; this voice, -these features, all he saw and heard augmented the suspicions in his -heart, and gradually converted them into certainty. - -"Oh, speak--speak again!" he continued, tenderly; "What do you remember -of your youthful years?" - -The girl looked at him, and a bitter smile curled her lips. - -"Why, in misery, think of past joys?" she said, shaking her head -mournfully; "Why should I tell you of these things--you, above all, who -are my direst enemy? Do you wish to inflict fresh tortures on me?" - -"Oh!" he said, with horror, "Can you have such thoughts? Alas! I have -been very guilty toward you, I allow it, but pardon me--pardon me, I -conjure you! I would lay down my life to spare you any pain." - -White Gazelle regarded with amazement, mingled with terror, this rough -man, almost prostrate before her, and whose face was bathed in tears. -She did not understand his remarks after the way in which he had -hitherto acted towards her. - -"Alas!" she murmured, "My life is that of all unfortunate beings: there -was a time when, like other children, I had the songs of birds to lull -me to sleep, and flowers that smiled on me when I awoke; I had, too, a -sister who shared in my sports, and a mother, who loved and embraced me. -All that has fled forever." - -Bloodson put up two poles, on which he suspended skins to shelter the -girl from the storm, which was gradually clearing off. She watched him -as he did so. - -"I do not know," she said, sadly, "why I feel a necessity to tell you -all this, when you have done me so much harm; whence comes the feeling -which the sight of you produces in me? I ought to hate you." - -She did not complete the sentence, but hid her face in her hands, -sobbing violently. - -"It is Heaven which permits it to be so, poor child," Bloodson replied, -as he raised his eyes upward, and fervently made the sign of the cross. - -"Perhaps so," she said, softly; "well, listen; whatever may happen, I -wish to relieve my heart. One day I was playing on my mother's knees, -my father was near us with my sister; all at once a terrible yell was -heard at the gate of our hacienda; the Apache Indians were attacking us. -My father was a resolute man, he seized his weapons, and rushed to the -walls. What happened then? I cannot tell you. I was hardly four years of -age at this time, and the terrible scene I witnessed is enveloped within -my mind in a blood-stained cloud. I can only remember how my mother, who -wept as she embraced us both, suddenly fell upon us, covering us with -blood; in vain did I try to recall her to life by my caresses--she was -dead." - -There was a silence. Bloodson listened eagerly to this story with pallid -face, frowning brow, convulsively pressing the barrel of his rifle, and -wiping away at intervals the perspiration that poured down his face. - -"Go on, child," he muttered. - -"I remember nothing further; men resembling demons rushed into the -hacienda, seized my sister and myself, and set out at the full speed of -their horses. Alas, since that period I have never again seen my -mother's sweet face, or my father's kindly smile; henceforth I was alone -among the bandits who carried me off." - -"But your sister, girl, your sister, what became of her?" - -"I do not know; a violent quarrel broke out among our ravishers, and -blood was shed. After this quarrel they separated. My sister was taken -in one direction, I in another; I never, saw her again." - -Bloodson seemed to make an effort over himself, then fixing his -tear-laden eyes on her, he exclaimed, fervently-- - -"Mercedes! Mercedes! it is really you? Do I find, you again after so -many years?" - -White Gazelle raised her head quickly. - -"Mercedes," she repeated, "that is the name my mother gave me." - -"It is I, I, Stefano, your uncle! your father's brother!" Bloodson said, -as he pressed her, almost mad with joy, to his breast. - -"Stefano! My uncle! Yes, yes, I remember--I know." - -She fell lifeless in Bloodson's arms. - -"Wretch that I am, I have killed her--Mercedes, my beloved child, come -to yourself!" - -The girl opened her eyes again, and threw herself on Bloodson's neck, -weeping with joy. - -"Oh, my uncle! My uncle! I have a family at last, then. Thank God!" The -hunter's face became grave. - -"You are right, child," he said, "thank God, for it is He who has done -everything, and who decreed that I should find you again on the tomb of -those whom we have both been lamenting for so many years." - -"What do you mean, uncle?" she asked, in surprise. - -"Follow me, girl," the wood ranger replied; "follow me, and you shall -know." - -The girl rose with difficulty, leant on his arm, and followed him. By -the accent of Don Stefano's voice, Mercedes understood that her uncle -had an important revelation to make her. They found some difficulty in -walking through the ruins, obstructed with grass and creepers, but at -length reached the cross, where Bloodson stopped. - -"On your knees, Mercedes," he said in a mournful voice; "on this spot -your father and mother were buried by me fifteen years ago, on such a -night as this." - -The girl fell on her knees without replying, and Don Stefano imitated -her. Both prayed for a long time with tears and sobs, and then they rose -again. Bloodson made his niece a sign to sit down at the foot of the -cross, placed himself by her, an after passing his hand over his -forehead as if to collect his thoughts, he spoke in a dull voice, with -an accent which, in spite of all his resolution, sorrow caused to -tremble. - -"Listen to me, child," he said, "for what you are about to hear will -perhaps help us to find the murderers of your parents, if they still -live." - -"Speak, uncle," she said in a firm voice; "yes, you are right: Heaven -willed it that our meeting should take place thus. Be assured that the -murderers will not be suffered to go much longer unpunished." - -"So be it," said Don Stefano; "for fifteen years I have been awaiting -the hour of vengeance. Heaven will sustain me, I hope, till the moment -when it strikes. Your father and I resided at the spot where we now are. -This hill was occupied by a vast hacienda, which we built; the -surrounding fields belonging to us, and were cleared by two hundred -persons in our pay. Heaven blessed our labour, which prospered; everybody -loved and respected us around, for our abode was always open to those -whom misfortune struck. But if our countrymen esteemed us and applauded -our efforts, the owners of an adjoining hacienda had vowed us an -implacable hatred. For what reason? That I never succeeded in -discovering. Was it jealousy or base envy? In any case these men hated -us. There were three of them, and they did not belong to the Spanish -race; they were North Americans, or, at any rate, I can for certainty -say one of them, of the name of Wilkes, was so. Still, although the -hatred that kept us apart was fierce, it was dull, and nothing led to -the supposition that it would ever burst into life. About this time, -important business compelled me to take a journey of several days. Your -father, poor child, and myself, could not separate, for a secret -presentiment seemed to warn us. When I returned, the hacienda was -utterly destroyed, and only a few pieces of the walls still smoked. My -brother and our whole family, as well as the servants, had been -murdered." - -Bloodson stopped. - -"Terminate this sad story, uncle," the girl said, hastily, "I must know -all, in order to take my share of the vengeance." - -"That is true," Don Stefano replied; "but I have little more to say, and -will be brief; during a whole night I traversed these smoky ruins, -seeking the corpses of those I loved; and when, after infinite -difficulty, I succeeded in finding them, I interred them piously, and -took an oath to avenge them over their tomb. This oath I have -religiously kept during fifteen years; unhappily, though I have punished -many culprits, up to the present the leaders have escaped me by some -extraordinary fatality. Your father, whom I found dying, expired in my -arms ere he was able to tell me his assassins; and though I have strong -grounds for accusing Wilkes and his companions, no proof has yet -corroborated my suspicions, and the names of the villains are unknown to -me. It was only the day before yesterday, when the scoundrel Sandoval -fell, that I fancied I had discovered one of them at last." - -"You were not mistaken, uncle; that man was really one of our -ravishers," Mercedes replied, in a firm voice. - -"And the others?" Don Stefano quickly asked. - -"I know them, uncle." - -At this revelation, Don Stefano uttered a cry that resembled the howl of -a wild beast. - -"At last!" he exclaimed, with such an outburst of fury, that the girl -was almost terrified. - -"And now, dear uncle," she went on, "permit me to ask you one question, -after which I will answer yours, if you have any to ask." - -"Speak, child." - -"Why did you seize me and bring me here?" - -"Because I fancied you the daughter of that Sandoval, and wished to -immolate you on the tomb of his victims," Bloodson answered, in a -trembling voice. - -"Did you not hear, then, what the man said to me?" - -"No; seeing you bent over him, I thought you were watching him die. Your -fainting fit, which I attributed to sorrow, only augmented my certainty; -that is why I rushed on you so soon as I saw you fall." - -"But the letter you took from me would have revealed all to you." - -"Do you think, then, child, I took the trouble to read it? No, I only -recognised you by the scapulary hung round your neck." - -"The finger of God is in all this," the girl said, with an accent of -conviction; "it was really He who directed it all." - -"Now it is your turn, Mercedes tell me who the assassins are." - -"Give me the letter first, uncle." - -"Here it is," he said, handing it to her. - -The girl snatched it and tore it into the minutest fragments. Bloodson -saw her do it without understanding her motive; when the last piece of -paper was borne away by the breeze, the girl turned to her uncle. - -"You wish to know the names of the assassins of my father, you say, -uncle?" - -"Yes." - -"You are determined that the vengeance you have been pursuing so long -shall not escape you, now that you are on the point of obtaining it, and -you wish to carry out your oath to the end?" - -"Yes; but why all these questions?" he asked, impatiently. - -"I will tell you, uncle," she replied, as she drew herself up with -strange resolution; "I, too, have also taken an oath, and do not wish to -break it." - -"What is its nature?" - -"To avenge my father and mother, but to accomplish it I must be free to -act as I think proper, and hence I will not reveal those means to you -till the time arrives; today I cannot do it." - -Such resolution flashed in the girl's jet-black eye, that Bloodson did -not attempt to induce her to do what he desired; he understood that any -pressing on his part would be useless. - -"Very good," he answered, "be it so; but you swore to me--" - -"That you shall know all when the moment arrives," she said, as she -stretched out her right hand to the cross. - -"Your word is enough; but may I at least know what you intend doing?" - -"Up to a certain point you may." - -"Go on." - -"You have a horse?" - -"At the foot of the hill." - -"Bring it to me, uncle, and let me start; before all, let no one know -the ties that unite us." - -"I will be dumb." - -"If ever you see or hear anything connected with me, believe nothing, -feel surprised at nothing; say to yourself that I am acting on behalf of -our common vengeance, for that alone will be true." - -Don Stefano shook his head, and said: - -"You are very young, child, for so rude a task." - -"Heaven will help me, uncle," she replied, with a flashing glance; "the -task is just and holy, for I desire to punish my father's assassins." - -"Well," he continued, "your will be done: as you have said, it is a holy -task, and I have no right to prevent you accomplishing it." - -"Thanks, uncle," the girl said, feelingly; "and now, while I pray at my -father's tomb, do you fetch me your horse, that I may set out without -delay." - -Bloodson retired without answering, and the girl fell on her knees at -the foot of the cross. Half an hour later, after tenderly embracing Don -Stefano, she mounted the horse, and started at a gallop in the direction -of the Far West. Bloodson followed her as long as it was possible for -him to see her in the darkness, and, when she had disappeared, he fell -on the tomb on his knees, muttering in a hollow voice: - -"Will she succeed? Who knows?" he added with an accent impossible to -describe. - -He prayed till day, but with the first beams of the sun he joined his -comrades, and returned with them to the Far West. - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - -THE APACHES. - - -At the shot fired by Pedro Sandoval, after the fashion, of a peroration -to his too lengthened story, as we have seen, the Apaches, who had -hitherto kept out of earshot, ran up at full speed. Red Cedar hurried in -pursuit of Bloodson, but uselessly; he could not catch up to him, and -was compelled to rejoin his comrades. The latter were already making -preparations to bury the old pirate, whose body they could not leave to -be devoured by the wild beasts and birds of prey. Sandoval was a great -favourite of the Apaches, with whom he had lived a long time, and they -had on many occasions, been able to appreciate his courage and marauding -talents. - -Stanapat had assembled his band, and was at the head of a certain number -of resolute warriors, whom he divided into two parties, and then -approached Red Cedar. - -"Will my brother listen to the words of a friend?" he said. - -"My father can speak; although my heart is very sad, my ears are open," -the squatter answered. - -"Good," the chief continued; "my brother will take a party of my young -men, and put himself on the trail of the palefaces, while I pay the -white warrior the duties proper for him." - -"Can I thus leave a friend, before his body is placed in the ground?" - -"My brother knows what he ought to do, but the palefaces are rapidly -retiring." - -"You are right, chief; I go, but I leave you my warriors--my comrades -will be sufficient for me. Where shall I find you again?" - -"At Bloodson's teocali." - -"Good; will my brother soon be there?" - -"In two days." - -"The second sun will find me with all my warriors by the side of the -sachem." - -Stanapat bowed in reply: Red Cedar approached the corpse of Sandoval, -bent down, and seized his frigid hand. - -"Farewell, brother," he said, "pardon me for not being present at your -funeral, but an important duty claims me; I am going to avenge you. -Farewell, my old comrade, rest in peace, your enemies will not live many -days--farewell!" - -After this funeral oration, the squatter gave his comrades a signal, -bowed once again to Stanapat, and started at a gallop, followed by the -other pirates. When their allies were out of sight, the Apaches began -the funeral ceremony, which had been interrupted by the conversation -between their chief and the pirate. Stanapat ordered the corpse to be -washed, the face painted of various colours, while the other Indians -surrounded it, bewailing. Some, whose grief was more powerful or -exaggerated, made incisions in their arms, or chopped off a joint of one -of the left hand fingers, in sign of morning. When all was ready, the -sachem placed himself by the head of the corpse, and addressing the -company, said: - -"Why do you weep? Why do you lament? See, I do not weep; I, his oldest -and most devoted friend. He has gone to the other land, the Wacondah has -recalled him; but if we cannot bring him back among us, our duty is to -avenge him. The palefaces have lulled him, we will kill as many -palefaces as we can, in order that they may accompany him, and wait on -him, and that he may enter the presence of the Wacondah as a great -warrior should appear. Death to the palefaces!" - -"Death to the palefaces!" the Indians shouted, brandishing their -weapons. - -The chief turned his head away, and a smile of contempt curled his thin -lips at this enthusiastic explosion. But this, smile lasted no longer -than a lightning flash. Reassuming at once, the Indian stoicism, -Stanapat, with all the decorum customary on such occasions, clothed the -body in the richest robes to be found, and the handsomest blankets. The -corpse was then placed in a sitting posture, in the grave dug for it, -whose bottom and sides had been lined with wood; a whip, weapons, and -some other articles were added, then the earth was thrown in, and the -whole covered with heavy stones so that the coyotes could not pull out -the body. This duty accomplished, at a signal from their chief the -Apaches remounted their horses, and started at a gallop on the road -leading to Bloodson's teocali, thinking no more of the comrade from whom -they had separated for ever, than if he had never existed. - -The Apaches marched for three days; at the evening of the fourth, after -a fatiguing day across the sands, they halted at about a league from the -Rio Gila, in a thick wood, where they hid themselves. So soon as the -encampment was formed, Stanapat sent off scouts in various directions, -to discover whether the other war parties of the allied nations were -near, and to try and discover at the same time Red Cedar's trail. - -When the sentinels were posted, for several warlike tribes of the Far -West guard themselves with great care when on the war trail, Stanapat -visited all the posts, and prepared to listen to the reports of the -scouts, several of whom had already returned. The three first Indians -whom he questioned, announced but little of importance; they had -discovered nothing. - -"Good," said the chief; "the night is dark, my young men have moles' -eyes; tomorrow, at sunrise, they will see more clearly; they can sleep -this night. At daybreak, they will start again, and perhaps discover -something." - -He made a signal with his hand to dismiss the scouts, who bowed -respectfully to the chief, and retired in silence. Only one remained -impassive and motionless, as if the words had not been addressed to him -as well as to the others. Stanapat turned and looked at him for some -seconds. - -"My son, the Swift Elk, did not hear me doubtless," he said; "he can -rejoin his comrades." - -"The Elk heard his father," the Indian replied, coolly. - -"Then why does he remain?" - -"Because he has not told what he saw, and what he saw is important to -the chief." - -"Wah!" said Stanapat, "And what has my son seen which his brothers did -not discover?" - -"The warriors were seeking in another direction, that is why they did -not perceive the trail." - -"And my son has found one?" - -Swift Elk bowed his head in affirmation. - -"I await my son's explanation," the chief went on. - -"The palefaces are two bowshot lengths from my father's camp," the -Indian answered laconically. - -"Oh! Oh!" the chief said doubtfully; "That seems to me too much." - -"Will my father see?" - -"I will see," Stanapat said as he rose. - -"If my father will follow me, he will soon see." - -"Let us go." - -The two Indians started. Swift Elk led the sachem through the wood, and -on reaching the river bank, he showed him a short distance off a rock, -whose black outline rose silent and gloomy over the Gila. - -"They are there," he said, stretching out his arm in the direction of -the rock. - -"My son has seen them." - -"I have seen them." - -"That is the Rock of Mad Buffalo, if I am not mistaken." - -"Yes," the Indian answered. - -"The position will be difficult to carry," the sachem muttered, as he -carefully examined the rock. - -This place was called the rock or hill of Mad Buffalo, which name it -indeed still bears, for the following reasons. The Comanches had, some -fifty years ago, a famous chief who rendered his tribe the most warlike -and redoubtable of all in the Far West. This chief, who was called the -Mad Buffalo, was not only a great warrior, but also a great politician. -By the aid of sundry poisons, but especially of arsenic, which he -purchased of the white traders for furs, he had succeeded, by killing -all those who opposed him, in inspiring all his subjects with an -unbounded superstitious terror. When he felt that death was at hand, and -understood that his last hour had arrived, he indicated the spot he had -selected for his sepulchre. - -It was a pyramidal column of granite and sand about four hundred and -fifty feet in height. This pillar commands for a long distance the -course of the river which washes its base and which, after making -numberless windings in the plain, comes back close to it again. Mad -Buffalo ordered that his tomb should be erected on the top of this hill, -where he had been accustomed to go and sit. His last wishes were carried -out with that fidelity the Indians display in such matters. His body was -placed at the top of the hill, mounted on his finest steed, and over -both a mound was formed. A pole stuck in the tomb bore the banner of the -chief, and the numerous scalps which he had raised from his enemies in -action. - -Hence the mountain of Mad Buffalo is an object of veneration for the -Indians, and when a redskin is going to follow the war trail for the -first time, he strengthens his courage by gazing on the enchanted hill -which contains the skeleton of the Indian warrior and his steed. - -The chief carefully examined the hill: it was, in truth, a formidable -position. The whites had rendered it even stronger, as far as was -possible, by cutting down the tallest trees they found, and forming -thick palisades lined with pointed stakes and defended by a ditch -eighteen feet in width. Thus protected, the hill had been converted into -a real impregnable fortress, unless regularly besieged. - -Stanapat re-entered the wood, followed by his comrade, and went back to -the bivouac. - -"Is the chief satisfied with his son?" the Indian tasked ere he retired. - -"My son has the eyes of a tapir; nothing escapes him." - -Swift Elk smiled proudly as he bowed. - -"Does my son," the chief continued, in an insinuating voice, "know the -palefaces who are entrenched on the hill of Mad Buffalo?" - -"Swift Elk knows them." - -"Wah!" said the sachem; "my son is not mistaken; he has recognised the -trail?" - -"Swift Elk is never mistaken," the Indian answered in a firm voice; "he -is a renowned warrior." - -"My brother is right; he can speak." - -"The pale chief who occupies the Rock of Mad Buffalo is the great white -hunter whom the Comanches have adopted, and who is called Koutonepi." - -Stanapat could not check a movement of surprise. - -"Wah!" he exclaimed; "Can it be possible? My son is positively sure that -Koutonepi is entrenched on the top of the hill?" - -"Sure," the Indian said without hesitation. - -The chief made Swift Elk a sign to retire, and, letting his head fall in -his hands, he reflected profoundly. - -The Apache had seen correctly; Valentine and his comrades were really on -the rock. After the death of Dona Clara, the hunter and his friends -started in pursuit of Red Cedar, not waiting, in their thirst for -vengeance, till the earthquake was quite ended, and nature had resumed -its ordinary course. Valentine, with that experience of the desert which -he possessed so thoroughly, had, on the previous evening, discovered an -Apache trail; and, not caring to fight them in the open, owing to the -numerical weakness of his party, had scaled the hill, resolved to defend -himself against any who dared to attack him in his impregnable retreat. - -In one of his numerous journeys across the desert, Valentine had noticed -this rock, whose position was so strong that it was easy to hold it -against an enemy of even considerable force, and he determined to take -advantage of this spot if circumstances compelled him at any time to -seek a formidable shelter. - -Without loss of time the hunters fortified themselves. So soon as the -entrenchments were completed, Valentine mounted on the top of Mad -Buffalo's tomb, and looked attentively out on the plain. It was then -about midday: from the elevation where Valentine was, he surveyed an -immense extent of country. The prairie and the river were deserted: -nothing appeared on the horizon except here and there a few herds of -buffaloes, some nibbling the thick grass, others carelessly reclining. - -The hunter experienced a feeling of relief and indescribable joy on -fancying that his trail was lost by the Apaches, and that he had time to -make all preparations for a vigorous defence. He first occupied himself -with stocking the camp with provisions, not to be overcome by famine if -he were, as he supposed, soon attacked. His comrades and himself, -therefore, had a grand buffalo hunt: as they killed them, their flesh -was cut in very thin strips, which were stretched on cords to dry in the -sun, and make what is called in the pampas _charque_. The kitchen was -placed in a natural grotto, which was in the interior of the -entrenchments. It was easy to make a fire there with no fear of -discovery, for the smoke disappeared through an infinite number of -fissures, which rendered it imperceptible. The hunters spent the night -in making water bottles with buffalo hides: they rubbed fat into the -seams to prevent them leaking, and they had time to lay in a -considerable stock of water. At sunrise Valentine returned to his -look-out, and took a long glance over the plain to assure himself that -the desert remained calm and silent. - -"Why have you made us perch on this rock like squirrels?" General Ibanez -suddenly asked him. - -Valentine stretched out his arm. - -"Look," he said; "what do you see down there?" - -"Not much; a little dust, I fancy," the general said cautiously. - -"Ah!" Valentine continued, "Very good, my friend. And do you know what -causes that dust?" - -"I really do not." - -"Well, I will tell you; it is the Apaches." - -"_Caramba_, you are not mistaken?" - -"You will soon see." - -"Soon!" the general objected; "Do you think they are coming in this -direction?" - -"They will be here at sunset." - -"Hum! You did well in taking your precautions, well, comrade. _Cuerpo de -Cristo!_ we shall have our work cut out with all these red demons." - -"That is probable," Valentine said with a smile. - -And he descended from the top of the tomb where he had hitherto been -standing. - -As the reader has already learned, Valentine was not mistaken. The -Apaches had really arrived on that night at a short distance from the -hill, and the scout found the trail of the whites. According to all -probability, a terrible collision was imminent between them and the -redskins; those two races whom a mortal hatred divides, and who never -meet on the prairie without trying to destroy each other. Valentine -noticed the Apache scout when he came to reconnoitre the hill; he then -went down to the general, and said with that tone of mockery habitual to -him-- - -"Well, my dear friend, do you still fancy I am mistaken?" - -"I never said so," the general exclaimed quickly; "Heaven keep me from -it! Still, I frankly confess that I should have preferred your being -mistaken. As you see, I display no self-esteem; but what would you have? -I am like that, I would sooner fight ten of my countrymen than one of -these accursed Indians." - -"Unfortunately," Valentine said with a smile, "at this moment you have -no choice, my friend." - -"That is true, but do not be alarmed; however annoyed I may feel, I -shall do my duty as a soldier." - -"Oh! Who doubts it, my dear general?" - -"_Caspita_, nobody, I know: but no matter, you shall see." - -"Well, good night; try to get a little rest, for I warn you that we -shall be attacked tomorrow at sunrise." - -"On my word," said the general with a yawn that threatened to dislocate -his jaw, "I ask nothing better than to finish once for all with these -bandits." - -An hour later, with the exception of Curumilla, who was sentry, the -hunters were asleep; the Indians, on their side, were doing the same -thing. - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - -THE HILL OF THE MAD BUFFALO. - - -About an hour before sunrise, Stanapat aroused his warriors, and gave -them orders to march. The Apaches seized their weapons, formed in Indian -file, and at a signal from their chief, entered the chaparral that -separated them from the rock held by the white hunters. Although the -distance was only two leagues, the march of the Apaches lasted more than -an hour; but it was carried out with so much prudence, that the hunters, -despite the watch they kept up, in no way suspected that their enemies -were so near them. The Apaches halted at the foot of the rock, and -Stanapat ordered the camp to be formed at once. - -The Indians, when they like, can draw up their lines very fairly. This -time, as they intended to carry on a regular siege, they neglected no -precautions. The hill was surrounded by a ditch three yards wide and -four deep, the earth of which, thrown up, formed a breastwork, behind -which the Apaches were perfectly sheltered, and could fire without -showing themselves. In the centre of the camp, two huts or _callis_ were -erected, one for the chiefs, the other intended for the council lodge. -Before the entrance of the latter, the totem or emblem of the tribe, and -the sacred calumet were hung up. - -We will explain here what these two emblems are, which several writers -have mentioned, though not described, but which it is very important to -know, if a desire is felt to study Indian manners. The totem, or -_kukevium_, is the national standard, the distinctive mark of each -tribe. It is supposed to represent the patron animal of the tribe; -coyote, jaguar, buffalo, etc., each tribe having its own; in this -instance it was a white buffalo. The totem is a long staff, decorated -with feathers of various colours, which are fastened perpendicularly from -top to bottom. This standard is only carried by the principal chief of -the tribe. - -The calumet is a pipe, whose tube is four, six, even ten feet long; the -latter is sometimes round, but more frequently flat. It is adorned with -painted animals, hair, porcupine quills, or birds of brilliant colours. -The bowl is usually of red or white marble; when the stone is of dark -colour, it is painted white before using. The calumet is sacred: it was -given to the Indians by the sun, and for that reason must never be -polluted by contact with the ground. - -In bivouacs, it is suspended between two cross poles fixed in the earth. -The pipe bearer is regarded as heralds were formerly among ourselves: -his person is inviolable. He is generally a renowned warrior of the -tribe, whom a wound received in action has rendered incapable of further -fighting. - -The sun rose at the moment when the Apaches completed their -entrenchments. The whites, in spite of their bravery, felt a shudder of -terror run over their bodies when they found themselves thus invested on -all sides. The more so, as by the dim light of breaking day they could -see on the distant horizon several bands of warriors advancing from -different points. - -"Hum!" said Valentine, with a toss of his head, "It will be a sharp -fight." - -"Do you consider our situation a bad one?" the general asked him. - -"Detestable." - -"_Canarios!_" said General Ibanez: "We are lost in that case." - -"Yes," the hunter answered, "unless a miracle occur." - -"_Caspita_, what you say is not at all reassuring, my good fellow. Then, -in your opinion, there is no hope?" - -"Yes," Valentine answered, "one chance is left us." - -"What is it?" the general asked quickly. - -"That the man who is being hanged feels--the rope may break." - -The general shrugged his shoulders. - -"Reassure yourself," the hunter said, still in a sarcastic tone; "it -will not break, I warrant you." - -"That is the fine consolation you offer me," the general said in a tone, -half of joke, half of annoyance. - -"Hang it, what would you have? It is all I can offer you at this moment; -but," he added, suddenly changing his accent, "all this does not -prohibit our breakfasting, I suppose." - -"On the contrary," the general answered, "for I declare I have a -ferocious appetite, which, I assure you, has not been the case for a -long time." - -"To table, then," Valentine exclaimed with a laugh; "we have not a -moment to lose if we wish to breakfast in peace." - -"Are you sure of the fact?" - -"Never mind, what can't be cured must be endured; and so to breakfast -with what appetite you may." - -The three men then proceeded to a leaf hut built up against Mad -Buffalo's tomb, and, as they had said, made a hearty breakfast; perhaps, -as the general asserted, it was because the sight of the Apaches had put -them in a good temper. In the meanwhile, Stanapat, who had already -formed his camp, hastened to send couriers in every direction, to have -news of his allies as speedy as possible. The latter soon appeared, -accompanied by the players of chichikouis and drummers. These warriors -were at least five hundred in number, all handsome and well built, -clothed in rich dresses, splendidly armed, and offering to prejudiced -eyes the most frightful sight imaginable. The chief who arrived with -this large party was Black Cat. - -We will explain in a few words the arrival of this chief with his tribe -among the Apache brothers--an arrival which may seem extraordinary, -after the part he had played in the attack on the squatter's camp. Red -Cedar had been surprised by the hunters at midnight, and his camp was at -once fired by the assailants. The earthquake had so thoroughly -complicated the situation, that none of the gambusinos perceived Black -Cat's treachery, who, for his part, so soon as he had pointed out the -position of the gambusinos, confined himself to sending his warriors -ahead, while himself remaining with the rear guard, so as not to -compromise himself, and be able to play the part that suited him best at -the right moment. His trick was most perfectly successful; the -gambusinos, attacked on all sides simultaneously, had only dreamed of -defending themselves as well as they could, having no time to perceive -if deserters from their allies were in the ranks of their enemies. Hence -Black Cat was heartily welcomed by Stanapat, who was delighted at the -help that reached him. - -During the course of the day other bands entered the camp in turn, so -that at sunset nearly fifteen hundred redskin warriors were collected at -the foot of the rock, and the hunters were completely invested. The -movements of the Indians soon made them comprehend that they did not -intend to retire till they had reduced them. - -The Indians are the shortest-sighted men in the world; and at the end of -two days, as the state of things must be remedied, a grand buffalo hunt -was organised. At daybreak, thirty-five hunters, under the orders of -Black Cat, left the camp, crossed the wood, and entered the prairie. -After a rapid ride of two hours, they forded the Little Tortoise River, -on the banks of which they halted to let their horses breathe. During -this halt they lit a _bois de vache_ fire, at which they cooked their -breakfast, and then set out again. At midday they examined the plain -stretching out at their feet, from the top of a hill; they saw, at a -considerable distance, several small herds of buffalo, each consisting -of four or six male buffaloes, peaceably grazing. - -The hunters cocked their guns, went down into the plain, and made a -regular charge against these clumsy animals, which can run, however, -very fast. Each soon started in pursuit of the buffalo nearest to him. - -The buffaloes at times assume the offensive, and pursue in their turn -the hunters for twenty to five-and-twenty yards; but it is easy to avoid -them; so soon as they perceive the futility of pursuit, they fly in -their turn. The Indians and half-breeds are so accustomed to this chase -on horseback, that they rarely require more than one shot to kill a -buffalo. When they fire they do not shoulder the piece, but, on the -contrary, stretch out both arms to their full extent; so soon as they -are about ten paces from the animal, they fire in this position, then -reload with incredible speed, for they do not ram the ball home with -wadding, but let it fall directly on the powder to which it adheres, as -they have previously held it in their mouths, and fire again at once. - -Through this uncommon speed, the Indians produced in a short time a -perfect massacre among the buffaloes; sixty-eight of these animals were -killed in less than two hours, Black Cat having brought down eleven as -his share. The buffaloes were cut up and loaded on horses brought for -the purpose, then the hunters returned gaily to camp, conversing about -all the singular or dramatic incidents of the hunt, with all the Indian -vivacity. Thanks to this expedition, the Apaches were provisioned for a -long time. - -A short distance from the camp, the Indians perceived a rider coming -toward them at full speed. Black Cat ordered a halt, and waited; it was -evident that the person arriving thus could only be a friend, and any -doubts were speedily dispelled. The Apaches recognised White Gazelle. We -have said elsewhere that the Indians were much attached to this girl; -they received her very graciously, and led her to Black Cat, who -remained motionless till she joined him. The chief examined her for a -moment attentively. - -"My daughter is welcome," he said; "does she ask hospitality of the -Apaches?" - -"No, chief; I have come to join them against the palefaces, as I have -done before," she replied, boldly; "besides, you know it as well as I -do," she added. - -"Good!" the chief continued; "we thank my daughter; her friends are -absent, but we expect to see within a few hours Red Cedar and the -Long-knives of the East." - -A shade of dissatisfaction covered the girl's forehead; but she at once -recovered, and ranged her horse by the side of the chief's, saying -carelessly-- - -"Red Cedar can come when he likes--it does not concern me. Am I not a -friend of the Apaches?" - -"That is true," the Indian said, with a bow; "will my sister set out?" - -"Whenever you please, chief." - -The hunters started again at a gallop; an hour later, they entered the -camp, where they were received with shouts of joy from the Apache -warriors. Black Cat ordered a calli to be prepared for the girl; then, -after visiting the sentries, and listening to the reports of the scouts, -he sat down near the tree, at the foot of which White Gazelle had thrown -herself, to reflect on the new duties imposed on her by the engagements -into which she had entered with Bloodson. - -"My daughter is sad," the old chief said, as he lit his pipe by the aid -of a long wand, adorned with feathers, and painted of different colours; -for, with that superstition natural to some Indians, he felt persuaded -that if he once touched fire with his hands he would die on the spot. - -"Yes," the girl answered, "my heart is gloomy; a cloud has spread over -my mind." - -"My sister must console herself: he whom she has lost will be avenged." - -"The palefaces are strong," she said, looking at him fixedly. - -"Yes," the chief replied, "the whites have the strength of a grizzly -bear, but the Indians have the craft of the beaver; my sister can feel -reassured, her enemies will not escape her." - -"Does my father know it?" - -"Black Cat is one of the great sachems of his tribe, nothing is hidden -from him. At this moment all the pirates of the prairie, joined by the -half-breeds, are advancing to surround the rock which serves as a refuge -to the great pale warrior; tomorrow, perhaps, six thousand redskin -warriors will be here. My sister can, therefore, see that her vengeance -is assured; unless the palefaces fly through the air, or plunge into the -waters, which cannot happen--they are lost." - -The young girl made no reply; not thinking of the chief, whose piercing -eye was fixed on her, she rose and began walking up and down in great -agitation. - -"Oh Heavens!" she said in a low voice, "They are lost! Oh, why am I but -a woman, and can do nothing for them? How can they be saved?" - -"What does my sister say? Has the Wacondah troubled her mind?" the chief -asked her, as he stood before her, and laid a hand on her shoulder. - -The Spaniard looked at him for a moment, then let her head fall in her -hands, muttering in a choking voice,-- - -"Oh, Heavens! I am mad." - -Black Cat took a searching glance around, and then bent down to the -girl's ear. - -"My sister must follow me," he said, in a firm and significant voice. - -White Gazelle raised her head, and looked at him; the chief laid a -finger, on his lip, as if to recommend silence to her, and, turning his -back, entered the wood. The girl followed him anxiously, and they walked -on thus tor some minutes. At length they reached the top of a mound -denuded of trees, where the eye could survey all around. Black Cat -stopped and made the girl a sign to approach him. - -"Here we can talk; let my sister speak; my ears are open." - -"What can I say that my father does not know?" the girl replied, -suspiciously. - -"My sister wishes to save the palefaces, is it not so?" - -"Well, yes," she said, with exaltation; "for reasons I cannot tell you, -these men, who, a few days back, were hateful to me, have become dear to -me; today I would save them at the peril of my life." - -"Yes," the old man said, as if speaking to himself, "women are so; like -the leaves the wind carries off, their mind changes its direction with -the slightest breath of passion." - -"Now you know my secret," she continued boldly, "I do not care about -having discovered it to you; act as you think proper, but no longer -count on me." - -"On the contrary," the Apache replied with his sardonic smile, "I count -on you more than ever." - -"What do you mean?" - -"Well," Black Cat continued, after taking a searching glance around, and -letting his voice drop, "I wish to save them too." - -"You?" - -"I. Did not the pale chief enable me to escape the death that awaited me -in the Comanche village? Did he not share with me as a brother the -firewater of his gourd, to give me strength to sit my horse, and rejoin -the warriors Of my tribe? Black Cat is a great chief. Ingratitude is a -white vice; gratitude is a red virtue. Black Cat will save his brother." - -"Thanks, chief," said the girl, as she pressed the old man's rough hands -in hers; "thanks for your kindness. But, alas, time is slipping away -rapidly, dawn will be here in a few hours, and perhaps we shall not -succeed." - -"Black Cat is prudent," the chief replied, "my sister must listen; but, -in the first place, she may be glad to warn her friends that she is -watching over them." - -White Gazelle smiled in response; the Indian whistled in a peculiar -fashion, and Sunbeam made her appearance. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - -BLACK CAT AND UNICORN. - - -Black Cat had retained a profound gratitude to Valentine through the -generosity with which the latter had saved his life. The chief sought by -any means possible to pay the debt after the attack on the gambusino -camp, during which he had so vigorously supported the hunter. All the -time he was being carried down the swollen Gila in the buffalo hide -canoes, Black Cat reflected seriously on the events taking place in his -sight. - -He knew, like all the Indian chiefs of the Far West, the causes of the -hatred that separated the whites; moreover, he had been on several -occasions enabled to appreciate the moral difference existing between -the American squatter and the French hunter. Besides, the question was -now settled in his mind; all his sympathies were attracted to Valentine. -Still, it would be as well that his help, to be useful, should be freely -accepted by his friends, so as to prevent any misunderstanding. - -When the earth had regained its equilibrium, and all had returned to the -order laid down at the commencement of the universe, Black Cat gave a -signal, and the canoes ran a shore. The chief ordered his men to bivouac -where they were, and await him; then noticing a short distance off, a -herd of wild horses, he lassoed one, tamed it in a few minutes, leaped -on its back, and started at a gallop. At this moment the sun rose -splendidly on the horizon. - -The Apache chief journeyed the whole day without stopping, except a few -moments to let his horse breathe, and at sunset he found himself a -bowshot from Unicorn's village. After remaining in thought for a few -minutes, the Indian appeared to make up his mind; he urged on his horse, -and boldly entered the village, which, however, was deserted. Black Cat -traversed it in every direction, finding at every step traces of the -fearful fight of which it had been the scene a few days previously; but -he did not see a soul, not even a dog. - -When an Indian is following a trail, he is never discouraged, but goes -on until he finds it. Black Cat left the village at the opposite end, -looked about for a minute, and then started unhesitatingly straight -ahead. His admirable knowledge of the prairie had not deceived him; four -hours later he reached the skirt of the virgin forest, under whose green -arches we have seen Unicorn's Comanches disappear. Black Cat also -entered the forest by the same road as the village population had -followed, and within an hour saw the fires flashing through the trees. -The Apache stopped for a moment, looked around him, and then went on. - -Though apparently alone Black Cat felt that he was watched; he knew that -since his first step in the forest, he was followed by invisible eyes. -As he had not come however, in any warlike intention, he did not in any -way attempt to conceal his trail. These tactics were comprehended by the -Comanche sentries, who let him pass without revealing their presence, -but still communicated the arrival of an Apache chief on their territory -to each other, so that Black Cat's coming was known at the village, -while he was still a long way from it. - -The chief entered a large clearing, in the midst of which stood several -huts. Several chiefs were silently seated round a fire, burning in front -of a calli, which Black Cat recognised as the medicine lodge. Contrary -to the custom generally adopted in such cases, no one seemed to notice -the approach of the chief, or rose to do him honour, and give him -welcome. Black Cat understood that something extraordinary was occurring -in the village, and that he was about to witness a strange scene. - -He was in no way affected by the cold reception accorded to him; he -dismounted, threw his bridle over his horse's neck, and, walking to the -fire, sat down opposite Unicorn, between two chiefs, who fell back to -make room for him. Then, drawing the calumet from his girdle, he filled -and lit it, and began smoking, after bowing to the company. The latter -replied by the same gesture, but did not interrupt the silence. At -length Unicorn took the calumet from his lips, and turned to Black Cat. - -"My brother is a great warrior," he said; "he is welcome, his arrival is -a happy omen for my young men, at a moment when a terrible chief is -about to leave us, and proceed to the happy hunting grounds." - -"The Master of Life protected me, in permitting me to arrive so -opportunely; who is the chief about to die?" - -"The Panther is weary of life," Unicorn replied, in a mournful voice; -"he counts many winters, his tired arm can no longer fell the buffalo or -the elk, his clouded eye only distinguishes with difficulty the nearest -objects." - -"The Panther is no longer useful to his brothers, but has become a -burden to them; he must die," Black Cat remarked, sententiously. - -"That is what the chief himself thought; he has this day communicated -his intentions to the council assembled here round the fire, and I, his -son, have undertaken to open for him the gates of another world." - -"Panther is a wise chief; what can a man do with life when he grows a -burden to others? The Wacondah has been kind to the redskins in giving -them the necessary discernment to get rid of the aged and weak, and send -them to another world, where they will be born again, and after this -short trial, hunt with all the vigor of youth." - -"My brother has spoken well," Unicorn answered, with a bow. - -At this moment a movement took place in the crowd assembled round the -sweating lodge, in which the old chief, was. The door opened, and -Panther appeared. He was an old man of majestic height--in opposition to -the majority of Indians, who retain for a long time the appearance of -youth--his hair and beard, which fell in disorder on his shoulders and -chest, were of a dazzling whiteness. On his face, whose features were -imprinted with unconquerable energy, could be seen all the marks of a -decrepitude which had attained its last limits. He was clothed in his -handsomest costume, and painted and armed for war. - -So soon as he appeared in the doorway of the hut all the chiefs rose. -Unicorn walked up to him and respectfully offered his right arm, on -which he leant. The old man, supported by his son, tottered up to the -fire, before which he squatted. The other chiefs took their place by his -side, and the warriors formed a wide circle round them. The great -calumet of peace was brought in by the pipe bearer, who presented it to -the old man, and when it had gone round the circle, Panther took the -word. His voice was low and faint, but, owing to the deep silence that -prevailed, it was heard by all. - -"My sons," he said, "I am about to depart for another country; I shall -soon be near the Master of Life. I will tell the warriors of our nation -whom I meet on the road that the Comanches are still invincible, and -their nation is the queen of the prairies." - -A murmur of satisfaction, soon suppressed, however, greeted these words; -in a moment the old man continued-- - -"Continue to be brave as your ancestors; be implacable to the palefaces, -those devouring wolves, covered with an elk skin; let them ever assume -the feet of the antelope, to fly more speedily before you, and may they -never see the wolf tails you fasten to your heels. Never taste the -firewater, that poison, by the help of which the palefaces enervate us, -render us weak as women, and incapable of avenging insults. When you are -assembling round the war or hunting fire in your camp, think sometimes -of Panther, the chief, whose renown was formerly great, and who, seeing -that the Wacondah forgot him on earth, preferred to die sooner than be -longer a burthen to his nation. Tell the young warriors who tread the -path for the first time, the exploits of your chief, Bounding Panther, -who was so long the terror of the foes of the Comanches." - -While uttering these words the old chief's eye had become animated, and -his voice trembled with emotion. The Indians assembled round him -listened to him respectfully. - -"But what use is it to speak thus?" he went on, suppressing a sigh; "I -know that my memory will not die out among you, for my son Unicorn is -here to succeed me, and guide you in his turn on the path where I so -long led you. Bring my last meal, so that we may soon strike up 'the -song of the Great Remedy.'" - -Immediately the Indians brought up pots filled with boiled dog's flesh, -and at a sign from Panther, the meal commenced. When it was ended the -old man lit his calumet, and smoked, while the warriors danced round -him, with Unicorn at their head. Presently the old man made a sign, and -the warriors stopped. - -"What does my father desire?" Unicorn asked. - -"I wish you to sing the song of the Great Remedy." - -"Good," Unicorn replied, "my father shall be obeyed." - -Then he struck up that strange chant, of which the following is a -translation, the Indians joining in chorus and continuing to dance: - -"Master of Life, thou givest us courage! It is true that redskins know -that thou lovest them. We send thee our father this day. See how old and -decrepit he is! The Bounding Panther has been changed into a clumsy -bear! Grant that he may find himself young in another world, and able -to, hunt as in former times." - -And the round danced on, the old man smoking his pipe stoically the -while. At length, when the calumet was empty, he shook out the ashes on -his thumbnail, laid the pipe before him, and looked up to heaven. At -this moment the first signs of twilight tinged the extreme line of the -horizon with an opaline hue, the old man drew himself up, his eye became -animated, and flashed. - -"The hour has come," he said, in a loud and firm voice; "the Wacondah, -summons me. Farewell, Comanche warriors; my son, you have to send me to -the Master of Life." - -Unicorn drew out the tomahawk hanging from his belt, brandished it over -his head, and without hesitation, and with a movement swift as thought, -cleft the skull of the old man, whose smiling face was turned to him, -and who fell without a sigh. - -He was dead! - -The dance began again more rapid and irregularly, and the warriors -shouted in chorus: - -"Wacondah! Wacondah! Receive this warrior! See, he did not fear death! -He knew there was no such thing, as he was to be born again in thy -bosom! - -"Wacondah! Wacondah! Receive this warrior. He was just! The blood -flowed red and pure in his heart! The words his chest uttered were wise! - -"Wacondah! Wacondah! Receive this warrior! He was the greatest and most -celebrated of thy Comanche children! - -"Wacondah! Wacondah! Receive this warrior. See how many scalps he wears -at his girdle. - -"Wacondah! Wacondah! Receive this warrior!" - -The song and dancing lasted till daybreak, when, at a signal from -Unicorn, they ceased. - -"Our father has gone," he said; "his soul has left his body, which it -inhabited too long, to choose another abode. Let us give him a burial -suited to so great a warrior." - -The preparations were not lengthy; the body of the Bounding Panther was -carefully washed, then interred in a sitting posture, with his war -weapons; the last horse he had ridden and his dogs were placed by his -side, after having their throats cut; and then a bark hut was erected -over the tomb to preserve it from the profanation of wild beasts; on the -top of the hut a pole was planted, surmounted by the scalps the old -warrior had taken at a period when he, still young and full of strength, -led the Comanches in action. - -Black Cat witnessed all the affecting incidents of this mournful tragedy -respectfully, and with religious devotion. When the funeral rites were -ended, Unicorn came up to him. - -"I thank my brother," the Comanche said, "for having helped us to pay -the last duties to an illustrious warrior. Now I am quite at my -brother's service, he can speak without fear; the ears of a friend are -open, and his heart will treasure up the words addressed to it." - -"Unicorn is the first warrior of his nation," Black Cat replied, with a -bow; "justice and honour dwell in him: a cloud has passed over my mind -and rendered it sad." - -"Let my brother open his heart to me, I know that he is one of the most -celebrated chiefs of his nation. Black Cat no longer counts the scalps -he has taken from his enemies--what is the reason that renders him sad?" - -The Apache chief smiled proudly at Unicorn's remarks. - -"The friend of my brother, the great pale hunter, adopted by his tribe," -he said sharply, "is running a terrible danger at this moment." - -"Wah!" the chief said; "Can that be true? Koutonepi is the flesh of my -bones; who touches him wounds me. My brother will explain." - -Black Cat then narrated to Unicorn the way in which Valentine had saved -his life, the leagues formed by the Apaches and other nations of the Far -West against him, and the critical position in which the hunter now was, -owing to the influence of Red Cedar with the Indians, and the forces he -had at his command at this moment. Unicorn shook his head over the -story. - -"Koutonepi is wise and intrepid," he said; "loyalty dwells in his heart, -but he cannot resist--how to help him? A man, however brave he may be, -is not equal to one hundred." - -"Valentine is my brother," the Apache answered; "I have sworn to save -him. But what can I do alone?" - -Suddenly a woman rushed between, the two chiefs: it was Sunbeam. - -"If my master permits," she said with a suppliant look at Unicorn, "I -will help you: a woman can do many things." - -There was a silence, during which the chief regarded the squaw, who -stood modest and motionless before them. - -"My sister is brave," Black Cat at length said; "but a woman is a weak -creature, whose help is of but very slight weight under such grave -circumstances." - -"Perhaps so," she said boldly. - -"Wife," Unicorn said, as he laid his hand on her shoulder, "go whither -your heart calls you; save my brother and pay the debt you have -contracted with him: my eye will follow you, and at the first signal I -will run up." - -"Thanks," the young woman said, joyfully, and kneeling before the chief, -she affectionately kissed his hand. - -Unicorn went on-- - -"I confide this woman to my brother--I know that his heart is great: I -am at my ease; farewell." - -And after a parting signal he dismissed his guest; the chief entered his -calli without looking back, and let the buffalo hide curtain fall behind -him. Sunbeam looked after him; when he had disappeared, she turned to -Black Cat. - -"Let us go," she said, "to save our friend." - -A few hours later, the Apache chief, followed by a young woman, rejoined -his tribe on the banks of the Gila, and on the next day but one Black -Cat arrived with his entire forces at the hill of Mad Buffalo. - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - -THE MEETING. - - -The preceding explanations given, we will resume our story at the point -where we left it at the end of chapter seven. Sunbeam, without speaking, -offered the Spanish girl a piece of paper, a species of wooden skewer, -and a shell filled with blue paint. The Gazelle gave a start of joy. - -"Oh, I understand," she said. - -The chief smiled. - -"The whites have a great deal of knowledge," he said, "nothing escapes -them; my daughter will draw a collar for the pale chief." - -"Yes," she murmured, "but will he believe me?" - -"My daughter will put her heart in that paper, and the white hunter will -recognise it." - -The girl heaved a sigh. - -"Let us try," she said. - -With a feverish movement she took the paper from Sunbeam's hand, hastily -wrote a few words, and returned it to the young Indian, who stood -motionless and stoical before her. Sunbeam rolled up the paper, and -carefully fastened it round an arrow. - -"Within an hour it will be delivered," she said, and she disappeared in -the wood with the lightness of a startled fawn. This little affair took -her less time to perform than we have been employed in describing it. -When the Indian girl, taught long before by Black Cat the part she had -to play, had gone off to deliver her message, the chief said-- - -"You see that, though we may not save them all, those who are dear to us -will at any rate escape." - -"May Heaven grant that you are not mistaken, father," the girl said. - -"Wacondah is great--his power is unbounded--he can do everything--my -daughter can hope." - -After this a long conversation took place between the couple, at the end -of which, White Gazelle glided unnoticed, among the trees, and proceeded -to a hill a short distance from the post occupied by the whites, called -Elk Hill, where she had given Don Pablo the meeting. At the thought of -seeing the Mexican again, the girl had been involuntarily attacked by an -undefinable emotion; she felt her heart contracted, and all her limbs -trembled. The recollection of what had passed between her and him so -short a time back still troubled her ideas, and rendered the task she -had imposed on herself even more difficult. - -At this moment she was no longer the rude amazon we have represented her -to our readers, who, hardened since her childhood to the terrible scenes -of prairie life, braved the greatest perils. She felt herself a woman; -all the manliness in her had disappeared, only leaving a timid, -trembling girl, who shuddered to find herself face to face with the man -whom she reproached herself with having so cruelly outraged, and who, -perhaps, on seeing her, would not condescend to enter into any -explanation, but turn his back on her. - -All these thoughts and many others whirled about in her brain while she -proceeded with a furtive step to the place of meeting. The nearer she -drew the more lively her fears became, for her mind retraced with -greater force the indignity of her previous conduct. At length she -arrived, and found the top of the hill still deserted. A sigh of relief -escaped from her oppressed chest, and she returned thanks to Heaven for -granting her a few moments' respite to prepare herself for the solemn -interview she had craved. - -But the first moment passed, another anxiety troubled her; she feared -lest Don Pablo would not accept her invitation, but despise the chance -of safety offered him. Then, with her head thrust forward, her eyes -fixed on space, and striving to sound the depths of the gloom, she -waited anxiously, counting the seconds. No one has yet been able to -calculate how many centuries each moment is composed of to a person who -is waiting. The girl was beginning to doubt Don Pablo's arrival; a -gloomy despair seized upon her, and she cursed the material -responsibility which nailed her inactively to the spot. - -Let us describe in a few words what was happening at this moment on the -Hill of Mad Buffalo. Valentine, Curumilla and Don Pablo, seated on the -crest of the hill, were silently smoking, each thinking apart of the -means to be employed to escape from the painful position in which they -were, when a shrill whistle was heard, and a long arrow, passing rapidly -between the three men, buried itself deeply in the sods of the grassy -mount, at the foot of which they were seated. - -"What is that?" Valentine, the first to regain his coolness, exclaimed. -"By heavens! Can the redskins be beginning the attack already?" - -"Let us wake our friends," said Don Pablo. - -"A friend!" grunted Curumilla, who had pulled the arrow out and examined -it attentively. - -"What do you mean, chief?" the hunter asked. - -"Look!" the Indian replied laconically, as he gave him the arrow, and -pointed to the paper rolled round it. - -"So it is," Valentine said, as he unfastened the paper, while Curumilla -picked up a burning log and held it to him as a candle. - -"Hum!" Don Pablo muttered, "this mode of corresponding appears to me -rather strange." - -"We will see what it all means," the hunter answered. - -He unfolded the paper, on which a few lines were written in Spanish, and -read the following-- - - "The palefaces are lost; the Indian tribes, assembled from all - parts and helped by the Pirates of the Prairies, surround them. The - white men have no help to expect from anybody. Unicorn is too far - off, Bloodson too much engaged in defending himself to have time to - think of them. Don Pablo de Zarate can, if he likes, escape the - death that menaces him, and save those who are dear to him. His - fate is in his own hands. So soon as he has received this, let him - leave his camp and proceed alone to Elk Hill, where he will meet a - person prepared to supply him with the means he must seek in vain - elsewhere; this person will await Don Pablo till sunrise. He is - implored not to neglect this warning; tomorrow will be too late to - save him, for he would infallibly succumb in a mad struggle. - - "A FRIEND." - -On reading this strange missive, the young man let his head sink on his -chest, and remained for a long time plunged in deep thought. - -"What is to be done?" he muttered. - -"Why go, hang it all!" Valentine answered; "Who knows whether this scrap -of paper may not contain the salvation of all of us?" - -"But suppose it is treachery?" - -"Treachery! Nonsense, my friend, you must be joking. The Indians are -thorough rogues and traitors, I grant; but they have a fearful terror of -anything written, which they believe emanates from the genius of evil. -No, this letter does not come from the Indians. As for the pirates, they -can use a rifle very well, but are completely ignorant of a goose quill; -and I declare, from here to Monterey on one side and to New York, on the -other, you will not find one who knows how to write. This letter, -therefore, emanates from a friend; but who that friend is, is more -difficult to guess." - -"Then your opinion is to grant the meeting?" - -"Why not? Taking, of course, all the precautions usual in such a case." - -"Must I go alone?" - -"_Canarios!_ people always go alone to such meetings: that is settled," -Valentine said with a grin; "still, they are accompanied, and would be -fools were they not." - -"Assuming that I am willing to follow your advice, I cannot leave my -father alone here." - -"Your father is safe for the present; besides, he has with him the -general and Curumilla, who, I answer for it, will not let him be -surprised in our absence. However, that is your affair; still, I would -observe, that under circumstances so critical as ours, all secondary -considerations ought to be laid aside. Canarios, friend! Think that the -safety of all of us may be the reward of the venture." - -"You are right, brother," the young man said boldly; "who knows whether -I might not have to reproach myself with your death and my father's if I -neglected this hint? I go." - -"Good," the hunter said, "do so; for my part, I know what is left me to -do. Be at your ease," he added with his ironical smile; "you will go -alone to the meeting, but if you need help, I shall not be long in -making my appearance." - -"Very good; but the chief point is to leave this place and reach Elk -Hill unnoticed by the thousand tiger-cat eyes the Apaches are probably -fixing on us at this moment." - -"Trust to me for that," the hunter answered. - -In fact, a few minutes later, Don Pablo, guided by Valentine, was -climbing up Elk hill, unnoticed by the Apaches. - -In the meanwhile, White Gazelle was still waiting, her body bent -forward, and listening for the slightest sound that would reveal the -presence of the man she had so earnestly begged to come. Suddenly a -rough hand was laid on her shoulder, and a mocking voice muttered in her -ear:-- - -"Hilloh, Nina, what are you doing so far from the camp? Are you afraid -lest your enemies should escape?" - -The Spaniard turned with an ill-disguised movement of disgust, and saw -Nathan, Red Cedar's eldest son. - -"Yes, it is I," the bandit went on; "does that astonish you, Nina? We -arrived an hour ago with the finest collection of vultures that can be -imagined." - -"But what are you doing here?" she said, scarce knowing why she asked -the question. - -"Oh!" he continued, "I have also come to revenge myself; I left my -father and the others down there, and, have come to explore the country -a little. But," he added, with a sinister laugh, "that is not the -question at this moment. What the deuce sets you roaming about at this -time of night, at the risk of having an unpleasant encounter?" - -"What have I to fear--am I not armed?" - -"That is true," the pirate replied with a grin; "but you are pretty, -and, devil take me if I don't know fellows who, in my place, would laugh -at the playthings you have in your girdle. Yes, you are very pretty, -Nina, don't you know it? Hang me, as no one has yet told you so, I feel -very much inclined to do so; what's your opinion, eh?" - -"The wretch is mad with drink," the girl muttered, as she saw the -brigand's flushed face, and his staggering legs. - -"Leave me," she said to him, "the hour is badly chosen for jesting, we -have, more important matters to arrange." - -"Stuff, we are all mortal, and hang me if I care what may happen -tomorrow! On the contrary, I find the hour splendidly chosen; we are -alone, no one can over hear us; what prevents us, then, from expressing -our adoration of one another?" - -"No one, were it true," the girl answered resolutely; "but I am not in -the humour to listen to your chattering; so be good enough to withdraw. I -am awaiting here the war party of the Buffalo Apaches, who will soon -arrive and take up their position on this hill; instead of losing -precious time, you would do better to join Red Cedar and Stanapat, with -whom you must settle all the details of the enemy's attack." - -"That is true," the bandit answered, the words having slightly sobered -him. "You are right, Nina, I will go; but what is put off is not lost; I -hope on some other day to find you not so wild, my dear. Good bye!" - -And, carelessly turning, the bandit threw his rifle on his shoulder, and -went down the hill in the direction of the Apache camp. The young -Spaniard, left alone, congratulated herself on escaping the danger that -had momentarily threatened her, for she had trembled lest Don Pablo -might arrive while Nathan was with her. Still, the news of Red Cedar's -position heightened White Gazelle's apprehensions and redoubled her -alarm about those whom she had resolved to save at all hazards. At the -moment when she no longer hoped to see the young man, and was looking -out for him more to satisfy her conscience than in the chance of seeing -him, she saw, a little distance off, a man hurriedly walking towards -her, and guessed, more than recognised, that it was Don Pablo. - -"At last!" she exclaimed joyfully, as she rushed to meet him. - -The young man was soon by her side, but on perceiving who it was, he -fell back a pace. - -"You," he said; "did you write to ask me here?" - -"Yes," she answered, in a trembling voice, "I did." - -"What can there be in common between us?" Don Pablo said, -contemptuously. - -"Oh! Do not crush me; I now can understand how culpable and unworthy my -conduct was: pardon a madness which I deplore. Listen to me; in Heaven's -name do not despise the advice I am about to give you, for your life and -that of those you love are at stake." - -"Thank Heaven, madam," the young man replied coldly; "during the few -hours we were together, I learnt to know you sufficiently to place no -faith in any of your protestations; I have only one regret at this -moment, and that is, in having allowed myself to enter the snare you -have laid for me." - -"I lay a snare for you!" she exclaimed indignantly, "when I would gladly -shed the last drop of my blood to save you." - -"Save me--nonsense! Ruin me, you mean," Don Pablo continued, with a -smile of contempt; "do you fancy me so foolish? Be frank, at least; your -project has succeeded, and I am in your hands; produce your accomplices, -who are doubtless hidden behind those trees, and I will not do them the -honour of disputing my life with them." - -"Oh, Heaven!" the girl exclaimed, as she writhed her hands in despair, -"Am I not sufficiently punished, Don, Pablo? Listen to me, for mercy's -sake! In a few minutes it will be too late; I wish to save you, I say." - -"You lie impudently," Valentine exclaimed, as he leaped from a thicket; -"only a moment ago, at that very spot, you told Nathan, the worthy son -of your accomplice, Red Cedar, of the arrival of an Apache war party; -deny it, if you dare." - -This revelation was a thunderbolt for the girl; she felt that it would -be impossible for her to disabuse the man she loved, and convince him of -her innocence, in the face of this apparently so evident proof of her -treachery. She fell crushed at the young man's feet. - -"Oh," he said with disgust, "this wretched woman is my evil genius." - -He made a movement to retire. - -"A moment," Valentine exclaimed, as he stopped him; "matters must not -end thus: let us destroy this creature, ere she causes us to be -massacred." - -He coldly placed the muzzle of a pistol on the girl's temple, and she -did not flinch to escape the fate that threatened her. But Don Pablo -hastily seized his arm. - -"Valentine," he said, "what are you about, my friend?" - -"It is true," the hunter replied; "when so near death, I will not -dishonour myself by killing this wretch." - -"Well done, brother," Don Pablo said, as he gave a glance of scorn to -the Gazelle, who implored him in vain; men like us do not assassinate -women. "Let us leave her and sell our lives dearly." - -"Nonsense; death, perhaps, is not so near as you may fancy; for my part, -I do not despair about getting out of this wasps nest." - -They took an anxious glance into the valley to reconnoitre their -position; the darkness was almost dissipated; the sun, though still -invisible, tinged the sky with those reddish gleams which precedes its -appearance by a few moments. As far as the eye could reach, the plain -was covered by powerful Indian detachments. - -The two men saw that they had but a very slight chance of regaining -their fortress; still, accustomed as they were to attempt -impossibilities daily, they were not discouraged in the presence of the -imminent danger that menaced them. After silently shaking hands, these -two brave men raised their heads proudly, and with calm brow and -flashing eye prepared to confront the horrible death that awaited them, -if they were discovered. - -"Stay, in Heaven's name," the maiden exclaimed, as she dragged herself -on her knees to Don Pablo's feet. - -"Back, viper," the latter answered, "let us die bravely." - -"But I will not have you die," she replied, with a piercing cry; "I -repeat that I will save you, if you consent." - -"Save us! God alone can do that," the young man said mournfully; "be -glad that we will not sully our hands with your perfidious blood, and do -not trouble us further." - -"Oh! Nothing will convince you then!" she said, with despair. - -"Nothing," the Mexican answered coldly. - -"Oh!" she exclaimed, her eye beaming with joy, "I have found it. Follow -me, and you shall join your friends again." - -Don Pablo, who had already gone some yards, turned back with hesitation. - -"What do you fear?" she said; "you will still be able to kill me if I -deceive you. Oh," she added madly, "what do I care for death, so that I -save you!" - -"In fact," Valentine remarked, "she is in the right, and then in our -position, we must let no chance slip. Perhaps, after all, she speaks the -truth." - -"Yes, yes," the girl implored; "trust to me." - -"Well, we will try it," said Valentine. - -"Go on," Don Pablo answered laconically; "go on, we follow." - -"Oh, thanks, thanks," she said eagerly, covering the the young man's -hand with kisses and tears, which she had seized against his will; "you -shall see that I can save you." - -"Strange creature," the hunter said, as he wiped his eyes with the back -of his rough hand; "she is quite capable of doing what she says." - -"Perhaps so," Don Pablo replied, shaking his head gloomily: "but our -position is truly desperate, my friend." - -"A man can only die once, after all," the hunter remarked -philosophically, as he threw his rifle over his shoulder; "I am most -curious to know how all this will end." - -"Come!" the Spanish girl said. - - - - -CHAPTER X. - -A WAR STRATAGEM. - - -The two men followed her, and the three began crawling through the tall -grass and silently descending the hill. This painful march was -necessarily slow, owing to the innumerable precautions the fugitives -were obliged to take so as not to be seen or tracked by the scouts the -Indians had scattered all around to watch the movements of the white -men, and of any relief which might come to them. - -White Gazelle walked actively in front of the hunters, looking -cautiously around, stopping to listen anxiously to the slightest sound -in the bushes; and when her fears were calmed, she went on giving the -men she guided a smile of encouragement. - -"Sold!" Valentine said, with a laugh all at once, as he rested his rifle -on the ground; "Come, come, the little wench is cleverer than I -fancied." - -The two men were surrounded by a numerous party of Apache Indians. Don -Pablo did not utter a word; he only looked at the girl, who continued to -smile. - -"Bah!" the Frenchman muttered philosophically in an aside; "I shall kill -my seven or eight of them, and after that, we shall see." - -Completely reassured by this consoling reflection, the hunter at once -regained all his clearness of mind, and looked curiously around him. -They were in the midst of Black Cat's war party, and that chief now -walked up to the hunter. - -"My brother is welcome among the Buffalo Apaches," he said, nobly. - -"Why jest, chief?" Valentine remarked; "I am your prisoner, do with me -what you think proper." - -"Black Cat does not jest; the great pale hunter is not his prisoner, but -his friend; he has but to command and Black Cat will execute his -orders." - -"What mean these words?" the Frenchman said, with astonishment; "Are you -not here, like all the members of your nation, to seize my friends and -myself?" - -"Such was my intention, I allow, when I left my village some days back, -but my heart has changed since my brother saved my life, and he may have -perceived it already. If I have come here it is not to fight, but to -save him and his friends; my brother can, therefore, place confidence in -my words--my tribe will obey him as myself." - -Valentine reflected for a moment, then he said, as he looked searchingly -at the chief: - -"And what does Black Cat ask in return for the help he offers me?" - -"Nothing; the pale hunter is my brother; if we succeed he will do as he -pleases." - -"Come, come, all is for the best," Valentine said, as he turned to the -girl; "I was mistaken, so I will ask you to forgive me." - -White Gazelle blushed with delight at these words. - -"Then," Valentine continued, addressing the Indian chief, "I can -entirely dispose of your young men?" - -"Entirely. - -"They will be devoted to me?" - -"I have said so, as to myself." - -"Good!" said the hunter, as his face brightened; "how many warriors have -you?" - -Black Cat held up ten times the fingers of his opened hands. - -"One hundred?" Valentine asked. - -"Yes," the chief replied, "and eight more." - -"But the other tribes are far more numerous than yours?" - -"They form a band of warriors twenty-two times and seven times more -numerous than mine." - -"Hum! That is a tidy lot, without counting the pirates." - -"Wah! There are thrice the number of the fingers of my two hands of the -Long-knives of the East." - -"I fear," Don Pablo observed, "that we shall be crushed by the number of -our enemies." - -"Perhaps so," Valentine, who was reflecting, answered; "where is Red -Cedar?" - -"Red Cedar is with his brothers, the prairie half-breeds; he has joined -Stanapat's party." - -At this moment the Apache war cry burst forth on the plain, a tremendous -discharge was heard, and the hill of the Mad Buffalo seemed begirt by a -halo of smoke and flashing lightning. The battle had began. The Indians -bravely mounted to the assault. They marched toward the hill, -continually discharging their muskets, and firing arrows at their -invisible enemies. - -At the spot where the chain of hills touches the Gila, fresh parties of -Apaches could be seen incessantly arriving. They came up at a gallop, by -troops of three to twenty men at a time. Their horses were covered with -foam, leading to the presumption that they had made a long journey. The -Apaches were in their war paint, covered with all sorts of ornaments and -arms, with their bow and quiver on their back, and their musket in their -hands. Their heads were crowned with feathers, among them being several -magnificent black and white eagle plumes, with the large falling crest. -Seated on handsome saddlecloths of panther skin, lined with red, all had -the lower part of the body naked, with the exception of a long strip of -wolf skin passed over the shoulder. Their shields were ornamented with -feathers, and party coloured cloth. These men, thus accoutred, had -something grand and majestic about them which affected the imagination -and inspired terror. - -Many of them at once climbed the heights, lashing their wearied horses, -so to arrive sooner at the battlefield, while singing and uttering their -war cry. - -The contest seemed most obstinate in the neighbourhood of the -palisades; the two Mexicans and Curumilla, protected behind their -entrenchments, replied to the Apaches with a deadly fire, bravely -exciting each other to die weapons in hand. Several corpses already lay -on the plain; riderless horses galloped in every direction, and the -cries of the wounded were mingled with the yells of defiance of the -assailants. - -What we have described in so many words, Valentine and Don Pablo -perceived in a few seconds, with the infallible glance of men long -accustomed to prairie life. - -"Come, chief," the hunter said, quickly, "we must rejoin our friends; -help us; if not, they are lost." - -"Good," Black Cat answered; "the pale hunter will place himself, with -his friend, in the midst of my detachment; in a few minutes he will be -on the hill. Above all, the pale chief must leave me to act." - -"Do so; I trust entirely to you." - -Black Cat said a few words in a low voice to the warriors who -accompanied him; they at once collected round the two hunters, who -entirely disappeared in their midst. - -"Oh, oh," Don Pablo said, anxiously, "just look at this, my friend." - -Valentine smiled as he took his arm. - -"I have read the chief's intention," he said, "he is employing the only -way possible. Do not be alarmed, all is for the best." - -Black Cat placed himself at the head of his detachment, and gave a -signal. A fearful yell burst through the air--the Buffalo tribe had -sounded its war cry. The Apaches, carrying the two men with them, rushed -furiously toward the hill, and ere Valentine and Don Pablo knew what was -happening, they had rejoined their friends, and Black Cat's warriors -fled in every direction, as if a fearful panic had seized on them. - -Still the fight was not over; Stanapat's Indians rushed like tigers on -the palisades, and let themselves be killed without recoiling an inch. -The fight, if prolonged, must end fatally to the whites, whose strength -was becoming exhausted. Stanapat and Red Cedar understood this, and -hence redoubled their efforts to crush the enemy. - -Suddenly, at the moment when the Apaches rushed furiously against the -whites to attempt a final assault; the war cry of the Coras was heard, -mingled with the discharge of firearms. The Apaches were surprised, and -hesitated; Red Cedar looked around, and uttered a curse; the war cry of -the Comanches rose behind the camp. - -"Forward! Forward at all risks!" the squatter howled, as, followed by -his sons and some of his men, he rushed by toward the hill. - -But the scene had changed as if by enchantment. Black Cat, on seeing the -help that had arrived for his friends, effected a junction with Unicorn; -the united bands attacked the Apaches on the flank, while Moukapec, at -the head of two hundred picked warriors of his nation, rushed on their -rear. - -The flight began, and soon changed into a rout; Red Cedar, and a small -party of pirates collected around him, alone offered any resistance. -From assailants they had become assailed, and there must be an end to -it, or in a few minutes all would be over, as their retreat would be cut -off. - -"Hurrah!" Red Cedar shouted, as he waved his rifle over his head like a -mace; "Down with the dogs! Take their scalps!" - -"Take their scalps!" his companions exclaimed, imitating his movements, -and massacring all that opposed their passage. - -They had managed to clear a bloody way, and were slowly moving toward -the river, when a man boldly threw himself before Red Cedar--it was -Moukapec. - -"I bring you my scalp, dog of the palefaces!" he shouted, as he dealt a -blow at him with his tomahawk. - -"Thanks," the bandit answered, as he parried the blow. - -Eagle-wing bounded forward like a hyena, and before his enemy could -prevent it, buried his knife in his thigh. Red Cedar uttered a yell of -rage on feeling himself wounded, and drew his knife with one hand, while -with the other he seized the Indian by the throat. The latter felt that -he was lost; the blade flashed above his head, and was buried to the -hilt in his chest. - -"Ah! Ah!" Red Cedar grinned, as he let down his enemy who rolled on the -ground, "I fancy our accounts are settled this time." - -"Not yet," the Coras said, with a triumphant smile, and with a dying -effort he fired his rifle at the squatter. - -The latter let go his reins, and fell by the side of the Indian. - -"I die avenged," Eagle-wing said, as he writhed in a last convulsion. - -"Oh, I am not dead yet," Red Cedar replied, as he rose on one knee and -cleft the Indian's skull; "I shall escape, never fear." - -Red Cedar's shoulder was broken, still, thanks to the help of his -comrades, who did not give ground an inch, he was able to get on his -horse again, and Sutter and Nathan fastened him to the saddle. - -"Back! Back!" he shouted, "Else we are lost! Each man for himself!" - -The pirates obeyed him, and began flying in various directions, closely -followed by the Comanches and Coras. Still some managed to reach the -virgin forest, where they disappeared, others the river, which they -swam, Red Cedar being one of the former. Valentine and his friends, as -soon as they saw the issue of the fight, hastened to leave the hill of -the Mad Buffalo, and went down into the plain with the intention of -capturing Red Cedar; unfortunately they only arrived in time to see him -disappear in the distance; still, the unexpected result of the fight had -done them an immense service, not only by rescuing them from the false -position in which they were, but also by breaking up the league of the -Indian tribes, who, startled by the immense losses they had suffered, -would doubtless retire and leave the white men to settle their disputes -without interfering further in the quarrel. - -As for Red Cedar, his band was annihilated or, dispersed, while himself, -seriously wounded, was no longer to be feared. The capture of this man, -forced to wander like a wild beast over the prairie, only became a -question of time. Stanapat had also escaped with a few warriors, no one -knowing in what direction he had gone. - -The three united parties camped on the battlefield, according to their -custom. The Indians first occupied themselves with scalping the corpses -of their enemies. Singular to say, the victors had made no prisoners; -the fight had been so obstinate, that every man had only thought of -killing his enemy, instead of seizing him. Moukapec's body was raised -respectfully, and interred on the hill of Mad Buffalo, by the side of -the terrible chief who had first chosen the sepulchre. The sun set at -the moment when the last duties had been paid to the fallen warrior, and -the council fires were lighted. When all had taken their seats, and the -calumet had gone the round, Valentine rose. - -"Chiefs," he said, "my friends and I thank you for your generous efforts -in trying to deliver the prairies of the Far West from the bandit who -has so long desolated them; we are not merely pursuing an idle -vengeance, but a work of humanity; this villain dishonours the name of -man, and the race to which he belongs. At the present moment, of the -numerous bandits who accompanied him, few are left him. The band of the -malefactors, which was the terror of the prairies, no longer exists; and -their chief himself, I feel convinced, will soon fall into our power. -Be ready, when necessary, to help us, as you have done today; until -then, return to your villages, and believe that, far or near, we shall -retain the recollection of the services you have rendered us, and that, -in case of need, you can count on us as we have ever done on you." - -After uttering these words which the Indians applauded, Valentine sat -down again. There was a lengthened silence, employed by the Indians in -conscientiously smoking their calumets. Black Cat was the first to break -the silence. - -"Let my brothers listen," he said; "the words I utter are inspired by -the Master of Life; the cloud that obscured my mind has passed away -since my Coras and Comanche brothers, those two brave nations, have -restored me the place, to which I had a right, at their council fires. -Unicorn is a wise chief, his friendship is precious to me. I hope that -the Wacondah will never allow between him and me, or between my young -men and his, during the next thousand and fifty moons, the slightest -misunderstanding which may rupture the friendship existing at this -moment." - -Unicorn removed his pipe from his lips, bowed to Black Cat with a smile, -and answered-- - -"My brother Black Cat has spoken well; my heart quivered with joy on -hearing him. Why should we not be friends? Is not the prairie large -enough and wide enough for us? Are not the buffaloes sufficiently -numerous? Let my brothers listen: I seek around me in vain the war -hatchet; it is buried so deeply, that the sons and the grandsons of our -children will never succeed in digging it up." - -Other speeches were made by several chiefs, and the best intelligence -did not cease to reign between the allies. At daybreak, they separated -in the most cordial manner, each returning to his village. Valentine and -his party remained alone. White Gazelle was leaning pensively against -the trunk of a tree a few paces from them. - - - - -CHAPTER XI. - -IN THE FOREST. - - -Red Cedar, carried a long distance from the battlefield by the furious -galloping of his steed, which he had no longer the strength to control, -went on straight ahead, not knowing what direction he was following. In -this man, hitherto so firm, and who possessed so energetic a will, the -thoughts were overclouded as if by enchantment: the loss of blood, the -repeated jolts his horse gave him, had plunged him into a state of -insensibility. Had he not been so securely fastened to his saddle, he -would have fallen from it twenty times. - -He went on with hanging arms, body bent over his horse's neck, and eyes -half closed, hardly conscious of what happened to him, or trying to -discover. Shaken to the right, shaken to the left, he watched with -unmeaning eye the trees and rocks fly past on either side: no longer -thinking, but living in a horrible dream, a prey to the strangest and -wildest hallucinations. Night succeeded to day: his horse continued its -journey, bounding like a frightened jaguar over the obstacles that -opposed it, followed by a pack of howling coyotes, and seeking in vain -to get rid of the inert weight that oppressed it. - -At length the horse stumbled in the darkness, and fell to the ground, -uttering a plaintive neigh. Up to this moment Red Cedar had -preserved--we will not say a complete and clear knowledge of the -position in which he was--but at any rate a certain consciousness of the -life that still dwelt in him. When his exhausted horse fell, the bandit -felt a sharp pain in his head, and that was all; he fainted away while -stammering an imprecation, the last protest of the villain, who, to the -last moment, denied the existence of that God who smote him. - -When he re-opened his eyes, under the impression of an indefinable -feeling of comfort, the sun was shining through the tufted branches of -the forest trees, and the birds, concealed beneath the green foliage, -were singing their joyous concerts. Red Cedar gave vent to a sigh of -relief, and looked languidly around him; his horse was lying dead a few -paces from him. He was seated against the trunk of a tree, while Ellen, -kneeling by his side, was anxiously following the progress of his return -to life. - -"Oh, oh," the bandit muttered hoarsely, "I am still alive then." - -"Yes, thanks to God, father," Ellen answered softly. - -The bandit looked at her. - -"God!" he said, as if speaking to himself; "God!" he added with an -ironical smile. - -"He it was who saved you, father," the girl said. - -"Child!" Red Cedar muttered, as he passed his left hand over his -forehead; "God is only a word, never utter it again." - -Ellen drooped her head; but with the feeling of life pain returned. - -"Oh! How I suffer," he said. - -"You are dangerously wounded, father. Alas! I have done what I can to -relieve you; but I am only a poor ignorant girl, and perhaps what I have -attempted was not the right treatment." - -Red Cedar turned to her, and an expression of tenderness flashed in his -eyes. - -"You love me, then?" he said. - -"Is it not my duty to do so, father?" - -The bandit made no reply; the smile we know played round his Violet -lips. - -"Alas! I have been seeking you a long time, father; this night chance -enabled me to find you again." - -"Yes, you are a good girl, Ellen. I have only you left now. I know not -what has become of my sons. Oh," he said with a start of fury, "that -wretch Ambrosio is the cause of all; had it not been for him, I should -still be at the Paso del Norte, in the forests of which I had made -myself master." - -"Think no more of that, father; your condition demands the greatest -calmness; try and sleep for some hours--that will do you good." - -"Sleep," the bandit said, "can I sleep? No," he added with a movement of -repulsion, "I would sooner keep awake; when my eyes are closed, I -see.... No, no, I must not sleep." - -He did not finish his sentence. Ellen gazed on him with pity, mingled -with terror. The bandit, weakened by the loss of blood and the fever -produced by his wounds, felt something to which he had hitherto been a -stranger--it was fear. Perhaps his conscience evoked the gnawing remorse -of his crimes. - -There was a lengthened silence. Ellen attentively followed the bandit's -movements, whom the fever plunged into a species of somnolency, and who -at times started with inarticulate cries, and looking around him in -terror. Toward evening, he opened his eyes, and seemed to grow stronger: -his eyes were less haggard, his words more connected. - -"Thanks, child," he said, "you are a good creature; where are we?" - -"I do not know, father; this forest is immense. I tell you, again, it -was God who guided me to you." - -"No, you are mistaken, Ellen," he replied with that sarcastic smile -peculiar to him; "it was not God who brought you here, but the demon, -who feared the loss of so good a friend as I am." - -"Speak not so, father," the girl said sadly; "the night is rapidly -setting in darkness will soon surround us; let me on the contrary, pray -to Heaven to keep far from us the perils that threaten us during the -night." - -"Child! Does a night in the woods frighten you so, when your whole life -has been spent in the desert? Light a fire of dry wood to keep the wild -beasts at bay, and place my pistols near me, these precautions will be -better, believe me, than your useless prayers." - -"Do not blaspheme," the girl said hurriedly; "you are wounded, almost -dying; I am weak, and incapable of helping you effectually. Our life is -in the hands of Him whose power you deny in vain. He alone, if He will, -can save us." - -The bandit burst into a dry and snapping laugh. - -"Let Him do so then, in the demon's name, and I will believe in Him." - -"Father, in Heaven's name, speak not so," the maiden murmured in sorrow. - -"Do what I tell you, you little fool," the squatter interrupted her -brutally, "and leave me in peace." - -Ellen turned to wipe away the tears this harsh language forced from her, -and rose sorrowfully to obey Red Cedar, who looked after her. - -"Come, you goose," he said to her again, "I did not intend to hurt your -feelings." - -The girl then collected all the dry branches she could find, which she -made into a pile and kindled. The wood soon began cracking, and a long -and bright flame rose to the sky. She then took from his holsters the -squatter's still loaded pistols, placed them within reach of his arm, -and then seated herself again by his side. Red Cedar smiled his -satisfaction. - -"There," he said, "now we have nothing more to fear; if the wild beasts -pay us a visit, we will receive them; we will pass the night quietly. As -for the morrow, well, we shall see." - -Ellen, without replying, wrapped him up as well as she could in the -blankets and hides that were on the horse, in order to protect him from -the cold. So much attention and self-denial affected the bandit. - -"And you, Ellen," he asked her; "will you not keep a few of these skins -for yourself?" - -"Why should I, father? The fire will be enough for me," she said gently. - -"But, at any rate, eat something, you must be hungry; for, if I am not -mistaken, you have had nothing the whole day." - -"That is true, father, but I am not hungry." - -"No matter," he said, pressing her, "too long a fast may be injurious to -you; I insist on your eating." - -"It is useless, father," she said with some hesitation. - -"Eat, I say," he went on, "if not for your sake, for mine; eat a -mouthful to restore your strength, for we know what awaits us in the -next few hours." - -"Alas! I would readily obey you," she said, letting her eyes sink; "but -it is impossible." - -"And why so, pray? When I tell you that I insist." - -"Because I have nothing to eat." - -These words crushed the bandit like the blow of a club. - -"Oh, it is frightful," he muttered; "poor girl, pardon me Ellen, I am a -villain, unworthy of such devotion as yours." - -"Calm yourself, father, I implore you; I am not hungry, a night is soon -passed, and tomorrow, as you said, we shall see; but before then, I am -convinced God will come to our aid." - -"God!" the squatter exclaimed, gnashing his teeth. - -"God, ever God, father," the girl answered, with sparkling eye and -trembling lip; "God, ever; for, however unworthy we may be of His pity; -He is merciful, and perhaps will not abandon us." - -"Build then on him, fool as you are, and you will be dead in two days." - -"No," she exclaimed, joyfully, "for He has heard me, and sends us help." - -The bandit looked and fell back on the ground, closing his eyes, and -muttering in a hollow voice the words which for some time past had -constantly risen from his heart to his lips, and involuntarily mastered -him. - -"God! Can He exist?" - -A terrible question which he incessantly asked himself, and to which his -obstinate conscience was beginning to respond, for the granite coating -of his heart was beginning to crumble away beneath the repeated blows of -remorse. But Ellen did not notice Red Cedar's state of prostration, she -had risen and rushed forward, with outstretched arms, crying as loudly -as her voice permitted her--"Help, help!" - -The young girl had fancied she heard, for some minutes past, a peculiar -rustling in the foliage. This noise, at first remote and almost -unnoticeable, had rapidly approached; soon lights had glistened through -the trees, and the footsteps of a numerous party had distinctly smitten -her ear. In fact, she had scarce gone a dozen yards, ere she found -herself in the presence of a dozen mounted Indians, holding torches, and -escorting two persons wrapped in long cloaks. - -"Help! Help!" Ellen repeated, as she fell on her knees, with -outstretched arms. - -The horsemen stopped; one of them dismounted, and ran to the girl, whom -he took by the hands, and forced to rise. - -"Help for whom, my poor girl?" he asked her in a soft voice. - -On hearing the stranger's accent so full of tenderness, she felt hope -returning to her heart. - -"Oh!" she murmured with joy; "my father is saved." - -"Our life is in the hands of God," the stranger said, with emotion; -"but lead me to your father, and all a man can do to help him, I will." - -"It is God who sends you, bless you, my father!" the maiden said, as she -kissed his hand. - -In the movement he had made to raise her, the stranger's cloak flew -open, and the girl had recognised a priest. - -"Let us go," he said. - -"Come!" - -The girl ran joyously forward, and the little party followed her. - -"Father, father," she exclaimed, as she came near the wounded man, "I -was certain that Heaven would not abandon us; I bring you succour." - -At this moment the strangers entered the clearing where the bandit lay. -The Indians and the other travellers remained some paces in the rear, -while the priest, quickly approached Red Cedar, over whom he bent. At -his daughter's words the bandit opened his eyes, and turned his head -with an effort in the direction whence this unexpected help arrived. -Suddenly his face, before so pale, was covered with a cadaverous tinge; -his eyes were enlarged and became haggard, a convulsive quiver agitated -his limbs, and he fell heavily back, muttering with terror-- - -"Oh! Father Seraphin!" - -It was really the missionary; without appearing to remark the squatter's -emotion, he seized his arm in order to feel his pulse. Red Cedar had -fainted, but Ellen had heard the words he uttered, and though she could -not understand their meaning, she guessed that a terrible drama was -concealed beneath this revelation. - -"My father!" she exclaimed mournfully, as she fell at the priest's -knees, "My father, have pity on him, do not desert him!" - -The missionary smiled with an expression of ineffable goodness. - -"Daughter," he answered gently, "I am a minister of God, and the dress I -wear commands me to forget insults. Priests have no enemies, all men are -their brothers; reassure yourself, your father has not only his body to -be saved, but also, his soul. I will undertake this cure, and God, who -permitted me to take this road, will give me the necessary strength to -succeed." - -"Oh, thanks, thanks, holy father," the girl murmured, as she burst into -tears. - -"Do not thank me, poor girl; address your thanks to God, for He alone -has done all. Now leave me to attend to this unhappy man, who is -suffering, and whose miserable state claims all my care." - -And gently removing the maiden, Father Seraphin opened his medicine box, -which he took from the pommel of his saddle, and prepared to dress his -patient's wounds. In the meanwhile the Indians had gradually approached, -and seeing the state of affairs, they dismounted to prepare the -encampment, for they foresaw that, with Red Cedar in his present -condition, the missionary would pass the night at this spot. - -The person who accompanied Father Seraphin was a female of very advanced -age, but whose features, ennobled by years, had a far from common -expression of kindness and grandeur. When she saw that the missionary -was preparing to dress the wounds, she went up to him and said in a soft -voice-- - -"Can I not help you in any way, holy father? You know that I am anxious -to begin my apprenticeship in nursing." - -These words were uttered with an accent of indescribable goodness. The -priest looked at her with a sublime expression, and, taking her hand, he -made her stoop over the wounded man. - -"Heaven has decreed that what now happens should take place," he said to -her; "you have hardly landed in this country, and entered the desert to -seek your son, when the Omnipotent imposes on you a task which must -rejoice your heart by bringing you face to face with this man." - -"What do you mean, father?" she said with amazement. - -"Mother of Valentine Guillois," he continued, with an accent full of -supreme majesty, "look at this man well, so as to be able to recognise -him hereafter; it is Red Cedar, the wretch of whom I have so often -spoken to you, the implacable foe of your son." - -At this terrible revelation the poor woman gave a start of fear; but -surmounting with a superhuman effort the feeling of revulsion she had at -first experienced, she answered in a calm voice-- - -"No matter, father, the man suffers, and I will nurse him." - -"Good, Madam," the priest said, with emotion; "Heaven will give you -credit for this evangelic abnegation." - - - - -CHAPTER XII. - -THE MISSIONARY. - - -We will now briefly explain by what strange concourse of events Father -Seraphin, whom we have for so long a period lost out of sight, and -Valentine's mother, had arrived so providentially to help Red Cedar. - -When the missionary left the Trail-hunter, he proceeded, as he expressed -a wish, among the Comanches, with the intention of preaching the gospel -to them, a holy duty which he had begun to put in execution long before. -Father Seraphin, through his character and piety of manner, had made -friends of all these children of nature, and converted numerous -proselytes in various tribes, especially in Unicorn's. - -The journey was long and fatiguing to the Comanche village, and the -means of transport were, in a desert country, only traversed by nomadic -hordes, which wander without any settled purpose in these vast -solitudes. The missionary, however, did not recoil; too weak to ride on -account of the scarce cicatrised wound he had received a short time -previously, he had, like the first Fathers of the Church, bravely -undertaken this journey on foot, which it is almost impossible to -accomplish on horseback. - -But human strength has its limits, which it cannot go beyond. Father -Seraphin, in spite of his courage, was obliged tacitly to allow that he -had undertaken a task which he was too weak to carry out. One night he -fell, exhausted by fever and fatigue, on the floor of some Indians, who -nursed and brought him round. These Indians, who were half civilised, -and had been Christians for a long time, would not allow the priest, in -his present state of health, to continue his journey; on the contrary, -taking advantage of the fever which kept him down and rendered it -impossible for him to see what was done with him, they conveyed him -back, by slow stages, to Texas. - -When Father Seraphin, thanks to his youth and powerful constitution, had -at length conquered the malady which kept him confined to his bed for -more than a month between life and death, his surprise was great to find -himself at Galveston, in the house of the episcopal head of the Mission. -The worthy prelate, employing the spiritual powers given him by his -character and his title, had insisted on the missionary going on board -of a vessel just starting for Havre, and which was only waiting for a -favourable wind. - -Father Seraphin obeyed with sorrow the commands of his superior; the -Bishop was obliged to prove to him that his health was almost ruined, -and that his native air could alone restore it, ere he would resign -humbly to obedience, and, as he said bitterly, fly and abandon his post. -The missionary started then, but with the firm resolution of returning -so soon as it was possible. - -The voyage from Galveston to Havre was a pleasant one; two months after -leaving Texas, Father Seraphin set foot on his native soil, with an -emotion which only those who have wandered for a long time in foreign -parts can comprehend. Since accident brought him back to France, the -missionary profited by it to visit his family, whom he never expected to -see again, and by whom he was received with transports of joy, the -greater because his return was so unexpected. - -The life of a missionary is very hard; those who have seen them at work -in the great American desert can alone appreciate all the holy -abnegation and true courage there is in the hearts of these simple and -truly good men, who sacrifice their life, without the hope of possible -reward; in preaching to the Indians. They nearly all fall in some -obscure corner of the prairie, victims to their devotion, or if they -resist for five or six years, they return to their country prematurely -aged, almost blind, overwhelmed with infirmities, and forced to live a -miserable life among men who misunderstand and too often calumniate -them. - -Father Seraphin's time was counted, every hour he passed away from his -beloved Indians he reproached himself with as a robbery he committed on -them. He tore himself from his parent's arms, and hastened to Havre, to -profit by the first chance that presented itself for returning to Texas. - -One evening, while Father Seraphin was seated on the beach, -contemplating the sea that separated him from the object of his life, -and thinking of the proselytes he had left in America, and whom, -deprived of his presence, he trembled to find again, plunged in their -old errors--he heard sobs near him. He raised his head, and saw at some -paces from him a woman kneeling on the sand and weeping; from time to -time broken words escaped from her lips. Father Seraphin was affected by -this sorrow; he approached, and heard the words: "My son, my poor son! -Oh, Heaven restore me my son!" - -This woman's face was bathed in tears, her eyes were raised to Heaven, -and an expression of profound despair was imprinted on her countenance. -Father Seraphin understood with the instinct of his heart that there was -a great misfortune here that required unsolving, and addressed the -stranger. - -"Poor woman, what do you want here? Why do you weep? - -"Alas! Father," she answered, "I have lost all hope of being happy in -this world." - -"Who knows, madam? Tell me your misfortunes. God is great; perhaps He -will give me the power to console you." - -"You are right, father; God never deserts the afflicted, and it is above -all when hope fails them that He comes to their assistance." - -"Speak then with confidence." - -The strange woman began in a voice broken by the internal emotion which -she suffered. - -"For more than ten years," she said, "I have been separated from my son. -Alas! Since he went to America, in spite of all the steps I have taken, -I have never received news of him, or learned what has become of him, -whether he be dead or alive." - -"Since the period of which you speak, then, no sign, no information -however slight, has reassured you as to the fate of him you mourn?" - -"No, my father, since my son, the brave lad, determined to accompany his -foster-brother to Chili." - -"Well," the priest interrupted, "you might enquire in Chili." - -"I did so, father." - -"And learned nothing?" - -"Pardon me, my son's foster-brother is married, and possesses a large -fortune in Chili. I applied to him. My son left him about a year after -his departure from France, without telling him the motive that urged him -to act thus, and he never heard of him again, in spite of all his -efforts to find him; all that he discovered was that he had buried -himself in the virgin forests of the Great Chaco, accompanied by two -Indian chiefs." - -"It is, indeed, strange," the priest muttered thoughtfully. - -"My son's foster-brother frequently writes to me; thanks to him, I am -rich for a woman of my condition, who is accustomed to live on a little. -In each of his letters he begs me to come and end my days with him; but -it is my son, my poor child, I wish to see again; in his arms I should -like to close my eyes. Alas! That consolation will not be granted me. -Oh! Father, you cannot imagine what grief it is for a mother to live -alone, far from the only being who gave joy to her latter days. Though I -have not seen him for ten years, I picture him to myself as on the day -he left me, young and strong, and little suspecting that he was leaving -me forever." - -While uttering these words, the poor woman could not repress her tears -and sobs. - -"Courage! life is but one long trial; is you have suffered so greatly, -perchance God, whose mercy is infinite, reserves a supreme joy for your -last days of life." - -"Alas, father, as you know, nothing can console a mother for the absence -of her son, for he is her flesh, her heart. Every ship that arrives, I -run, I inquire, and ever, ever the same silence! And yet, shall I -confess it to you? I have something in me which tells me he is not dead, -and I shall see him again; it is a secret presentiment for which I -cannot account: I fancy that if my son were dead, something would have -snapped in my heart, and I should have ceased to exist long ago. That -hope sustains me, in spite of myself; it gives me the strength to live." - -"You are a mother in accordance with the gospel; I admire you." - -"You are mistaken, father; I am only a poor creature, very simple and -very unhappy; I have only one feeling in my heart, but it fills me -entirely: love of my son. Oh, could I see him, were it only for a -moment, I fancy I should die happy. At long intervals, a banker writes -me to come to him, and he pays me money, sometimes small sums, at others -large. When I ask him whence the money comes, he says that he does not -know himself, and that a strange correspondent has requested him to pay -it to me. Well, father, every time I receive money in this way, I fancy -that it comes from my son, that he is thinking of me, and I am happy." - -"Do not doubt that it is your son who sends you this money." - -"Is it not?" she said, with a start of joy. "Well, I feel so persuaded -of that, that I keep it; all the sums are at my house, intact, in the -order as I received them. Often, when grief crushes me more than usual, -when the weight that oppresses my heart seems to me too crushing, I look -at them, I let them slip through my fingers, as I talk to them, and I -fancy my son answers me; he bids me hope I shall see him again, and I -feel hope return. Oh! You must think me very foolish to tell you all -this, father: but of what can a mother speak, save of her son? Of what -can she think but her son?" - -Father Seraphin gazed on her with a tenderness mingled with respect. -Such grandeur and simplicity in a woman of so ordinary a rank overcame -him, and he felt tears running down his cheeks which he did not attempt -to check. - -"Oh, holy and noble creature!" he said to her; "Hope, hope; God watches -over you." - -"You believe so too, father? Oh, thanks for that. You have told me -nothing, and yet I feel comforted through having seen you and let my -heart overflow in your presence. It is because you are good, you have -understood my sorrow, for you, too, have doubtless suffered." - -"Alas; madam, each of us has a cross to bear in this world; happy is he -whom his burden does not crush." - -"Pardon my having troubled you with my sorrows," she said, as she -prepared to leave; "I thank you for your kind words." - -"I have nothing to pardon you; but permit me to ask you one more -question." - -"Do so, father." - -"I am a missionary. For several years I have been in America, whose -immense solitudes I have traversed in every direction. I have seen many -things, met many persons during my travels. Who knows? Perhaps, without -knowing it, I may have met your son, and may give the information you -have been awaiting so long in vain." - -The poor mother gave him a glance of indefinable meaning, and placed her -hand on her heart to still its hurried beating. - -"Madam, God directs all our actions. He decreed our meeting on this -beach; the hope you have lost I may perhaps be destined to restore you. -What is your son's name?" - -At this moment Father Seraphin had a truly inspired air; his voice was -commanding, and his eyes shone with a bright and fascinating fire. - -"Valentine Guillois!" the poor woman said, as she fell in almost a -fainting state on a log of wood left on the beach. - -"Oh!" the priest exclaimed; "On your knees and thank Heaven! Console -yourself, poor mother! Your son lives!" - -She drew herself up as if moved by a spring, and fell on her knees -sobbing, and held out her hands to the man who restored her son to her. - -But it was too much for her: so strong against grief, could not resist -joy: she fainted. Father Seraphin ran up to her and recalled her to -life. We will not describe the ensuing scene, but a week later the -missionary and the hunter's mother started for America. During the -voyage Father Seraphin fully described to his companion what had -happened to her son during his long absence, the reasons of his silence, -and the sacred remembrance in which he had ever held her. The poor -mother listened, radiant with happiness, to those stories, which she -begged to hear over and over again, for she was never tired of hearing -her son spoken of. - -On reaching Galveston, the missionary, justly fearing for her the -fatigues of a journey through the desert, wished to induce her to remain -in that city till her son came to her, but at that proposition the -mother shook her head. - -"No," she said, resolutely, "I have not come here to stop in a town: I -wish to spend the few days left me to live by his side; I have suffered -enough to be avaricious of my happiness, and desire not to lose an atom. -Let us go, father. Lead me to my child." - -Before a will so firmly expressed, the priest found himself powerless; -he did not recognise the right of insisting longer; he merely tried to -spare his companion the fatigue of his journey as far as possible. - -They, therefore, started for Galveston, proceeding by short stages to -the Far West. On reaching the border of civilised countries, Father -Seraphin took an escort of devoted Indians to protect his companion. -They had been in the desert for six days, when suddenly heaven brought -them face to face with Red Cedar, dying without help in the heart of the -primeval forest. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII. - -RETURN TO LIFE. - - -Charity is a virtue loudly preached in our age, but unfortunately -practised by few. The story of the good Samaritan finds but scanty -application in the Old World, and if we would discover charity exercised -sacredly and simply, as the gospel teaches, we must obtain our examples -from the deserts of the New World. - -This is sad to say, even more sad to prove, but mankind is not to blame -for it; the age alone must be held responsible for this egotism, which -has for some years past been planted in the heart of man, and reigns -there supreme. To two causes must be attributed the personalism and -egotism which crown the actions of the great human family in Europe; the -discovery of gold in California, Australia, and on Frazer River, and, -above all, the Stock Exchange. - -The Bourse is the scourge of the Old World; so soon as everybody fancied -that he was enabled to enrich himself between today and tomorrow, no one -thought any longer of his neighbour, who remained poor, save as being -incapable of ameliorating his position. The result is, that the men who -have the courage to leave the intoxicating maelstrom that surrounds -them, to despise those riches which flash around them, and go under the -impulse of Christian Charity, the holiest and least rewarded of all the -virtues, to bury themselves among savages, amid hordes most hostile to -every good and honourable feeling, in the most deadly countries--such -men, we say, who, impelled solely by a divine feeling, abandon all -earthly enjoyments, are chosen vessels, and in every respect deserve -well of humanity. - -Their number is much larger than might be supposed at the first blush, -and that is very logical; the passion for devotion must go side by side -with the thirst for gold, in order that the eternal balance of good and -evil which governs the world should remain in those equal proportions -which are conditions of its vitality and prosperity. - -Red Cedar's condition was serious; the moral commotion he underwent in -recognising the man whom he had once attempted to assassinate, had -brought on a frightful attack of delirium. The wretch, a prey to the -most gnawing remorse, was tortured by the hideous phantoms of his -victim, evoked by his diseased imagination, and which stalked round his -bed like a legion of demons. The night he passed was terrible. Father -Seraphin, Ellen, and Valentine's mother did not leave him for a second, -watching over him anxiously, and frequently compelled to struggle with -him in order to prevent him dashing his head against the trees, in the -paroxysms of the crisis that tortured him. - -Strange coincidence! The bandit had a similar wound in his shoulder to -the one he had formerly dealt the missionary, which had compelled the -latter to go and seek a cure in Europe, a voyage from which he had only -returned a few days, when Providence permitted him to find the man who -wished to assassinate him, lying almost dead at the foot of a tree. - -Towards day the crisis grew calmer, and the squatter fell into a species -of slumber, which deprived him of the faculties of feeling and -perception. No one else slept during this long and mournful night, spent -in the heart of the forest; and when Father Seraphin saw that Red Cedar -was calmer, he ordered the Indians to prepare a litter to receive him. -They were much disinclined to the task; they had known the squatter for -a lengthened period, and these primitive men could not understand why, -instead of killing him when chance threw him into his power, the -missionary lavished his assistance on such a villain, who had committed -so many crimes, and whose death would have been a blessing to the -prairie. It required all the devotion they had vowed to Father Seraphin -for them to consent to do, very unwillingly we allow, what he ordered -them. - -When the litter was, ready, dry leaves and grass were spread over it, -and the squatter was laid on this couch in an almost complete state of -insensibility. Before leaving the forest the missionary, who knew how -necessary it was to rekindle the drooping faith of the redskins, for the -sake of the patient, resolved to offer the holy sacrifice of mass. An -altar was improvised on a grassy mound, covered with a rag of white -cloth, and the mass was read, served by one of the Indians, who offered -his services spontaneously. - -Assuredly, in the large European cathedrals, beneath the splendid arches -of stone, blackened by time, to the imposing murmur of the organ -re-echoing through the aisles, the ceremonies of the faith are performed -with greater pomp; but I doubt whether they be so with more magnificent -simplicity, or are listened to with greater fervour than this mass, said -in the heart of a forest, accompanied by the striking melodies of the -desert, by the pale-browed priest, whose eyes glistened with a holy -enthusiasm, and who prayed for his assassin groaning at his feet. - -When mass was over, Father Seraphin gave a signal, four Indians raised -the litter on their shoulders, and the party set out, Ellen being -mounted on the horse of one of the bearers. The journey was long; the -missionary had left Galveston to go in search of Valentine, but a hunter -accustomed to traverse great distances, and whose life is made up of -incessant excursions, is very difficult to discover in the desert; the -missionary, therefore, decided on going to the winter village of the -Comanches, where he was certain to obtain precise information about the -man he wished to see. - -But his meeting with Red Cedar prevented him from carrying out this -plan; Unicorn and Valentine were too inveterate against the squatter for -the missionary to hope that they would consent to resign their -vengeance. The conjuncture was difficult; Red Cedar was a proscript in -the fullest sense of the term; one of those outlaws, whose number is -fortunately very limited, who have the whole human race as their foe, -and to whom every country is hostile. - -And yet this man must be saved; and after ripe reflection, Father -Seraphin's resolution was formed. He proceeded, followed by his whole -party, to the grotto where we have met him before, a grotto which often -served as the Trail-hunter's abode, but where, in all probability, he -would not be at this moment. Through an extraordinary chance, the -missionary passed unseen within a pistol shot of the spot where -Valentine and his friends were encamped. - -At sunset they prepared for passing the night; Father Seraphin removed -the bandage he had placed on Red Cedar's wounds, and dressed them: the -latter allowed it to be done, not seeming to notice that any attention -was being paid him; his prostration was extreme. The wounds were all -healthy; that on the shoulder was the worst, but all foreboded a speedy -recovery. - -When supper was over, prayers said, and the Indians, wrapped in their -blankets, were lying on the grass to rest from the fatigues of the day, -the missionary, after assuring himself that Red Cedar was quietly -sleeping, made a sign to the two women to come and sit by his side, near -the fire lit to keep off wild beasts. Father Seraphin was slightly -acquainted with Ellen; he remembered to have frequently met the girl, -and even conversed with her in the forest, at the period when her father -had so audaciously installed himself on Don Miguel Zarate's estates. - -Ellen's character had pleased him; he had found in her such simplicity -of heart and innate honour, that he frequently asked himself how so -charming a creature could be the daughter of so hardened a villain as -Red Cedar: this seemed to him the more incomprehensible, because the -girl must have needed a powerful character to resist the influence of -the evil examples she constantly had before her. Hence he had taken a -lively interest in her, and urged her to persevere in her good -sentiments. He had let her see that one day God would reward her by -removing her from the perverse medium in which fate had cast her, to -restore her to that great human family of which she was ignorant. - -When the two women were seated at his side, the missionary gave them, in -his gentle, sympathising way, a paternal admonition to support with -patience and resignation the tribulations Heaven sent on them; then he -begged Ellen to tell him in detail all that had occurred in the prairie -since his departure for France. The girl's narrative was long and sad, -and frequently interrupted by tears which she could not repress. -Valentine's mother shuddered on hearing things so extraordinary to her -described; heavy tears ran down her wrinkled cheek, and she crossed -herself, muttering compassionately-- - -"Poor child! What a horrible life." - -For, in truth Ellen was describing, her life; she had witnessed and -suffered from all these terrors, all these atrocities, whose sinister -and bloody images she unrolled before her hearers. When the story was -ended she buried her face in her hands and wept silently, crushed by the -revival of such poignant sorrows and the re-opening of still bleeding -wounds. The missionary gave her a long look, stamped with gentle pity. -He took her hand, pressed it, and bending over her, said with an accent -of kindness which went straight to her heart-- - -"Weep, poor girl, for you have suffered terribly; weep, but be strong; -God, who tries you, doubtless reserves for you other blows more terrible -than those which have fallen on you; do not try to repulse the cup which -is brought to your lips; the more you suffer in this life, the more -happy and glorified you will be in another. If God chastise you, a poor -stainless lamb, it is because He loves you; happy those whom He thus -chastises! Derive your strength from prayer, for that elevates the soul, -and renders it better; do not yield to despair, for that is a suggestion -of the demon who renders man rebellious to the teaching of Providence. -Think of your divine Master, remember all He suffered for us; thus you -will recognise how little your sorrows are when compared with His, and -you will hope; for Providence is not blind; when it weighs heavily on a -creature, it is preparing to reward her a hundredfold for past -sufferings." - -"Alas, father," Ellen replied, sorrowfully, "I am only a miserable -child, without strength or courage; the burden laid on me is very heavy; -still, if it be the will of the Lord that it should be so, may His holy -name be blessed! I will try to stifle the feelings of revolt which are -at times a wound in my heart, and struggle without complaining against -the fate that overwhelms me." - -"Good, my sister, good," the priest said; "the great God, who searches -all hearts, will have pity on you." - -He then made her rise, and led her a short distance to a spot where a -bed of dry leaves had been prepared by his care. - -"Try and sleep, my child," he said; "fatigue is crushing you; a few -hours' rest is indispensable for you." - -"I will strive to obey you, father." - -"May the angels watch over your slumbers, my child," the priest replied; -"and may the Almighty bless you, as I do." - -Then he returned slowly and thoughtfully to Valentine's mother. There -was a long silence, during which the missionary reflected deeply; at -length he said-- - -"Madam, you have heard this poor girl's narrative; her father was -wounded when fighting with your son. Valentine, I feel assured, is not -far from us; still, the man we have saved claims all our care, and we -must watch that he does not fall into the hands of his enemies, I -therefore ask you to delay awhile in rejoining your son, for Red Cedar -must be placed in safety. Above all, I implore you to maintain the -deepest silence as to the events of which you have been and will be a -witness. Forgive me, but I implore you to delay the time of your -meeting." - -"Father," she said, spontaneously, "for ten years, without despairing -for a day or a moment, I have been patiently awaiting the hour which -will rejoin me to my beloved son. Now that I am certain of seeing him -again, that no doubt as to his existence dwells in my heart, I can wait -a few days longer. I should be ungrateful to God and to you, who have -done so much for me, if I insisted on the contrary course. Act as your -charity and your devotion impel you to do; fulfil your duty without -troubling yourself about me; God has willed it that we should come -across this man. The ways of Providence are often incomprehensible; obey -it by saving him, however unworthy he may be of pardon." - -"I expected your answer: still, I am pleased to see that you confirm me -in what I intend to do." - -The next morning, at daybreak, they started again, after saying prayers -together, according to the custom established by the missionary. Red -Cedar was still in the same state of prostration, and the two following -days passed without any incident worthy of recording. At the evening of -the third day they entered the defile, in the centre of which, on one of -the mountain sides facing it; the cavern was. Red Cedar was carried up -to it cautiously, and placed in one of the distant compartments, far -from all external sounds, and so as to be concealed from the sight of -any strangers whom accident might lead to the cavern while he was in it. - -It was with a feeling of indescribable joy that Valentine's mother -entered the grotto which served as an abode to that son whom she had -been so long afraid she should never see again, and her emotion was -extreme on finding a few valueless articles used by Valentine. The -worthy woman, so truly a mother, shut herself up alone in the -compartment which the hunter had made his sleeping room, and there, face -to face with her reminiscences; she remained for several hours absorbed -in herself. - -The missionary pointed to each the room they would occupy; he left his -comrades to their repose, and sat down by the side of the wounded man, -where Ellen already was installed as nurse. - -"Why do you not sleep, my child?" he asked her. - -Ellen pointed to the sufferer with a gesture full of nobility. - -"Let me watch over him," she said; "he is my father." - -The missionary smiled softly and withdrew. At daybreak he returned. Red -Cedar, on hearing him come, gave vent to a sigh, and rose with -difficulty on his bed. - -"How are you, brother?" the missionary asked, in his gentle voice. - -A febrile flush covered the bandit's face, a cold perspiration beaded on -his temples, his eyes flashed, and he said in a low voice, broken by the -extreme emotion that oppressed him-- - -"Father, I am a wretch unworthy of your pity." - -"My son," the priest answered gently, "you are a poor straying creature, -on whom I doubt not God will have pity, if your repentance be sincere." - -Red Cedar let his eyes sink; a convulsive movement agitated his limbs. - -"Father," he muttered, "would you teach me how to make the sign of the -cross?" - -At this strange request in the mouth of such a man, Father Seraphin -clasped his hands fervently, and raised his eyes to Heaven with an -expression of sublime gratitude. Was the evil angel defeated? Or was it -a farce played by this perverse man to deceive his saviour, and by these -means escape the numerous enemies that sought his death? - -Alas! Man is so extraordinary a composite of good and evil, that perhaps -at this moment, and in spite of himself, Red Cedar was acting in good -faith. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV. - -AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE OF THE READER. - - -After the fight, when Black Cat's Apaches had retired on one side, and -Unicorn's Comanches on the other, each detachment proceeding in the -direction of the village, and the hunters were alone on the prairie, -Valentine perceived White Gazelle leaning pensively against a tree, and -absently holding the bridle of her horse, which was nibbling the grass. -The hunter understood that he and his comrades owed a reparation to this -girl, whose incomprehensible devotion had been so useful to them during -the moving incidents of the tragedy which had just ended. He therefore -went up to her, and bowing courteously, said in a gentle voice-- - -"Why remain thus aloof? Your place is by our side; hobble your horse -with ours, and come to our fireside." - -White Gazelle blushed with pleasure at Valentine's words, but after a -moment's reflection, she shook her head, and gave him a sorrowful look, -as she said: - -"Thanks, caballero, for the offer you deign to make me, but I cannot -accept it; if you and your friends are generous enough to forget all -that there was reprehensible in my conduct towards you, my memory is -less complaisant; I must, I will requite by other services more -effectual than those I have rendered you today, the faults I have -committed." - -"Madam," the hunter replied, "the feelings you express do you only more -harm in our eyes; hence do not refuse our invitation. As you know, we -have no right to be very strict on the prairie; it is rare to meet -persons who repair so nobly as you have done any error they may commit." - -"Do not press me, caballero, for my resolve is unchangeable," she said -with an effort, as she looked in the direction of Don Pablo. "I must -depart, leave you at once, so permit me to do so." - -Valentine bowed. - -"Your wish is to me an order," he said; "you are free; I only desired to -express my gratitude to you." - -"Alas! We have done nothing as yet, since our most cruel enemy, Red -Cedar, has escaped." - -"What?" the hunter asked in astonishment; "is Red Cedar your enemy?" - -"A mortal one," she said, with an expression of terrible hatred. "Oh! I -can understand that you, who have hitherto seen me aid him in his -designs, cannot conceive such a change. Listen: at the period when I -tried to serve that villain, I only believed him to be one of the -bandits so common in the Far West." - -"While now?" - -"Now," she went on, "I know something I was ignorant of then, and have -a terrible account to settle with him." - -"Far from me be any wish to pry into your secrets; still, permit me to -make one observation." - -"Pray do so." - -"Red Cedar is no common enemy--one of those men who can be easily -overcome. You know that as well as I do, I think?" - -"Yes, what then?" - -"Would you hope to succeed in what men like myself and my friends, and -aided by numerous warriors, could not achieve?" - -White Gazelle smiled. - -"Perhaps so," she said; "I too have allies, and I will tell you who they -are, if you wish to know, caballero." - -"Pray tell me, for really your calmness and confidence startle me." - -"Thanks, caballero, for the interest you feel for me; the first ally on -whom I build is yourself." - -"That is true," the hunter said with a bow; "if my feelings toward you -did not promote the alliance, my duty and self-interest would command -it. And can you tell me the name of the other?" - -"Certainly, the more so as you know him: the other is Bloodson." - -Valentine gave a start of surprise, which he immediately checked. - -"Pardon me," he said politely; "but you really have the privilege of -surprising me inordinately." - -"How so, caballero?" - -"Because I fancied that Bloodson was one of your most bitter enemies." - -"He was so," she said, with a smile. - -"And now?" - -"Now, he is my dearest friend." - -"This goes beyond me. And when was this extraordinary change effected?" - -"Since the day," the girl cleverly replied, "when Red Cedar, instead of -being my friend, suddenly became my enemy." - -Valentine let his arms fall, like a man who gives up in despair -attempting to solve a riddle. - -"I do not understand you," he said. - -"You will soon do so," she answered. - -She bounded into her saddle, and leaning over to Valentine said-- - -"Good bye, caballero; I am going to join Bloodson; we shall meet again -soon." - -She dug her spurs into her horse's flanks, waved her hand once again, -and soon disappeared in a cloud of dust. - -Valentine thoughtfully rejoined his friends. - -"Well?" Don Miguel said. - -"Well!" he replied, "that woman is the most extraordinary creature I -ever met." - -On getting out of sight of the hunters, White Gazelle checked her horse, -and let it assume a pace better suited for those precautions every -traveller must take on the prairie. The girl was happy at this moment; -she had succeeded not only in saving the man she loved from a terrible -danger, but had also restored her character in Valentine's sight. Red -Cedar, it was true, had escaped; but this time the lesson had been rude, -and the bandit, everywhere tracked like a wild beast, must speedily fall -into the hands of those who had an interest in killing him. - -She rode along carelessly, admiring the calmness of the prairie and the -play of the sunshine on the foliage. Never had the desert appeared to -her so glorious--never had greater tranquillity reigned in her mind. The -sun, now declining, exaggerated the shadow thrown by the tall trees; the -birds, hidden beneath the dense verdure, were singing their evening hymn -to the Almighty; when she fancied she saw a man half reclining on the -slope of one of those numberless ditches dug by the heavy winter rain. -This man, by whose side a horse was standing, was apparently absorbed in -an occupation which the girl could not understand, but which puzzled her -extremely. Although she rode up quickly, the individual did not put -himself out of the way, but calmly continued his incomprehensible task. - -At length she was opposite him, and could not restrain a cry of -astonishment as she stopped to look at him. The man was playing alone at -_monte_ (the Mexican lansquenet) with a pack of greasy cards. This -appeared to her so extraordinary that she burst into a loud laugh, and -at the sound the man raised his head. - -"Aha!" he said, not appearing at all surprised, "I felt certain someone -would arrive; that is infallible in this blessed land." - -"Nonsense," the girl said, with a laugh; "do you believe it?" - -"_Canarios!_ I am sure of it," the other answered; "and you are a proof -of it, since here you are." - -"Explain yourself, my master, I beg, for I confess that I do not -understand you the least in the world." - -"I thought so," the stranger said, with a toss of his head, "but for all -that, I stick to my assertion." - -"Very well; but be good enough to explain yourself more clearly." - -"Nothing is easier, senor caballero. I come from Jalapa, a town you must -know." - -"Yes, through the medicinal productions that owe their name to it." - -"Very good," the other said, with a laugh; "but that does not prevent -Jalapa being a very nice town." - -"On the contrary; but go on." - -"I will. You will be aware then that we have a proverb at Jalapa." - -"May be so; in fact, there is nothing surprising about the fact." - -"True again; but you do not know the proverb, eh?" - -"No, I am waiting for you to quote it." - -"Here it is; 'If you wish for your company, deal the cards.'" - -"I do not understand." - -"Why, nothing is easier, as you shall see." - -"I wish for nothing better," the girl said, who was extraordinary amused -by this conversation. - -The stranger rose, placed the cards in his pocket with the respect every -professional gambler shews to this operation, and, carelessly leaning on -the neck of the girl's horse, he said: - -"Owing to reasons too long to narrate, I find myself alone, lost in this -immense prairie which I do not know, I an honest inhabitant of towns, -not at all conversant with the manners and habits of the desert, and -consequently exposed to die of hunger." - -"Pardon me for interrupting you; I would merely observe that as we are -some three hundred miles from the nearest town, you, the civilised man, -must have been wandering about the desert for a considerable length of -time." - -"That is true: what you say could not be more correct, comrade, but that -results from what I mentioned just now, and which would take too long to -tell you." - -"Very good; go on." - -"Well, finding myself lost, I remembered the proverb of my country, and -taking the cards from my _alforjas_, though I was alone, I began -playing, feeling certain that an adversary would soon arrive, not to -take a hand, but to get me out of my trouble." - -White Gazelle suddenly reassumed her seriousness, and drew herself up in -her saddle. - -"You have won the game," she said; "for, as you see, Don Andres Garote, -I have come." - -On hearing his name pronounced, the ranchero, for it was really our old -acquaintance, suddenly raised his head, and looked the speaker in the -face. - -"Who are you, then," he said, "who know me so well, and yet I do not -remember ever having met you?" - -"Come, come," the girl said with a laugh, "your memory is short, master: -what, do you not remember White Gazelle?" - -At this name the ranchero started back. - -"Oh, I am a fool: it is true; but I was so far from supposing--pardon -me, senorita." - -"How is it," White Gazelle interrupted him, "that you have thus deserted -Red Cedar?" - -"Caramba!" the ranchero exclaimed; "say that Red Cedar has deserted me; -but it is not that which troubles me; I have an old grudge against -another of my comrades." - -"Ah?" - -"Yes, and I should like to avenge myself, the more so, because I -believe that I have the means in my hands at this moment." - -"And who is that friend?" - -"You know him as well as I do, senorita?" - -"That is possible; but, unless his name be a secret--" - -"Oh, no," the ranchero quickly interrupted her, "the man I mean is Fray -Ambrosio." - -The girl, at this name, began to take a great interest in the -conversation. - -"Fray Ambrosio!" she said, "What charge have you to bring against that -worthy man?" - -The ranchero looked the girl in the face to see if she were speaking -seriously; but White Gazelle's face was cold and stern; he tossed his -head. - -"It is an account between him and me," he said, "which heaven will -decide." - -"Very good; I ask for no explanation, but, as your affairs interest me -very slightly, and I have important matters of my own to attend to, you -will permit me to retire." - -"Why so?" the ranchero asked quickly; "we are comfortable together, then -why should we separate?" - -"Because, in all probability, we are not going the same road." - -"Who knows, Nina, whether we are not destined to travel in company since -I have met you?" - -"I am not of that opinion. I am about to join a man whom I fancy you -would not at all like to meet face to face." - -"I don't know, Nina," the ranchero answered, with considerable -animation; "I want to revenge myself on that accursed monk called Fray -Ambrosio; I am too weak to do so by myself, or, to speak more correctly, -too great a coward." - -"Very good," the girl exclaimed, with a smile; "then how will you manage -that your vengeance does not slip from you?" - -"Oh, very simply; I know a man in the desert who detests him mortally, -and would give a great deal to have sufficient proofs against him, for, -unfortunately, that man has the failing of being honest." - -"Indeed." - -"Yes, what would you have? No man is perfect." - -"And who is this man?" - -"Oh, you never heard of him, Nina." - -"How do you know? At any rate you can tell me his name." - -"As you please; he is called Bloodson." - -"Bloodson?" she exclaimed, with a start of surprise. - -"Yes--do you know him?" - -"Slightly; but go on." - -"That is all; I am looking for this man." - -"And you have, you say, in your possession the means of destroying Fray -Ambrosio?" - -"I believe so." - -"What makes you suppose it?" - -The ranchero shrugged his shoulders significantly; White Gazelle gave -him one of those profound glances which read the heart. - -"Listen," she said to him, as she laid her hand on his shoulder; "I can -help you to find the man you seek." - -"Bloodson?" - -"Yes." - -"Are you speaking seriously?" the gambusino asked, with a start of -surprise. - -"I could not be more serious; still, I must be sure that your statement -is true." - -Andres Garote looked at her. - -"Do you also owe Fray Ambrosio a grudge?" he asked her. - -"That does not concern you," she answered; "we are not talking of -myself, but of you. Have you these proofs? Yes, or no." - -"I have them." - -"Truly?" - -"On my honour." - -"Follow me, then, and within two hours you shall see Bloodson." - -The ranchero quivered, and a smile of joy lit up his bronzed countenance -as he leaped on his horse. - -"Let us be off," he said. - -In the meanwhile, day had surrendered to night, the sun had long been -set, and an immense number of stars studded the heavenly vault; the -travellers rode on silently side by side. - -"Shall we soon arrive?" Andres Garote asked. - -White Gazelle stretched out her arm in the direction they were -following, and pointed at a light flashing a short distance off through -the trees. - -"There it is," she said. - - - - -CHAPTER XV. - -CONVALESCENCE. - - -Red Cedar recovered but slowly in spite of the constant attention shown -him by Father Seraphin, Ellen, and the hunter's mother. The moral shock -the bandit had received on finding himself face to face with the -missionary had been too powerful not to have a serious effect on his -constitution. Still, the squatter had not relapsed since the day when, -on returning to life, he had humbly bowed before the man of God. Whether -it was true repentance, or a part he played, he had persevered on this -path, to the edification of the missionary and the two women, who never -ceased to thank Heaven from their hearts for this change. - -So soon as he could rise and take a few steps in the cavern, Father -Seraphin, who constantly feared Valentine's arrival, asked him what his -intentions were for the future, and what mode of life he proposed -adopting. - -"Father," the squatter answered, "henceforth I belong to you: whatever -you counsel me, I will do; still, I would remind you that I am a species -of savage, whose whole life has been spent in the desert. Of what use -should I be in a town among people whose habits or characters I should -not understand?" - -"That is true," the priest said; "and then, without resources as you -are, old and ignorant of any other labour than that of a wood ranger, you -would only lead a miserable existence." - -"That would prove no obstacle, father, were it an expiation for me; but -I have too deeply offended ever to return among them; I must live and -die in the desert, striving to requite, by an old age exempt from blame, -the faults and crimes of a youth which I hold in horror." - -"I approve your design, for it is good; grant me a few days for -reflection, and I will find you the means to live as you propose." - -The conversation broke off here, and a month elapsed ere the missionary -made any further allusion to it. The squatter had always shown Ellen a -certain coarse and rough friendship, perfectly harmonising with the -coarseness and brutality of his character; but since he had been able to -appreciate the girl's utter devotion, and the self-denial she had -displayed for his sake, a species of revolution had taken place in him; -a new feeling was awakened in his heart, and he began loving this -charming creature with all the strength of his soul. - -This brutal man suddenly grew softer at the sight of the girl; a flash -of joy shot from his savage eyes, and his mouth, habituated to curses, -opened gladly to utter gentle words. Frequently, when seated on the -mounted slope, near the cavern, he talked with her for hours, taking an -infinite delight in hearing the melodious sound of that voice whose -charms he had hitherto been ignorant of. - -Ellen, hiding her sorrows, feigned a delight which was far from her -mind, not to sadden the man she regarded as her father, and who seemed -so happy at seeing her by his side. Certainly, if anyone at this moment -had an ascendency over the old pirate's mind, and could bring him back -to the right path, it was Ellen. She knew it, and used the power she had -acquired cleverly, to try and convert this man, who had only been a -species of evil genius to humanity. - -One morning, when Red Cedar, almost entirely cured of his wounds, was -taking his accustomed walk, leaning on Ellen's arm, Father Seraphin, who -had been absent for two days, stood before him. - -"Ah, it is you, father," the squatter said on seeing him; "I was alarmed -at your absence, and am glad to see you back." - -"How are you?" the missionary asked. - -"I should be quite well if I had entirely recovered my strength, but -that will soon return." - -"All the better; for if my absence was long, you were to some extent the -cause of it." - -"How so?" the squatter asked, curiously. - -"You remember you expressed a desire some time back to live in the -prairie?" - -"I did." - -"It appears to me very prudent on your part, and will enable you to -escape the pursuit of your enemies." - -"Believe me, father," Red Cedar said, gravely, "that I have no desire to -escape those I have offended. If my death could recall the crimes of -which I have been guilty, I would not hesitate to sacrifice my life to -public justice." - -"I am happy, my friend, to find you imbued with these good sentiments; -but I believe that God, who in no case desires the death of a sinner, -will be more satisfied to see you repair, by an exemplary life, as far -as in your power, all the evil you have done." - -"I belong to you, father; whatever you advise me will be an order to me, -and I will obey it gladly. Since Providence has permitted me to meet -you, I have understood the enormity of my crimes. Alas! I am not alone -responsible for them: never having had any but evil examples before me, -I did not know the difference between good and evil. I believed that all -men were wicked, and only acted as I did because I considered I was -legitimately defending myself." - -"Now that your ear is open to the truth, your mind is beginning to -understand the sublime precepts of the gospel. Your road is ready -traced; henceforth you will only have to persevere in the path on which -you have so freely entered." - -"Alas!" the squatter muttered, with a sigh, "I am a creature so unworthy -of pardon, that I fear the Almighty will not take pity on me." - -"Those words are an insult to Deity," the priest said, severely; -"however culpable a sinner may be, he must never despair of the divine -clemency; does not the gospel say, there is more joy in heaven over one -sinner that repenteth, than over ten just men who have persevered?" - -"Forgive me, father." - -"Come," the missionary said, changing his tone, "let us return to the -matter which brings me to you. I have had built for you, a few leagues -from here, in a delicious situation, a jacal, in which you can live, -with your daughter." - -"How kind you are, father," the squatter said, warmly; "how much -gratitude I owe you." - -"Do not speak of that; I shall be sufficiently recompensed if I see you -persevere in your repentance." - -"Oh, father, believe that I detest and hold in horror my past life." - -"I trust that it may ever be so. This jacal, to which I will take you so -soon as you please, is situated in a position which renders it almost -impossible to discover. I have supplied it with the articles requisite -for your life; you will find there food to last several days, arms and -gunpowder to defend you, if attacked by wild beasts, and to go hunting -with; I have added nets, beaver traps--in a word, everything required by -a hunter and trapper." - -"Oh, how kind you are, father," Ellen said with tears of joy in her -eyes. - -"Nonsense, say nothing about that," the missionary remarked, gaily; "I -have only done my duty. As a further security, and to avoid any possible -indiscretion, I have not told the secret of your retreat to any one: the -jacal was built by my own hands, without the assistance of a stranger. -You can, therefore, feel certain that no one will trouble you in the -hermitage." - -"And when can I go to it, father?" - -"Whenever you please; all is ready." - -"Ah, if I did not fear appearing ungrateful, I would say I will go at -once." - -"Do you think you are strong enough to undertake a journey of fifteen -leagues?" - -"I feel extraordinarily strong at this moment, father." - -"Come, then; for had you not made the proposition, I intended to do -so." - -"In that case, father, all is for the best; and you are not vexed to see -me so anxious to leave you, father." - -"Not at all, be assured." - -While talking thus, the three persons had descended the mountainside, -and reached the ravine, where horses were awaiting them, held by an -Indian. - -"In the desert," the missionary said, "it is almost impossible to do -without horses, owing to the great distance one has to go; you will -therefore oblige me by keeping these." - -"It is too much, father, you really overwhelm me with kindness." - -Father Seraphin shook his head. - -"Understand me, Red Cedar," he said; "in all I do for you there is far -more calculation than you suppose." - -"Oh!" Red Cedar said. - -"Calculation in a good action!" Ellen exclaimed, incredulously; "you -must be jesting, father." - -"No, my child, I speak seriously, and you will understand; I have tried -to regulate your father's life so well, place him so thoroughly in a -condition to become a brave and honest hunter, that it will be -impossible for him to find the slightest pretext for returning to his -old errors, and all the fault will attach to him if he does not -persevere in the resolution he has formed of amendment." - -"That is true," Red Cedar answered; "well, father, I thank you for this -calculation, which makes me the happiest of men, and proves to me that -you have confidence in me." - -"Come, come, to horse!" - -They started. - -Red Cedar inhaled the air deliciously; he felt born again, he was once -more free. The missionary examined him curiously, analysing the feelings -which the squatter experienced, and trying to form some opinion of the -future from what he saw. Red Cedar understood instinctively that he was -watched by his comrade; hence, to deceive him as to his feelings, he -burst out into a loud expression of his gratitude, part of which was -certainly true, but which was too noisy not to be exaggerated. The -missionary pretended to be taken in by this device, and talked -pleasantly throughout the ride. - -About six hours after leaving the cave, they reached the jacal. It was a -pretty little hut of interlaced reeds, divided into several rooms, with -a corral behind for the horses. Nothing was wanting; hidden in the -bottom of a valley, very difficult to approach, it stood on the bank of -a small stream that flowed into the Gila. In a word, the position of -this wild abode was delightful, and nothing was more easy than to be -perfectly happy in it. - -When the travellers had dismounted, and led their horses into this -corral, Father Seraphin went over the jacal with his two _proteges_. All -was as he had stated; and if there was not much to increase comfort, at -any rate everything strictly necessary had been provided. Ellen was -delighted, and her father pretended, perhaps, to be more so than he -really was. After spending an hour with them Father Seraphin took leave -of the squatter and his daughter. - -"Will you leave us, already, father?" Ellen said. - -"I must, my child; you know that my time is not my own," he answered, as -he leaped on his horse, which the squatter brought him. - -"But I hope," Red Cedar said, "that your absence will not be long, and -that you will remember this jacal, where two persons live who owe their -all to you." - -"I wish to leave you at liberty. If I visited you too frequently, you -might see in that a species of inquisition, and that impression would -annoy you; still I will come, do not doubt it." - -"You can never come too often, father," they both said, as they kissed -his hands. - -"Farewell, be happy," the missionary said, tenderly; "you know where to -find me, if you have need of consolation or help. Come to me, and I -shall be ever ready to help you to the extent of my ability: little -though I can do, God, I feel convinced, will bless my efforts. -Farewell." - -After uttering these words, the missionary set spurs to his horse, and -trotted away. - -Red Cedar and his daughter looked after him so long as they could see -him, and when he disappeared in the chaparral, on the other side of the -stream, they gave vent to a sigh, and entered the jacal. - -"Worthy and holy man!" the squatter muttered, as he fell into a butaca. -"Oh! I will not crush the hopes he has built on my conversion!" - -At this moment Red Cedar was not playing a farce. - - - - -CHAPTER XVI. - -AN ACCOMPLICE. - - -Red Cedar accustomed himself more easily than his daughter thought -possible, to the life prepared for him. After all, no change had taken -place in his existence; with the exception of the mode of procedure, it -was still the same labour, that is to say, a desert life in all its -splendid liberty; hunting and fishing, while Ellen remained at home to -attend to household duties. At night, however, before retiring to rest, -the girl read her father a chapter from a Bible Father Seraphin had -given her. The squatter, with his elbow on the table, and a pipe in his -mouth, listened to her with an attention that surprised himself, and -which each day only increased. - -It was an exquisite picture presented in this obscure nook of the great -American desert, amid this grand scenery, in this wretched hut, which -the slightest breath of wind caused to tremble, by this athletic old -man, with his energetic and stern features, listening to this palefaced -and delicate girl, whose fine features and shadowy outline formed so -strong a contrast with those of her hearer. - -It was the same life every day; the squatter was happy, or, at least, -fancied himself so; like all men whose life has been but one long drama, -and who are made for action, recollections held but little place in him; -he forgot, and fancied himself forgotten. - -Ellen suffered, for she was unhappy; this existence, with no outlet and -no future, was full of disenchantment for her, as it condemned her to -renounce for ever that supreme blessing of every human creature, hope. -Still, through fear of afflicting her father, she carefully shut up in -her heart her sorrow, and only displayed a smiling face in his presence. -Red Cedar yielded more and more to the charms of a life which was -pleasant to him. If, at times, the recollection of his sons troubled the -repose in which he lived, he looked at his daughter, and the sight of -the angel he possessed, and who had devoted herself to his happiness, -drove any other thoughts far away. - -In the meanwhile, Father Seraphin visited the tenants of the jacal -several times; and if satisfied with the resignation with which the -squatter accepted his new position, the dull sorrow that undermined the -maiden had not escaped his clear-sighted glance. His experience of the -world told him that a girl of Ellen's age could not thus spend her -fairest years in solitude, without contact with society. Unfortunately, -a remedy was difficult, if not impossible, to find; the good missionary -did not deceive himself on this point, and understood that all the -consolations he lavished on the maiden, were thrown away, and that -nothing could effectually combat the listlessness into which she had -fallen. - -As always happens in such cases, Red Cedar did not in the slightest -degree suspect his daughter's grief; she was gentle, affectionate, -attentive to him; he profited by it all, finding himself perfectly -happy, and in his egotism, not seeing further. The days slipped away, -each resembling the other; in the meanwhile, the winter came on, game -became rarer, and Red Cedar's absences from home grew longer. Around the -tops of the mountains were collected the grayish clouds, which daily -descended lower, and would eventually burst over the prairie in the -shape of rain and snow. - -Winter is a terrible season in the Far West: all scourges combine to -assail the unhappy man whom his evil destiny has cast into these -disinherited countries without the means to brave their frightful -climate, and, victim to his want of foresight, he presently dies of -hunger and misery, after enduring inconceivable tortures. Red Cedar knew -the Far West too long and too thoroughly not to perceive the arrival of -this season with a species of terror; hence he sought, by all possible -means, to procure the necessary provisions and indispensable furs. - -Rising at daybreak, he galloped over the prairie, exploring it in every -direction, and not returning home till night compelled him to give up -the chase. But, as we have said, game was becoming more and more rare, -and consequently his journeys longer. - -One morning Red Cedar rose earlier than usual, left the jacal -noiselessly for fear of waking his daughter, saddled his horse, and -started at a gallop. He had found, on the previous evening, the trail of -a magnificent black bear, which he had followed to within a short -distance of the cave to which it retired, and he intended to attack it -in its lair. To do that, he must make haste, for the bear is not like -other wild beasts: it seeks its food during the day, and generally -leaves its abode at an early hour. The squatter, perfectly acquainted -with the animal's habits, had therefore taken up the trail as soon as he -could. - -The sun had not yet risen; the sky of a dark blue, was only just -beginning to assume on the extreme verge of the horizon those opaline -tints which presently turn into pink, and are the precursors of sunrise. -The day promised to be splendid: a light breeze slightly bowed the leafy -summits of the trees, and scarce wrinkled the little stream whose bank -the squatter was following. A light fog rose from the ground, -impregnated with those sharp odours which expand the chest so -gloriously. The birds woke one after the other beneath the leaves, and -softly produced the melodious concert they perform each morning to -salute the re-awakening of nature. By degrees the darkness was effaced, -the sun rose brilliantly on the horizon, and the day broke splendidly. - -Red Cedar, on reaching the entrance of a narrow gorge, at the end of -which was the bear's den, in the midst of a chaos of rocks, stopped a -few minutes to regain breath, and make his final preparations. He -dismounted, hobbled his horse, and gave it its forage, then, after -assuring himself that his knife played easily in the sheath, and his -rifle was in good order, he entered the defile. - -The squatter walked in with outstretched neck, and eye and ear on the -watch, when suddenly a hand was laid on his shoulder, and a hoarse laugh -smote his ear. He turned with surprise, but this surprise was converted -into terror at the sight of the man who, standing before him with arms -folded on his chest, was regarding him with a look of mockery. - -"Fray Ambrosio!" he exclaimed, as he fell back a step. - -"Halloh, gossip," the latter said; "on my soul, you must be hard of -hearing: I called you a dozen times, and you did not deign to answer me. -_Satanas!_ I was obliged to touch you before you would see that somebody -wanted you." - -"What is your business with me?" the squatter asked in an icy tone. - -"What I want, gossip? That's a strange question: don't you know it as -well as I do?" - -"I do not understand you," Red Cedar said, still perfectly calm; "so -explain yourself, if you please." - -"I will do so, my master," the monk answered, with a mocking smile. - -"But make haste, for I warn you that I am in a hurry." - -"Can it be possible! Well, I have plenty of time, so you must find some -to listen to me." - -The squatter gave a passionate start, which he, however, immediately -checked. - -"Yes, it is so," the monk said coolly; "I have been looking for you a -long time." - -"Come, a truce to talking! Here I am, explain yourself in two words. I -say again, I am in a hurry." - -"And I repeat that I do not care if you are. Oh! You may frown, gossip, -but you must listen to me." - -Red Cedar stamped his foot angrily, taking one step to the monk, he laid -his hand on his shoulder, and looked fiercely in his face. - -"Why, master," he said in a short, harsh voice, "I fancy, on my side, -that we are changing parts, and that you treat me very curtly; take -care, I am not patient, as you know, and if you do not mind, my patience -might soon fail me." - -"That is possible," the monk answered impudently; "but if we have -changed our parts, whose fault is it, pray, mine or yours? Your sons are -right in saying that you have turned monk, and are no longer fit for -anything." - -"Villain!" the squatter shouted, and raising his hand-- - -"That will do! Insults now! Don't be bashful: I like you better that -way, at least I recognise you. Hum! what a change! I must confess that -those French missionaries are real sorcerers: what a misfortune that -since the independence the inquisition no longer exists!" - -Red Cedar looked at the monk, who fixed on him his fierce eye with a -diabolical expression; the squatter was suffering from one of those -bursts of cold passion, which are the more terrible, because they are -concentrated. He felt an extraordinary itching to crush the scoundrel -who was mocking him, and made impotent efforts to repress the anger -which was beginning to get the mastery of him. The monk was not so much -at his ease as he pretended to be. He saw the squatter's frown grow -deeper, his face become livid; all this foreboded a storm which he was -not anxious to see burst to his presence. - -"Come," he said, in a softer key, "why should old friends quarrel? _Con -mil demonios_--I am only here with a good intent, and to do you a -service." - -The squatter laughed contemptuously. - -"You do not believe me," the monk continued, with an air of beatitude; -"that does not surprise me, it is always so. Good intentions are -misunderstood, and a man believes his enemies in preference to his -friends." - -"A truce to your nonsense," the squatter said, impatiently; "I have -listened to you too long already; let me pass, and you can go to the -devil." - -"Thanks for the proposition you make me," the monk said with a laugh; -"but if you have no objection, I will not take advantage of it, at least -for the present. But, jesting apart, there are two persons close by -anxious to see you, and whom I am sure you will be delighted to meet." - -"Whom do you mean? I suppose they are rogues of your own sort." - -"Probably," the monk said; "however you shall judge for yourself, -gossip." - -And, not waiting for the squatter's answer, the monk imitated thrice the -hiss of the coral snake. At the third time a slight movement took place -in the shrubs a short distance off, and two men leaped into the defile. -The squatter uttered a cry of surprise, almost of terror, on seeing -them: he had recognised his two sons, Nathan and Sutter. The young men -walked up quickly to their father, whom they saluted with a respect -mingled with irony, which did not escape his notice. - -"Ah, there you are, father," Sutter, said, roughly, as he banged the -butt of his rifle on the ground, and rested his hands on the muzzle; "a -man has a hard run before he can catch you up." - -"It seems that since our separation father has turned Quaker; his new -religion, probably, orders him not to frequent such bad company as -ours." - -"Silence, you villains!" the squatter shouted, stamping his foot; "I do -what I please, and no one that I know of has a right to interfere." - -"You are mistaken, father," Sutter, said drily; "I, for instance, -consider your conduct unworthy of a man." - -"Not mentioning," the monk supported him, "that you place your -confederates in a fix, which is not right." - -"That is not the question," Nathan said; "if father likes to turn -Puritan, that is his business, and I will not find, fault with him; but -there is a time for everything. To my mind, when a man is surrounded by -enemies and tracked like a wild beast, he ought not to put on a -sheepskin, and pretend to be harmless." - -"What do you mean?" the squatter asked impatiently; "Explain yourself, -once for all, and let us make an end of this." - -"I will do so," Nathan went on; "while you are sleeping in a deceitful -security, your enemies are watching and constantly weaving the web in -which they have hopes of enfolding you shortly. Do you fancy that we -have not known your retreat for a long time? Who can hope to escape -discovery in the desert? We did not wish, however, to disturb your -repose till the moment arrived for doing so, and that is why you did not -see us before today." - -"Yes," the monk remarked; "but at present time presses: while you trust -to the fine words of the French missionary, who cured you and lulls you -to sleep, in order always to keep you under his thumb, your enemies are -silently preparing to attack you, and finish with you once for all." - -The squatter gave a start of amazement. - -"Why, that man saved my life," he said. - -The three men burst into a laugh. - -"What use is experience?" the monk said, turning to the young men with a -significant shrug of his shoulders. "Here is your father, a man whose -whole life has been spent in the desert, who forgets at once its most -sacred law, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, and will not understand that -this man, who, he says, saved his life, merely cured him to torture him -at a later date, and have the pleasure of depriving him of that life -when he is in rude health, instead of the miserable amount left him when -they met." - -"Oh, no," the squatter shouted, "you lie! That is impossible!" - -"That is impossible!" the monk replied, with pity; "Oh, how blind men -are! Come, reflect, gossip; had not this priest an insult to avenge?" - -"It is true," Red Cedar muttered with a sigh; "but he forgave me." - -"Forgave you! Do you ever forgive anybody? Nonsense, you are mad, -gossip! I see there is nothing to be got out of you. Do what you -like--we leave you." - -"Yes," said the squatter, "leave me; there is nothing I wish more." - -The monk and his comrades went away a few paces, but Fray Ambrosio -suddenly returned. Red Cedar was still standing at the same spot with -hanging head and frowning brow. The monk saw the squatter was shaken, -and the moment had arrived to deal the great blow. - -"Gossip," he said, "a parting word, or, if you prefer, a last piece of -advice." - -"What is there now?" Red Cedar said, nervously. - -"Watch over Ellen!" - -"What!" the squatter yelled, as he bounded like a panther and seized -Fray Ambrosio by the arm, "What did you say, monk?" - -"I said," the other replied, in a firm and marked voice, "that your -enemies wish to punish you through Ellen, and that if that accursed monk -has hitherto appeared to protect you, it was because he feared lest the -victim he covets might escape him." - -At these fearful words, a horrible change took place in Red Cedar; a -livid pallor covered his face, his body was agitated by a convulsive -quivering. - -"Oh!" he shouted with the roar of a tiger, "let them come, then!" - -The monk gave, his comrades a triumphant glance; he had succeeded, and -held his palpitating prey in his hands. - -"Come," Red Cedar continued, "do not desert me; we will crush this herd -of vipers. Ah, they fancy they have me," he added, with a nervous laugh; -that almost choked him, "but I will show them that the old lion is not -conquered yet. I can count on you, my lads, and on you, Fray Ambrosio?" - -"We are your only friends," the monk replied, "as you know perfectly -well." - -"That is true," he went on; "forgive me for having forgotten it for a -moment. Ah, you shall see." - -Two hours later the three men reached the jacal, and on seeing them -enter, Ellen felt a shudder of terror run over her; a secret foreboding -warned her of misfortune. - - - - -CHAPTER XVII. - -MOTHER AND SON. - - -So soon as Father Seraphin had installed Red Cedar and Ellen in the -jacal, and assured himself that the new life he had procured them was -supportable, he thought about keeping his promise to Valentine's mother. - -The worthy female, in spite of all her courage and resignation, felt her -strength daily growing less; she said nothing, she did not complain; but -the certainty of being so near her son and yet unable to see him, to -press him in her arms after such a lengthened separation, such cruel -alternations of cheated hopes and frightful deceptions plunged her into -a gloomy melancholy from which nothing could draw her; she felt herself -dying by inches, and had arrived at the terrible point of believing that -she would never see her son again, for he was dead, and that the -missionary, through fear of dealing her a terrible blow, deceived her -with a hope which could never be realised. Maternal love does not -reason. - -All that Father Seraphin had told her to cause her to be patient had -only lulled her grief for a while, till it broke out again in redoubled -impatience and anxiety. All she had seen and heard since her landing in -America had only increased her anxiety, by showing her how life in this -country often only hangs by a thread. Hence, when the missionary -informed her that in a week at the latest she should embrace her son, -her joy and anxiety were so great that she almost fainted. - -At first, she did not believe in such happiness. Through hoping against -hope so long, she had reached such a state of distrust that she supposed -that the good priest only told her this to make her patient for a while -longer, and that he promised this meeting just as hopeless sick people -are promised things which can never be realised. - -In the meanwhile, Father Seraphin, though certain that Valentine was at -this moment on the prairie, did not know where to lay his hand on him. -So soon as he reached the grotto he inhabited provisionally, he sent off -the Indians in four different directions to obtain information and bring -him positive news of the hunter. Valentine's mother was present when the -missionary despatched these couriers; she heard the instructions he gave -them, saw them start, and then began counting the minutes till their -return, calculating in her mind the time they would employ in finding -her son and in returning: the incidents that might delay them; in short, -making those countless suppositions to which people give way who are -impatiently awaiting anything they eagerly desire. - -Two days elapsed, and none of the couriers returned; the poor mother, -seated on a rock, with her eyes fixed on the plain, awaited them, -motionless and indefatigable. At the close of the third day, she -perceived, at a great distance, a black point, rapidly approaching the -spot where she was; gradually, it became more distinct, and she -recognised a horseman galloping at full speed up the valley. - -The mother's heart beat as if ready to burst. It was evidently one of -the missionary's messengers; but what news did he bring? At length, the -Indian dismounted, and began scaling the hill side; the old woman seemed -to regain her youthful limbs, so rapidly did she go to meet him, and -cleared in a few minutes the space that separated them. But when they -were face to face, another obstacle rose before her: the redskin did not -understand a word of French; she, for her part, could not speak Indian. -But mothers have a species of language, a freemasonry of the heart, -which is understood in all countries; the Comanche warrior stopped -before her, folded his arms on his chest, and bowed with a gentle smile, -merely uttering the word-- - -"Koutonepi!" - -Valentine's mother knew that the Indians were accustomed to call her son -thus; and she suddenly felt reassured by the man's smile, and the way in -which he had spoken her son's name. She took the warrior by the arm, and -dragged him to the grotto, at the entrance of which Father Seraphin was -reading his breviary. - -"Well!" he asked on seeing her, "What news?" - -"This man could tell me nothing," she replied, "for I do not understand -his language; but something assures me he brings good news." - -"With your leave, I will question him." - -"Do so, for I am anxious to know what I have to expect." - -The missionary turned to the Indian, who stood motionless a few yards -off, and had listened to the few words spoken. - -"The brow of my brother, the Spider, is damp," he said; "let him take a -place by my side and rest: he has had a long journey." - -The Indian smiled gravely, and bowed respectfully to the missionary. - -"The Spider is a chief in his tribe," he said in his guttural and yet -melodious voice; "he can bound like the jaguar, and crawl like the -serpent: nothing fatigues him." - -"I know that my brother is a great warrior," the missionary answered: -"his exploits are numerous, and the Apaches fly on seeing him. Has my -brother met the young men of his tribe?" - -"Spider has met them: they are hunting the buffalo on the Gila." - -"Was their great chief Unicorn with them?" - -"Unicorn was with his warriors." - -"Good! My brother has the eye of a tiger-cat: nothing escapes him. Did -he meet the great paleface hunter?" - -"Spider smoked the calumet with Koutonepi and several warriors, friends -of the pale hunter, assembled round his fire." - -"Did my brother speak with Koutonepi?" the priest asked. - -"Yes, Koutonepi is glad at the return of the father of prayer, whom he -did not hope to see again. When the walkon has sung for the second time, -Koutonepi will be near my father with his comrades." - -"My brother is a wise and skillful warrior: I thank him for the way in -which he has carried out the mission with which he was entrusted, a -mission which no other warrior would have performed with so much -prudence and tact." - -At this well-dressed compliment, a smile of joy and pride played round -the Indian's lips, who withdrew after respectfully kissing the -missionary's hand. Father Seraphin then turned to Madame Guillois, who -anxiously awaited the result of this conversation, trying to read in the -priest's looks what she had to hope or fear. He took her hand, pressed -it gently, and said to her with that sympathetic accent which he -possessed in the highest degree-- - -"Your son is coming, you will soon see him: he will be here this night, -within two hours at the most." - -"Oh!" she said with an accent impossible to render; "God! Be blessed!" - -And, kneeling on the ground, she burst into tears. The missionary -watched her anxiously, ready to help her if her extreme emotion caused -her to break down. After a few moments she rose smiling through her -tears, and took her place again by the priest's side. - -"Oh!" she said eagerly, "he is my son, the only being I ever loved; the -child I nursed at my breast, and I am going to see him again! Alas! We -have been separated for ten years--for ten years the mark of my kisses -has been effaced from his forehead. You cannot understand what I feel, -father--it cannot be explained; to a mother her child is everything." - -"Do not let your emotion overpower you." - -"Then, he is coming?" she repeated eagerly. - -"In two hours at the most." - -"What a long time two hours are!" she said with a sigh. - -"Oh! all human creatures are like that," the missionary exclaimed. "You, -who waited so many years without complaining, now find two hours too -long." - -"But I am waiting for my son, my beloved child; I cannot see him soon -enough." - -"Come, calm yourself, you are quite in a fever." - -"Oh! fear nothing, father, joy never kills. The sight of my son will -restore my health, I feel sure." - -"Poor mother!" the priest could not refrain from saying. - -"Am I not?" she said. "Oh, it is a terrible thing, if you but knew it, -to live in these continued horrors, to have only a son who is your joy, -your delight, and not to know where he is, or what he is doing, whether -he is dead or alive. The most cruel torture for a mother is this -continual uncertainty of good and evil, of hope and disappointment. You -do not understand this, you can never understand it, you men; it is a -sense wanting in you, and which we mothers alone possess--love of our -children." - -There was a short silence, then she went on: - -"Good heaven! How slowly time passes. Will not the sun soon set? Which -way do you think my son will come, father? I should like to see him -arrive, though I have not seen him for a long time. I feel certain that -I shall recognise him at once; a mother is not mistaken, look you, for -she does not see her child with her eyes, but feels him in her eyes." - -The missionary led her to the entrance of the cave, made her sit down, -placed himself by her side, and said, as he stretched out his arm in a -southwestern direction: - -"Look over there, he must come that way." - -"Thanks!" she said, eagerly. "Oh, you are as kind as you are virtuous. -You are good as a saint, father. God will reward you, but I can only -offer you my thanks." - -The missionary smiled softly. - -"I am happy," he said, simply. - -They looked out, the sun was rapidly sinking in the horizon; gloom -gradually covered the ground; objects were confused, and it was -impossible to distinguish anything, even at a short distance. - -"Let us go in," Father Seraphin said; "the night chill might strike -you." - -"Nonsense," she said, "I feel nothing." - -"Besides," he went on, "the gloom is so dense that you cannot see him." - -"That is true," she said, fervently, "but I shall hear him." - -There was no reply possible to this. Father Seraphin took his seat again -by her side. - -"Forgive me, father," she said, "but joy renders me mad." - -"You have suffered enough, poor mother," he answered, kindly, "to have -the right of enjoying unmingled happiness this day. Do what you please, -then, and have no fear of causing me pain." - -About an hour elapsed ere another word was uttered by them: they were -listening; the night was becoming more gloomy, the desert sounds more -imposing, the evening breeze had risen, and groaned hoarsely through the -_quebradas_, with a melancholy and prolonged sound. Suddenly Madame -Guillois sprang up with flashing eye, and seized the missionary's hand. - -"Here he is," she said, hoarsely. - -Father Seraphin raised his head. - -"I hear nothing," he replied. - -"Ah!" the mother said, with an accent that came from her heart, "I am -not mistaken--it is he! Listen, listen again." - -Father Seraphin listened with greater attention, and, in fact, a -scarcely perceptible sound could be heard on the prairie, resembling the -prolonging roaring of distant thunder. The noise became gradually -louder, and it was presently easy to distinguish the gallop of several -horses coming up at full speed. - -"Well," she exclaimed, "was it fancy? Oh! A mother's heart is never -mistaken." - -"You are right, madam; in a few minutes he will be by your side." - -"Yes," she muttered, in a panting voice. - -That was all she could say--joy was stifling her. - -"In Heaven's name," the missionary exclaimed, in alarm, "take care! This -emotion is too great for you; you are killing yourself." - -She shook her head with a careless gesture, full of inexpressible -happiness. - -"What matter?" she said; "I am happy--oh, very happy at this moment." - -The horsemen entered the defile, and the gallop of their horses grew -very loud. - -"Dismount, gentlemen," a powerful voice shouted, "we have arrived." - -"'Tis he! 'Tis he!" she said, with a movement as if going to rush -forward; "it was he who spoke--I recognised his voice." - -The missionary held her in his arms. - -"What are you about?" he exclaimed, "you will kill yourself!" - -"Pardon me, father, pardon me! But on hearing him speak, I know not what -emotion I felt; I was no longer mistress of myself, but rushed forward." - -"A little patience, he is coming up; in five minutes he will be in your -arms." - -She started back hurriedly. - -"No," she said, "not so, not so, the recognition would be too hurried; -let me enjoy my happiness without losing a morsel. I wish him to find me -out as I did him." - -And she hurriedly dragged Father Seraphin into the grotto. - -"It is Heaven that inspires you," he said; "yes, this recognition would -be too abrupt--it would kill you both." - -"I was right, father, was I not? Oh, you will see--you will see. Hide me -at some spot where I can see and hear everything unnoticed; make haste, -here he is." - -The cavern, as we have said, was divided into a number of cells, each -communicating with the other; Father Seraphin concealed Madame Guillois -in one of these, whose walls were formed of stalactites, that had -assumed the strangest forms. After hobbling their horse, the hunters -climbed the mountain. While coming up, they could be heard talking -together; the sound of their voices distinctly reached the inhabitants -of the grotto, who listened greedily to the words they uttered. - -"That poor Father Seraphin," Valentine said; "I do not know if you are -like myself, caballeros, but I am delighted at seeing him again. I -feared lest he had left us forever." - -"It is a great consolation for me in my grief," said Don Miguel, "to -know him so near us; that man is a true apostle." - -"What is the matter, Valentine?" General Ibanez suddenly asked; "Why do -you stop?" - -"I do not know," the latter replied, in a hesitating voice, "something -is taking place in me which I cannot explain. When Spider told me today -of the father's arrival, I felt a strange contraction of the heart; now -it is affecting me again, though I cannot say for what reason." - -"My friend, it is the joy you feel at seeing Father Seraphin again, that -is all." - -The hunter shook his head. - -"No," he said, "it is not that, but something else; what I feel is not -natural: my chest is oppressed, I am choking, what can be happening?" - -His friends anxiously collected round him. - -"Let me go on," he said, resolutely; "if I have bad news to hear, it is -better to do so at once." - -And, in spite of the exhortations of his friends, who were alarmed at -seeing him in this state, he began running up the mountain side. He soon -reached the platform, when he stopped to take breath. - -"Come on!" he said. - -He boldly entered the cavern, followed by his friends, but at the moment -he went in, he heard his name called; at the sound of this voice the -hunter started; he turned pale and trembled, and a cold perspiration -covered his face. - -"Oh," he murmured, "who calls me thus?" - -"Valentine! Valentine!" the soft voice repeated. - -The hunter hesitated and bent his body forward, his face assumed an -indescribable look of joy and alarm. - -"Again! Again!" he said, in an indistinct voice, as he laid his hand on -his heart to check its beating. - -"Valentine!" the voice repeated. This time Valentine bounded forward -like a lion. - -"My mother!" he cried; "My mother, here I am!" - -"Ah, I felt certain he would recognise me," she exclaimed, as she rushed -into his arms. - -The hunter pressed her to his bosom with a sort of frenzy; the poor -woman lavished her caresses on him, crying and half mad with joy and -terror at seeing him in this state. She repeated the experiment she had -made. He kissed her face, with her white locks, unable to utter a word. -At length a hoarse groan burst from his chest, he breathed faintly, and -he melted into tears, saying, in an accent of indescribable tenderness-- - -"My mother! Oh, my mother!" - -These were the only words he could find. Valentine laughed and wept at -once; as he sat on a rock, holding his mother on his knees, he embraced -her with delirious joy, and was never wearied of kissing her white hair, -her pale cheeks, and her eyes, which had shed so many tears. - -The spectators of the scene, affected by this true and simple affection, -wept silently round the mother and son. Curumilla, crouched in a corner -of the cave, was looking fixedly at the hunter, while two tears slowly -glided down his bronzed cheeks. - -When the first emotion was slightly calmed, Father Seraphin, who had -till then kept aloof, not to trouble the glorious outpourings of this -interview, stepped forward, and said in a gently imperious voice, as he -held up the simple copper crucifix in his right hand: - -"My children, let us return thanks to the Saviour for His infinite -goodness." - -The backwoodsmen knelt down and prayed. - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII. - -THE CONSULTATION. - - -A man must have lived a long time apart from beings he loves, separated -from them by immeasurable distances, without hope of ever seeing them -again, in order to understand the sweet and yet painful emotions -Valentine experienced on seeing his mother again. We, the greater part -of whose life has been spent in the deserts of the New World, amid the -savage hordes that occupy them, speaking languages having no affinity -with our own, forced into habits not at all agreeing with those of our -country--we can remember the tender feelings that assailed us whenever a -straying traveller uttered in our presence that sacred name of France so -dear to our heart. - -Exile is worse than death; it is an ever bleeding wound, which time, in -lieu of cicatrising, only increases every hour, every minute, and -changes at length into such a craving to breathe one's native air, were -it only for a day, that exile contracts that terrible and incurable -disease to which physicians give the name of nostalgia. The moment comes -when a man, remote from his country, feels an invincible desire to see -his country again, and hear his language again; neither fortune nor -honours can contend against the feeling. - -Valentine, during the many years he had spent in traversing the desert, -had always had this memory of his country present to his mind. During -his conversations with Father Seraphin he had spoken to him of his -mother, that good and holy woman whom he never hoped to see again, for -he had given up all thoughts of returning home for a long time past. The -feverish existence of the desert had so seduced him, that every other -consideration yielded to it, especially after the misfortunes of his -early youth and the wounds of his only love. When, therefore, he saw -himself reunited to his mother, and understood they would never separate -again, an immense joy occupied his mind. - -The entire night passed away like an hour, in delicious conversation; -the hunters collected round the fire, listened to mother and son -describing with that accent that comes from the heart the various -incidents of their life during the long conversation. A few minutes -before sunrise; Valentine insisted on his mother taking rest; he feared -lest, at her advanced age, after the piercing emotions of such a day, -such a lengthened absence of sleep might injure her health. After -various objections, Madame Guillois at length yielded to her son's -wishes, and retired to a remote compartment of the grotto. - -When Valentine supposed his mother asleep, he made his friends a sign to -sit down near him; the latter, suspecting that he had a serious -communication to make to them, silently obeyed. Valentine walked up and -down the cavern with his hands behind his back and frowning brow. - -"Caballeros," he said, in a stern voice, "day is about to break, it is -too late for any of us to think about sleep, so be good enough to aid me -with your counsels." - -"Speak, my friend," Father Seraphin replied, "you know that we are -devoted to you." - -"I know it, and you more than anyone else, father--hence I shall be -forever grateful to you for the immense service you have rendered me. -You know I forget nothing, and when the moment arrives, be assured that -I shall pay my debt to you." - -"Do not speak about that, friend; I knew the intense desire you had to -see your mother again, and the anxiety that tortured you on the subject -of that cruel separation; I only acted as anyone else would have done in -my place, so dismiss the affair, I beg; I desire no other reward than to -see you happy. - -"I am so, my friend," the hunter exclaimed, with emotion; "I am more so -than I can say, but it is that very happiness which terrifies me. My -mother is near me, 'tis true, but, alas! You know the life to which a -desert existence, made up of fighting and privation, condemns us; at -this moment especially, when following out our implacable revenge, ought -I to make my mother, a woman of great age and weak health, share the -changes and dangers of that life? Can we, without cruelty, compel her to -follow us on the trail of the villain we are pursuing? No, not one of -you, I feel convinced, would give me that advice; but what is to be -done? My mother cannot remain alone in this cavern abandoned, far from -all help, and exposed to numberless privations. We know not whither the -duty we have sworn to accomplish may drag us tomorrow. On the other -hand, will my mother, so happy at our meeting, consent so promptly to -even a temporary separation--a separation which circumstances may -indefinitely prolong? I therefore beg you all, my only and true friends, -to advise me, for I confess that I know not what resolution to form. -Speak, my friends, tell me what I should do." - -There was a lengthened silence among the hunters. Each understood -Valentine's embarrassment, but the remedy was very difficult to find, as -all were in their hearts made rest by the thought of pursuing Red Cedar -closely, and not giving him respite until he had been punished for all -his crimes. As usual under such circumstances, egotism and private -interests took the place of friendship. Father Seraphin, the only -disinterested person, saw clearly, hence he was the first to speak. - -"My friend," he answered, "all you have said is most just; I undertake -to make your mother listen to reason; she will understand, I feel -assured, how urgent it is for her to return to civilisation, especially -at the present period of the year; still, we must spare her feelings, -and lead her back quietly to Mexico, without letting her suspect the -separation she fears, and you fear too. During the journey hence to the -civilised frontier, we will strive to prepare her for it, so that the -blow may not be so rude when the moment for parting arrives. That is the -only thing, I believe, you can do under the present circumstances. Come -reflect; if you have any plan better than mine, I will be the first to -submit." - -"That advice is really the best that can be given me," Valentine said, -warmly; "hence I eagerly adopt it. You will consent then, father, to -accompany us to the frontier?" - -"Of course, my friend, and further, were it necessary. Hence, do not let -that trouble you; all we have now to decide is our road." - -"That is true," said Valentine; "but here lies the difficulty. We must -lodge my mother at a clearing near enough for me to see her frequently, -and yet sufficiently distant from the desert to guard her against any -danger." - -"I fancy," Don Miguel remarked, "that my hacienda, at the Paso del -Norte, will suit admirably; the more so, as it offers your mother all -the guarantees of security and comfort you can require for her." - -"In truth," Valentine exclaimed, "she would be most comfortable there, -and I thank you cordially for your offer. Unfortunately, I cannot accept -it." - -"Why not?" - -"For a reason you will appreciate as well as I do; it is much too far -off." - -"Do you think so?" Don Miguel asked. - -Valentine could not repress a smile at this question. - -"My friend," he said quietly to him, "since you have been in the desert, -circumstances have forced you to take so many turns and twists, that you -have completely lost all idea of distances, and do not suspect, I feel -assured, how many miles we are from the Paso." - -"I confess I do not," Don Miguel said in surprise. "Still, I fancy we -cannot be very far." - -"Make a guess." - -"Well, one hundred and fifty miles, at the most." - -"My poor friend," Valentine remarked, with a shrug of his shoulders, -"you are out of your reckoning; we are more than seven hundred miles -from the Paso del Norte, which is the extreme limit of the civilised -settlements." - -"The deuce!" the hacendero exclaimed, "I did not fancy we had gone so -far." - -"And," Valentine went on, "from that town to your hacienda is a distance -of about fifty miles." - -"Yes, about that." - -"You see, then, that, to my great regret, it is impossible for me to -accept your generous offer." - -"What is to be done?" General Ibanez asked. - -"It is awkward," Valentine replied, "for time presses." - -"And your mother cannot possibly remain here; that is quite decided," -Don Miguel objected. - -Curumilla had hitherto listened to the talk in his usual way, not saying -a word. Seeing that the hunters could not agree, he turned to Valentine. - -"A friend would speak," he said. - -All looked at him, for the hunters knew that Curumilla never spoke save -to give advice, which was generally followed. Valentine gave a nod of -assent. - -"Our ears are open, chief," he said. - -Curumilla rose. - -"Koutonepi forgets," he quietly remarked. - -"What do I forget?" the hunter asked. - -"Koutonepi is the brother of Unicorn, the great Comanche Sachem." - -Valentine struck his forehead in his delight. - -"That is true," he exclaimed; "what was I thinking about? On my honour, -chief, you are our Providence: nothing escapes you." - -"Is my brother satisfied?" the chief asked joyously. - -Valentine pressed his hand warmly. - -"Chief," he exclaimed, "you are the best fellow I know; I thank you from -my heart: however, we understand each other, I think, and need say -nothing about that." - -The Araucano Ulmen warmly returned his friend's pressure, and sat down, -merely muttering one word, which contained all his impressions-- - -"Good." - -The other persons, however, had not understood this little scene. -Although they had been living for a long time in the company of the -Aucas, they had not yet grown accustomed to his silence or learned to -translate it; they therefore anxiously waited till Valentine gave them -the explanation of the few sentences he had exchanged with his friend. - -"The chief," Valentine said quickly, "has found at once what we have -been racking our brains in vain to discover." - -"How so? Explain," Don Miguel asked. - -"What, you do not understand?" - -"On my honour I do not." - -"Yet it is very simple; I have been for a long time an adopted son of -the Comanches; I belong to Unicorn's tribe; that chief will not refuse, -I feel sure, to shelter my mother at his village. The redskins love me; -Unicorn is devoted to me; my mother will be nursed and kindly treated by -the Indians, while, on the other hand, it will be easy for me to see her -whenever I have a moment to spare." - -"_Canarios!_" General Ibanez exclaimed, "On my honour, chief," he added, -as he gaily tapped the Araucanian's shoulder, "I must allow that we are -all asses, and that you have more sense in your little finger than we -have in our whole body." - -This discussion had lasted some time, and the sun had risen for nearly -an hour, when it terminated. Madame Guillois, entirely recovered from -the emotions of the night, appeared in the grotto and kissed her son. -When breakfast was over, the horses were saddled, and they set out. - -"Where are you taking me to, my son?" the mother asked the hunter; "you -know that henceforth I belong entirely to you, and you alone have the -right to watch over me." - -"Be at your ease, mother," Valentine answered; "although we are in the -desert, I have found you a retreat in which you will not only be -protected from every danger, but where it will be possible for me to see -you at least once a week." - -Valentine, like all men endowed with a firm and resolute character, -instead of turning the difficulty, had preferred to attack it in front, -persuaded that the harder the blow he dealt was, the shorter time its -effect would last, and he should be enabled to lessen its consequences -more easily. The old lady stopped her horse instinctively and looked at -her son with tear-laden eyes. - -"What do you say, Valentine?" she asked in a trembling voice; "Are you -going to leave me?" - -"You do not quite understand me, mother," he replied; "after so long a -separation I could not consent to keep away from you." - -"Alas!" she murmured. - -"Still, my dear mother," he continued stoically, "you will have to -convince yourself of one fact, that desert life is very different from -civilised life." - -"I know it, already," she said sighing. - -"Very good," he continued; "this life has claims which it would take too -long to explain to you, and necessitate constant marches and counter -marches, going at one moment here, at another there, without apparent -reason, living from hand to mouth, and eternally on horseback." - -"Come," my boy, "do not make me suffer longer, but tell me at once what -you wish to arrive at." - -"At this, mother, that this life of unending fatigue and danger may be -very agreeable to a young man like myself, endowed with an iron -constitution, and long accustomed to its incidents; but that it is -materially impossible for you, at your age, weak and sickly as you are: -now you are my only comfort and treasure, mother; I have found you again -by a miracle, and am determined to keep you as long as possible. For -that reason I must not expose you through an improper weakness, to -fatigues and privations which would kill you in a week." - -"Well, then?" asked the mother timidly, involuntarily conquered by her -son's peremptory accent. - -"This is what I have resolved," said he insinuatingly, "as I do not wish -you to suffer; we must be together as much as we can, if not always." - -"Oh, yes," she said; "I only ask to see you ever, my child; what do I -care for aught else, provided I am near you, can console you in sorrow, -and rejoice in your joy!" - -"Mother," the hunter said, "I believe I have arranged matters as well as -possible. Father Seraphin will tell you any other plan would be futile." - -"Let me hear it," she murmured. - -"I am taking you to the village of the Comanches, whose adopted son I -am; their chief loves me as a brother; the village is only a few -leagues off, and you will be there among friends, who will respect you -and pay you the greatest attention." - -"But you, my child?" - -"I will visit you as often as I can, and, believe me, few days will pass -without my seeing you." - -"Alas! My poor child, why insist on leading this life of danger and -fatigue? If you liked, we could be so happy in a little village at home. -Have you forgotten France entirely, Valentine?" - -The hunter sighed. - -"No, mother," he said, with an effort, "since I have seen you again, all -the memories of my youth have revived; I know now the desire I had to -see France again some day; the sight of you has made me understand that -a man cannot voluntarily resign those home joys, whose charm he can only -truly understand when unable to enjoy them. Hence I soon intend to -remove you from this country disinherited by Heaven, and return to our -native land." - -"Alas!" she said, with an accent of soft reproach, "We should be so -happy there; why not return at once?" - -"Because it cannot be, mother; I have a sacred duty to accomplish here; -but I pledge you my word of honour that when I have fulfilled the duty I -have imposed on myself and am free, we will not remain an hour longer -here. So have patience, mother; perhaps we may start for France within -two months." - -"May Heaven grant it, my child," the old lady said, sadly; "well, your -will be done, I am prepared to wait." - -"Thanks, mother; your kindness renders me happier than I can describe to -you." - -The old lady sighed, but gave no answer, and the little party marched -silently in the direction of the Comanche village, the outskirts of -which they reached at about three in the afternoon. - -"Mother," Valentine said, "you are not yet used to Indian fashions; do -not be frightened at anything you may see or hear." - -"Am I not near you?" she said "What can I feel afraid of?" - -"Oh!" he said, joyfully, "you are a true mother." - -"Alas!" she answered, with a stifled sigh, "You are mistaken, child, I -am only a poor old woman, who loves her son, that is all." - - - - -CHAPTER XIX. - -BLOODSON. - - -White Gazelle had rejoined Bloodson, who was encamped with his band on -the top of a hill, where the prairie could be surveyed for a long -distance. It was night, the fires were already lit, and the rangers, -assembled around the _braseros_, were supping gaily. Bloodson was -delighted at seeing his niece again; both had a long conversation, at -the end of which the Avenger, as he called himself, ordered the ranchero -to approach. - -Despite of all his impudence, it was not without a feeling of terror -that worthy Andres Garote found himself face to face with this man, -whose glances seemed trying to read his inmost thoughts. Bloodson's -reputation had been so long established on the prairies that the -ranchero must feel affected in his presence. Bloodson was seated in -front of a fire, smoking an Indian pipe, with White Gazelle by his side; -and for a moment the ranchero almost repented the step he had taken. But -the feeling did not last an instant; hatred immediately regained the -upper hand, and every trace of emotion disappeared from his face. - -"Come here, scoundrel," Bloodson said to him. "From what the senora has -just said to me, you fancy you have in your hands the means of -destroying Red Cedar?" - -"Did I say Red Cedar?" the ranchero answered; "I do not think so, -excellency." - -"Whom did you allude to, then?" - -"To Fray Ambrosio." - -"What do I care for that scurvy monk?" Bloodson remarked, with a shrug -of his shoulders; "his affairs do not concern me, and I will not trouble -myself with them; other and more important duties claim my care." - -"That is possible, Excellency," the ranchero answered, with more -assurance than might have been assumed; "but I have only to deal with -Fray Ambrosio." - -"In that case you can go to the deuce, for I shall certainly not help -you in your plans." - -Andres Garote, thus brutally received, was not discouraged, however; he -shrugged his shoulders with a cunning look, and assumed his most -insinuating tone. - -"There is no knowing, Excellency," he said. - -"Hum! That seems to me difficult." - -"Less so than you fancy, Excellency." - -"How so?" - -"You bear a grudge against Red Cedar, I think?" - -"How does that concern you, scoundrel?" Bloodson asked, roughly. - -"Not at all; the more so as I owe him nothing; still, it is a different -affair with you, Excellency." - -"How do you know?" - -"I presume so, Excellency; hence I intend to offer you a bargain." - -"A bargain!" Bloodson repeated, disdainfully. - -"Yes, Excellency," the ranchero said, boldly; "and a bargain -advantageous to yourself, I venture to say." - -"And for you?" - -"For me too, naturally." - -Bloodson began laughing. - -"The man is mad," he said, with a shrug of his shoulders, and, turning -to his men, added--"where the deuce was your head when you brought him -to me?" - -"Nonsense," White Gazelle said, "you had better listen to him; that will -do you no harm." - -"The senora is right," the ranchero eagerly replied; "listen to me, -Excellency, that pledges you to nothing; besides, you will be always -able to decline if what I propose does not suit you." - -"That is true," Bloodson replied, contemptuously--"Speak then, picaro, -and be brief." - -"Oh, I am not in the habit of making long speeches." - -"Come to the point." - -"It is this," the ranchero said, boldly; "you wish, I do not know why, -and do not care, to revenge yourself on Red Cedar; for certain reasons, -unnecessary for me to tell you, I wish to avenge myself on Ambrosio; -that is clear, I fancy?" - -"Perfectly so--go on." - -"Very well. Now this is what I propose to you--aid me to avenge myself -on the monk, and I will help you with the bandit." - -"I do not need you for that." - -"Perhaps you do, Excellency; and if I did not fear appearing impudent to -you, I would even say--" - -"What?" - -"That I am indispensable to you." - -"_Voto a Dios!_" Bloodson said, with an outburst of laughter, "This is -beyond a joke; the scoundrel is absolutely making fun of me." - -Andres Garote stood unmoved before the ranger. - -"Come, come," the latter continued, "this is far more amusing than I at -first fancied; and how are you indispensable to me?" - -"Oh, Excellency, that is very simple; you do not know what has become of -Red Cedar?" - -"That is true; I have been seeking him in vain for a long time." - -"I defy you to find him, unless I help you." - -"Then you know where he is?" Bloodson exclaimed, suddenly raising his -head. - -"Ah! That interests you now, Excellency," the ranchero said, with a -crafty look. - -"Answer, yes or no," the ranger said, roughly; "do you know where he -is?" - -"If I did not, should I have come to you?" - -Bloodson reflected for a moment. - -"Tell me where he is." - -"Our bargain holds good?" - -"It does." - -"You swear it?" - -"On my honour." - -"Good!" the other said joyfully; "now listen to me." - -"Go on." - -"Of course you are aware that Red Cedar and the Trail-hunter had a -fight?" - -"I am--go on." - -"After the battle, all bolted in different directions; Red Cedar was -wounded, hence he did not go far, but soon fell in a fainting fit at -the foot of a tree. The Frenchman and his friends sought him on all -sides, and I believe they would have made him spend a very unpleasant -quarter of an hour if they had laid hands on him. Fortunately for him, -his horse had carried him into the middle of the virgin forest, where no -one dreamed of pursuing him. Chance, or rather my good fortune, I now -believe, led me to the spot where he was; his daughter Ellen was near -him, and paying him the most touching attention; it really almost -affected me. I cannot tell you how she got there, but there she was. On -seeing Red Cedar, I thought for a moment about going to find the French -hunter, and telling him of my discovery." - -"Hum! And why did you not carry out that idea, scoundrel?" - -"For a very simple, though conclusive reason." - -"Let us hear it," said Bloodson, who had begun to listen with extreme -interest to the ranchero's wandering statement. - -"This is it," he went on. "Don Valentine is a rough fellow; I am not in -the odour of sanctity with him; besides, he was with a crowd of Apaches -and Comanches, each a bigger scamp than the other; in a word, I was -frightened for my scalp, and held off, as I might have plucked the -chestnuts from the fire for another man's profit." - -"Not badly reasoned." - -"Was it now, Excellency? hence, while I was reflecting on what I had -better do, a band of some ten horsemen came, I know not whence, to the -spot where that poor devil of a Red Cedar was lying half dead." - -"He was really wounded?" - -"Oh, yes, and dangerously, I undertake to say; the leader of the party -was a French missionary you must know." - -"Father Seraphin?" - -"The very man." - -"What did he?" - -"What I should certainly not have done in his place--he carried Red -Cedar away with him." - -"In that I recognise him," Bloodson could not refrain from saying. "And -where did he take the wounded man?" - -"To a cavern, where I will lead you whenever you like." - -"You are not lying?" - -"Oh, no, Excellency." - -"Very good, go and sleep; you can count on my promise, if you are -faithful to me." - -"Thanks, Excellency; be at your ease, self-interest urges me not to -deceive you." - -"That is true." - -The ranchero withdrew, and an hour later was sleeping as every honest -man should do, who feels conscious of having performed his duty. The -next morning at daybreak Bloodson's band set out. But in the desert it -is often very difficult to find those you seek, owing to the nomadic -life everybody is obliged to lead in order to gain his livelihood; and -Bloodson, who wished first to consult with Valentine and his friends, -lost much time before learning the exact spot where they were. At -length, one of the scouts told him that the Frenchman was at Unicorn's -winter village, and he proceeded there at once. - -In the interim, Bloodson ordered Andres Garote to watch Red Cedar's -movements, as he did not like to take a decisive step till he had -acquired a certainty. Nothing would have been easier than to go to -Father Seraphin, and demand the surrender of the wounded man; but he -felt a repugnance to this. Bloodson shared in the respect the holy -missionary inspired all within the Far West; and he would not have dared -to summon him to surrender his guest, certain as he was beforehand that -the other would peremptorily refuse; at the same time he did not like to -employ violence to wrest his prey from a man whose character he admired. -He must, therefore, await until Red Cedar, cured of his wounds, quitted -his protection; and this Bloodson did, though having his movements -watched. - -At length Andres Garote appeared, all joyous, in Bloodson's camp; he was -the bearer of excellent news: Father Seraphin, after curing Red Cedar, -had installed him in a jacal, where he and his daughter lived like two -anchorites. Bloodson uttered a shout of joy at this news. Without even -taking time to reflect, he leaped on his horse, leaving the temporary -command of the band to his men, and started off at full speed for -Unicorn's village. - -The distance was not great, and the ranger covered it in less than two -hours. Bloodson was beloved by the Comanches, to whom he had frequent -opportunities of being useful; hence he was received by them with all -the honours and ceremonies employed in such cases. Unicorn, accompanied -by some of the principal chiefs of the tribe, came to receive him a -short distance from the village, yelling, firing their muskets, and -making their horses curvet. Bloodson gladly yielded to the chief's -wishes, and galloped along by his side. - -The Comanches are excessively discreet; they never take the liberty of -asking questions of their guests before the latter authorise them. So -soon as Bloodson had taken his seat by the fire of the council lodge, -and smoked the great calumet of peace, Unicorn bowed to him gravely, and -took the word. - -"My paleface brother is welcome among his red friends," he said; "has my -brother had a good hunt?" - -"The buffaloes are numerous near the mountains," Bloodson answered; "my -young men have killed many." - -"All the better; my brother will not suffer from famine." - -The ranger bowed his thanks. - -"Will my brother remain some days with his red friends?" the chief again -asked; "they would be happy to have him among them for a season." - -"My hours are counted," Bloodson answered. "I merely intended paying a -visit to my brothers to ask after their fare, as I passed their -village." - -At this moment Valentine appeared in the doorway. - -"Here is my brother, Koutonepi," Unicorn said. - -"He is welcome," the ranger said; "I wished to see him." - -"What accident has brought you here?" the hunter asked him. - -"To tell you where Red Cedar is hidden at this moment," Bloodson -answered, distinctly. - -Valentine started; and bent on him a piercing glance. - -"Oh, oh," he said, "that is great news you give me." - -"I do not give it, but sell it to you." - -"What? explain yourself, pray." - -"I will be brief. There is not a man on the prairies who has not a -terrible account to settle with that vile bandit?" - -"That is true." - -"The monster has burdened the earth too long--he must disappear." - -Bloodson uttered these words with such an accent of hatred, that all -present, although they were men endowed with nerves of steel, felt a -shudder course through their veins. Valentine looked sternly at the -ranger. - -"You owe this man a heavy grudge?" he said. - -"Greater than I can express." - -"Good, go on." - -At this moment Father Seraphin entered the lodge, but was not noticed, -so greatly was the attention of the audience concentrated on Bloodson. -The missionary stood motionless in the darkest corner, and listened. - -"This is what I propose," Bloodson went on. "I will reveal to you where -the villain is lurking; we will spread so as to envelope him in an -impassable circle, and if you or the chiefs here present are luckier -than I, and seize him, you will deliver him into my hands." - -"What to do with him?" - -"To take an exemplary vengeance on him." - -"I cannot promise that," Valentine said slowly. - -"For what reason?" - -"You have just given it: there is not a man on the prairie but has a -terrible account to settle with this villain." - -"Well?" - -"The man he has most outraged is, in my opinion, Don Miguel de Zarate, -whose daughter he so basely murdered. Don Miguel alone has the right to -deal with him as he thinks proper." - -Bloodson gave a start of disappointment. - -"Oh, were he here!" he exclaimed. - -"Here I am, sir," the hacendero replied as he stepped forward; "I too -have vengeance to take on Red Cedar; but I wish it to be great and -noble, in the light of the sun, and the presence of all: I do not wish -to assassinate, but to punish him." - -"Good," Bloodson exclaimed, stifling a cry of joy; "our thoughts are the -same, caballero; for what I desire is to deal with Red Cedar, according -to Lynch Law, in its entire rigour, on the very spot where he committed -his first crime, and in the sight of the population he has horrified. In -the Far West, I am not only called the Son of Blood, but also the -Avenger and the judge." - -After these words, spoken with feverish energy, there was a gloomy -silence which lasted some time. - -"Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord," a voice said, which made the -hearers start. - -All turned round; Father Seraphin, with his crucifix in his hand, and -head erect, seemed to command them all by the grandeur of his evangelic -mission. - -"By what right do you make yourselves the instruments of divine justice?" -he continued. "If this man was guilty, who tells that repentance has not -come at this hour to wash the stains from his soul?" - -"Eye for eye, tooth for tooth," Bloodson muttered in a hoarse voice. - -These words broke the charm that enchained the audience. - -"Eye for eye, tooth for tooth," they exclaimed wrathfully. - -Father Seraphin saw he was conquered: he understood that all reasoning -would fail with these blood-thirsty men, to whom the life of their -fellow men is nothing, and who rank vengeance as a virtue. - -"Farewell," he said in mournful voice; "farewell, poor misguided men. I -dare not curse you, I can only pity you; but I warn you that I will do -all in my power to save the victim you wish to immolate to your odious -passions." - -And he went out of the lodge. - -When the emotion caused by the priest's words had calmed down, Don -Miguel walked up to Bloodson, and laid his hand on the one the ranger -offered to him. - -"I accept Lynch Law," he said. - -"Yes," all present shouted, "Lynch Law." - -A few hours later, Bloodson regained his camp, and it was after this -interview that Valentine had the conversation with Don Pablo, as he -returned from Red Cedar's jacal, which we described at the beginning of -the volume. - - - - -CHAPTER XX. - -RED CEDAR. - - -Now that we have explained the incidents that took place during the six -months that had elapsed between Dona Clara's death and the conversation -in the cavern during the storm, we will resume our narrative where we -left it at the end of chapter three. - -Only a few minutes after the hacendero's son had left, the door of the -jacal was roughly opened--four men entered. They were Red Cedar, Fray -Ambrosio, Sutter, and Nathan. They appeared sad and gloomy, and the -water poured down from their clothes as if they had come out of the -river. - -"Halloh," the monk said; "what! No fire or light, and nothing in the -calli to greet us. You do not care much for us, I fancy." - -Red Cedar kissed his daughter on the forehead, and turning to Fray -Ambrosio, to whom he gave a passionate glance, he said roughly-- - -"You are in my house, my master: do not oblige me to remind you of that -fact; so begin by being civil to my daughter, if you do not wish me to -give you a lesson." - -"Hum!" the monk remarked with a growl; "Is this young woman so sacred, -that you should fire up at the slightest word addressed to her?" - -"I do not fire up," the squatter replied, sharply, as he struck the -table with his fist; "but your way of speaking does not please me, I -tell you; so do not oblige me to repeat it." - -Fray Ambrosio made no answer; he understood that Red Cedar was in a -state of mind unfavourable for a discussion; he therefore prudently -refrained from any remark that might lead to a quarrel, which he seemed -as anxious to avoid as the squatter to pick it. During the exchange of -these few sentences, Ellen, helped by her brothers, had lit a torch of -candle wood, rekindled the fire, the absence of which was felt, and -placed on the table a meal, sufficient, if not luxurious. - -"Caballeros," she said in her gentle voice, "you are served." - -The four men sat round the table with the eagerness of hungry persons -who are desirous of breaking a long fast. Before raising the first -morsel to his lips, the squatter, however, turned to his daughter. - -"Ellen," he said to her kindly, "will you not sit down with us?" - -"Thank you, father, but I am not hungry; it would be really impossible -for me to swallow the least morsel." - -The squatter sighed, but raising no objection, he began to serve his -guests, while Ellen retired into the darkest corner of the shanty. The -meal was sad; the four men seemed busy in thought, and ate quickly and -silently. When their hunger was appeased, they lit their pipes. - -"Father," Nathan suddenly said to Red Cedar, who was sorrowfully -watching the smoke ascend in spirals to the roof; "I have found a -trail." - -"So have I," the monk remarked. - -"And I, too," the squatter said; "what of that?" - -"What of that?" Fray Ambrosio shouted. "Canarios, gossip, you take -things very lightly. A trail in the desert always reveals an enemy." - -"What do I care for that?" Red Cedar replied, with a shrug of his -shoulders. - -"What?" the monk shouted, as he sprang up; "That is very fine, on my -word; to hear you, one might fancy you were an entire stranger to the -question, and that your life is not at stake like ours." - -"Who tells you that I wish to defend it?" the squatter replied, giving -him a look which made his eyes fall. - -"Hum!" the monk remarked, after a moment's silence; "I can understand -that you do not cling to life; you have gone through so much, that you -would not regret death; but there is one thing you forget, gossip, not -referring to myself, though I have a right to reproach you." - -The squatter carelessly shook the ashes out of his pipe, filled it -again, and went on smoking as if not paying the slightest attention to -the monk's remarks. The latter frowned and clenched his fists, but -recovering his temper almost immediately, he continued, with feigned -indifference, while playing with his knife-- - -"Yes, you forget one thing, gossip, which however, is worth -remembering." - -"What is it?" - -"Your children, cospita!" - -The squatter gave him an ironical glance. - -"Oh, _por Dios santo!_" the monk went on; "I do not refer to your sons, -for they are strong and resolute men, who can always get out of a -scrape; I do not trouble myself about them at all." - -"About whom, then?" the squatter asked, looking at him sharply. - -"Why, for your daughter Ellen, canarios! What will become of her, if you -die?" the monk said, with that boldness peculiar to timid persons, who -wish to know at once if the mine they have fired will crush them. The -squatter shook his head sadly. - -"That is true," he said, with a glance at his daughter. - -The monk smiled--the blow had told, so he went on. - -"In destroying yourself, you destroy her," he said; "your obstinacy may -cause her death, so take care." - -"What is to be done?" the squatter asked. - -"Take our precautions, _voto de Dios!_ believe me, we are watched; -remaining longer here would be the utmost imprudence." - -The squatter's sons nodded their assent. - -"It is evident," Sutter observed, "that our enemies have discovered our -trail." - -"And that they will soon be here," Nathan added. - -"You hear?" the monk went on. - -"Once again I ask, what is to be done?" Red Cedar asked. - -"Caspita, be off as speedily as possible." - -"Where can we go at this advanced season of the year? The snow will soon -cover the ground, and interrupt all communication; if we leave the -jacal, we run a risk of dying of hunger." - -"Yes, if we remain in the desert," the monk observed, in an insinuating -voice. - -"Where do you propose going then?" the squatter asked. - -"What do I know? There is no lack of towns, I suppose, on the Indian -border; we might, if absolutely necessary, return to the Paso del Norte, -where we have friends, and are certain of a kind reception." - -Red Cedar looked him full in the face, and said ironically-- - -"Out with your whole thought, senor Padre; you have an object in wishing -to return to the Paso, so let me know it." - -"Caspita, you are as clever as I am," the monk exclaimed, blushing the -while; "what need have we to humbug one another?" - -The squatter rose, and kicked back his stool. - -"You are right," he said passionately, "let us deal openly with one -another. I wish nothing better, and to give you an example, listen to -me. You have never lost out of sight the reason that made you enter the -desert; you have only one object, one desire, to reach the rich placer, -the situation of which you learned by assassinating a man. Neither the -fatigue you have endured, nor the peril you have incurred, has made you -renounce your scheme; the hope of a rich crop of gold blinds you, and -makes you mad. Is it so or not?" - -"It is true," the monk coolly replied, "what next?" - -"When our band was destroyed, and completely dispersed, this was the -reasoning you employed--a reasoning," he added, with a bitter smile, -"which does honour to your sagacity and firmness of character; 'Red -Cedar all but knows the site of the placer. I must induce him to return -with me to the Paso, to form another band, because if I leave him alone -in the desert, so soon as my back is turned, he will go in search of the -treasures, and carelessly discover it.' Have I not guessed aright, -gossip?" - -"Nearly so," the monk answered, furious at seeing his plans so clearly -read through. - -"I thought so," Red Cedar continued; "but, like all bad men, gangrened -to the heart, you went beyond your object, by attributing to me the same -sordid instincts you possess; and you thought that because I am an -assassin, I may be a thief: that is the error in which you fell, gossip. -Understand me," he said, stamping his foot violently; "were the coveted -treasure at this moment beneath my heel, I would not stoop down to pick -up a nugget. Gold is nothing to me, I despise it. When I consented to -guide you to the placer you naturally assumed that avarice led me to do -so; but you are mistaken; I had a more powerful and nobler -motive--revenge. Now, do not trouble me more about your accursed placer, -for which I care as little as I do for a nut. And with that, good night, -gossip; I am going to sleep, or try to do so, and recommend the same to -you." - -And, without awaiting the monk's reply, the squatter turned his back and -stalked into an inner room. For some time past, Ellen had been asleep, -and so the monk remained alone with the squatter's sons. For some -minutes they remained in silence. - -"Bah," the monk at length said cautiously, "however much he may -struggle, it must happen." - -Sutter shook his head dubiously. - -"No," he said, "you do not know the old one; once he has said no, he -sticks to it." - -"Hum!" Nathan added, "He has greatly changed lately; of all his old -character, he seems only to have kept his obstinacy; I am afraid you -will fail, senor Padre." - -"Live and learn," the latter said gaily; "tomorrow has to come; in the -meanwhile, gentlemen, let us follow his advice, and go to sleep." - -Ten minutes later all slept, or seemed to sleep, in the jacal: the storm -lasted the night through, howling furiously. At daybreak, the squatter -rose, and went out to see what sort of weather it was. The day promised -well; the sky was pure, and the sun rose radiantly. Red Cedar, -therefore, started for the corral to saddle his horse, and those of his -comrades. Before leaving the household, however, he looked around, and -suddenly uttered an exclamation of surprise as he started back. He had -noticed a horseman coming up at full speed. - -"Father Seraphin!" he muttered in astonishment; "What serious reason can -bring him here, at such an hour and in such haste?" - -At this moment the other entered the keeping room, and the squatter -heard the sound of the footsteps behind him. He turned quickly. - -"Hide yourselves," he said hoarsely. - -"What's the matter?" the monk asked furiously, as he stepped forward. - -With one blow of his fist, the squatter hurled him to the middle of the -room. - -"Did you not hear me?" he said passionately. But, although Red Cedar's -blow had been so powerful, he could not prevent the monk recognising -Father Seraphin. - -"Ah, ah," he said, with an ugly smile, "Father Seraphin! If our friend -wished to confess, was not I enough? He need not only have told me, -instead of sending for that European magpie." - -Red Cedar here turned as if a viper had stung him, and gave the three -men such a glance of ferocity, that they involuntarily recoiled. - -"Villain," he said, in a hollow voice, and a terrible gesture, "I know -not what prevents me killing you, like the dog you are. If one of you -dare utter a syllable against this holy man, by Heaven, I will flay him -alive. Hide yourselves, I insist." - -Subjugated by the squatter's accent, the three men left the room without -replying, and ten minutes later Father Seraphin checked his horse, and -dismounted in front of the jacal. Red Cedar and his daughter hurried -forward to meet the father, who walked into the hut, wiping the -perspiration that stood on his forehead. Red Cedar offered him a butaca. - -"Sit down, father," he said to him, "you are very hot; will you take -some refreshment?" - -"Thanks," the missionary answered, "but we have not a moment to lose, so -listen to me." - -"What has happened, father? Why have you come in such haste?" - -"Alas!" he went on, "because you are menaced by a terrible misfortune." - -The squatter turned pale. "It is but just," he muttered, with a frown; -"the expiation is beginning." - -"Courage, my children," the missionary said, affectionately, "your -enemies have discovered your retreat, I know not how; they will be here -tomorrow--perhaps today--you must fly--fly at once." - -"For what good?" the squatter remarked; "the hand of God is in this--no -man can escape his destiny; better to wait." - -Father Seraphin assumed a serious air, and said in a stern voice-- - -"God wishes to try you; it would be cowardice, suicide, to surrender -yourself to those who desire your death, and Heaven would not pardon you -for doing so. Every living creature must defend life when attacked. -Fly--I bid you--I order you." - -The squatter made no reply. - -"Besides," Father Seraphin continued, in a tone he strove to render gay, -"the storm may blow over; your enemies, not finding you here, will -doubtless abandon the pursuit; in a few days, you will be able to -return." - -"No," the squatter said disconsolately, "they desire my death. As you -order me to fly, father, I will obey you, but, before all, grant me one -favour." - -"Speak, my son." - -"I," the squatter went on, with ill-concealed emotion, "am a man; I -can, without succumbing, support the most excessive fatigue, brave the -greatest dangers; but--" - -"I understand you," the missionary quickly interrupted him; "I intend to -keep your daughter with me. Be at your ease, she shall want for -nothing." - -"Oh, thanks, thanks, father!" he exclaimed, with an accent such a man -might have been thought incapable of. - -Ellen had hitherto listened to the conversation in silence, but now she -stepped forward, and placing herself between the two men, said with -sublime dignity: - -"I am most grateful to both of you for your intentions with regard to -me, but I cannot abandon my father; I will follow him wherever he goes, -to console him and aid him in suffering the retributions Heaven sends on -him, as a Christian should do." - -The two men prepared to interrupt her. - -"Stay!" she said, warmly; "hitherto I have suffered through my father's -conduct, for it was guilty; but now that repentance fills his soul, I -pity and love him. My resolution is unchangeable." - -Father Seraphin gazed at her in admiration. - -"It is well, my child," he said; "Heaven will remember such pure and -noble devotion." - -The squatter pressed his daughter to his heart, but had not the strength -to utter a word--he had never felt such sweet emotion before. The -missionary rose. - -"Farewell," he said, "and take courage; put your trust in God, who will -not abandon you. I will watch over you at a distance. Farewell, my -children, and bless you. Go, go, without delay." - -Then, tearing himself by an effort from Red Cedar's arms, Father -Seraphin remounted, dug his spurs into his horse's flanks, and started -at full speed, after giving his proteges a parting wave of the hand. - -"Oh!" Red Cedar muttered, "That could not last, for I was almost happy." - -"Courage, father," Ellen said to him softly. - -They re-entered the jacal, where the men were awaiting them. - -"Go and saddle the horses," the squatter said, "we are going away." - -"Ah!" the monk whispered Sutter, "did I not tell you the demon was on -our side? Canarios! He would not forget us, as we have done so much for -him." - -The preparations for quitting the jacal were not long, and an hour -later, the five persons started. - -"In what direction do we go?" the monk asked. - -"Let us go in the mountains," the squatter answered, laconically, as he -took a melancholy glance at this wretched hut, in which he had perhaps -hoped to end his days, and which fate compelled him to leave forever. -The fugitives had scarce disappeared behind a clump of trees, when a -cloud of dust rose on the horizon, and five horsemen soon appeared, -coming up at full speed. They were Valentine and his friends. - -The hunter must have obtained precise information from Bloodson as to -the situation of the jacal, for he did not hesitate a moment, but rode -straight in. Don Pablo's heart beat, as if to burst his chest, though he -apparently remained unmoved. - -"Hum!" Valentine said, when about a dozen yards from the jacal, -"Everything is very silent here." - -"The squatter is no doubt out hunting," Don Miguel observed, "we shall -only find his daughter." - -Valentine began laughing. - -"Do you think so?" he said. "No, no, Don Miguel, remember Father -Seraphin's words." - -General Ibanez, who was the first to reach the jacal, dismounted and -opened the door. - -"Nobody!" he said, in surprise. - -"By Jove!" Valentine said, "I suspected that the bird had flown; but -this time he will be very cunning if he escapes us. Forward, forward! -They cannot be far ahead." - -They started again. Curumilla remained behind for a second, and threw a -lighted torch into the shanty, which was soon burned down. - -"The fox is unearthed," the Indian muttered to himself, while rejoining -his comrades. - - - - -CHAPTER XXI. - -CURUMILLA. - - -About a month after the events we have just described, in the early part -of December, which the Comanches call, in their picturesque language, -"the Moon of the roebuck that sheds its horns," and a few minutes after -sunrise, a party, consisting of five or six men, whom, by their garb, it -was easy to recognise as wood rangers from the Far West, climbed one of -the highest peaks of the Sierra de los Comanches, the eastern chain of -the Rocky Mountains, running down into Texas, where it terminates in the -Guadaloupe mountains. - -The weather was cold, and a dense layer of snow covered the sides of the -mountains. The slope which these bold adventurers were following, was so -scarped that, although accustomed to travel in these regions, they were -often compelled to bend their backs and creep along on their hands and -knees. But no difficulty baffled them, no obstacle was great enough to -make them turn back. - -At times, worn out with fatigue, and bathed in perspiration, they -stopped to take breath, lay down on the snow, and picked up some -handfuls to allay the ardent thirst that devoured them; then, after -resting a little while, they courageously set out again, and clambered -up the eternal ice, whose gigantic masses became with each moment more -abrupt. - -Were these men in search of a practicable road in this frightful -labyrinth of mountains, whose peaks rose around them, at an immense -height, in the icy regions of the sky? Perhaps, however, they wished, -for reasons known to themselves alone, to gain a spot whence they could -have an extensive prospect. - -If such were their hope, it was not deceived. When, after incessant toil -they all at last reached the summit of the peak they were scaling, they -suddenly had before them a landscape, whose grand appearance amazed and -startled them through its sublime immensity. In whatever direction they -looked, they were confounded by the majesty of the panorama unfolded at -their feet. - -In truth, the Rocky Mountains are unique in the world, bearing no -resemblance with the Pyrenees, Alps, and Apennines, and those -magnificent chains of mountains which here and there stride across the -old world, and seem with their barren crest to protest against the pride -of creatures, in the name of the Creator. - -The hunters were hanging, as it were, over a world. Beneath them was the -Sierra de los Comanches, an immense mountain broken up into snowy peaks, -displaying all their gloomy caverns, deep and awe-inspiring valleys, -their brilliant lakes, their dark defiles and their foaming torrents, -which bounded noisily downward; then, far beyond these savage limits, -the eye was lost in an unbounded landscape, bathed in a hazy distance, -like the surface of the sea in calm weather. - -Owing to the purity and transparency of the atmosphere, the adventurers -distinguished the smallest objects at a surprising distance. However, in -all probability, these men had not undertaken so perilous an ascent -through motives of curiosity. The mode in which they examined the -country and analysed the immense panorama unrolled before them, proved, -on the contrary, that very serious reasons had urged them to brave the -almost insurmountable difficulties they had overcome, in order to reach -the point where they were. - -The group formed by these men with their bronzed faces, energetic -features and picturesque garb, as they leant on their rifles, with eyes -fixed on space and frowning brow, had something grand about it; at this -extraordinary elevation, at the summit of the peak covered with eternal -snow, which served them as a pedestal in the midst of the chaos that -surrounded them. - -For a long time they remained there without speaking, trying to -distinguish in the windings of the _quebradas_ the slightest break of -the ground, deaf to the mournful growling of the torrents that leaped at -their feet, and the sinister rolling of the avalanches, which glided -down the mountain side, and fell with a crash into the valleys, dragging -trees and rocks with them. - -At length the man who appeared the leader of the party passed his hand -over his brow, damp with exertion, though the cold was intense in these -regions, and turned to his companions to say, "My friends, we are now -twenty thousand feet above the level of the plain, that is to say, we -have reached the spot where the Indian warrior sees for the first time -after death the country of souls, and contemplates the happy hunting -grounds, the brilliant abode of just, free, and generous warriors. The -eagle alone could rise higher than ourselves." - -"Yes," one of his comrades replied, with a shake of head; "but, though I -keep looking around, I see no possibility of getting out." - -"Hilloh, General!" the first speaker interposed, "What is that you are -saying? We might fancy, which Heaven forbid, that you were despairing." - -"Well," the other, who was General Ibanez, replied, "that supposition -would not be without a certain degree of correctness; listen to me, Don -Valentine; for ten days we have been lost on these confounded mountains, -surrounded by ice, and snow, and with nothing to eat, under the pretext -of finding the hiding place of that old villain Red Cedar, and I do not -mind confessing to you, that I am beginning, not to despair, but to -believe that, unless a miracle happen, it will be impossible for us to -get out of this inextricable chaos in which we are enclosed." - -Valentine shook his head several times. The five men standing on the -peak were really the Trail-hunter and his friends. - -"No matter," General Ibanez continued, "you will agree with me that our -position, far from improving, is growing with each moment more -difficult; for two days we have been completely out of provisions, and I -do not see how we shall procure any in these icy regions. Red Cedar has -tricked us with that diabolical cunning which never fails him, he has -led us into a trap we cannot get out of, and where we shall find death." - -There was a mournful silence. The despair of these energetic men, coldly -calculating, amid the steep, northerly country that surrounded them, the -few hours of existence still left them, had something crushing about it. -Scarce able to stand, more like corpses than men, with haggard features -and eyes reddened with fever, they stood calm and resigned, gazing on -the magnificent plains stretching out at their feet, on which thousands -of animals sported and covered everywhere with trees, whose fruit would -so quickly have checked their hunger. - -But between them and these plains stood an insurmountable barrier, which -neither strength nor cunning could carry: all that was humanly possible, -these men had done during the last two days to save themselves. All -their plans had been foiled by a strange fatality, which made them -constantly go round in a circle among these mountains, which are so like -each other, and all their attempts had broken down. - -"Pardon me, my friends," Don Miguel de Zarate said, with a crushing -accent of sorrow, "pardon me, for I alone am the cause of your death." - -"Speak not so, Don Miguel," Valentine quickly exclaimed, "all is not -lost, yet." - -A heart-rending smile played round the hacendero's lips. - -"You are ever the same, Don Valentine," he said; "good, and generous, -forgetting yourself for your friends. Alas! Had we followed your advice, -we should not be dying of famine and misery in these desolate -mountains." - -"That will do," the hunter said, gruffly; "what is done cannot be -undone; perhaps it would have been better had you listened to me some -days back, I grant; but of what use is recrimination now? Let us rather -seek the means to get out of this." - -"It is impossible," Don Miguel continued, disconsolately, and letting -his head fall in his hands, he gave way to sad reflections. - -"Caray!" the hunter exclaimed, energetically, "Impossible is a word we -Frenchmen have erased from our dictionary. Hang it! As long as the heart -beats, there is hope. Were Red Cedar more cunning than he is, which -would be most difficult, I swear you that we shall find him, and get out -of this hobble." - -"But how?" Don Pablo eagerly asked. - -"I do not know; still I am certain we shall escape." - -"Ah, if we were only by the side of those two horsemen," the general -said, with a sigh, "we should be saved." - -"What horsemen do you allude to, general I where do you see them?" the -hunter asked. - -"There," he replied, "near the clump of cork trees. Do you see them?" - -"Oh," said Valentine, "they are riding quietly, like men who know they -are on the right road, and have nothing to fear." - -"They are very lucky," the general muttered. - -"Bah! Who knows what awaits them on turning from the road they are now -following so peacefully?" the hunter remarked, with a smile; "No one can -answer for the next minute; they are on the road from Independence to -Santa Fe." - -"Hum! I should like to be there too," the general growled between his -teeth. - -Valentine, who first looked carelessly at the horsemen, now followed -them with interest, almost with anxiety; but they soon disappeared in a -bend of a road. For a long time, however, the hunter remained with his -eyes fixed on the spot where he had first seen them; gradually he began -frowning, a deep wrinkle was hollowed on his forehead, and he leaned on -his rifle, motionless and dumb, but seeming to be suffering from great -agitation. Involuntarily, his comrades followed with growing interest -the current of his thoughts, which could be read, as it were, on their -companion's brow. He remained for some time thus absorbed, but at length -he raised his head, and looked around with a bright and intrepid glance. - -"My friends," he said, joyously, as he struck the butt of his rifle on -the ground, "regain courage, I believe I have found the way of getting -safe and sound out of the wasp nest into which we have thrust our -heads." - -His comrades gave vent to a sigh of relief, almost of joy. They knew the -hunter, they were aware how fertile the mind of this brave and devoted -man was in expedients, and how inaccessible to despondency; they put -entire faith in him. Valentine told them he believed he could save them; -they did not suspect what means he would employ, but that was his -business, not theirs. Now they were calm, for they had his word, which -he had never been known to break; they had only to wait patiently till -the hour for their deliverance arrived. - -"Bah!" the general answered, gaily, "I was sure we should get out of -this, my friend." - -"When shall we start?" Don Pablo asked. - -"As soon as it is night," Valentine replied; "but where is Curumilla?" - -"On my word I do not know. I saw him about half an hour ago, gliding -along the mountain side, as if he had suddenly gone mad; but I have not -seen him since." - -"Curumilla does nothing without a reason," the hunter said with a shake -of the head; "you will soon see him return." - -Indeed, the hunter had scarce finished speaking, when the Indian chief -shewed his head level with the platform, and with one leap he rejoined -his friends. His zarape, knotted at the four corners, hung behind his -back. - -"What have you there, chief?" Valentine asked, with a smile: "Can it be -food?" - -"Cuerpo de Cristo!" the general exclaimed, "it would be welcome, for I -have a wolf's appetite." - -"Where could provisions be found in this fearful region?" Don Pablo -exclaimed, in a hollow voice. - -"My brothers will see," the chief simply answered. - -And he threw his zarape on the snow, where Valentine undone the knots. -The hunters uttered a cry of joy, for it contained a hare, a young -peccary, and several birds. These provisions, arriving so opportunely, -when the hunters had been fasting for nearly forty-eight hours, seemed -to them the result of magic. - -To understand the emotion the four men experienced at the sight of the -much-desired food, a man must have himself gone through all the agony of -hunger, without any hope of stilling it--it was almost frenzy. When the -first impression was slightly calmed, Valentine turned to the chief, and -pressed his hand tenderly, as a tear rolled down his cheek. - -"My brother is a great sorcerer," he said to him. - -The Ulmen smiled softly, and stretched out his arm to an eagle flying a -short distance from the spot where the hunters stood. - -"We shared," he said. - -Valentine could not restrain a cry of admiration, for all was explained -to him. The Araucano, whom nothing escaped, had seen the eagle, guessed -that it had a brood, and clambered up to its nest to procure a portion -of their food, while on the summit of the peak his comrades were all but -yielding to their despair. - -"Oh!" Valentine said joyfully, "We are saved, since we shall regain that -strength we so much need to carry out the plan we have formed. Follow -me, we will return to the camp, gaily eat the dinner the eagles have -supplied us with, and start this evening." - -Comforted by these words, the hunters followed him, and the little party -went lightly down the mountain, up which they had clambered in the -morning with such difficulty and despair in their hearts. - - - - -CHAPTER XXII. - -EL MAL PASO. - - -The hunters only spent one hour in going down, though it had cost them -eight to ascend. Their bivouac was formed at the top of a scarped rock, -in an impregnable position. - -After their visit to the jacal, they were not long in finding traces of -the fugitives, and followed them during four days. As these traces led -to the Sierra de los Comanches, the hunters bravely entered the obscure -mountain defiles, but all at once the trail disappeared as if by -enchantment, and it was impossible to find it again. - -The hunters' incessant search had only produced the disastrous result of -losing themselves in the sierra, and in spite of all their efforts they -could not discover the path leading to the right road. For two days -their provisions had been completely exhausted, and they were beginning -to feel the icy clutch of hunger. - -The position was no longer tenable, and they must escape from it at all -risks. Valentine and his companions had, therefore, in spite of their -failing strength, climbed up the peak in order to look for a road. But -this bold attempt had obtained two results instead of one, for Valentine -not only declared he had found what he was seeking, but Curumilla had -also procured food. Hence, the five men joyously returned to that camp, -which they had quitted with death in their hearts. - -No one, who has not been in a similar situation, can imagine the feeling -of perfect happiness that seizes on a man when he passes, without any -transition, from the extremest despair to the greatest confidence. So -soon as they reached the encampment, Valentine rekindled the fire, which -they had not lit for two days, as it was useless. Still, as the sight of -the smoke would arouse Red Cedar's suspicions, if he were, as was very -possible, in the vicinity, the hunters roasted their meat in a cavern -opening in the side of the hill on which they encamped. When all was -ready, they began eating. - -It was only when their first hunger was appeased that they thought of -thanking the Indian chief for the abundant meal he had procured them by -his skill, and of which they had such pressing need. But then they -perceived that the Araucano had not obtained the provisions they were -eating without incurring serious danger; in fact, Curumilla had on his -face, chest, and shoulders serious wounds, inflicted by the beaks and -talons of the eagles, which must have boldly defended their provisions. - -With the Indian stoicism which nothing can equal, Curumilla, perfectly -calm and silent, was staunching the blood that poured from his wounds, -disdaining to complain, but, on the contrary, appearing vexed at the -anxiety his comrades evidenced. - -When the meal was at an end, Valentine solemnly lit his pipe, the others -did the same, and ere long they were almost hidden in a cloud. - -"Caballeros," Valentine said presently, "God has come to our assistance, -as He always does, when men have a firm faith in His omnipotence. He has -deigned to supply us with the means to restore our strength, so we must -not feel despondent; by this time tomorrow we shall have escaped from -this unlucky trap. When you have finished smoking, lie down on the -ground and sleep. I will awaken you when the time comes, for at the hour -of departure you must feel ready to undertake a long journey. We have -about four hours' daylight left, so profit by them, for I warn you we -shall have plenty to do tonight in every way. Now that you are warned, -you had better follow my advice." - -And, adding example to precept, Valentine shook the ash from his pipe, -returned it to his belt, lay down on the ground, and almost immediately -slept. His comrades probably found the advice good, for they followed it -without hesitation, and in ten minutes all were asleep excepting -Curumilla. - -How long their sleep had lasted when Valentine awakened them, they could -not say, but the night had set in. The sky, studded with an infinity of -stars, stretched out over their heads its dark blue vault: the moon -appeared to be floating in a sea of mist, and spread over the landscape -a melancholy light, which imparted a fantastic appearance to objects. - -"Up with you," Valentine said in a low voice, as he tapped his comrades -in turn on the shoulder. - -"Are we off?" General Ibanez asked, as he checked a yawn, and drew -himself up, as if worked by a spasm. - -"Yes," was all the hunter answered. - -Ere long all were ready to start. - -"We must profit by the darkness," Valentine remarked, "our enemies are -doubtless watching round us." - -"We are at your orders, my friend," Don Miguel answered. - -By a sign, the hunter collected his comrades round him. - -"Listen to me carefully," he said, "for, before attempting the bold -enterprise I have conceived, I wish to have your full consent. Our -position is desperate: remaining longer here is death: death by hunger, -cold, thirst, and wretchedness, after enduring intolerable sufferings -for I know not how many days. You are quite convinced of this, I fancy?" - -"Yes," they replied unanimously. - -"Good," he continued; "trying longer to find the road we have lost would -be a vain attempt, which would have no chance of success." - -"Yes," they said again. - -The hunter continued-- - -"Well, then, I am about to make an equally mad attempt at this moment. -If it does not succeed, we shall perish; but at any rate we shall do so -without suffering--almost instantaneously. If we succeed by a -miracle--for it is almost a miracle I expect from the inexhaustible -mercy of Heaven--we are saved. Reflect ere replying; my friends, are you -firmly resolved to follow me, and obey me in all I order, without -hesitation or murmuring? In a word, surrender your own will for a few -hours only to follow me? Answer me." - -The hunters exchanged a glance. - -"Command, my friend," the hacendero said, answering for his comrades; -"we swear to follow and obey you, whatever may happen." - -There was a moment's silence, which Valentine was the first to break. - -"Very good," he said, "I have your promise, and must now accomplish -mine." - -With a gesture of sublime dignity, the wood ranger took off his hat, and -raised his eyes to Heaven. - -"Oh Lord," he murmured, "our life is in thy hands: we confide in thy -justice and mercy." Then, turning to his comrades, he said in a firm -voice-- - -"Let us go!" - -The hunters prepared to leave their camp, and Valentine placed himself -at the head of the little band. - -"And now," he added sharply, "the greatest silence." - -The hunters advanced in Indian file, Valentine leading, Curumilla last. -In this dark night it was certainly no easy task to proceed through this -inextricable chaos of rocks, whose rude crests rose above immeasurable -abysses, in the bottom of which an invisible stream could be heard -indistinctly murmuring. - -One false step was mortal; still, Valentine went on with as much -assurance as if he were walking in the dazzling sunshine along the -finest path of the prairie, turning to the right, then to the left, -clambering up a rock, or gliding along an almost perpendicular wall, -without once hesitating, or turning to his comrades, to whom he merely -said at times in a low voice: - -"Courage." - -These four men must have been gifted with hearts of bronze, not to -display some slight weakness during this rude journey, in regions which -the eagle itself does not visit without hesitation. They marched thus -for two hours, without exchanging a word; and after a long descent, -during which they had twenty times run a risk of rolling to the bottom -of a precipice, Valentine made his companions a sign to stop. - -They then took an anxious glance around them: they found themselves on a -platform of about ten square yards, all around being gloom, and it hung -over an abyss of immeasurable depth. The mountain, cut asunder as if by -Roland's sword, was separated, into two portions, between which was a -yawning gulf about twelve or fifteen yards in width. - -"We must pass over this," Valentine said; "you have ten minutes to draw -breath and prepare." - -"What, across here?" Don Miguel said in amazement: "why, I only see -precipices on both sides." - -"Well," the hunter replied, "we will cross it." - -The hacendero shook his head despondingly, and Valentine smiled. - -"Do you know where we are?" he asked. - -"No," his comrades replied. - -"I will tell you," he continued; "this spot is mournfully celebrated -among the redskins and hunters of the prairie; perhaps you have heard -its name mentioned, little suspecting that the day would come for you to -be so near it: it is called El Mal Paso, owing to that enormous canyon -which intersects the mountain, and suddenly intercepts a communication -with the opposite side." - -"Well?" Don Miguel asked. - -"Well," Valentine went on, "some hours back, when from the top of the -peak I watched the two travellers we saw at a distance on the Santa Fe -road, my eye settled accidentally on the Mal Paso; then I understood -that a chance of salvation was left us, and before confessing ourselves -beaten, we must try to cross it." - -"Then," Don Miguel said, with a shudder, "you are resolved to make this -mad attempt?" - -"I am." - -"It is tempting Heaven." - -"No, it is asking for a miracle, that is all. Believe me, my friend, God -never abandons those who fully trust in Him. He will come to our help." - -"Still," the hacendero began; but Valentine quickly interrupted him. - -"Enough," he said; "you have sworn to obey me. I have sworn to save you; -keep your oath as I shall mine." - -His comrades, awed by Valentine, bowed their heads and made no reply. - -"Brothers," the hunter said, solemnly, "let us pray that God will not -desert us." - -And, giving the example, he fell on his knees on the rock, his comrades -imitating him. At the end of a moment, Valentine rose again. - -"Have hope," he said. - -The hunter then walked to the extremity of the platform and bent over -the abyss, and his comrades followed his movements without comprehending -them. After remaining motionless for some minutes, the hunter rejoined -his friends. - -"All goes well," he said. - -He then unfastened his lasso from his belt, and coolly began rolling it -round his right hand. Curumilla smiled; he had comprehended his meaning, -and, according to his wont, without speaking, he unfastened his lasso -and imitated his friend. - -"Good," Valentine said to him, with a nod of approval; "it's our turn, -chief." - -The two wood rangers put forward their right legs, threw their bodies -back to get a balance, and whirled their lassos round their heads; at an -agreed-on signal, the lassos slipped from their hand and whizzed through -the air. Valentine and Curumilla had held the end of the rope in their -left hand; they pulled at them, but, in spite of all their efforts, the -hunters could not unloose them. Valentine uttered a shout of joy, for he -had succeeded; he connected the two lassos, twisted them round a rock; -and fastened them securely, then he turned to his comrades. - -"Here is a bridge," he said. - -"Ah!" the Mexicans exclaimed, "now we are saved." - -These men, with their hearts of bronze, who feared no danger, and -recognised no obstacle, could speak thus, although the road was most -perilous. Valentine and Curumilla had thrown their lassos round a rock -that stood on the other side of the canyon, and the running knot had -drawn. In this way the communication was established; but the bridge, as -Valentine called it, merely consisted of two leathern cords of the -thickness of a forefinger, stretched over a precipice of unknown depth, -at least fifteen yards in width, and which must be crossed by the -strength of the wrists. - -Certainly, before crossing this strange bridge, there was matter for -reflection, even to the bravest man. To go fifteen yards hanging thus by -the arms over an abyss was not tempting this gloomy night, and upon a -rope which might break or become unfastened. The hunters hesitated. - -"Well;" Valentine said to them, "shall we be off?" - -No one answered. - -"That is true," the hunter said with a smile; "you wish to know if the -bridge be firm. Very good." - -Then with that calmness usual to him the hunter advanced to the edge of -the barranca. On reaching the lasso, he took it in both hands, and -turned to his comrades. - -"Look," he said with that carelessness which he never could put off; -"the sight costs nothing." - -And gently, without hurrying, with the coolness of a professor giving a -lesson, he crossed the canyon backwards, in order to show his friends how -they were to manage. On reaching the opposite bank, where he left his -rifle, he quietly returned to his friends--the latter had anxiously -watched him, trembling involuntarily at the danger he had incurred. - -"I hope," he said, when he remounted the platform, "that you are now -quite sure the lasso is firm, and you will not hesitate." - -Without replying, Curumilla crossed. - -"There's one," Valentine said with a laugh; "there is no difficulty -about it. Whose turn next?" - -"Mine," Don Pablo answered. - -He crossed. - -"Now it is my turn," Don Miguel said. - -"Go," Valentine replied. - -The hacendero soon found himself on the opposite side; only two men -remained, General Ibanez and the hunter. - -"Come," Valentine said, "it is your turn, general; I must be the last to -pass." - -The general shook his head despondingly. - -"I cannot," he said. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIII. - -EL RASTREADOR. - - -Valentine fancied he had misunderstood him. - -"What!" he said, as he leaned over to the general. - -"I can never pass," he answered. - -The hunter looked at him in astonishment. He had known the general in -too many critical circumstances, to doubt his courage. - -"Why so?" he asked him. - -The general rose, seized his arm, and almost placing his mouth to his -ear, whispered in a low voice as he looked timidly around: - -"Because I am afraid." - -At this expression, which he was so far from expecting, Valentine gave a -start of surprise, and examining his friend with the utmost attention, -so monstrous did what he had just heard appear to him from the mouth of -such a man, answered-- - -"You must be joking." - -"No," he said, sadly, "I am afraid. Yes, I understand," he added a -moment later with a sigh, "it seems strange to you, does it not, that I -should say so; I, whom you have seen brave the greatest dangers with a -laugh, and whom, up to the present, nothing has surprised. What would -you have? My friend, it is so, I am afraid. I know not why, but the idea -of crossing that barranca, holding on by my hands to that cord, which -may break, causes me a ridiculous, invincible terror for which I cannot -account, and which makes me shudder with terror. That death seems to me -hideous, and I could not run the risk of it." - -While the general spoke, the hunter examined him with the closest -attention. He was no longer the same man; his forehead was livid, a cold -perspiration inundated his face, a convulsive tremor agitated all his -limbs, and his voice was hollow. - -"Nonsense!" Valentine said, attempting to smile, "it is nothing; a -little resolution, and you will overcome this terror, which is nothing -but dizziness." - -"I know not what it is, I cannot say; I can only assure you that I have -done all it is morally possible to do, in order to conquer this feeling -which overpowers me." - -"Well." - -"All has been useless: even now, I believe that my terror increases with -my efforts to overcome it." - -"What! You who are so brave!" - -"My friend," the general answered with a sad smile, "courage is an -affair of the nerves; it is no more possible for a man to be constantly -brave than to be continually a coward; there are days when the matter -overcomes the intellect, and physical feelings gain the upper hand over -the moral. On those days the most intrepid man is afraid; and this is -one of those days with me, that is all." - -"Come, my friend," Valentine answered, "reflect a little; hang it all; -you cannot remain here--returning is impossible; make a virtue of -necessity." - -"All you say to me," the general interrupted him, "I have said to -myself; and I repeat to you, that, sooner than venture by that cord, I -would blow out my brains." - -"Why, that is madness," the hunter shouted; "there is no common sense in -it." - -"Call it what you like; I understand as well as you do how ridiculous I -am, but it is stronger than I am." - -Valentine stamped his foot angrily as he looked across at his comrades, -who, collected on the other side of the barranca, knew not to what to -attribute this incomprehensible delay. - -"Listen, general," he said, after a moment's delay. "I will not desert -you thus, whatever may happen; too many reasons connect us for me to -leave you to perish of hunger on this rock; you do not live nearly a -year with a man in the desert, sharing with him dangers, cold and heat, -hunger and thirst, to separate in this way. If it be really impossible -for you to cross the canyon as your comrades have done, and will leave -me to act, I will find other means." - -"Thanks, my friend," the general sadly replied, as he pressed his hand; -"but believe me, do not trouble yourself about me, but leave me here: -your comrades are growing impatient, so pray be off at once." - -"I will not go," the hunter said resolutely; "I swear that you shall -come with me." - -"No, I tell you, I cannot." - -"Try." - -"It is useless; I feel that my heart fails me. Good-bye, my friend." - -Valentine made no answer--he was thinking. After an instant he raised -his head, and his face was radiant. - -"By Jove!" he said, gaily, "I was certain I should discover a way before -long. Leave me alone, I answer for everything. You shall cross as if in -a carriage." - -The general smiled. - -"Brave heart!" he muttered. - -"Wait for me," Valentine went on; "in a few minutes I will return, only -grant me the time to prepare what I want." - -The hunter seized the rope and passed, but as soon as the general saw -him on the other side, he unfastened the lasso and threw it across. - -"What are you doing?--Stop!" the hunters shouted in stupor, mingled with -horror. - -The general bent over the barranca, holding on to a rock with his left -hand. - -"Red Cedar must not discover your trail," he said; "that is why I -unfastened the lasso. Good-bye, brother, and may the Almighty aid you." - -An explosion was heard, echoed in the distance by the mountains, and the -general's corpse rolled into the abyss, bounding from rock to rock with -a dull sound. General Ibanez had blown out his brains.[1] - -At this unexpected denouement the hunters were petrified. They could not -understand how, through the fear of killing himself in crossing the -canyon, the general had preferred blowing out his brains. Still, the -action was logical in itself; it was not death, but only the mode of -death that terrified him; and as he fancied it an impossibility to -follow his comrades, he had preferred sudden death. Still, in dying, the -brave general had rendered them a final and immense service. Thanks to -him, their trail had so entirely disappeared, that it would be -impossible for Red Cedar to find it again. - -The hunters, although they had succeeded in escaping from the fatal -circle in which the pirate had thrust them, owing to Valentine's daring -resolve, still found themselves in a most critical situation: they must -get down into the plain as speedily as possible, in order to find some -road, and, as always, happens in the desert under such circumstances, -every sympathy must promptly yield to the necessity that held them in -its iron arms; the common danger suddenly aroused in them that feeling -of self-preservation which never does more than sleep. - -Valentine was the first to overcome his grief and regain his -self-mastery. Since he had been crossing the desert, the hunter had -witnessed so many strange scenes, had been an actor in so many mournful -tragedies, that, his tender feelings were considerably blunted, and the -most terrible events affected him but slightly. - -Still, Valentine felt a deep friendship for the general; in many -circumstances he had appreciated all that was really grand and noble in -his character, hence the fearful catastrophe which had, without any -preparation, broken the ties between them, produced a great impression -on him. - -"Come, come," he said, shaking his head as if to get rid of painful -thoughts, "what can't be cured must be endured. Our friend has left us -for a better world,--perhaps it is for the best so. God does everything -well; our grief will not restore our dear friend's life, so let us think -of ourselves, my friends, for we are not lying on roses, and if we do -not make haste, we may run a risk of speedily joining him. Come, let us -be men." - -Don Miguel Zarate looked at him sadly. - -"That is true," he said; "he is happy now; let us attend to ourselves. -Speak then, Valentine: what is to be done? We are ready." - -"Good," said Valentine; "it is time for our courage to return, for the -hardest part of our task is not yet done; it is nothing to have crossed -that barranca if our trail can be found here, and that I wish to avoid." - -"Hum!" Don Pablo remarked; "that is very difficult, not to say -impossible." - -"Nothing is impossible with strength, courage, and skill. Listen -attentively to what I am about to say to you." - -"We will." - -"The barranca, on this side of the mountain, is not peaked as it is on -the side we have just left." - -"That is true," said Don Miguel. - -"About twenty yards below us you perceive a platform, close to which -begins an inextricable forest, descending to the end of the precipice." - -"Yes." - -"That is our road." - -"What, our road, my friend!" Don Miguel objected; "but how shall we -reach the platform to which you allude?" - -"In the easiest way: I will let you down with my lasso." - -"That is true; it is easy for us, but how will you join us?" - -"That need not trouble you." - -"Very good," Don Miguel remarked; "but now permit me to make a remark." - -"Do so." - -"Before us," the hacendero said, stretching out his hand, "is a readily -traced road, most convenient to follow, I fancy." - -"In truth," Valentine coldly answered, "what you say is most correct; -but two reasons prohibit my taking that road, as you call it." - -"And those two reasons are?" - -"First, that ready traced road is so easy to follow that I am certain -Red Cedar's suspicions will be directed to it at once, if the demon -allows him to come here." - -"And the second?" Don Miguel interrupted. - -"Is this," Valentine went on: "in addition to the incontestable -advantages the road I propose offers, I do not wish, and I feel sure you -are of the same opinion, that the body of my poor comrade, who has -rolled to the foot of the precipice, should remain unburied and become -the prey of wild beasts. That is my second reason, Don Miguel; what do -you think of it?" - -The hacendero felt his heart dilate at these noble words; the tears -sprung from his eyes and rolled silently down his cheeks. He seized the -hunter's hand, and pressed it forcibly. - -"Valentine," he said, in a broken, voice, "you are better, than all of -us; your noble heart is filled with every great and generous feeling; -thanks for your good idea, my friend." - -"It is agreed, then," the hunter simply said in response; "we will go." - -"Whenever you please." - -"Good; but as the night is dark, and the road rather dangerous, -Curumilla, who has long been used to the desert, will go first to show -you the way. Come, chief, are you ready?" - -The Ulmen nodded his assent. Valentine leant his whole weight against a -rock, twisted the lasso twice round his body, and let the end fall into -the chasm; then, he made the chief, a sign to go down. The latter did -not let the invitation be repeated; he seized the rope in both hands; -and placing his feet in crevices in the rocks, he gradually descended -till he reached the platform. - -The hacendero and his son attentively followed the Indian's movements. -When they saw him safe on the rock, they gave a sigh of relief, and -prepared to follow him, which they did without accident. - -Valentine remained alone; consequently, no one could hold the lasso and -render him the service he had done his comrades; but he was not -embarrassed by so trivial a circumstance. He passed the rope round a -rock, so that both ends were even, then slowly descended in his turn, -and safely rejoined his comrades, who were startled and frightened at -such a daring descent. Then he let go the end of the lasso, drew it to -him, rolled it up, and fastened it to his girdle. - -"I believe," he said with a smile, "that if we go on thus, Red Cedar -will have some difficulty in finding our trail, while we, on the -contrary, may find his. Come let us now take a look at our domain, and -see a little where we are." - -And he at once began walking round the platform. It was much larger than -the one they had just left, and at its extremity began the virgin, -forest, which descended with a gentle incline to the bottom of the -barranca. When Valentine had examined the place, he returned to his -comrades, shaking his head. - -"What is the matter?" Don Pablo asked; "Have you seen anything -suspicious?" - -"Hum!" Valentine answered; "I am greatly mistaken, or the lair of a wild -beast is somewhere close by." - -"A wild beast!" Don Miguel exclaimed; "What, at this elevation?" - -"Yes, and it is that very fact which makes me anxious; the traces are -wide and deep. Look for yourself, Curumilla," he added, turning to the -Indian, and pointing at the spot where he should proceed. Without -replying, the Ulmen stooped down, and attentively examined the -footprints. - -"What animal do you think we have to deal with?" Don Miguel asked. - -"A grizzly," Valentine answered. - -The grizzly bear is the most terrible and justly feared animal in -America. The Mexicans could not repress a start of terror on hearing the -name of this terrible adversary pronounced. - -"But here's the chief returning," Valentine added. "All our doubts will -be cleared up. Well, chief, to what does that sign belong?" - -"Grizzly," Curumilla laconically answered. - -"I was sure of it," said Valentine; "and what is t more, the animal is -large." - -"Very large; the footmarks are eight inches wide." - -"Oh, oh," Don Miguel said, "we have a rough companion in that case. But -in what state is the sign, chief?" - -"Quite fresh; the animal passed scarce an hour ago." - -"By Jove!" Valentine suddenly shouted, "here is its lair." - -And he pointed to a large yawning hole in the mountain side. The hunters -gave a start. - -"Gentlemen," Valentine went on, "you are no more anxious than myself to -measure your strength with a grizzly, I suppose." - -"Certainly not," the Mexican exclaimed. - -"If you will follow my advice we will not remain any longer here; the -animal, I suspect, has gone down to drink, and will speedily return; let -us not wait for it, but profit by its absence to be off." - -The three men enthusiastically applauded the hunter's proposal; for, -although of tried bravery, the contest appeared to them so -disproportionate with this redoubtable adversary, that they did not at -all desire to come face to face with it. - -"Let us be off," they eagerly shouted. - -Suddenly the sound of breaking branches was audible in the forest, and a -formidable growling troubled the silence of night. - -"It is too late," Valentine said; "here is the enemy, the fight will be -a tough one." - -The hunters leaned against the wall of rock, side by side, and in a few -moments the hideous head of the grizzly appeared among the trees on a -level with the platform. - -"We are lost," Don Miguel muttered as he cocked his rifle; "for any -flight from this rock is impossible." - -"Who knows?" Valentine answered. "Heaven has done so much for us up to -the present, that we should be ungrateful to suppose that we shall be -abandoned in this new peril." - - -[Footnote 1: This episode, incredible as it may appear, is rigorously -true.--G.A.] - - - - -CHAPTER XXIV. - -THE CAMP IN THE MOUNTAINS. - - -On leaving the jacal, Red Cedar proceeded towards the mountains. The -squatter was one of those old hands to whom all the tracks of the desert -are known. From the few words uttered by Father Seraphin, and the haste -he had shown in coming to warn him, Red Cedar understood that this time -the final contest was about to begin, without truce or pity, in which -his enemies would employ all their knowledge and skill to finish with -him once for all. - -He had been fortunate enough to reach the Sierra de los Comanches soon -enough to be able, to efface his trail. During a month he and Valentine -had carried on one of those incredible campaigns of skill and boldness -in which each employed every scheme his fertile mind suggested to -deceive his adversary. - -As frequently happens under such circumstances, Red Cedar, who at the -outset only accepted unwillingly the struggle into which he was forced, -had gradually felt his old wood ranger instincts aroused. His pride had -been excited, for he knew he had to deal with Valentine, that is to say, -the cleverest hunter on the prairie, and he had consequently displayed a -degree of skill that surprised himself, in order to prove to his -terrible adversary that he was not unworthy of him. - -For a whole month the two had been unsuccessfully manoeuvring within a -circle of less than ten leagues, constantly turning round one another, -and often only separated by a screen of foliage, or a ravine. But this -contest must have an end sooner or later, Red Cedar felt, and being no -longer sustained by the same passions which formerly served as the -motive of all his actions, despondency was beginning to seize upon him, -the more so, because physical pain had been recently joined to his moral -sufferings, and threatened to deal him the final blow. Let us see in -what condition Red Cedar was at the moment when the exigencies of our -story compel us to return to him. - -It was about eight o'clock in the evening; three men and a girl, -assembled round a scanty fire of _bois de vache_, were warming -themselves, and, at times, casting a dull glance at the gloomy gorges of -the surrounding mountains. These four persons were Nathan, Sutter, Fray -Ambrosio, and Ellen. - -The spot where they found themselves was one of those narrow ravines, -the bed of dried torrents, so many of which are met with in the Sierra -de los Comanches. On the flanks of the ravine was a thick chaparral, the -commencement of a gloomy virgin forest, from the mysterious depths of -which could be heard at intervals the lengthened howling and roar of -wild beasts. - -The situation of the fugitives was most critical, and even desperate. -Shut up for a month amid these arid mountains, tracked on all sides, -they had hitherto only escaped their persecutors through the immense -sacrifices and the prodigious craft displayed by Red Cedar. The pursuit -had been so active, that, being constantly on the point of being -surprised by their enemies, they did not dare kill the few head of game -they came across. A shot, by revealing the direction in which they were, -would have been sufficient to betray them. - -In the meanwhile, the scanty stock of food they had brought with them -from the jacal, in spite of their saving, had been consumed, and hunger, -but before all, thirst, was beginning to be felt. Of all the scourges -that afflict hapless travellers, thirst is indubitably the most -terrible. Hunger may be endured during a certain length of time, without -excessive suffering, especially at the end of a few days; but thirst -occasions atrocious pain, which, after a while, produces a species of -furious madness; the palate is parched, the throat is on fire, the eyes -are suffused with blood, and the wretched man, a prey to a horrible -delirium, which makes him see the desired water everywhere, at length -dies in atrocious agony, which nothing can calm. - -When their provisions were exhausted, they were compelled to procure -others; but in the mountains that was almost impossible, as the -fugitives were deprived of their freedom of action. For a few days they -continued to support life on roots, and small birds caught in a snare; -but unfortunately, the cold became daily sharper, and the birds withdrew -to warmer regions; hence they were deprived of this resource. - -The little water remaining was by common agreement reserved for Ellen. -The maiden declined to accept this sacrifice, but thirst grew upon her -with every moment, and, overcome by the entreaties of her companions, -she eventually accepted it. The others found no other way of quenching -the thirst that devoured them, than slitting the ears of their horses -and drinking the blood as it ran. Next, they killed a horse, for the -poor brutes found no more food than did their masters. The roasted flesh -of this horse enabled them to pass a few days: in short, all four horses -were eaten one after the other. - -Now, nothing was left the adventurers, and for two days they had nothing -to eat. Hence they maintained a mournful silence, exchanging stern -glances, and plunging deeper and deeper into sinister reflections. - -They felt their senses gradually leaving them and madness seizing on -them; they felt the moment approaching when they would be no longer -masters of their reason, and become the prey of the fearful calenture, -which already pressed their temples as in a vice, and made the most -startling images glitter before their fever-dried eyes. - -It was a heart-breaking sight to see these three men, round the expiring -fire, in this stern desert, lying without strength and almost without -courage by the side of the maiden, who, with clasped hands and downcast -eyes, prayed in a low voice. - -Time passed; the wind howled mournfully in the quebradas; the moon, half -veiled by a mass of vapour, only emitted at intervals its pallid rays, -which fantastically illumined the scene of desolation, whose sinister -silence was only disturbed by a suppressed oath or a groan drawn forth -by pain. Ellen raised her head, and looked compassionately at her -companions. - -"Courage," she murmured in her gentle voice, "courage, brothers! God -cannot abandon us thus." - -A nervous groan was the only reply she obtained. - -"Alas!" she continued, "Instead of, then yielding to despair, why not -pray, brothers? It gives strength and restores hope." - -"Will it quench the thirst that parches my throat?" the monk asked, -brutally, as he rose with an effort on his elbow and gave her a furious -glance. - -"Silence! You foolish child, if you have no other help than your silly -words to give us." - -"Silence, villain!" Sutter interrupted him with a groan, "Do not insult -my sister; she alone may perchance save us; for if God have pity on us, -it will be for her sake." - -"Ah!" the monk said, with a hideous grin, "Now you believe in God, my -master. You must fancy yourself very near death to be so frightened? -God! You poor fool, rejoice that there is none, instead of calling on -Him for help; for if He really existed, He would have crushed you long -ago." - -"Well said, monk," Nathan remarked. "Come, let us have peace. If we are -to die here like the dogs we are, let us die, at any rate, pleasantly. -That is not asking too much I suppose?" - -"Oh, how I suffer!" Sutter muttered, as he rolled wildly on the ground. - -Ellen got up, gently approached her; brother, and putting to his lips -the mouth of the skin, in which a little water yet remained, she bade -him drink. The young man made a movement as if to seize the skin; but at -the same instant he repulsed it, shaking his head in refusal. - -"No," he replied, mournfully, "keep that, sister; you would give me your -life." - -"Drink, I insist," she said, authoritatively. - -"No," he answered firmly, "that would be cowardly. I am a man, sister; I -can suffer." - -Ellen understood that her entreaties would be useless, for she knew the -superstitious affection her brothers bore her; hence she returned to the -fire. She sat down, took three buffalo-horn cups, which she filled with -water, and placed before her; then she took a sharp pointed knife, and -turning to the three men, who were anxiously watching her, she said-- - -"Here is water, drink. I swear that if you do not instantly obey me, I -will slit the skin in which the little stock of water is left; all will -then be lost, and I shall suffer the same pains as you do." - -The men made no answer, but looked at each other. - -"For the last time, will you drink or not?" she cried, as she placed the -point of the knife on the skin. - -"Stay," the monk shouted, as he rose and rushed towards her. "Demonios! -She would do as she said." - -And seizing a cup, he emptied it at a draught, his companions following -his example. This mouthful of water--for the cups were very -small--sufficed, however to calm their irritation--the fire that burned -them was extinguished, they breathed more easily, and gave vent to a -grunt of satisfaction, as they fell back on the ground. An angelic smile -lit up the maiden's radiant face. - -"You see," she said, "all is not lost yet." - -"Come, come, Nina," the monk remarked, tranquilly, "why lull us with -foolish hopes? The drop of water you have given us can only check our -sufferings for a little while; within an hour our thirst will be more -ardent and terrible than ever." - -"Do you know what Heaven may reserve for you between this and then?" she -asked, softly. "A respite, however short it may be, is in your position -everything; all depends for you, not on the present moment, but on the -coming one." - -"Good, good! We'll not dispute after the service you have rendered us, -Nina; still, everything seems to prove you wrong." - -"How so?" - -"Why, Caspita, what I say is very easy to understand; without going -further, your father, who pledged his word never to desert us--" - -"Well?" - -"Where is he? Since daybreak he has left us to go--the deuce alone knows -where? Night has long set in, and, and as you see, he has not returned." - -"What does that prove?" - -"_Canarios!_ That he has gone away, that is all." - -"Do you believe it, senor?" - -"I am sure of it, Nina." - -Ellen gave a contemptuous look. - -"Senor," she haughtily answered, "you do not know my father if you -consider him capable of such cowardice." - -"Hum! In our position he would almost have an excuse for doing so." - -"He might have done so, perhaps," she went on, quickly, "if he had no -other comrade but yourself, caballero; but he would leave his children -here, and he is not the man to abandon them when in danger." - -"That is true," the monk said, with humility; "I did not think of that, -so forgive me. Still, you will permit me to remark that it is an -extraordinary thing your father has not yet returned?" - -"Well, senor," the maiden said, warmly, "although you are so ready to -accuse a friend, who has constantly offered you the most unequivocal -proofs of his unknown devotion, how do you know that he is not delayed -by his desire to save us?" - -"Well spoken, by Heaven!" a rough voice said; "Thank you, my daughter." - -The adventurers turned with an involuntary start; at this moment the -bushes were parted by a firm hand, a heavy step sounded on the pebbles, -and Red Cedar appeared, bearing a doe on his shoulder. On reaching the -light of the fire he stopped, threw his burden the ground, and looked -sarcastically around him. - -"Oh, oh," he said, with a grin, "it seems that I have arrived just in -time, senor Padre. _Viva Dios!_ you were giving me a fine character in -my absence; is that the way in which you understand Christian charity, -gossip? Cristo! I do not compliment you on it, if that be the case." - -The monk, startled by the sudden appearance and rough address, found no -answer, so Red Cedar went on: - -"By Jove! I am a better fellow than yourself, for I bring you food, and -it was not without difficulty that I succeeded in killing that -confounded animal, I can tell you. But now look sharp and roast a -joint." - -Sutter and Nathan had not waited for their father's orders, but had -already begun skinning the doe. - -"Hilloh!" Nathan remarked, "to roast this meat, we must enlarge our -fire; and how about our pursuers?" - -"It is a risk to run," Red Cedar replied; "settle among ourselves if you -will incur it." - -"What is your opinion?" the monk asked. - -"It is a matter of perfect indifference to me; but I wish you to -understand one thing, once for all, as I am intimately convinced that we -shall fall into the hands of our pursuers, I care very little whether it -happen today or in a week's time." - -"Confusion! You are not at all encouraging, gossip," Fray Ambrosio -exclaimed. "Have you lost your courage too, or discovered any suspicious -trail?" - -"My courage never fails me; I know very well the fate reserved for me, -and hence my mind is made up. As for suspicious signs, as you say, a man -must be blind not to see them." - -"Then there is no hope," the three men said, with ill-disguised terror. - -"On my honour I do not think there is; but," he added, with a mocking -accent, "why do you not roast the meat? You must be almost dead of -hunger." - -"That is true; but what you tell us has taken away our appetite," Fray -Ambrosio remarked, sadly. - -Ellen rose, approached the squatter, and laying her hand softly on his -shoulder, placed her charming face close to his. Red Cedar smiled. - -"What do you want, my girl?" he asked her. - -"I wish, father," she said, in a coaxing voice, "that you should save -us." - -"Save you, poor child," he said, as he shook his head gravely, "I am -afraid that is impossible." - -"Then," she continued, "you will let us fall into the hands of our -enemies?" - -The squatter shuddered. - -"Oh! Do not say that, Ellen," he replied, hoarsely. - -"Still, my father, as you cannot help us to escape--" - -Red Cedar passed the back of his hard hand over his dark forehead. - -"Listen," he said presently, "there is perhaps one way--" - -"What is it?" the three men said, eagerly, as they collected round him. - -"It is very precarious, dangerous, and probably will not succeed." - -"Tell it us for all that," the monk pressed him. - -"Yes, yes--speak father," Ellen urged him. - -"You desire it?" - -"Yes, yes." - -"Very well, then, listen to me attentively, for the means I am about to -propose, strange as they may at first appear to you, offer a chance of -success, which, in our desperate situation, must not be despised." - -"Speak, pray speak!" the monk said impatiently. - -Red Cedar looked at him with a grin. - -"You are in a precious hurry," he said; "perhaps you will not be so -presently." - - - - -CHAPTER XXV. - -A GAME AT HAZARD. - - -"Before explaining my plan to you," Red Cedar went on, "I must tell you -what our position really is, so that when I have described the means I -wish to employ, you can decide with a full knowledge of the facts." - -His hearers gave a nod of assent, but no one made an answer. - -The squatter continued-- - -"We are surrounded on three sides: firstly, by the Comanches, next by -Bloodson's rangers, and lastly by the French hunter and his friends. -Weakened as we are by the terrible privations we have suffered since we -came into the mountains, any contest is impossible; we must, therefore, -give up all hope of opening a passage by force." - -"What is to be done, then?" the monk asked; "it is plain that we must -escape, and each second that slips away renders our prospects worse." - -"I am as fully convinced of that as you can be. My absence today had a -double object; the first was to obtain provisions, in which, as you see, -I succeeded--" - -"That is true." - -"Secondly, to reconnoitre carefully the positions held by our enemies." - -"Well?" they asked anxiously. - -"I have succeeded. I advanced unnoticed close to their camps; they keep -a good watch, and it would be madness to try and pass through them; they -form a wide circle around us, of which we are the centre; this circle is -being daily contracted, so that in two or three days, perhaps before, we -shall find ourselves so pressed that it will be impossible to hide -ourselves, and we must fall into their hands." - -"Demonios!" Fray Ambrosio exclaimed, "that is anything but a pleasant -prospect; we have no mercy to expect from these villains, who will, on -the contrary, find a pleasure in torturing us in every way possible. -Hum! the mere thought of falling into their hands makes my flesh creep; -I know what the Indians are capable of in torturing, for I have seen -them at work often enough." - -"Very good; I will not press that point then." - -"It would be perfectly useless. You will do better to explain to us the -plan you have formed, and which, as you say, can save us." - -"Pardon me! I did not offer you any certainty; I merely said that it had -some chances of success." - -"We are not in a position to quibble about words; let us have your -scheme." - -"It is this--" - -The three men listened with the deepest attention. - -"It is evident," Red Cedar went on, "that if we remain together, and try -to fly in one direction, we shall be infallibly lost, supposing, as is -certain, that our trail is discovered by our pursuers." - -"Very well," the monk growled; "go ahead; I do not exactly understand -what you want to come at." - -"I have, therefore, reflected on this inconvenience, and I have formed -the following scheme." - -"Out with it." - -"It is very simple; we will make a double trail." - -"Hum! I suppose you mean, a false and a true one. The plan seems to me -defective." - -"Why so? Red Cedar asked with a smile. - -"Because there must be a point where the false trail runs into the real -one, and--" - -"You are mistaken, gossip," Red Cedar sharply interrupted him; "both -trails will be true, otherwise the idea would be absurd." - -"In that case, I do not understand you." - -"You soon will, if you will allow me to speak. One of us will devote -himself to save the others; while we fly in one direction, he will go on -another, trying to draw the enemy on his trail. In this way, he will -open us a passage, through which we shall pass, without being -discovered. Do you understand me now?" - -"Caspita! I should think I did--the idea is magnificent," the monk -exclaimed enthusiastically. - -"All now wanted is to carry it out." - -"Yes, without any delay." - -"Very good! Who will sacrifice himself to save his comrades?" - -No one answered. - -"What," Red Cedar went on, "are you all silent? Come, Fray Ambrosio, you -are a priest, so give us an example." - -"Thank you, gossip, but I never felt any call to martyrdom. I am not at -all ambitious." - -"Still, we must get out of this scrape." - -"Caramba! I wish for nothing better; still, I am not desirous that it -should be at the expense of my scalp." - -Red Cedar reflected for an instant. The adventurers looked at him -anxiously, waiting till he had found the solution of this difficult -problem. All at once the squatter raised his head. - -"Hum!" he said, "Any discussion would be useless, for you are not the -men to be led by your feelings." - -They nodded their assent. - -"This is what we will do; we will draw lots who shall devote himself; -the one on whom it devolves will obey without a murmur. Does that suit -you?" - -"As we must bring matters to an end," said Nathan, "why, the sooner the -better; that way is as good as another, so I do not object." - -"Nor I," Sutter remarked. - -"Nonsense!" The monk exclaimed; "I was always lucky at games of chance." - -"It is settled then; you swear that the man on whom the lot falls, will -obey without hesitation, and accomplish his task honourably?" - -"We swear it," they said with one voice; "come, Red Cedar, let us have -it over." - -"Yes; but in what way shall we consult chance?" Red Cedar observed. - -"That need not trouble you, gossip," Fray Ambrosio said with a laugh; "I -am a man of caution." - -While speaking thus, the monk fumbled in his vaquera boots, and produced -a greasy pack of cards. - -"These will do the trick," he went on with a triumphant air. "This -pretty child," he added, turning to Ellen, "will shuffle the cards; one -of us will cut them, and then she will deal the cards one by one, and -the man who has the two of spades will have to make the double trail. -Does that suit you?" - -"Admirably," they replied. - -Ellen took the cards from the monk and shuffled them, while a zarape was -laid on the ground by the fire, so that the colour of the cards might be -distinguished by the flame. - -"Cut," she said, placing the pack on the zarape. - -Fray Ambrosio thrust out his hand; but Red Cedar laughingly caught hold -of his arm. - -"A moment," he said; "those cards are yours, gossip, and I know your -talent: permit me to cut." - -"As you please," the monk said with a grimace of disappointment. - -The squatter cut, and Ellen began dealing the cards. - -There was something most strange about the scene. On a gloomy night, in -the heart of this desolate gorge, with the wind moaning through the -trees, these four men bending forward, anxiously watching the -pale-browed girl, who, by the capricious and changing glare of the fire, -seemed performing a cabalistic work, and the sinister looks of these -men, staking their lives at this moment on a card--assuredly, a stranger -who could have watched the extraordinary spectacle, himself unseen, -would have fancied it an hallucination of the brain. - -With frowning brows, pale faces, and heaving chests, they followed with -a feverish glance each card as it fell, wiping away at intervals the -cold perspiration that beaded on their temples. The cards still fell, -but the two of spades had not yet appeared; Ellen had not more than ten -cards left in her hand. - -"Ouf!" the monk said, "It is a long job." - -"Bah!" Red Cedar said with a grin; "perhaps you will find it too short." - -"It is I," Nathan said in a choking voice. In fact, the two of spades -fell to him, and all breathed freely again. - -"Well," the monk said, as he tapped him on the shoulder, "I congratulate -you, my friend Nathan: you have a glorious mission." - -"Will you undertake it in my stead?" the other remarked with a grin. - -"I would not deprive you of the honour of saving us," Fray Ambrosio said -with magnificent coolness. - -Nathan gave him a look of pity, shrugged his shoulders, and turned his -back on him. Fray Ambrosio collected the cards, and replaced them in his -boot with evident satisfaction. - -"Hum!" he muttered, "They may still be of service; we cannot tell in -what circumstances chance may place us." - -After this philosophic reflection, the monk, cheered up by the certainty -of not being obliged to sacrifice himself for his friends, quietly sat -down again by the fire. In the meanwhile, Red Cedar, who did not let out -of sight the execution of his plan, had placed some lumps of meat on the -fire, that his companions might acquire the necessary strength for the -fatigues they would have to endure. - -As usually happens under similar circumstances, the meal was silent; -each, absorbed in his thoughts, ate rapidly without thinking of keeping -up idle conversation. It was about five in the morning, and the sky was -beginning to assume those opaline tints which summoned daybreak. Red -Cedar rose, and the rest imitated him. - -"Come, lad," he said to Nathan, "are you ready? The hour has arrived." - -"I will start whenever you please, father," the young man answered, -resolutely. "I am only awaiting your final instructions, that I may know -the directions I have to follow, and at what place I shall find you -again, if, as is not very likely, I have the luck to escape safe and -sound." - -"My instructions will not be lengthy, my lad. You must go north-west, as -that is the shortest road to leave these accursed mountains. If you can -reach the high road to Independence, you are saved; thence it will be -easy for you to reach in a short time the cavern of our old comrades, -where you will hide yourself while waiting for us. I recommend you -specially to hide your trail as well as you can. We have to deal with -the craftiest men on the prairie; an easy trail would arouse their -suspicions, and our design would be entirely foiled. You understand me, -I think?" - -"Perfectly." - -"For the rest, I trust to you; you know desert life too well to be -humbugged; you have a good rifle, powder, and bullets. I wish you luck, -lad! But do not forget that you have to draw our enemies after you." - -"Do not be frightened," Nathan replied, roughly, "I am no fool." - -"That is true; take a lump of meat, and good-bye." - -"Good-bye, and the devil take you but watch over my sister; I care -precious little for your old carcass, so long as the girl runs no -danger." - -"All right," the squatter said, "We will do what is needful to protect -your sister, so do not trouble yourself about her; come, be off." - -Nathan embraced Ellen, who affectionately pressed his hand, as she wiped -away her tears. - -"Don't cry, Ellen," he said hoarsely; "a man's life is nothing after -all; don't bother yourself about me--the devil will look after his -friends." - -After uttering the words in a tone which he tried in vain to render -careless, the young savage threw his rifle on his back, hung a piece of -meat to his girdle, and went off hurriedly, not turning round once. Five -minutes later, he disappeared in the chaparral. - -"Poor brother!" Ellen murmured, "he is going to a certain death." - -"Well," Red Cedar said, with a shrug of his shoulders, "we are all going -to death, and each step unconsciously brings us nearer to it: what use -is it feeling sorry about the fate that threatens him; do we know what -awaits ourselves? We are not lying on a bed of roses. My child, I warn -you, that we shall require all, our skill and sagacity to get out of it, -for I cannot calculate on a miracle occurring." - -"That is far more prudent," Fray, Ambrosio said, cunningly; "besides, it -is written somewhere, I forget where, 'Help yourself, and heaven will -help you.'" - -"Yes," the squatter replied, with a grin, "and there never was a finer -opportunity for putting the precept in practice." - -"I think so, and am waiting for you to explain to us what we have to -do." - -Without answering the monk, Red Cedar turned to his daughter. - -"Ellen, my child," he asked her, in an affectionate voice, "do you feel -strong enough to follow us?" - -"Do not trouble yourself about me, father," she replied; "wherever you -pass, I will pass: you know that I have been accustomed to the desert -from my childhood." - -"That is true," Red Cedar remarked doubtfully: "but this is the first -time you have tried the mode of travelling we shall be obliged to adopt." - -"What do you mean? People travel on foot, horseback, or in a boat. We -have moved about in one of those fashions twenty times before." - -"You are right; but now we are constrained by circumstances to modify -our mode of marching. We have no horses, no river, and our enemies hold -the ground." - -"In that case," the monk exclaimed with a grin, "we will imitate the -birds, and fly through the air." - -Red Cedar, looked at him earnestly. - -"You have nearly guessed it," he said. - -"What?" the monk remarked, "you are making fun of us, Red Cedar. Do you -think this the proper moment for jesting?" - -"I am not naturally inclined to jesting," the squatter coldly replied, -"and at this moment less than ever. We shall not fly like the birds, -because we have no wings; but for all that, we will make our journey in -the air, in this way. Look around you; on the sides of the mountains -extend immense virgin forests, in which our enemies are concealed. They -are coming on quietly, carefully picking out every sign of our passing -they can discover." - -"Well?" the monk asked. - -"While they are seeking our trail on the ground, we will slip through -their hands like serpents, passing from tree to tree, from branch to -branch, thirty yards above their heads, and they not dreaming of looking -up, which would, indeed, be useless, for the foliage is too dense, the -creepers too close for them to discover us. And then, again, this chance -of safety, though very slight, is the only one left us. Have you the -courage to try it?" - -There was a momentary silence. At length the monk took the squatter's -hand, and shook it heartily. - -"Canarios! Gossip," he said to him, with a species of respect, "you are -a great man. Forgive my suspicions." - -"You accept, then?" - -"_Caspita!_ You need not ask that. Eagerly, and I swear it, that never -squirrel leaped as I will do." - - - - -CHAPTER XXVI. - -NATHAN PAINTS HIMSELF. - - -So soon as he had got out of sight of his comrades, Nathan halted. He -was neither so careless nor confident as he wished to appear. When he -was alone and away from those who might ridicule, he gave way to his ill -temper, and cursed the chance that placed him in such a precarious and -dangerous position. - -Nathan, we think we have already said, was a species of Hercules, gifted -with uncommon energy and ferocity. Accustomed from his childhood to a -desert life and its sanguinary tragedies, he was not the man to despond -and despair easily. Pitiless to himself as to others, he perfectly -accepted the consequences of the situation in which he found himself at -times placed, and, in case of necessity, was resolved to fight to the -death in defence of his scalp. - -At this moment, however, it was not his position in itself that rendered -him anxious. He had been a hundred times beset by equal danger in -crossing the prairie; but hitherto, when he had perilled his life, he -had done it with an object he knew perfectly well, with the prospect, -near or remote, of some profit; but this time he regarded himself as -obeying a will he was ignorant of, for a purpose he did not understand, -and for interests that were not his own. Hence, he cursed his father, -Fray Ambrosio, and himself for having thus got into a trap, whence he -did not know how to escape. - -Red Cedar's last recommendation was necessary. Nathan was not at all -anxious to have his trail discovered. He employed all the means his -intelligence suggested to him to hide it from the keenest glance, only -taking a step after convincing himself that the trace of the previous -one had disappeared. After ripe reflection, he had arrived at the -following conclusion-- - -"It's all the worse for them, but each for himself! If I lose my scalp -they will not give it me back. I will, therefore, defend it as well as I -can. They must do what they can, but for my part I must do my best to -get out of the scrape." - -After these words, uttered in a loud voice, in the way of men accustomed -to live alone, Nathan gave that almost imperceptible shrug of his -shoulders, which in all countries signifies "let what will happen." And, -after carefully examining his rifle, he started afresh. - -Europeans, accustomed to the horizons of the old world, to macadamised -roads, bordered by pleasant houses and traversed in every direction, -cannot form, even approximately, a correct idea of the position of a man -alone in that ocean of verdure called the "Far West", who feels himself -watched by invisible eyes, and knows he is tracked like a wild beast. - -A man, however brave he may be, and accustomed to the adventurous life -of the desert, shudders and feels very weak when he turns an enquiring -glance around him, and sees himself, so little in the immensity that -surrounds him. In the desert, if you wish to go north, you must march to -the south; be attentive not to crush the leaves on which you walk, break -the branches that bar the way, and, above all, not to make the pebbles -on which you step grate against each other. - -All the sounds of the desert are known to, explained, and commented on -by the redskins. After listening for a few seconds, they can tell you if -the animal whose footfall is heard in the distance, is a horse, a bear, -a buffalo, an elk, or an antelope. A pebble rolling down the side of a -ravine suffices to denounce a prowler. A few drops of water spilt on the -edge of a ford, clearly reveal the passing of several travellers. An -unusual movement in the tall grass, betrays a watching spy. Everything, -in short, from the down-trodden blade of grass to the buffalo that -suddenly cocks its ears while browsing, or the asshata bounding in alarm -without cause--all in the desert serves as a book, in which the Indian -reads the passage of friend or foe, and puts him on his trail, even -though they be one hundred miles apart. - -The men who live in these countries, where material life is everything, -acquire a perfection of certain organs which, seems incredible; sight -and hearing especially are enormously developed in them; and this, -combined with extreme agility, dauntless courage, and sustained by -muscles of remarkable vigour, renders them dangerous adversaries. In -addition to this, we have that cunning and treachery which are never -apart, and are the two great means which the Indians employ to seize -their foes, whom they never attack face to face, but always by surprise. -Necessity is the supreme law of the Indian, and he sacrifices everything -to it, and, like all incomplete or badly-developed natures, he only -admits physical qualities, caring nothing for virtues he does not want, -but, on the contrary, would injure him in the life he leads. - -Nathan was himself almost a redskin: only at rare intervals had he -visited, for a few days at a time, the towns of the American Union. -Hence all he knew of life he had learned in the desert; and that -education is as good as another when the instincts of the man who -receives it are good; because he is able to make a choice, and take what -is noble and generous, laying aside what is bad. Unfortunately, Nathan -had never any other teacher of morality but his father. From an early -age he had been accustomed to regard things in the same way as the -squatter did, and that was the worst of all. Hence with years the -teaching be received had fructified so fully that he had become the true -type of the civilised man who has turned savage; the most hideous -transformation of species that can be imagined. - -Nathan loved nothing, believed in nothing, and respected nothing. Only -one person had any influence over him, and that was Ellen; but at this -moment she was no longer by his side. - -The young man marched on for a long time without perceiving anything -that revealed the approach of danger; still this factitious security did -not make him neglect his precautions. While walking on, with rifle -thrust out before him, his body bent forward, and eye and ear on the -watch, he thought, and the further he went, the more gloomy his thoughts -became. - -The reason was simple; he knew that he was surrounded by implacable -foes, watched by numerous spies, and yet nothing disturbed the quiet of -the prairie. All appeared to be in its ordinary state; it was impossible -to notice the least suspicious movement in the grass or shrubs. This -calmness was too profound to be natural, and Nathan was not deceived by -it. - -"Humph!" he said to himself, "I shall have a row presently, I feel -certain; deuce take those brutes of redskins for not giving a sign of -life. I am walking blindly, not knowing where I am going, I am convinced -I shall fall into some trap laid for me by these villains, and which it -will be impossible for me to get out of." - -Nathan went on walking till about ten in the morning. At that hour, as -he felt hungry, and his legs were rather stiff, he resolved at all -hazards to take a few moments' rest and some mouthfuls of meat. He -mechanically looked round him to seek a suitable, spot, but he suddenly -gave a start of surprise as he raised his rifle, and hid himself behind -an enormous tree. He had noticed, scarce fifty yards from him, an -Indian, sitting carelessly on the ground and quietly eating a little -pemmican. - -After the first emotion had worn off, Nathan attentively examined the -Indian. He was a man of thirty at the most; he did not wear the garb of -a warrior, and two screech owl feathers fixed in his thick hair, over -his right ear, rendered it easy to recognise a Nez-Perce Indian. The -adventurer looked at him a long time ere he could make up his mind what -to do; at length he threw his rifle on his shoulder, left his hiding -place, and walked up to the Indian. The latter probably saw him, though -he displayed no alarm, and quietly went on eating. When about two paces -from the Nez-Perce the American stopped. - -"I salute my brother," he said, raising his voice, and unfolding his -zarape in sign of peace; "may the Wacondah grant him a great hunt." - -"I thank my paleface brother," the Indian replied, as he looked up; "he -is welcome, I have two handfuls of pemmican left, and there is a place -for him at my fire." - -Nathan approached, and, without further ceremony, sat down by the side -of his new friend, who paternally shared his food with him, but asked -him no questions. After feeding, the Nez-Perce lit an Indian pipe, in -which his companion at once imitated him. - -The two men remained there, silently puffing the smoke in each other's -face. When the Nez-Perce had finished his calumet, he shook out the ash -on his thumb, placed the pipe in his belt, and and then resting his -elbows on his knees, and his face in the palm of his hands, he plunged -into that state of ecstatic beatitude which the Italians call the _dolce -far niente_, the Turks _keff_, and which has no equivalent in English. -Nathan filled his pipe a second time, and then turned to his comrade. - -"Is my brother a chief?" he asked him. - -The Indian raised his head. - -"No," he answered, with a proud smile, "I am one of the masters of the -great medicine." - -Nathan bowed respectfully. - -"I understand," he said, "my brother is one of the wise men, whom the -redskins call _allanus_." - -"I am also a sorcerer," the Nez-Perce said. - -"Oh, oh! What, is my brother one of the Ministers of the Great Turtle?" - -"Yes," he answered, "we command the caciques and warriors; they only act -on our orders." - -"I know it; my father has great learning, his power extends over the -whole earth." - -The Nez-Perce smiled condescendingly at this praise, and holding up a -small staff decorated with gay feathers and bells which he held in his -right hand, he said: - -"This _mulbache_ is a more tremendous weapon than the thunder of the -palefaces; everywhere it makes me feared and respected." - -A sinister smile for the second time curled the American's lips. - -"Is my brother returning to his nation?" he asked. - -"No," the Indian said with a shake of the hand; "I am expected at the -village of the Buffalo Apaches, who require my counsel and my medicine, -in order to undertake, under favourable auspices, a great expedition -they are meditating at this moment. My brother will therefore forgive my -leaving him, for I must reach the end of my journey this night." - -"I will not leave my red brother," Nathan answered; "if he will permit -me, I will walk in his moccasins, for my footsteps have the same -direction as my brother's." - -"I gladly accept my brother's proposition; let us start then." - -"I am ready." - -After rising and adjusting his dress, the Indian stooped to pick up a -small bundle, which probably contained his scanty property. Nathan -profited by the movement; swift as thought he drew his knife, and buried -it to the hilt between the Indian's shoulders. The unhappy man uttered a -stifled cry, stretched out his arms, and fell dead. The American -phlegmatically drew his knife from the horrible wound, wiped it in the -grass, and returned it to his girdle. - -"Hum!" he said, with a grin; "there's a poor devil of a sorcerer, whose -skill could not save him: I will try whether I cannot succeed better." - -While talking with the redskin, whom he had at first no intention of -killing, and whom he only wished to make a protector, a sudden idea -crossed his mind. This idea, which at the first blush will seem -extraordinary, suited the bandit, owing to the boldness and daring it -required to carry it out successfully. He made up his mind to assume the -sorcerer's clothes, and pass for him among the redskins. Long conversant -with Indian habits and customs, Nathan felt sure he should play this -difficult part with all the perfection necessary to deceive even sharper -eyes than those of the savages. After assuring himself that his victim -gave no sign of life, Nathan began removing his garments, which he put -on instead of his own. When this first change was effected, he riffled -the sorcerer's bag, took out a mirror, bladders filled with vermilion, -and a black pigment, and with small pieces of wood painted on his face -the strange figures that were on the sorcerer's. The imitation was -perfect; from the face he passed to the body; then he fastened on his -hair, and stuck in it the two screech owl feathers. Nathan had -frequently disguised himself as an Indian, when going scalp hunting with -his father, hence the metamorphosis in a few seconds. - -"This carrion must not be found," he said. - -Taking the body on his back, he hurled it to the bottom of a precipice. - -"Well, that is settled," he continued, with a laugh; "if the Apaches are -not satisfied with the great medicine man who is coming to them, they -will be difficult to please." - -As he did not wish to lose his clothes, he hid them in the Indian's -bundle, which he passed over his rifle barrel; he then took the poor -sorcerer's staff, and gaily set out, muttering to himself with an -impudent smile-- - -"We shall soon see whether this mulbache really possesses the magic -powers that are attributed to it." - - - - -CHAPTER XXVII. - -A TRAIL IN THE AIR. - - -Travellers and tourists who have only seen European forests, cannot -imagine the grand, majestic, and sublime view offered by a virgin forest -in the New World. There are none of those glades four or five yards -wide, stretching out before you, straight and stiff for miles, but -everything is abrupt and savage. There is no prospect, for the eye -cannot see more than thirty or forty paces at the most in any direction. -The primitive soil has disappeared beneath the detritus of trees dead -from old age, and which time, rain, and sunshine have reduced to dust. - -The trees grow very freely, enveloped by thick lianas, which twine -around the stems and branches in the strangest curves, dashing in every -direction, plunging into the ground to reappear again a yard further on, -and chaining the trees together for enormous distances. The wood varies -but slightly in certain districts, and hence, one tree serves the -repetition of all. Then again, a grass, close and thick like the straw -of a wheat field, grows to a height of five and often six feet. - -Suddenly immense pits open beneath the feet of the imprudent traveller, -or bogs covered by a crust scarce an inch in thickness, which swallow up -in their fetid mud the man who ventures to put a foot on them; further -on, a stream runs silent and unvisited, forming rapids, and forcing a -path with difficulty through the heaps of earth and dead trees which it -collects and deposits on the banks. From this short description it may -be understood that it is not so difficult as might be supposed to pass -from one tree to another for a long distance. - -In order, however, to explain this thoroughly to the reader, we will -tell him what he is probably ignorant of: that in certain parts of the -prairie this mode of travelling is employed, not, as might be supposed, -to escape the obstinate pursuit of an enemy, but simply to get on the -more rapidly, not to be obliged to cut a path with the axe, and run no -risk of falling down a precipice, the more so as most of the trees are -enormous, and their solid branches so intertwined, that they thus form a -convenient flooring, at eighty feet above the ground. - -Hence Red Cedar's proposition had nothing extraordinary in itself, when -made to men who had probably tried this mode of locomotion before. But -what would have been an easy and simple thing for the adventurers, -became serious and almost impossible for a girl like Ellen, who, though -strong and skillful, could not take a step without running a risk of -breaking her neck, owing to her dress catching in every branch. A remedy -for this must be found, and the three men reflected on it for an hour, -but discovered nothing which offered the necessary security. It was -Ellen again who came to their help, and relieved them from the trouble. - -"Well," she asked her father, "what are we doing here? Why do we not -start? Did you not say we had not a moment to lose?" - -Red Cedar shook his head. - -"I said so, and it is true; each moment we lose robs us of a day of -life." - -"Let us be off, then." - -"It is not possible yet, my child, till I have found what I am seeking." - -"What is it, father? Tell, me, perhaps I can help you." - -"Bah!" Red Cedar said, suddenly making up his mind, "Why should I make a -secret of what concerns you as much as myself?" - -"What is it, then, father?" - -"Hang it all, your confounded gown, which renders it impossible for you -to leap from one branch to another as we shall do." - -"Is that all that troubles you?" - -"Yes, nothing else." - -"Well then, you were wrong not to speak to me sooner, for the evil would -have been repaired, and we on the road." - -"Is it true?" the squatter exclaimed joyfully. - -"You shall see how quickly it will be done." - -The girl rose, and disappeared behind a clump. In ten minutes she -returned; her gown was so arranged that while allowing her the free use -of her limbs, it no longer floated, and consequently ran no risk of -being entangled in the trees. - -"Here I am," she said, with a laugh; "how do you find me?" - -"Admirable." - -"Well, then, we will start when you please." - -"At once." - -Red Cedar made his final preparations; these were not long, for he had -but to remove all traces of his encampment. More difficult still, none -of the pursuers, if they happened to pass that way, should be able to -discover the road taken by the adventurers. In consequence, Red Cedar -took his daughter on his muscular shoulders, and heading the party in -Indian file he followed for about an hour the road taken by Nathan. -Then, he and his comrades returning, marching backwards, gradually -effacing the footprints, not so carefully that they could not be -discovered, but sufficiently so for those who found them not to suppose -they had been left expressly. - -After two hours of this fatiguing march, during which the adventurers -had not exchanged a syllable, they reached a granite plateau, where they -were enabled to rest for a few moments without any fear of leaving a -trail, for the rock was too hard to take their footprints. - -"Ouf!" Fray Ambrosio muttered, "I am not sorry to take breath, for this -is the devil's own work." - -"What, are you tired already, senor Padre?" Sutter replied with a grin; -"You are beginning early; but wait a while; what you have done is -nothing compared with what you have to do." - -"I doubt whether the road we shall now follow can present so many -difficulties; if so, we had better give it up." - -"Well, if you prefer making a present of your scalp to those demons of -Comanches, it is the easiest thing in the world; you need only remain -quietly, where you are, and you may be certain they will soon pay you a -visit. You know that the redskins are like vultures; fresh meat attracts -them, and they scent it for a long distance." - -"Canarios! I would sooner be roasted at a slow fire than fall into the -hands of those accursed pagans." - -"Come, come," Red Cedar interposed, "all that talking is of no use--what -is written is written--no one can escape his destiny; hence, troubling -oneself about what is going to happen is folly, take my word for it." - -"Well said, Red Cedar; you have spoken like a man of great good sense, -and I am completely of your opinion. Well, what have you to say to us?" - -"I believe that, thanks to the manoeuvre we have employed, we have -managed to hide our trail so cleverly, that the demon himself could not -guess the direction we have taken. The first part of our task has been -accomplished without an obstacle; now let us not betray ourselves by -imprudence or extreme precipitation. I have brought you here, because, -as you see, the virgin forest begins at the end of this platform. The -most difficult task is to climb the first tree without leaving a trail; -as for the rest, it is merely a question of skill. Leave me to act as I -think proper, and I warrant you will have no cause to repent it." - -"I know it; so, for my part, I assure you that you are quite at liberty -to act as you please." - -"Very good; that is what we will do; you see that enormous branch -jutting out about thirty feet above our heads?" - -"I see it--what next?" - -"I will seize its end with my lasso, and we will pull it down till it -touches the ground; we will hold it so while daughter mounts and reaches -the higher branches; you will pass next, then Sutter, and myself last; -in that way we shall leave no sign of our ascent." - -"Your idea is very ingenious, I approve of it highly, especially as that -way of mounting will be easy for your daughter and myself, while Sutter -will not have much trouble. Still one thing bothers me." - -"Out with it." - -"So long as anyone is here to hold the branch, of course it will remain -bent; but when we are up and you remain alone, how will you follow us? -That I do not understand, and I confess I should not be sorry to learn -it." - -Red Cedar burst into a laugh. - -"That need not bother you, senor Padre; I am too much used to the desert -not to calculate my slightest actions." - -"As it is so, we will say no more it. What I said was through the -interest I take in you." - -The squatter looked him in the face. - -"Listen, Fray Ambrosio," he said as he laid his hand lightly on his -shoulder, "we have known one another for a long while, so let us have no -falsehoods; we shall never manage to divine each other, so let us remain -as we are. Is that agreed, eh?" - -The monk was upset by this harsh address; he lost countenance, and -stammered a few words. Red Cedar had taken his lasso, and row whirled it -round his head. He had measured so exactly, that the running knot caught -the end of the branch. - -"Help, all!" the squatter shouted. - -Under their united efforts the branch gradually bent down to the level -of the platform, as Red Cedar had foreseen. - -"Make haste; Ellen, make haste, my child!" he shouted to the maiden. - -The latter did not need any repetition of the invitation; she ran -lightly along the branch, and in a twinkling was leaning against the -stem. By her father's request she mounted to the upper branches, among -which she disappeared. - -"It is your turn, Fray Ambrosio," the squatter said. - -The monk disappeared in the same way. - -"It is yours, lad," the squatter said. - -Sutter rejoined the other two. When left alone, Red Cedar put forth all -his strength to hold the branch down, while he clung to its lower -surface with his hand and feet. So soon as the branch was no longer held -down, it rose, with a shrill whistle and a rapidity enough to make him -giddy. The tree trembled to its roots. Ellen uttered a cry of terror and -closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she saw her father astride -on the end of the tree engaged in unfastening the running knot of his -lasso, after which the squatter rose with perfect calmness, and while -rolling the lasso round his loins, joined his companions. - -"Well," he said to them, "you see it is finished; now we must continue -our journey; are you ready?" - -"Quite," they all said. - -We repeat our assertion, that with the exception of the strangeness of -the road, this way of travelling had nothing dangerous or even -inconvenient about it, owing to the immense network of lianas that -twined capriciously round the trees and the interlaced branches. The -party proceeded, almost without perceiving it, from one tree to the -other, constantly suspended over an abyss of sixty, even eighty, feet in -depth. - -Beneath them they at times perceived the wild beasts which they troubled -in their mysterious lairs, and which, with outstretched necks and -flashing eyes, watched them pass in surprise, not understanding what -they saw. They marched thus the whole day, stopping for a moment to take -breath, and starting again immediately. They had crossed, still on their -floating bridge, a rather wide stream, and would soon find themselves in -the lowlands. - -It was about five in the evening; the beams of the setting sun -lengthened the shadows of the trees; the owls, attracted by the startled -flight of the beetles, of which they are excessively fond, were already -flying about; a dense vapour rose from the ground, and formed a mist, in -which the four persons almost disappeared: all, in a word, announced -that night would soon set in. - -Red Cedar had taken the lead of the little party for fear lest his -companions might take a wrong direction in the inextricable labyrinth of -the virgin forest; for at the height where they were the outlines of the -ground entirely disappeared, and only an immense chaos of tufted -branches and interlaced creepers could be seen. - -"Hilloa, gossip!" Fray Ambrosio said, who, little accustomed to long -walks, and weakened by the lengthened privations he had gone through, -had walked for some time with extreme difficulty, "Shall we soon stop? I -warn you that I can go no further." - -The squatter turned sharply and laid his large hand on the monk's mouth. - -"Silence!" he hissed; "Silence, if you value your scalp!" - -"Cristo, if I value it!" the other muttered, with a movement of terror; -"But what is happening fresh?" - -Red Cedar cautiously moved a mass of leaves, and made a sign to his -comrades to imitate him. - -"Look," he said. - -In a second the monk drew himself back with features convulsed with -terror. - -"Oh," he said, "this time we are lost!" - -He tottered, and would have fallen, had not the squatter seized him by -the arm. - -"What is to be done?" he said. - -"Wait," Red Cedar coldly answered: "our position for the present is not -so desperate; you see them, but they do not see us." - -Fray Ambrosio shook his head sadly, - -"You have led us to our ruin," he said, reproachfully. - -"You are an ass," Red Cedar answered with contempt; "do I not risk as -much as you? Did I not warn you that we were surrounded? Leave me to -act, I tell you." - - - - -CHAPTER XXVIII. - -THE FIGHT WITH THE GRIZZLY. - - -The New World has no reason to envy the Old in the matter of ferocious -animals of every description and every species. The family of the -plantigrades has obtained an enormous development in America, and -possesses races of a ferocity before which all the wild beasts of our -continent turn pale. - -We will speak here of the animal endowed with a prodigious strength, -blind courage, and unbounded cruelty, which the learned call _ursus -cinereus_, and the Americans the grizzly bear. Most travellers draw a -terrific feature of this animal, saying that it combines with the -stupidity of the Polar bear the ferocity and courage of the great -carnivora. Though a traveller myself, I am forced humbly to confess that -the stories of these gentry must be accepted with some reserve, who, -often placed in perilous situations, or ill-disposed mentally and -bodily, have seen badly, and, in spite of themselves, yielding to the -influence of the moment, have unconsciously indulged in exaggerations, -which have gradually become articles of faith, and are now accepted as -such. - -I have no intention to rehabilitate the grizzly bear in the minds of my -readers; still, I will ask them not to be more unjust to it than they -are to other animals sent into the world by the Creator. Hence, laying -aside all exaggerations, and confining ourselves to the strictest truth, -we will, in a few words, describe the grizzly bear and its habits. -During our long stay in America, we saw enough of these animals, and in -sufficient proximity to be accepted as a credible witness. - -My readers will see from the portrait of this animal, correct, if not -flattering though it be, that it is naturally ugly enough, both morally -and physically, not to require to be rendered more hideous and converted -into a monster. The grizzly, when it has reached its full growth, is -about ten feet in length; its coat is woolly, very thick, and perfectly -grey, excepting round the ears, where it is brown. Its face is terrible; -it is the most ferocious and dangerous of all the American carnivora. In -spite of its clumsy shape and heavy appearance, its agility is extreme. -It is the more to be feared, because its indomitable courage emanates -from the consciousness of its prodigious strength, and is always akin -to fury. The grizzly attacks all animals, but chiefly the larger -ruminants, such as buffaloes, oxen, &c. What has probably given rise to -the exaggerated stories of travellers, is the fact that the grizzly bear -does not hibernate, and as during winter it starves among the -snow-covered mountains, it descends to the plains to find food. The -redskins carry on a deadly warfare with it, in order to obtain its long -sharp claws, of which they form collars, to which they set great value. - -It was with one of these formidable animals that Valentine suddenly -found himself face to face. The rencontre was most disagreeable; still -when the first emotion had passed off, the hunters boldly made up their -minds. - -"It is a combat to death," Valentine said laconically; "you know the -grizzly never draws back." - -"What shall we do?" Don Miguel asked. - -"See what he does first," the hunter continued. "It is evident that this -animal has fed, else it would not return to its lair. You know that -bears go out but little; if we are lucky enough to deal with a bear that -has had a good dinner, it will be an immense advantage for us." - -"Why so?" - -"For the simple reason," Valentine said with a laugh, "that, like all -people whose meal hours are irregular, when bears sit down to dinner, -they eat with extreme gluttony, which renders them heavy, sleepy, and -deprives them, in a word, of one half their faculties." - -"Hum!" Don Miguel observed; "I fancy what is left them is quite enough." - -"And so do I; but, quiet, I fancy the beast has made up his mind." - -"That is to say," Don Pablo remarked, "that it is making its -arrangements to attack us." - -"That is what I meant to say," Valentine replied. - -"Well, we will not let it make the first demonstration." - -"Oh, don't be frightened, Don Miguel, I am used to bear hunting; this -one certainly does not expect what I am preparing for it." - -"Providing you do not miss your shot: in that case we should be lost," -Don Miguel observed. - -"By Jove! I know that: so I shall take my measures in accordance." - -Curumilla, stoical as ever, had cut a piece of candlewood, and concealed -himself in the shrubs only a few paces from the wild beast. The bear, -after a moment's hesitation, during which it looked round with an eye -flashing with gloomy fire, as if counting the number of foes it had to -fight, uttered a second growl, as it passed a tongue as red as blood -over its lips. - -"That is it," Valentine said with a laugh; "lick your chops, my fine -fellow; still, I warn you that your mouth is watering too soon--you have -not got us yet." - -The bear seemed to notice the bravado, for it made an effort, and its -monstrous head entirely appeared above the level of the platform. - -"Did I not tell you it had eaten too much?" the hunter went on. "See -what difficulty it finds in moving. Come, sluggard," he said, addressing -the terrible animal, "shake yourself up a little." - -"Take care," Don Miguel shouted. - -"The brute is going to leap on you," Don Pablo said in agony. - -In fact, the bear, by a movement swift as lightning, had escaladed the -platform with a gigantic bound, and was now scarce twenty yards from the -intrepid hunter. Valentine did not move, not one of his muscles shook: -he merely clenched his teeth as if going to break them, and a white foam -appeared at the corner of his lips. The beast, surprised by the -intrepidity of the man, cowed by the electric fluid that flashed from -the hunter's haughty eye, fell back a step. For a moment it remained -motionless, with hanging head; but it soon began tearing up the ground -with its formidable claws, as if encouraging itself to begin the attack. - -Suddenly it turned round. Curumilla profited by the movement, of the -torch he held in readiness for the purpose, and at a signal from -Valentine, made the light flash before the bear. The animal, dazzled by -the brilliant glare of the torch, which suddenly dissipated the darkness -that surrounded it, savagely rose on its hind legs, and turning toward -the Indian, tried to clutch the torch with one of its forepaws, probably -in order to put it out. - -Valentine cocked his rifle, stood firmly on his legs, aimed carefully, -and began whistling softly. So soon as the sound reached the bear's -ears, it stopped, and remained thus for some seconds as if trying to -account for this unusual noise. The hunter still whistled: the witnesses -of the scene held their breath, so interested were they in the strange -incidents of this duel between intellect and brute strength. Still they -kept their hands on their weapons, ready to hurry to their friend's -help, should he be in danger. - -Valentine was calm, gently whistling to the bear, which gradually turned -its head toward him. Curumilla, with the lighted torch in his hand, -attentively watched all the animal's movements. The bear at length faced -the hunter; it was only a few paces from him, and Valentine felt its hot -and fetid breath. The man and the brute gazed on each other; the bear's -bloodshot eye seemed riveted on that of the Frenchman, who looked at it -intrepidly while continuing to whistle softly. - -There was a moment, an age of supreme anxiety. The bear, as if to escape -the strange fascination it suffered under, shook its head twice, and -then rushed forward with a fearful growl. At the same instant a shot was -fired. - -Don Miguel and his son ran up. Valentine, with his rifle butt resting on -the ground, was laughing carelessly, while two paces from him the -terrible animal was uttering howls of fury, and writhing in its dying -convulsions. Curumilla bending forward, was curiously watching the -movements of the animal as it rolled at his feet. - -"Thank Heaven," Don Miguel eagerly exclaimed. "You are safe, my friend." - -"Did you fancy that I ran any danger?" the hunter answered simply. - -"I trembled for your life," the hacendero said with surprise and -admiration. - -"It was not worth the trouble, I assure you," the hunter said -carelessly; "grizzly and I are old acquaintances; ask Curumilla how many -we have knocked over in this way." - -"But," Don Pablo objected, "the grizzly bear is invulnerable; bullets -flatten on its skull, and glide off its fur." - -"That is perfectly true; still, you forget there is a spot where it can -be hit." - -"I know it, the eye; but it is almost impossible to hit it at the first -shot; to do so a man must be endowed with marvellous skill, not to say -admirable courage and coolness." - -"Thank you," Valentine replied with, a smile; "now that our enemy is -dead, I would ask you to look and tell me where I hit it." - -The Mexicans stooped down quickly; the bear was really dead. Its -gigantic corpse, which Curumilla was already preparing to strip of its -magnificent coat, covered a space of nearly ten feet. The hunter's -bullet had entered its right eye; the two gentlemen uttered a cry of -admiration. - -"Yes," Valentine said, replying to their thought, "it was not a bad -shot; but be assured that this animal enjoys an usurped reputation, -owing to the habit it has of attacking man, whom, however, it hardly -ever conquers." - -"But look, my friend, at those sharp claws; why, they are nearly six -inches long." - -"That is true; I remember a poor Comanche, on whose shoulder a grizzly -let his paw fall, and completely smashed it. But, is it an interesting -sport? I confess that it possesses an irresistible attraction for me." - -"You are quite at liberty, my friend," said Don Miguel, "to find a -delight in fighting such monsters, and I can account for it; the life -you lead in the desert has so familiarised you with danger, that you no -longer believe in it; but we dwellers in towns have, I confess, an -invincible respect and terror for this monster." - -"Nonsense, Don Miguel, how can you say when I have seen you engaged in a -hand-to-hand fight with tigers?" - -"That is possible, my friend; I would do so again, if necessary--but a -jaguar is not a grizzly." - -"Come, come, I will not tease you any longer. While Curumilla prepares -our breakfast, I will go down into the ravine. Help my friend to roast a -piece of my game, and I am sure when you have tasted it, the exquisite -flavour will make you quite alter your opinion about friend Grizzly." - -And carelessly throwing his rifle on his shoulder, which he had -reloaded, Valentine then entered the chaparral, in which he almost -immediately disappeared. - -The game, as Valentine called the grizzly, weighed about four hundred -weight. After flaying it with that dexterity the Indians possess, -Curumilla, aided by the two Mexicans, hung up the body to a branch, that -bent beneath its weight; he cut steaks from the loin, and took out the -pluck, which regular hunters consider the most delicate part of the -beast; and then, while Don Miguel and Don Pablo lit the fire, and laid -the steaks on the ashes, the Indian entered the cave. - -Don Pablo and his father, long accustomed to the Araucano chief's way of -behaving, made no remark, but went on with the preparations for -breakfast actively, the more so because the night's fatigues and their -long privations had given them an appetite which the smell of the -cooking meat only heightened. - -Still, the meal had been ready some time, and Valentine had not -returned. The two gentlemen were beginning to feel anxious. Nor did -Curumilla emerge either from the cavern in which he had now been upwards -of an hour. The Mexicans exchanged a glance. - -"Can anything have happened?" Don Miguel asked. - -"We must go and see," said Don Pablo. - -They rose; Don Pablo proceeded toward the cave, while his father went to -the end of the platform. At this moment Valentine arrived on one side, -Curumilla on the other, holding two young bearskins in his hands. - -"What does that mean?" Don Pablo in his surprise could not refrain from -asking. - -The Indian smiled. "It was a she-bear," he said. - -"Are we going to breakfast?" Valentine asked. - -"Whenever you like, my friend," Don Miguel answered; "we were only -waiting for you." - -"I have been gone a long time." - -"More than an hour." - -"It was not my fault. Just fancy, down there it is as dark as in an -oven. I had great difficulty in finding our friend's body; but, thanks -to heaven, it is now in the ground, and protected from the teeth of the -coyotes and the other vermin of the prairie." - -Don Miguel took his hand and pressed it tenderly, while tears of -gratitude ran down his cheeks. - -"Valentine," he said, with great emotion. "You are better than all of -us; you think of everything; no circumstance, however grave it may be, -can make you forget what you regard in the light of a duty. Thanks, my -friend, thanks, for having placed in the ground the poor general's body; -you have made me very happy." - -"That will do," Valentine said, as he turned his head away, not to let -the emotion he felt in spite of himself, be noticed; "suppose we feed? I -am fearfully hungry; the sun is rising, and we have not yet quitted that -frightful labyrinth in which we so nearly left our bones." - -The hunters set down round the fire, and began sharply attacking the -meal that awaited them. When they had finished eating, which did not -take long, thanks to Valentine, who continually urged them to take -double mouthfuls, they rose and prepared to start again. - -"Let us pay great attention, caballeros," the hunter said to them, "and -carefully look around us, for I am greatly mistaken if we do not find a -trail within an hour." - -"What makes you suppose so?" - -"Nothing, I have found no sign," Valentine answered, with a smile; "but -I feel a foreboding that we shall soon find the man we have been seeking -so long." - -"May heaven hear you, my friend! Don Miguel exclaimed. - -"Forward! Forward!" Valentine said, as he set out. - -His comrades followed him. At this moment the sun appeared above the -horizon, the forest awoke as if by enchantment, and the birds, concealed -beneath the foliage, began their matin hymn, which they sing daily to -salute the sun. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIX. - -A MOTHER'S LOVE. - - -As we have said, Madame Guillois was installed by her son at the winter -village of the Comanches, and the Indians gladly welcomed the mother of -the adopted son of their tribe. The most commodious lodge was -immediately placed at her service, and the most delicate attentions were -lavished on her. - -The redskins are incontestably superior to the whites in all that -relates to hospitality. A guest is sacred to them to such an extent, -that they become his slaves, so to speak, so anxious are they to satisfy -all his desires, and even his slightest caprices. - -After Father Seraphin had warned Red Cedar to be on his guard, he -returned to Madame Guillois in order to watch more directly over it. The -worthy missionary was an old acquaintance and friend of the Comanches, -to whom he had been useful on several occasions, and who respected in -him not the priest, whose sublime mission they could not understand, but -the good and generous man, ever ready to devote himself to his fellow -men. - -Several weeks passed without producing any great change in the old -lady's life. Sunbeam, on her own private authority, had constituted -herself her handmaiden, amusing her with her medley of Indian-Spanish -and French, attending to her like a mother, and trying, by all the means -in her power, to help her to kill time. So long as Father Seraphin -remained near her, Madame Guillois endured her son's absence very -patiently. The missionary's gentle and paternal exhortations made -her--not forget, because a mother never does that--but deceive herself -as to the cruelty of this separation. - -Unhappily, Father Seraphin had imperious duties to attend to which he -could no longer neglect; to her great regret he must recommence his -wandering life, and his mission of self-denial and suffering, while -carrying to the Indian tribes, the light of the gospel, and the succour -of religion. Father Seraphin was in Madame Guillois's sight a link of -the chain that attached her to her son; she could speak about him with -the missionary, who knew the most secret thoughts of her heart, and -could by one word calm her alarm, and restore her courage. But when he -left her for the first time since her arrival in America, she really -felt alone, and lost her son once again, as it were. Thus the separation -was cruel; and she needed all her Christian resignation and long habit -of suffering to bear meekly the fresh blow that struck her. - -Indian life is very dull and monotonous, especially in winter, in the -heart of the forest, in badly built huts, open to all the winds, when -the leafless trees are covered with hoar-frost; the villages are half -buried beneath the snow, the sky is gloomy, and during the long nights -the hurricane may be heard howling, and a deluge of rain falling. - -Alone, deprived of a friend in whose bosom she could deposit the -overflowing of her heart, Madame Guillois gradually fell into a gloomy -melancholy, from which nothing could arouse her. A woman of the age of -the hunter's mother does not easily break through all her habits to -undertake a journey like that she had made across the American desert. -However simple and frugal the life of a certain class of society may be -in Europe, they still enjoy a certain relative comfort, far superior to -what they may expect to find in Indian villages, where objects of -primary necessity are absent, and life is reduced to its simplest -expression. - -Thus, for instance, a person accustomed to work in the evening in a -comfortable chair, in the chimney corner, by the light of a lamp, in a -well-closed room, would never grow used to sit on the beaten ground, -crouching over a fire, whose smoke blinds her, in a windowless hut, only -illumined by the flickering flame of a smoky torch. - -When Madame Guillois left Havre, she had only one object, one desire, to -see her son again; every other consideration must yield to that: she -gladly sacrificed the comfort she enjoyed to find the son whom she -believed she had lost, and who filled her heart. - -Still, in spite of her powerful constitution and the masculine energy of -her character, when she had endured the fatigue of a three months' -voyage, and the no less rude toil of several weeks' travelling through -forests and over prairies, sleeping in the open air, her health had -gradually broken down, her strength was worn out in this daily and -hourly struggle, and wounded, both physically and morally, she had been -at length forced to confess herself beaten, and to allow that she was -too weak to endure such an existence longer. - -She grew thin and haggard visibly; her cheeks were sunken, her eyes -buried more and more deeply in their orbits, her face was pale, her look -languishing--in short, all the symptoms revealed that the nature which -had hitherto so valiantly resisted, was rapidly giving way, and was -undermined by an illness which had been secretly wasting her for a long -time, and now displayed itself in its fell proportions. - -Madame Guillois did not deceive herself as to her condition, she -calculated coolly and exactly all the probable incidents, followed step -by step the different phases of her illness, and when Sunbeam anxiously -enquired what was the matter with her, and what she suffered from, she -answered her with that calm and heart-breaking smile which the man -condemned to death puts on when no hope is left him--a smile more -affecting than a sob-- - -"It is nothing, my child,--I am dying." - -These words were uttered with so strange an accent of gentleness and -resignation that the young Indian felt her eyes fill with tears, and hid -herself to weep. - -One morning a bright sun shone on the village, the sky was blue, and the -air mild. Madame Guillois, seated in front of her calli, was warming -herself in this last smile of autumn, while mechanically watching the -yellow leaves, which a light breeze turned round. Not far from her the -children were sporting, chasing each other with merry bursts of -laughter. Unicorn's squaw presently sat down by the old lady's side, -took her hand, and looked at her sympathisingly. - -"Does my mother feel better?" she asked her in her voice which was soft -as the note of the Mexican nightingale. - -"Thanks, my dear little one," the old lady answered, affectionately, "I -am better." - -"That is well," Sunbeam replied, with a charming smile; "for I have good -news to tell my mother." - -"Good news?" she said, hurriedly, as she gave her a piercing glance; -"has my son arrived?" - -"My mother would have seen him before this," the squaw said, with a -tinge of gentle reproach in her voice. - -"That is true," she muttered; "my poor Valentine!" - -She let her head sink sadly on her bosom. Sunbeam looked at her for a -moment with an expression of tender pity. - -"Does not my mother wish to hear the news I have to tell her?" she went -on. - -Madame Guillois sighed. - -"Speak, my child," she said. - -"One of the great warriors of the tribe has just entered the village," -the young woman continued; "Spider left the chief two days ago." - -"Ah!" the old lady said, carelessly, seeing that Sunbeam stopped; "and -where is the chief at this moment?" - -"Spider says that Unicorn is in the mountains, with his warriors; he has -seen Koutonepi." - -"He has seen my son?" Madame Guillois exclaimed. - -"He has seen him," Sunbeam repeated; "the hunter is pursuing Red Cedar -with his friends." - -"And--he is not wounded?" she asked anxiously. - -The young Indian pouted her lips. - -"Red Cedar is a dog and cowardly old woman," she said; "his arm is not -strong enough, or his eye sure enough to wound the great pale hunter. -Koutonepi is a terrible warrior, he despises the barkings of the -coyote." - -Madame Guillois had lived long enough among the Indians to understand -their figurative expressions; she gratefully pressed the young squaw's -hand. - -"Your great warrior has seen my son?" she said eagerly. - -"Yes," Sunbeam quickly answered, "Spider saw the pale hunter, and spoke. -Koutonepi gave him a necklace for my mother." - -"A necklace?" she repeated, in surprise, not understanding what the -woman meant; "What am I to do with it?" - -Sunbeam's face assumed a serious expression. - -"The white men are great sorcerers," she said, "they know how to make -powerful medicines; by figures traced on birch bark communicate their -thoughts at great distances; space does not exist for them. Will not my -mother receive the necklace her son sends her?" - -"Give it me, my dear child," she eagerly answered; "everything that -comes from him is precious to me." - -The young squaw drew from under her striped calico dress a square piece -of bark of the size of her hand, and gave it to her. Madame Guillois -took it curiously, not knowing what this present meant. She turned it -over and over, while Sunbeam watched her attentively. All at once the -old lady's features brightened, and she uttered a cry of joy; she had -perceived a few words traced on the inside of the bark with the point of -a knife. - -"Is my mother satisfied?" Sunbeam asked. - -"Oh, yes," she answered. - -She eagerly perused the note; it was short, contained indeed but a few -words, yet they filled the mother with delight; for they gave her -certain news of her son. This is what Valentine wrote-- - -"My dear mother, be of good cheer, my health is excellent, I shall see -you soon: your loving son, Valentine." - -It was impossible to write a more laconic letter; but on the desert, -where communication is so difficult, a son may be thanked for giving -news of himself, if only in a word. Madame Guillois was delighted, and -when she had read the note again, she turned to the young squaw. - -"Is Spider a chief?" she asked. - -"Spider is one of the great warriors of the tribe," Sunbeam answered -proudly; "Unicorn places great confidence in him." - -"Good; I understand. He has come here on a particular mission?" - -"Unicorn ordered his friend to choose twenty picked warriors from the -tribe, and lead them to him." - -A sudden idea crossed Madame Guillois's mind. - -"Does Sunbeam love me?" she asked her. - -"I love my mother," the squaw replied, feelingly; "her son saved my -life." - -"Does not my daughter feel grieved at being away from her husband?" the -old lady continued. - -"Unicorn is a great chief; when he commands, Sunbeam bows and obeys -without a murmur; the warrior is the strong and courageous eagle, the -squaw is the timid dove." - -There was a long silence, which Sunbeam at last broke by saying, with a -meaning smile-- - -"My mother had something to ask of me?" - -"What use is it, dear child?" she answered hesitatingly, "As you will -not grant my request." - -"My mother thinks so, but is not sure," she said, maliciously. - -The old lady smiled. - -"Have you guessed, then, what I was about to ask of you?" she said. - -"Perhaps so; my mother will explain, so that I may see whether I was -mistaken." - -"No, it is useless; I know that my daughter will refuse." - -Sunbeam broke into a fresh and joyous laugh as she clapped her little -hands. - -"My mother knows the contrary," she said; "why does she not place -confidence in me? Has she ever found me unkind?" - -"Never; you have always been kind and attentive to me, trying to calm my -grief, and dissipate my fears." - -"My mother can speak then, as the ears of a friend are open," Sunbeam -said to her quietly. - -"In truth," the old lady remarked, after some thought, "what I desire is -just. Is Sunbeam a mother?" she said, meaningly. - -"Yes," she quickly replied. - -"Does my daughter love her child?" - -The Indian looked at her in surprise. - -"Are there mothers in the great island of the whites who do not love -their child?" she asked; "My child is myself, is it not my flesh and -blood? What is there dearer to a mother than her child?" - -"Nothing, that is true." Madame Guillois sighed. "If my daughter were -separated from her child, what Would she do?" - -"What would I do?" the Indian exclaimed, with a flash in her black eye; -"I would go and join him, no matter when, no matter how." - -"Good," the old lady remarked, eagerly; "I, too, love my child, and my -daughter knows it. Well, I wish to join him, for my heart is lacerated -at the thought of remaining any longer away from him." - -"I know it, that is natural, it cannot be opposed. The flower fades when -separated from the stem, the mother suffers when away from the son she -nourished with her milk. What does my mother wish to do?" - -"Alas! I wish to start as soon as possible to embrace my son." - -"That is right: I will help my mother." - -"What shall I do?" - -"That is my business. Spider is about to assemble the council in order -to explain his mission to the chiefs. Many of our young men are -scattered through the forest, setting traps and hunting the elk to -support their family. Spider will want two days to collect the warriors -he needs, and he will not start till the third day. My mother can be at -rest; I will speak to Spider, and in three days we will set out." - -She embraced the old lady, who tenderly responded, then rose and went -away, after giving her a final sign of encouragement. Madame Guillois -returned to her calli, her heart relieved of a heavy weight; for a long -time she had not felt so happy. She forgot her sufferings and the sharp -pangs of illness that undermined her, in order to think only of the -approaching moment when she would embrace her son. - -All happened as Sunbeam had foreseen. An hour later, the hachesto -convened the chiefs to the great medicine lodge. The council lasted a -long time, and was prolonged to the end of the day. Spider's demand was -granted, and twenty warriors were selected to go and join the sachem of -the tribe. But, as the squaw had foretold, most of the warriors were -absent, and their return had to be awaited. - -During the two succeeding days Sunbeam held frequent conferences with -Spider, but did not exchange a word with Madame Guillois, contenting -herself, when the mother's glance became too inquiring, by laying her -finger on her lip with a smile. The poor lady sustained by factitious -strength, a prey to a burning fever, sadly counted the hours while -forming the most ardent vows for the success of her plan. At length, on -the evening of the second day, Sunbeam, who had hitherto seemed to avoid -the old lady, boldly approached her. - -"Well?" the mother asked. - -"We are going." - -"When?" - -"Tomorrow, at daybreak." - -"Has Spider pledged his word to my daughter?" - -"He has; so my mother will hold herself in readiness to start." - -"I am so now." - -The Indian woman smiled. - -"No, tomorrow." - -At daybreak, as was agreed on the previous evening, Madame Guillois and -Sunbeam set out under the escort of Spider and his twenty warriors to -join Unicorn. - - - - -CHAPTER XXX. - -THE SORCERER. - - -Although Spider was a Comanche warrior in the fullest meaning of the -term, that is to say rash, cunning, brutal and cruel, the laws of -gallantry were not entirely unknown to him, and he had eagerly accepted -Sunbeam's proposition. The Indian, who, like most of his countrymen, was -under great obligations to Valentine, was delighted at the opportunity -to do him a kindness. - -If Spider had only travelled with his warriors the journey would have -been accomplished, to use a Comanche expression, between two sunsets; -but having with him two women, one of whom was not only old, but a -European, that is to say, quite unused to desert life, he understood, -without anyone making the remark--for Madame Guillois would have died -sooner than complain, and she alone could have spoken--that he must -completely modify his mode of travelling, and he did so. - -The women, mounted on powerful horses (Madame Guillois being comfortably -seated on a cushion made of seven or eight panthers' skins) were, for -fear of any accident, placed in the middle of the band, which did not -take Indian file, owing to its numerical strength. - -They trotted on thus during the whole day, and at sunset Spider gave -orders to camp. He was one of the first to dismount, and cut with his -knife a number of branches, of which he formed, as if by enchantment, a -hut to protect the two females from the dew. The fires were lighted, -supper prepared, and immediately after the meal, all prepared to sleep -except the sentries. - -Madame Guillois alone did not sleep, for fever and impatience kept her -awake; she therefore spent the whole night crouched in a corner of the -hut, reflecting. At sunrise they started again; as they were approaching -the mountains the wind grew cold, and a dense fog covered the prairie. -All wrapped themselves up carefully in their furs until the sun gained -sufficient strength to render this precaution unnecessary. - -In some parts of America the climate has this disagreeable peculiarity, -that in the morning the frost is strong enough to split stones, at -midday the heat is stifling, and in the evening the thermometer falls -again below zero. - -The day passed without any incident worth recording. Toward evening, at -about an hour before the halt, Spider, who was galloping as scout about -one hundred yards ahead of the band, discovered footsteps. They were -clear, fresh, regular, deep, and seemed to be made by a young, powerful -man accustomed to walking. - -Spider rejoined his party without imparting his discovery to anyone; but -Sunbeam, by whose side he was riding, suddenly tapped him on the -shoulder, to attract his attention. - -"Look there, warrior," she said, pointing a little to the left "does -that look like a man marching?" - -The Indian stopped, put his hand over his eyes as a shade, to -concentrate his attention, and examined for a long time the point the -chief's squaw pointed out. At length he set out again, shaking his head -repeatedly. - -"Well, what does my brother think?" Sunbeam asked. - -"It is a man," he answered; "from here it appears an Indian, and yet I -either saw badly, or am mistaken." - -"How so?" - -"Listen: you are the wife of the first chief of the tribe, and so I can -tell you this, there is something strange about the affair. A few -minutes back I discovered footprints; by the direction they follow it is -plain they were made by that man--the more so, as they are fresh, as if -made a little while ago." - -"Well?" - -"These are not the footprints of a redskin, but of a white." - -"That is really strange," the squaw muttered and became serious; "but -are you quite sure of what you assert?" - -The Indian smiled contemptuously. - -"Spider is a warrior," he said; "a child of eight years could have seen -it as well as I; the feet are turned out, while the Indians turn them -in; the great toe is close to the others, while ours grow out -considerably. With such signs, I ask my sister can a man be deceived?" - -"That is true," she said; "I cannot understand it." - -"And stay," he continued; "now we are nearer the man, just watch his -behaviour, it is plain he is trying to hide himself; he fancies we have -not yet remarked him, and is acting in accordance. He is stooping down -behind that mastic: now he reappears. See, he stops, he is reflecting; -he fears lest we have seen him, and his walking may appear suspicious to -us. Now he is sitting down to await us." - -"We must be on our guard," said Sunbeam. - -"I am watching," Spider replied, with an ill-omened smile. - -In the meanwhile all Spider had described had taken place, point by -point. The stranger, after trying several times to hide himself behind -the bushes or disappear in the mountains, calculated that if he fled the -persons he saw could soon catch him up, as he was dismounted. Then, -making up his mind to risk it, he sat down with his back against a -tamarind tree, and quietly smoked while awaiting the arrival of the -horsemen, who were quickly coming up. - -The nearer the Comanches came to this man, the more like an Indian he -looked. When they were only a few paces from him, all doubts were at an -end; he was, or seemed to be, one of those countless vagabond sorcerers -who go from tribe to tribe in the Far West to cure the sick and practice -their enchantment. In fact, the sorcerer was no other than Nathan, as -the reader has doubtless guessed. - -After so nobly recompensing the service rendered him by the poor -juggler, whose science had not placed him on his guard against such -abominable treachery, Nathan went off at full speed, resolved on -crossing the enemy's lines, thanks to the disguise he wore with rare -perfection. - -When he perceived the horsemen, he attempted to fly; but unfortunately -for him he was tired, and in a part so open and denuded of chaparral, -that he soon saw, if he attempted to bolt, he should inevitably ruin -himself by arousing the suspicions of these men, who, on the other hand, -as they did not know him, would probably pass him with a bow. He also -calculated on the superstitious character of the Indians and his own -remarkable stock of impudence and boldness to deceive them. - -These reflections Nathan made with that speed and certainty which -distinguish men of action; he made up his mind in a moment, and sitting -down at the foot of a tree, coolly awaited the arrival of the strangers. -Moreover, we may remark, that Nathan was gifted with daring and -indomitable spirit; the critical position in which chance suddenly -placed him, instead of frightening pleased him, and caused him a feeling -which was not without its charm with a man of his stamp. He boldly -assumed the borrowed character, and when the Indians stopped in front -of him, he was the first to speak. - -"My sons are welcome to my bivouac," he said, with that marked guttural -accent that belongs to the red race alone, and which the white men have -such difficulty in imitating; "as the Wacondah has brought them here, I -will strive to fulfil his intentions by receiving them as well as I -possibly can." - -"Thanks," Spider replied, giving him a scrutinising glance; "we accept -our brother's offer as freely as it is made. My young men will camp with -him." - -He gave his orders, which were immediately carried out. As on the -previous evening. Spider built a hut for the females, to which they -immediately withdrew. The sorcerer had given them a glance which made -them shudder all over. - -After supper; Spider lit his pipe and sat down near the sorcerer; he -wished to converse with him and clear up, not his suspicions, but the -doubts he entertained about him. The Indian, however, felt for this man -an invincible repulsion for which he could not account. Nathan, although -smoking with all the gravity the redskins display in this operation, and -wrapping himself up in a dense cloud of smoke, which issued from his -mouth and nostrils, closely watched all the Indian's movements, while -not appearing to trouble himself about him. - -"My father is travelling?" Spider asked. - -"Yes," the pretended sorcerer laconically replied. - -"Has he done so long?" - -"For eight moons." - -"Wah!" the Indian said in surprise; "Where does my father come from, -then?" - -Nathan took, his pipe from his lips, assumed a mysterious air, and -answered gravely and reservedly-- - -"The Wacondah is omnipotent, those to whom the Master of Life speaks, -keep his words in their heart." - -"That is just," Spider, who did not understand him, answered, with a -bow. - -"My son is a warrior of the terrible queen of the prairies?" the -sorcerer went on. - -"I am indeed, a Comanche warrior." - -"Is my son on the hunting path?" - -"No, I am at this moment on the war trail." - -"Wah! Does my son hope to deceive a great medicine man, that he utters -such word before him?" - -"My words are true, my blood runs pure as water in my veins, a lie never -sullied my lips, my heart only breathes the truth," Spider answered, -with a certain haughtiness, internally wounded by the sorcerer's -suspicions. - -"Good, I am willing to believe him," the latter went on; "but when did -the Comanches begin to take their squaws with them on the war path?" - -"The Comanches are masters of their actions; no one has a right to -control them." - -Nathan felt that he was on a wrong track, and that if the conversation -went on in this way, he should offend a man whom he had such an interest -in conciliating. He therefore altered his tactics. - -"I do not claim any right," he said quietly, "to control the acts of -warriors for am I not a man of peace?" - -Spider smiled contemptuously. - -"In truth," he said, in a good-humoured tone, "great medicine men such -as my father are like women, they live a long time; the Wacondah -protects them." - -The sorcerer refrained from noticing the bitter sarcasm the speaker -displayed in his remark. - -"Is my son returning to his village?" he asked him. - -"No," the other answered, "I am going to join the great chief of my -tribe, who is on an expedition, with his most celebrated warriors." - -"To what tribe does my son belong, then?" - -"To that of Unicorn." - -Nathan trembled inwardly, though his face remained unmoved. - -"Wah!" he said, "Unicorn is a great chief; his renown is spread over the -whole earth. What warrior could contend with him on the prairie?" - -"Does my father know him?" - -"I have not the honour, though I have often desired it; never to this -day have I been able to meet the celebrated chief." - -"If my father desires it, I will introduce him." - -"It would be happiness for me; but the mission the Wacondah has confided -to me claims my presence far from here. Time presses; and, in spite of -my desire, I cannot leave my road." - -"Good! Unicorn is hardly three hours march from the spot where we now -are; we shall reach his camp at an early hour tomorrow." - -"How is it that my son, who seems to me a prudent warrior, should have -halted here, when so near his chief?" - -All suspicion had been removed from the Indian's mind, so he answered -frankly this time, without trying to disguise the truth, and laying all -reticence aside. - -"My father is right. I would certainly have continued my journey to the -chief's camp, and reached it this evening before the shriek of the owl, -but the two squaws with me delayed me and compelled me to act as I have -done." - -"My son is young," Nathan answered, with an insinuating smile. - -"My father is mistaken; the squaws are sacred to me; I love and respect -them. The one is Unicorn's own wife, who is returning to her husband; -the other is a paleface, her hair is white as the snow that passes over -our heads driven by the evening breeze, and her body is bowed beneath -the weight of winters; she is the mother of a great hunter of the -palefaces, the adopted son of our tribe, whose name has doubtless -reached our father's ears." - -"How is he called?" - -"Koutonepi." - -At this name, which he might have expected, however, Nathan -involuntarily gave such a start that Spider perceived it. - -"Can Koutonepi be an enemy of my father?" he asked, with astonishment. - -"On the contrary," Nathan hastened to reply; "the men protected by the -Wacondah have no enemies, as my son knows. The joy I felt on hearing his -name uttered caused the emotion my son noticed." - -"My father must have powerful reasons for displaying such surprise." - -"I have, indeed, very powerful," the sorcerer replied with feigned -delight; "Koutonepi saved my mother's life." - -This falsehood was uttered with such magnificent coolness, and such a -well-assumed air of truth, that the Indian was convinced and bowed -respectfully to the pretended sorcerer. - -"In that case," he said, "I am certain that my father will not mind -leaving his road a little to see the man to whom he is attached by such -strong ties of gratitude; for it is very probable that we shall meet -Koutonepi at Unicorn's camp." - -Nathan made a grimace; as usually happens to rogues, who try to prove -too much, in dissipating suspicions at all hazards, he had caught -himself. Now he understood that, unless he wished to become again -suspected, he must undergo the consequences of his falsehood and go with -Spider to his destination. The American did not hesitate; he trusted to -his star to get him out of the scrape. Chance is, before all, the deity -of bandits; they count on it, and we are forced to concede that they are -rarely deceived. - -"I will accompany my son to Unicorn's camp," he said. - -The conversation went on for some time, and when the night had quite set -in, Spider took leave of the sorcerer, and following his custom since -the beginning of the journey, lay down across the door of the hut in -which the two females reposed and speedily fell asleep. - -Left alone by the fire, Nathan took a searching glance around; the -sentinels, motionless as statues of bronze, were watching as they leant -on their long lances. Any flight was impossible. The American gave a -sigh of regret, wrapped himself in his buffalo robe, and lay down, -muttering-- - -"Bah! Tomorrow it will be day. Since I have succeeded in deceiving this -man, why should I not do the same with the others?" - -And he fell asleep. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXI. - -WHITE GAZELLE. - - -The night passed quietly. - -As soon as the sun appeared on the horizon, all were in motion in the -camp, preparing for departure. The horses were saddled, the ranks -formed, the two females left the hut, placed themselves in the middle of -the detachment, and only the order to start was awaited. Nathan, then -acting in conformity with his sorcerer's character, took a calabash, -which he filled with water, and dipping a branch of wormwood in it, he -sprinkled the four winds, muttering mysterious words to exorcise the -spirit of evil; then he threw the contents of the calabash toward the -sun, shouting in a loud voice, three different times-- - -"Sun, receive this offering; regard us with a favourable eye, for we are -thy children." - -So soon as this ceremony was ended, the Indians joyously set out. The -sorcerers incantation had pleased them, the more so as at the moment of -starting, four bald-headed eagles, unfurling their wide wings, had -slowly risen on their right, mounting in a straight line to heaven, when -they soon disappeared at a prodigious height. The omens were, therefore, -most favourable, and the sorcerer suddenly acquired immense importance -in the eyes of the superstitious Comanches. - -Still, two persons felt a prejudice for this man which they could not -overcome: they were Sunbeam and the hunter's mother. Each moment they -involuntarily looked at the sorcerer, who, warned by a species of -intuition of the scrutiny of which he was the object, kept at a -respectful distance, walking at the head of the party by the side of -Spider, with whom he conversed in a low voice to keep him by him, and -prevent him joining the two females, who might have communicated their -suspicions to him. - -The party ambled through a grand and striking scenery; here and there -they saw, scattered irregularly over the plains, spherically shaped -rocks, whose height varied from two to four, and even five hundred feet. -On the east rose the spires of the Sierra de los Comanches, among which -the travellers now were. The denuded peaks raised their white summits to -the skies, extending far north, until they appeared in the horizon only -a slight vapour, which an inexperienced eye might have taken for clouds, -but the Comanches recognised very plainly as a continuation of the Rocky -Mountains. On the left of the travellers, and almost at their feet, -extended an immense desert, bordered on the distant horizon by another -line of almost imperceptible vapour, marking the site of the Rocky -Chain. - -The Indians ascended insensibly, by almost impracticable paths, where -their horses advanced so boldly, however, that they seemed rooted to the -ground, so secure was their foothold. As they got deeper into the -mountains the cold grew sharper; at length, about nine o'clock, after -crossing a deep gorge let in between two tall mountains, whose masses -intercepted the sunbeams, they entered a smiling valley about three -miles in extent, in the centre of which the tents rose and the campfires -smoked. - -So soon as the vedettes signalled the approach of Spider's detachment, -some sixty warriors mounted and rode to meet them, firing guns, and -uttering shouts of welcome, to which the newcomers responded by blowing -their war whistles, from which they produced sharp and prolonged sounds. - -They then entered the camp, and proceeded toward Unicorn's hut; the -chief, already informed of the arrival of the reinforcement he expected, -was standing with folded arms before his calli, between the totem and -the great calumet. Unicorn inspected the warriors with a rapid glance, -and noticed the two females and the strange sorcerer they brought with -them; still he did not appear to see them: his face revealed no sign of -emotion: and he waited stoically for Spider to give him a report of his -mission. - -The Comanche warrior dismounted, threw his bridle to one of his -comrades, crossed his hands on his chest, bowed deeply each time he took -a step, and on arriving a short distance from the sachem, he bowed a -last time as he said-- - -"Spider has accomplished his mission: he put on gazelle's feet to return -more speedily." - -"Spider is an experienced warrior, in whom I have entire confidence. -Does he bring me the number of young men I asked of the nation?" Unicorn -replied. - -"The elders assembled round the council fire, they lent an ear to -Spider's words. The twenty young warriors are here, boiling with -courage, and proud to follow on the war trail so terrible a chief as my -father." - -Unicorn smiled proudly at this compliment; but assuming almost -immediately the rigid expression which was the usual character of his -face, he said-- - -"I have heard the song of the centzontle, my ear was struck by the -melodious modulations of its voice. Am I mistaken, or has it really -formed its nest beneath the thick foliage of the oaks or pines in this -valley?" - -"My father is mistaken; he has not heard the song of the nightingale, -but the voice of the friend of his heart has reached, him and caused him -to start," Sunbeam said softly, as she timidly approached him. - -The chief looked at his wife with a mixture of love and sternness. - -"Soul of my life," he said, "why have you left the village? Is your -place among the warriors? Ought the wife of a chief to join him on the -war trail without permission?" - -The young squaw let her eyes fall, and two liquid pearls trembled at the -end of her long eyelashes. - -"Unicorn is severe to his wife," she replied sadly; "winter is coming on -apace, the tall trees have been stripped of their leaves, the snow is -falling on the mountains, Sunbeam is restless in her solitary lodge; for -many moons the chief has left his squaw alone, and gone away; she wished -to see once more the man she loves." - -"Sunbeam is the wife of a chief, her heart is strong; she has often been -separated from Unicorn, and ever awaited his return without complaining; -why is her conduct different today?" - -The young woman took Madame Guillois's hand. - -"Koutonepi's mother wishes to see her son again," she simply answered. - -Unicorn's face grew brighter, and his voice softened. - -"My brother's mother is welcome in Unicorn's camp," he said, as he -courteously bowed to the old lady. - -"Is not my son with you, chief?" she anxiously asked. - -"No, but my mother can be at rest; if she desire it, she shall see him -before the second sun." - -"Thanks, chief." - -"I will send a warrior to tell Koutonepi of his mother's presence among -us." - -"I will go myself," Spider said. - -"Good! That is settled. My mother will enter my lodge to take the rest -she needs." - -The two females withdrew, and only one person now remained before -Unicorn, and that was the feigned sorcerer. The two men examined each -other attentively. - -"Oh," the chief said, "what fortunate accident brings my father to my -camp?" - -"The messengers of Wacondah go whither he orders them without discussing -his will," Nathan answered drily. - -"That is true," the chief went on; "what does my father desire?" - -"Hospitality for the night." - -"Hospitality is granted even to an enemy in the desert; is my father -ignorant of the customs of the prairie, that he asks it of me?" the -chief said, giving him a suspicious look. - -Nathan bit his lips. - -"My father did not quite understand my words," he said. - -"No matter," Unicorn interrupted him authoritatively; "the Great -Medicine man will pass the night in the camp; a guest is sacred to the -Comanches; only traitors, when they are unmasked, are punished as they -deserve. My father can retire." - -Nathan shuddered inwardly at these words, which apparently indicated -that the sachem had his suspicions. Still, he shut up his fears in his -heart, and continued to keep a good countenance. - -"Thanks," he said with a bow. - -Unicorn returned his salute, and walked away. - -"Hum!" the American muttered to himself; "I fancy I did wrong to venture -among these demons; the eyes of that accursed chief seemed to read me -through. I must be on my guard." - -While making these reflections, Nathan walked slowly on, with head -erect, apparently delighted at the result of his interview with Unicorn. -At this moment, a rider entered the valley at full speed, and passed two -paces from the sorcerer, exchanging a glance with him. Nathan started. - -"If she recognised me, I am a gone 'coon," he said. - -It was White Gazelle, whom the Comanches saluted as she passed, and she -proceeded to Unicorn's lodge. - -"I am in the wolf's throat," Nathan went on; "my presumption will cause -my ruin. There is one thing a man cannot disguise, and that is his eye; -the Gazelle knows me too well to be deceived; I must try to get away -while there is still time." - -Nathan was too resolute a man to despair uselessly; he did not lose a -moment in idle lamentations; on the contrary, with that clearness of -perception which danger gives to courageous people, he calculated in a -few moments the chances of success left him, and prepared for a -desperate struggle. He knew too well the horrible punishment that -menaced him, not to defend his life to the last extremity. - -Without stopping, or altering his pace, he walked on in the previous -direction, returning the salutes the warriors gave him. Thus he reached, -undisturbed, the end of the camp. He did not dare turn his head to see -what was going on behind, him; but his practised ear listened for every -suspicious sound; nothing apparently confirmed his apprehensions, and -the camp was still plunged in the same repose. - -"I was mistaken," he, muttered; "she did not recognise me. My disguise -is good, I was too easily frightened. It would, perhaps, be better to -remain. Oh no, it is not," he added almost directly; "I feel convinced I -am not safe there." - -He took a step to enter the forest; but at this moment a heavy hand fell -on his shoulder. He stopped and turned; Spider was by his side. - -"Where is my father going?" the warrior asked, in a slightly sarcastic -voice, well adapted to increase the American's alarm; "I think he must -be mistaken." - -"Why so?" Nathan asked, striving to regain his coolness. - -"In the way my father is going, he is leaving the camp." - -"Well, what then?" - -"Did not my father ask hospitality of the sachem?" - -"Yes, I did." - -"Then, why is he going away?" - -"Who told you I was going, warrior?" - -"Why, I fancy the direction you have taken leads to the forest." - -"I am well aware of that, for I was going there to pluck some magic -plants, in order to compose a great medicine, which I wish to offer the -chief to render him invulnerable." - -"Wah!" the Indian said, with sparkling eyes; "when you tell him that, I -do not doubt he will let you go wherever you please." - -"What, am I a prisoner, then?" - -"Not at all; but the order has been given that no one should leave the -camp without permission; and as you did not ask for it, I am forced, to -my great regret, to stop you." - -"Very well; I remain, but I will remember the way in which the Comanches -offer hospitality." - -"My father does wrong to speak thus; the honour of the nation demands -that this matter should be settled without delay. My father will follow -me to the chief; I am certain that, after a short explanation, all -misunderstanding will cease." - -Nathan scented a trap. Spider, while speaking to him, had a soothing -way, which only slightly reassured him. The proposal made him was not at -all to his taste; but as he was not the stronger, and had no chance of -evasion, he consented, much against the grain, to follow Spider and -return to Unicorn's lodge. - -"Let us go," he said to the Indian. - -Nathan silently followed Spider. Unicorn was seated before his lodge, -surrounded by his principal chiefs; near him stood White Gazelle, -leaning on her rifle barrel. When the pretended sorcerer arrived, the -Indians did not give the slightest intimation that they knew who he was. -The American took a sharp look round. - -"I am done," he muttered to himself, "they are too quiet." - -Still, he placed himself before them, crossed his arms on his chest, and -waited. Then White Gazelle fixed on him an implacable glance, and said, -in a voice which made his blood run cold:-- - -"Nathan, the chiefs wish you to perform one of those miracles of which -the sorcerers of their tribes possess the secret, and of which they are -so liberal." - -All eyes were curiously turned to the American; all awaited his reply to -judge whether he was a brave man or coward. He understood this, for he -shrugged his shoulders with, disdain, and answered, with a haughty -smile: - -"The Comanches are dogs and old women--the men of my nation drive them -back with whips. They pretend to be so clever, and yet a white man has -deceived them, and had it not been for you, Nina, deuce take me if they -would have detected me." - -"Then you confess you are not an Indian sorcerer?" - -"Of course I do. This Indian skin I have put on smells unpleasantly, and -oppresses me; I throw it off to resume my proper character, which I -ought never to have left." - -White Gazelle turned with a smile to Unicorn. - -"The chief sees," she said. - -"I do see," he replied, and addressing the American, he asked--"Is my -brother a warrior in his nation?" - -The other grinned. - -"I am," he answered, dauntlessly, "the son of Red Cedar, the implacable -foe of your accursed race; my name is Nathan. Do with me what you like, -dogs, but you will not draw a complaint from my lips, a tear from my -eyes, or a sigh from my lips." - -At these haughty words a murmur of satisfaction ran round the audience. - -"Ah!" Unicorn said, to whom White Gazelle had whispered, "What was Red -Cedar's son doing in the camp of the Comanches?" - -"I should be greatly embarrassed to tell you, chief," the young man -answered, frankly; "I was not looking for you, but only wished to cross -your lines and escape. That was all." - -An incredulous smile played round White Gazelle's lips. - -"Does Nathan take us for children," she said, "that he tries so clumsily -to deceive us?" - -"Believe me what you please, I do not care; I have answered you the -truth." - -"You will not persuade us that you fell unwittingly among your enemies -while thus disguised." - -"You have done so too, Nina; one is not more extraordinary than the -other, I presume. However, I repeat accident did it all." - -"Hum! that is not very probable; your father and brother are in the -vicinity through the same accident, I suppose?" - -"As for them, may the devil twist my neck if I know where they are at -this moment." - -"I expected that answer from you; unluckily warriors have scattered in -every direction, and will soon find them." - -"I do not believe it; however, what do I care? All the better for them -if they escape; all the worse if they fall into your hands." - -"I need not tell you, I fancy, the fate that awaits you?" - -"I have known it a long time; the worthy redskins will probably amuse -themselves with flaying me alive, roasting me at a slow fire, or some -other politeness of that sort. Much good may it do them." - -"Suppose they spared your life, would you not reveal where your father, -brother, and that excellent Fray Ambrosio are?" - -"I would not. Look you, I am a bandit, I allow it, but, Nina, I am -neither a traitor nor an informer. Regulate your conduct by that, and if -you are curious to see a man die well, I invite you to be present at my -punishment." - -"Well?" Unicorn asked the girl. - -"He will not speak," she replied; "although he displays great -resolution, perhaps the torture you will make him undergo may overcome -his courage, and he consent to speak." - -"Hum!" the chief went on, "my sister's advice is--" - -"My advice," she quickly interrupted, "is to be as pitiless to him as he -has been to others." - -"Good!" - -The chief pointed to the American. - -"Take him away," he said, "and let all the preparations be made for -torture." - -"Thanks," Nathan replied; "at any rate you will not make me languish, -that is a consolation." - -"Wait before you rejoice, till you have undergone the first trial," -White Gazelle said ironically. - -Nathan made no answer, but went away whistling with two warriors. They -fastened him securely to the trunk of a tree, and left him alone, after -assuring themselves that he could not move, and consequently flight was -impossible. The young man watched them go off, and then fell on the -ground, carelessly muttering-- - -"The disguise was good for all that; had it not been for that she-devil, -I must have escaped." - - - - -CHAPTER XXXII. - -THE ESCAPE. - - -Red Cedar had seen his son tied up, from the tree where he was -concealed. This sight suddenly stopped him; he found himself just over -the Comanche camp, in a most perilous situation, as the slightest false -movement, by revealing his presence, would be sufficient to destroy him. -Sutter and Fray Ambrosio in turn parted the branches and looked down at -Nathan, who certainly was far from suspecting that the persons he had -left on the previous day were so near him. - -In the meanwhile the shadows gradually invaded the clearing, and soon -all objects were confounded in the gloom, which was rendered denser by -the gleam of the fires lighted from distance to distance, and which shed -an uncertain light around. The squatter did not love his son; for he was -incapable of feeling affection for more than one person, and it was -concentrated on Ellen. Nathan's life or death, regarded in the light of -paternal love, was of very slight consequence to him; but in the -situation where his unlucky star placed him, he regretted his son, as -one regrets a jolly comrade, a bold man and clever marksman--an -individual, in short, who can be relied on in a fight. - -We need not here describe Red Cedar's resolute character, for the reader -is acquainted with it. Under these circumstances, a strange idea crossed -his brain; and as, whenever he had formed a resolution, nothing could -stop it, and he would beard all dangers in carrying it out, Red Cedar -had resolved on delivering his son, not, we repeat through any paternal -love, but to have a good rifle more, in the very probable event that he -should have to fight. - -But it was not an easy matter to liberate Nathan. The young man was far -from suspecting that at the moment he was awaiting worse than death, his -father was only a few paces from him, preparing everything for his -flight. This ignorance might compromise the success of the daring -stroke the squatter intended to attempt. - -The latter, before undertaking anything, called his two companions to -him and imparted his plan to them. Sutter, adventurous and rash as his -father, applauded the resolve. He only saw in the bold enterprise a -trick to be played on his enemies, the redskins, and rejoiced, not at -carrying off his brother from among them, but at the faces they would -cut when they came to fetch their prisoner to fasten him to the stake -and no longer found him. - -Fray Ambrosio regarded the question from a diametrically opposite point -of view: their position, he said, was already critical enough, and they -ought not to render it more perilous by trying to save a man whom they -could not succeed in enabling to escape, and which would hopelessly ruin -them, by informing the redskins of their presence. - -The discussion between the three adventurers was long and animated, for -each obstinately held to his opinion. They could not come to an -agreement; seeing which, Red Cedar peremptorily cut short all remarks by -declaring that he was resolved to save his son, and would do so, even if -all the Indians of the Far West tried to oppose it. Before a resolution -so clearly intimated, the others could only be silent and bow their -heads, which the monk did. The trapper then prepared to carry out his -design. - -By this time, the shades of night had enveloped the prairie in a black -winding sheet; the moon, which was in her last quarter, would not appear -before two in the morning; it was now about eight in the evening, and -Red Cedar had six hours' respite before him, by which he intended to -profit. Under circumstances so critical as the adventurers were now -placed, time is measured with the parsimony of the miser parting with -his treasure, for five minutes wasted may ruin everything. - -The night became more and more gloomy; heavy black clouds, charged with -electricity, dashed against each other and intercepted the light of the -stars; the evening breeze had risen at sunset, and whistled mournfully -through the branches of the primaeval forest. With the exception of the -sentries placed round the camp, the Indians were lying round the -decaying fires, and, wrapped in their buffalo robes, were soundly -asleep. Nathan, securely tied, slept or feigned to sleep. Two warriors, -lying not far from him, and ordered to watch him, seeing their prisoner -apparently so resigned to his fate, at length yielded to slumber. - -Suddenly, a slight hiss, like that of the whip snake, was audible from -the top of the tree to which the young man was fastened. He opened his -eyes with a start, and looked searchingly round him, though not making -the slightest movement, for fear of arousing his guardians. A second -hiss, more lengthened than the first, was heard, immediately followed by -a third. - -Nathan raised his head cautiously, and looked up; but the night was so -dark that he could distinguish nothing. At this moment, some object, -whose shape it was impossible for him to guess, touched his forehead and -struck it several times, as it oscillated. This object gradually -descended, and at length fell on the young man's knees. - -He stooped down and examined it. - -It was a knife! - -Nathan with difficulty repressed a shout of joy. He was not entirely -abandoned, then! Unknown friends took an interest in his fate, and were -trying to give him the means of escape. Hope returned to his heart; and -like a boxer, stunned for a moment by the blow he had received, he -collected all his strength to recommence the contest. - -However intrepid a man may be, although if conquered by an impossibility -he has bravely sacrificed his life, still, if at the moment of marching -to the place of punishment a gleam of hope seems to dazzle his -astonished eyes, he suddenly draws himself up--the image of death is -effaced from his mind, and he fights desperately to regain that life -which he had so valiantly surrendered. This is what happened to Nathan; -he gradually sat up, with his eyes eagerly fixed on his still motionless -guards. - -My readers must pardon the following trifling detail, but it is too true -to be passed over. When the first hiss was heard, the young man was -snoring, though wide awake; he now continued the monotonous melody which -lulled his keepers to sleep. There was something most striking in the -appearance of this man, who, with eyes widely open, frowning brow, -features painfully contracted by hope and fear, was cutting through the -cords that fastened his elbows to the tree, while snoring as quietly as -if he were enjoying the quietest sleep. - -After considerable efforts, Nathan managed to cut through the ligatures; -the rest was nothing, as his hands were at liberty. In a few seconds he -was completely freed from his bonds, and seized the knife, which he -thrust into his girdle. The cord that let it down was then drawn up -again. - -Nathan waited in a state of indescribable agony. He had returned to his -old position, and was snoring. All at once one of his guardians turned -towards him, moved his limbs, stiffened with cold, rose and bent over -him with a yawn. Nathan, with half-closed, eyes, carefully watched his -movements. When he saw the redskin's face only two inches from his own, -with a gesture swift as thought, he threw his hands round his neck, and -that so suddenly that the Comanche, taken unawares, had not the time to -utter a cry. - -The American was endowed with Herculean strength, which the hope of -deliverance doubled at this moment. He squeezed the warrior's neck as in -a vice; and the latter struggled in vain to free himself from this -deadly pressure. The bandit's iron hands drew tighter and tighter with a -slow, deliberate, but irresistible pressure. The Indian, his eyes -suffused with blood, his features horribly contracted, beat the air two -or three times mechanically, made one convulsive effort, and then -remained motionless. He was dead. - -Nathan held him for two or three minutes, to be quite certain that all -was over, and then laid the warrior by his side, in a position that -admirably resembled sleep. He then passed his hand over his forehead to -wipe away the icy perspiration, and raised his eyes to the tree, but -nothing appeared there. A frightful thought then occupied the young man; -suppose his friends, despairing of saving him, had abandoned him? A -horrible agony contracted his chest. - -Still, he had recognised his father's signal: the hiss of the whip snake -had been long employed by them to communicate under perilous -circumstances. His father was not the man to leave any work he had begun -undone, whatever the consequences might be. And yet the moments slipped -away one after the other, and nothing told the wretch that men were at -work for his deliverance; all was calm and gloomy. - -Nearly half an hour passed thus. Nathan was a prey to feverish -impatience and a terror impossible to describe. Up to the present, it -was true, no one in camp had perceived the unusual movement he had been -obliged to make, but an unlucky chance might reveal his plans for flight -at any moment; to effect this, an Indian aroused by the sharp cold need -only pass by him while trying to restore the circulation of his blood by -a walk. - -As his friends forgot him, the young man resolved to get out of the -affair by himself. In the first place, he must get rid of his second -watcher, and then he would settle what next to do. Hence, still -remaining on the ground, he slowly crawled toward the second warrior. He -approached him inch by inch, so insensible and deliberate were his -movements! At length he arrived scarce two paces from the warrior, whose -tranquil sleep told him that he could act without fear. Nathan drew -himself up, and bounding like a jaguar, placed his knee on the Indian's -chest, while with his left hand he powerfully clutched his throat. - -The Comanche, suddenly awakened, made a hurried movement to free himself -from this fatal pressure, and opened his eyes wildly, as he looked -round in terror. Nathan, without uttering a word, drew his knife and -buried it in the Indian's heart, while still holding him by the throat. -The warrior fell back as if struck by lightning, and expired without -uttering a cry or giving a sigh. - -"I don't care," the bandit muttered, as he wiped the knife, "it is a -famous weapon. Now, whatever may happen, I feel sure of not dying -unavenged." - -Nathan, when he found his disguise useless, had asked leave to put on -his old clothes, which was granted. By a singular chance, the Indian he -stabbed had secured his game bag and rifle, which the young man at once -took back. He gave a sigh of satisfaction at finding himself again in -possession of objects so valuable to him, and clothed once more in his -wood ranger's garb. - -Time pressed; he must be off at all risks, try to foil the sentries, and -quit the camp. What had he to fear in being killed? If he remained, he -knew perfectly well the fate that awaited him; hence the alternative was -not doubtful; it was a thousandfold better to stake his life bravely in -a final contest, than wait for the hour of punishment. - -Nathan looked ferociously around, bent forward, listened, and silently -cocked his rifle. The deepest calm continued to prevail around. - -"Come," the young man said, "there can be no hesitation; I must be off." - -At this moment the hiss of the whip snake was again audible. - -Nathan started. - -"Oh, oh!" he said, "It seems that I am not abandoned as I fancied." - -He lay down on the ground again and crawled back to the tree to which he -had been fastened. A lasso hung down to the ground, terminating in one -of those double knots which sailors call "chairs," one half of which -passes under the thighs, while the other supports the chest. - -"By jingo!" Nathan muttered joyfully, "Only the old man can have such -ideas. What a famous trick we are going to play those dogs of redskins! -They will really believe me a sorcerer; for I defy them to find my -trail." - -While talking thus to himself, the American had seated himself in the -chair. The lasso drawn by a vigorous hand, rapidly ascended, and Nathan -soon disappeared among the thick foliage of the larch tree. When he -reached the first branches, which were about thirty feet from the -ground, the young man removed the lasso, and in a few seconds rejoined -his comrades. - -"Ouf!" he muttered, as he drew two or three deep breaths, while wiping -the perspiration from his face; "I can now say I have had a lucky -escape, thanks to you; for, deuce take me, without you, I had been -dead." - -"Enough of compliments," the squatter sharply answered; "we have no time -to waste in that nonsense. I suppose you are anxious to be off?" - -"I should think so; in which direction are we going?" - -"Over there," Red Cedar answered, holding his arm out in the direction -of the camp. - -"The devil!" Nathan sharply objected, "Are you mad, or did you pretend -to save my life, merely to deliver me to our enemies with your own -hands?" - -"What do you mean?" - -"Something you would see as well as I, if it were day; the forest -suddenly terminates a few yards from here on the edge of an immense -quebrada." - -"Oh, oh," Red Cedar said, with a frown; "what is to be done in that -case?" - -"Return by the road you came for about half a league, and then go to the -left. I have seen enough of the country since I left you to have a -confused resemblance of the shape of the mountain, but, as you say, the -main point at this moment is to be off from here?" - -"The more so, as the moon will soon rise," Sutter observed, "and if the -redskins perceived Nathan's escape, they would soon find our trail." - -"Well said," Nathan replied, "let us be off." - -Red Cedar placed himself once more at the head of the small party, and -they turned back. Progress was extremely difficult in this black night; -they were obliged to grope, and not put down their foot till they were -certain the support was solid. If they did not, they ran a risk of -falling and being dashed on the ground, at a depth of seventy or eighty -feet. - -They had scarcely gone three hundred yards in this way, when a frightful -clamour was heard behind them: a great light illumined the forest, and -between the leaves the fugitives perceived the black outlines of the -Indians running in every direction, gesticulating and yelling -ferociously. - -"Hilloh," Red Cedar said, "I fancy the Comanches have found out your -desertion." - -"I think so, too," Nathan replied, with a grin; "poor fellows! They are -inconsolable at my loss." - -"The more so, because you probably did not quit them without leaving -your card." - -"Quite true, father," the other said, as he raised his hunting shirt and -displayed two bloody scalps suspended to his girdle; "I did not neglect -business." - -The wretch, before fastening the lasso round him, had, with horrible -coolness, scalped his two victims. - -"In that case," Fray Ambrosio said, "they must be furious; you know that -the Comanches never forgive. How could you commit so unworthy an -action?" - -"Trouble yourself about your own affairs, senor Padre," Nathan said, -brutally, "and let me act as I think proper, unless you wish me to send -you to take my place with the butt end of my rifle." - -The monk bit his lips. - -"Brute beast!" he muttered. - -"Come, peace, in the devil's name!" Red Cedar said; "let us think about -not being caught." - -"Yes," Sutter supported him, "when you are in safety, you can have an -explanation with knives, like true caballeros. But, at this moment, we -have other things to do than quarrel like old women." - -The two men exchanged a glance full of hatred, but remained silent. The -little party, guided by Red Cedar, gradually retired, pursued by the -yells of the Comanches, who constantly drew nearer. - -"Can they have discovered our track?" Red Cedar said, shaking his head -sadly. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXIII. - -PLOT AND COUNTERPLOT. - - -We will now return to Valentine and his friends, whom we left preparing -to pursue Red Cedar once more. - -Valentine had began to take a real interest in this protracted manhunt; -it was the first time since he had been in the desert that he had to -deal with a foeman so worthy of his steel as was Red Cedar. - -Like him, the squatter possessed a thorough knowledge of life in the Far -West--all the sounds of the prairie were known to him, all tracks -familiar; like him, he had made Indian trickery and cunning his special -study; in a word, Valentine had found his equal, if not his master. His -powerfully excited self-love urged him to bring this game of chess to a -conclusion; hence he was resolved to press matters so vigorously that, -in spite of his cleverness, Red Cedar must soon fall into his hands. - -After leaving, as we have seen, the upper regions of the Sierra, the -hunters advanced in the shape of a fan, in order to find some sign which -would enable them to find the long lost trail, for, according to the -axiom well known to the wood rangers, any rastreador, who holds one end -of a trail, must infallibly reach the other within a given time. -Unfortunately, no trace or sign was visible; Red Cedar had disappeared, -and it was impossible to find the slightest trace of the way he had -gone. - -Still, Valentine did not give in; he studied the ground, examined every -blade of grass, and cross-questioned the shrubs with a patience nothing -could weary. His friends, less accustomed than himself to the frequent -disappointments in a hunter's life, in vain gave him despairing glances; -he walked on, with his head bent down, neither seeing their signals nor -hearing their remarks. - -At length, about midday, after going nearly four leagues in this -fashion--a most wearying task--the hunters found themselves on a -perfectly naked rock. At this spot it would have been madness to look -for footprints, as the granite would not take them. Don Miguel and his -son fell to the ground, more through despondency than fatigue. - -Curumilla began collecting the scattered leaves to light the breakfast -fire, while Valentine, leaning on his rifle, with his forehead furrowed -by deep wrinkles, looked scrutinisingly round. At the spot where the -hunters had established their temporary bivouac, no vegetation grew on -the barren rocks; while an immense larch tree over-shadowed it with its -well-covered branches. - -The hunter incessantly turned his intelligent eye from earth to sky, as -if he had a foreboding that at this spot he must find the trail he had -so long been seeking. All at once he uttered a sonorous "hum!" At this -sound, a signal agreed on between the Indian and him, Curumilla left off -collecting the leaves, raised his head, and looked at him. Valentine -walked towards him with a hasty step; the two Mexicans eagerly rose and -joined him. - -"Have you discovered anything?" Don Miguel asked, curiously. - -"No," Valentine replied, "but in all probability I soon shall." - -"Here?" - -"Yes, at this very spot," he said, with a knowing smile; "believe me, -you shall soon see." - -While saying this, the hunter stooped, picked up a handful of leaves, -and began examining them attentively, one by one. - -"What can those leaves teach you?" Don Miguel asked with a shrug of his -shoulders. - -"Everything," Valentine firmly replied, as he continued his examination. - -Curumilla was surveying the ground, and questioning the rock. - -"Wah!" he said. - -All stopped; the chief pointed to a line about half an inch, of the -thickness of a hair, recently made on the rock. - -"They have passed this way," Valentine went on, "that is as certain to -me as that two and two make four; everything proves it to me; the steps -we discovered going away from the spot where we now are--are a sure -proof." - -"How so?" Don Miguel asked in amazement. - -"Nothing is more simple; the traces that deceived you could not humbug -an old wood ranger like myself; they pressed too heavily on the heel, -and were not regular, proves them false." - -"Why false?" - -"Of course. This is what Red Cedar did to hide the direction he took; he -walked for nearly two leagues backwards." - -"You think so?" - -"I am sure of it. Red Cedar, though aged, is still possessed of all the -vigour of youth; his steps are firm and perfectly regular; like all men -accustomed to forest life, he walks cautiously, that is to say, first -putting down the point of his foot, like every man who is not certain -that he may not have to go back. In the footsteps we saw, as I told you, -the heel was put down first, and is much deeper buried than the rest of -the foot; that is quite impossible, unless a person has walked -backwards, especially for some time." - -"That is true," Don Miguel answered; "what you say could not be more -logical." - -Valentine smiled. - -"We have not got to the end yet," he said; "let me go on." - -"But," Don Pablo remarked, "supposing that Red Cedar did come here, -which I now believe as fully as you do, how is it that we do not find -his traces on the other side of the rock? However carefully he may have -hidden them, we should discover them, if they existed." - -"Of course; but they are not here, and it is useless to lose time in -looking for them. Red Cedar has come here, as this mark proves; but you -will ask me why he did so? For a reason very easy to comprehend; on this -granite soil, footsteps are effaced; the squatter wished to throw us out -by bringing us to a spot where we must completely lose his direction, if -we succeeded in finding his track. He succeeded up to a certain point; -but he wished to be too clever, and went beyond his object; before ten -minutes, I will show you the trail as clear as if we had been present -when he went off." - -"I confess, my friend, that all you say greatly astonishes me," Don -Miguel replied. "I never could understand this species of sublime -instinct which helps you to find your way in the desert, although you -have already given me the most astonishing proofs; still, I confess that -what is taking place at this moment surpasses everything I have hitherto -seen you do." - -"Good gracious!" Valentine answered; "you pay me compliments I am far -from deserving; all this is an affair of reasoning, and especially of -habit. Thus, it is as plain to you as it is to me, that Red Cedar came -here?" - -"Yes." - -"Very good; as he came, he must have gone away again," the hunter said -with a laugh; "for the reason that he is no longer here, or we should -have him." - -"That is certain." - -"Good; now look how he can have gone." - -"That is exactly what I do not see." - -"Because you are blind, or because you will not take the trouble." - -"Oh, my friend, I swear--" - -"Pardon, I am in error: it is because you cannot explain what you see." - -"What?" Don Miguel said, slightly piqued by this remark. - -"Certainly," Valentine went on phlegmatically; "and you shall confess I -am in the right." - -"I shall be delighted to do so." - -In spite of his good sense, and the other great qualities with which he -was gifted, Valentine had the weakness, common to many men, of liking, -under certain circumstances, to, make a parade of his knowledge of -desert life. This defect, which is very frequently found on the -prairies, in no way injured his character, and was pardonable after all. - -"You shall see," he said with that sort of condescension which persons -who know a thing thoroughly, assume on explaining it to the ignorant: -"Red Cedar has been here and has disappeared: I arrive and look: he -cannot have flown away, or buried himself in the ground: hence he must -absolutely have gone by some road a man can use; look at these leaves -scattered over the rock, they are sign No. 1." - -"How so?" - -"Hang it! That is clear enough, we are not at the season when trees lose -their leaves: hence they did not fall." - -"Why so?" - -"Because, if they had, they would be yellow and dry, and instead they are -green, crumpled, and some are even torn; hence it is positive, I think, -that they have been removed from the tree by violence." - -"That is true," Don Miguel muttered, his surprise at its height. - -"Now, let us seek what unknown force tore them from the tree." - -While saying this, Valentine had begun walking on, with his body bent to -the ground, in the direction where he had seen the black line. His -friends imitated his movements and followed him, also looking carefully -on the ground. All at once Valentine stooped, picked up a piece of bark -about the size of half his hand, and showed it to Don Miguel. - -"All is explained to me now," he said: "look at that piece of bark: it -is pressed and broken as if a rope had been round it, I think?" - -"It is." - -"Well, do you not understand?" - -"On my word, no more than I did just now." - -Valentine shrugged his shoulders. - -"Listen to me then," he said; "Red Cedar came thus far: with his lasso -he caught the end of that heavy branch just above our heads; and with -the help of his companions, pulled it down to the ground. The black -mark we saw proves what an effort they made. Once the bough was bent, -the squatter's comrades mounted on it one after the other: Red Cedar, -the last, went up with it, and all found themselves some seventy feet -above ground. You must allow this is all very ingenious; but, unluckily, -the squatter's boots left on this rock a graze about the width of a -hair, and leaves fell from the tree; on unfastening his lasso, a piece -of bark broke off, and as he was in a hurry, and could not come down -again to remove all these ruinous proofs, I have seen them, and now I -know as well all that happened here, as if I had been present." - -The hunters did not merely display surprise at this clear and lucid -explanation, but seemed struck speechless by such an incredible proof of -sagacity. - -"It is miraculous," Don Miguel at length exclaimed; "then you believe -Red Cedar went off by that tree?" - -"I would bet anything on it. However, you shall soon be convinced of it, -for we shall follow the same road." - -"But we cannot go far on that way." - -"You are mistaken. In the virgin forests like the one that stretches out -before us, the road we are about to follow is often the only one -practicable. And now that we have found the bandits' trail, not to lose -it again, I hope, let us breakfast quickly, so as to start the sooner in -pursuit." - -The hunters sat down gaily round the fire, and ate some grizzly bear -meat. But their impatience made them take double mouthfuls, so that the -meal was over in a twinkling, and they were soon ready to commence their -researches. Valentine, in order to prove to his friends the exactness of -the information he had given them, employed the same means Red Cedar had -done to mount the tree, and when the hunters had assembled there, they -allowed the truth of Valentine's statements: Red Cedar's trail was -plainly visible. - -They went on thus for a long time following the bandit's trail; but the -further they went, the less distinct it became, and it was soon lost for -the second time. - -Valentine stopped and collected his friends. - -"Let us hold a council," he said. - -"I think," Don Miguel observed, "that Red Cedar fancied he had been long -enough up a tree, and so went back to the ground." - -Valentine shook his head. - -"You have not got it," he said, "what you assert, my friend, is -materially impossible." - -"Why so?" - -"Because the trail, as you see, suddenly ceases over a lake." - -"That is true." - -"Hum! It is plain that Red Cedar did not swim across it. Let us go on at -all hazards, I feel certain that we shall speedily recover the trail; -that direction is the only one Red Cedar could have followed. His object -is to cross the line of foes who surround him on all sides; if he buried -himself in the mountains, we know by experience, and he knows as well as -we do, he would infallibly perish; hence he can only escape in this way, -and we must pursue him." - -"Still remaining on the trees?" Don Miguel asked. - -"By Jove! Do not forget, my friends, that the bandits have a girl with -them. The poor child is not accustomed like them to these fearful desert -journeys; she could not endure them for an hour if her father and -brothers were not careful to lead her by comparatively easy roads. Look -beneath you, and you will feel convinced that it is impossible for a -girl to have passed that way. This is our road," he added peremptorily, -"and it is the only one by which we shall discover our enemy." - -"Let us go, then," the Mexicans exclaimed. - -Curumilla, according to his habit, said nothing; he had not even stopped -to listen to the discussion, but walked on. - -"Wah!" he suddenly said. - -His friends eagerly hurried up. The chief held in his hand a piece of -striped calico, no larger than a shilling. - -"You see," Valentine said, "we are in a good direction, so we will not -leave it." - -This discovery stopped all discussion. The day gradually passed away, -the red globe of the sun appeared in the distance between the stems of -the trees, and after marching two hours longer, the darkness was -complete. - -"What is to be done?" Don Miguel asked; "We cannot spend the night -perched up here, like parakeet. Let us choose a convenient spot to camp; -tomorrow, at daybreak, we will ascend again and continue the chase." - -"Yes," Valentine said, with a laugh, "and during the night, while we are -quietly asleep down there, if any incident occurs that compels Red Cedar -to turn back, he will slip through our fingers like a snake, and we know -nothing about it. No, no, my friend, you must make up your mind to perch -here for the night like a parrot, as you say, if you do not wish to lose -the fruit of all your trouble and fatigue." - -"Oh, oh, if it is so," Don Miguel exclaimed, "I consent. I would sooner -sleep a week in a tree than let that villain escape." - -"Do not be alarmed; he will not keep us at work all that time; the boar -is at bay, and will soon be found. However large the desert may be, it -possesses no unexplored refuge to men who are accustomed to traverse it -in every direction. Red Cedar has done more than a common man to escape -us. Now all is over with him, and he understands that it is only a -question of time." - -"May Heaven grant it, my friend. I would give my life to avenge myself -on that monster." - -"He will soon be in your power, I assure you." - -At this moment Curumilla laid his hand on Valentine's arm. - -"Well, chief, what is it?" the latter asked. - -"Listen!" - -The hunters did so. They soon heard, at a considerable distance, -confused cries, which momentarily became more distinct, and soon merged -into a fearful clamour. - -"What is happening now?" Valentine asked, thoughtfully. - -The shouts increased fearfully, strange lights illumined the forest, -whose guests, disturbed in their sleep, flew heavily here and there, -uttering plaintive cries. - -"Attention!" the hunter said, "Let us try and discover what all this -means." - -But their uncertainty did not last long. Valentine all at once left the -branch behind which he was concealed, and uttered a long, shrill cry, -which was replied to with fearful yells. - -"What is it?" Don Miguel asked. - -"Unicorn!" Valentine answered. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXIV. - -COUSIN BRUIN. - - -Nathan's flight was discovered by a singular accident. The Comanches are -no more accustomed than other Indians to have grand rounds and night -patrols during the night, which are inventions of civilised nations -quite unknown on the prairie. In all probability, the Indians would not -have perceived their prisoner's disappearance till daybreak. - -Nathan fully built on this. He was too well acquainted with Indian -habits not to know what he had to depend on in this respect. But he had -not taken hatred into calculation, that vigilant sentry which nothing -can send to sleep. - -About an hour after Nathan's successful ascent, White Gazelle, aroused -by the cold, and more probably by the desire of assuring herself that -the prisoner could not escape, rose, and crossed the camp alone, -striding over the sleeping warriors, and feeling her way as well as she -could in the dark; for most of the fires had gone out, and those which -still burned spread only an uncertain light. Impelled by that feeling, -of hatred which so rarely deceives those who feel its sharpened sting, -she at length found her way through this inextricable labyrinth, and -reached the tree to which the prisoner had been fastened. The tree was -deserted. The cords which had bound Nathan lay cut a few paces off, -while Gazelle was stupefied for a moment at this sight, which she was so -far from expecting. - -"Oh!" she muttered savagely, "it is a family of demons! But how has he -escaped? Where can he have fled?" - -"Those villains are quietly asleep," she said, seeing the warriors -reposing, "while the man they were ordered to watch is laughing at them -far away." - -She spurned them with her foot. - -"Accursed dogs!" she yelled, "wake up! The prisoner has escaped!" - -The men did not stir. - -"Oh, oh!" she said, "What means this?" - -She stooped down and carefully examined them: all was revealed to her at -once. - -"Dead!" she said; "he has assassinated them. What diabolical power must -this race of reprobates possess!" - -After a moment of terror, she sprang up furiously and rushed through the -camp, shouting in a shrill voice: - -"Up, up! Warriors, the prisoner has fled!" - -All were on their feet in a moment. Unicorn was one of the first to -seize his weapons, and hurried towards her, asking the meaning of those -unusual sounds. In a few words White Gazelle informed him, and Unicorn, -more furious than herself, aroused his warriors, and sent them in all -directions in pursuit of Nathan. - -But we know that, temporarily at least, the squatter's son had nothing -to fear from this vain search. The miraculous flight of a man from the -middle of a camp of warriors, unperceived by the sentries, had something -so extraordinary about it, that the Comanches, superstitious as all -Indians, were disposed to believe in the intervention of the Genius of -Evil. The whole camp was in confusion: every one ran in a different -direction, brandishing torches. The circle widened more and more. The -warriors, carried away by their ardour, left the clearing and entered the -forest. - -All at once a shrill cry broke through the air, and everybody stopped as -if by enchantment. - -"Oh," White Gazelle asked, "what is that?" - -"Koutonepi, my brother," Unicorn replied briefly, as he repeated the -signal. - -"Let us run to meet him," the girl said. - -They hurried forward, closely followed by a dozen warriors, and soon -stood under the tree where Valentine and his companions were standing. -The hunter saw them coming, and hence called to them. - -"Where are you?" Unicorn asked. - -"Up this larch tree," Valentine shouted; "stop and look." - -The Indians looked up. - -"Wah!" Unicorn said with astonishment, "What is my brother doing there?" - -"I will tell you, but first help me to come down; we are not comfortably -situated for conversing, especially for what I have to tell you, chief." - -"Good; I await my brother." - -Valentine fastened his lasso to a branch and prepared to slide down, but -Curumilla laid a hand on his shoulder. - -"What do you want, chief?" - -"Is my brother going down?" - -"You see," Valentine said, pointing to the lasso. - -Curumilla shook his head with an air of dissatisfaction. - -"Red Cedar!" he said. - -"Ah, _Canarios!_" the hunter exclaimed, as he struck his forehead, "I -did not think about him. Why, I must be going mad. By Jove, chief! You -are a precious man, nothing escapes your notice--wait." - -Valentine stooped, and forming his hands into a speaking-trumpet, -shouted-- - -"Chief, come up." - -"Good." - -The sachem seized the lasso, and by the strength of his wrists raised -himself to the branch, where Valentine and Curumilla received him. - -"Here I am," he said. - -"By what chance are you hunting in the forest at this time of night?" -the hunter asked him. - -Unicorn told him in a few words what had occurred. At this narration -Valentine frowned, and in his turn informed the chief of what he had -done. - -"It is serious," Unicorn said, with a shake of his head. - -"It is," Valentine answered; "it is plain the men we seek are not far -from here. Perhaps they are listening to us." - -"It is possible," Unicorn muttered; "but what is to be done in the -darkness?" - -"Good! Let us be as clever as they. How many warriors have you down -there?" - -"Ten, I believe." - -"Good. Have you among them any in whom you can trust?" - -"All," the sachem answered, proudly. - -"I do not allude to courage, but to experience." - -"Wah! I have Spider." - -"That's the man. He will take our place here with his warriors; he will -cut off the communication aloft, while my comrades and I follow you. I -should like to inspect the spot where your prisoner was tied up." - -All was arranged as Valentine proposed. Spider established himself on -the trees with his warriors, with orders to keep a good look-out; and -Valentine, now sure of having raised an impassible barrier before Red -Cedar, prepared to go to the camp, accompanied by Unicorn. Curumilla -again interposed. - -"Why go down?" he said. - -Valentine was so well acquainted with his comrade's way of speaking, -that he understood him at half a word. - -"True," he said to Unicorn; "let us go to the camp, proceeding from -branch to branch. Curumilla is right; in that way, if Red Cedar is -concealed in the neighbourhood, we shall discover him." - -The Comanche Sachem nodded his head in assent, and they set out. They -had been walking for about half an hour, when Curumilla, who was in -front, stopped and uttered a suppressed cry. The hunters raised their -heads, and perceived, a few yards above them, an enormous black mass, -carelessly swaying about. - -"Well," Valentine said, "what is that?" - -"A bear," Curumilla replied. - -"Indeed!" said Don Pablo; "it is a splendid black bear." - -"Let us give him a bullet," Don Miguel remarked. - -"Do not fire, for Heaven's sake!" Don Pablo exclaimed eagerly, "it would -give an alarm and warn the fellows we are looking for of the spot where -we are." - -"Still, I should like to collar it," Valentine observed, "were it only -for its fur." - -"No," Unicorn peremptorily said, who had hitherto been silent, "bears -are the cousins of my family." - -"In that case it is different," said the hunter, concealing with -difficulty an ironical smile. - -The prairie Indians, as we think we have said before, are excessively -superstitious. Among other articles of faith, they believe they spring -from certain animals, which they treat as relatives, and for which they -profess a profound respect, which does not prevent them, however, from -killing them occasionally, as, for instance, when they are pressed by -hunger, as frequently happens; but we must do the Indians the justice of -saying, that they never proceed to such extremities with their relatives -without asking their pardon a thousand times, and first explaining to -them that hunger alone compelled them to have recourse to this extreme -measure to support life. - -Unicorn had no need of provisions at this moment, for his camp was -choked with them, hence he displayed a praiseworthy politeness and -gallantry to his cousin Bruin. He bowed to him, and spoke to him for -some minutes in the most affectionate way, while the bear continued to -sway about, apparently not attaching great importance to the chief's -remarks, and rather annoyed than flattered by the compliments his cousin -paid him. The chief, internally piqued by this indifference in such bad -taste, gave a parting bow to the bear, and went on. The little party -advanced for some time in silence. - -"I do not care," Valentine suddenly said; "I do not know why, but I -should have liked to have your cousin's hide, chief." - -"Wah!" Unicorn answered, "there are buffaloes in camp." - -"I know that very well," Valentine said, "so that is not my reason." - -"What is it, then?" - -"I don't know, but that bear did not seem to me all right, and had a -suspicious look about it." - -"My brother is jesting." - -"No; on my word, chief, that animal did not seem to me true. For a -trifle, I would return and have it out." - -"Does my brother think, then, that Unicorn is a child, who cannot -recognise an animal?" the sachem asked, haughtily. - -"Heaven forbid my having such a thought, chief; I know you are an -experienced warrior, but the cleverest men may be taken in." - -"Oh! Oh! what does my brother suppose, then?" - -"Will you have my honest opinion?" - -"Yes, my brother will speak; he is a great hunter, his knowledge is -immense." - -"No, I am only an ignorant fellow, but I have carefully studied the -habits of wild beasts." - -"Well," Don Miguel asked, "your opinion is that the bear--?" - -"Is Red Cedar, or one of his sons," Valentine quickly interrupted. - -"What makes you think so?" - -"Just this: at this hour wild beasts have gone down to drink; but even -supposing that bear had returned already, do you not know that all -animals fly from man? This one, dazzled by the light, startled by the -cries it heard in the usually quiet forest, ought to have tried to -escape if it obeyed its instincts, which would have been easy to do, -instead of impudently dancing before us at a height of one hundred feet -from the ground; the more so, because the bear is too prudent and -selfish an animal to confide its precious carcase so thoughtlessly to -such slender branches as those on which it was balancing. Hum! The more -I reflect, the more persuaded I am that this animal is a man." - -The hunters, and Unicorn himself, who listened with the utmost attention -to Valentine's words, were struck with the truth of his remarks; -numerous details which had escaped them now returned to their minds, and -corroborated the Trail-hunter's suspicions. - -"It is possible," Don Miguel said, "and for my part I am not indisposed -to believe it." - -"Good gracious!" Valentine went on, "You can understand that on so dark -a night as this it was easy for the chief, in spite of all his -experience, to be deceived--especially at such a distance as we were -from the animal, which we only glimpsed; still, we committed a grave -fault, and I first of all, in not trying to acquire a certainty." - -"Ah!" the Indian said, "my brother is right; wisdom resides in him." - -"Now it is too late to go back--the fellow will have decamped," -Valentine remarked, thoughtfully; "but," he added a moment after, as he -looked round, "where on earth is Curumilla?" - -At the same instant a loud noise of breaking branches, followed by a -suppressed cry, was heard a little distance off. - -"Oh, oh!" Valentine said, "Can the bear be at any tricks?" - -The cry of the jay was heard. - -"That is Curumilla's signal," said Valentine; "what the deuce can he be -up to?" - -"Let us go back and see," Don Miguel remarked. - -"By Jove! Do you fancy I should desert my old companion so?" Valentine -exclaimed, as he replied to his friend by a similar cry to the one he -had given. - -The hunters hurried back as quickly as the narrow and dangerous path -they were following allowed. Curumilla, comfortably seated on a branch -whose foliage completely hid him from anyone who might be spying -overhead, was laughing to himself. It was so extraordinary to see the -Ulmen laugh, and the hour seemed so unsuited for it, that Valentine was -alarmed, and at the first moment was not far from believing that his -worthy friend had suddenly gone mad. - -"Halloh, chief," he said, as he looked round, "tell me why you are -laughing so. Were it only to follow your example, I should be glad to -know the cause of this extreme gaiety." - -Curumilla fixed his intelligent eye on him, and replied, with a smile -full of good humour-- - -"The Ulmen is pleased." - -"I can see that," Valentine replied, "but I do not know why, and want to -do so." - -"Curumilla has killed the bear," the Aucas said, sententiously. - -"Nonsense!" Valentine remarked, in surprise. - -"My brother can look, there is the chief's cousin." - -Unicorn looked savage, but Valentine and his friends peered in the -direction indicated by the Araucano. Curumilla's lasso, securely -fastened to the branch on which the hunters were standing, hung -downwards, with a black and clumsy mass swaying from its extremity. It -was the bear's carcass. - -Curumilla, during the conversation between Unicorn and his relative, -carefully watched the animal's movement; like Valentine, its motions did -not seem to him natural enough, and he wished to know the truth. -Consequently, he waited the departure of his friends, fastened his lasso -to a branch, and while the bear was carelessly descending from its -perch, fancying it had got rid of its visitors, Curumilla lassoed it. At -this unexpected attack the animal tottered and lost its balance--in -short, it fell, and remaining suspended in the air; thanks to the slip -knot, which pressed its throat and saved it from broken bones; as a -recompense, however, it was strangled. - -The hunters began drawing up the lasso, for all burned to know were they -deceived. After some efforts the animal's corpse was stretched out on a -branch. Valentine bent over it, but rose again almost immediately. - -"I was sure of it," he said, contemptuously. - -He kicked off the head, which fell, displaying in its stead Nathan's -face, whose features were frightfully convulsed. - -"Oh!" they exclaimed, "Nathan." - -"Yes," Valentine remarked. "Red Cedar's eldest son." - -"_One!_" Don Miguel said, in a hollow voice. - -Poor Nathan was not lucky in his disguises; in the first he was all but -burnt alive, in the second he was hanged. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXV. - -THE HUNT CONTINUED. - - -The hunters stood for a moment silent, with their eyes fixed on their -enemy. Unicorn, who doubtless owed Nathan a grudge for the way in which -he had deceived him by passing for one of his relatives, broke the sort -of charm that enthralled them, by drawing his scalping knife and raising -the poor fellow's hair with uncommon dexterity. - -"It is the scalp of a dog of the Long-knives," he said, contemptuously -as he placed his bleeding trophy in his girdle: "his lying tongue will -never again deceive anybody." - -Valentine was deep in thought. - -"What are we to do now?" Don Miguel asked. - -"_Canelo!_" Don Pablo exclaimed, "That is not difficult to guess, -father--start at once in pursuit of Red Cedar." - -"What does my brother say?" Unicorn asked, as he turned deferentially to -Valentine. - -The latter raised his head. - -"All is over for this night," he replied; "that man was ordered to amuse -us while his friends fled. Trying to pursue them at this moment would be -signal folly; they have too great a start for us possibly to catch them -up, and the night is so black that we should want a sentry on every -branch. We will content ourselves for the present by keeping our line -of scouts as we placed them. At daybreak the council of the tribe will -assemble, and decide on the further measures to be taken." - -All followed the hunter's advice, and they returned towards the camp, -which they reached an hour later. On entering the clearing, Unicorn -tapped Valentine on the shoulder. - -"I have to speak with my brother," he said. - -"I am listening to my brother," the hunter replied; "his voice is a -music that always rejoices my heart." - -"My brother will be much more rejoiced," the chief answered, smiling, -"when he hears what I have to tell him." - -"The sachem can only be the bearer of good news to me; what has he to -tell me?" - -"Sunbeam reached the camp today." - -Valentine started. - -"Was she alone?" he asked, eagerly. - -"Alone! She would not have dared to come," the chief remarked, with some -haughtiness. - -"That is true," Valentine said, anxiously; "then my mother--" - -"The hunter's mother is here; I have given her my calli." - -"Thanks, chief," he exclaimed, warmly; "oh! You are truly a brother to -me." - -"The great pale hunter is a son of the tribe; he is the brother of all -of us." - -"Oh, my mother, my good mother! How did she come hither? Oh, I must run -to see her." - -"Here she is," said Curumilla. - -The Araucano, at the first word uttered by Unicorn, guessing the -pleasure he should cause his friend, had gone, without saying a word, to -seek Madame Guillois, whom anxiety kept awake, though she was far from -suspecting that her son was near her. - -"My child!" the worthy woman said, as she pressed him to her heart. - -After the first emotion had passed over, Valentine took his mother's arm -in his, and led her gently back to the calli. - -"You are not wise, mother," he said, with an accent of reproach. "Why -did you leave the village? The season is advanced, it is cold, and you -do not know the deadly climate of the prairies; your health is far from -strong, and I wish you to nurse yourself. I ask you to do so, not for -yourself but for me. Alas! What would become of me, were I to lose you!" - -"My dear child," the old lady replied, tenderly. "Oh! How happy I am to -be thus loved. What I experience at present amply repays all the -suffering your absence occasioned me. I implore you to let me act as I -like; at my age, a woman should not calculate on a morrow. I will not -separate far from you again; let me, at any rate, have the happiness of -dying in your arms, if I am not permitted to live." - -Valentine regarded his mother attentively. These ill-omened words struck -him to the heart. He was frightened by the expression of her face, whose -pallor and extreme tenuity had something fatal about it. Madame Guillois -perceived her son's emotion, and smiled sadly. - -"You see," she said, gently, "I shall not be a burden to you long; the -Lord will soon recall me to him." - -"Oh, speak not so, mother. Dismiss those gloomy thoughts. You have, I -hope many a long day to pass by my side." - -The old lady shook her head, as aged persons do when they fancy -themselves certain of a thing. - -"No weak illusions, my son," she said, in a firm voice; "be a -man--prepare yourself for a speedy and inevitable separation. But -promise me one thing." - -"Speak, mother." - -"Whatever may happen, swear not to send me away from you again." - -"Why, mother, you order me to commit a murder. In your present state you -could not lead my mode of life for two days." - -"No matter, my son, I will not leave you again: take the oath I demand -of you." - -"Mother!" he said, hesitating. - -"You refuse me, my son!" she exclaimed, in pain. - -Valentine felt almost heart-broken; he had not the courage to resist -longer. - -"Well," he murmured, sorrowfully, "since you insist, mother, be it so; I -swear that we shall never be separated again." - -A flush of pleasure lit up the poor old lady's face, and for a moment -she looked happy. - -"Bless you, my son," she said. "You render me very happy by granting -what I ask." - -"Well," he said, with a stifled sigh, "it is you who wish it, mother: -your will be done, and may Heaven not punish me for having obeyed you. -Now it is my turn to ask; as henceforth the care of your health concerns -me alone." - -"What do you want?" she said, with an ineffable smile. - -"I wish you to take a few hours' indispensable rest, after your fatigues -of the day." - -"And you, dear child?" - -"I shall sleep too, mother; for if today has been fatiguing, tomorrow -will be equally so; so rest in peace, and feel no anxiety on my -account." - -Madame Guillois tenderly embraced her son, and threw herself on the bed -prepared for her by Sunbeam's care. Valentine then left the calli, and -rejoined his friends, who were reposing round a fire lit by Curumilla. -Carefully wrapping himself in his buffalo robe he laid on the ground, -closed his eyes, and sought sleep--that great consoler of the afflicted, -who often call it in vain for a long time ere it deigns to come for a -few hours, and enable them to forget their sorrows. He was aroused, -towards daybreak, by a hand being softly laid on his shoulder, and a -voice timidly murmuring his name. The hunter opened his eyes, and sat up -quickly. - -"Who goes there?" he said. - -"I! White Gazelle." - -Valentine, now completely awake, threw off his buffalo robe, got up and -shook himself several times. - -"I am at your orders," he said. "What do you desire?" - -"To ask your advice," she replied. - -"Speak: I am listening." - -"Last night, while Unicorn and yourself were looking for Red Cedar on -one side, Black Cat and I were looking on the other." - -"Do you know where he is?" he quickly interrupted her. - -"No; but I suspect it." - -He gave her a scrutinising glance, which she endured without letting her -eyes sink. - -"You know that I am now entirely devoted to you," she said, candidly. - -"Pardon me--I am wrong: go on, I beg you." - -"When I said I wished to ask your advice, I was wrong; I should have -said I had a prayer to address to you." - -"Be assured that if it be possible for me to grant it, I will do so -without hesitation." - -White Gazelle stopped for a moment; then, making an effort over herself, -she seemed to form a resolution, and went on: - -"You have no personal hatred to Red Cedar?" - -"Pardon me. Red Cedar is a villain, who plunged a family I love into -mourning and woe: he caused the death of a maiden who was very dear to -me, and of a man to whom I was attached by ties of friendship." - -White Gazelle gave a start of impatience, which she at once repressed. -"Then?" she said. - -"If he fall into my hands, I will remorselessly kill him." - -"Still, there is another person who has had, for many years, terrible -insults to avenge on him." - -"Whom do you allude to?" - -"Bloodson." - -"That is true; he told me he had a fearful account to settle with this -bandit." - -"Well," she said quickly, "be kind enough to let my uncle, I mean -Bloodson, capture Red Cedar." - -"Why do you ask this of me?" - -"Because the hour has arrived to do so, Don Valentine." - -"Explain yourself." - -"Ever since the bandit has been confined in the mountains with no hope -of escape; I was ordered by my uncle to ask you to yield this capture -to him, when the moment came for it." - -"But suppose he let him escape!" said Valentine. - -She smiled with an indefinable expression. - -"That is impossible," she answered, "you do not know what a twenty -years' hatred is." - -She uttered these words with an accent that made the hunter, brave as he -was, tremble. - -Valentine, as he said, would have killed Red Cedar without hesitation, -like a dog, if chance brought them face to face in a fair fight; but it -was repulsive to his feelings and honour to strike a disarmed foe, -however vile and unworthy he might be. While inwardly recognising the -necessity of finishing once for all with that human-faced tiger called -Red Cedar, he was not sorry that another assumed the responsibility of -such an act, and constituted himself executioner. White Gazelle -carefully watched him, and anxiously followed in his face the various -feelings that agitated him, trying to guess his resolution. - -"Well?" she asked at the end of a moment. - -"What is to be done?" he said. - -"Leave me to act; draw in the blockading force, so that it would be -impossible for our foe to pass, even if he assumed the shape of a -prairie dog, and wait without stirring." - -"For long?" - -"No; for two days, three at the most; is that too long?" - -"Not if you keep your promise." - -"I will keep it, or, to speak more correctly, my uncle shall keep it for -me." - -"That is the same thing." - -"No, it is better." - -"That is what I meant." - -"It is settled, then!" - -"One word more. You know how my friend Don Miguel Zarate suffered -through Red Cedar, I think?" - -"I do." - -"You know the villain killed his daughter?" - -"Yes," she said, with a tremor in her voice, "I know it; but trust to -me; Don Valentine; I swear to you that Don Miguel shall be more fully -avenged than ever he hoped to be." - -"Good; if at the end of three days I grant you, justice is not done on -that villain, I will undertake it, and I swear in my turn that it will -be terrible." - -"Thanks, Don Valentine, now I will go." - -"Where to?" - -"To join Bloodson, and carry him your answer." - -White Gazelle leaped lightly on her horse, which was fastened ready -saddled to a tree, and set off at a gallop, waving her hand to the -hunter for the last time in thanks. - -"What a singular creature!" Valentine muttered. - -As day had dawned during this conversation, the Trail-hunter proceeded -toward Unicorn's calli, to assemble the great chiefs in council. So soon -as the hunter entered the lodge, Don Pablo, who had hitherto remained -motionless, pretending to sleep, suddenly rose. - -"Good Heavens!" he exclaimed as he clasped his hands fervently. "How to -save poor Ellen? If she falls into the hands of that fury, she is lost." - -Then, after a moment's reflection, he ran toward Unicorn's calli: -Valentine came out of it at the moment the young man reached the door. - -"Where are you going to at that rate, my friend?" he asked him. - -"I want a horse." - -"A horse?" Valentine said in surprise; "What to do?" - -The Mexican gave him a glance of strange meaning. - -"To go to Bloodson's camp," he said resolutely. - -A sad smile played round the Trail-hunter's lips. He pressed the young -man's hand, saying in a sympathising voice--"Poor lad!" - -"Let me go, Valentine, I implore you," he said earnestly. - -The hunter unfastened a horse that was nibbling the young tree shoots in -front of the lodge. "Go," he said, sadly, "go where your destiny drags -you." - -The young man thanked him warmly, leaped on the horse, and started off -at full speed. Valentine looked after him for some time, and when the -rider had disappeared, he gave vent to a profound sigh, as he murmured: - -"He, too, loves--unhappy man!" - -And he entered his mother's calli, to give her the morning kiss. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXVI. - -THE LAST REFUGE. - - -We must now return to Red Cedar. When the squatter heard the yells of -the redskins, and saw their torches flashing through the trees in the -distance, he at the first start of terror thought himself lost, and -burying his head in his hands, he would have fallen to the ground, had -not Fray Ambrosio caught hold of him just in time. - -"Demonios!" the monk exclaimed, "take care, gossip, gestures are -dangerous here." - -But the bandit's despondency lasted no longer than a flash of lightning; -he drew himself up again, almost as haughty as he had been previously, -saying in a firm voice--"I will escape." - -"Bravely spoken, gossip," the monk said; "but we must act." - -"Forward!" the squatter howled. - -"What do you mean?" the monk cried, with a start of terror; "why, that -leads to the redskins' camp." - -"Forward, I tell you." - -"Very good, and may the devil protect us!" Fray Ambrosio muttered. - -The squatter, as he said, marched boldly toward the camp; they soon -reached the spot where they let down a lasso for Nathan, and which they -had beaten a retreat from in their first movement of terror. On reaching -it, the squatter parted the branches, and looked down. All the camp was -aroused; Indians could be seen running about in all directions. - -"Oh," Red Cedar muttered, "I hoped all these demons would start in -pursuit of us; it is impossible to cross there." - -"We cannot think of it," said Nathan, "we should be hopelessly lost." - -"Let us do something," said the monk. - -Ellen, exhausted with fatigue, seated herself on a branch, and her -father gazed at her in despair. - -"Poor child," he said, in a low voice, "how she suffers!" - -"Do not think about me, father," she said; "save yourself, and leave me -here." - -"Leave you!" he cried, savagely; "never! Not if I died; no, no, I will -save you." - -"What have I to fear from these men, to whom I never did any harm?" she -continued; "they will have pity on my weakness." - -Red Cedar burst into an ironical laugh. "Ask the jaguars if they pity -the antelopes," he said. "You do not know the savages, poor child. They -would torture you to death with ferocious joy." - -Ellen sighed, and let her head droop. - -"Time is slipping away; let us decide on something," the monk repeated. - -"Go to the demon!" the squatter said brutally; "You are my evil genius." - -"How ungrateful men are!" the monk said, ironically, as he raised his -hypocritical eyes to Heaven; "I, who am his dearest friend." - -"Enough," Red Cedar said, furiously; "we cannot remain here, so let us -go back." - -"What, again?" - -"Do you know any other road, demon?" - -"Where is Nathan?" the squatter suddenly asked; "has he fallen off?" - -"Not such a fool," the young man said, with a laugh; "but I have changed -my dress." - -He parted the leaves that hid him, and his comrades gave a cry of -surprise. Nathan was clothed in a bearskin, and carried the head in his -hand. - -"Oh, oh!" said Red Cedar, "That is a lucky find; where did you steal -that, lad?" - -"I only had the trouble to take it off the branch where it was hung to -dry." - -"Take care of it, for it may be of use ere long." - -"That is what I thought." - -After taking a few steps, Red Cedar stopped, stretched out his arm to -warn his comrades, and listened. After two or three minutes, he turned -to his comrades and whispered--"Our retreat is cut off; people are -walking on the trees, I heard branches creaking and leaves rustling." - -They gazed at each other in terror. - -"We will not despair," he went on, quickly, "all is not yet lost; let us -go higher, and on one side, till they have passed; during that time, -Nathan will amuse them; the Comanches rarely do an injury to a bear." - -No one made any objection, so Sutter started first, and the monk -followed. Ellen looked at her father sorrowfully. "I care not," she -said. - -"I say again, I will save you, child," he replied with great tenderness. - -He took the maiden in his powerful arms, and laid her softly on his -shoulder. - -"Hold on," he muttered, "and fear nothing." - -Then, with a dexterity and strength doubled by a father's love, the -bandit seized the bough over his head with one hand, and disappeared in -the foliage, after saying to his son: "Look out, Nathan, play your part -cleverly, lad, our safety depends on you." - -"Don't be frightened, old one," the young man replied, as he put on the -bear's head; "I am not more stupid than an Indian; they will take me for -their cousin." - -We know what happened, and how this trick, at first so successful, was -foiled by Curumilla. On seeing his son fall, the squatter was -momentarily affected by a blind rage, and pointed his rifle at the -Indian. Fortunately the monk saw the imprudent gesture soon enough to -check him. "What are you about?" he hoarsely whispered, as he struck up -the barrel; "you will destroy your daughter." - -"That is true," the squatter muttered. - -Ellen, by an extraordinary hazard, had seen nothing; had she done so, it -is probable that her brother's death would have drawn from her a cry of -agony, which must have denounced her companions. - -"Oh," Red Cedar said, "still that accursed Trail-hunter and his devil of -an Indian. They alone can conquer me." - -The fugitives remained for an hour in a state of terrible alarm, not -daring to stir, through fear of being discovered. They were so close to -their pursuers that they distinctly heard what they said, but at length -the speakers retired, the torches were put out, and all became silent -again. - -"Ouf!" said the monk, "they have gone. - -"Not all," the squatter answered; "did you not hear that accursed -Valentine?" - -"That is true; our retreat is still cut off." - -"We must not despair yet; for the present we have nothing to fear here; -rest a little while, while I go on the search." - -"Hum!" Fray Ambrosio muttered; "why not go all together? That would be -more prudent, I think." - -Red Cedar laughed bitterly. "Listen, gossip," he said to the monk, as he -seized his arm, which he pressed like a vice: "you distrust me, and you -are wrong. I wished once to leave you, I allow, but I no longer wish it. -We will perish or escape together." - -"Oh, oh! Are you speaking seriously, gossip?" - -"Yes; for, trusting to the foolish promises of a priest, I resolved to -reform; I altered my life, and led a painful existence; not injuring -anybody, and toiling honestly. The men I wished to forget remembered me -in their thirst for revenge. Paying no heed to my wish to repent, they -fired my wretched jacal and killed my son. Now they track me like a wild -beast, the old instincts are aroused in me, and the evil leaven that -slept in my heart is fermenting afresh. They have declared a war to the -death. Well, by heaven, I accept it, and will wage it without pity, -truce, or mercy, not asking of them, if they captured me, less than I -would give them if they fell into my hands. Let them take care, for I am -Red Cedar! He whom the Indians call the _Man-eater_ (Witchasta Joute) -and I will devour their hearts. So, at present, be at your ease, monk, -we shall not part again: you are my conscience--we are inseparable." - -The squatter uttered those atrocious words with such an accent of rage -and hatred, that the monk saw he really spoke the truth, and his evil -instincts had definitively gained the upper hand. A hideous smile of joy -curled his lips. "Well, gossip," he said, "go and look out, we will -await you here." - -During the squatter's absence not a word was uttered. Sutter was asleep, -the monk thinking, and Ellen weeping. The poor girl had heard with -sorrow mingled with horror her father's atrocious sentiments. She then -measured the fearful depth of the abyss into which she was suddenly -hurled, for Red Cedar's determination cut her off eternally from -society, and condemned her to a life of grief and tears. After about an -hour's absence Red Cedar re-appeared, and the expression of his face was -joyous. - -"Well?" the monk anxiously asked him. - -"Good news," he replied; "I have discovered a refuge where I defy the -cleverest bloodhounds of the prairies to track me." - -"Is it far from here?" - -"A very little distance; but that will prove our security. Our enemies -will never suppose we had the impudence to hide so close to them." - -"That is true; we will go there, then." - -"When you please." - -"At once." - -Red Cedar told the truth. He had really discovered a refuge, which -offered a very desirable guarantee of security. Had we not ourselves -witnessed a similar thing in the Far West, we should not put faith in -the possibility of such a hiding place. After going about one hundred -and fifty yards, the squatter stopped before an enormous oak that had -died of old age, and whose interior was hollow. - -"It is here," he said, cautiously parting the mass of leaves, branches, -and creepers that completely concealed the cavity. - -"Hum!" the monk said, as he peered down into the hole, which was dark as -pitch; "Have we got to go down there?" - -"Yes," Red Cedar replied; "but reassure yourself, it is not very deep." - -In spite of this assurance the monk still hesitated. - -"Take it or leave it," the squatter went on; "do you prefer being -captured?" - -"But we shall not be able to stir down there?" - -"Look around you." - -"I am looking." - -"Do you perceive that the mountain is perpendicular here?" - -"Yes, I do." - -"Good; we are on the edge of the precipice which poor Nathan told us -of." - -"Ah!" - -"Yes; you see that this dead tree seems, as it were, welded to the -mountain?" - -"That is true. I did not notice it at first." - -"Well; going down that cavity, for fifteen feet at the most, you will -find another which passes the back of the tree, and communicates with a -cavern." - -"Oh!" the monk exclaimed gleefully, "How did you discover this hiding -place?" - -The squatter sighed. "It was long ago," he said. - -"Stay," Fray Ambrosio objected; "others may know it beside yourself." - -"No," he answered, shaking his head; "only one man knows it beside -myself, and his discovery cost him his life." - -"That is reassuring." - -"No hunter or trapper ever comes this way, for it is a precipice; if we -were to take a few steps further in that direction, we should find -ourselves suspended over an abyss of unknown depth, one of the sides of -which this mountain forms. However, to quiet your fears, I will go down -first." - -Red Cedar threw into the gaping hollow a few pieces of candlewood he had -procured; he put his rifle on his back, and, hanging by his hands, let -himself down to the bottom of the tree, Sutter and the monk curiously -watching him. The squatter struck a light, lit one of the torches, and -waved it about his head; the monk then perceived that the old scalp -hunter had spoken the truth. Red Cedar entered the cavern, in the floor -of which he stuck his torch, so that the hollow was illumined, then came -out and rejoined his friends by the aid of his lasso. - -"Well," he said to them, "what do you think of that?" - -"We shall be famous there," the monk answered. - -Without further hesitation he slipped into the tree and disappeared in -the grotto. Sutter followed his example, but remained at the bottom of -the tree to help his sister down. The maiden appeared no longer -conscious of what was going on around her. Kind and docile as ever, she -acted with automatic precision, not trying to understand why she did one -thing more than another; her father's words had struck her heart, and -broken every spring of her will. When her father let her down the tree, -she mechanically followed her brother into the cave. - -When left alone, the squatter removed with minute care any traces which -might have revealed to his enemies' sharp eyes the direction in which he -had gone; and when he felt certain that nothing would denounce him, he -entered the cave in his turn. - -The bandits' first care was to inspect their domain, and they found it -was immense. The cavern ran for a considerable distance under the -mountain; it was divided into several branches and floors, some of which -ran up to the top of the mountain, while others buried themselves in the -ground; a subterranean lake, the reservoir of some nameless river, -extended for an immense distance under a low arch, all black with bats. - -The cavern had several issues in diametrically opposite directions; and -they were so well hidden, that it was impossible to notice them outside. -Only one thing alarmed the adventurers, and that was the chances of -procuring food; but to that Red Cedar replied that nothing was easier -than to set traps, or even hunt on the mountain. - -Ellen had fallen into a broken sleep on a bed of furs her father had -hastily prepared for her. The wretched girl had so suffered and endured -such fatigue during the last few days, that she literally could not -stand on her feet. When the three men had inspected the cave, they -returned and sat down by her side; Red Cedar looked at her sleeping with -an expression of infinite tenderness; he was too fond of his daughter -not to pity her, and think with grief of the fearful destiny that -awaited her by his side; unhappily, any remedy was impossible. Fray -Ambrosio, whose mind was always busy, drew the squatter from his -reverie. - -"Well, gossip," he said, "I suppose we are condemned to spend some time -here?" - -"Until our pursuers, tired of seeking us in vain, at length determine to -go off." - -"They may be long; hence, for the greater secrecy, I propose one thing." - -"What is it?" - -"There are blocks of stone here which time has detached from the roof; -before we go to sleep, I propose that we roll three or four of the -largest into the hole by which we entered." - -"Why so?" the squatter asked abruptly. - -"In our present position two precautions are better than one; the -Indians are such cunning demons, that they are capable of coming down -the tree." - -"The padre is right, old one," Sutter, who was half asleep, said; "it is -no great task to roll the stones; but in that way we shall be easy in -our minds." - -"Do what you like," the squatter answered, still continuing to gaze on -his daughter. - -The two men, with their chief's approval, rose to carry out their plan, -and half an hour later the hole was so artistically closed up, that no -one would have suspected it had he not known it before. - -"Now we can sleep, at any rate," said Fray Ambrosio. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXVII. - -THE CASKET. - - -In spite of the start White Gazelle had, Don Pablo caught up to her -before she had gone two leagues from camp. On hearing a horse galloping -behind her, the girl turned, and one glance was sufficient for her to -recognise the Mexican. At the sight of him a feverish flush suffused her -face, a convulsive tremor fell upon her, and, in short, the emotion she -felt was so powerful, that she was compelled to stop. Still, ashamed of -letting the man she hopelessly loved see the impression the sight of him -produced on her, she made a supreme effort, and managed to assume a look -of indifference, while thoughts crowded her brain. - -"What is he going to do here? Where is he going? We shall see," she -added to herself. - -She waited, and Don Pablo soon found her. The young man, suffering from -extreme nervous excitement, was in the worst possible mood to act -diplomatically. On reaching the White Gazelle he bowed, and continued -his journey without speaking to her. White Gazelle shook her head. - -"I know how to make him speak," she said. - -Hitting her horse sharply with her _chicote_, she started at a gallop, -and kept by Don Pablo's side. The two riders went on thus for some time -without exchanging a syllable. Each of them seemed afraid of opening the -conversation, feeling in what direction it must turn. Still galloping -side by side, they at length reached a spot where two paths forked. -White Gazelle checked her horse, and stretched out her arm in a -northerly direction. "I am going there," she said. - -"So am I," Don Pablo remarked, without hesitation. - -The young woman looked at him with a surprise too natural not to be -feigned. - -"Where are you going, then?" she went on. - -"Where you are," he said again. - -"But I am going to Bloodson's camp." - -"Well, so am I; what is there so amazing in that?" - -"Nothing; how does it concern me?" she said with a significant pout. - -"You will, therefore, permit me, Nina, to accompany you to your -destination." - -"I cannot and will not prevent you from following me; the road is free, -caballero," she drily replied. - -They were silent as if by common agreement, and were absorbed in -thought. White Gazelle gave her companion one of those bright womanly -glances that read to the bottom of the heart; a smile played round her -cherry lips, and she shook her head maliciously. Singular thoughts -doubtless fermented in her head. - -At about two of the _tarde_, as they say in Spanish countries, they -reached a ford on a small river, on the other side of which the huts of -Bloodson's camp could be seen at a distance of about two leagues. White -Gazelle halted, and at the moment her companion was about to take to the -water, she laid her little hand on his bridle, and checked him, saying, -in a soft but firm voice: "Before we go further, a word if you please, -caballero." - -Don Pablo looked at her in surprise, but made no attempt to remove the -obstacle. - -"I am listening to you, senorita," he said, with a bow. - -"I know why you are going to Bloodson's camp," she continued. - -"I doubt it," he said, with a shake of the head. - -"Boy! This morning, when I was talking with Don Valentine, you were -lying at our feet." - -"I was." - -"If your eyes were shut, your ears were open." - -"What do you mean?" - -"That you heard our conversation." - -"Suppose I did, what do you conclude from that?" - -"You are going to the camp to counteract my plans, and make them fail, -if possible." - -The young man started and looked disappointed at being so truly judged. - -"Senorita," he said, with embarrassment. - -"Do not deny it," she said kindly; "it would be useless, for I know -all." - -"All!" - -"Yes, and a great deal more than you know yourself." - -The Mexican was amazed. - -"Let us play fairly," she continued. - -"I ask nothing better," he replied, not knowing what he said. - -"You love the squatter's daughter?" she said distinctly. - -"Yes." - -"You wish to save her?" - -"Yes." - -"I will help you." - -There was a silence; these few words had been interchanged by the -speakers with feverish rapidity. - -"You are not deceiving me?" Don Pablo asked, timidly. - -"No," she answered, frankly, "what good would it do me? You have given -her your heart, and a man cannot love really twice; I will help you, I -say." - -The young man gazed at her with surprise mingled with terror. He -remembered what an implacable foe White Gazelle had been to poor Ellen -only a few months back, and suspected a snare. She guessed it, and a -sorrowful smile played round her lips. - -"Love is no longer permitted me," she said; "my heart is not even -capacious enough for the hatred that devours it. I live only for -vengeance. Believe me, Don Pablo, I will treat you honourably. When you -are at length happy, and indebted to me for a small portion of the -happiness you enjoy, perhaps you will feel a little friendship and -gratitude for me. Alas! It is the only feeling I desire now; I am one of -those wretched, condemned creatures, who hurled involuntarily into an -abyss, cannot check their downward progress. Pity me, Don Pablo, but -dismiss all fear; for, I repeat to you, you have not and never will have -a more devoted friend than myself." - -The girl pronounced these words with such an accent of sincerity, it was -so plain that the heart alone spoke, and that the sacrifice was -consummated without any after-thought, that Don Pablo felt affected by -such abnegation. By an irresistible impulse, he offered her his hand; -she pressed it warmly, wiped away a tear, and then banished every trace -of emotion. - -"Now," she said, "not a word more: we understand one another, I think?" - -"Oh, yes," he answered, gladly. - -"Let us cross the stream," she said, with a smile; "in half an hour we -shall reach the camp; no one must know what has passed between us." - -They soon reached Bloodson's camp, where they were received with shouts -of pleasure and welcome; they galloped through it and stopped before the -ranger's hut, who had come out, aroused by the shouts, and was awaiting. -The reception was cordial, and after the first compliments, White -Gazelle explained to her uncle the result of her mission and what had -occurred in Unicorn's camp while she was there. - -"That Red Cedar is a perfect demon," he answered; "I alone have the -means in my hands to capture him." - -"In what way?" Don Pablo asked. - -"You shall see," he said. - -Without further explanation, he raised a silver whistle to his lips, and -blew a clear and long note. At this summons, the buffalo-hide curtain of -the hut was raised from without, and a man appeared, in whom Don Pablo -recognised Andres Garote. The gambusino bowed with that politeness -peculiar to Mexicans, and fixed his small grey and intelligent eyes on -Bloodson. - -"Master Garote," the latter said, turning to him, "I have called you, -because I want to speak seriously with you." - -"I am at your Excellency's orders," he answered. - -"You doubtless remember," Bloodson went on, "the compact you made when I -admitted you into my cuadrilla?" - -Andres bowed his affirmative. - -"I remember it," he said. - -"Very good. Are you still angry with Red Cedar?" - -"Not exactly with Red Cedar, Excellency; personally he never did me much -harm." - -"That is true; but you still have, I suppose, the desire to avenge -yourself on Fray Ambrosio?" - -A flash of hatred shot from the gambusino's eye. - -"I would give my life to have his." - -"Good! I like to find you feel in that way; your desire will soon be -satisfied, if you are willing." - -"If I am willing, Excellency!" the ranchero exclaimed, hotly. "Canarios, -tell me what I must do for that, and, on my soul, I will do it. I assure -you I will not hesitate." - -Bloodson concealed a smile of satisfaction. "Red Cedar, Fray Ambrosio, -and their comrades," he said, "are hidden a few miles from here in the -mountains; you will go there." - -"I will." - -"Wait a minute. You will join them in some way, gain their confidences, -and when you have obtained this necessary information, you will return -here, so that we may crush this brood of vipers." - -The gambusino reflected for a moment: Bloodson fancied he was unwilling. - -"What, you hesitate!" he said. - -"I hesitate!" the ranchero exclaimed, shaking his head with a peculiar -smile. "No, no, Excellency, I was merely reflecting." - -"What about?" - -"I will tell you: the mission you give me is one of life and death. If I -fail, I know what I have to expect: Red Cedar will kill me like a dog." - -"Very probably." - -"He will be right in doing so, and I shall be unable to reproach him; -but, when I am dead, I do not wish that villain to escape." - -"Trust to my word." - -The gambusino's foxy face assumed an extraordinary expression of -cunning. "I do trust to it, Excellency," he said; "but you have very -serious business that occupies nearly all your time, and perhaps, -without desiring it, you might forget me." - -"You need not fear that." - -"We can answer for nothing, Excellency; there are very strange -circumstances in life." - -"What do you want to arrive at? Come, explain yourself frankly." - -Andres Garote lifted his zarape, and took from under it a little steel -box, which he placed on the table near which Bloodson was sitting. -"Here, Excellency," he said, in that soft voice which never left him; -"take that casket; so soon as I am gone break open the lock, I am -certain you will find it contains papers that will interest you." - -"What do these words mean?" Bloodson asked anxiously. - -"You will see," the gambusino replied, quite unmoved; "in that way, if -you forget me, you will not forget yourself, and I shall profit by your -vengeance." - -"Do you know the contents of these papers, then?" - -"Do you suppose, Excellency, that I have had that coffer in my -possession for six months, without discovering its contents? No, no, I -like to know what I have got. You will find it interesting, Excellency." - -"But if that be the case, why did you not give me the papers sooner?" - -"Because the hour had not arrived to do so, Excellency; I awaited the -opportunity that offers today. The man who wishes to avenge himself must -be patient. You know the proverb: 'Vengeance is a fruit that must be -eaten ripe.'" - -While the gambusino was saying this, Bloodson kept his eyes fixed on the -casket. "Are you going?" he asked him, when he ceased speaking. - -"Directly, Excellency; but if you permit it, we will make a slight -alteration in the instruction you have given me." - -"Speak." - -"It strikes me that, if I am obliged to return here, we shall lose -precious time in coming and going: which time Red Cedar, whose -suspicions will be aroused, may profit by to decamp." - -"That is true; but what is to be done?" - -"Oh, it is very simple. When the moment arrives to spread our nets, I -will light a fire on the mountain; which will serve as a signal to you -to start at once; still, there would be no harm if someone accompanied -me, and remained hidden near the spot where I am going." - -"It shall be done as you wish," White Gazelle answered: "two persons -will accompany you in lieu of one." - -"How so?" - -"Don Pablo de Zarate and myself intend to go with you," she continued, -giving the young man a glance he understood. - -"Then all is for the best," the gambusino said, "and we will start when -you like." - -"At once, at once," the two young people exclaimed. - -"Our horses are not tired, and can easily cover that distance," Don -Pablo remarked. - -"Make haste, then, for moments are precious," said Bloodson, who burned -to be alone. - -"I only crave a few moments to saddle my horse." - -"Go, we will wait for you here." - -The gambusino went out. The three persons remained in silence, all -equally perplexed about the casket, on which Bloodson had laid his hand -as if afraid of having it torn from him again. Very shortly, a horse was -heard galloping outside, and Garote put his head in at the door. "I am -ready," he said. - -White Gazelle and Don Pablo rose. "Let us go!" they shouted as they ran -to the door. - -"I wish you luck!" Bloodson said to them. - -"Excellency, do not forget the coffer," the gambusino said with a grin; -"you will find the contents most interesting to you." - -So soon as the ranger was alone, he rose, carefully fastened the door, -not to be disturbed in the examination he was about to make, and then -sat down again, after selecting from a small deerskin pouch some hooks -of different size. He then took the coffer, and carefully examined it -all over. There was nothing remarkable about it: it was, as we have said -elsewhere, a light casket of carved steel, made with the most exquisite -taste--a pretty toy, in a word. - -In spite of his desire to know its contents, the ranger hesitated to -open it; this pretty little toy caused him an emotion for which he could -not account: he fancied he had seen it before, but he racked his brains -in vain to try and remember where. "Oh!" he said, speaking to himself in -a low hoarse voice; "Can I be approaching the consummation of the object -to which I have devoted my life?" - -He fell into a profound reverie, and remained for a lengthened period -absorbed in a flood of bitter memories, that oppressed his breast. At -length he raised his head, shook back his thick hair, and passed his -hand over his forehead. - -"No more hesitation," he said, hoarsely, "let me know what I have to -depend on. Something tells me that my researches will this time be -crowned with success." - -He then seized one of the hooks with a trembling hand, and put it in the -lock; but his emotion was so great that he could not make the instrument -act, and he threw it angrily from him. "Am I a child, then?" he said; "I -will be calm." - -He took the hook up again with a firm hand, and the casket opened. -Bloodson looked eagerly into the interior; it only contained two -letters, which time had turned yellow. At the sight of them, a livid -pallor covered the ranger's face. He evidently recognised the -handwriting at the first glance. He uttered a howl of joy, and seized -the letters, saying, in a voice that had nothing human about it:-- -"Here, then, are the proofs I believed to be destroyed!" He unfolded the -paper with the most minute precautions, for fear of tearing the creases, -and began reading. Ere long, a sigh of relief burst from his overladen -bosom. - -"Ah!" he uttered, "Heaven has at length delivered you to me, my masters; -we will settle our accounts." - -He replaced the letters in the casket, closed it again, and carefully -hid it in his bosom. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXVIII. - -SMOKE IN THE MOUNTAIN. - - -The three adventurers rapidly left Bloodson's camp, and proceeded in the -direction of the mountains, galloping silently side by side. They had a -foreboding that the finale of this terrible drama was approaching, and -involuntarily their thoughts were sad. - -Man is so constituted that the feeling which has most power over him is -sadness; human organisation is formed for struggling, and joy is only an -anomaly; built to resist the hardest trials, the strongest man is -frequently the one who yields most easily to great joy; hence, strange -to say nothing more resembles happiness than sorrow; the symptoms are so -completely the same, that a great joy annihilates the faculties almost -as much as a great sorrow does. - -At this moment, the three persons we are following were under the weight -of an emotion such as we have described. At the instant when they -expected the hopes they had so long entertained would be fulfilled, they -felt an emotion which completely mastered them, and for which they could -not account. They were about to play for a decisive stake. Ever since -they had been contending with this rude adversary, they had ever found -him standing in the track, returning them trick for trick, and although -cruelly wounded, constantly retaining the victory. This time luck had -turned; Heaven itself seemed to have interposed to make justice triumph, -and the bandit, driven to his last entrenchments, was expecting them to -be forced at any moment. - -Still they did not conceal from themselves the difficulties of this -final struggle, in which the squatter would escape the fate reserved him -by death, unless they managed to deceive him by trickery. In such a -state of mind, we may easily suppose that they said nothing, and reached -the foot of the mountain without exchanging a syllable. Here they -stopped. - -"Caballeros," the gambusino said, "before going further, we shall not do -badly, I fancy, by making some indispensable arrangements." - -"What do you mean, my friend?" Don Pablo asked. - -"We are going to enter regions," Andres replied, "where our horses will -become more injurious than useful; in the mountains a footman passes -anywhere, a horseman nowhere." - -"That is true; let us leave our horses here, then; the noble brutes will -not stray beyond the spot where they can find provender. When we require -them; we shall be sure to find them again, with a little search." - -"Is that the senorita's opinion also?" the gambusino asked respectfully. - -"Quite," she answered. - -"Then let us dismount, remove saddle and bridle, and leave them to their -instinct." - -They removed everything that could trouble the horses, and then drove -them away. The intelligent animals, accustomed to this, only went a few -yards, and began quietly nibbling the thick prairie grass. - -"That is all right," the gambusino said; "now let us think of -ourselves." - -"But the harness," White Gazelle remarked; "the moment will come when we -shall be glad to have it ready to hand." - -"Perfectly true," said Andres; "so we will put it in a safe place; for -instance, this hollow tree will form a famous storeroom." - -"Caramba! that is an original idea," Don Pablo said, "and deserves being -followed." - -The three saddles were placed in the tree, and so covered with dead -leaves, that it would be impossible to suspect their presence. - -"Now," said White Gazelle, "let us look after a place to bivouac: the -nights are cold at this season, especially in the mountains; day is -rapidly departing, and we shall soon be in darkness." - -Our three scouts had left the camp at a rather late hour: hence, while -they were unsaddling their horses, and hiding the harness, the sun had -gradually sunk down beneath the horizon: the short period of twilight -had begun, during which day finishes, and night begins, in which -darkness and light, struggling desperately together, spread over the -landscape a mixed haze, through which objects are regarded as through a -prism. - -They must profit by this moment to look about them, so that they might -run no risk of losing themselves so soon as darkness had gained the -victory. They did so, therefore: after carefully noting the position of -the different peaks, they boldly set out. They walked for nearly an hour -up an ascent constantly becoming steeper, and then reached a species of -narrow platform, where they halted for a moment; in the first place to -take breath, and then to consult about their further operations. - -"Suppose we sleep here?" White Gazelle said. "The perpendicular rock -behind us offers a famous shelter, from the wind, and, wrapped up in our -zarapes and buffalo robes, I feel convinced we should be quite -comfortable." - -"Patience, Nina," the gambusino said, sententiously, "we must not talk -about sleeping at present." - -"Why not?" she said, sharply; "for my part, I may tell you I can sleep -famously here." - -"Possibly so, Nina," Andres continued; "but we have something else to do -at present." - -"What then?" - -"Look about us." - -"Why, you must be mad, my friend. It is as black as in an oven. The -demon himself, though so used to darkness, would tread on his tail." - -"That is the very reason; let us take advantage of the moon not having -yet risen, to explore the neighbourhood." - -"I do not understand you." - -"See how transparent the atmosphere is; the vacillating and dubious -light of the stars is sufficient to let objects be distinguished at an -enormous distance. If the men we are pursuing, eat, which is probable, -this is just the hour they would select to cook their food." - -"Well?" Don Pablo asked, curiously. - -"Follow my argument closely; Red Cedar can only expect enemies from the -side of the plain." - -"That is true." - -"Hence his precautions are taken on that side, and not here; he does not -suspect us so near him, and, persuaded that no one is spying him, he -will let the smoke of his fire rise peacefully to the sky in the shade -of night, convinced that nobody will perceive it, which would be -perfectly true, if, unfortunately for him, we were not here. Such is the -reason why I urged you to enter the mountains, in spite of the advanced -hour." - -White Gazelle and Don Pablo were struck by the correctness of this -reasoning. They began, in consequence, to form a better opinion of their -guide, and tacitly recognise in him that superiority which a man who is -thoroughly acquainted with a thing, always acquires at a given moment. - -"Do as you think proper," Don Pablo said to him. - -"We are quite of your opinion," the girl added. - -The gambusino displayed no pride or fatuity at this acknowledgement of -the justice of his argument; he contented himself with recommending his -companions not to leave the spot where they were till his return, and -then went off. - -When he was alone, instead of walking as he had hitherto done, the -gambusino lay down and began crawling slowly along the rocks, stopping -every now and then to raise his head, look around him and listen to the -thousand sounds of the desert. At the expiration of about two hours he -returned. - -"Well?" Don Pablo asked him. - -"Come!" the gambusino laconically answered. - -They followed, and he led them by a most abrupt path, where they were -forced to crawl on their hands and knees, to escape falling over the -precipices. After a lengthened ascent, made with extraordinary -difficulty, the gambusino stood up, making his companions a sign to -follow his example. They did not let the invitation be repeated, for -they were completely worn out. - -They found themselves on a platform like the one they had previously -left; this platform, like the other, was commanded by an immense rock, -but this rock had an enormous orifice like the entrance of an oven, and, -strange enough, at the end of this orifice glittered a light about the -size of a star. - -"Look!" said the gambusino. - -"Oh, oh! What is that?" Don Pablo asked in surprise. - -"Can we have found what we are looking for?" White Gazelle exclaimed, as -she clasped her hands. - -"Silence," Andres Garote whispered, as he placed his hand on her mouth; -"we are at the entrance of a cavern, and these subterraneous passages -are excellent sound conductors; Red Cedar has a fine ear, and though he -is so far from you at this moment, you must fear his overhearing you." - -They gazed for a long time at this flickering light; at times a shadow -passed before this star, and its brilliancy was eclipsed for some -minutes. The gambusino, when he judged that their curiosity was -satisfied, touched them on the arm, and led them gently away. - -"Come," he said to them. - -They began ascending again. At the end of about half an hour he made -them stop a second time, and stretched out his arm. "Look attentively," -he said to them. - -"Oh," Don Pablo said, at the end of a minute, "smoke." - -In fact a slight jet of white smoke seemed to issue from the ground, and -rose in a thin and transparent spiral to the sky. - -"There is no smoke without fire," the gambusino said, with a grin; "I -showed you the fire first, now there is the smoke. Are you convinced? -Have we found the tiger's lair?" - -"Yes," they said together. - -"That is better than sleeping, eh?" he went on, with a slightly -triumphant accent. - -"What are we to do now?" White Gazelle quickly interrupted him. - -"Oh, good gracious! A very simple thing," Andres replied; "one of you -two will immediately return to the camp to announce our discovery, and -the master will act as he thinks proper." - -"Good!" said the girl; "I will go." - -"And you?" the gambusino asked Don Pablo. - -"I stay here." - -Garote made no objection, and White Gazelle darted down the mountain -side with feverish ardour. The gambusino laid his buffalo robe carefully -on the ground, wrapped himself in his zarape, and lay down. - -"What are you about?" Don Pablo asked him. - -"You see," he replied, "I am preparing to sleep; we have nothing more to -do at present, and must wait till tomorrow to act; I advise you to -follow my example." - -"That is true," the young man said; "you are right." - -And, rolling himself in his zarape, he threw himself on the ground. An -hour passed away thus, and the two men slept, or pretended to sleep. - -Then Don Pablo rose softly on his elbow, and bent over Andres Garote, -whom he attentively observed; he was sleeping the calmest possible -sleep. The young man, reassured by this, rose, examined his weapons, and -after giving the sleeper a last glance, descended the mountain. - -The moon had risen and cast a light over the landscape scarce sufficient -for him to proceed without fear of falling over a precipice. The young -man, on reaching the lower platform, on to which the entrance of the -cavern opened, stopped for a moment, muttered a fervent prayer, as he -raised his eyes to the star-studded sky, and after once more examining -his weapons to feel sure they were in good condition, he crossed himself -and boldly entered the cavern. - -Of a truth, he must have been gifted with ample stock of courage thus to -brave a danger which was the more terrible, because it was unknown. With -his eye fixed on the fire, which served as his polar star, Don Pablo -advanced cautiously with outstretched arms, stopping at intervals to -account for the nameless noises which constantly growl in caverns, and -ready to defend himself against the invisible foes he suspected in the -shadow. - -He went on thus for a long time, the fire not appearing to grow larger, -when the granite on which he rested his left hand to guide himself -suddenly left off, and at the end of a narrow passage, dimly lighted by -an expiring torch of candlewood, he perceived Ellen kneeling on the bare -ground, and praying fervently. - -The young man stopped, struck with admiration at this unexpected sight. -The maiden, with her hair untied and floating in long tresses on her -shoulders, with pallid face bathed in tears, seemed to be suffering the -greatest sorrow. Sobs and heavy sighs were escaping from her burdened -bosom. - -Don Pablo could not resist the emotion that seized upon him. At this -crushing sight, forgetting all prudence, he rushed toward the maiden -with open arms, exclaiming, with an accent of supreme love: "Ellen, -Ellen, what is the matter?" - -At this voice, which smote her ear so unexpectedly, the girl rose, and -said, with gestures of great majesty: - -"Fly, unhappy man, fly, or you are lost!" - -"Ellen," he repeated, as he fell on his knees, and clasped his hands in -entreaty, "for mercy's sake hear me!" - -"What do you want here?" she continued. - -"I have come to save you, or perish in the attempt." - -"Save me," she cried, sadly; "no, Don Pablo, my destiny is fixed -forever. Leave me--fly--I implore you." - -"No. I tell you a terrible danger impends over your father. He is -hopelessly lost. Come, fly; there is yet time. Oh, Ellen, I implore you, -in the name of our love--so chaste and pure, follow me!" - -The maiden shook her head with a movement that set her long, fair -tresses waving. - -"I am condemned, I tell you, Don Pablo; remaining longer here will be -your destruction. You say you love me--well, in the name of your love, -or, if you insist, of mine, I implore you to leave me, to shun me -forever. Oh, believe me, Don Pablo, my touch brings death. I am an -accursed creature." - -The young man folded his arms on his chest, and raised his head proudly. - -"No," he said resolutely, "I will not go, I do not wish for the devotion -to be yours solely. What do I care for life if I may never see you -again? Ellen, we will die together." - -"Oh, Heavens, how he loves me!" she exclaimed, in despair. "Oh, Lord! -Lord! Have I suffered enough? Is the measure now full? Oh, Lord! Give me -the strength to accomplish my sacrifice to the end. Listen, Don Pablo," -she said to him, as she caught hold of his arm fiercely, "my father is -an outlaw, the whole world rejects him; he has only one joy, one -happiness in his immense suffering--his daughter. I cannot, I will not -abandon him. Whatever love I may feel for you in my heart, Don Pablo, I -will never leave my father. No, all is said between us, my love; -remaining here longer would be uselessly braving a terrible and -inevitable danger. Go, Don Pablo, go--it must be so." - -"Remember," the young man said with a groan, "remember, Ellen, that this -interview will be the last." - -"I know it." - -"You still wish me to go?" - -"I insist on it." - -"Yes, but I do not wish it," a rough voice suddenly said. - -They turned in terror, and perceived Red Cedar looking at them with a -grin, as he leant on his rifle. Ellen gave her father such a flashing -glance, that the old squatter involuntarily looked down without -replying. She turned to Don Pablo, and took his hand. "Come," she said -to him. She walked resolutely toward her father, who did not stir. "Make -way," she said boldly. - -"No," the trapper answered. - -"Pay attention to me, father," she continued; "I have sacrificed for you -my life, my happiness, all my hopes on this earth, but on one condition -that his life shall be sacred. Let him go, then; I insist on it." - -"No," he said again, "he must die." - -Ellen burst into a wild laugh, whose shrill notes made the two men -shudder. With a movement swift as thought, she tore a pistol from the -squatter's belt, cocked it, and put the muzzle to her forehead. "Make -way!" she repeated. - -Red Cedar uttered a yell of terror. "Stop!" he shouted, as he rushed -toward her. - -"For the last time, make way, or I kill myself!" - -"Oh!" he said with an expression of rage impossible to endure, "Go, -demon, but I shall find you again." - -"Farewell, my beloved!" Ellen cried passionately; "farewell for the last -time!" - -"Ellen," the young man answered, "we shall meet again; I will save you -in spite of yourself." - -And rushing down the passage, he disappeared. - -"And now, father," the maiden said, throwing the pistol far from her, -when the sound of her lover's footsteps died away in the distance, "do -with me what you please." - -"I pardon you, child," Red Cedar replied gnashing his teeth, "but I will -kill him." - - - - -CHAPTER XXXIX. - -THE BOAR AT BAY. - - -Don Pablo ran out of the cavern and joined Andres Garote hastily, who -still slept. The young man had some difficulty in waking him, but at -length he opened his eyes, sat up, and yawned; but perceiving the stars -still shining, he said ill-humouredly: "What fly has stung you? Let me -sleep--day is still far off." - -"I know that better than you, for I have not lain down." - -"Then, you were wrong," the other said, yawning fit to dislocate his -jaw; "I am going to sleep, so good night." - -And he tried to lie down again, but the young man prevented him. "A -pretty time for sleeping," he said as he dragged away the other's -zarape; in which he tried in vain to wrap himself. - -"Why, you must be mad to annoy me so," he said furiously; "has anything -fresh happened?" - -Don Pablo told him what he had done; the gambusino listened with the -most profound attention, and when he had finished scratched his head -with embarrassment as he said, "_Demonios!_ that is serious--excessively -serious; all lovers are madmen. You have spoiled our expedition." - -"Do you think so?" - -"Canelo! I am sure of it; Red Cedar is an old scoundrel, as cunning as -an opossum. Now that he is put on his guard, it will take a clever -fellow to catch him." - -Don Pablo looked at him in consternation. - -"What is to be done?" he said. - -"Be off, that is the safest; you can understand that the squatter is now -on his guard?" - -There was rather a lengthened silence between the two speakers. - -"Well!" the gambusino said, suddenly, "I will not be beat. I will play -the old demon a trick after my fashion." - -"What is your plan?" - -"That is my business. If you had placed greater confidence in me, all -this would not have happened, and we should have settled matters, to the -general satisfaction. Well, what is done cannot be undone, and I will -try to repair your fault, so now be off." - -"Off--where to?" - -"To the foot of the mountain; but do not come up again unless your -comrades are with you. You will act as their guide to this spot." - -"But you?" - -"Don't trouble yourself about me. Good-bye." - -"Well," the young man said, "I leave you at liberty to act as you think -proper." - -"You ought to have formed that resolution sooner. Ah, by the way, just -leave me your hat." - -"With great pleasure; but you have one." - -"Perhaps I want another. Ah! one word more." - -"Speak." - -"If by any chance you should hear a noise--shots fired, say--as you are -going down the mountain, do not alarm yourself, or come up again." - -"Good--that is agreed; so good-bye." - -After tossing his hat to the gambusino, the young man put his rifle on -his shoulder, and began descending the mountain: he speedily disappeared -in the countless windings of the path. So soon as Andres Garote was -alone, he picked up Don Pablo's hat and threw it over the precipice, -eagerly watching its descent. After turning over and over, the hat -touched a peak, rebounded, and at length rested on the mountainside a -great distance beneath. - -"Good," the gambusino said with satisfaction, "that is all right; now -for the rest." - -Andres Garote then sat down on the ground, took his rifle, and -discharged it in the air; immediately, drawing one of his pistols from -his belt, he stretched out his left arm and pulled the trigger; the ball -went right through the fleshy part. "Caramba!" he said, as he fell all -his length on the ground, "that pains more than I fancied; but no -matter; the great point is to succeed, so now to await the result." - -Nearly a quarter of an hour elapsed and nothing disturbed the silence of -the desert. Andres, still stretched at full length, was groaning in a -way that would move the heart of the rocks. At length a slight noise was -heard a short distance off. - -"Halloh!" the gambusino muttered, cunningly watching what had happened, -"I fancy there's a bite." - -"Who the deuce have we here?" a rough voice said; "Go and see, Sutter." - -Andres Garote opened his eyes and recognised Red Cedar, and his son. -"Ah!" he said in a hollow voice, "Is that you, old squatter? Where the -deuce do you come from? If I expected anybody, it was certainly not you, -though I am delighted with you." - -"I know that voice," exclaimed Red Cedar. - -"It is Andres Garote, the gambusino," Sutter replied. - -"Yes, it is I, my good Sutter," the Mexican said. "Oh! oh! How I -suffer!" - -"What's the matter with you, and how did you come here?" - -"You're all right, I see," the other replied savagely. "Cuerpo de -Cristo! Things have gone with me from bad to worse since I left my -rancho to come in this accursed prairie." - -"Will you answer yes or no?" Red Cedar said angrily, dashing his rifle -butt on the ground, and giving him a suspicious glance. - -"Well, I am wounded, that, is easy to see; I have a bullet in my arm, -and am all over bruises. Santa Maria, how I suffer! But no matter, the -brigand who attacked me will never injure anybody again." - -"Have you killed him?" the squatter asked eagerly. - -"I did my best; look over the precipice--you will see his body." - -Sutter bent over. "I see a hat," he said directly after; "the body -cannot be far." - -"Unless it has rolled to the bottom of the barranca." - -"That is probable," Sutter remarked, "for the rock is almost -perpendicular." - -"Oh, demonios! Nuestra Senora! How I suffer!" the gambusino groaned. - -The squatter had in his turn leant over the precipice; he recognised Don -Pablo's hat; he gave a sign of satisfaction, and returned to Andres. - -"Come," he said in a gentle tone, "we cannot stop here all night; can -you walk?" - -"I do not know, but I will try." - -"Try, then, in the demon's name." - -The gambusino rose with infinite difficulty and tried to walk a little -way, but fell back. "I cannot," he said despondingly. - -"Nonsense!" said Sutter; "I will take him on my back, he is not very -heavy." - -"Look sharp, then." - -The young man stooped, took the gambusino in his arms, and laid him -across his shoulders as easily as if he had been a child. Ten minutes -later Andres Garote was in the cavern lying before the fire, and Fray -Ambrosio was bandaging up his arm. - -"Well, gossip," the monk said, "you have been very cleverly wounded." - -"Why so?" the Mexican asked in alarm. - -"Why, a wound in the left arm will not prevent your firing a shot with -us in case of an alarm." - -"I will do so, you may be sure," he replied, with a singular accent. - -"With all that, you have not told me by what chance you were on the -mountain," Red Cedar remarked. - -"It was simple; since the destruction and dispersion of our poor -cuadrilla, I have been wandering about in every direction like a -masterless dog; hunted by the Indians to take my scalp, pursued by the -whites to be hanged, as forming part of Red Cedar's band, I did not know -where to find shelter. About three days back chance brought me to this -sierra; tonight, at the moment I was going to sleep, after eating a -mouthful, a fellow whom the darkness prevented me recognising, suddenly -threw himself on me; you know the rest--but no matter, I settled his -little score." - -"Good, good," Red Cedar quickly interrupted him, "keep that to yourself; -now, good night, you must need rest; so sleep, if you can." - -The gambusino's stratagem was too simple and at the same time too -cleverly carried out, not to succeed. No one can suppose that an -individual would voluntarily, give himself a serious wound, and any -suspicions on Red Cedar's part were entirely dissipated by the sight of -Don Pablo's hat. How could he suppose that two men of such different -character and position should be working together? Anything was credible -but that. Hence the bandits, who recognised in Garote one of themselves, -did not at all distrust him. - -The worthy ranchero, delighted at having got into the lion's den, almost -certain of the success of his scheme, and too accustomed to wounds to -care much about the one he had given himself with such praiseworthy -dexterity, began again the slumber Don Pablo had so roughly interrupted -and slept till daybreak. When he awoke, Fray Ambrosio was by his side, -preparing the morning meal. - -"Well," the monk asked him, "how do you feel now?" - -"Much better than I should have fancied," he answered; "sleep has done -me good." - -"Let me look at your wound, gossip." - -Andres held out his arm, which the monk bandaged afresh, and the two men -went on talking like friends delighted at meeting again after a -lengthened separation. All at once Red Cedar hurried up, rifle in hand. - -"Look out!" he shouted, "Here is the enemy." - -"The enemy!" the gambusino said, "Canelo, where is my rifle? If I cannot -stand, I will fire sitting down: it shall not be said that I did not -help my friends in their trouble." - -Sutter now ran up from the other side, shouting: - -"Look out!" - -This strange coincidence of two attacks made from opposite sides -rendered Red Cedar thoughtful. "We are betrayed," he shouted. - -"By whom?" the gambusino impudently asked. - -"By you, perhaps," the squatter answered furiously. - -Andres began laughing. - -"You are mad, Red Cedar," he said: "danger has made you lose your head. -You know very well that I have not stirred from here." - -The reasoning was unanswerable. - -"And yet, I would swear that one of us has been the traitor," the -squatter continued passionately. - -"Instead of recriminating as you are doing," Andres said, with an accent -of wounded dignity, perfectly played, "you would do better to fly. You -are too old a fox to have only one hole to your earth--all the issues -cannot be occupied, hang it all: while you are escaping, I, who cannot -walk, will cover the retreat, and you will thus see whether I was the -traitor." - -"You will do that?" - -"I will." - -"Then you are a man, and I restore you my friendship." - -At this moment the war yell of the Comanches burst forth at one of the -entrances, while at the opposite could be heard: "Bloodson! Bloodson!" - -"Make haste, make haste!" the gambusino shouted, as he boldly seized the -rifle lying at his side. - -"Oh, they have not got me yet," Red Cedar replied, as he seized his -daughter in his powerful arms, who had run up at the first alarm, and -was now pressing timorously to his side. The three bandits then -disappeared in the depths of the cave. Andres leaped up as if worked by -a spring, and rushed in pursuit of them, followed by twenty Comanche and -Apache warriors who had joined him, at whose head were Unicorn, Black -Cat, and Spider. - -They soon heard the sound of firing re-echoed by the walls of the -cavern: the fight had begun. - -Red Cedar had found himself face to face with Valentine and his -comrades, while trying to fly by an outlet he did not suppose guarded. -He fell back hurriedly, but he had been seen, and the firing immediately -begun. A terrible combat was about to take place beneath the gloomy -avenues of this vast cavern. These implacable enemies, at last face to -face, had no mercy to expect from each other. Still Red Cedar did not -despond; while replying vigorously to the shots of their adversaries, he -incessantly looked round him to discover a fresh outlet. - -The perfect darkness that reigned in the cavern aided the bandits, who, -owing to their small numbers, sheltered themselves behind rocks, and -thus avoided the bullets, while their shots, fired into the compact mass -of enemies pressing round them, scarcely ever missed their mark. - -All once the squatter uttered a triumphant yell, and, followed by his -comrades, disappeared as if by enchantment. The Indians and rangers then -dispersed in pursuit of the bandits, but they had vanished and left no -sign. - -"We shall never find them in this way," Valentine shouted, "and we run a -risk of hitting friends; some of the warriors will be detached to cut us -torches, while we guard all the outlets." - -"It is unnecessary," Curumilla said, coming up, loaded with candlewood. - -In a second, the cavern was brilliantly lit up, and then the side -passage by which Red Cedar had escaped became visible to the astonished -Comanches, who had passed it twenty times without seeing it. They rushed -in with a yell but there came a discharge, and three of them fell -mortally wounded. The passage was low, narrow, and ascending; it formed -a species of staircase. It was, in truth, a formidable position, for -four men could with difficulty advance together. - -Ten times the Comanches returned to the charge, ten times they were -forced to fall back; the dead and wounded were heaped up in the cave, -and the position was becoming critical. - -"Halt!" Valentine shouted. - -All were motionless, and then the white men and principal chiefs held a -council; Curumilla had left the cave with a dozen warriors whom he had -made a sign to follow him. As happens unfortunately only too often in -precarious circumstances, everybody gave a different opinion, and it was -impossible to come to an understanding; at this moment Curumilla -appeared, followed by the warriors loaded like himself with leaves and -dry wood. - -"Wait a moment," Valentine said, pointing to the chief; "Curumilla has -had the only sensible idea." - -The others did not understand yet. - -"Come, my lads," the hunter cried, "a final attack." - -The Comanches rushed furiously into the passage, but a fresh discharge -compelled them again to retire. - -"Enough!" the Trail-hunter commanded, "that is what I wanted to know." - -They obeyed, and Valentine then turned to the chief who accompanied him. - -"It is plain," he said, "that this passage has no outlet; in the first -moment of precipitation Red Cedar did not perceive this, else he would -not have entered it; had it an outlet, the bandits, instead of -remaining, would have profited by the momentary respite we granted them -to escape." - -"That is true," the chiefs answered. - -"What I tell you at this moment, Curumilla guessed long ago; the proof -is that he has discovered the only way to make the demons surrender, -smoking them out." Enthusiastic shouts greeted these words. - -"Warriors," Valentine went on, "throw into that cave all the wood and -leaves you can; when there is a large pile, we will set light to it." - -Red Cedar and his comrades probably guessing their enemy's intention, -tried to prevent it by keeping up an incessant fire, but the Indians, -rendered prudent by experience, placed themselves so as to escape the -bullets, which hit nobody. The entrance of the passage was soon almost -blocked up with inflammable matter of every description. Valentine -seized a lighted torch, but before setting fire to the pile he made a -sign to command silence, and addressed the besieged: - -"Red Cedar," he shouted, "we are going to smoke you out, will you -surrender"? - -"Go to the devil, accursed Frenchman," the squatter replied. - -And three shots served as peroration to this energetic answer. - -"Attention now! For when these demons feel themselves broiling, they -will make a desperate effort," Valentine said. - -He threw the torch into the pile, the fire at once began crackling, and -a dense cloud of smoke and flame formed a curtain before the passage. In -the meanwhile, all held in readiness to repulse the sortie of the -besieged, for the Indians knew that the collision would be rude. They -had not to wait long, ere they saw three devils burst through the flames -and rushed headlong upon them. - -A frightful medley took place in the narrow corridor, which lasted some -minutes. Don Pablo, on perceiving Red Cedar, rushed upon him, and in -spite of the bandit's resistance, seized Ellen, and bore her away in his -arms. The squatter roared like a tiger, felling all who came within his -reach. For their part, Sutter and Fray Ambrosio, fought with the courage -and resolution of men who knew that they were about to die. - -But this desperate struggle of three against several hundred could not -last long; in spite of all their efforts they were at length lassoed, -and securely bound. - -"Kill me, villains," Red Cedar howled in despair. - -Bloodson walked up to him, and touched his shoulder. - -"You will be tried by Lynch Law, Red Cedar," he said to him. - -At the sight of the ranger the squatter made a terrible effort to burst -his bonds, and rush upon him; but he did not succeed, and fell back on -the ground, which he bit at wildly, and foaming with rage. When the -fight was over, Valentine hurried from the cavern to breathe a little -fresh air. Sunbeam was waiting for him. "Koutonepi," she said to him, -"Seraphin, the Father of Prayer, has sent me to you--your mother is -dying." - -"My mother!" the hunter exclaimed in despair. "Oh, God! What shall I do -to reach her?" - -"Curumilla is warned," she answered; "he is waiting for you at the foot -of the mountains, with two horses." - -The hunter rushed down the path like a madman. - - - - -CHAPTER XL. - -LYNCH LAW. - - -Before going further, we will explain in a few words what Lynch Law is -to which we have several times referred in the course of this narrative, -and which plays so great a part, not only in the prairies of North -America, but also in certain districts of the United States. - -Although we Europeans are rightly surprised that such a monstrosity as -Lynch Law can exist in a general society, to be just to the Americans, -and although we are bound to disapprove their present system derived -from the original, this law was the result of imperious circumstances. -When the Pilgrim Fathers landed at Plymouth, Lynch Law was the -chastisement imposed by a community deprived of all law, who could only -have recourse to their own justice to punish crime. - -Now-a-days, in the great centres of the Union, this law, on the -contrary, is only the illegal exercise of power by a majority acting in -opposition to the laws of the country, as well as the punishments, where -the population is sparse, and which, according to the Constitution, must -have a certain number of inhabitants to be recognised as districts; up -to that recognition, those who have come to seek an existence at these -settlements among bandits of every description, against whose attacks -they cannot appeal to any legal protection, are obliged to protect -themselves, and have recourse to Lynch Law. In the prairies of the Far -West, this law is exactly the same as the ancient _lex_ _talionis_ of -the Hebrews. - -We will not go deeper into the subject of this law, which is so obscure -in its origin, that its very name is an unsolved riddle, although some -persons assert wrongly, as we think, that Lynch was a governor who first -applied this law. The only difficulty there is against the truth of this -derivation is that Lynch Law existed, as we have said, in America, from -the first day that Europeans landed there. Without attempting to -guarantee the authenticity of our assertion, it is evident that Lynch -Law did not really begin to be applied in the civilised provinces of the -Union till the last years of the eighteenth century; at that period it -was much more summary, for a lamp was taken down, and the victim hoisted -in its place; hence we believe that the word Lynch is only a corruption -of derivation of light. We will now return to our narrative. - -Four days after the events we describe in our last chapter, Unicorn's -camp afforded a strange sight; not only did it contain Indian warriors -belonging to all the allied nations of the Comanches, but also many -hunters, trappers, and half-breeds had hurried in from all parts of the -prairies to try the prisoners, and punish them by Lynch Law as -understood in the Far West. - -Father Seraphin, who was at this moment in camp, busied in offering help -and consolation to Madame Guillois, whose illness had reached its last -and fatal stage, tried to oppose the trial of the prisoners with all his -power. In vain did he present to the Indians and white men that there -were upright judges in the United states, who would apply the laws and -punish the criminals; his efforts had obtained no result, and he had -been obliged to withdraw, heart-broken. - -Not being able to save the prisoners, he wished to prepare them for -death; but here again the missionary failed: he had found scoundrels -with hearts bronzed by crime, who would not listen, but derided him. -Singularly enough, since these men had fallen into the hands of their -enemies, they had not exchanged a word, crouched in a corner of the hut -that served as a prison, sullen as wild beasts, they avoided each other -as much as the bonds that attached them permitted them to do. - -Ellen alone appeared among them like the angel of consolation, lavishing -soft words on them, and trying before all to soothe her father's last -hours. Red Cedar only lived in and through his daughter--each smile of -the poor girl which hid her tears, brought a smile on his face branded -and ravaged by passion: if he could have reformed, his paternal love -would surely have affected this prodigy; but it was too late, all was -dead in this heart, which now only contained one feeling, a paternal -affection like that of tigers and panthers. - -"Is it for today, my child?" he asked. - -"I do not know, father," she timidly replied. - -"I understand you, poor darling, you are afraid of grieving me by -letting me know the truth; but undeceive yourself, when a man like me -has fallen so low as I have done, the only blessing he craves is death, -and, stay, I have my answer then," he added with a grin; "Judge Lynch is -about to begin his duty." - -A great noise was audible at this moment in the camp; three stakes had -been put up in the morning, and round them the population were -tumultuously electing the judges ordered to avenge public justice. - -The judges were seven in number: Valentine, Curumilla, Unicorn, Black -Cat, Spider, and two other Comanche chiefs. Care had been taken not to -elect any who had accusations to bring against the prisoners. - -At midday precisely, a silence of lead fell on the assembly, a band of -warriors and trappers had gone to the prison to fetch the prisoners and -lead them before the judges. - -Although Father Seraphin's attempts to arouse better feelings in the -heart of the bandits had failed, he determined to accompany and exhort -them to the last moment; he walked on the right of Red Cedar, and Ellen -on his left. - -When the prisoners were brought before the tribunal, Valentine, who had -been nominated president against his will, summoned the accusers, who at -once appeared. They were five in number: Don Miguel, Don Pablo Zarate, -Andres Garote, White Gazelle, and Bloodson. Valentine took the word in a -loud and firm voice. - -"Red Cedar," he said, "you are about to be tried by Lynch Law: you will -hear the crimes of which you are accused, and have entire liberty to -defend yourself." - -The squatter shrugged his shoulders. - -"Your Lynch Law is foolish," he said disdainfully; "it can only kill, -and the victim has not even time to feel the pain: instead of taking -that absurd vengeance, fasten me to the stake of torture for a day, and -then you will have some fun, for you shall see how a warrior can look -death in the face, and endure pain." - -"You are mistaken as to our intentions: we are not avenging ourselves, -but punishing you; the stake is reserved for brave and honourable -warriors, but criminals are only worthy of the gallows." - -"As you please," he replied carelessly; "what I said was through a wish -to afford you pleasure." - -"Who are the persons who have charges against Red Cedar?" Valentine went -on. - -"I, Don Miguel de Zarate." - -"I, Don Pablo de Zarate." - -"I, who am called Bloodson, but who will reveal my real name if Red -Cedar desires it." - -"It is unnecessary," he said in a hollow voice. - -"I, White Gazelle." - -"Bring your charges forward." - -"I accuse this man of having carried off my daughter, whom he basely -assassinated," Don Miguel said; "I also accuse him of having caused the -death of my friend, General Ibanez." - -"What reply have you to this?" - -"None." - -"What does the people say?" - -"We attest," the audience replied in one voice. - -"I accuse this man of the same crimes," Don Pablo said. - -"I accuse this man of having burnt the house of my father and mother, -assassinated my parents, and handed me over to bandits to be brought up -in crime," White Gazelle said. - -"I," Bloodson added, "accuse him of the same crimes: this girl's father -was my brother." - -There was a start of horror on the audience. Valentine consulted with -the judges in a low voice, then said-- - -"Red Cedar, you are unanimously found guilty and condemned to be -scalped, and then hung." - -Sutter was condemned to be hanged only; the judges had regard for his -youth, and the evil examples he had constantly before him. The monk's -turn had now arrived. - -"One moment," Bloodson said, as he stepped forward; "this man is a -wretched adventurer, who has no right to wear the gown he has so long -dishonoured. I ask that it be stripped off him, before he is tried." - -"Why waste time in accusing me, and making this mockery of justice?" -Fray Ambrosio ironically replied. "All you who try us are as criminal as -we are. You are assassins; for you usurp, without any right, functions -that do not belong to you. This time you act justly, by chance: a -thousand other times, awed by the populace that surrounds you, you -condemn innocent men. If you wish to know my crimes, I will tell you -them. That man is right. I am no monk--never was one. I began by -debauchery; I finished in crime. As an accomplice of Red Cedar, I fired -farms, whose inhabitants I burned or assassinated, in order to plunder -them afterwards. I have been, still with Red Cedar, a scalp hunter. I -helped to carry off that girl. What more? I killed that gambusino's -brother in order to obtain the secret of a placer. Do you want any more? -Imagine the most atrocious and hideous crimes, and I have committed them -all. Now pronounce and carry out your sentence, for you will not succeed -in making me utter another word. I despise you. You are cowards." - -After uttering these odious words with revolting cynicism, the wretch -looked impudently round the audience. - -"You are sentenced," Valentine said, after a consultation, "to be -scalped, hung up by the arms, seasoned with honey, and remain hanging -till the flies and birds have devoured you." - -On hearing this terrible sentence, the bandit could not repress a start -of terror, while the people frenziedly applauded this severe sentence. - -"Now the sentence will be carried out," Valentine said. - -"One moment," Unicorn exclaimed, as he sprang up, and stood before the -judges; "as regards Red Cedar, the law has not been followed: does it -not say, 'eye for eye, and tooth for tooth?'" - -"Yes, yes!" the Indians and trappers shouted. Struck by an ominous -presentiment, Red Cedar trembled. - -"Yes," Bloodson said, in a hollow voice, "Red Cedar killed Dona Clara, -Don Miguel's daughter--his daughter Ellen must die." - -The judges themselves recoiled in horror, and Red Cedar uttered a -terrible howl. Ellen alone did not tremble. - -"I am ready to die," she said, in a gentle and resigned voice. "Poor -girl! Heaven knows how gladly I would have given my life to save hers." - -"My daughter!" Red Cedar exclaimed, in despair. - -"Don Miguel felt the same when you were assassinating his daughter," -Bloodson retorted, cruelly. "Eye for eye, tooth for tooth." - -"Oh! What you are doing there, my brothers, is horrible," Father -Seraphin exclaimed. "You are shedding innocent blood, and it will fall -on your heads. God will punish you. For pity's sake, brothers, do not -kill that innocent maiden!" - -At a signal from Unicorn, four warriors seized the missionary, and, -despite his efforts, while treating him most kindly, carried him to the -chiefs lodge, where they guarded him. Valentine and Curumilla tried in -vain to oppose this barbarous and blood-thirsty deed, but the Indians -and trappers, worked on by Bloodson, loudly claimed the execution of -the law, and threatened to take justice into their own hands. - -In vain did Don Miguel and his son implore Unicorn and Bloodson; they -could obtain nothing. At length, Unicorn, wearied by the young man's -prayers, seized Ellen by the hair, plunged his knife into her heart, and -threw her into his arms, shouting: - -"Her father killed your sister, and you pray for her. You are a coward." - -Valentine, at this unjustifiable deed, hid his face in his hands, and -fled. Red Cedar writhed in the bonds that held him. On seeing Ellen -fall, a revolution took place in him. Henceforth he only uttered one -word, in a heart-rending voice: - -"My daughter! My daughter!" - -Bloodson and White Gazelle were implacable, and sternly watched the -execution of the sentence passed upon the prisoners. Red Cedar and his -son did not suffer long, although the former was scalped; the madness -that had seized on him rendered him insensible to everything. - -The man who suffered the most fearful punishment was Fray Ambrosio; the -wretch writhed for two-and-twenty hours in unimaginable suffering, ere -death put an end to his fearful tortures. - -So soon as the culprits had been executed, Bloodson and White Gazelle -mounted their horses and galloped away. - -They have never been heard of since, and no one knows what has become of -them. - - * * * * * - -It was the eighth day after the fearful application of Lynch Law we -have just described, a little before sunset. - -All traces of the execution had disappeared. Unicorn's camp was still -established at the same spot, for he insisted on his men remaining -there, on account of Madame Guillois's illness rendering the most -absolute rest necessary for her. The poor old lady felt herself dying by -degrees; day by day she grew weaker, and, gifted with that lucidity -which Heaven at times grants to the dying, she saw death approach with a -smile, while striving to console her son for her loss. - -But Valentine, who after so many years only saw his mother again to -separate from her for ever, was inconsolable. Deprived of Don Miguel and -Don Pablo, who had returned to the Paso del Norte, bearing with them the -body of the hapless Trapper's Daughter, the Trail-hunter wept on the -bosom of Curumilla, who, to console him, could only weep with him, and -say-- - -"The Great Spirit recalls my brother's mother; it is because that he -loves her." - -A very long sentence for the worthy chief, and which proved the -intensity of his grief. - -On the day when we resume our narrative, Madame Guillois was reclining -in a hammock in front of her hut, with her face turned to the setting -sun. Valentine was standing on her right, Father Seraphin on her left, -and Curumilla by his friend's side. - -The patient's face had a radiant expression, her eyes sparkled vividly, -and a light pink flush gilded her cheeks; she seemed supremely happy. -The warriors, sharing in the grief of their adopted brother, were -crouching silently near the hut. - -It was a magnificent evening; the breeze that was beginning to rise -gently agitated the leaves; the sun was setting in a flood of vapour, -iridescent with a thousand changing tints. - -The sick woman uttered at times broken words, which her son religiously -repeated. - -At the moment when the sun disappeared behind the snowy peaks of the -mountains, the dying woman rose, as if impelled by an irresistible -force, she took a calm and limpid glance around, laid her hands on the -hunter's head, and uttered one word, with an accent full of strange -melody-- - -"Farewell!" - -Then she fell back--she was dead. - -Instinctively all present knelt. Valentine bent over his mother's body, -whose face retained that halo of heavenly beauty which is the last -adornment of death; he closed her eyes, kissed her several times, and -pressing her right hand which hung out of the hammock in his, he prayed -fervently. - -The whole night was spent in this way, and no one left the spot. At -daybreak Father Seraphin, aided by Curumilla, who acted as sacristan, -read the service for the dead. The body was then buried, all the Indian -warriors being present at the ceremony. - -When all had retired, Valentine knelt down by the grave, and though the -missionary and the chief urged on him to leave it he insisted on -spending this night also in watching over his dead mother. At daybreak -his two friends returned; they found him still kneeling and praying; he -was pale, and his features were worn; his hair, so black on the eve, had -white hairs now mingling with it. - -Father Seraphin tried to restore his courage, but the hunter shook his -head sadly at all the priest's pious exhortations. - -"What good is it?" he said. - -"Oh!" the missionary at length said to him, "Valentine, you, who are so -strong, are now weak as a child; grief lays you low without your -striking a blow in self-defence. You forget, though, that you do not -belong to yourself." - -"Alas!" he exclaimed, "What is left me now?" - -"God!" the priest said sternly, as he pointed to the sky. - -"And the desert!" Curumilla exclaimed, extending his arm toward the -rising sun. - -A flame flashed from the hunter's black eye; he shook his head several -times, bent a glance full of tenderness on the tomb, and said, in a -broken voice-- - -"Mother, we shall meet again." - -Then he turned to the Indian chief. - -"Let us go," he said, resolutely. - -Valentine was about to commence a new existence. His further adventures -will be described in a new series of stories, each complete in itself, -commencing with the "The Tiger Slayer," and the characters running -through the "Gold Seekers," the "Indian Chief," and the "Red Track." - -THE END. - - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's The Trapper's Daughter, by Gustave Aimard - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE TRAPPER'S DAUGHTER *** - -***** This file should be named 42119.txt or 42119.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/4/2/1/1/42119/ - -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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