HOSPITALITY.
Gueyma's and the Cougar's horses walked side by side, the riders
modulating the pace, and stealthily looking around them.
Behind them pressed a crowd of Indians. Arnal and Dove's Eye, standing
up near the principal watch fire, motionless, and hand in each other's
band, directed their eyes towards the advancing troop. Dove's Eye was
pale and trembling, but cool and calm in appearance.
Arnal smiled pleasingly at Gueyma, whose look, at times, was fixed upon
him with unspeakable tenderness.
The Cougar alone seemed anxious.
When the two chiefs had come at about three or four paces from the
bright burning fire, they alighted, and throwing the bridles on the
necks of their horses, they bowed courteously to the young warrior, the
latter immediately returning their salute.
"I am happy to see you, chief," said he, in a gentle voice. "Having set
out several suns ago to meet you, I thank the Great Spirit, who has
thus suddenly brought me to you."
Gueyma again bowed, affecting not to see Dove's Eye.
"I thank you, brother," answered he, addressing Arnal; "no camp could
suit me better than yours."
"Will you take your place before this fire, brother?" resumed Arnal;
"The air is cold in these mountains; warm yourself, while Dove's Eye
prepares the repast."
Gueyma sat silently before the fire, without appearing to have noticed
that the name of Dove's Eye had been mentioned.
These forms of politeness, strictly demanded by Indian etiquette,
having been satisfied, the ice between the chiefs was broken, and the
conversation became friendly and intimate.
Separated for a long time, as they had been, they had many things to
say.
Meanwhile Dove's Eye had not lost time; the repast was soon ready to be
served.
Among the Indians, the women are exclusively charged with all the cares
of the household, and all the hard and often repugnant labour which
in other countries fall to the lot of men. The warriors consider them
rather as slaves, made to obey their least caprice, than as companions.
Dove's Eye, after having served the warriors with the dishes she had
prepared, and having offered them a cimarron maté, seated herself
discreetly, a little in arrear of the group, near Arnal.
It was then only that Gueyma appeared to observe her presence. He
fixed his eagle eye on the young girl, and, holding out his hand in a
friendly way:
"Eaah!" said he, with a smile, "Dove's Eye has consented to leave the
valleys of her tribe to follow Arnal?"
At these kind words, the young girl became red as a cherry, and
answered in a slightly trembling voice:
"Arnal is the brother of Dove's Eye; he has served her for father;
wherever Arnal goes, Dove's Eye ought to follow him: it is her duty."
"Good, I thank Dove's Eye," said the chief.
"The place of a woman is where there are friends to love and serve."
"Dove's Eye remembers that she was, when an infant, received by the
Guaycurus," said the Cougar.
"She remembers also," answered the young girl, with animation in her
voice, "that she has been brought up by Arnal, the brother of Gueyma."
We must here make a short digression.
Tarou Niom, the principal captain of the Guaycurus, after a rather
long absence, had one day arrived at the village of the warriors of
his tribe, accompanied by Arnal and the Cougar. Arnal, although he
was a man, and although he wore the costume and the arms of a warrior,
carried, strange to say, an infant in his arms. This infant was his
brother Gueyma, or, at least, this was what Tarou Niom said to those
who made inquiries.
Things went on as usual for some years, when one day, on a return from
an excursion which had been prolonged more than usual, the Cougar
returned to the village, leading with him, or rather carrying in his
arms, a charming little girl, two or three years old, whom he said he
had found abandoned and dying from hunger, in a village which had been
set on fire.
The little girl, so miraculously saved by the Cougar, had been adopted
by Arnal, who had given her, on account of the mildness of her look,
the characteristic name of Dove's Eye.
The two children had thus lived together, growing up in each other's
company, so that their friendship had changed into love.
Arnal and the Cougar equally shared their tenderness between the two
children.
But after a time, the friendship of the two children, which formerly
he encouraged all in his power, seemed to irritate Arnal; his eyebrows
knitted, he scolded Dove's Eye, and blamed her brother under the most
frivolous pretexts; but, with an effort over himself, his countenance
soon became serene, the smile returned to his lips, and he caressed
the two children, pressed them in his arms with a feverish energy,
and begged them always to love each other. Gueyma had become, thanks
to his courage, one of the most famed warriors of the tribe; and,
notwithstanding his youth, Tarou Niom, who loved him so much, had
caused him to be chosen its chief.
The separation which ensued between Gueyma and Dove's Eye had been
painful. It was then that, for the first time, the young people
understood the power of the ties which bound them to each other; but
they had to part.
The Cougar had great influence over the mind of the young chief, who
professed for him a profound respect. Gueyma obeyed, despite his
feelings, and left behind him his first love.
The joy of Gueyma was great in at last seeing Dove's Eye again, whom he
did not expect to see so soon; but the first moment of wild joy having
passed, remembering the recommendations of the old chief, he repressed,
though with great difficulty, his delight, and succeeded in wearing a
complete mask of indifference on his noble and beautiful countenance.
The young girl, wounded by this coolness, felt her pride revolt. As
she concealed from him the feelings which agitated her, and studied
the counsels of Arnal more, perhaps, than he expected, she sustained
the conversation commenced between her and Gueyma with that power
of coquetry which, while it is the despair of men, renders women so
powerful, and she soon so piqued the young man with her incessant
shafts, that he was constrained to confess himself vanquished.
On a sign from Arnal, Dove's Eye went to an _enramada_, or cabin of
boughs, constructed for her, where she remained free to give herself up
to her thoughts. The two warriors remained alone by the fire.
After having assured themselves that no one was watching them, and
that all the Indians, enveloped in their blankets, were sleeping round
the fires, the Cougar and Arnal began to converse in a low voice in the
Spanish language.
Their conversation was long; the stars began to pale when they at last
sought repose, which they did not do, however, without having visited
the sentinels to see if they were watching over the common safety.
At sunrise the camp was raised, and the Guaycurus resumed their march.
Arnal, with joy, found that the direction followed by the young chief
was that of the plains of Tucumán. Each step thus brought the Guaycurus
nearer their hunting grounds.
The warriors appeared also to know that they were retracing their
steps, and that they were at last leaving that Spanish territory,
in which, during their struggle, they had so much suffered.
Notwithstanding the impassibility which the Indians believe it a
duty never to abandon, their features, unknown to themselves, had an
expression of ill-concealed joy.
However, the Indians were too prudent to forget that they were in an
enemy's country, and to neglect the precautions necessary to avoid a
surprise.
Gueyma proceeded at the head of his warriors, in company with the
Cougar, with whom he conversed, while Arnal and Dove's Eye remained in
the rearguard.
On the evening or the second day, at the moment when Gueyma and the
Cougar prepared to give the order to camp for the night, a horseman,
galloping at full speed, turned an angle of the path followed by the
Indians, and came towards them, waving above his head, as a sign of
peace, a poncho that he held in his hand.
Soon another horseman appeared in the rear of his companion; then
another, and another--amounting to six.
The unknown travellers appeared to be in a pacific humour, their
carbines being slung over their shoulders.
With a gesture, Gueyma ordered his people to stop; then, after having
exchanged a few words in a low voice with the Cougar, he gave his arms
to the Agonti, who was standing aside, and advanced at a trot towards
the horseman.
When the two men met, they examined each other, and discovered at a
glance that both were Indians.
The two warriors bowed, each bending his head till it nearly touched
the neck of the horse; then, after a short pause, Gueyma, seeing that
the stranger wished that he should commence the conversation, said--
"My brother travels amidst the mountains in a bad season; the further
he proceeds, the worse will the roads be."
"I do not wish to penetrate further into the mountains," answered the
stranger; "I wish to get away."
"Then," said Gueyma, "my brother has lost his way."
"I know it," said the stranger, laconically.
"I do not understand my brother," said Gueyma.
"My companions and I have since the morning taken cognisance of the
troop of my brother that we precede on the same path. On perceiving
that my brothers made preparations for encamping, we held counsel, and
I have been charged to retrace my steps, in order to consult with the
chief of the cavaliers by whom we have been followed."
"_Epoï!_" (good!), resumed Gueyma, smiling; "The eye of my brother is
straightforward, his tongue is not double, his heart must be loyal.
I am the chief of the Guaycurus warriors, who are behind me. Let my
brother explain: the ears of Gueyma are open. My brother may speak
freely and without restraint."
As the two Indians perceived they were of different tribes, they had
begun the conversation in Spanish--a mixed language that both could
understand.
"Those who follow me," said the stranger, "are not sons of our
territory, they are palefaces whose hunting grounds are very far from
here, in the country where the sun hides himself, down there, behind
the great Salt Lake.
"I am their guide in these regions which they explore and which they
do not know. They come openly to ask aid and protection of my brother,
claiming the rights of Indian hospitality, till they consider all
danger past."
"Whoever may be the men who accompany my brother, to whatever tribe
they may belong--even if they should be the most implacable enemies
of my tribe--they have a right to my protection and my kindness.
The rights of hospitality are sacred. Let my brother tell his
companions that I do not wish to know anything about them; they are
travellers--that is all--follow on. Here is my _haak,_" said he,
drawing a knife from his girdle, and handing it to the stranger; "if I
betray my promise, my brother will bury it in my heart before all my
assembled people. My brother and his companions will sleep this evening
with the Guaycurus warriors."
The two warriors bowed, and then, reining back their horses, each
returned at a gallop towards his people.