AN EXPLANATION.
Like all men the greater portion of whose life is spent in the desert,
the Jaguar was gifted with excessive prudence joined to extreme
circumspection.
Though still very young, his life had been composed of such strange
incidents, he had been an actor in such extraordinary scenes, that from
an early age he had grown accustomed to shut up his emotions in his
heart, and preserve on his countenance, whatever he might see or
experience, that marble-like stoicism which characterizes the Indians,
and which the latter have converted into such a tremendous weapon
against their enemies.
On hearing Tranquil's voice all at once so close to him, the young man
gave a start, frowned, and asked himself mentally how it was that the
hunter came to find him thus in his camp, and what reason was powerful
enough to impel him to do so; the more so, because his intimacy with the
Canadian, ever subject to intermittences, was at this moment on terms
far from amicable, if not completely hostile.
Still the young man, in whom the feeling of honour spoke loudly, and
whom the steps taken by Tranquil flattered more than he cared to let
anyone see, concealed the apprehensions that agitated him, and walked
quickly, and with a smile on his lips, to meet the hunter.
The latter was not alone; Loyal Heart accompanied him.
The Canadian's manner was reserved, and his face was covered by a cloud
of sorrow.
"You are welcome to my camp, hunter," the Jaguar said kindly, as he
offered his hand.
"Thank you," the Canadian answered laconically, not touching the
proffered hand.
"I am glad to see you," the young man went on, without any display of
annoyance; "what accident has brought you in this direction?"
"My comrade and I have been hunting for a long time; fatigue is crushing
us, and the smoke of your camp attracted us."
The Jaguar pretended to accept as gospel this clumsy evasion of a man
who justly prided himself as being the healthiest and strongest
wood-ranger of the desert.
"Come, then, and take a seat at my camp fire, and be good enough to
regard everything here as belonging to you, and act in accordance with
it."
The Canadian bowed, but made no answer, and with Loyal Heart followed
the hunter who preceded them, and guided them through the mazes of the
camp.
On reaching the fire, upon which the young man threw a few handfuls of
dry wood, the hunters sat down on buffalo skulls placed there as seats,
and then, without breaking the silence, filled their pipes and began
smoking.
The Jaguar imitated them.
Those white men who traverse the prairie, and whose life is spent in
hunting or trapping on these vast solitudes, have unconsciously assumed
most of the habits and customs of the Redskins, with whom the exigencies
of their position bring them constantly into contact.
A thing worthy of remark, is the tendency of civilized men to return to
savage life, and the facility with which hunters, born for the most
part in the great centres of population, forget their habits of comfort,
surrender the customs of towns, and renounce the usages by which they
were governed during the earlier part of their life, in order to adopt
the manners, and even the habits, of the Redskins.
Many of these hunters carry this so far, that the greatest compliment
which can be paid them is to pretend to take them for Indian warriors.
We must confess that, per contra, the Redskins are not at all jealous of
our civilization, in which they take but slight interest, and that those
whom accident or commercial reasons carry to cities, and by such we mean
cities like New York, or New Orleans;--these Indians, we say, far from
being astounded at what they see, look around them with glances of pity,
not understanding how men can voluntarily consent to shut themselves up
in the smoky cages called houses, and expend their life in ungrateful
toil, instead of living in the open air among the vast solitudes,
hunting the buffalo, bear, and jaguar, under the immediate eye of
Heaven.
Are the savages completely wrong in thinking so? Is their reasoning
false? We do not believe it.
Desert life possesses, for the man whose heart is still open enough to
comprehend its moving incidents, intoxicating delights which can only be
experienced there, and which the mathematically ruled customs of towns
cannot at all cause to be forgotten, if they have once been tasted.
According to the principles of Indian etiquette on matters of
politeness, no question must be addressed to strangers who sit down at
the camp-fire, until they are pleased to begin the conversation.
In an Indian's wigwam a guest is regarded as sent by the Great Spirit;
he is sacred to the man he visits as long as he thinks proper to remain
with him, even if he be his mortal enemy.
The Jaguar, thoroughly conversant with Redskin customs, remained
silently by the side of his guests, smoking and thinking, and waiting
patiently till they decided on speaking.
At length, after a considerable lapse of time, Tranquil shook the ashes
from his pipe on his thumbnail, and turned to the young man.
"You did not expect me, I fancy?" he said.
"I did not," the other answered; "still be assured that the visit,
though unexpected, is not less agreeable to me."
The hunter curled his lip in a singular fashion.
"Who knows?" he muttered, answering his own thoughts rather than the
Jaguar's remark; "perhaps yes, perhaps no; man's heart is a mysterious
and undecipherable book, in which only madmen fancy they can read."
"It is not so with me, hunter, as you know from experience."
The Canadian shook his head.
"You are still young; the heart to which you refer is still unknown to
yourself; in the short period your existence has passed through, the
wind of passion has not yet blown over you and bowed you down before its
powerful impetus: wait, in order to reply with certainty, until you have
loved and suffered; when you have bravely sustained the shock, and
resisted the hurricane of youth, it will be time for you to speak."
These words were uttered with a stern accent, but there was no
bitterness about them.
"You are harsh to me, to-day, Tranquil," the young: man answered
sorrowfully; "how have I sunk in your esteem? What reprehensible act
have I done?"
"None--at any rate, it pleases me to believe so; but I fear that soon--"
He stopped and shook his head mournfully.
"Finish the sentence," the young man quickly exclaimed.
"For what end?" he answered; "Who am I that I should impose on you a
line of conduct which you would probably despise, and advice which would
prove unwelcome? It is better to be silent."
"Tranquil!" the young man said, with an emotion he could not master,
"For a long time we have known each other, you are aware of the esteem
and respect I hold you in, so speak; whatever you have to say, however
rude your reproaches may be, I will listen to you, I swear it."
"Nonsense; forget what I said to you; I was wrong to think of meddling
in your affairs; on the prairie, a man should only think about himself,
so let us say no more."
The Jaguar gave him a long and profound glance. "Be it so," he answered;
"we will say no more about it."
He rose and walked a few yards in agitation, then he brusquely returned
to the hunter.
"Pardon me," he said, "for not having thought of offering you
refreshment, but breakfast time has now arrived. I trust that your
comrade and yourself will do me the honour of sharing my frugal meal."
While speaking thus, the Jaguar bent on the Canadian a most meaning
glance.
Tranquil hesitated for a second.
"This morning at sunrise," he then said, "my friend and myself ate, just
before entering your camp."
"I was sure of it," the young man burst out. "Oh, oh! Now my doubts are
cleared up; you refuse water and salt at my fire, hunter."
"I? But you forget that--"
"Oh!" he interrupted, passionately, "No denial, Tranquil; do not seek
for pretexts unworthy of yourself and me; you are too honest and sincere
a man not to be frank, cuerpo de Cristo! Likewise, you know the law of
the prairies; a man will not break his fast with an enemy. Now, if you
still have in your heart a single spark of that kindly feeling you
entertained toward me at another period, explain yourself clearly, and
without any beating round the bush--I insist on it."
The Canadian seemed to reflect for a few moments, and then suddenly
exclaimed, with great resolution--
"Indeed, you are right, Jaguar; it is better to have an explanation like
honest hunters, than try to deceive each other like Redskins; and
besides, no man is infallible. I may be mistaken as well as another, and
Heaven is my witness that I should like it to be so."
"I am listening to you, and on my honour, if the reproaches you make are
well founded, I will recognize it."
"Good!" the hunter said, in a more friendly tone than he had hitherto
employed; "you speak like a man; but, perhaps," he added, pointing to
Loyal Heart, who discreetly made a move to withdraw, "you would prefer
our interview being private?"
"On the contrary," the Jaguar answered, eagerly, "this hunter is your
friend; I hope he will soon be mine, and I do not wish to have any
secrets from him."
"I desire ardently for my part," Loyal Heart said, with a bow, "that the
slight cloud which has arisen between you and Tranquil may be dispersed
like the vapour driven away by the morning breeze, in order that I may
become better acquainted with you; as you wish it, I will listen to your
conversation."
"Thanks, Caballero. Now speak, Tranquil, I am ready to listen to the
charges you fancy you have to bring against me."
"Unluckily," said Tranquil, "the strange life yon have led since your
arrival in these parts gives occasion for the most unfavourable
surmises; you have formed a band of adventurers and border-ruffians,
outlawed by society, and living completely beyond the ordinary path of
civilized peoples."
"Are we prairie-hunters and wood-rangers obliged to obey all the paltry
exigencies of cities?"
"Yes, up to a certain point; that is to say, we are not allowed to place
ourselves in open revolt against the institutions of men who, though we
have separated from them, are no less our brothers, and to whom we
continue to belong by our colour, religion, origin, and the family ties
which attach us to them, and which we have been unable to break.
"Be it so, I admit to a certain extent the justice of your reasoning;
but even supposing that the men I command are really bandits,
border-ruffians as you call them, do you know from what motives they
act? Can you bring any accusation against them?"
"Patience, I have not finished yet."
"Go on, then."
"Next, in addition to this band of which you are the ostensible Chief,
you have contracted alliances with the Redskins, the Apaches among
others, the most impudent plunderers on the prairie; is that so?"
"Yes, and no, my friend; in the sense that the alliance which you charge
me with never existed until the present hour; but this morning it was
probably concluded by two of my friends with Blue-fox, one of the most
renowned Apache Chiefs."
"Hum! that is an unlucky coincidence."
"Why so?"
"Are you aware what your new allies did last night?"
"How should I? Since I do not know where they are, and have not even
received the official report of the treaty being made."
"Well, I will tell you; they attacked the Venta del Potrero, and burned
it to the ground."
The Jaguar's savage eye emitted a flash of fury; he bounded to his feet,
and convulsively seized his rifle.
"By Heaven!" he shouted, loudly, "Have they done that?"
"They did; and it is supposed at your instigation."
The Jaguar shrugged his shoulders disdainfully.
"For what object?" he said. "But Doña Carmela, what has become of her?"
"She is saved, thank Heaven!"
The young man heaved a sigh of relief.
"And you believed in such infamy on my part?" he asked, reproachfully.
"I do not believe it now," the hunter replied.
"Thanks, thanks! but by Heaven! The demons shall pay dearly, I swear,
for the crime they have committed; now go on."
"Unluckily, if you have exculpated yourself from my first accusation, I
doubt whether you will be able to do so with the second."
"You can tell me it, at any rate."
"A conducta de plata, commanded by Captain Melendez, is on the road for
Mexico."
The young man gave a slight start.
"I know it," he said, shortly.
The hunter gave him an inquiring glance.
"They say--" he went on, with considerable hesitation.
"They say," the Jaguar interrupted him, "that I am following the
conducta, and when the propitious moment arrives, I mean to attack it at
the head of my bandits, and carry off the money; that is the story?"
"Yes."
"They are right," the young man answered, coldly; "that is really my
intention; what next?"
Tranquil started in surprise and indignation at this cynical answer.
"Oh!" he exclaimed, in great grief, "What is said of you is true, then?
You are really a bandit?"
The young man smiled bitterly.
"Perhaps I am," he said, in a hollow voice; "Tranquil, your age is
double mine; your experience is great; why do you judge rashly on
appearances?"
"What! Appearances! Have you not confessed it yourself?"
"Yes, I have."
"Then you meditate a robbery?"
"A robbery!" he exclaimed, blushing with indignation, but at once
recovering himself, he added, "It is true, you are bound to suppose
that."
"What other name can be given to so infamous a deed?" the hunter
exclaimed, violently.
The Jaguar raised his head quickly, as if he intended to answer, but his
lips remained dumb.
Tranquil looked at him for a moment with mingled pity and tenderness,
and then turned to Loyal Heart.
"Come, my friend," he said, "we have remained here only too long."
"Stay!" the young man exclaimed, "Do not condemn me thus; I repeat to
you that you are ignorant of the motives through which I act."
"Whatever these motives may be, they cannot be honourable; I see no
other than pillage and murder."
"Oh!" the young man exclaimed, as he buried his face sorrowfully in his
hands.
"Let us go," Tranquil repeated.
Loyal Heart had watched this strange scene attentively and coldly.
"A moment," he said; then, slipping forward, he laid his hand on the
Jaguar's shoulder.
The latter raised his head.
"What do you want of me?" he asked.
"Listen to me, Caballero," Loyal Heart answered in a deep voice; "I know
not why, but a secret foreboding tells me that your conduct is not so
infamous as everything leads us to suppose, and that some day you will
be permitted to explain it, and exculpate yourself in the sight of all."
"Oh! were it but possible for me to speak!"
"How long do you believe that you will be compelled to remain silent?"
"How do I know? That depends on circumstances independent of my will."
"Then, you cannot fix a period?"
"It is impossible; I have taken an oath, and am bound to keep it."
"Good: then promise me only one thing."
"What is it?"
"To make no attempt on the life of Captain Melendez."
The Jaguar hesitated.
"Well?" Loyal Heart went on.
"I will do everything to save it."
"Thanks!" then, turning to Tranquil, who stood motionless by his side,
he said--
"Take your place again, brother, and breakfast with this caballero, I
answer for him body for body; if in two months from this day he does not
give you a satisfactory explanation of his conduct, I, who am bound by
no oath, will reveal to you this mystery, which appears, and really is,
inexplicable for you."
The Jaguar started, and gave Loyal Heart a searching glance, which
produced no effect, however, on the hunter's indifferently placid face.
The Canadian hesitated for a few moments, but at length took his place
again by the fire, muttering--.
"In two months, be it so;" and he added in an aside, "but till then I
will watch him."