Undisturbed, the travellers had made their way through the primeval
forests which girt the Andes, and guided by Harry and Topsie, had at
length reached the lonely hut, far up the mountain side, in which for so
many years Sir Harry Vane had dwelt, and where Topsie, and Harry, and
Aniwee in former wanderings had come upon him, living the life of a
hermit, dead to that world to which he had died more than half a century
before his young relatives had found him.
The hut still stood, yet in and around it the thick semi-tropical
vegetation of those parts had grown up, almost obscuring it from view,
and busy with the work of decay within. But all else Harry and Topsie
had found unchanged. The broad green slope on the borders of which the
hut stood, and which opened from the jungle around, was the same, and on
it herds of wild cattle and horses were pasturing as of yore, while
vicuña and deer made free with the rich grass which abounded thereon.
And much as the party required meat, Sir Francis had forbidden these
trusting animals to be attacked. It would have been a desecration in his
eyes to have brought carnage and slaughter into a scene so peaceful,
where the old hermit had taught the beasts of Nature to confide in,
rather than fear man, and whose lesson still held sway amongst them, as
was evidenced by their perfect trustfulness in the new-comers.
Only a short stay had been made in these parts, as Piñone was fidgeting
to regain his own country, averring that unless they fell in with
Tehuelche Indians in the Patagonian pampas, for which they were heading,
the journey to the land of the Araucanians would be long and wearying.
They had, therefore, journeyed on through those scenes of glory,
familiar now to the eyes of Harry and Topsie, as also to those of Piñone
and Aniwee, but strange to those of all the other members of the party,
and had come across herds of the milk-white cattle, golden deer, and
vicuña. Meat was therefore plentiful, and as the piñones and araucarias
no longer grew in abundance, it was much needed. But our travellers only
killed when necessary, not for the sake of sport, but for food.
“Our last day in these dear old mountains!” exclaimed Topsie sadly, as
she opened her eyes with the rising sun one glorious morning, and about
a month after the departure of the party from the mine of Or.
They were encamped not far from the shores of a lovely lake, whose
waters gleamed with all the splendid tints of the reappearing sun, and
upon whose surface thousands, I might truthfully say, myriads of wild
duck and wild fowl of various species plumed and washed themselves in
happy content, previous to winging their flight to far-away feeding
grounds.
There was the grebe, with its beautiful plumage, but sad and mournful
cry, the Barbary duck, with its rich coat of colours and handsome
figure, large milk-white swans, with black heads, flamingoes, gorgeous
and splendid, troops of geese raising discordant clamour, and the holy
ibis of biblical renown. Every species and kind of duck seemed to
inhabit that lake, a veritable birds’ paradise.
“I wish I’d been there!” I hear some of my young readers exclaim,
“No doubt,” I answer; but hear the reason of one who has travelled, and
hunted, and shot as much as most men in different parts of the world,
why it was that Harry, and Topsie and their cousins let their guns lie
idle. There comes a time often to the most hardened sportsman, when to
slay is distasteful, to destroy, more pain than pleasure; when to look
upon the glories and joys of animal life, is worth all the heavy bags of
game which this world could purvey. For be it remembered—and this the
writer has often thought, as she surveyed her dead spoil—not all the
power of man can restore to his silent, motionless victim the life which
he so lightly took away. This was the reason, my young friends, why the
broad lagoon was left in peace, and the happy life that reigned upon it
allowed to remain undisturbed by Harry, Topsie, Freddy, Willie, and
Mary.
“Eh! what’s that?” inquired Freddy, raising himself sleepily on his
elbow; “did you speak, Topsie?”
“Yes, lazy, I did,” she replied, laughing. “I was bemoaning the fact
that this is our last day in these splendid mountains. To-day we shall
make the pampas.”
“And some friends and horses, I hope,” grumbled Harry, who was awake
too. “I tell you what, Topsie, my feet are as tender as can be, and I
shall not be sorry to be astride a dear old gee again; what say you
all?”
Every one agreed. The travelling had been pretty stiff, and had told
somewhat severely on the Indians, who in a manner are born on a horse.
Their potro boots had been quite worn through, and they had been obliged
to wrap their feet up in the hide of the animals shot for food, which
did not answer very well, and gave considerable trouble. As may be
imagined, therefore, they looked forward with no little anxiety to their
arrival in the pampas, where they hoped to fall in with some of Aniwee’s
tribe, the Patagonian or Tehuelche Indians.
The morning plunge over, every one reassembled for breakfast round the
fire which Graviel had kindled, and upon which he was cooking some
venison. The maté bowl went round, a fair supply of meat was apportioned
to each person for present needs, and a good supply was half cooked and
pegged out to dry in the sun, to be carried on for future use.
“The sun is well up; I think we should be starting, Piñone,” put in Sir
Francis suddenly, as he saw the maté bowl reach its last recipient. “As
there is no sign of Aniwee, Chorlo, and Coquet, I suppose they have not
fallen in with Indians as yet, and will therefore await us at
Gatchenhaik.”
“The Señor speaks well,” answered the Indian Cacique, as he rose and
gave the order to form into marching order—that is to say, Indian file.
It should be explained that Aniwee and the two Indian girls mentioned,
had preceded the party the previous day, and had proceeded towards the
pampas, in the hopes of coming across some Tehuelche hunting parties,
and securing horses upon which to return to Araucanian territory. They
were directing their steps for Lake Nahuel Hualpi, which occupied the
pampas at the entrance to the mountain region somewhat higher up. Thus
the party set out in Indian file, each person carrying his or her
portion of meat, as well as ammunition and rifle, our white friends
being, moreover, overburdened with a change of clothing each, so that
all were pretty well loaded. It was extremely hot, walking was trying,
and the baby Cacique had begun to vent her displeasure in a series of
protesting miniature yells, when Willie sung out—
“Holloa! look there, mother!”
Lady Vane and the others did look, and what they saw made them joyful
indeed, for there, coming over a distant hill, was a troop of horses
with Aniwee at their head, and a group of Indians bringing up the rear.
“Hip, hip, hoorah!” shouted Harry and Freddy together, and then the
latter added, in a delighted tone, “Bless you, Aniwee, you are a trump!”
The moment that the young Queen sighted the weary travellers she put her
horse into a canter, and came flying along to meet them. In a few
minutes she had reached them.
“Good news!” she cried exultingly, as she rode up. “Gilwinikush and a
thousand Tehuelches are on the borders of the Great Lagoon. I heard of
it from a hunting party of my own people, with whom I, Chorlo, and
Coquet fell in on the plain of Telcke. They were on their way to join
him, so I sent on Chorlo and Coquet to tell him of our coming, and
myself returned with these horses here. See, Warriors,” she continued,
pointing to the welcome troupiglia, “here are horses in plenty. The
Indians need walk no more.”
A short halt was made to enable every one to tidy and furbish themselves
up. Coming off such an expedition as that on which they had been
engaged, as may be readily supposed, no one looked as if he or she had
come out of a bandbox! The whites were all tremendously sunburnt, and
rocks, thorns, and dense jungles had played havoc with their clothes.
A desire, however, to cut as smart a figure as possible before the
Patagonians, whom they would so shortly meet, contributed to the zest
with which the Araucanians made their toilets. The sight of the horses,
and the knowledge that there were toldos and comforts ahead, had raised
the spirits of every one; and the hardships of the past weeks of toil
and severe work were quickly forgotten in the pleasant _rencontre_ of
the moment. At length every one had mounted, and the cavalcade which set
forth for the Nahuel Hualpi Lagoon was by no means an unimposing one.
A ride of three or more hours through rock-strewn gorges, across narrow
valley plains and occasional brushwood thickets, brought the whole party
at length on to the border line which marked the point where the hilly
region ceased, and the vast stretching pampas began. The sight of them
raised Harry’s spirits to the highest pitch, and he began whooping and
cheering like an Indian in full war-paint, much to the amusement of all
the other Indians.
His antics, however, came suddenly to an abrupt conclusion, as over the
horizon of a low hillocky ridge, dust appeared to rise up like smoke,
and the noise of many horses galloping resounded across the plain. In a
moment every eye was fixed and every ear open, intent on the sight and
sounds before, and rapidly nearing them.
A long line of mounted horsemen were advancing at topmost speed,
horsemen whose size looked gigantic against the sky line, but whose
figures were small when compared with the tall and magnificent Indian
that rode at their head. In a moment Aniwee had recognised him, and with
a cry of joy had put her horse into full swing, and sent him galloping
over the pampas to meet the stately giant. This was no other than the
great Cacique, Gilwinikush, her father, and paramount head of the
Tehuelche or Patagonian Indians.
As the chief caught sight of the slim, graceful figure of his only
child, he raised his hand, brought his horse abruptly on to its
haunches, becoming motionless thereon, the Tehuelches behind him doing
likewise. Then, as Aniwee galloped up, a hoarse shout of welcome greeted
the young Queen, who the next moment was clasped in her father’s arms.
More than a year had elapsed since they had met, and the meeting was a
joyful and happy one. The chief had received from Coquet and Chorlo a
hurried sketch of all that had happened during the past few weeks, and
was therefore not wholly in the dark as to the reason of this unexpected
meeting.
When the party rode up, Gilwinikush at once recognised Harry, Topsie,
and Sir Francis Vane, but had to be introduced to the others. He
received them with stately courtesy and with becoming Indian dignity,
though he could not quite dispel the smile of happiness which hovered
round his lips as his eyes sought the face of his child.
“Gilwinikush salutes the great chiefs and his old friends, and bids them
welcome,” he said in a voice the genuine ring whereof could not be
mistaken, and then the whole party proceeded on its way towards the big
lagoon, around which the toldos of his tribe were pitched. As they
neared it, they could see numerous mounted Indians awaiting their
approach, while crowds of women and children pressed forward to catch a
glimpse of their young chieftainess, the news of her approach having
spread like wild fire.
“Just like coming home, eh, Topsie?” said Harry in his happy, eager
voice, as brother and sister rode side by side, picking out faces that
they knew, and recognising old friends. “All’s well that ends well.
We’ve had an awfully jolly expedition, and one that I shall look back to
as long as I live, sha’n’t you?”
“Rather,” answered Topsie. “It has been a very happy time.”
[Illustration]