NEW SCENES AND PLEASANT TRAVELLING
A new and agreeable sensation is a pleasant thing. It was on as bright an
evening as ever shone upon Brazil, and in as fair a scene as one could
wish to behold, that Martin Rattler and his friend Barney experienced a
new sensation. On the wide campos, on the flower-bedecked and grassy
plains, they each bestrode a fiery charger; and, in the exultation of
health, and strength, and liberty, they swept over the green sward of the
undulating campos, as light as the soft wind that fanned their bronzed
cheeks, as gay in heart as the buzzing insects that hovered above the
brilliant flowers.
"Oh, this is best of all!" shouted Martin, turning his sparkling eyes to
Barney, as he reined up his steed after a gallop that caused its nostril
to expand and its eye to dilate. "There's nothing like it! A fiery
charger that can't and _won't_ tire, and a glorious sweep of plain like
that! Huzza! whoop!" And loosening the rein of his willing horse, away he
went again in a wild headlong career.
"Och, boy, pull up, or ye'll kill the baste!" cried Barney, who thundered
along at Martin's side enjoying to the full the spring of his powerful
horse; for Barney had spent the last farthing of his salary on the two
best steeds the country could produce, being determined, as he said, to
make the last overland voyage on clipper-built animals, which, he wisely
concluded, would fetch a good price at the end of the journey. "Pull up!
d'ye hear? They can't stand goin' at that pace. Back yer topsails, ye
young rascal, or I'll board ye in a jiffy."
"How can I pull up with _that_ before me?" cried Martin, pointing to
a wide ditch or gully that lay in front of them. "I must go over
that first."
"Go over that!" cried Barney, endeavouring to rein in his horse, and
looking with an anxious expression at the chasm. "It's all very well for
you to talk o' goin' over, ye feather; but fifteen stun--Ah, then,
_won't_ ye stop? Bad luck to him, he's got the bit in his teeth! Oh then,
ye ugly baste, go, and my blissin' go with ye!"
The leap was inevitable. Martin went over like a deer. Barney shut his
eyes, seized the pommel of the saddle, and went at it like a
thunder-bolt In the excitement of the moment he shouted, in a stentorian
voice, "Clap on all sail! d'ye hear? Stu'n-sails and sky-scrapers! Kape
her steady! Hooray!"
It was well for Barney that he had seized the saddle. Even as it was he
received a tremendous blow from the horse's head as it took the leap,
and was thrown back on its haunches when it cleared the ditch, which it
did nobly.
"Hallo! old boy, not hurt, I hope," said Martin, suppressing his laughter
as his comrade scrambled on to the saddle. "You travel about on the back
of your horse at full gallop like a circus rider."
"Whist, darlint, I do belave he has damaged my faygurhead. What a nose
I've got! Sure I can see it mesilf without squintin'."
"So you have, Barney. It's a little swelled, but never mind. We must all
learn by experience, you know. So come along."
"Hould on, ye spalpeen, till I git my wind!"
But Martin was off again at full speed; and Barney's horse, scorning to
be left behind, took the bit again in its teeth and went--as he himself
expressed it,--"screamin' before the wind."
A new sensation is not always and necessarily an agreeable thing. Martin
and Barney found it so on the evening of that same day, as they reclined
(they could not sit) by the side of their fire on the campo under the
shelter of one of the small trees which grew here and there at wide
intervals on the plain. They had left the diamond mine early that
morning, and their first day on horseback proved to them that there are
shadows as well as lights in equestrian life. Their only baggage was a
single change of apparel and a small bag of diamonds,--the latter being
the product of the mine during the Baron Fagoni's reign, and which that
worthy was conveying faithfully to his employer. During the first part of
the day they had ridden through a hilly and woody country, and towards
evening they emerged upon one of the smaller campos, which occur here and
there in the district.
"Martin," said Barney, as he lay smoking his pipe, "'tis a pity that
there's no pleasure in this world without _something_ cross-grained
into it. My own feelin's is as if I had been lately passed through a
stamping machine."
"Wrong, Barney, as usual," said Martin, who was busily engaged concluding
supper with an orange. "If we had pleasures without discomforts we
wouldn't half enjoy them. We need lights and shadows in life--what are
you grinning at, Barney?"
"Oh! nothin', only ye're a remarkable philosopher, when ye're in
the vein."
"Tis always in vain to talk philosophy to you, Barney, so good-night t'
ye. Oh, dear me, I wish I could sit down! but there's no
alternative,--either bolt upright or quite flat."
In a quarter of an hour they both forgot pleasures and sorrows alike in
sleep. Next day the sun rose on the edge of the campo as it does out of
the ocean, streaming across its grassy billows, and tipping the ridges as
with ruddy gold. At first Martin and Barney did not enjoy the lovely
scene, for they felt stiff and sore; but after half an hour's ride they
began to recover; and when the sun rose in all its glory on the wide
plain, the feelings of joyous bounding freedom that such scenes always
engender obtained the mastery, and they coursed along in silent delight.
The campo was hard, composed chiefly of a stiff red clay soil and covered
with short grass in most places; but here and there were rank bushes of
long hairy grasses, around and amongst which grew a multitude of the most
exquisitely beautiful flowerets and plants of elegant forms. Wherever
these flowers flourished very luxuriantly there were single trees of
stunted growth and thick bark, which seldom rose above fifteen or twenty
feet. Besides these there were rich flowering myrtles, and here and there
a grotesque cactus or two.
Under one of these trees they reined up after a ride of two hours, and
piqueting their horses, prepared breakfast. It was soon despatched, and
then remounting, away they went once more over the beautiful plains.
About mid-day, as they were hasting towards the shelter of a grove which
appeared opportunely on the horizon, Barney said suddenly,--
"Martin, lad, we're lost! We're out of our course, for sartin."
"I've been thinking that for some time, Barney," replied Martin; "but you
have your compass, and we can surely make the coast by dead
reckoning--eh?"
"True, lad, we can; but it'll cost us a dale o' tackin' to make up for
lee-way. Ah, good luck to ye! here's a friend 'll help us."
As he spoke a herd of wild cattle dashed out of the grove and scampered
over the plain, followed by a herdsman on horseback. Seeing that he was
in eager pursuit of an animal which he wished to lasso, they followed him
quietly and watched his movements. Whirling the noose round his head, he
threw it adroitly in such a manner that the bull put one of its legs
within the coil. Then he reined up suddenly, and the animal was thrown on
its back. At the same moment the lasso broke, and the bull recovered its
feet and continued its wild flight.
"Good-day, friend," said Barney, galloping towards the disappointed
herdsman and addressing him in Portuguese, "could you show us the road to
Rio? We've lost it intirely."
The man pointed sulkily in the direction in which they were going, and,
having mended his lasso, he wheeled about and galloped after the herd
of cattle.
"Bad luck to yer manners!" said Barney, as he gazed after him. "But what
can ye expect from the poor critter? He niver larned better Come along,
Martin, we'll rest here a while."
They were soon under the shelter of the trees, and having fastened their
horses to one of them, they proceeded to search for water. While thus
employed, Barney shouted to his companion, "Come here, lad; look here."
There was something in the tone of the Irishman's voice that startled
Martin, and he sprang hastily towards him. Barney was standing with his
arms crossed upon his chest and his head bowed forward, as he gazed with
a solemn expression on the figure of a man at his feet.
"Is he ill?" inquired Martin, stooping and lifting his hand. Starting
back as he dropped it, he exclaimed, "Dead!"
"Ah, boy, he has gone to his last account. Look at him again, Martin. It
was he who came to the mine a week ago to buy a horse, and now--" Barney
sighed as he stooped and turned the body over in order to ascertain
whether he had been murdered; but there were no marks of violence to be
seen. There was bread too in his wallet; so they could come to no other
conclusion than that the unhappy man had been seized with fatal illness
in the lonesome wood and died there.
As they searched his clothes they found a small leathern bag, which, to
their amazement, was filled with gold-dust; and in the midst of the gold
was another smaller bag containing several small diamonds.
"Ha!" exclaimed Martin, "that explains his hurry. No doubt he had made
off with these, and was anxious to avoid pursuit."
"No doubt of it," said Barney. "Well, thief or no thief, we must give the
poor cratur' dacent burial. There's not a scrap o' paper to tell who he
is or where he came from,--a sure sign that he wasn't what he should ha'
been. Ah! Martin, what will we not do for the sake o' money! and, after
all, we can't keep it long. May the Almighty niver let you or me set our
hearts on it."
They dug a shallow grave with their hands in a sandy spot where the soil
was loose, in which they deposited the body of the unfortunate man; and
then remounting their horses, rode away and left him in his lonely
resting-place.
For many days did Martin and Barney travel through the land on horseback,
now galloping over open campos, anon threading their way through the
forest, and sometimes toiling slowly up the mountain sides. The aspect of
the country varied continually as they advanced, and the feelings of
excessive hilarity with which they commenced the journey began to subside
as they became accustomed to it.
One evening they were toiling slowly up a steep range of hills which had
been the prospect in front of them the whole of that day. As they neared
the summit of the range Martin halted at a stream to drink, and Barney
advanced alone. Suddenly Martin was startled by a loud cry, and looking
up he saw Barney on his knees with his hands clasped before him! Rushing
up the hill, Martin found his comrade with his face flushed and the tears
coursing down his cheeks as he stared before him!
"Look at it, Martin, dear!" he cried, starting up and flinging his cap in
the air, and shouting like a madman. "The say! my own native illiment!
the beautiful ocean! Och, darlint, my blessing on ye! Little did I think
to see you more,--hooray!"
Barney sang and danced till he sank down on the grass exhausted; and, to
say truth, Martin felt much difficulty in restraining himself from doing
likewise, for before him was spread out the bright ocean, gleaming in the
light of the sinking sun, and calm and placid as a mirror. It was indeed
a glorious sight to these two sailors, who had not seen the sea for
nearly two years. It was like coming suddenly face to face--after a long
absence--with an old and much loved friend.
Although visible, the sea, however, was still a long way off from the
Serra dos Orgos on which they stood. But their steeds were good, and it
was not long ere they were both rolling like dolphins in the beautiful
bay of Rio de Janeiro.
Here Barney delivered up the gold and diamonds to his employer, who paid
him liberally for his services and entertained them both hospitably while
they remained in the city. The bag of gold and diamonds which had been
found on the body of the dead man they appropriated, as it was absolutely
impossible to discover the rightful owner. Barney's friend bought it of
them at full price; and when they embarked, soon after, on board a
homeward bound ship, each had four hundred pounds in his pocket!
As they sailed out of the noble harbour Martin sat on the poop gazing at
the receding shore while thick-coming memories crowded on his brain.
His imagination flew back to the day when he first landed on the coast
and escaped with his friend Barney from the pirates,--to the hermit's
cottage in the lonely valley, where he first made acquaintance with
monkeys, iguanas, jaguars, armadillos, and all the wonderful, beautiful,
and curious birds, beasts, and reptiles, plants, trees, and flowers, that
live and flourish in that romantic country. Once more, in fancy, he was
sailing up the mighty Amazon, shooting alligators on its banks, spearing
fish in its waters, paddling through its curious gapo, and swinging in
his hammock under its luxuriant forests. Once again he was a prisoner
among the wild Indians, and he started convulsively as he thought of the
terrible leap over the precipice into the stream that flowed into the
heart of the earth. Then he wandered in the lonely forest. Suddenly the
diamond mines were before him, and Barney's jovial voice rang in his
ears; and he replied to it with energy, for now he was bounding on a
fiery steed over the grassy campos. With a deep sigh he awoke from his
reverie to find himself surrounded by the great wide sea.