THE SPY.
After installing the majordomo in the calli, Stronghand proceeded
through the village, taking an apparently careless glance around,
but in reality not letting anything unusual escape his notice. The
Indians whom the hunter met addressed him as an old acquaintance;
the very women and children tried to attract his attention by their
hearty bursts of laughter and their greetings of welcome. For all and
for each the hunter had a pleasant remark, and thus satisfied the
frequently indiscreet claims of those who pressed around him. Thus
occupied, he went right through the village, and, on reaching the foot
of the left-hand pyramid, dismounted, threw his horse's bridle to a
boy, bidding him lead the horse to his calli, and forced his way with
some difficulty through the crowd, whose curiosity seemed to increase
instead of diminishing. He walked up to the ladder, and after waving
his hand to the Indians, hurried up it, and disappeared inside the
pyramid.
This strange building, which was almost shapeless outside, was
internally arranged with the utmost care and most perfect intelligence.
The hunter, who was doubtless anxious to reach his destination,
only took a hurried glance at the rooms he passed through; he went
up an internal staircase, and soon reached the top of the pyramid.
Sparrowhawk was standing motionless before a cougar's skin hung up in
lieu of a door, and on seeing the hunter he bowed courteously.
"My father has not delayed," he said, with a good-tempered smile.
"Has the council begun yet?" Stronghand asked.
"For four suns the elders of the nation have remained without taking
rest round the council fire; the arrival of my father was alone able to
make them suspend their labours for an hour."
The hunter frowned.
"Cannot I speak to the great sachem for a moment?"
"I cannot give my father any information on that point."
"Good!" the hunter continued, apparently forming a determination. "Has
Sparrowhawk no instructions for me?"
"None, but to await Stronghand, and announce his arrival."
"Wah! here I am; my brother's instructions are fulfilled."
Without replying, Sparrowhawk raised the curtain, and allowed the
hunter to pass into the council hall.
In a large room, which was entirely destitute of furniture--unless
that name can be given to dried buffalo skulls employed as seats--some
twenty persons were gravely seated in a circle, smoking a calumet
silently, whose mouthpiece constantly passed from hand to hand. In
the centre of the circle was a golden brasier, in which burned the
sacred fire of Motecuhzoma, a fire which must never go out. According
to tradition, the last Emperor of Mexico shared it among his dearest
partisans on the eve of his death; and this fire, it is also said,
derives its origin from the sun itself.
The presence of this fire in the room, which was generally kept in a
subterraneous vault, inaccessible to the sight of the common herd,
and which is only shown to the people on grand occasions, proved the
gravity of the matters the council had to discuss. Moreover, the
appearance of the chiefs assembled in the room had about it something
stern and imposing that inspired respect. Contrary to Indian habits,
they were all unarmed. This precaution, which was owing to the advice
of the principal sachem of the nation, was justified not only by the
considerable number of chiefs present, but also by their belonging to
various nations. Each tribe of the grand confederation of the Papazos
had its representative in this assembly, where were also the sachems of
nations ordinarily at war with it, but who, in the hope of a general
revolt against the whites, the implacable enemies of the red race, had
forgotten their hatred for a season. Here could be seen Yaquis, Mayos,
Seris, and even free hunters and trappers, white and half-bred, in
their grand war paint, with their heels adorned with wolves' tails, an
honorary distinction to which only the great braves have a right.
Thunderbolt, the old man whose portrait we have just drawn, presided
over the assembly. On the entrance of Stronghand, all the warriors
rose, turned to him, and after bowing gracefully, invited him to take a
seat among them. The hunter, flattered in his heart by the honour done
him, bowed gravely to the members of the council, and seated himself on
the right of Thunderbolt, after handing his weapons to Sparrowhawk, who
carried them into an adjoining room. There was a rather long silence,
during which the hunter smoked the calumet which had been eagerly
offered him. At length Thunderbolt began speaking.
"My son could not arrive at a better moment," he said, addressing
Stronghand; "his return was eagerly desired by his brothers. He has
come from the country inhabited by our enemies; without doubt he will
give us news."
The hunter rose, looked round the meeting, and replied--"I have been
among the Gachupinos, I have entered their towns, I have seen their
pueblos, presidios, and posts; like ourselves, they are preparing for
war; they understand the extent of the danger that threatens them, and
are trying to neutralize it by all means."
"The news is not very explicit; we hoped that Stronghand would give us
more serious information about the movements of the enemy," Thunderbolt
remarked, with a reproachful accent.
"Perhaps I could do so," the hunter remarked, calmly.
"Then why are you silent?"
The young man hesitated for a moment beneath the glances fixed on him.
"The white men have a proverb," he said, at length, "whose justice I
specially recognise at this moment."
"What is it?"
"Words are silver, but silence is gold."
"Which means?" Thunderbolt continued, eagerly.
"The most formidable weapon of the white man is treachery," the hunter
continued, not appearing to heed the interruption; "they have even
conquered by treachery the Redskins, whom they did not dare meet face
to face. Questions so interesting as those we have to settle, such
serious interests as we have to discuss, must not be treated in so
large an assembly ere it is quite certain that a traitor has not glided
in among us. So long as merely general questions are discussed this
is of slight consequence; but so soon as we discuss the means to be
employed in carrying on the war, it is urgent that the enemy should not
be warned of the result of our deliberations."
"We cannot act otherwise than we are doing. Yes, and that is why the
whites are cleverer than we: so soon as war is declared, they appoint
a commission, composed of three members, or five at the most, who have
to draw up the plan of the campaign. Why do we not do the same? Nothing
is more simple, it seems to me: choose, among the chiefs assembled
here, a certain number of wise men accustomed to command; these men
will assemble in secret, and decide on the means to be employed in
conquering our enemy: in this way, if the Spaniards are informed
of our movements, the traitor cannot escape us for long. The other
chiefs, and the deputies of the friendly natives and other confederated
tribes, will settle in the Grand Council the common interests of the
Indian natives, and the terms to be established among them, in order
to stifle for ever those germs of discord which frequently spring up
from a misunderstanding, and almost always degenerate into sanguinary
and interminable quarrels. I have spoken: my brothers will determine
whether my words deserve being taken into consideration."
After bowing to the audience, the hunter sat down again, and seemed to
be plunged into deep thought. One of the instinctive qualities of the
Indian race is good sense. The chiefs, in spite of the circumlocution
in which the hunter had thought it necessary to envelop his remarks,
had perfectly understood him: they had caught the justice of his
reasoning, and the advantage of a speedy decision on a subject so
interesting to the entire confederation: they guessed, under the
hunter's reticence, a name which, for secret reasons of his own, he
did not wish to utter, and hence his speech was greeted with a buzz of
satisfaction, which is always flattering to the ears of an orator, no
matter the nature of his hearers. Thunderbolt questioned the members of
the council by a glance; all replied with an affirmative shake of their
heads.
"Your plan is adopted," the chief said; "we recognise the necessity of
carrying it out. But this time again we must apply to you to choose the
members of the council whom we have to elect."
"Chance alone must decide the solution. All the sachems collected in
this hall are great braves of their tribes, and the picked warriors of
their nations. No matter on whom the lot falls, the members will behave
honourably in the new council."
"Stronghand has spoken well, as he always does, when he is called upon
to give his opinion in the council of the chiefs; now let him finish
what he has so well begun, by instructing us of the way in which we are
to consult chance."
"Be it so: I will obey my father."
The hunter rose and left the hall, but his absence lasted only a few
minutes. During this interval the chiefs remained motionless and
silent. Stronghand soon returned, followed by Sparrowhawk, who, as he
had been ordered by the sachems to keep the door, had not taken part in
the deliberations, though he had a right to do so. This chief carried a
blanket tied up so as to form a bag.
"In this blanket," the hunter then said, "I have placed a number of
bullets equal to that of the chiefs assembled in council: I have taken
these bullets from the ammunition bag of every one of the chiefs. I
have noticed that our guns are of different bores, and hence some of
the bullets are larger, others smaller. Each of us will draw a bullet
haphazard; when all have one, they will be examined; and the three
chiefs, if you fix on that number, or the five, if you prefer that
number, to whom chance has given the largest bullets, will compose the
new council."
"That is a simple way, and will prevent any annoyance," Thunderbolt
said; "I believe that we shall do well by adopting it."
The chiefs bowed their assent.
"But," the sachem continued, "before we begin drawing, let us first
settle of how many members the council shall consist; shall there be
three or five?"
A white trapper rose and asked leave to speak. It was a man of about
forty years of age, with frank and energetic features and muscular
limbs, well known all over the western prairies by the singular name of
the Whistler.
"If I may be allowed," he said, "to offer my opinion on such a matter
before wise men and renowned warriors--for I am only a poor rogue of a
hunter--I would call your attention to the fact that, with a committee
whose duties are so serious, three men are not sufficient to discuss a
question advantageously, because it is so easy to obtain a majority. On
the other hand, five men mutually enlighten each other, by exchanging
their ideas and starting objections: hence, I am of opinion that the
council ought to be composed of five members. I will add one word: Will
the white and half-breed hunters and trappers here present take part in
the election?"
"Do they not fight with us?" Thunderbolt asked.
"This is true," the Whistler continued; "still it would be, perhaps,
better for you to settle the matter among yourselves; we are, in
reality, only your allies."
"You are our brothers and friends; in the name of the chiefs of the
confederation. I thank you, Whistler, for the delicate proposal you
have made; but we do not accept your offer, for all must be in common
between you and us."
"You will do as you please. I spoke for your good; and it does not suit
you, say no more about it."
While these remarks were exchanged between the trapper and Thunderbolt,
the chiefs had decided that the military commission should be composed
of five members. The drawing at once began; each warrior went, in his
turn, to draw a bullet from the bag held by Sparrowhawk; then the
verification was begun with that good faith and impartiality which the
Indians display in all their actions when dealing with one another.
On this occasion chance was intelligent, as happens more frequently
than is supposed, when it is left free to act: the chiefs chosen to
form the committee were exactly those who, if another mode of election
had been employed, would have gained all the votes through their
talent, experience, and wisdom. Hence, the sachems frankly applauded
the decision of fate, and in their superstition, derived from this
caprice of accident a favourable augury for the result of the war. The
committee was composed as follows Thunderbolt, Sparrowhawk, Stronghand,
the Whistler, and a renowned Apache chief, whose name was the Peccary.
When the election was over, just as the chiefs were returning to their
seats, Stronghand approached a trapper, who, ever since his entrance,
had seemed to shun his eye, and conceal himself, as far as possible,
behind the other chiefs. Tapping him on the shoulder, he said in a low
but imperative voice--"Master Kidd, two words, if you please."
The adventurer, for it was really he, started at the touch, but
immediately recovering himself, he turned his smiling face to the
hunter's, and said, with a respectful bow--"I am quite at your service,
caballero; can I be so happy as to be able to help you in anything?"
"Yes," the hunter answered, drily.
"Speak, caballero, speak; and as far as lies in my power--"
"A truce to these hypocritical protestations," Stronghand rudely
interrupted him, "and let us come to facts."
"I am listening to you," the other said, trying to hide his anxiety.
"This is the point--rightly or wrongly, your presence here offends me."
"What can I do to prevent that, my dear Señor?"
"A very simple thing."
"What is it, if you please?"
"Leave the tower at once, mount your horse, and be off."
"Oh!" the bandit said, with a forced laugh, "Allow me to remark, my
dear señor, that the idea seems to me a singular one."
"Do you think so?" the hunter remarked, coldly; "Well, opinions differ.
For my part, I consider it quite natural."
"Of course you are jesting."
"Do you fancy me capable of jesting--before all, with a man like you?
I think not. Well, I repeat, be off; be off as quickly as possible. I
advise you for your own good."
"I must have an excuse for such a flight. What will the Indian chiefs
who did me the honour of summoning me to their grand council, and my
friends the hunters suppose, on seeing me thus abandon them without any
apparent motive, at the very moment when the war is about to begin?"
"That does not concern me; I want you to be off at once; if not--"
"Well?"
"I shall blow out your brains in the presence of all as a traitor and a
spy. You understand me now, my master, I think?"
The bandit started violently; his face became livid, and for some
minutes he fixed his viper eye on the hunter, who examined him
ironically; then bending down to his ear, he said, in a voice choked
with rage and shame, "Stronghand, you are the stronger, and any
resistance on my part would be mad; I shall go, therefore; but remember
this, I shall be avenged."
Stronghand shrugged his shoulders contemptuously. "Do so," he said,
"if you can; but, in the meanwhile, be off if you do not wish me to
carry out my threat!" and he turned his back on the bandit. Kidd gave
him a parting look of fury, and without adding a word, left the hall.
Ten minutes later he was galloping on the road to the Real de Minas,
revolving the most sinister schemes.