Straight across the cemetery goes Gaspar, with Shebotha in his arms, nor
stops he till back on the spot where the path leads down to the outer
plain. Arriving there, he deposits his living burden upon the earth;
not gently, but dumping her down with a rude violence, as though it were
a bunch of faggots. Still he does not let her out of his arms
altogether; but with a threat, once more warning her to be silent,
retains fast hold of her, till Cypriano has brought him a _lazo_ from
the saddle of one of the horses near by. Looping this round the body of
the sorceress, and taking a few turns of it about her arms and ankles,
he spreads his poncho over her head, then knots the rope around her
neck, and so muffles her beyond the chance of either hearing or making
herself heard. All this done, he again raises her from the ground, and
carrying her some distance back among the scaffolds, he binds her to a
corner post of one with the end of the _lazo_ yet unused. His purpose
in thus disposing of her is not clear to his companions, both of whom he
has left in charge of the Indian girl; who, on her part, makes no
attempt to escape. Instead, released from Ludwig's arms, she stands
silently by his side, neither trembling nor showing sign of fear. Why
should she, with those words of friendly assurance which have been once
more whispered in her ear?
And now Gaspar getting back to where they stand, and speaking in the
Tovas tongue sufficiently well to be understood by her, says to Nacena--
"_Muchacha mia_! you see who we are, and know all three of us. We know
you, Nacena--even to your tenderest secret; which has been revealed to
us in the dialogue just held between yourself and Mam Shebotha. Every
word of that we've heard, with the lies she's been telling you. And let
me tell you, that of all the wicked impostor's promises, there's but one
she could have kept--that to rid you of her you deem a rival. And she
could only have done that by doing murder; which was what she meant by
her sleeping draught."
The young girl shudders listening to what she knows is but the truth.
"'Twas good of you to reject the foul proposal," goes on the gaucho,
"and indignantly, as we know you did. We saw and heard it all. And
now, I have a proposal to offer, which you won't reject; I'm sure you
won't, Nacena."
She makes no rejoinder, but stands waiting to receive it.
"It is," he continues, "that you can still rid yourself of that rival,
not by doing wrong, but right and justice. With your help we shall take
her away to a place where Aguara will never more set eyes upon her. But
as I've said, we stand in need of your assistance, and you must give
it."
"You will, you will!" interposes Cypriano, in tones of earnest appeal.
"Yes, dear Nacena," follows Ludwig, in tenderer tones; "I'm sure you
will. Remember, she is my sister, and that you yourself have a
brother!"
Had they but known it, there was no need for all this petitioning. Even
while Gaspar was speaking, and long before he had finished, the Indian
girl, with the quick, subtle instinct of her race, divined what they
were aiming at--the very end she herself desires, and might have
proposed to them. The same instinct, however, prompts her to feign
ignorance of it, as evinced by her interrogative rejoinder:--
"How can Nacena assist you? In what way?"
"By helping us to get the paleface out of her prison." It is Gaspar who
speaks. "She is imprisoned, is she not?"
"She is."
"And where is she kept?" further questions the gaucho.
Cypriano trembles as he listens for the answer. He fears, half
expecting it to be, "In the _toldo_ of the _cacique_."
It is a relief to him, when Nacena, pointing towards the dark object
bound to the scaffold-post, says: "She has charge of the paleface
captive."
"_Bueno_!" ejaculates Gaspar with delight in his eyes, as in those of
Cypriano. "Nothing could be better than that. And now that we have
Shebotha here, no one will be guarding the prisoner--will there?"
"Alas, yes!" responds the Indian girl, her words with their tone telling
that she has entered into the spirit of their enterprise.
"Who?" interrogates Gaspar. "What is he--if it be a man?"
"Yes, a man. A white man, like yourselves; one who has been long with
our tribe--a captive taken many years ago from some of the countries
south. He is Shebotha's own slave, and watches over the paleface when
she is out of the _toldo_."
Again the gaucho ejaculates, "_Bueno_!" adding, in _sotto voce_, to his
two companions, "It seems better still; a bit of rare good luck; that
is, if this white man, whoever he be, isn't grown Indianised, as I've
known some to be." Then to the girl. "Shebotha's slave, you say? In
that case, he should be wanting to regain his liberty, and we may give
him the chance. If need be, we can take him along, too. You
understand, Nacena?"
"I do."
"Then you agree to assist us?"
"Say yes!" urges Cypriano.
"_My_ sister, Nacena!" adds Ludwig.
In response to their united appeals, she points to the sorceress,
saying--
"Her vengeance is to be dreaded. If I do as you wish me, Shebotha--"
"Won't hurt a hair of your head," says Gaspar, interrupting. "Nor
can't. She'll not be near enough to do you any injury. That worthy
woman is on the eve of a long journey, to be made in our company, if you
agree to assist us in getting the paleface away. You do agree to it,
_amiga mia_?"
The girl fully comprehending, and relieved at the thought of the dreaded
sorceress being taken out of the way, at length not only signifies
assent to their scheme, but embraces it with alacrity. Its success will
be to her advantage as theirs, ridding her of that rival feared, and it
may be, restoring to her the affections of him on whom she has fixed her
own.
And now that confidence is established between her and her captors, she
gives them a full account of how things stand in the _tolderia_, and the
place where the captive is confined. Having heard which, Gaspar
counsels her how to act, as a last word, saying--
"Tell this white man, who has charge of the _nina_, he need no longer be
a prisoner himself, nor Shebotha's slave. Say to him, that men of his
own race and colour are near, ready to rescue and take him back to his
people, wherever they may be. Surely that will be enough to gain him to
our side, and get his help also."