"No, not enough, I fear."
"But why?"
"The white man is not in his senses. He has lost them long ago. The
little left him is given to Shebotha. He fears her, as all our people
do; but he more than any. She has surely left him with commands to keep
a close watch. He does not disobey her; and it may be impossible for me
to speak with the paleface, much more get her away from him."
"_Caspita_!" exclaims Gaspar, his countenance again turning grave.
"There will be a difficulty there, I see it; if the man's crazed, as you
say he is, Nacena. You think he won't let you speak with the prisoner,
unless you have permission from Shebotha?"
"He will not--I am sure he will not."
"In that case all may be idle, and our scheme go for nought. _Por
Dios_! what's to be done?"
Pressing his head between his hands, the gaucho stands considering,
while the other three in silence await the result. His deliberation is
not for long; a bright idea has flashed across his brain, and with his
countenance also recovering brightness, he exclaims--
"_Gracios a Dios_! I know how it can be managed; I think I know."
Ludwig and Cypriano have it on their tongues to inquire what he means.
But before either can say a word, he is off and away in a rush toward
the scaffold-post to which Shebotha is tied.
Reaching it, he is seen with arms outstretched and in rapid play, as
though he were setting her free. Far from that, however, is his
intention. He but undoes the knot around her neck, and raising the
poncho, clutches at something which encircles her throat. He had
noticed this something while throttling her when first caught; it had
rattled between his fingers as the beads of a rosary, and he knew it to
be such, with a slight difference--the beads being human teeth! A
remembrance, moreover, admonishes him that this ghastly necklace was
worn by the sorceress, not for adornment, but to inspire dread. It is,
in fact, one of her weapons of weird mystery and power, and an idea has
occurred to him that it may now be used as an instrument against
herself.
Having detached it from her neck, and replaced the poncho upon her head,
he returns to where he had left the others, and holding out the string
of teeth, says to Nacena--
"Take this. Present it to the crazy paleface; tell him Shebotha sent it
as a token authorising you to act for her; and, if he be not altogether
out of his wits, I warrant it'll get you admission to the presence of
the paleface. For anything beyond, you will best know how to act of
yourself."
The girl grasps the hideous symbol, a gleam of intelligence lighting up
her swarth but beautiful face. For she, too, anticipates the effect it
will have on Shebotha's slave, from actual knowledge--not by guessing,
as with Gaspar.
Knowing herself now at liberty and free to depart, without saying
another word, she turns her back upon them; and gliding away with the
agile, stealthy step peculiar to her race, soon passes beyond their
sight.
They stand looking after her, till her dark figure disappears amid the
shadows of the scaffolds. But they have no doubt of her fidelity--no
fear that she will fail to do what she can for the fulfilment of her
promise. The keeping it is secured by her own interested motives: for
the passion impelling her to act on their behalf, though purely selfish,
can be trusted as truth itself.