THE PUELCHES.
"Eh! eh!" said Valentine, whistling sharply to his dog, who immediately
came to him; "these fellows do not seem to have friendly intentions; we
must be upon our guard: who knows what may happen?"
"They are Araucanos," said Louis.
"Do you think so? Then they are devilish ugly!"
"Well, now, for my part, I think them very handsome."
"Ah, yes; that may be in an artistic point of view. But, ugly or
handsome, we will await their coming."
The Indians talked among themselves, and continued to look at the young
men.
"They are consulting to determine with what sauce they shall eat us,"
said Valentine.
"Not at all----"
"Bah! I tell you they are."
"Pardieu! they are not cannibals!"
"No? So much the worse; that's a defect. In Paris, all the savages
exhibited in public are cannibals."
"You madman! you laugh at everything."
"Would you prefer my weeping a little? It appears to me that at this
moment our position is not so seducing in itself that we should seek to
make it more dismal."
These Indians were for the most part men of from forty to forty-five
years of age, clothed in the costume of the Puelches, one of the most
warlike tribes of Upper Araucania; they wore the poncho floating from
the shoulders, the calzoneras fastened round the hips and falling to
the ankle, the head bare, the hair long, straight, and greasy, gathered
together by a red ribbon, which encircled the brow like a diadem, and
the face painted of various colours. Their arms consisted of a long
lance, a knife, a gun hanging from the saddle, and a round buckler,
covered with leather, ornamented with horsehair and human scalps.
The man who appeared to be their chief was a man of lofty stature,
expressive features, hard and haughty, but still displayed a certain
frankness, a very rare quality among Indians. The only thing which
distinguished him from his companions was a feather of the eagle of the
Andes, planted upright on the left side of his head, in the bright red
ribbon that confined his hair.
After having consulted with his companions for a few minutes, the chief
advanced towards the travellers, making his horse curvet with inimitable
grace, and lowered the point of his lance in sign of peace. When
within three paces of Valentine, he stopped, and, after saluting him
ceremoniously, in the Indian fashion, by placing his right hand on his
breast, and slowly bowing his head twice, he said to him in Spanish:--
"My brothers are Muruches--foreigners,--and not Culme-Huinca--despicable
Spaniards. Why are they so far from the men of their own nation?"
This question, asked in the guttural accent, and with the emphatic tone
peculiar to the Indians, was perfectly understood by the young men, who,
as we have before observed, generally spoke Spanish themselves.
"Hum!" Valentine said to his companion, "here is a savage who appears to
have a little curiosity about him--what think you?"
"Bah!" Louis replied, "answer him, at all events that will do no harm."
"Why, no, that is true; we cannot easily be more compromised than we are
already."
And turning towards the chief, who waited impassibly,
"We are travelling," he said, laconically.
"What! alone, thus?" asked the chief.
"Does that astonish you, my friend?"
"Do my brothers fear nothing?"
"What should we fear?" said the Parisian in a bantering tone. "We have
nothing to lose."
"What! not even your hair?"
Louis could not refrain from laughing, as he looked at Valentine.
"Ah! ah! what, he is laughing at the disordered state of my hair, is he,
the ugly wretch?" Valentine grumbled, vexed at the observation of the
chief, and quite mistaking his intentions. "Stop a bit!" then he added,
in a loud voice, "Have the goodness to pass on, gentlemen savages. Your
remarks are not pleasant, I can assure you."
He cocked his rifle, and lifted it to his shoulder, as if taking aim
at the chief. Louis, who had attentively followed the progress of the
conversation, without saying a word imitated the action of his friend,
directing the barrel of his rifle towards the group of Indians. The
chief had, doubtless, understood but little of the speeches of his
adversaries, but far from appearing terrified at the menacing attitude
they assumed, he seemed to contemplate with pleasure the martial and
firm deportment of the Frenchmen; and putting gently on one side the
weapon pointed against his breast, said in a conciliatory tone:
"My friend is mistaken. I have no intention of insulting him. I am his
_penni_--brother--and his companion's likewise. Were not the palefaces
eating when I and my young men came up?"
"Faith! yes, chief, you say true," interrupted Louis, with a smile;
"your sudden appearance stopped the progress of our humble repast."
"Part of which is very much at your service," continued Valentine,
pointing with his finger to the provisions spread upon the grass.
"I accept your offer," said the Indian, cordially.
"Bravo!" cried Valentine, throwing down his rifle, and preparing to
resume his seat on the grass; "to table, then!"
"Yes," replied the chief, "but upon one condition."
"What is that?" the young men asked together.
"That I shall furnish my part."
"Agreed," said Louis.
"Well, that is but fair," Valentine added; "and it will be the more
acceptable, from our not being rich, and having but meagre fare to offer
you."
"The bread of a friend is always good," the chief said, sententiously.
"That is admirably answered! But, at this moment, unfortunately, our
bread is only stale biscuit."
"I will remedy that;" and the chief said a few words in the Molucho
language to his companions, who began to rummage in their alforjas, and
quickly produced maize tortillas, some charqui, and several leathern
bottles filled with chica--a sort of cider made of apples and Indian
corn. The whole was placed upon the grass before the two Frenchmen, who
were wonderstruck at the sudden abundance which had succeeded without
any transition to their late short commons. The Indians dismounted,
and sat down in a circle round the travellers. The chief, then turning
towards his guests, said with a pleasant smile--
"Now, then, let my brothers eat."
The young men did not require the cordial invitation to be repeated, but
vigorously attacked the provisions so frankly offered. For the first few
minutes silence prevailed among the party, for all were too well engaged
to talk; but as soon as appetite was a little appeased, conversation was
resumed.
Of all men, Indians, perhaps, understand the laws of hospitality
the best. They have an instinct of social conventions, if such an
expression may be allowed, which makes them divine at once, with
infallible correctness, what the questions are that may be properly
addressed to their guests, and the point at which they should stop to
avoid committing any indiscretion. The two Frenchmen, who for the first
time found themselves in contact with Araucanos, could not overcome
the surprise caused by the knowledge of life, and the noble and frank
manners of these men, whom, on the faith of accounts more or less false,
they were accustomed, in common with all Europeans, to consider as gross
savages, almost destitute of intelligence, and quite incapable of any
delicacy of behaviour.
"My brothers are not Spaniards?" the chief said, half interrogatively.
"That is true," Louis replied; "but how did you discover that?"
"Oh!" he said, with a disdainful smile, "we are well acquainted with
those _chiaplos_--wicked soldiers. They are too old enemies to allow us
to commit an error with regard to them. From what island do my brothers
come?"
"Our country is not an island," Valentine observed.
"My brother is mistaken," the chief said emphatically; "there is but one
country that is not an island, and that is the great land of the Aucas."
The two young men bowed their heads before an opinion so peremptorily
put forth--all discussion became impossible.
"We are Frenchmen," Louis replied.
"Frenchmen! ah! a good brave nation! We had several French warriors in
the time of the great war."
"What!" said Louis, with excited curiosity, "have French warriors fought
with you?"
"Yes," the chief remarked, proudly; "warriors with grey beards, and
breasts marked with honourable scars, which they received in the wars of
their island, when they fought under the orders of their great chief,
Zaléon."
"Napoleon?" said Valentine, quite astonished.
"Yes; I believe it is so the palefaces pronounce his name. Did my
brother know him?" the chief added, with ill-concealed curiosity.
"No," replied the young man. "Although born in his reign, I was never
able to get sight of him, and he is now dead."
"My brother is mistaken," said the Puelche, solemnly; "such warriors as
he do not die. When they have performed their task upon earth they go to
Paradise--to hunt with Pillian, the master of the world."
The young men bowed, as if convinced.
"It is very singular," said Louis, "that the reputation of that powerful
genius should have spread to the most remote and unknown regions of the
globe, and be preserved pure and brilliant among these rude men; whilst
in that France, for which he did everything men invariably seek to
lessen it, and even to destroy it."
"Like all their compatriots, who, from time to time, traverse our
hunting grounds, our brothers have, doubtless, trading purposes in
coming among us. Where are your goods?" said the chief.
"We are not traders," replied Valentine; "we came to visit our brothers,
the Araucanos, of whose wisdom and hospitality we have heard much."
"The Moluchos love the French," the chief said, flattered by the
compliment; "my brothers will be well received in our villages."
"To what tribe does my brother belong?" asked Valentine, inwardly
delighted at the good opinion the Indians entertained of his compatriots.
"I am one of the principal Ulmens of the sacred tribe of the Great
Hare," the chief said, proudly.
"Thank you--one word more."
"Let my brother speak; my ears are open."
"We are in search of a Molucho chief, to whom we have a message from a
friend of his, with whom he has had much dealing."
"What is the chief's name?"
"Antinahuel."
"Good!"
"Does my brother know him?"
"I know him. If my brothers will follow me they shall see the toldo of
a chief in which they shall be received like pennis. When they have
rested, if they desire it, I will myself conduct them to Antinahuel, the
most powerful Toqui of the four Uthal-Mapus of the Araucano confederacy."
"What province is governed by Antinahuel?"
"The Piré-Mapus, that is to say, the interior of the Andes."
"Thanks, brother."
"Will my brothers accept the offer I have made them?"
"Why should we not accept it, chief, if, as I believe, it is made in
earnest?"
"Let my brothers come, then," the chief said, with a smile; "my toldería
is not far off."
The breakfast was over, and the Indians were mounting.
"We may as well go," said Valentine, in French. "This Indian appears to
speak cordially and honestly, and it will give us a capital opportunity
of studying interesting manners and customs. What do you think,
Louis?--It may prove very amusing."
"Well, I see no harm that accepting the invitation can do."
"God speed us, then!"
And with a bound he was in his saddle, imitated by Louis.
"Forward!" cried the chief, and the party set off at a gallop.
"Well, it must be allowed," said Valentine, in his cheerful way, "that
these savages, if savages they are, have some redeeming qualities
belonging to them. I begin to take a warm interest in them. They are
true Scotch mountaineers for hospitality. I wonder what my regimental
comrades, and more particularly my old friends of the Boulevard du
Temple, would say if they could see me now! Houp! After me, the end of
the world!"
Louis laughed at this outburst of the incorrigible _gamin_, and, without
further inquiries, the young men gaily abandoned themselves to the
guidance of their new friends, who, after leaving the banks of the
river, directed their course towards the mountains.