THE SOUTH WIND.--THE HURRICANE.--A FEARFUL NIGHT.--THE UPROOTED
GIANT.--THE SARSAPARILLA-PLANT.--GRINGALET DISCOVERS A SPRING.--OUR
BIVOUAC.
L'Encuerado's prediction seemed as if it was likely to be realized.
About three o'clock in the morning we were awakened by a hoarse roaring;
the trees seemed to shiver; sometimes the uproar appeared to grow less
and almost to cease, and then broke out again louder than ever. I
hastened to warm some coffee; but two or three times the intermittent
squalls scattered the burning fagots of our fire, and the hot ashes
nearly blinded us. This mishap was owing to the open glade being so near
to us, across which the wind rushed furious and unrestrained. Almost
before daylight appeared, I led my companions farther under the trees,
the state of the atmosphere making me feel very uncomfortable. The lofty
tree-tops, roughly shaken by the wind, showered down upon us a perfect
hail of twigs and dead leaves. We were almost deafened by the noise of
the clashing boughs; sad and silent we proceeded on our way, perceiving
no signs of any living creature, and in much trouble how we should
obtain our dinners.
Towards mid-day, the wind fell; puffs of heat, which seemed to spring
from the ground beneath, almost suffocated us. Lucien did not say a
word, but, in spite of my advice, he was constantly lifting his gourd to
his lips, a proceeding which could only excite his thirst. Gringalet,
instead of frolicking about, as was his custom, followed us closely,
drooping his ears and tail. We were, I believe, the only living beings
moving under the shade, which now seemed converted into a hot furnace.
Meeting with some rocks, we made up our minds to hurry on, thinking to
come upon a stream; a vain hope!--the rocks soon came to an end, and
were succeeded by a perfect labyrinth of trees. If there had only been a
little grass, we should have set to work to construct our hut; for the
dry heat, blown up by the south wind, rendered exertion almost
unbearable.
A second time we found ourselves among rocks; but they were so enormous,
and so close together, that it was evident we were in the vicinity of a
mountain.
"Hiou! hiou! Chanito," cried the Indian, joyously; "forward! forward! we
are very nearly at the end of our troubles."
The boy smiled and adopted the swift pace of his guide, while Sumichrast
lengthened his strides so as to get in front of me. Following my
companions, we soon came upon a dry, barren spot in front of a steep
ascent. After we had all taken breath, I gave it as my opinion that we
should overcome our fatigue and scale the side of the mountain; but no
one showed any inclination to move.
My poor Lucien lay panting on the hard stones, with his mouth dry, his
lips bleeding, and his face purple with the heat; he had thought the
day's work was over. Nevertheless, as soon as he saw us starting again,
up he got and followed us without a word of complaint. I wished to
lighten his burden; but he heroically refused, and proportioned his pace
to that of l'Encuerado. Gringalet was continually sitting down, and
hanging out his tongue to a most enormous length; it was, doubtless, his
way of testifying that he moved an amendment against the length of the
journey.
"We were quite wrong in finding fault with the shade," said Sumichrast;
"for in this unsheltered spot the heat is more insupportable than under
the trees. The sun seems to dart into us as if its rays were needles'
points."
"Don't drink, Chanito! don't drink!" cried l'Encuerado to Lucien.
The poor little fellow replaced the gourd at his side, and bent on me
such a heart-rending look that I caught him up in my arms.
"Let us make a halt," said my friend, who was sheltering himself under a
gigantic rock; "I confess that I am dead-beat."
It was a great relief when we were seated down and deprived of our
burdens; but, instead of setting to work, according to our usual custom,
to collect wood for our fire and to construct our hut, we remained idle,
looking at the horizon, without exchanging a single word. At our feet
extended, as far as we could see, the tree-tops of an immense forest. We
had turned our backs upon the volcano of Orizava; on our right the black
summits of the Cordillera stood out against the red sky; the _urubu_
vultures were whirling round and round high up above us--the only
living creatures we had set eyes on since the evening before.
It was now four o'clock; a kind of hot blast beat into our faces,
producing the same sensation as that experienced in front of a furnace
when the door is suddenly opened. The south wind sprung up again, and
squall succeeded squall--the forest undulating like a liquid surface.
I in vain endeavored to overcome the state of nervous prostration which
had come over me; the terrible wind which parched and burned us took
away all power of will. Our eyes were inflamed, our lips cracked, and
our heads heavy, and no one cared about eating; all we longed for was
water, and we were obliged to watch Lucien, to prevent him emptying his
gourd. He was nibbling a morsel of _totopo_, which he, like us, could
hardly swallow. Sheltered behind the rock, we contemplated with dread
the colossal trees round us, which swayed and bent, sprinkling the
ground with their scattered boughs.
The sun set, pale and rayless, as if drowned in the ill-omened yellow
clouds. The wind kept puffing and blowing at intervals. A few minutes'
lull enabled us to collect a little grass, and then, seated side by
side, we watched the approach of night, dark, desolate, and starless;
but the comparative coolness of the atmosphere gave some little relief
to our exhausted lungs. Lucien went off to sleep; Sumichrast and
l'Encuerado tried to follow his example; Gringalet seemed afraid to go
far away, and crouched down at our feet. Ere long, I was the only one of
the party who was awake.
What an awful night! About nine o'clock the squalls ran riot with
unexampled violence; if it had not been for our shelter behind the rock,
we should surely have been swept away. From the forest beneath came a
roar like that of waves beating against a cliff; branches broke off
with an uproar sounding like a series of gun-shots, and the leaves,
driven by the wind, covered us with their _debris_. Every now and then
an inexplicable and increasing hoarse rumbling filled my mind with
anxiety. I listened, holding my breath with fear; the rumbling seemed to
approach, as if bringing with it new and unknown perils. Then suddenly,
prevailing over the tumult, a formidable crash made itself heard,
followed by a shock prolonged by the echoes; it was the fall of some
forest giant, vanquished by the hurricane. Sometimes one might have
fancied that a multitude of men were fighting together in the darkness
that no eye could pierce; there were plainly to be recognized the wild
cries of the conflict and the plaintive moans of the wounded; and then,
again, a fresh shock shook the earth, and deadened the outburst of the
mighty lament.
I must confess that at this moment I bitterly regretted having brought
Lucien; I remembered that my friends had predicted to me all the perils
which now threatened us. While listening to the uproar of the tempest, I
felt my resolution give way, and I had serious thoughts of returning to
Orizava the next day.
Towards midnight the storm abated a little, and, giving way to fatigue,
I fell asleep.
I had only just closed my eyes when I suddenly jumped up again, deafened
as if by a hundred claps of thunder joined in one. The darkness was as
thick as ever, and the wind was still more boisterous; the echo of the
fallen tree had scarcely died away before another colossus groaned and
fell. My companions were now all awake.
"What's the matter, M. Sumichrast?" asked Lucien, in a low tone.
"It is a hurricane, my boy."
"One might fancy that a giant was passing through the wood, shouting
and whistling, and breaking down all the trees as he went along."
"I wish that was all," replied Sumichrast; "but it's something much
worse; it is the south wind, the sirocco of the Mexican coast."
"Will it sweep us away, M. Sumichrast?"
"I hope not; thanks to the rock which shields us."
A tree now fell close to us, and covered us with dust. Clinging tightly
to one another, every moment brought with it a fresh anxiety. We dared
not speak of our feelings, for fear of frightening our young companion,
who pressed close up to me. Amidst the universal destruction going on,
it only needed a branch driven by the squall to dislodge our shelter,
for us to be swept away like chaff before the wind. I had witnessed many
a hurricane, but this fearful night exceeded all.
At last daylight appeared; the sun rose gloomily, and exposed the
disasters of the terrible night. On every side trees, broken and
uprooted, lay prostrate on the ground, or, half suspended by the
creepers entangled in their branches, were balanced like the formidable
_battering-rams_ of the ancients. Lucien was speechless at the sight
before his eyes. A sudden cracking noise was heard, and another forest
giant slowly bent over, and, describing a rapid curve, crushed its
branches against the ground; ten seconds destroyed the work of
centuries.
L'Encuerado attempted to go two or three yards beyond our rock; but,
surprised by a sudden gust, he had but just time to throw himself
prostrate on the ground to prevent being swept away. Something, however,
had to be done; it was no use trying to light a fire, and yet, after
yesterday's fast and a sleepless night, we felt great need of some
comforting beverage. The squalls gradually abated, but were still every
now and then violent. Intervals of profound silence succeeded to the
uproar of the storm, when the leaves were motionless; then we might have
fancied the tempest was over. But suddenly the frightful roar again
commenced, and the gale covered the ground with fresh fragments.
We were beginning to take courage a little, when a formidable crash
resounded above us; an enormous pine, growing on the mountain a hundred
feet over our heads, tottered and then fell, tumbling down the slope
with a horrible uproar. Quick as lightning, l'Encuerado seized Lucien,
and lay down with him along the foot of the rock; I and my friend
immediately followed his example. The fallen giant came crashing down in
rapid bounds, smashing every thing in its path, and accompanied in its
descent by masses of broken rock. It struck against the block that
sheltered us, which gave forth a dull sound, but fortunately resisted
the shock; and then the tree, clearing the obstacle with a prodigious
bound, continued its impetuous course down to the foot of the mountain.
We were nearly crushed by a perfect avalanche of stones which followed
in its wake.
I raised myself, not without emotion. The danger had been serious;
indeed, the enormous rock to which we owed our safety had slightly
swerved. If this accident had occurred in the middle of the night, the
fright would have driven us out of our place of shelter, and we should
certainly have been destroyed. I first returned thanks to God, and then
to l'Encuerado, who, being close to Lucien, had shielded the boy with
his own body. The child, who fully comprehended the danger, hung round
the Indian's neck.
"I shall tell mamma that you saved my life!" cried he, kissing
l'Encuerado.
The latter would have replied, but, affected by the caresses of his
young favorite, he could only press him in his arms, while two tears
trickled down his dark cheeks.
"His lordship, the wind, is very good to take so much trouble to show us
his power," exclaimed the Indian, addressing the wind, in order to hide
his emotion; "a grand miracle, indeed! to uproot a pine that was going
to die of old age, and to roll it down a mountain-side! Why, I could do
the same if I chose, with the help of my _machete_. Oh yes! blow away!
and knock down another tree on us, and then you'll thoroughly convince
us that the devil is your patron!"
In spite of the serious nature of the occurrence, Gringalet was the only
one among us who could hear this speech without a smile; and even the
dog rubbed up against the orator's legs, as if to show his approval of
all he had said.
The hurricane now subsided; but it was likely enough to redouble its
intensity at night, and reason dictated that we should take advantage of
the calm for moving onward. L'Encuerado resumed his load, and with a
watchful eye led the way up the mountain. I took Lucien by the hand; for
there was a danger that some tree which had been shaken by the storm
might suddenly fall across our path.
The heat, which continued to inconvenience us, rendered walking a very
laborious effort. The lips of our young companion were all cracked, and
he spoke with difficulty. We suffered dreadfully from thirst; but it was
necessary to bear it patiently, and to be very saving with the small
stock of water which still remained in our gourds. Soon we came upon the
spot where, an hour before, the tree had stood, the fall of which had so
nearly crushed us. A widely gaping hole exposed to our view the broken
roots of the colossus, and the earth round them was already dry. We
pushed on with much difficulty, exhausted, out of breath, and half
famished; for, since the night before, we had eaten nothing but some
morsels of maize-cake. Moreover, our eyes were so red and swollen that
we were perfectly disfigured.
"Oh, father, I am so tired!" said Lucien to me.
"So we all are, my poor boy; but we must pluck up our spirits again, and
keep on walking, for our lives depend on it."
"Father, I am so thirsty! and the water left in my gourd is quite warm."
"It will be better for you not to drink; for a few draughts of water
taken when walking increase perspiration, and make the thirst worse,
instead of quenching it."
The poor little fellow heaved a sigh, and crept closer to my friend, who
advised him to place in his mouth a small pebble, which alleviates
thirst by exciting salivation.
In spite of all our exertions, we made little or no advance, and a
profuse perspiration added to our exhaustion. Fortunately, every thing
seemed to indicate that the tempest was over. L'Encuerado led the way;
his manner appeared as if searching for something. At length I saw him
throw down his load and plunge into the thicket. Soon he reappeared,
with his hands full of a kind of mulberry, the fruit of the
sarsaparilla, the acid flavor of which much revived Lucien. We now
understood l'Encuerado's peculiar way of walking. He fancied he had
noticed a young shoot of this plant, and at first concealed the
discovery from us, fearing some deception. I can hardly describe the
pleasure that was afforded us by obtaining these berries in such a
welcome time. This shrub, with its vine-like and thorny stalk, abounded
on the steep slope.
We resumed our march in much better spirits, thanks to this God-send.
L'Encuerado filled his cap with them, and walked on bravely, with his
head bare. Another half-hour's climbing brought us to the verge of the
forest. Suddenly I lost sight of Gringalet. I called him several times,
and at last he emerged from a clump of shrubs, with his tail and muzzle
wet. Sumichrast rushed in search of the water, and soon cried out to us
in a joyous voice--
"A spring! a spring!"
We all tried who could get to it first. Under the foliage of
sarsaparilla our companion was kneeling down and catching in his hands a
little streamlet of limpid water, which was trickling from between two
rocks. With keen enjoyment, he was sprinkling it over his face and arms,
an example each of us soon imitated. At last I hurried our party away,
for the horrible roaring of the hurricane still seemed to din in my
ears, and as yet we had no shelter within our reach. After having filled
our gourds, we recommenced our climbing, enlivened by l'Encuerado, who
kept on congratulating Gringalet upon his discovery, and promising him,
as his reward, a whole series of good dinners.
[Illustration]
The hour was now approaching at which we feared that the hurricane
would recommence with redoubled violence; so it became highly necessary
to select a spot for our bivouac. Moss and lichens here covered the
rocks with a variegated carpet, and, in proportion as we ascended the
mountain, the cooler air relieved our lungs. At length our ascent came
to an end, and we found ourselves on a plateau dotted over with stunted
shrubs, distorted and twisted with the winds and storms. Fresh summits
rose in front of us, but they were too far off to cause us any fear.
Sumichrast halted near three gigantic stones, placed so as to leave a
space between them, in which we could encamp, as if in a fortress.
[Illustration: "Sumichrast halted near three gigantic stones."]
This spot we selected for our bivouac. The wind still blew in squalls,
but the increased clearing of the atmosphere gave us reason to hope that
we should have nothing more to fear from the hurricane. We all went in
search of firewood, and ere long after were enlivened by the gleam of an
immense fire.
At sunset, the glittering beams of the sun's very last rays reached our
camp. The sky was blue, and the air was fresh, so I abandoned the idea
of returning home. Night came on, a fine rain purified the air, and the
damp earth breathed forth a wholesome fragrance. Overcome by fatigue, we
wrapped ourselves up in our _sarapes_, and soon fell into a sound sleep.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]