THE LYNX.
In the course of the past few days certain events had taken place
in Araucania which we must explain. The policy adopted by General
Fuentes had produced the best results. The chiefs restored to liberty
had returned to their tribes, where they had warmly persuaded their
mosotones to conclude a definite peace. These persuasions had been
eagerly listened to.
The Huiliches, who asked no better than to resume the course of
their peaceful labours in safety, warmly gave their adhesion to the
conditions their Ulmens submitted to them.
A grand council was solemnly convoked on the banks of the Carampangne,
at the closing of which six deputies, chosen from among the wisest
and most respected chiefs, having at their head an Apo-Ulmen named
the Lynx, and followed by a thousand well-armed horsemen, were sent
to Antinahuel, in order to communicate to him the resolutions of the
council, and demand his assent.
When he perceived at a distance this numerous troop advancing amidst
clouds of dust, Antinahuel breathed a sigh of satisfaction, thinking
what a noble reinforcement was coming: for the malocca which he was so
anxious to attempt upon the Chilian frontier.
The troop which Antinahuel had perceived continued to approach, and
soon came within speaking distance. The Toqui then observed with secret
dissatisfaction that it was commanded by the Lynx, who had always
been tacitly opposed to him. When the horsemen had arrived within ten
paces of the camp the Lynx made a sign, and the troop halted; a herald
stopped in front of the chiefs, and saluted them respectfully.
"Toqui of the four Uthal-mapus," he said, in a loud voice, "and you
Ulmens who hear me--the Lynx, the venerated Apo-Ulmen of Arauca,
followed by six Ulmens no less celebrated than himself, is sent to
you to enjoin obedience to the orders emanating from the supreme
Auca-coyog."
After speaking thus the herald bowed respectfully and retired.
Antinahuel and his Ulmens looked at each other in astonishment, for
they could not comprehend what it all meant. The Toqui alone suspected
some treachery planned against himself; but his countenance remained
impassive, and he asked his Ulmens to accompany him to the council
fire. At the expiration of a minute the Lynx arose, made two steps
forward, and spoke as follows:--
"The grand Auca-coyog of Arauca, in the name of the people, to all
persons who are at the head of warriors, salutation! Certain that all
our compatriots keep their faith, we wish them peace in that genius
of goodness, in which alone reside true health and holy obedience.
This is what we have resolved: war has fallen unexpectedly upon our
rich plains, and has changed them into deserts; our harvests have been
trampled under the feet of horses, our cattle have been killed or
driven away by the enemy, our crops are lost, our toldos are burnt, our
wives and children have disappeared in the tempest. We will have no
more war, and peace must be immediately concluded with the palefaces. I
have spoken."
A profound silence followed this speech. Antinahuel's Ulmens were
struck with stupor, and looked towards their chief with great anxiety.
"And upon what conditions has this peace been concluded?" asked the
Toqui.
"The conditions are these," the Lynx replied; "Antinahuel will
immediately release the white prisoners; he will dismiss the army;
the Araucanos will pay the palefaces two thousand sheep, five hundred
vicunas, and eight hundred head of cattle; and the war hatchet is to be
buried."
"Hum!" said the Toqui with a bitter smile; "these are hard conditions.
If I should on my part refuse to ratify this shameful peace?"
"But my father will not refuse," the Lynx suggested.
"But I do refuse!" he replied, loudly.
"Good! my father will reflect; it is impossible that can be his last
word."
Antinahuel, cunning as he was, had no suspicion of the snare that was
laid for him.
"I repeat to you. Lynx," he said, in a loud voice, "and to all the
chiefs who surround me, that I refuse to ratify these dishonourable
conditions. So, now you can return whence you came."
"Not yet!" said the Lynx, in his turn, as sharply as the Toqui. "I have
not finished yet!"
"What else have you to tell me?"
"The council, which is composed of the wise men of all the tribes, has
foreseen the refusal of my father."
"Ah!" Antinahuel cried. "What have they decreed in consequence?"
"This: the hatchet of Toqui is withdrawn from my father; all the
Araucanian warriors are released from their oath of fidelity to him;
fire and water are refused to my father; he is declared a traitor to
his country, as are all those who do not obey, and remain with him.
The Araucanian nation will no longer serve as a plaything, and be the
victim of the wild ambition of a man unworthy of commanding it."
During this terrific peroration Antinahuel had remained motionless, his
arms crossed upon his breast.
"Have you finished?" he asked.
"I have finished," the Lynx replied; "now the herald will go and
proclaim in your camp what I have told you at the council fire."
"Well, let him go!" Antinahuel replied. "You are welcome to withdraw
from me the hatchet of Toqui. Of what importance is that vain dignity
to me? You may declare me a traitor to my country; I have on my side my
own conscience, which absolves me; but what you wish above all else to
have you shall not have and that is my prisoners. Farewell!"
And with a step as firm as if nothing had happened to him, he returned
to his camp. But there a great mortification awaited him. At the
summons of the herald all his warriors abandoned him. One after the
other, some with joy, others with sorrow. He who five minutes before
counted more than eight hundred warriors under his orders, saw their
numbers diminish so rapidly that soon only thirty-eight were left.
The Lynx called out an ironical farewell to him from a distance, and
departed at a gallop with all his troop. When Antinahuel counted the
small number of friends left to him, an immense grief weighed upon his
heart; he sank down at the foot of a tree, covered his face with his
poncho, and wept.
In the meantime, thanks to the facilities which the Linda had
procured Don Tadeo, the latter had been able for some days past to
approach Rosario. The presence of the man who had brought her up was
a great consolation to the young lady; but when Don Tadeo, who had
thenceforward no reasons for secrecy, confessed to her that he was her
father, an inexpressible joy took possession of the poor child. It
appeared to her that she now had no longer anything to dread, and that
since her father was with her she should easily escape the horrible
love of Antinahuel. The Linda, whom Don Tadeo allowed from pity to be
near her, beheld with childish joy the father and daughter talking
together.
This woman was really a mother, with all the devotedness and all the
abnegation which the title implies. She no longer lived for anything
but her daughter.
Whilst the events we have described were taking place, the three
Chilians, crouched in a corner of the camp, absorbed by their own
feelings, had attended to nothing--seen or heard nothing. Don Tadeo and
Rosario were seated at the foot of a tree, and at some distance the
Linda, without daring to mingle in their conversation, contemplated
them with delight. His first grief calmed, Antinahuel recovered
himself, and was as haughty and as implacable as ever. On raising his
eyes his looks fell mechanically upon his prisoners.
Antinahuel, whose attention was roused, had watched Maria carefully,
and was not long in acquiring the moral proof of a plot being laid
against him by his ancient accomplice. The Indian was too cunning to
let them be aware of his suspicions; still he held himself on his
guard, waiting for the first opportunity to change them into certainty.
He ordered his mosotones to tie each of his prisoners to a tree, which
order was immediately executed.
At sight of this, the Linda forgot her prudence; she rushed, dagger
in hand, towards the chief, and reproached him with his baseness.
Antinahuel disdained to reply to her reproaches; he merely snatched the
dagger from her hand, threw her down upon the ground, and ordered her
to be tied to a large post with her face turned towards the ground.
"Since my sister is so fond of the prisoners," he said "it is but just
that she should share their fate."
"Cowardly wretch!" she replied, vainly endeavouring to release herself.
The chief turned from her in apparent contempt; then, as he fancied
that he must reward the fidelity of the warriors who followed his
fortunes, he gave them several bottles of aguardiente. It was at the
end of these orgies that they were discovered by the count, thanks to
the sagacity of the Newfoundland dog.