THE BLACK SERPENTS.
As soon as Curumilla and Valentine had been awakened, they saddled
the horses, then the Indians sat down by the fire, making a sign to
the Frenchmen to imitate them. The count was driven to despair by the
slowness of his friends; if he had only listened to his own feelings,
he would have instantly set out in pursuit of the ravishers; but he
could not help seeing how necessary the support of the Ulmens must be
to him in the decisive struggle he was about to undertake, whether for
attack, defence, or following the track of the Aucas.
After a tolerably long interval, employed by our four personages in
conscientiously burning their tobacco leaf, the last, Trangoil-Lanec
spoke--
"The warriors are numerous," he said, "therefore we cannot hope to
conquer by force. Since we have been upon their track many events must
have occurred; we ought to ascertain what Antinahuel means to do with
his prisoners, and whether they are really in danger. Antinahuel is
ignorant of the ties which connect me with those who are in his power,
he will not suspect me."
"Very well!" said Curumilla, "my brother is prudent, he will succeed.
But let him carefully calculate his actions and his words whilst he is
amongst them."
Valentine looked at his foster brother with astonishment.
"What does all this mean?" he asked. "Is Antinahuels track found again?"
"Yes, brother," Louis replied, in a melancholy tone, "Doña Rosario and
her father are within half a league of us, and in danger of death!"
"Vive Dieu!" the young man cried, "and we are here prating."
"Alas!" Louis murmured, "what can four men do against fifty?"
"That is too true," he replied, returning dejectedly to his place. "As
Trangoil-Lanec says, fighting will not avail us, we must manoeuvre."
"Chief," Louis observed, "your plan is good, but I think of two
material ameliorations."
"My brother can speak, he is wise," Trangoil-Lanec replied, bowing
courteously.
"We must provide against all that may happen. Go to the camp, we will
follow your steps; but if you cannot rejoin us as quickly as we may
wish, agree upon a signal which may inform us why, and agree also upon
another signal in case your life may be in danger."
"Very well," said Curumilla; "if the chief requires our presence, he
will imitate the cry of the water-hawk; if he is obliged to remain with
the Aucas the song of the goldfinch will warn us of it."
"That is settled," Trangoil-Lanec answered; "but what is my brother's
second observation?"
The count rummaged in his haversack, took out some paper, wrote a few
words upon a sheet, which he folded and handed to the chief, saying--
"It is particularly important that those whom we wish to deliver should
not thwart our plans; perhaps Don Tadeo may not recognise my brother.
The chief will slip this necklace into the hands of the young pale
woman."
"That shall be done; the young blue-eyed maiden shall have the
necklace, the chief replied with a smile.
"Well, now," said Curumilla, "let us take the track."
"Yes, time presses," said Valentine.
Towards the evening of the second day, Trangoil-Lanec, leaving his
companions to establish their encampment upon the declivity of a little
hill, at the entrance of a natural grotto, clapped spurs to his horse,
and was soon out of sight. He directed his course towards the spot
where the Black Serpents had stopped for the night--a spot announced
to the clear-sighted Indian by a thin thread of white smoke. When he
arrived at a certain distance from the camp, the chief saw two Indian
Black Serpents suddenly spring up before him, clothed in their war
costume.
"Where is my brother going?" one of the Black Serpents asked, advancing
towards him.
"Good!" the chief replied, throwing his gun, which he held in his left
hand, on his shoulder. "Trangoil-Lanec has recognised the trail of his
brothers the Black Serpents, and he wishes to smoke at their fire."
"My brother will follow me," the Indian remarked.
He made an imperceptible sign to his companion, who quitted his hiding
place. Trangoil-Lanec followed them, casting around an apparently
careless glance. In a few minutes they reached the camp, whose
situation was admirably chosen.
The arrival of the warrior created a stir in the camp, which was,
however, quickly repressed. Trangoil-Lanec was conducted into the
presence of the chief, and as his reputation was high among his
compatriots, Antinahuel, to do him honour, received him in the most
elevated part or the camp. The two chiefs saluted each other.
"Is my brother Antinahuel hunting with his young men?" asked
Trangoil-Lanec.
"Yes," the Toqui replied, laconically.
"Has my brother been fortunate in his hunting?"
"Very fortunate," said Antinahuel, with a sinister smile; "let my
brother open his eyes."
"Wah!" said Trangoil-Lanec, "palefaces! My brother has had good sport
indeed; he will get a heavy ransom for his prisoners."
"The toldo of Antinahuel is solitary--he wants a squaw to inhabit it."
"Good! I understand; my brother will take one of the pale women."
"The blue-eyed maiden will be the wife of a chief."
"Wah! but why does my brother detain the Great Eagle?"
Antinahuel only replied by a smile, the expression of which the chief
could not mistake.
"Oh, good!" he rejoined; "my brother is a great chief--who is able to
fathom his thoughts?"
The Araucano warrior rose, quitted Antinahuel, and walked about the
camp, the order and position of which he feigned to admire, but in
reality he drew nearer and nearer, in an almost imperceptible manner,
to that part at which the prisoners were seated.
"Let my brother look," Antinahuel said, pointing to Doña Rosario; "does
not that woman deserve to espouse a chief?"
"She is pretty!" Trangoil-Lanec replied, coldly; "But I would give all
the palefaces in the world for one bottle of such firewater as I have
here."
"Has my brother some firewater?" Antinahuel asked, whose eyes sparkled
at the thought.
"Yes," the chief replied; "look!"
The Toqui turned round, and the Aucas profited by the movement to
cleverly let fall upon Rosario's lap the paper committed to his charge
by Louis.
"Look!" he said "the sun is sinking, the maukawis is singing his first
evening song; my brother will follow me, he and his warriors will empty
these bottles."
The two chiefs walked away, and a few minutes after all the Indians
were satisfactorily employed in emptying the bottles brought by the
Ulmen.
Doña Rosario could not at first imagine what a message sent to her in
such a curious manner could mean, and she looked at her father.
"Read, my Rosario!" Don Tadeo said, softly.
The young girl tremblingly took the note, opened it, and read it with
a secret joy. It contained only these few laconic words, but they were
sufficient to cause a smile.
"Take courage, señorita, we are preparing everything for saving you at
last."
After having read, or rather devoured these words, she gave the note to
her father.
"Who can this friend be who is watching over us? What can he do?"
"Why should we doubt the infinite goodness of God, my child?" said Don
Tadeo. "Ungrateful girl! Have you forgotten the two brave Frenchmen?"
The young girl smiled through her tears, leaning fondly upon her father.
The Linda could not suppress a feeling of jealousy at this caress of
which she had no share; but the hope that her daughter would soon be
liberated, rendered her quite happy.
In the meantime the Indians continued drinking. Many of the Aucas were
in a helpless state of intoxication. Trangoil-Lanec and Antinahuel were
at length the only drinkers. But even the strength of the renowned
Toqui was not of avail against the insidious poison he quaffed so
greedily; his eyes closed, and he fell backwards--fast asleep.
Trangoil-Lanec waited for a few moments, carefully surveying the camp
in which he and the prisoners were the only persons awake; then, when
he had ascertained to a certainty that the Black Serpents had really
allowed themselves to be caught in the snare he had laid for them, he
rose cautiously, made a sign of encouragement to the prisoners, and
disappeared into the forest.
"Is that an enemy or a friend?" murmured the Linda anxiously.
"Oh, I have long known that man!" replied Don Tadeo; "his is a noble
heart! He is devoted body and soul to our friends."