The place into which I had crawled was of irregular outlines. Rocks
jutted along the sides, and between these, small lateral shafts had been
dug, where the miners had followed the ramifications of the "quixa."
The cave was not a deep one; the vein had not proved profitable, and had
been abandoned for some other.
I kept up it till I was fairly "in the dark"; and then groping against
one side, I found a recess, in which I ensconced myself. By peeping
round the rock, I could see out of the cave and some distance over the
bottom of the barranca, where the bushes grew thin and straggling.
I had hardly seated myself when my attention was called to a scene that
was passing outside. Two men on their hands and knees were crawling
through the cactus plants in front of the cave. Beyond them half a
dozen savages on horseback were beating the thicket, but had not yet
seen the men. These I recognised easily. They were Gode and the
doctor. The latter was nearer me; and as he scrambled on over the
shingle something started out of the rocks within reach of his hand. I
noticed that it was a small animal of the armadillo kind. I saw him
stretch forward, clutch it, and with a pleased look deposit it in a bag
that was by his side. All this time the Indians were whooping and
yelling behind him, and not fifty yards distant.
Doubtless the animal was of some new species, but the zealous naturalist
never gave it to the world. He had scarcely drawn forth his hand again
when a cry from the savages announced that he and Gode were discovered,
and the next moment both lay upon the ground pierced with lances, and to
all appearance dead!
Their pursuers now dismounted with the intention of scalping them. Poor
Reichter! his cap was pulled off; the bleeding trophy followed, and he
lay with the red skull towards the cave--a hideous spectacle!
Another Indian had alighted, and stood over the Canadian with his long
knife in his hand. Although pitying my poor follower, and altogether in
no humour for mirth, knowing what I did, I could not help watching the
proceedings with some curiosity.
The savage stood for a moment, admiring the beautiful curls that
embellished the head of his victim. He was no doubt thinking what
handsome fringes they would make for his leggings. He appeared to be in
ecstasies of delight; and from the flourishes which he made with his
knife, I could see that it was his intention to skin the whole head!
After cutting several capers around it, he stooped and grasped a fistful
of curls; but, before he had touched the scalp with his blade, the hair
lifted off, displaying the white and marble-like skull!
With a cry of terror, the savage dropped the wig, and, running backward,
fell over the body of the doctor. The cry attracted his, comrades; and
several of them, dismounting, approached the strange object with looks
of astonishment. One, more courageous than the rest, picked up the wig,
which they all proceeded to examine with curious minuteness.
Then, one after another went up to the shining skull and passed his
fingers over its smooth surface, all the while uttering exclamations of
surprise. They tried on the wig, took it off, and put it on again,
turning it in various ways. At length, he who claimed it as his
property pulled off his plumed head-dress and, adjusting the wig upon
his own head, front backward, stalked proudly around, with the long
curls dangling over his face.
It was altogether a curious scene, and, under other circumstances, might
have amused me. There was something irresistibly comic in the puzzled
looks of the actors; but I had been too deeply affected by the tragedy
to laugh at the farce. There was too much of horror around me. Seguin
perhaps dead; she gone for ever, the slave of the brutal savage. My own
peril, too, at the moment; for I knew not how soon I might be discovered
and dragged forth. This affected me least of all. My life was now of
little value to me, and so I regarded it.
But there is an instinct, so-called, of self-preservation, even when the
will ceases to act. Hopes soon began to shape themselves in my mind,
and along with these the wish to live. Thoughts came. I might organise
a powerful band; I might yet rescue her. Yes! even though years might
intervene, I would accomplish this. She would still be true! She would
never forget!
Poor Seguin! what a life of hope withered in an hour! he himself sealing
the sacrifice with his blood!
But I would not despair, even with his fate for a warning. I would take
up the drama where he had ended. The curtain should rise upon new
scenes, and I would not abandon the stage until I had accomplished a
more joyous finale; or, failing this, had reached the denouement of
death or vengeance.
Poor Seguin! No wonder he had been a scalp-hunter. I could now
understand how holy was his hate for the ruthless red man. I, too, had
imbibed the passion.
With such reflections passing hastily--for the scene I have described,
and the sequent thoughts, did not occupy much time--I turned my eyes
inwards to examine whether I was sufficiently concealed in my niche.
They might take it into their heads to search the shaft.
As I endeavoured to penetrate the gloom that extended inwards, my gaze
became riveted on an object that caused me to shrink back with a cold
shudder. Notwithstanding the scenes I had just passed through, this was
the cause of still another agony.
In the thick of the darkness I could distinguish two small spots, round
and shining. They did not scintillate, but rather glistened with a
steady greenish lustre. I knew that they were eyes!
I was in the cave with a panther, or with a still more terrible
companion, the grizzly bear!
My first impulse was to press back into the recess where I had hidden
myself. This I did, until my back leaned against the rocks. I had no
thoughts of attempting to escape out. That would have been from the
frying-pan into the fire, for the Indians were still in front of the
cave. Moreover, any attempt to retreat would only draw on the animal,
perhaps at that moment straining to spring.
I cowered closely, groping along my belt for the handle of my knife. I
clasped this at length, and drawing it forth, waited in a crouching
attitude.
During all this time my eyes had remained fixed on the lustrous orbs
before me.
I saw that they were fixed upon mine, and watched me without as much as
winking.
Mine seemed to be possessed of abstract volition. I could not take them
off. They were held by some terrible fascination; and I felt, or
fancied, that the moment this should be broken, the animal would spring
upon me.
I had heard of fierce brutes being conquered by the glance of the human
eye, and I endeavoured to look back my _vis-a-vis_ with interest.
We sat for some time, neither of us moving an inch. I could see nothing
of the animal's body; nothing but the green gleaming circles that seemed
set in a ground of ebony.
As they had remained motionless so long, I conjectured that the owner of
them was still lying in his lair, and would not make his attack until
something disturbed him; perhaps until the Indians had gone away.
The thought now occurred to me that I might better arm myself. I knew
that a knife would be of little avail against a grizzly bear. My pistol
was still in my belt, but it was empty. Would the animal permit me to
load it? I resolved to make the attempt.
Still leaving my eyes to fulfil their office, I felt for my flask and
pistol, and finding both ready, I commenced loading. I proceeded with
silence and caution, for I knew that these animals could see in the
dark, and that in this respect my _vis-a-vis_ had the advantage of me.
I felt the powder in with my finger, and pushing the ball on top of it,
rolled the cylinder to the right notch, and cocked.