It was very hot, but I did not notice it as I walked slowly and
thoughtfully on. The sun was kept from beating down upon me by the
dense foliage, but there was a steamy heat arising that at another time
I should have felt oppressive. The country was so completely in a state
of nature all around that half a mile from the hacienda one almost
seemed to be traversing places where the foot of man had never trod.
But nothing seemed then to take my attention, for I was forcing myself
to remember that I was to think no more about Lilla; and at last I had
worked myself round to believe that I should respect the promise given
to my uncle, while I devoted myself to a project that had fixed itself
in my mind--a project full of romance and imagination, one that might
make me wealthy--in a position wherein I could laugh at Garcia's
pretensions and boldly ask my uncle's consent, for I was hopeful of
obtaining Lilla's. I was poor now, but need not remain so. Suppose by
one grand stroke I could possess myself of the riches of a prince--how
then?
The thought of it all was so exciting that I strode on, rapt in the
golden vision, till reason pointed out two obstacles: I might not
succeed; and even if I did succeed, I might be too late and find that
Garcia had won the prize we both had coveted.
"I'll try, though," I muttered.
And then I laughed bitterly as I thought of my uncle's warning. I was
not afraid of Garcia, for he was at heart, I knew, a coward; but until I
was in a position to come forward I felt sadly that my duty was to avoid
Lilla--to leave all to the future; for, with the chances of failure so
strongly opposed to me, it would not have been fair to have asked her to
wait for what might never come to pass; and then, with the recollection
of my beggarly position taunting me, I told myself bitterly that I might
as well go back home and turn soap-boiler, and not stay out there
indulging in golden dreams.
It was a scene almost of enchantment where I stood musing, but the
beauties around had no charms for me. I was too much engrossed with the
thoughts of old readings respecting the region in which I then was. I
was recalling its history and the assertions of old writers respecting
its wealth in gems and the precious metals. I did not see that now and
then a timid deer had gazed at me for a moment and then bounded away
through the brake; neither that again and again a deadly cascabel had
glided, worm-like, almost from beneath my feet, uttering a low, ominous
hiss as it wriggled away through the tall grass. Gorgeously-painted
butterflies, grand in size, fluttered before me, to settle here and
there upon some blossom bright as themselves, and then flit away again
through the shadowy, golden-rayed forest arcades. Gem-like
humming-birds darted here and there, while hardly less bright parroquets
of many a hue shrieked, whistled, and climbed in restless fashion
around. Once there was a heavy, scuffling noise, and a small alligator
dashed away towards a creek; but I could see nothing but gold--gold that
should make me rich and win for me Lilla's love--a love that I dared to
hope was mine already, even though I was but a beggarly adventurer.
Gold--always gold--everything was gilded; and through the golden haze
that seemed to glow around me I saw a golden future of brightness, and
happiness, and love. I grew more and more excited with the thoughts
that pressed upon me, and at last, with a sensation of triumph, I
exclaimed aloud:
"History shall be my divining-rod and the earth shall yield up her
treasures! I shall not be the first adventurer to the golden mines who
has brought home treasures; only that, if I win, I shall also gain a
treasure greater far than those of old, for Lilla will also be my
prize."
This was the kind of mental stilt-talking I indulged in that day, seeing
only the golden side. No doubt it seems very romantic and silly to the
reader; but I have known young men, taken badly with that distemper
called first love, just as romantic and excitable. In fact, many of us
as we grow older recall our sensations, acts, and deeds, felt and
performed during that strange delirium, with something like a smile upon
our lips, though at the time every reader will agree with me I was
somewhat of a goose.
I was romantic enough, and could only see the golden side; but there was
a future before me such as I could not dream of--a reverse, terrible,
thrilling, and enough, could I have penetrated the unknown, to have made
me turn shuddering away, daring not, for the sake of others, to
prosecute searches whose results would have been too terrible to
contemplate.
Rousing myself from my reverie, with my mind fully made up as to my
future proceedings, I looked round, to find that I was but a very short
distance from the hacienda, in a beautiful part of the forest that my
uncle had as yet spared, but which he talked of, before long, clearing
and adding to the plantation which it bounded.
I walked on for a dozen yards, parting the undergrowth as I went,
walking cautiously now, for I had suddenly awakened to the fact that
there might be danger in every bush or tuft of luxuriant, reedy grass;
but there was, I knew, a beaten track a little farther on which led to
the plantation, through which I meant to return.
And then, fifty yards through the dense vegetation, I came upon a
creek--a mere ditch--leading to the river, half full of marshy growth,
when, walking back a few yards for impetus, I ran from the bank, and was
in the act of leaping the creek when every nerve seemed to thrill with a
horrible sense of chilling dread, as beneath my feet there was a rushing
rustling noise, mingled with the splashing of mud and water, the reedy
grass bent and waved in different directions, and, though invisible to
me, it was evident that some hideous beast--reptile, or whether serpent
or cayman I could not tell--was retreating towards the river, perhaps
only to turn upon me the next moment.
The danger was not visible; but unseen perils are sometimes more
dreadful than those we meet face to face, when the imagination does not
magnify the horror.
At any rate, with my heart beating heavily I alighted amongst the grass
on the other side, dashed on, and a few minutes after was in the track,
down which I turned, but only to stop spell-bound the next minute, as I
reached a flowery opening across which lay the decaying huge trunk of a
large fallen tree.
The place was a dense thicket all around of bright-hued blossoms, with
their attendant train of bird and gorgeous insect. Huge trees threw
their sheltering arms across, to break up the sun's rays into golden
showers, which flecked and danced upon every verdant spot; but the great
beauty of the scene which held me there was the sight of Lilla seated
upon the fallen trunk, her little straw hat hanging from one
muslin-covered arm by the knotted strings, and a little basket filled to
overflowing with bright-hued flowers fallen at her feet.
I could not move nor speak for a few minutes, and then I was hesitating
as to what I should do: avoid every meeting such as this out of respect
to my promise, or warn her that but a short distance back I had come
upon some hidden danger.
"She will laugh at me," I thought. "She is so used to hear of the
forest inhabitants; and besides, after all, I did not see anything; it
may only have been some timid animal escaping. I will go back another
way."
In spite of myself a sigh escaped me as I gazed at the graceful form;
and then, as I leaned forward it seemed to me that her attitude was
unnatural and strained--that she was gazing intently upwards, as if at
something a short distance above her head. I took a step forward--
another and another, but she did not move; when, following the direction
of her gaze, I found her eyes were fixed with a strange fascination at
the great bough above her--a huge gnarled and knotted bough, with here
and there a tuft of foliage upon it, while its great thick bark was
tinted and shady with rich brown and umber mosses, and--
"Good heavens!" I ejaculated, and then I was speechless. A sense of
horror was constricting my heart. I was, as it were, fixed to the
ground where I stood, hardly able to breathe, for as I had gazed at the
rich marking on the great knotted limb a strange shuddering vibration
had passed through it--it was in motion for many feet along its thickest
part, and the umber markings glistened; for they were upon the scaly
skin of a huge serpent, lying in many a fold and convolution upon the
mighty bough.
What did it mean--what was going to happen?
I could not tell; but a deadly sickness came over me--a cold clammy
perspiration bedewed my limbs. I could only see as through a mist, but
plainly enough I could make out that fold was gliding over fold in a
horrible lacing and enlacing of gigantic knots, till slowly the
reptile's head was thrust forward, with a gentle waving motion, rising
from amidst a tuft of leaves; and then, as the gliding of the folds
continued, the head descended in a slow, waving, swinging fashion, foot
after foot nearer and nearer to Lilla, a forked tongue flashing and
playing about the frightful jaws, and the hideous eyes fascinating the
poor girl, so that I saw her gradually moving towards it.
Slowly, and ever rising and falling, the huge serpent's head was lowered
foot after foot of its vast length while fold after fold was gliding
over the bough, and all this while I stood fixed to the earth as in the
nightmare of a horrible dream.