"Very likely," he answered; "those ladrones would as willingly rob
English travellers who honour our country by a visit, as they would the
unfortunate Patriots or us poor Indians. The best thing we can do is to
push on."
The peons carried our valises, the most valuable part of our property.
We had our money in our pockets, with a brace of pistols apiece; and I
had my gun, which I had brought in case I should see anything to shoot.
"But what shall we do for provisions?" asked Mr Laffan.
"We shall find game enough on the road to supply all our wants,"
answered Manoel.
We agreed, therefore, to move forward as fast as we could. Domingo,
with the peons and our animals, if not captured, could easily follow and
overtake us at night.
"We are coming to the steepest part of our journey," said Manoel; "the
Spanish soldiers will have a difficulty in climbing up the path ahead."
Every now and then Mr Laffan looked back, and I kept looking
occasionally down the valley,--but not a sign of our attendants could I
discover. In a short time Manoel said that he observed the marks of
footsteps ahead. "They are those of a sillero carrying some person. We
shall soon overtake them."
Manoel, in his eagerness, soon distanced the other peon and Mr Laffan,
whose anxiety made him stop to ascertain whether our attendants were
coming. We were at this time mounting an excessively steep and narrow
path, with a tremendous precipice on one side, down which it made me
giddy to look: had I not had the most perfect confidence in my sillero,
I should infinitely have preferred to walk. I begged him, indeed, to
let me get off; but he always answered, "You are no weight; it makes not
the slightest difference to me. I feel my footing more secure with you
on my back." Shortly afterwards I heard him exclaim, "There they are!--
the savage brute!"
"Of whom do you speak?" I asked.
"Of the Spanish officer. He is digging his spurs into the side of my
poor brother, to make him go faster."
I glanced round, although it was somewhat difficult to do so; and there,
sure enough, I saw the captain whom we had met at the posada, seated in
a silla, and striking, now with one leg now with the other, at his
carrier, occasionally hitting him over the head with the back of his
hand. The Indian went on, as far as I could perceive, without
complaining; but the captain shouted "Go on--go on faster," and again
dug his spurs into the poor Indian.
Manoel groaned. I could hear him grind his teeth.
"How can you bear it?" he muttered. "The Spaniard may repent his
cruelty, though."
At the foot of the precipice, I should have said, rushed a fierce
torrent, roaring and foaming down the side of the mountain. Presently I
saw the sillero buttress himself, as it were, firmly with the iron-shod
stick with which he supported his steps. Again the Spaniard dug his
spurs into his side, asking him what he was doing, and, with a fearful
oath, shouted to him to go on. The Indian answered by a vigorous jerk
of his back, when I saw the Spaniard shot off, as from a catapult. The
next moment he was falling headlong down into the gulf, several hundred
feet below us. One fearful shriek rent the air; it was the only sound
the wretched man had time to utter before the breath, by the rapidity of
his fall, was taken from his body. It was the work of an instant. I
shut my eyes. It seemed like some terrible dream. The Spanish captain
was gone, though his voice still sounded in my ear.
Manoel stopped. "He has met the fate he deserved," he said.
"But the sillero will see you, and suppose you will inform against him."
Manoel answered with a low laugh. "He is my brother, and knows that the
secret is safe in my keeping. Can I trust you? No other creature saw
what has occurred."
"God saw him, and he is the avenger of blood," I answered.
"Would you have had my brother patiently submit to the cruelties
inflicted upon him?" asked Manoel.
"We have no right to take the life of a fellow-creature, except in
self-defence or open warfare," I replied. "But the secret is safe in my
keeping. I did not even see the face of the man who committed the deed,
and I know not who he was. I love the Spaniards as little as you do,
and I promise you I will not reveal the dreadful crime I have just
witnessed."
"I am grateful," answered Manoel; "for, to tell you the truth, had I
thought you capable of informing against my brother, I might have been
tempted, though much against my inclination, to serve you as he served
the Spaniard; but had I done so, I never should have been happy
afterwards."
I scarcely thought that Manoel was in earnest, and yet I believe that he
was so. His fidelity to his brother sillero would have been paramount
to every other consideration. Manoel was advancing as he spoke, but
when I looked round the sillero had disappeared, though I afterwards
caught a glimpse of him bounding up the rocks on the left, having hurled
his chair over the cliff.
It was some time before I could recover from the horrible scene I had
witnessed; and I debated in my own mind whether or not I should have
given the promise I had made to Manoel. One thing was certain,
however--I was bound to keep it.
When the path became less steep, I insisted on walking. Manoel, too,
though he had boasted of his strength, was obliged to stop and rest; and
at length the peons and Mr Laffan rejoined us. The latter was still
anxious about the rest of the party, and declared that it would be
impossible for the horses to mount the steep path by which we had come.
He thought that even the mules could scarcely do it, supposing that they
had not been overtaken by the Spaniards.
I had not, of course, told him how our chief cause of anxiety was
removed, and that we need no longer fear discovery on our arrival at
Bogota.
"When the Spaniards are driven away, and a Liberal government is
established, we must have a good road over these mountains," exclaimed
Mr Laffan. "It is a disgrace to a civilised country, that no better
means of communication exists between the capital and her most fertile
districts."
At last, as evening approached, Manoel selected a spot for encamping,
and we made the usual preparations. We enjoyed a magnificent scene. As
far as the eye could range were mountains clothed with immense forests,
into which man had never penetrated. About a couple of hundred feet
below us ran a sparkling stream, towards which, while the peon was
employed in collecting wood for the fire, Manoel made his way, to fill a
leathern bottle with water. I accompanied him with my gun, followed by
Lion, hoping to shoot some birds for supper.
We had gone a little way along the bank, when a wild turkey got up. I
fired, and brought it to the ground. Manoel ran forward to secure it,
but just before he reached it he stopped and beckoned to me. As he did
so I saw a huge jaguar, which had been drinking at the stream, not two
hundred yards from us. I had, as a sportsman should, reloaded my gun
before moving. The only weapon Manoel possessed, besides the manchette
at his girdle, was his sharp-pointed staff,--not calculated for an
encounter with so powerful a beast. The jaguar, having seen the turkey
fall, crept on to seize it. I advanced as rapidly as I dared, keeping
my gun ready for instant use. Lion would have rushed forward to get the
bird had I not ordered him to remain at my heels, for, powerful as he
was, a blow from the jaguar's paw would have been too much for him.
The jaguar seemed determined not to be disappointed of the turkey, and
would probably, I thought, spring at Manoel. The difficulty was to
avoid wounding him in shooting at the jaguar. Manoel stood ready for
action, with his staff in his hand. He dared not for a moment withdraw
his eye from the jaguar, which, had he done so, would immediately have
sprung upon him. I called to him, telling him I was coming, in case he
might not have heard my footsteps. The jaguar was all the time creeping
up, threatening at any moment to spring, and I was about twelve yards
behind Manoel when the brute began to bound forward. Manoel leapt on
one side. Now or never, I must gain the victory, or both my companion
and I might lose our lives. I fired. The jaguar bounded into the air,
then fell over on its side.
Manoel dashed forward and plunged his stick into the creature's neck,
pinning it to the ground; then drawing his manchette, he quickly
terminated its existence. We left it where it lay, for we could not
have carried its skin, even had we taken the trouble of flaying it.
Near the top of the hill we met Mr Laffan, who had witnessed the
encounter.
"Bravo, Duncan! you behaved famously; and Manoel too--he is a fine
fellow. All the same, the turkey is welcome, for I am terribly hard
set."
We soon had the bird roasting before the fire. It was, however, but a
moderate supper for four people and a dog, and I was sorry that I had
not succeeded in killing another turkey.
Mr Laffan kept constantly jumping up and looking down the path by which
we had come, in the hope of seeing our attendants; and just as the
shades of evening were creeping over the mountains, he exclaimed, "There
they are!--I hope I am not mistaken."
I could see several persons and animals winding round the side of the
hill, so I called to Manoel, and asked him if he thought they were our
friends.
"If they are Spaniards, senor, we shall be wise to move forward, for
they will treat you with but little ceremony, I suspect."
Manoel descended to a point from whence he could observe the approaching
party without being seen, and in a short time returned and relieved our
anxiety by assuring us that they were our friends. It was some time,
however, before they reached our camp.
They had been delayed by their efforts to rescue one of the mules which
had slipped over a precipice and got pitched in a tree; from which,
wonderful to relate, it was drawn up uninjured. The Spanish commandant,
we therefore concluded, had not thought fit to send in chase of us.
During the night we heard the roar of jaguars and other wild animals;
but as we kept up a blazing fire, we were not molested. In the morning,
just as we were about to start, I shot two wild turkeys; and had we had
time to spare, I might have killed several more. As we proceeded we saw
several tracks of bears and jaguars, perfectly fresh.
The next day we reached the Paramo, on the summit of the Cordilleras,
thirteen thousand feet above the level of the sea. We caught sight of
numbers of wild asses, which inhabit this mountainous region. The hoof
of the animal is divided like that of a pig. They are very shy, so that
even the Indians are seldom able to approach near enough to kill them;
and they are also very swift of foot.
We crossed the Paramo in safety, and continued our journey for several
days without any further adventure.
The views, as we descended the mountains, were magnificent. We could
see the Cordilleras on the opposite side of the plain of Bogota, seventy
or eighty miles off; while north and south rose prodigious heights, with
apparently perpendicular sides, their bases covered with thick, gloomy
forests, which appeared perfectly impenetrable. As we looked back, it
seemed impossible that we should have crossed the range. Frequently we
passed through dark gorges piercing the forests, two miles in length,
and not more than three or four feet wide, the vegetation on either side
being most luxuriant.
We had to be on our guard against bruising our legs by pieces of rock;
or getting our clothes torn by the long thorns of the bamboos; or being
knocked off our mules--for we had again mounted--by the branches of
trees. We met a party of peons conveying salt on the backs of oxen to
Cartage. The cargoes were small, and placed in such a manner as to
enable the animals to pass through these narrow places. Fortunately
there was an opening near the spot, or we should have been unable to
pass each other.
At last we reached a tambo, or shed, built for the use of travellers--
the first sign of civilisation we had met since we left the western side
of the Cordilleras.
We were now once more in a warmer region. Butterflies of large size,
covered with orange-coloured spots, fluttered about; and red monkeys
leapt from tree to tree, frequently coming down to make grimaces at us.
Another day's journey brought us to a cottage inhabited by peasants, who
gave us a satisfactory welcome.
At length we reached the place where we were to part from our silleros
and peons, and continue our journey on horseback.
"I hope that we shall meet again," I said to Manoel, who had won my
regard.
"We shall, senor, it may be, if you do not soon leave the country,"
replied Manoel, looking earnestly at me.
"I may stay longer than I at first intended," I said.
Manoel and the rest of our attendants were well satisfied with the
payment we had made them.
Mr Laffan and I, with Domingo, now continued our journey on horseback,
the roads being tolerable. But, eager as we were to reach Bogota, we
agreed that it would be wise, the better to keep up our assumed
character, to visit the waterfall of Tequendama, which was not far out
of our direct road. It is formed by the river Bogota, which is
hereabouts sixty yards in breadth.
As soon as we got within a mile or so of it, we obtained a guide to show
us the way. At a height of six hundred feet above the plain of Bogota,
we enjoyed a magnificent view, embracing the various windings of the
river, several large lakes, and enormous forests--the city in the
distance, backed by a range of bold mountains. Thence we began to
descend towards the waterfall, the sides of the hill being abrupt and
slippery. We passed through a grand, gloomy forest, the lofty boughs of
the trees sheltering us from the rays of the hot sun. All was silent,
except the deep, fine note of the tropiole, which was occasionally
heard; while through the openings we caught sight of other birds of
brilliant plumage, which here live unmolested.
Leaving our horses, the dominie and I descended a couple of hundred feet
to a spot where the "Salto," as it is called, burst on our view, rushing
down between two mountains until it attains the edge of a precipice,
whence the vast body of water is precipitated into a mighty abyss below.
The chasms through which such falls issue are known in the country as
barancas. The sides, consisting of reddish granite, rise almost
perpendicularly. The height of the whole fall may be nearly one
thousand feet, but the single fall in front of us was calculated to be
about six hundred feet.
We stood on the bank of the precipice for some minutes, not daring to
speak: indeed, the sound of the falling water completely drowned our
voices when we made the attempt; the sensation in our ears being as if a
thousand pieces of artillery were discharged close to us. The ground
trembled beneath our feet, our eyes were dazzled by the sparkling spray,
and our senses felt confused, as the mighty volume of water rushed down
before us, between the perpendicular rocks, into the chasm at their
base. The overwhelming body of water, as it left its upper bed, formed
a broad arch, smooth and glossy. A little lower down it assumed a
fleecy form; and then shot forth in millions of tubular shapes, which
chased each other more like sky-rockets than anything else to which I
can compare them. The changes were as singularly beautiful as they were
varied, in consequence of the difference in gravitation, and rapid
evaporation, which was taking place before the waters reached the
bottom. Dense clouds of vapour rose for a considerable height, mingling
with the atmosphere, and presenting in their descent the most brilliant
rainbows. From the rocky sides of the immense basin hung shrubs and
bushes, while numerous springs and tributary streams added their mite to
the grand effect. The water at the bottom then rushed impetuously along
a stony bed, over which hung various trees, and was lost beyond a dark
turn in the rock. From the level of the river where we stood, the
hills, completely covered with wood, rose to a great height; while
through the only opening amid them we observed the distant mountains in
the province of Antioquia, their summits clothed with perpetual snow.
Hovering over the fearful chasm were various birds of the most beautiful
plumage, peculiar to the spot, and differing from any I had seen before.
Our guide told us that some philosophical gentlemen, in order to
ascertain the tremendous force of the torrent, had once compelled an
unfortunate bullock to descend it; but that, excepting a few bones, not
a vestige of the animal could afterwards be found at the bottom.
"It is worth coming all the way from England to behold such a scene as
this," observed Mr Laffan to our guide, as he put a piece of money into
the man's hand. "The young milord is highly pleased."
The guide took care to inform some persons whom he found at the top of
the hill, and who were going to Bogota, of the opinion I had formed; and
they of course entertained no suspicion that I was any other than a
young English lord travelling with his tutor. This was a great
advantage to us, as it prevented puzzling questions being asked.
Mr Laffan, however, continued to express his fears that the Spanish
captain might have preceded us, and given notice to the authorities of
our coming.
I, of course, said nothing of having witnessed the man's terrible end,
as I had resolved to keep the fearful secret locked in my own bosom.
Probably, even had I mentioned it, very little trouble would have been
taken to search out the culprit and bring him to justice.