CHAPTER FIFTY FIVE.
SUNRISE IN THE TROPICS.
On the fourth day after the siege of Huajapam, let the reader fancyhimself transported to the banks of the Ostuta, where he will behold oneof the most magnificent natural landscapes of American scenery.
The sun has not yet risen, and the _maipouri_ (tapir), before seekinghis forest lair, plunges once more under the shadowy waves of the river.The Mexican roebuck, more timid than the tapir, trembling at theslightest sound among the leaves, watches while drinking for the firstsigns of daybreak--its signal to conceal itself in the thickets ofsassafras and tall ferns. The solitary heron, standing statue-like uponits long legs, and the red flamingoes ranged in silent ranks, await, onthe contrary, the coming of the dawn to commence their matutinalfishery.
There is a profound silence over all, save those vague sounds heard atthis hour even in the most solitary places--where the different guestsof the forest, according to their nature, are either awaking to begintheir day, or retiring to their haunts for rest and concealment.
Although the darkness of night has disappeared, the eye cannot yet makeout, amidst the whitish vapour that overhangs the stream, with whatspecies of vegetation its banks are adorned. The crowns of palm-treesrising high above the other foliage--like noble knights of the oldentime above the melee of common warriors--can alone be distinguished. Toa superficial observer, the banks of the Ostuta might appear as much ofa solitude as in those days before the children of Europe had set footupon American soil; but the eye of one scrutinising the scene morenarrowly would discover this deserted appearance to be altogether adeception.
Along the right bank of the river--near its main crossing--might bedistinguished a number of scattered fires, scintillating through thenocturnal vapour, like stars in a cloud-covered sky.
On the left bank also, and opposite the first, others appear,irregularly gleaming along the edge of the river. Both lines of firesbetoken an encampment--the same, though separated into two divisions bythe stream.
At a considerable distance from the crossing, and contiguous to the roadleading from Huajapam to the hacienda Del Valle, in the midst of alittle glade, might be seen a group of eight horsemen, at the momentapparently engaged in some consultation among themselves. Still nearerto the river, and at the distance of some three or four hundred yardsfrom this group, two pedestrian travellers appeared, cautiouslyadvancing along the road, where it wound through an extensive wood ofguiacum and cedrela trees.
Finally, between the eight horsemen and the two foot travellers, and atabout mid-distance from each party, a single individual might have beenseen, who could not be called either horseman or pedestrian, and whocould neither be said to be occupied in any way. In fact, thispersonage was fast asleep, though in a most singular situation andattitude: that is to say, fast bound with a scarf of scarlet silkbetween the two main branches of a tree, and at a height of over tenfeet from the ground.
The thick foliage so completely concealed him, however, that an Indianspy might have passed under the tree without suspecting his presence.
The individual who occupied this aerial couch was no other than ColonelDon Rafael Tres-Villas.
There are occasions when extreme bodily fatigue has the effect ofcausing apprehension in the spirit; and Don Rafael had found himself inone of these occasions.
Wearied, after three days' journey under a hot sun, and having had nosleep on the night before setting out, in spite of the uncomfortableposition in which he had placed himself, Don Rafael was enjoying thatdeep repose which is often granted to the tired soldier, even on the eveof a sanguinary battle.
Leaving him, therefore, to indulge in his lofty siesta, and passing tosome distance from the spot, and along the road leading to Oajaca, weshall encounter another group, differing from any yet mentioned. At ashort distance from the river Ostuta, and near the lake of this name, alittle before daybreak, might be seen a small party of travellers, aboutto resume their journey interrupted for the night. From the hasteexhibited in making preparations for departure from their bivouac, itwould appear as if they were in dread of some danger. Two of them werebusy in extinguishing the remains of a fire, lest its light might stillbetray them; two others saddled the horses; while a fifth, who stood bythe half-opened curtains of a _litera_, appeared to be reassuring ayoung lady who was inside.
It is scarce necessary to say that the travellers in question were DonMariano de Silva, his daughter, and their domestics.
In the midst of the solitudes of transatlantic scenery, there are twosolemn hours out of the twenty-four, in which all created nature seemsmore especially to rejoice--the hours of sunrise and sunset.
The eternal horologe is about to sound the first. A fresh breezearising, gently stirs the leaves of the trees, and, playing over thesurface of the water, dispels the nocturnal vapours. The eastern sky isbecoming tinged with bright yellow streaks, mixed with the purple of theaurora, which proclaims the approach of the rising sun. His coming issaluted by the voices of myriads of bright birds that flutter among thetrees of the forest.
The jackal flying to his den, utters his parting growl, and the funerealvoices of the night-birds are heard for the last time. The maipouri androebuck have already disappeared within the thickets, where they havechosen their respective dens.
Finally, the clouds redden like the wings of the flamingoes, as the sun,shooting upward, gleams with golden brilliance upon the fronds of thepalms, and discloses in all their splendid variety the trees of theAmerican forest.
The tall ebony trees, with their bunches of golden flowers, the guiacumsand perfumed liquidambars--like pyramids of solid vegetation--themahogany and cedrela trees, and the princely palms towering overgigantic tree-ferns, and fanciful festoons of parasitical climbers, thatform a flowery cortege around their stems.
In the midst of the almost impenetrable labyrinths formed by thesevarious kinds of trees, glades may here and there be encountered, andpaths leading from one to another, trodden only by wild animals, orsavage bulls, the descendants of those introduced by the great Cortezinto the province of Oajaca. These, maddened by thirst, may be seenpressing through the thick undergrowth towards the river, or standing,half immersed, with their black muzzles buried under water. Here andthere pieces of the flowery turf, detached by their hooves, float downthe stream, while birds alighting upon these miniature islets, joyfullyflap their wings, as if celebrating a triumphal procession upon thewater.
Such, in all its primitive splendour, was the aspect of the Ostuta onthe morning in question, at that solemnal hour, when the sun proclaimedhis presence upon the eastern horizon.