CHAPTER THIRTY THREE.
A BITTER TRAP.
We reached the ruin a little after sunset. We frightened the owl andthe wolf, and made our bivouac among the crumbling walls. Our horseswere picketed upon the deserted lawns, and in the long-neglectedorchards, where the ripe fruit was raining down its ungathered showers.Fires were kindled, lighting the grey pile with their cheerful blazing;and joints of meat were taken out of the hide-packs and roasted forsupper.
There was water in abundance. A branch of the San Pedro swept past thewalls of the mission. There were yams in the spoliated gardens; therewere grapes, and pomegranates, and quinces, and melons, and pears, andpeaches, and apples; and with all these was our repast garnished.
It was soon over, and videttes were thrown out on the tracks that led tothe ruin. The men were weak and weary with their late fasting, and in ashort while stretched themselves by their saddles and slept.
So much for our first night at the mission of San Pedro.
We were to remain for three days, or until the buffalo meat should bedried for packing.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
They were irksome days to me. Idleness displayed the bad qualities ofmy half-savage associates. The ribald jest and fearful oath rangcontinually in my ears, until I was fain to wander off to the woods withthe old botanist, who, during these three days, revelled in the happyexcitement of discovery.
I found companionship also in the Maricopa. This strange man hadstudied science deeply, and was conversant with almost every notedauthor. He was reserved only when I wished him to talk of himself.
Seguin during these days was taciturn and lonely. He took but littleheed of what was going on around him. He seemed to be suffering fromimpatience, as every now and then he paid a visit to the tasajo. Hepassed many hours upon the adjacent heights, looking anxiously towardsthe east: that point whence our spies would come in from the Pinon.
There was an azotea on the ruin. I was in the habit of seeking thisplace at evening after the sun had grown less fervid. It afforded afine prospect of the valley; but its chief attraction to me lay in theretirement I could there obtain. The hunters rarely climbed up to it,and their wild and licenced converse was unheard for the time. I usedto spread my blanket among the crumbling parapets, and stretched uponit, deliver myself up to the sweet retrospect, or to still sweeterdreams that my fancy outlined upon the future. There was one object onmy memory: upon that object only did my hopes dwell.
I need not make this declaration; at least to those who have trulyloved.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the programme placed before me by Seguin, I had not bargained forsuch wanton cruelties as I was now compelled to witness. It was not thetime to look back, but forward, and perhaps, over other scenes of bloodand brutality, to that happier hour, when I should have redeemed mypromise, and won the prize, beautiful Zoe.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
My reverie was interrupted. I heard voices and footsteps; they wereapproaching the spot where I lay. I could see that there were two menengaged in an earnest conversation. They did not notice me, as I wasbehind some fragments of the broken parapet, and in the shadow. As theydrew nearer, I recognised the patois of my Canadian follower, and thatof his companion was not to be mistaken. The brogue was Barney's,beyond a doubt.
These worthies, I had lately noticed, had become "as thick as twothieves," and were much in each other's company. Some act of kindnesshad endeared the "infantry" to his more astute and experiencedassociate, who had taken him under his patronage and protection.
I was vexed at the intrusion; but prompted by some impulse of curiosity,I lay still and listened.
Barney was speaking as they approached.
"In trath, Misther Gowdey, an' it's meself 'ud go far this blissed nightfor a dhrap o' the crayter. I noticed the little kig afore; but divilresave me av I thought it was anythin' barrin' cowld water. Vistment!only think o' the owld Dutch sinner bringin' a whole kig wid 'im, an'keepin' it all to himself. Yez are sure now it's the stuff?"
"Oui! oui! C'est liqueur! aguardiente."
"Agwardenty, ye say, div ye?"
"Oui! c'est vrai, Monsieur Barney. I have him smell, ver many time. Itis of stink tres fort: strong! good!"
"But why cudn't ye stale it yerself? Yez know exactly where the doctorkeeps it, an' ye might get at it a hape handier than I can."
"Pourquoi, Barney? pecause, mon ami, I help pack les possibles ofMonsieur le docteur. Pardieu! he would me suspect."
"I don't see the raison clear. He may suspect ye at all evints. Howthin?"
"Ah! then, n'importe. I sall make von grand swear. No! I sall havever clear conscience then."
"Be the powers! we must get the licker anyhow; av you won't, MistherGowdey, I will; that's said, isn't it?"
"Oui! Tres bien!"
"Well, thin, now or niver's the time. The ould fellow's just walkedout, for I saw him meself. This is a nate place to drink it in. Comean' show me where he keeps it; and, by Saint Patrick! I'm yer man tohook it."
"Tres bien! allons! Monsieur Barney, allons!"
Unintelligible as this conversation may appear, I understood every wordof it. The naturalist had brought among his packs a small keg ofaguardiente, mezcal spirits, for the purpose of preserving any newspecies of the lizard or snake tribe he should chance to fall in with.What I heard, then, was neither more or less than a plot to steal thekeg and its contents!
My first impulse was to leap up and stop them in their design, as wellas administer a salutary rebuke to my voyageur and his red-hairedcompanion; but a moment's reflection convinced me that they could bebetter punished in another way. I would leave them to punishthemselves.
I remembered that some days previous to our reaching the Ojo de Vaca,the doctor had captured a snake of the adder kind, two or three speciesof lizards, and a hideous-looking animal, called, in hunter phraseology,the horned frog: the _agama cornuta_ of Texas and Mexico. These he hadimmersed in the spirit for preservation. I had observed him do so, andit was evident that neither my Frenchman nor the Irishman had any ideaof this. I adopted the resolution, therefore, to let them drink a fullbumper of the "pickle" before I should interfere.
Knowing that they would soon return, I remained where I was.
I had not long to wait upon them. In a few minutes they came up, Barneycarrying what I knew to be the devoted keg.
They sat down close to where I lay, and prising out the bung, filled theliquor into their tin cups, and commenced imbibing.
A drouthier pair of mortals could not have been found anywhere; and atthe first draught, each emptied his cup to the bottom!
"It has a quare taste, hasn't it?" said Barney, after he had taken thevessel from his lips.
"Oui! c'est vrai, monsieur!"
"What dev ye think it is?"
"Je ne sais quoi. It smells like one--one--"
"Is it fish, ye mane?"
"Oui! like one feesh: un bouquet tres bizarre Fichtro!"
"I suppose it's something that the Mexicans have drapped in to give theagwardenty a flayver. It's mighty strong anyhow. It's nothing theworse av that; but it 'ud be sorry drinkin' alongside a nate dimmyjan ofIrish patyeen. Och! mother av Moses! but that's the raal bayvaridge!"
Here the Irishman shook his head to express with more emphasis hisadmiration of the native whisky.
"Well, Misther Gowdey," continued he, "whisky's whisky at any rate; andif we can't get the butther, it's no raison we should refuse the brid;so I'll thank ye for another small thrifle out of the kig," and thespeaker held out his tin vessel to be replenished.
Gode lifted the keg, and emptied more of its contents into their cups.
"Mon Dieu! what is dis in my cops?" exclaimed he, after a draught.
"Fwhat is it? Let me see. That! Be me sowl! that's a
quare-lookingcrayter anyhow."
"Sac-r-r-re! it is von Texan! von fr-r-og! Dat is de feesh we smellstink. Owah--ah--ah!"
"Oh! holy mother! if here isn't another in moine! By jabers! it's ascorpion lizard! Hoach--wach--wach!"
"Ow--ah--ah--ack--ack! Mon Dieu! Oach--ach--! Sac-r! O--ach--ach--o--oa--a--ach!"
"Tare-an-ages! He--ach! the owld doctor has--oach--ack--ack! BlessedVargin! Ha--he--hoh--ack! Poison! poison!"
And the brace of revellers went staggering over the azotea, deliveringtheir stomachs, and ejaculating in extreme terror as the thought struckthem that there might be poison in the pickle.
I had risen to my feet, and was enjoying the joke in loud laughter.This and the exclamations of the men brought a crowd of hunters up tothe roof, who, as soon as they perceived what had happened, joined in,and made the ruin ring with their wild peals.
The doctor, who had come up among the rest, was not so well satisfiedwith the occurrence. After a short search, however, the lizards werefound and returned to the keg, which still contained enough of thespirit for his purposes. It was not likely to be disturbed again, evenby the thirstiest hunter in the band.