CHAPTER XII.
IN THE CAVERN.
Ruperto was not mistaken: at this moment the most exquisite littlecreature imaginable came bounding up like a fawn. It was a girl oftwelve years of age at the most, fresh, smiling, and beautifully formed.Her long black hair, her rosy-lipped mouth, with its pearly teeth, hermagnificent black hair floating into immense curls down to her knee, hereccentric costume, rather masculine than feminine, all concurred to givean imprint of strangeness, and render her fantastic, extraordinary,almost angelic, so striking a contrast did her lovely head appear to thevulgar and hideous bandits who surrounded her. So soon as the girlperceived the Captain, a flash of delight shot from her eye, and withone bound she was in his arms, pressed to his large and powerful chestlovingly.
"Ah," he said, as he kissed her silken curls, and in a voice which hetried in vain to soften, "here you are at last, my darling Gazelle,[1]you have been long in coming."
"Father," she answered, as she repaid his caresses, and in a deliciouslymodulated voice, "I was not aware of your return. It was late, I did nothope to see you tonight, so I was about to sleep."
"Well, Nina," he said, as he put her on the ground again and gave her afinal kiss, "you must not remain here any longer. I have seen you, Ihave kissed you, and my stock of happiness is laid in till tomorrow. Goand sleep. I am not egotistic, I do not wish you to lose your healthycheeks."
"Oh," she said, with a little shake of her charming head, "I no longerfeel inclined for sleep; I can remain a few minutes longer with you,father."
White Scalper gazed with growing astonishment on this admirable child,so gay, so laughing, so loving, and who appeared so beloved. He couldnot account for her presence among the pirates, or the affection theirCaptain testified for her.
"You love this child very dearly," he said, as he drew her gentlytowards him, and kissed her on the forehead.
She looked at him with widely opened eyes, but did not evince theslightest fear, or try to avoid his caresses.
"You ask if I love her," the pirate answered; "that child is the joyand happiness of our house. Do you think, then," he added, with somebitterness, "that because we are outlawed bandits we have stifled everygenerous feeling in our hearts? Undeceive yourself. The jaguar andpanther love their cubs, the grizzly bear cherishes its whelps; shouldwe be more ferocious than these animals, which are regarded as the mostcruel in creation? Yes, yes, we love our White Gazelle! She is our goodgenius, our guardian angel; so long as she remains among us we shallsucceed in everything, for good fortune accompanies her."
"Oh, in that case, father," she said eagerly, "you will always befortunate, for I shall never leave you."
"Who can answer for the future?" he muttered in a choking voice, while acloud of sorrow spread over his manly face.
"You are a happy father," the Scalper said, with a profound sigh.
"Yes, am I not? White Gazelle is not mine alone, she belongs to us all;she is our adopted daughter."
"Ah!" said the Scalper, without adding anything more, and letting hishead drop sadly.
"Go, child," Sandoval exclaimed, "go and sleep, for night is drawingon."
The child withdrew, after saluting the three men with a soft glance, andsoon disappeared in the depths of a side gallery. The Captain lookedafter her so long as he could perceive her, then turning to his guests,who, like himself, had remained under the spell of this touching scene,he said--
"Follow me, Senores; it is growing late, you must be hungry, and needrest. The hospitality I am enabled to offer you will be modest, butfrank and cordial."
The two men bowed and followed him into a gallery, on each side of whichwere cells enclosed by large mats fastened to the walls in the shape ofcurtains; at regular distances torches of ocote wood, fixed in ironrings, spread a reddish and smoky light, sufficient, however to guidethem. After walking for about ten minutes, and traversing severalpassages communicating with each other and forming a regular labyrinth,in which anyone else must inevitably have lost his way, the Captainstopped before a cell, and raising the curtains that formed the doorway,made his companions a sign to enter. Sandoval followed them, and let themat fall again behind him.
The cell into which the Captain introduced his guests was vast; thewalls were rather lofty, and allowed the air to penetrate throughinvisible fissures, which rendered it pleasant, while wooden partitionsdivided it into several chambers. A golden censer, probably stolen froma church, and hanging from the roof, contained a lamp of fragrant oil,which spread a brilliant light through the cavern. Unfortunately, therest of the furniture did not at all harmonize with this princelyspecimen, but was, on the contrary, most modest. It was composed of alarge table of black oak, clumsily shaped, six equipals, and twobutacas, a sort of easy chair with sloping back, and which alone had anypretensions to comfort. The walls were decorated with antlers of elksand bighorns, buffalo horns, and grizzly bear claws, the spolia opima ofanimals killed by the pirates during their chase on the desert.
The only thing that attracted attention was a magnificent rack,containing all the weapons used in America, from the lance, arrow, andsagaie, up to the sword, the machete, the double-barrelled gun, and theholster pistol. It was evident that the pirate had given orders for thereception of his guests, for wooden plates, glasses, and silver disheswere arranged on the table among large pots of red clay containing, somewater, and others mezcal and pulque, those two favourite beverages ofthe Mexicans. Orson, with his savage face and ordinary, sulky look, wasready to wait on the guests.
"To table, Senores," Sandoval said gravely, as he drew up an equipal andsat down on it.
The others followed his example, and each drawing his knife from hisbelt, began a general and vigorous attack on a magnificent venisonpasty. The appetite of the guests, sharpened by a long day's fasting,needed such a comforter. However, we are bound to do the Chief of thepirates the justice of saying that his larder appeared amply supplied,and that he did the honours of the table admirably.
The first moments of the meal were passed in silence, as the Mexicansthought only of eating. But when the sharpest hunger was appeased, and,according to the Anglo-American fashion generally admitted on theprairies, the bottle circulated, the apparent coldness that hadprevailed among the company suddenly disappeared, and each beganconversing with his next neighbour; then the voices were graduallyraised, and ere long everybody was talking at the same time.
During the repast which threatened to degenerate into an orgy, two menalone had moderately applied themselves to the bottle; they wereSandoval and White Scalper. The Chief of the pirates, while exciting hisguests to drink, was very careful to retain his sobriety and coolness.He examined with some anxiety the singular man whom chance had given himas a guest; this gloomy face caused him a feeling of discomfort forwhich he could not account. Still he did not dare question him, for thelaw of the desert prohibits the slightest inquiry being made of astranger, so long as he thinks proper to maintain his incognito.
Fortunately for Sandoval, whose impatience and curiosity momentarilyincreased, Ruperto had an equal desire to explain the object of hisvisit to the prairies. At the moment, therefore, when the privateconversations, growing more and more animated, had become general, andeach seemed to be trying which could shout the loudest, the Texan smotethe table several times loudly with the pommel of his dagger to demandsilence. The shouts stopped instantaneously, and all heads were turnedtowards him.
"What do you want, Ruperto?" Sandoval asked him.
"What do I want?" the other answered, whose tongue was growing dullunder the influence of the numerous and copious draughts he had taken;"I want to speak."
"Silence!" the Captain shouted in a stentorian voice; "now, go on,Ruperto! No one will interrupt you, even if you spoke till sunrise."
"Demonios!" the Texan said, with a laugh, "I have no pretence to abuseyour patience so long."
"Act as you please, gossip: you are my guest, and more than that, an oldacquaintance, which gives you the right to
do whatever you please here."
"Thanks for your gallantry, Captain; I must, in the first place, in myown name and in that of the persons who accompany me, offer you sincerethanks for your splendid hospitality."
"Go on, go on," the Captain said, carelessly:
"No, no; on the contrary, Caramba! A table so well served as yours isnot to be found every day on the prairie. A man must be as ungrateful asa monk not to feel thankful."
"Halloh!" the Captain said, laughingly, "Did you not tell me, when I metyou this evening, that you were sent to me by Fray Antonio?"
"I did, Captain."
"A worthy monk," Sandoval observed; "he reminds one of the Rev. JohnZimmers, a protestant minister, who was hung about ten years back atBaton Rouge, for bigamy. He was a very holy man! I remember that at thefoot of the gallows he made the crowd an edifying speech, which drewtears from most of his hearers. But let us return to Fray Antonio; Ihope that no accident has happened to him, and that he still enjoys goodhealth."
"When I left him his health was excellent. Still it is possible that hemay be dangerously ill at this moment, or even dead."
"Rayo de Dios! You alarm me, gossip. Explain yourself."
"It is very simple: Texas, wearied with the incessantly renewedexactions of Mexico, has revolted to gain its liberty."
"Very good; I know it."
"You know too, of course, that all the men of talent have arrayedthemselves beneath the flag of Independence. Naturally Fray Antonioraised a cuadrilla, and offered his services to the insurgents."
"That is very ingenious," the Captain said, with a smile.
"Is it not? Oh! Fray Antonio is a clever politician."
"Yes, yes, and proof of it is that at the beginning of the insurrectionit often happened that he did not know himself to which party hebelonged."
"What would you have?" Ruperto said, carelessly, "it is so difficult tofind one's way in a general upset; but now it is no longer the case."
"Ah! It seems that he is fixed?"
"Completely; he forms part of the Army of Liberation. Now, on the veryday of my departure the insurgents were marching towards the Mexicanforces to offer them battle. That is why I said to you it was possiblethat Fray Antonio might be seriously indisposed, and perhaps even dead."
"I hope that misfortune has not happened."
"And so do I. A few minutes before setting out, Fray Antonio, who takesa great interest, as it seems, in the wounded Caballero who accompaniesme, not wishing to abandon him alone and helpless in the power of theMexicans, should the Liberating Army unfortunately be conquered, orderedme to lead him to you, for he felt certain you would take great care ofhis friend, and treat him well, in consideration of old friendship."
"He did right to count on me; I will not deceive his confidence.Caballero," he added, turning to the old man, who during the whole ofthis conversation had remained cold and apathetic, "you know us by thistime, and are aware that we are pirates. We offer you the hospitality ofthe desert, a frank and unbounded hospitality, and offer it withouteither asking who you are or what you have done before setting foot onour territory."
"On what conditions do you offer me all these advantages?" the old manasked, as he bowed, with cold politeness, to the Chief of the bandits.
"On none, senor," he answered; "we ask nothing of you, not even yourname; we are proscribed and banished men; hence, every proscript,whatever be the motives that bring him here, has a right to a place byour fire. And now," he added, as he seized a bottle and poured out abumper, "here is to your fortunate arrival among us, senor! Pledge me!"
"One moment, senor. Before replying to your toast I have, if you willpermit me, a few words to say to you."
"We are listening to you, senor."
The old man rose, drew himself up to his full height, and lookedsilently at the company. A deep silence prevailed; suffering from livelyanxiety, all impatiently waited for the Scalper to speak. At length hedid so, while his face, which had hitherto been cold and stern, wasanimated by an expression of gentleness of which it would not have beenthought capable.
"Senores," he said, "your frankness challenges mine; the generosity andgrandeur of your reception compels me to make myself known. When a mancomes to claim the support of men like yourselves he must keep nothinghidden from them. Yes, I am proscribed! Yes, I am banished! But I am soby my own will. I could return tomorrow, if I pleased, to the bosom ofsociety, which has never repelled me, I make here neither allusions norapplications. I remain in the desert to accomplish a duty I have imposedon myself; I pursue a vengeance, an implacable vengeance, which nothingcan completely satiate, not even the death of the last of my enemies! Avengeance which is only a wild dream, a horrible nightmare, but which Ipursue, and shall pursue, at all hazards, until the supreme hour when,on the point of giving my last sigh, I shall die with regret at nothaving sufficiently avenged myself. Such is the object of my life, thecause which made me abandon the life of civilized men to take up withthat of wild beasts--VENGEANCE! Now you know what I am; when I have toldyou my name you will be well acquainted with me."
The old man's voice, at first calm and low, had gradually mounted to thediapason of the passions that agitated him, and had become sonorous andharsh. His hearers, involuntarily overpowered by his impassionedaccents, listened with panting chests and, as it were hanging on hislips, to this strange man, who, by revealing the secret of his life, hadstirred up their hearts, and caused the only sensitive fibre that stillexisted there to vibrate painfully. For they, too, had but one objectleft, a sole desire--vengeance on that society which had expelled themlike impure scum. These men could comprehend such a powerful andvindictive nature, admire it, and even feel jealous of it, for it wasmore complete and more vigorously tempered than their own.
When the Scalper had ceased speaking, all rose as if by common accord,and, leaning their quivering hands on the table, bent over to him,awaiting, with feverish impatience, the revelation of his name. But, bya strange revolution, the wounded man seemed to have forgotten what wastaking place around him, and no longer to remember either where he wasor what he had said. His head was bowed on his chest; with his foreheadresting on his right hand and his eyes fixed on the ground, he tried invain to overcome the flood of bitter recollections, the ever-bleedingwound which in a moment of excitement he had so imprudently revived.
Sandoval regarded him for a moment with an expression of sadness andpity, and laid his hand on his shoulder. At this touch the old man,roughly recalled to a feeling of external things, drew himself up as ifhe had received an electric shock, and gazed wildly round him.
"What do you want with me?" he asked, in a hoarse voice.
"To tell you your name," the pirate answered, slowly.
"Ah!" he said, "Then you know it?"
"Ten minutes back I was ignorant of it."
"While now----?"
"Now I have guessed it."
An ironical smile curled the old man's pale lips.
"Do you think so?" he said.
"I am sure of it; there are not two men of your stamp in the desert; youare the genius of evil if you are not White Scalper."
At this name an electric quiver traversed the limbs of the hearers. Theold man raised his head haughtily.
"Yes," he said, in a sharp voice, "I am White Scalper."
During this long conversation a number of pirates, brought up either byidleness or curiosity, had entered the dining room one after the other.On hearing this name uttered which they had been accustomed so long toadmire, on seeing at length this man for whom they felt a secret terror,they burst into a formidable shout, which the resounding echoes repeatedindefinitely, and which caused the roof to tremble as if agitated by anearthquake. The White Scalper made a signal to ask silence.
"Senores," he said, "I am very grateful for the friendly demonstrationsof which I am the object. Up to the present I have refused every speciesof alliance; I obstinately resolved to live alone and accomplish,without help, the work of destruction to w
hich I have devoted myself.But, after what has passed here, I must break the promise I made myself;he who receives is bound to give! Henceforth I am one of yourselves, ifyou deem me worthy to form part of your cuadrilla."
At this proposal the huzzas and shouts of joy were redoubled withextreme frenzy. Sandoval frowned; he understood that his precariouspower was menaced. But, too skilful and crafty to let the secret fearsthat agitated him be guessed, he resolved to outflank the difficulty,and regain, by a masterstroke, the power which he felt instinctively wasslipping from his grasp. Raising the glass he held in his hand, heshouted in a thundering voice:
"Muchachos! I drink to White Scalper!"
"To White Scalper," the bandits joined in enthusiastically.
Sandoval allowed the first effervescence time to calm down. Himselfexciting this enthusiasm, he at length requested silence at the momentwhen this enthusiasm had attained its paroxysm. For a few minutes hisefforts were in vain, for heads were beginning to grow hot under theinfluence of copious and incessant libations of mezcal, pulque, andCatalonian refino. By degrees, however, and like the sea after a storm,the cries died out, a calm was re-established, and nothing was audiblesave a dull and confused murmur of whispered words. Sandoval hastenedto profit by this transient moment of silence to speak again.
"Senores," he said, "I have a proposal to make, which, I believe, willsuit you."
"Speak, speak," the pirates shouted.
"Our association," Sandoval continued, "is founded on the most entireequality of its members, who freely elect the man they consider mostworthy to command them."
"Yes, yes," they exclaimed.
"Long live Sandoval!" some said.
"Let him speak, do not interrupt him," the majority vociferated.
Sandoval, negligently leaning on the table, followed with an apparentlyindifferent glance these various manifestations, though he was sufferingfrom lively anxiety, and his heart beat ready to burst his chest. He wasplaying for a heavy stake; he knew it, for he had, with the infallibleglance of all ambitious men, calculated all the chances for and against.Hence, it was only by the strength of his will that he succeeded ingiving his face a marble rigidity which did not permit the supreme agonyhe was suffering internally to be divined. When silence was nearlyre-established, and he might hope to be heard, he continued, in a firmvoice:
"You did me the honour to appoint me your Chief, and I believe thathitherto I have rendered myself worthy of that honour."
He paused as if to await a reply. A murmur of assent gently tickled hisear.
"What is he driving at?" Orson asked in a rough voice.
"You shall know," said Sandoval, who overheard him. And he continued:"In the common interest, I consider it my duty this night to hand youback the authority with which you entrusted me. You have at presentamong you a man more capable than myself of commanding you, a man whosemere name will inspire terror in the heart of your enemies. In a word, Ioffer you my resignation, proposing that you should elect on the spotWhite Scalper as your Chief!"
It was only then that Sandoval really knew the feeling of his comradestoward him. Of two hundred pirates assembled at this moment in thedining hall, two thirds pronounced immediately for him, energeticallyrefusing the resignation he offered apparently with so much self-denial;one half the remaining third gave no sign of approval or disapproval.Thirty or forty of the bandits alone received the proposal with shoutsof joy.
Still, as happens nearly always under similar circumstances, thesethirty or forty individuals, by their shouts and yells, would soon haveled away others, and would probably have become ere long an imposingmajority, had not White Scalper himself thought it high time tointerfere. The old adventurer did not at all desire the disgracefulhonour of being elected the Chief of this band of ruffians, whom hedespised in his heart, and whom the force of circumstances alonecompelled him to accept as companions. He was, on the contrary, resolvedto part with them so soon as his wounds were closed, and he felt capableof recommencing his wandering life. Hence, at the moment when the shoutsand oaths crossed each other in the air with an intensity that grew moreand more menacing, when already some of the pirates, their argumentsbeing exhausted, were beginning to lay hands on their knives andpistols, and a frightful battle was about to begin between these men,among whom a moral feeling did not exist, and who were consequentlyrestrained by no sentiment of honour or affection; he rose, and speakingamid the vociferations of these turbulent men, he protestedenergetically against the proposal made by Sandoval, not wishing, as hesaid, to accept anything but the honour of fighting by their side, andsharing their dangers, for he felt an incompetence to command.
In the face of such an energetic refusal, all opposition necessarilyceased. A reaction in the contrary sense set in, and the piratesimplored Sandoval to retain the command, while protesting their devotionto him. Sandoval, after letting himself be a long time entreated, inorder to convince them thoroughly of the frankness of his conduct, atlength allowed himself to be persuaded, and consented to retain thatpower which he had felt for a moment such fear of losing.
Peace was thus restored as if by enchantment, and while the piratesdrank floods of mezcal to celebrate the happy conclusion of this affair,the Captain led his guests to a compartment separate from the grotto,where they were at liberty at last to rest themselves. Still Sandoval,who, rightly or wrong, had for a moment found his power threatened byWhite Scalper, felt a malice for him in his heart, and promised toavenge himself on the first opportunity.
[1] See Pirates of the Prairies, same publishers.