CHAPTER XIX.
BLOODSON.
White Gazelle had rejoined Bloodson, who was encamped with his band onthe top of a hill, where the prairie could be surveyed for a longdistance. It was night, the fires were already lit, and the rangers,assembled around the _braseros_, were supping gaily. Bloodson wasdelighted at seeing his niece again; both had a long conversation, atthe end of which the Avenger, as he called himself, ordered the rancheroto approach.
Despite of all his impudence, it was not without a feeling of terrorthat worthy Andres Garote found himself face to face with this man,whose glances seemed trying to read his inmost thoughts. Bloodson'sreputation had been so long established on the prairies that theranchero must feel affected in his presence. Bloodson was seated infront of a fire, smoking an Indian pipe, with White Gazelle by his side;and for a moment the ranchero almost repented the step he had taken. Butthe feeling did not last an instant; hatred immediately regained theupper hand, and every trace of emotion disappeared from his face.
"Come here, scoundrel," Bloodson said to him. "From what the senora hasjust said to me, you fancy you have in your hands the means ofdestroying Red Cedar?"
"Did I say Red Cedar?" the ranchero answered; "I do not think so,excellency."
"Whom did you allude to, then?"
"To Fray Ambrosio."
"What do I care for that scurvy monk?" Bloodson remarked, with a shrugof his shoulders; "his affairs do not concern me, and I will not troublemyself with them; other and more important duties claim my care."
"That is possible, Excellency," the ranchero answered, with moreassurance than might have been assumed; "but I have only to deal withFray Ambrosio."
"In that case you can go to the deuce, for I shall certainly not helpyou in your plans."
Andres Garote, thus brutally received, was not discouraged, however; heshrugged his shoulders with a cunning look, and assumed his mostinsinuating tone.
"There is no knowing, Excellency," he said.
"Hum! That seems to me difficult."
"Less so than you fancy, Excellency."
"How so?"
"You bear a grudge against Red Cedar, I think?"
"How does that concern you, scoundrel?" Bloodson asked, roughly.
"Not at all; the more so as I owe him nothing; still, it is a differentaffair with you, Excellency."
"How do you know?"
"I presume so, Excellency; hence I intend to offer you a bargain."
"A bargain!" Bloodson repeated, disdainfully.
"Yes, Excellency," the ranchero said, boldly; "and a bargainadvantageous to yourself, I venture to say."
"And for you?"
"For me too, naturally."
Bloodson began laughing.
"The man is mad," he said, with a shrug of his shoulders, and, turningto his men, added--"where the deuce was your head when you brought himto me?"
"Nonsense," White Gazelle said, "you had better listen to him; that willdo you no harm."
"The senora is right," the ranchero eagerly replied; "listen to me,Excellency, that pledges you to nothing; besides, you will be alwaysable to decline if what I propose does not suit you."
"That is true," Bloodson replied, contemptuously--"Speak then, picaro,and be brief."
"Oh, I am not in the habit of making long speeches."
"Come to the point."
"It is this," the ranchero said, boldly; "you wish, I do not know why,and do not care, to revenge yourself on Red Cedar; for certain reasons,unnecessary for me to tell you, I wish to avenge myself on Ambrosio;that is clear, I fancy?"
"Perfectly so--go on."
"Very well. Now this is what I propose to you--aid me to avenge myselfon the monk, and I will help you with the bandit."
"I do not need you for that."
"Perhaps you do, Excellency; and if I did not fear appearing impudent toyou, I would even say--"
"What?"
"That I am indispensable to you."
"_Voto a Dios!_" Bloodson said, with an outburst of laughter, "This isbeyond a joke; the scoundrel is absolutely making fun of me."
Andres Garote stood unmoved before the ranger.
"Come, come," the latter continued, "this is far more amusing than I atfirst fancied; and how are you indispensable to me?"
"Oh, Excellency, that is very simple; you do not know what has become ofRed Cedar?"
"That is true; I have been seeking him in vain for a long time."
"I defy you to find him, unless I help you."
"Then you know where he is?" Bloodson exclaimed, suddenly raising hishead.
"Ah! That interests you now, Excellency," the ranchero said, with acrafty look.
"Answer, yes or no," the ranger said, roughly; "do you know where heis?"
"If I did not, should I have come to you?"
Bloodson reflected for a moment.
"Tell me where he is."
"Our bargain holds good?"
"It does."
"You swear it?"
"On my honour."
"Good!" the other said joyfully; "now listen to me."
"Go on."
"Of course you are aware that Red Cedar and the Trail-hunter had afight?"
"I am--go on."
"After the battle, all bolted in different directions; Red Cedar waswounded, hence he did not go far, but soon fell in a fainting fit atthe foot of a tree. The Frenchman and his friends sought him on allsides, and I believe they would have made him spend a very unpleasantquarter of an hour if they had laid hands on him. Fortunately for him,his horse had carried him into the middle of the virgin forest, where noone dreamed of pursuing him. Chance, or rather my good fortune, I nowbelieve, led me to the spot where he was; his daughter Ellen was nearhim, and paying him the most touching attention; it really almostaffected me. I cannot tell you how she got there, but there she was. Onseeing Red Cedar, I thought for a moment about going to find the Frenchhunter, and telling him of my discovery."
"Hum! And why did you not carry out that idea, scoundrel?"
"For a very simple, though conclusive reason."
"Let us hear it," said Bloodson, who had begun to listen with extremeinterest to the ranchero's wandering statement.
"This is it," he went on. "Don Valentine is a rough fellow; I am not inthe odour of sanctity with him; besides, he was with a crowd of Apachesand Comanches, each a bigger scamp than the other; in a word, I wasfrightened for my scalp, and held off, as I might have plucked thechestnuts from the fire for another man's profit."
"Not badly reasoned."
"Was it now, Excellency? hence, while I was reflecting on what I hadbetter do, a band of some ten horsemen came, I know not whence, to thespot where that poor devil of a Red Cedar was lying half dead."
"He was really wounded?"
"Oh, yes, and dangerously, I undertake to say; the leader of the partywas a French missionary you must know."
"Father Seraphin?"
"The very man."
"What did he?"
"What I should certainly not have done in his place--he carried RedCedar away with him."
"In that I recognise him," Bloodson could not refrain from saying. "Andwhere did he take the wounded man?"
"To a cavern, where I will lead you whenever you like."
"You are not lying?"
"Oh, no, Excellency."
"Very good, go and sleep; you can count on my promise, if you arefaithful to me."
"Thanks, Excellency; be at your ease, self-interest urges me not todeceive you."
"That is true."
The ranchero withdrew, and an hour later was sleeping as every honestman should do, who feels conscious of having performed his duty. Thenext morning at daybreak Bloodson's band set out. But in the desert itis often very difficult to find those you seek, owing to the nomadiclife everybody is obliged to lead in order to gain his livelihood; andBloodson, who wished first to consult with Valentine and his friends,lost much time before learning the exact spot where they were. Atlength,
one of the scouts told him that the Frenchman was at Unicorn'swinter village, and he proceeded there at once.
In the interim, Bloodson ordered Andres Garote to watch Red Cedar'smovements, as he did not like to take a decisive step till he hadacquired a certainty. Nothing would have been easier than to go toFather Seraphin, and demand the surrender of the wounded man; but hefelt a repugnance to this. Bloodson shared in the respect the holymissionary inspired all within the Far West; and he would not have daredto summon him to surrender his guest, certain as he was beforehand thatthe other would peremptorily refuse; at the same time he did not like toemploy violence to wrest his prey from a man whose character he admired.He must, therefore, await until Red Cedar, cured of his wounds, quittedhis protection; and this Bloodson did, though having his movementswatched.
At length Andres Garote appeared, all joyous, in Bloodson's camp; he wasthe bearer of excellent news: Father Seraphin, after curing Red Cedar,had installed him in a jacal, where he and his daughter lived like twoanchorites. Bloodson uttered a shout of joy at this news. Without eventaking time to reflect, he leaped on his horse, leaving the temporarycommand of the band to his men, and started off at full speed forUnicorn's village.
The distance was not great, and the ranger covered it in less than twohours. Bloodson was beloved by the Comanches, to whom he had frequentopportunities of being useful; hence he was received by them with allthe honours and ceremonies employed in such cases. Unicorn, accompaniedby some of the principal chiefs of the tribe, came to receive him ashort distance from the village, yelling, firing their muskets, andmaking their horses curvet. Bloodson gladly yielded to the chief'swishes, and galloped along by his side.
The Comanches are excessively discreet; they never take the liberty ofasking questions of their guests before the latter authorise them. Sosoon as Bloodson had taken his seat by the fire of the council lodge,and smoked the great calumet of peace, Unicorn bowed to him gravely, andtook the word.
"My paleface brother is welcome among his red friends," he said; "has mybrother had a good hunt?"
"The buffaloes are numerous near the mountains," Bloodson answered; "myyoung men have killed many."
"All the better; my brother will not suffer from famine."
The ranger bowed his thanks.
"Will my brother remain some days with his red friends?" the chief againasked; "they would be happy to have him among them for a season."
"My hours are counted," Bloodson answered. "I merely intended paying avisit to my brothers to ask after their fare, as I passed theirvillage."
At this moment Valentine appeared in the doorway.
"Here is my brother, Koutonepi," Unicorn said.
"He is welcome," the ranger said; "I wished to see him."
"What accident has brought you here?" the hunter asked him.
"To tell you where Red Cedar is hidden at this moment," Bloodsonanswered, distinctly.
Valentine started; and bent on him a piercing glance.
"Oh, oh," he said, "that is great news you give me."
"I do not give it, but sell it to you."
"What? explain yourself, pray."
"I will be brief. There is not a man on the prairies who has not aterrible account to settle with that vile bandit?"
"That is true."
"The monster has burdened the earth too long--he must disappear."
Bloodson uttered these words with such an accent of hatred, that allpresent, although they were men endowed with nerves of steel, felt ashudder course through their veins. Valentine looked sternly at theranger.
"You owe this man a heavy grudge?" he said.
"Greater than I can express."
"Good, go on."
At this moment Father Seraphin entered the lodge, but was not noticed,so greatly was the attention of the audience concentrated on Bloodson.The missionary stood motionless in the darkest corner, and listened.
"This is what I propose," Bloodson went on. "I will reveal to you wherethe villain is lurking; we will spread so as to envelope him in animpassable circle, and if you or the chiefs here present are luckierthan I, and seize him, you will deliver him into my hands."
"What to do with him?"
"To take an exemplary vengeance on him."
"I cannot promise that," Valentine said slowly.
"For what reason?"
"You have just given it: there is not a man on the prairie but has aterrible account to settle with this villain."
"Well?"
"The man he has most outraged is, in my opinion, Don Miguel de Zarate,whose daughter he so basely murdered. Don Miguel alone has the right todeal with him as he thinks proper."
Bloodson gave a start of disappointment.
"Oh, were he here!" he exclaimed.
"Here I am, sir," the hacendero replied as he stepped forward; "I toohave vengeance to take on Red Cedar; but I wish it to be great andnoble, in the light of the sun, and the presence of all: I do not wishto assassinate, but to punish him."
"Good," Bloodson exclaimed, stifling a cry of joy; "our thoughts are thesame, caballero; for what I desire is to deal with Red Cedar, accordingto Lynch Law, in its entire rigour, on the very spot where he committedhis first crime, and in the sight of the population he has horrified. Inthe Far West, I am not only called the Son of Blood, but also theAvenger and the judge."
After these words, spoken with feverish energy, there was a gloomysilence which lasted some time.
"Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord," a voice said, which made thehearers start.
All turned round; Father Seraphin, with his crucifix in his hand, andhead erect, seemed to command them all by the grandeur of his evangelicmission.
"By what right do you make yourselves the instruments of divine justice?"he continued. "If this man was guilty, who tells that repentance has notcome at this hour to wash the stains from his soul?"
"Eye for eye, tooth for tooth," Bloodson muttered in a hoarse voice.
These words broke the charm that enchained the audience.
"Eye for eye, tooth for tooth," they exclaimed wrathfully.
Father Seraphin saw he was conquered: he understood that all reasoningwould fail with these blood-thirsty men, to whom the life of theirfellow men is nothing, and who rank vengeance as a virtue.
"Farewell," he said in mournful voice; "farewell, poor misguided men. Idare not curse you, I can only pity you; but I warn you that I will doall in my power to save the victim you wish to immolate to your odiouspassions."
And he went out of the lodge.
When the emotion caused by the priest's words had calmed down, DonMiguel walked up to Bloodson, and laid his hand on the one the rangeroffered to him.
"I accept Lynch Law," he said.
"Yes," all present shouted, "Lynch Law."
A few hours later, Bloodson regained his camp, and it was after thisinterview that Valentine had the conversation with Don Pablo, as hereturned from Red Cedar's jacal, which we described at the beginning ofthe volume.