CHAPTER XV.
COUNT DE MELGOSA.
The Spaniards remained on the defensive for some time longer; theycould not believe in their marvellous deliverance, and expected theredskins to return at every moment and attack them again. The entirenight however passed without the deep silence of the desert beingdisturbed otherwise than by the ferocious howling of the jaguars, andthe snapping bark of the coyotes, which were proceeding in packs tothe watering places. At sunrise they perceived that the canyon wasentirely deserted, and that their savage enemies had given up allattempts to carry their encampment by storm. After returning thanks toheaven for the unexpected help sent them in their distress, they busilyset to work burying the dead, in order that they might be able to startas soon as possible.
Their loss during the obstinate fight with the Indians was serious.Four of the count's brave soldiers had fallen, the two others werewounded, and himself and the Canadian had only escaped by a miracle.The hunter was forced to allow that for the fifteen years he had beentraversing the prairie, in all the engagements he had fought with theredskins, he never saw them proceed with so much method, and displaysuch obstinacy in their attack. The Spaniards, certain of havingnothing more to fear, left their entrenchments and proceeded to themainland in order to bury their dead.
At length, when they had paid the last rites to their comrades, andhad rolled heavy stones upon the graves to prevent the bodies beingprofaned by wild beasts, the hunters hastily took their morning meal,saddled their horses, and set out again, saddened by the mournfulincident which had interrupted their journey so painfully. All smiledaround them. The day announced itself under magnificent auspices, thebirds saluted with their merry songs the apparition of the day star,the leaves glistened with dew, a thick mist rose from the ground, aperfumed breeze rustled the branches. In a word, all breathed calm joyand pure happiness in this desert which, but a few hours previously,had been witness of a horrid scene of carnage.
As on the previous day, the count and the adventurer rode side byside, absorbed in gloomy thoughts, and looking round them absently andcarelessly. At length the Canadian drew himself up, shook his headseveral times as if to dismiss a troublesome thought, and turning tothe count said, as if he were completing aloud an internal thought--
"Stuff, a little sooner or a little later, a man must die after all."
"Yes," the count said with a sad smile, "dying is indeed the commonlaw. But dying thus, far from one's friends, beneath the bullets ofunworthy foes, without benefit to humanity--that is truly frightful,and what heaven ought not to permit."
"Do not murmur against Providence, senor. These men have fallen, it istrue; but their death was not so useless as you seem to think, becauseit enabled you to await the help which delivered you."
"That is true, and I am wrong; still I cannot help pitying the fate ofdevoted servants, whose death I indirectly caused."
"It was a glorious fight, vigorously carried on upon both sides. Stillit was time for our liberators to arrive. Had they not, it is more thanprobable that we should now be also lying lifeless on the ground. But,"he added, after a moment's reflection, "why did our saviours go offin that way? I fancy they might have joined us, if not to receive ourcongratulations and thanks, at least to inquire into our state."
"What good would that do? The Queen of the Savannah heard our muskets,that was sufficient to prove to her that we were still alive and ableto fight."
"That is possible," the Canadian continued thoughtfully; "but howevergreat may be the obligation I have contracted towards the extraordinarywoman you call by that name, I shall not be satisfied till I shall havebeen close to her."
"Why so? With what have you to reproach her? Why obstinately try todisturb the secrets of a person who must be an object of indifferenceto you?"
"You are mistaken on that head, senor. This woman, this strange being,has already interfered twice in my affairs at a very short interval oftime. A man like myself, senor, does not contract serious obligations,unless he knows that he will be able someday to repay to the person whoforces such protection upon him."
The count burst into a laugh.
"Caballero, caballero," he said, "you are punctilious, and difficultto satisfy. Anyone in your place would readily put up with theaffront, and not be at all anxious to know to whom he owes so great anobligation."
"Everybody, senor, looks at matters from his own point of sight; for mypart I repeat that the way in which the woman to whom we are alludinghas twice interfered in my affairs has excited in me, I will not saya curiosity, but such a lively interest, that I swear to you I meanto learn something about her at all risks so soon as I am at libertyagain."
"Take my advice, Don Oliver, do not try to discover the matter, forthere is a sad story beneath it."
"You know her, then?"
"Perhaps so. I can only form conjectures, for the persons directlyinterested in that woman's actions insist on maintaining the deepestsilence."
"Why, wait a minute," the Canadian said, hitting his forehead like aman who suddenly remembers something he had quite forgotten, "I believenow that Don Aurelio Gutierrez told us at the Hacienda del Barriocertain facts connected with this person."
"To what are you alluding, senor?"
"Good gracious! I attached but slight importance to the narrative atthe time, so that what I heard is very confused in my head. Still Ithink it referred to the extermination of an Indian tribe encamped onDon Anibal de Saldibar's estates, and atrocious revenge on the partof the redskins, in consequence of which the hacendero's wife becameinsane."
"Yes, all that you say is true. When Dona Emilia regained her reasonshe vowed an implacable hatred against the Indians, and since thatperiod, if what is said be true, she has constantly pursued themwithout truce or mercy, hunting them down, and massacring them likewild beasts."
"That is indeed extraordinary."
"The redskins, tracked by this lady, whom they believe to be protectedby a charm, as she has constantly foiled their snares and escapedunwounded from all their attacks, have conceived such a superstitiousfear for her that her name alone, as you saw last night, is sufficientto cause them a wild terror and set them to flight, and as if renderinghomage to the terror with which she has continued to inspire them, theyhave given her the name you heard repeated during the fight."
"The Queen of the Savannah?"
"Yes."
"I have often heard the Indians speak of this strange creature, whomthey imagine to be a species of malevolent genius, and about whom theyrecount the most fantastic and improbable stories; but I confess I wasfar from suspecting that the Queen of the Savannah and Dona Emilia deSaldibar were one and the same person."
"I do not say that they are, and I affirm nothing; I merely repeat toyou what is said."
"How is it that you, a friend of Don Anibal, are not better informedabout the affair?"
"Because, I repeat once again, Don Anibal maintains an obstinatesilence on the subject; and if by any chance this mysterious being isalluded to in his presence he at once turns the conversation, so thatno one exactly knows what to believe, and is forced to make conjecturesmore or less probable."
"Very good," the hunter answered, "I thank you for your information,caballero. But, _iviva Dios!_ I swear to you that I will force DonAnibal to tell me how matters really are; or, if he will not, I shallnot hesitate to question his wife."
"I doubt greatly whether you will be able to obtain even the shortestinterview with her. She is constantly shut up in her apartments withher daughter. No one sees her, and several of her domestics even do notknow her."
"You excite my curiosity the more, senor."
"All the worse for you, caballero," the count continued; "for admittingthat you succeeded in seeing Dona Emilia, I am convinced that she wouldnot consent to answer any of the questions you thought proper to askher."
"Oh, oh! That appears to me rather too strong; but no matter, I willnot recognize defeat, and I pledge you my word that so soon as I retur
nto the hacienda, I will try, by all the means in my power, to obtainthe clue of the enigma."
"As you please, caballero. I have warned you, and have no right tocheck or encourage you in what you intend doing. Still, if I may beallowed to offer my advice in so serious a matter, I would invite youto refrain. It is not always prudent to try and interfere in people'sbusiness against their will, especially when it does not concern you inany way."
"I thank you for your advice, caballero, though it is not in my powerto follow it. But," he said, as he stopped his horse, and laid his handover his forehead to keep off the sunlight, "who is that coming downthere?"
"Where?" the count asked, imitating the hunter.
"There, in front of us; a horseman is coming up at full speed."
"It is true," the count said; "I can just distinguish him in the cloudof dust raised by his horse's hoofs."
"Hum!" the Canadian said, as he cocked his rifle; "If he be alone, wecan easily settle him; but when a thing is doubtful, it is always aswell to take one's precautions."
"What are you about?"
"As you can see, I am preparing to receive the coming visitor."
In the meanwhile, the horseman rapidly approached the Spaniards, andit was soon easy to see, by his dress and horse harness, that he was aMexican. While galloping, this man made signs as if wishing to attractthe attention of the travellers, and induce them to advance.
"I was not mistaken," the count said all at once; "uncock your rifle,caballero; you have nothing to fear, for that individual is one ofmy peons. What motive could have induced the countess to send off acourier?"
"We are going to learn," the Canadian replied, as he laid his rifleacross the saddlebow again, "for he will have joined us in fiveminutes."
In fact, the horseman shortly after accosted them. He was a sturdypeon, with sun burnt face and powerful limbs; he was well armed, androde one of those prairie horses which European steeds can neverequal. On coming up to his master, he stopped his horse so short thatits four feet seemed to be suddenly welded to the ground, and, bowingrespectfully to the count, he took from the China crape faja, tightlyfastened around his hips, a bag of opossum skin, from which he drew aletter, and handed it to his master. The count opened the letter, butbefore reading it looked at the peon with ill-disguised anxiety, andsaid to him--
"Has anything new occurred at the hacienda, Diego Lopez?"
"Nothing, mi amo, that I know of at least."
"The senora is not indisposed?"
"No, Excellency; but on learning from the lancero, whom you sent toLeona Vicario, that you would probably pass the hacienda on your returnwithout stopping, she gave me this letter, and bade me make all speed."
"Is that really all? You are telling the truth, Diego Lopez?"
"By my share of Paradise, Excellency, I have told you all exactly as ithappened."
"Very good--wait."
And, turning to the Canadian, he said--
"Will you permit me?"
"A letter which has arrived in this way, senor, must be of importance,so read it without further delay."
The count at once began reading, but he had only got through a fewlines ere his face was covered with a deadly pallor.
"What is the matter, senor?" the hunter asked anxiously; "Are you ill,or has the letter really brought bad news?"
"Neither, caballero," the count answered, making a violent effort toregain his coolness; "I thank you, but this letter reminds me of a datewhich I had not forgotten, alas!" he said with a sigh, "For that isimpossible, but which I might have allowed to pass, owing to presentcircumstances. Instead of conducting you straight to Leona Vicario, asI originally intended, I am compelled to stop at my hacienda. Are youdisposed to accept the poor rustic hospitality I can offer you, or willyou continue your journey to the ciudad, under the guidance of DiegoLopez?"
"I am entirely at your disposal, senor, and will do what you thinkproper, as I am in no hurry; you shall decide my movements."
"As you are so accommodating, we will proceed to the hacienda. DiegoLopez, ride on ahead, and inform your mistress of our speedy arrival."
The peon bowed, bent over his horse's neck, dug his spurs into itssides, and started at a gallop.
"We need not hurry," the count said, "for we are only two leagues atthe most from the hacienda."
"I will ride at your pace," the hunter replied; "besides, the sun isstill high."
"The hospitality we have to offer will be sad, senor; family griefhas, unfortunately, banished joy for ever from my hearth. I ask you,therefore, to excuse any formality which may be visible in thecountess's reception of you."
The Canadian bowed politely, and they went on. In about an hour, theyperceived the lofty and thick walls of a vast hacienda, built on thetop of a scarped rock.
"Oh, oh!" the hunter said, admiring the strength of this majesticbuilding, "That is an admirable fortress."
"It is the hacienda to which I am taking you, senor, and of which I amthe owner."
"iViva Dios! I regret that a citadel like that is not in the possessionof the party I have joined."
"Yes," the count said, with a sigh, "its position is well chosen."
"Admirably. With a good garrison, it would be possible to hold out fora long time against an army."
"Alas! There was one ill-omened day on which these strong walls,defended by a garrison of brave and devoted men, could not save it frombeing taken by storm, and plundered by the Comanches."
The count heaved a deep sigh as he uttered these words. The hunter,afraid of saddening his host by dwelling on a subject which seemed sopainful to him, tried to turn the conversation.
"Good gracious!" he said, "I did not notice before that the hacienda isentirely surrounded by water."
"Yes, the river has been turned so as to form a belt round it. Ourancestors, compelled continually to contend against the insurrectionsof the natives, who only assumed the yoke with great reluctance, builtperfect citadels, and took their precautions against an attack. Buthere we are on the river bank; you must dismount, and enter the boat;it is the only way of passing to the other side."
"I suspect," the hunter said with a laugh, "that there is another--aford, for instance; but you do not care to show it to me."
"Perhaps so," the count answered, with a smile; "suppose there were,would you think me wrong?"
"On my word, no," said the Canadian; "war is a game like any other, inwhich the cleverer player has the best chance of winning."
While talking, they had dismounted, and handed their horses to thesoldiers. At this moment the boat, pulled by two sturdy peons, came upto them; they got in, and in a few minutes found themselves on a sortof small quay, ten yards wide at the most.
"Come," the count said.
The hunter followed his host, and entered a narrow rugged path whichran round the hill, and which foot travellers could alone follow, as itwas kept up so badly, perhaps purposely. At length, after ascending inthis way for about a quarter of an hour--not without halting severaltimes to take breath, so rapid and abrupt was the incline--the twomen reached the top of the hill, and found themselves in front of thehacienda, from which they were only separated by an abyss some twentyfeet wide. A drawbridge, formed of two narrow planks thrown across theprecipice, supplied them with a rather precarious passage, and they atlength found themselves inside the fortress.
"Well, well," the hunter muttered, as he looked searchingly around him;"the persons inhabiting this house do not seem to me persuaded thatpeace will be durable."