The Pirates of the Prairies: Adventures in the American Desert

  CHAPTER XX.

  A HAND-TO-HAND FIGHT.

  In order to explain thoroughly to our readers the sudden attack on theComanche village, we are compelled to return to Red Cedar.

  Black Cat had left the council to proceed to the pirates, who were readyto follow him; but as Red Cedar had noticed that the agitationprevailing in the camp on his arrival had increased instead ofdiminishing, he could not refrain from asking the chief what it allmeant, and what had happened.

  Black Cat had hastened to satisfy him by narrating the miraculous flightof Dona Clara, who had disappeared with her companions, and no one couldimagine what had become of them. Since the morning, the most experiencedwarriors of the tribe had been on the search, but had discoverednothing. Red Cedar was far from suspecting that the maiden he had leftin his camp was the one so eagerly sought by the Apaches. He reflectedfor some moments.

  "How many white men were there?" he asked.

  "Three."

  "Was there no one else with them?"

  "Yes," the chief said, frowning, and his eyes flashing with fury. "Therewere also two redskin warriors, one of them a cowardly Coras, a renegadeof his nation."

  "Very good," Red Cedar answered. "The chief will lead me to thecouncil, and I will tell them where the prisoners are."

  "My brother knows it, then?" Black Cat asked, quickly.

  Red Cedar threw his rifle on his back, whistled softly, but gave noanswer.

  They reached the council lodge. Red Cedar, taking the responsibility onhimself, undertook to answer the questions addressed to him by theIndians. Since Black Cat's departure, not a word had been uttered in thecouncil. The Indians were patiently awaiting the result of the promisesmade by the chief. The latter resumed his place at the council fire;and, addressing the other sachem, said--

  "Here are the white hunters."

  "Very good," an old warrior answered, "let them speak, we hear."

  Red Cedar advanced, and, leaning on his rifle, he took the word, at asign from Black Cat.

  "My red brothers," he said, in a clear and marked voice, "are all aswearied as ourselves by the continual attacks of that coyote who belongsto no nation, or no colour, and who is called the Son of Blood. If theywill allow themselves to be guided by the experience of a man who has,for many years, been thoroughly acquainted with tricks and villany ofwhich that man is capable, before long, in spite of the imposing forcehe has at his command, they will have driven him disgracefully from theprairies, and compelled him to recross the frontier, abandoning foreverthe rich hunting grounds over which he pretends to reign as a master."

  "We await till our brother has explained himself more clearly, withfrankness, and without equivocation," Black Cat interrupted him.

  "That is what I am about to do," the squatter went on. "The prisonersyou made were precious to you, because there was a white woman amongthem. You allowed them to escape, and must capture them again. They willbe important hostages for you."

  "My brother does not tell us where these prisoners have sought shelter."

  Red Cedar shrugged his shoulders.

  "That is, however, very easy to know. The prisoners had only one spotwhere they could obtain a refuge, before reaching the frontier."

  "And that is?" Black Cat asked.

  "The great summer village of the Comanches of the mountains, the mostfaithful allies of Bloodson, the sons of Unicorn, that nation which hasrenounced the faith of its fathers, to become completely dependent onthe whites, and to whom you ought to send petticoats. Hence you need notseek your prisoners elsewhere, for they are there."

  The Indians, struck by the correctness of this reasoning, gaveunequivocal marks of approval, and prepared to listen with greaterinterest to what the hunter had still to say to them.

  "My brother must, therefore, do two things," the squatter continued;"first, surprise the Comanches' village, and, secondly, marchimmediately against Bloodson."

  "Good," Stanapat said, "my brother is a wise man; I have known him along time; his advice is good; but the Teocali inhabited by Bloodson iswell defended. In what way will my brother set about seizing it?"

  "My brother will listen," Red Cedar continued. "I have ten bold hunterswith me; but I have left eighty, all armed with good rifles, on anisland of the endless river where they are encamped, which are awaitingmy return. The detachment intended to attack the Teocali will invest iton all sides, though the warriors will not let themselves be seen;during that time I will accompany Black Cat and his tribe to theComanche village. As soon as the prisoners have fallen into our hands, Iwill go and fetch my young men from the island where I left them, andreturn with them and Black Cat to help my brother in seizing theTeocali, which cannot resist us."

  This promise, made in a loud and firm voice, produced all the effect thesquatter expected. The Indians, dreaming of the immense pillage theycould indulge in, and the incalculable wealth collected at the spot,had only one desire: to seize the Teocali as soon as possible. Still,through the Indian stoicism, none of the passions boiling in their veinswere displayed in their faces, and it was in a cold and calm voice thatBlack Cat thanked Red Cedar and told him he could withdraw while thechiefs deliberated on what he had brought before them. The squatterbowed and left the council, followed by his companions.

  "Well," the Gazelle asked him, "what do you fancy the redskins will do?"

  "Do not be uneasy, senorita," the squatter answered, with a most meaningsmile, "I know the Indians; the plan I have submitted to them is toosimple, and offers too many advantages for them to decline it; I canassure you beforehand that they will follow it exactly."

  "Is it far from here to the Comanche village?"

  "No," the other said, emphatically; "by starting at once we should reachit this evening."

  The girl gave vent to a sigh of satisfaction, and a vivid blush suffusedher charming face. Red Cedar, who was watching her aside, could notrefrain from muttering to himself:

  "I must have the solution of the enigma ere long."

  They returned to the tent.

  In the Council of the Chiefs all happened as Red Cedar had foreseen:after a short deliberation, referring more to the mode of execution thanto the plan itself, it was adopted unanimously.

  An hour later, all was movement in the camp; the warriors rose to jointhe detachments and form squadrons; there was an indescribableconfusion. At length, calm was gradually restored, the two war partiesstarted in the directions proposed by Red Cedar, and soon, of the crowdof warriors who had been yelling and dancing in the camp, only thirtyremained to receive the warriors as they arrived.

  Black Cat placed himself at the head of his band, followed by thePirates. The Apaches started for the Comanche village in Indian file, attheir peculiar pace, which a trotting horse finds difficulty in keepingup with. The greatest silence and caution prevailed in the ranks, and itseemed as if the Apaches did not wish to be heard even by the birds.

  With extraordinary dexterity, of which the Indians alone are capable,each marched in the other's footsteps so exactly that it looked as ifonly one person had gone along the path, carrying their care to such anextent as to stoop for fear of grazing the branches, and avoiding anycontact with the shrubs. They marched as far as was possible on brokenearth or rocks, that their traces might be less visible, making detoursafter detours, and returning a dozen times to the same spot, for thepurpose of so thoroughly confusing their trail that it would beimpossible to discover it.

  When they reached the bank of a stream, instead of crossing it at rightangles, they followed or went up it for a considerable distance, notlanding again till the soil was hard enough to take the marks of theirfootsteps. They did all this with exemplary patience, without checkingtheir speed, and still advancing to the object they had chosen.

  They found themselves at about half past six in the evening at the topof a hill, whence the summer village of the Comanches could be perceivedscarce two miles distant. The sound of the songs and chichikouis reachedthe Apaches at intervals, thu
s telling them that their enemies wererejoicing and celebrating some ceremony without any suspicion of asudden attack. The Indians halted and consulted as to their finalmeasures.

  The Comanches have two sorts of villages, summer and winter. The latterare built with care, and some regularity. Their houses are of twostories, well arranged, light, and even elegant. But the Comanches arebirds of prey, continually exposed to invasions, and menacing theirenemies with them: hence they construct their villages on the point ofrocks, exactly like eagles' nests, and seek all means to render themimpregnable. The most curious village we have seen is formed by twolofty pyramids, standing on either side of a ravine, and connected by abridge some distance up. These pyramids are about four hundred andtwenty-five feet long by one hundred and forty-eight wide; as they risethis width diminishes, and the total height is about eighty-six feet.These two villages, divided into eight floors, contain five hundredinhabitants, who are enabled to defend themselves against a swarm ofenemies from these extraordinary fortresses.

  In the Comanche winter villages the door is not on the ground floor, asin Europe and civilised countries. The Comanche, when he wishes to enterhis house, places a ladder against the side, mounts on the roof, andthence descends by a trap to the lower floors. When the ladder is oncedrawn up, it is impossible to enter the house.

  The Pueblo of Aronco is situated on the summit of a scarped rock, over aprecipice several hundred feet in depth. The inhabitants only enter bymeans of ladders, as is the case in some Swiss villages; but in time ofwar the ladders disappear, and the pueblo can only be reached by notchescut at regular distances in the rock.

  The summer villages are only constructed for habitation in fine weather,or peace times, to facilitate getting in the crops and the chase; sosoon as the first frost arrives, or a sound of war is heard, they areimmediately deserted.

  All the summer villages are alike; the one to which we allude here wassurrounded by palisades and a wide ditch, but the fortifications, whichhad not been kept up, were in a complete state of dilapidation; theditch was filled up at several spots, and the palisades, torn down bythe squaws to light fires, offered, at many places, a convenient passagefor assailants.

  The Apaches wished to descend into the plain, unnoticed by theinhabitants; which would have been difficult, almost impossible, forEuropean troops; but the Indians, whose wars are only one succession ofsurprises and ambushes, know how to surmount such difficulties.

  It was arranged that the band, divided into three detachments, the firstcommanded by Black Cat, the second by another chief, and the third byRed Cedar, should crawl down the hillside, while the few men left toguard the horses would come up when the village was invaded.

  This settled, Black Cat had torches prepared. When all was ready, thethree detachments lay down on the ground, and the descent of the hillbegan. Assuredly, a man standing sentry in the place could not havesuspected that more than five hundred warriors were marching on thevillage, crawling in the lofty grass like serpents, not even making thebranches or leaves under which they crept oscillate, and keeping suchorder in their march that they always formed front.

  The descent had lasted more than an hour, and as soon as the plain wasreached the greatest difficulty was surmounted; for owing to the heightof the plants and bushes, it was almost impossible for them to beperceived. At length, gaining ground inch by inch, after surmountingenormous obstacles and difficulties, they reached the palisade.

  The first to arrive was Black Cat, who imitated the barking of thecoyote. Two similar signals answered him, uttered by the chiefs of theother detachments, who had also arrived. Black Cat, now confident ofbeing vigorously supported by his friends, seized his war whistle, andproduced from it a shrill and piercing sound.

  All the Indians rose as one man, and, bounding like tigers, rushed onthe village, uttering their formidable war cry. They entered the villageby three sides simultaneously, driving before them the terrifiedpopulation; who, taken unawares, fled in every direction, howling withterror.

  Some of the Apaches, as soon as they got in, lit their torches, andthrew them on the straw roofs of the callis. The huts immediatelycaught, and the fire spreading around, served as the vanguard of theApaches, who excited it with everything they could lay hands on.

  The unhappy Comanches, surprised in the middle of a ceremony, surroundedby a belt of fire, and attacked on all sides by their ferocious enemies,who were killing and scalping women and children, suffered from the mostprofound despair, and only offered a weak resistance to this fierceassault. In the meanwhile the fire spread further. The village became aburning furnace--the heated air was oppressive to breathe, and masses ofsparks and of smoke, driven by the wind, blinded and burnt the eyes.

  The hunters, on the roof of the calli, defended themselves vigorously,not hoping to escape, but wishing, at least, to sell their lives dearly.They were already surrounded by the flames which met over their heads,and yet they did not dream of giving ground.

  Still, when the first moment of terror had passed, a band of Comanchewarriors had succeeded in uniting, and offered a most obstinateresistance to the Apaches. All at once, White Gazelle, with flashingeye, suffused face, clenched teeth, and blanched lips, rushed forward,followed by Red Cedar and the Pirates, who followed at her heels.

  "Surrender!" she cried to Valentine.

  "Coward!" the latter replied, who took her for a man; "here is myanswer!"

  And he fired a pistol at the girl. The bullet passed through Orson'sarm, who uttered a yell of pain, and rushed madly into the medley.

  "Surrender! I say again," the girl went on, "you must see that you willbe killed."

  "No! A hundred times no," Valentine shouted. "I will not surrender."

  The Gazelle, by a prodigious effort, reached the wall of the calli, andby the help of her hands and feet, succeeded in reaching the roof beforeher intention was suspected. With the energy and fierceness of a tiger,she bounded on Dona Clara, seized her round the waist, and put a pistolto her forehead.

  "Now, will you surrender?" she said furiously.

  "Take care, Nina; take care," Sandoval shouted.

  It was too late: Curumilla had felled her with the butt end of hisrifle. The pirates rushed to her aid, but Valentine and his friendsrepulsed them. A horrible hand-to-hand combat began over the body of thegirl, who lay senseless on the ground.

  Valentine took a scrutinising glance around him; with a movement swiftas thought he caught up Dona Clara, and, leaping from the calli, he fellinto the midst of a detachment of Comanches, who welcomed him withshouts of joy. Without loss of time the hunter laid the maiden, who washalf dead with terror, on the ground, and placing himself at the head ofthe warriors, he made so successful a charge, that the Apaches,surprised in their turn, were compelled to give ground. Don Pablo andthe others then rejoined the hunters.

  "By Jove! It is warm work," said the Frenchman, whose hair and eyebrowswere scorched. "Our friend, Red Cedar, has brought this on us. I wasdecidedly wrong in not killing him."

  In the meanwhile the Comanches had recovered from their terror; thewarriors had found arms and assumed the offensive. Not only did theApaches no longer advance, but at various points they began fallingback, inch by inch, it is true but it was already a retreat. Thepirates, rendered desperate by the wound of their darling child,surrounded her, and tried in vain to recall her to life. Red Cedar alonefought at the head of the Apaches, and performed prodigies of valour.

  Night had set in, and the combat was still going on by the sinisterglare of the fire. Valentine took Pethonista aside, and whispered a fewwords.

  "Good," the chief answered; "my brother is a great warrior: he willsave my nation."

  And he straightway disappeared, making some of his men a sign to followhim.

  Dona Clara was not long despondent; when the first effect of terror hadpassed she rose and seized a pistol.

  "Do not trouble yourself about me," she said to Valentine and herbrother. "Do your duty as brave hunters: if I am atta
cked, I can defendmyself."

  "I will remain by your side," said Shaw, giving her a passionate glance.

  "Be it so," she answered with a kind smile; "henceforth I shall be insafety."

  The Comanches had entrenched themselves with their squaws in the greatsquare of the village, where the flames did not affect them greatly.Indeed, the wretched callis had not taken long to burn; the fire wasalready expiring for lack of nourishment, and they were fighting on aheap of cinders.

  Valentine, while fighting in the first ranks of his allies, contentedhimself with holding the positions he had succeeded in occupying, anddid not attempt to repulse the Apaches. All at once the war cry of theComanches, mingled with a formidable hurrah, sounded in the rear of theApaches, who were attacked with incredible fury.

  "Bloodson! Bloodson!" the Apaches shouted, attacked with extraordinaryterror.

  It was, in truth, the stranger, who, followed by Don Miguel, GeneralIbanez, Unicorn, and all his comrades, rushed like a whirlwind on theApaches. Valentine gave vent to a shout of joy in response to the hurrahof his friends, and rushed forward at the head of his warriors. Fromthis moment the medley became horrible: it was no longer a combat, but abutchery, an atrocious carnage!