CHAPTER V.
O SERTAO.
On the 25th of June, 1790, about seven o'clock in the evening, a rathernumerous troop of horsemen suddenly emerged from a narrow ravine, andbegan to ascend a steep path on the flank of a mountain forming theextreme limit of the Sierra di Ibetucata, situated in the province ofSao Paolo.
These horsemen, having traversed the Rio Paranapanema, prepared nodoubt to cross the Rio Tiete, if, as the direction which they followedappeared to indicate, they were going to the territory of Minas Gerais.
For the most part well dressed, they wore the picturesque costume ofsertanejos, and were armed with sabres, pistols, knives, and carbines.Their lacos, rolled up, were hanging, attached by rings, to the rightsides of their saddles.
We shall observe that the bolas--that terrible arm of the gaucho of thepampas in the Banda Oriental--is completely unused in the interior ofBrazil.
These men, with their bronzed complexions, haughty bearing, boldlyseated on their horses, their hands resting on their weapons, readyto make use of them, and their eyes constantly fixed on the underwoodand the thickets in order to discover the route, and to guard againstambuscades, offered in the oblique and mild rays of the setting sun,in the midst of that majestic scene, a striking resemblance to thosetroops of Paulista adventurers who in the sixteenth and seventeenthcenturies, appeared led by the finger of God to undertake boldexpeditions, which were to give new countries to the mother city, andto finish by confining to their impenetrable forests the warlike andunsubdued tribes of the first inhabitants of the soil.
The horsemen of whom we are speaking were thirty in number, reckoningthe servants charged with the mules loaded with baggage, and who, incase of attack, were to join their companions in the general defence,and were armed with fusils and sabres.
At some distance behind this first troop came a second, composed ofa dozen horsemen, in the midst of whom was a palanquin closely shut,carried by two mules.
These two troops evidently obeyed the same chief, for when the firsthad arrived at the summit of the mountain, it stopped, and a horsemanwas sent to hasten the arrival of the second.
The men of the second troop affected a certain military air, and worethe costume of the soldados da conquista, which, at the first glance ofa person accustomed to Brazilian manners, clearly showed that the chiefof the caravan was not only a rich and powerful personage, but that hisjourney was surrounded by perils.
Notwithstanding the heat of the day, which was then closing, thesesoldiers sat firmly in their saddles, and carried, without appearing inany way discommoded by it, the strange accoutrement without which theynever undertake an expedition--that is to say, the cuirass, named gibaode armas, a kind of greatcoat stuffed with cotton and quilted, whichdescends almost to the knees, and also covers and protects the armsbetter than any other armour from the long Indian arrows.
As when they followed the savages into the forests, they were obligedto abandon their horses, upon which they could not penetrate the virginforests, they had at their side a kind of large blade, called facao,which was of use to them in cutting bamboos to open up a passage; theyeach had also an espingole, or a fusil without bayonet, which theyordinarily loaded only with large shot, as it was almost impossible todirect a ball with certainty in these inextricable masses of foliage,rendered thicker still by the strange disposition of the branches, andthe entanglement of the bamboos.
These soldiers are much feared by the Indians and the runaway Negroes,whom they have a special mission to track and surprise.
They are much esteemed in the country on account of their courage,their sobriety, and their fidelity, whenever put to the test; thus thepresence of a dozen of them in the caravan was a certain indicationof the high position which the chief of the expedition occupied inBrazilian society.
The caravan stopped, as we have said, at the summit of the mountain.From that elevation there was a view spread before them, to aconsiderable distance, over a landscape of forests, of varied valleys,traversed by innumerable streams; but not a house, not a hut, wasvisible to animate this splendid and wild scene.
The travellers, little affected by the attractions of the magicpanorama which was spread out before them, and moreover fatigued by along journey through almost impracticable paths, while a torrid sunprofusely poured its burning rays on their heads, hastened to instalthemselves in their camp for the night.
Whilst some amongst them unloaded the mules and heaped up the baggage,others erected a tent in the midst of this improvised camp; thestrongest made a heap of trees as a provisional intrenchment, andsome others lit the fires intended for the cooking of the eveningmeal--fires which were to be kept up all night in order to keep offwild beasts.
When the camp was completely made, a horseman of haughty bearing,about twenty-eight or thirty years at the most, whose aristocraticmanner, bold look and short manner of speaking, denoted the habit ofcommand, gave the order for the palanquin, which up to that moment hadremained at some little distance, surrounded by its escort, to approach.
The palanquin immediately advanced as far as the tent, and was opened.The curtain of the tent moved, and then fell back, without it beingpossible to know of what sex was the person whom the palanquin hadenclosed, and who had just quitted it. The palanquin was immediatelyborne away. The soldier who had probably previously received strictinjunctions, surrounded at a pistol shot the tent, to which they wouldallow no one to approach.
The chief of the caravan, after having assisted at the execution of theorder he had given, withdrew under a somewhat smaller tent, erected atsome paces from the first, and throwing himself on a seat, was soonabsorbed in profound reflections.
This horseman, as we have said, was a man of twenty-eight or thirtyyears of age, with delicate and aristocratic features, of almostfeminine beauty and delicacy. His countenance, gentle and affable atthe first aspect, lost this appearance as soon as it was studied withcare, to assume an expression of mocking and cruel wickedness, whichinspired fear and almost repulsion; his large black eyes had a vaguelook which was rarely fixed, his mouth furnished with brilliant whiteteeth, surmounted by a fine black moustache, oiled with care, onlyhalf-opened to allow an ironic smile to escape from his lips, slightlyraising their corners. Such as he was, however, to superficial eyes, hewas an admirable horseman, full of nobility, and of a seductive bearing.
He had scarcely been twenty minutes alone under his tent, when thecurtain of the tent was removed gently to give passage to a man who,after having assured himself by looking around, that the horseman ofwhom we have just given a sketch was quite alone, took two steps intothe interior, and removed his hat respectfully.
This person formed to the first the most complete and the rudestcontrast; he was still young, with muscular form and angularfeatures--a base, mean, and cruel physiognomy, impressed with anexpression of sullen wickedness; his forehead low and depressed, hiseyes grey, round, deeply sunken, and considerably removed from eachother, his nose long and hooked, his high cheekbones, his large mouthwith flat lips, gave him a distant resemblance to a bird of prey ofthe least noble kind. His monstrous head, supported by a thick andshort neck, was buried between two shoulders of great breadth, hisawkward arms covered with enormous muscles, gave him the appearance ofpossessing extraordinary brutal force, the general aspect of which hadsomething repulsive in it. This individual, whom it was easy at once torecognise as a mameluco [1] hybrid, wore the costume of the sertanejos.
Several minutes passed before the young man recognised the man who wasstanding before him.
"Ah, 'tis you, Malco Diaz," said he.
"Yes, Monsieur le marquis, it is me," answered the mameluco[1], in alow and half-stifled voice.
"Well, what do you want with me, now?"
"Well," said the other with a chill sneer, "the reception that yourlordship gives me is scarcely endearing; it is two days since I havespoken to you."
"I have no reason, I suppose, to trouble myself with you. What is theuse of my putting myself
out? Are you not in my pay, and consequentlymy servant?" replied the marquis, with a haughty frown.
"It is true," answered the other, "a servant is a dog, and ought tobe treated as such; however, you know the proverb, 'A bom jogo bo avolta.'"[2]
"Spare me your stupid proverbs. I beg and tell me, without morecircumlocution, what brings you here?" answered the young man withimpatience.
"Well, the business is, your lordship, that I engaged myself to you fortwo months at Rio Janeiro, in order to serve you as a guide, for fourSpanish ounces per month, or, if you prefer it, 106,000 reis.[3] Is itnot true, your lordship?"
"Perfectly; only you forget that you received before leaving RioJaneiro--"
"One month in advance," interrupted the mameluco; "on the contrary, Iremember it very well."
"What do you want, then?"
"I want the remainder for a simple reason, your lordship; because, ourbargain expiring at ten o'clock tomorrow morning, I prefer to settlewith you this evening, rather than cause you any trouble during themarch."
"What, is it so long since we began the journey?"
"Calculate, your lordship."
"Just so, quite as long," replied he, pensively.
There was a long silence.
"So you wish to quit me, Malco Diaz," said the young man abruptly, in amore friendly tone than that which he had employed just before.
"Has not my engagement terminated, your lordship?"
"Just so; but you can renew it."
The mameluco hesitated; his master did not take his eye off him.
"Will your lordship allow me to speak frankly?"
"Speak."
"Well, you are a great lord, a marquis, it is true; as for me, I ambut a poor devil, compared with you, very little and of no account.However, miserable as you suppose me, there is something invaluable inmy estimation."
"And that is--"
"My liberty, your lordship; my independence, the right of going and ofcoming, without rendering anyone an account of my proceedings. I humblysubmit that I am not born to be a servant."
"Have you said all?"
"Yes, all, your lordship."
"But you are not a servant, only a guide."
"That is true, your lordship; but often, spite of yourself, you forgetthe guide, to think only of the servant; and as to me, I cannot getused to be treated in that fashion. My pride revolts in spite ofmyself."
A scornful smile played upon the lips of the young man.
"So," answered he, "the motive that you give me is the only one thatinduces you to leave me?"
"It is the only one, your lordship."
"But if, quite satisfied with your service, I propose to you fivequadruplet instead of four, you would accept it without doubt."
"Pardon me, your lordship," said he, "I should refuse."
"Even if I offered you six?"
"Even if you offered me ten."
"Ah!" said the marquis, biting his lip; "When do you intend to leaveus?"
"When your lordship will permit me."
"But if I insisted that you should remain with us until tomorrow at teno'clock?"
"I should remain, my lord."
"Good," said the young man in a tone of indifference, "I see that yourmind is made up."
"Oh, decidedly, my lord."
"I am going now to pay the remainder that I owe you; you shall then befree to go away immediately."
The young man drew several pieces of gold from a purse, and presentedthem to the mongrel.
"Take it," said he.
Malco held out his hand, but soon thinking better of it--
"Pardon, my lord," said he, "you are making a mistake."
"I? How is that?"
"Why, you only owe me four ounces, I believe."
"Well?"
"You are giving me eight."
"I give you four ounces because I owe them to you, and I add fourothers, because, before parting with you, I wish to give a proof of mysatisfaction of the manner in which you have done your duty."
A second time the mameluco hesitated, but exercising great control overhimself, and stepping back, as if to wish to escape the fascinationexercised over him by the sight of the metal, he placed, although withan evident repugnance, four of the pieces of gold on a chest, answeringwith a voice stifled with emotion--
"I am very grateful to you, my lord, but I cannot accept so rich apresent."
"Why not, if it pleases me to make it, Malco? Am I not the master, todispose of what belongs to me?"
"Yes, my lord, you are free to do that; but I repeat that I shall notaccept the money."
"At least you will give me an explanation of this enigma, for if I donot deceive myself, you love gold."
"Yes, my lord, when it is honourably gained, but I am not a beggar toaccept a remuneration to which I consider I have no right."
"These sentiments do you honour," answered the young man, with a bitingraillery.
He then took the four pieces of gold, chinked them in his hand, andthen put them again into his purse.
"Now we are quits."
And with a gesture, he ordered the mameluco to withdraw. The latter,very ill at ease under the searching look of the marquis, did not waitfor the suggestion to be repeated. He bowed awkwardly, and left thetent.
He then proceeded to his horse, which he had attached some paces offto a stake, threw himself in the saddle, and went off with a pensiveair, descending the mountain at a gentle trot in the direction of theSertao, at the entry of which the caravan had established its bivouac.
When he had gone sufficiently far not to fear being seen, he broke offabruptly to the right, and returned.
"Devil of a man," murmured he, in a low voice, attentively surveyingthe shrubs and thickets for fear of surprise; "it is evident that hesuspects something; I have not a moment to lose; for--I know him. If Ipermit myself to hesitate, I am a lost man; but if I don't hesitate,the affair is too good for me not to devote all my efforts to bring itto a good conclusion. We shall see who will gain the day."
Then vigorously putting spurs to his horse, the mameluco pressed intoa gallop, and was not long disappearing into the darkness; for, duringhis conversation with his former master, the night had fallen.
Meanwhile, as soon as the mameluco had quitted the tent, the marquisrose with a gesture of rage and of menace, but almost immediatelyreseating himself--
"No," said he, in a sullen voice, "let us give him time to get away; wewill let him have complete security; the traitor does not think me sowell informed. Oh, I will revenge myself cruelly for the constraint Iimposed upon myself before him."
He rose again, withdrew the curtain of the tent, and looked out; thegreatest tranquillity, the most complete calm, reigned in the camp. Themarquis then called twice, in a moderately loud voice--
"Diogo! Diogo!"
At the call, which he appeared to expect, a man approached almostimmediately.
"Here I am," said he.
"Come in directly," resumed the marquis.
This man was the chief of the soldados da conquista. He entered.
[1] This name is given to the mongrels born of a white man and Indianwoman, or _vice versa_.
[2] One good turn deserves another.
[3] The reis is a fictitious coin. This formidable sum is worth about340 francs only, in French money.