CHAPTER III.
DEVOTEDNESS.
As we said in a preceding chapter, the doctor had left the camp of theMexicans, charged by Dona Luz with a message for Black Elk.
Like all learned men, the doctor was absent by nature, and that with thebest intentions in the world.
During the first moments, according to the custom of his brethren, hepuzzled his brain to endeavour to make out the signification of thewords, somewhat cabalistical in his opinion, that he was to repeat tothe trapper.
He could not comprehend what assistance his friends could possiblyobtain from a half-wild man, who lived alone in the prairie, and whoseexistence was passed in hunting and trapping.
If he had accepted this mission so promptly, the profound friendship heprofessed for the niece of the general was the sole cause: although heexpected no advantageous result from it, as we have said, he had set outresolutely, convinced that the certainty of his departure would calm theuneasiness of the young lady. In short, he had rather meant to satisfythe caprice of a patient, than undertake a serious affair.
In the persuasion, therefore, that the mission with which he wascharged was a useless one, instead of going full speed, as he oughtto have done, to the toldo of Black Elk, he dismounted, passed hisarm through his bridle, and began to look for simples, an occupationwhich, ere long, so completely absorbed him, that he entirely forgot theinstructions of Dona Luz, and the reason why he had left the camp.
In the meanwhile, time passed slowly because anxiously; half the day wasgone, and the doctor, who ought long before to have returned, did notappear.
The uneasiness became great in the camp, where the general and thecaptain had organized everything for a vigorous defence in case ofattack.
But nothing appeared.
The greatest calm continued to prevail in the environs; the Mexicanswere not far from thinking it a false alarm.
Dona Luz alone felt her inquietude increase every instant; with hereyes fixed upon the plain, she looked in vain in the direction herexpected messengers should arrive by.
All at once, it struck her that the high grass of the prairie had anoscillating motion which was not natural to it.
There was not a breath in the air; a heavy, stifling heat weigheddown all nature; the leaves of the trees, scorched by the sun, weremotionless; the high grass alone, agitated by a slow and mysteriousmovement, continued to oscillate.
And, what was most extraordinary, this almost imperceptible motion,which required close attention to be observed, was not general; on thecontrary, it was successive, approaching the camp by degrees, with aregularity which gave reason for supposing an organized impulsion; sothat, in proportion as it was communicated to the nearest grass, themost distant returned by degrees to a state of complete immobility, fromwhich it did not change.
The sentinels placed in the intrenchments could not tell to what toattribute this movement, of which they understood nothing.
The general, as an experienced soldier, resolved to know what it meant;although he had never personally had to do with the Indians, he hadheard too much of their manner of fighting not to suspect some stratagem.
Not wishing to weaken the camp, which stood in need of all itsdefenders, he resolved himself to undertake the adventure, and go out onthe scout.
At the instant he was about to climb over the intrenchments, the captainstopped him, by placing his hand respectfully on his shoulders.
"What do you want with, me, my friend?" the general asked, turninground.
"I wish, with your permission, to put a question to you, general."
"Do so."
"You are leaving the camp?"
"I am."
"To go in search of intelligence, no doubt?"
"I admit that is my intention."
"Then, general, it is to me that mission belongs."
"Ay! how is that?" said the astonished general.
"Good God! general, that is very plain; I am but a poor devil of anofficer, and owe everything to you."
"What then?"
"The peril I shall run, if peril there be, will not in any waycompromise the success of the expedition; whereas----"
"If you are killed."
The general started.
"Everything must be foreseen and provided for," continued the captain,"when we have before us such adversaries as those that threaten us."
"That is true. What then?"
"Well, the expedition will fail, and not one of us will ever see acivilized country again. You are the head; we are but the arms; remain,therefore, in the camp."
The general reflected for a few seconds; then pressing the hand of theyoung man cordially, he said,--
"Thank you, but I must see for myself what is being plotted against us.The circumstance is too serious to allow me to trust even to you."
"You must remain in the camp, general," persisted the captain, "ifnot for our sake, at least for that of your niece, that innocent anddelicate creature, who, if any misfortune should happen to you, wouldfind herself alone, abandoned amidst ferocious tribes, without support,and without a protector. Of what consequence is my life to me, a poorlad without a family, who owes everything to your kindness? The hour iscome to prove my gratitude--let me discharge my debt."
"But----" the general tried to speak.
"You know," the young man continued, warmly, "if I could take your placewith Dona Luz, I would do it with joy; but I am as yet too young to playthat noble part. Come, general, let me go instead of you, it is my dutyto do so."
Half by persuasion, half by force he succeeded in drawing the oldsoldier back; he sprang upon the intrenchments, leaped down on the otherside, and set off at full speed, after making a last sign of farewell.
The general looked after him as long as he could perceive him; then hepassed his hand across his careful brow, murmuring,--
"Brave boy! excellent nature!"
"Is he not, uncle?" Dona Luz replied, who had approached and listenedwithout being seen.
"Ah! were you there, dear child?" he said, with a smile, which heendeavoured in vain to render cheerful.
"Yes, dear uncle, I have heard all."
"That is well, dear little one," the general said, with an effort;"but this is not the time to give way to feeling. I must think of yoursafety. Do not remain here longer; come with me; an Indian bullet mighteasily reach you here."
Taking her by the hand, he led her affectionately to the tent.
After leading her in, he gave her a kiss upon her brow, advised hernot to go out again, and returned to the intrenchments, where he sethimself to watch with the greatest care what was going on in the plain;calculating the while, mentally, the time that had passed since thedeparture of the doctor, and feeling astonished at not seeing him return.
"He must have fallen in with the Indians," he said; "I only hope theyhave not killed him."
Captain Aguilar was an intrepid soldier, trained in the incessant warsof Mexico; he knew how to unite prudence with courage.
When he arrived at a certain distance from the camp, he laid himself onthe ground, face downwards, and reached, by creeping along thus, a roughpiece of rock, admirably situated for concealment and observation.
Everything appeared quiet around him; nothing denoted the approach ofan enemy. After spending a sufficient time in keenly exploring with hiseyes the country beyond him, he was preparing to return to the camp,with a conviction that the general was deceived, and no imminent perilexisted, when suddenly, within ten paces of him, an asshata bounded upin great terror, with ears erect and head thrown back, and fled awaywith extreme velocity.
"Oh! oh!" the young man said to himself, "there is something here,though. Let us try if we cannot make out what."
Quitting the rock behind which he had been screened, he, with greatprecaution, advanced a few steps, in order to satisfy his suspicions.
The grass became powerfully agitated, half a score men arose suddenlyfrom various points, and surrounded him before he had time to
puthimself on the defensive, or regain the shelter he had imprudentlyquitted.
"Well," he said, with disdainful coolness, "luckily I know now with whomI have to deal."
"Surrender!" one of the men nearest to him shouted.
"No, thank you," he replied, with an ironical smile. "You are fools ifyou expect that. You must kill me out and out before you take me."
"Then we will kill you, my dainty spark," the first speaker answered,brutally.
"I reckon upon that," said the captain, in a jeering tone; "but I meanto defend myself; that will make a noise, my friends will hear us, yoursurprise will be a failure, and that is exactly what I wish."
These words were pronounced with a coolness that made the pirates pause.These men belonged to the band of Captain Waktehno, who was himselfamong them.
"Yes," retorted the captain of the bandits, "your idea is not a bad one,only you forget that we can kill you without making a noise; and so yourclever plan will come to nothing."
"Bah! who knows?" said the young man, and before the pirates couldprevent him, he made an extraordinary spring backwards, by which heoverset two men, and ran with his best speed in the direction of thecamp.
The first surprise over, the bandits darted forward in pursuit of him.
This trial of speed lasted a considerable time without the pirates beingable to perceive that they gained ground on the fugitive. Though notrelaxing in the pursuit, as they tried as much as possible to avoidbeing seen by the Mexican sentinels, whom they hoped to surprise, theywere obliged to make turnings which necessarily impeded their course.
The captain had arrived within hearing of his friends, and he cast aglance behind him. Profiting by a moment in which he had paused to takebreath, the bandits had gained upon him considerably, and the young manbecame aware that if he continued to fly, he should cause the misfortunehe wished to avoid.
His determination was formed in an instant; he was satisfied he mustdie, but he wished to die as a soldier, and make his fall useful tothose for whom he devoted himself.
He placed his back against a tree, laid his machete within reach, drewhis pistols from his belt, and facing the bandits, who were not morethan thirty paces from him, he cried in a loud voice, in order toattract the attention of his friends:--
"To arms! to arms! Be on your guard! The enemies are here!"
Then, with the greatest coolness, he discharged his weapons as if at atarget--he had four double-barrelled pistols--repeating as every piratefell, as loud as he could shout,--
"To arms! the enemies are here! they will surround you! Be on yourguard! Be on your guard!"
The bandits, exasperated by this brave defence, rushed upon him withgreat rage, forgetting all the precautions they had till that time taken.
Then commenced a horrible but an almost superhuman struggle of one managainst twenty or thirty; for it seemed, as every pirate fell, thatanother took his place.
The conflict was fearful! The young man had determined to make thesacrifice of his life, but he was equally resolved to sell it dearly.
We have said that at every shot he fired he had uttered a warning cry;his pistols being discharged, at every stroke of his machete that hedealt he did the same, to which the Mexicans replied by keeping up,on their part, a rolling fire of musketry upon the pirates, who showedthemselves openly, blindly bent upon the destruction of a man who soaudaciously barred their passage with the impenetrable barrier of hisloyal breast.
At length the captain was brought down on one knee. The pirates rushedupon him, pell-mell, wounding each other in their frantic efforts todestroy him.
Such a combat could not last long.
Captain Aguilar fell, but in falling he drew with him a dozen pirates hehad immolated, and who formed a bloody escort on his passage to the tomb.
"Hum!" muttered Captain Waktehno, surveying him with admiration, whilststaunching the blood of a large wound he had received in the breast; "aroughish sort of fellow! If the others are like him, we shall have morethan our work to do. Come!" he continued turning towards his companions,who awaited his orders, "do not let us stand here any longer to be shotat like pigeons. To the assault, in God's name!--to the assault!"
The pirates rushed after him, brandishing their arms, and began to climbthe rock, vociferating, "To the assault! to the assault!"
On their side, the Mexicans, witnesses of the heroic death of CaptainAguilar, prepared to avenge him.