CHAPTER XIII.
THE LAW OF THE PRAIRIES.
A considerable space of ground, situated in front of the grottoinhabited by Loyal Heart, had been cleared, the trees cut down, and froma hundred and fifty to two hundred huts erected.
The whole tribe of the Comanches was encamped on this spot.
Among trappers, hunters, and redskin warriors there existed the bestpossible understanding.
In the centre of this temporary village, where the huts of buffalo hidespainted of different colours were arranged with a degree of symmetry,one much larger than the others, surmounted by scalps fixed to longpoles, and in which a large fire was continually kept up, served as thecouncil lodge.
The greatest bustle prevailed in the village.
The Indian warriors were armed and in their war paint, as if preparingto march to battle.
The hunters had dressed themselves in their best costumes, and cleanedtheir arms with the greatest care, as if expecting soon to make use ofthem.
The horses completely caparisoned, stood hobbled, and held by half ascore warriors, ready to be mounted.
Hunters and redskins were coming and going in a busy, preoccupied manner.
A rare and almost unknown thing among Indians, sentinels were placed atregular distances to signal the approach of a stranger, whoever he mightbe.
In short, everything denoted that one of the ceremonies peculiar to theprairies was about to take place. But, strange to say, Loyal Heart,Eagle Head, and Black Elk were absent.
Belhumeur alone watched over the preparations that were being made,talking, the while, to the old Comanche chief _Eshis_, or the Sun.
But their countenances were stern, their brows thoughtful, they appeareda prey to an overpowering preoccupation.
It was the day fixed upon by the captain of the pirates for Dona Luz tobe delivered up to him.
Would the captain venture to come? or was his proposition anything morethan a rodomontade?
Those who knew the pirate, and their number was great--almost all havingsuffered by his depredations--inclined to the affirmative.
This man was endowed, and it was the only quality they acknowledged inhim, with a ferocious courage and an iron will.
If once he had affirmed he would do a thing, he did it, without regardto anybody or any danger.
And then, what had he to dread in coming a second time amongst hisenemies? Did he not hold the general in his power? the general, whoselife answered for his own; all knew that he would not hesitate tosacrifice him to his safety.
It was about eight o'clock in the morning, a brilliant sun shed itsdazzling rays in profusion upon the picture we have endeavoured todescribe.
Dona Luz left the grotto, leaning upon the arm of the mother of LoyalHeart, and followed by No Eusebio.
The two women were sad and pale, their faces looked worn, and their redeyes showed they had been weeping.
As soon as Belhumeur perceived them, he advanced towards them, bowingrespectfully.
"Has not my son returned yet?" the old lady asked, anxiously.
"Not yet," the hunter replied, "but keep up your spirits, senora, itwill not be long before he is here."
"Good God! I do not know why, but it seems as if he must be detained ata distance from us by some untoward event."
"No, senora, I should know if he were so. When I left him last night,for the purpose of tranquillizing you, and executing the orders hegave me, he was in an excellent situation; therefore, believe me, bereassured, and, above all, have confidence."
"Alas!" the poor woman murmured, "I have lived for twenty years incontinual agony, every night dreading not to see my son on the morrow;my God! will you not then have pity on me!"
"Have comfort, dear senora," said Dona Luz, affectionately, and witha gentle kiss: "Oh! I know that if Loyal Heart at this moment be indanger, it is to save my poor uncle; my God!" she added, fervently,"grant that he may succeed!"
"All will soon be cleared up, ladies, be assured by me, and you know Iwould not deceive you."
"Yes," said the old lady, "you are good, you love my son, and you wouldnot be here if he had anything to dread."
"You judge me rightly, senora, and I thank you for it. I cannot, at thepresent moment, tell you anything, but I implore you to have a littlepatience; let it suffice for you to know that he is labouring to renderthe senorita happy."
"Oh! yes," said the mother, "always good, always devoted!"
"And therefore was he named Loyal Heart," the maiden murmured, with ablush.
"And never was name better merited," the hunter exclaimed proudly. "Aman must have lived a long time with him, and know him as well as I knowhim, in order to appreciate him properly."
"Thanks, in my turn, for all you say of my son, Belhumeur," the old ladyreplied, pressing the callous hand of the hunter.
"I speak nothing but the truth, senora; I am only just, that is all. Oh!things would go on well in the prairies if all hunters were like him."
"Good heavens! time passes, will he never come?" she murmured, lookingaround with feverish impatience.
"Very soon, senora."
"I wish to be the first to see him and salute him on his arrival!"
"Unfortunately that is impossible."
"Why so?"
"Your son charged me to beg you, as well as Senora Luz, to retire intothe grotto; he is anxious that you should not be present at the scenethat is about to take place here."
"But," said Dona Luz, anxiously, "how shall I know if my uncle be savedor not?"
"Be assured, senorita, that you shall not remain in uncertainty long.But I beg you not to remain here. Go in, go in."
"Perhaps it will be best to do so," the old lady observed. "Let us beobedient, darling," she added, smiling on the girl; "let us go in,since my son requires it."
Dona Luz followed her without resistance, but casting furtive looksbehind her, to try if she could catch a glimpse of him she loved.
"How happy are those who have mothers!" murmured Belhumeur, stifling asigh, and looking after the two women, who disappeared in the shade ofthe grotto.
All at once the Indian sentinels uttered a cry, which was immediatelyrepeated by a man placed in front of the council lodge.
At this signal the Comanche chiefs arose and left the hut in which theywere assembled.
The hunters and Indian warriors seized their arms, ranged themselves oneither side of the grotto, and waited.
A cloud of dust rolled towards the camp with great rapidity, butwas soon dispersed, and revealed a troop of horsemen riding at fullspeed. These horsemen, for the most part, wore the costume of Mexicangambusinos.
At their head, upon a magnificent horse, black as night, came a man whomall immediately recognized.
This was Captain Waktehno, who came audaciously at the head of histroop, to claim the fulfilment of the odious bargain he had imposedthree days before.
Generally, in the prairies, when two troops meet, or when warriorsor hunters visit a village, it is the custom to execute a sort of_fantasia_, by rushing full speed towards each other, yelling and firingoff guns.
On this occasion, however, nothing of the kind took place.
The Comanches and the hunters remained motionless and silent, awaitingthe arrival of the pirates.
This cold, stern reception did not astonish the captain; though hiseyebrows were a little contracted, he feigned not to perceive it, andentered the village intrepidly at the head of his band.
When he arrived in front of the chiefs drawn up before the councillodge, the twenty horsemen stopped suddenly, as if they had been changedinto statues of bronze.
This bold manoeuvre was executed with such dexterity that the hunters,good judges of horsemanship, with difficulty repressed a cry ofadmiration.
Scarcely had the pirates halted, ere the ranks of the warriors placed onthe right and left of the lodge deployed like a fan, and closed behindthem.
The twenty pirates found themselves by this movement, which was
executedwith incredible quickness, enclosed within a circle formed of more thanfive hundred men, well armed and equally well mounted.
The captain felt a slight tremor of uneasiness at the sight of thismanoeuvre, and he almost repented having come. But surmounting thisinvoluntary emotion, he smiled disdainfully; he believed he was certainhe had nothing to fear.
He bowed slightly to the chiefs ranged before him, and addressedBelhumeur in a firm voice,--
"Where is the girl?" he demanded.
"I do not know what you mean," the hunter replied, in a bantering tone;"I do not believe that there is any young lady here upon whom you haveany claim whatever."
"What does this mean? and what is going on here?" the captain muttered,casting around a look of defiance. "Has Loyal Heart forgotten the visitI paid him three days ago?"
"Loyal Heart never forgets anything," said Belhumeur, in a firm tone;"but the question is not of him now. How can you have the audacity topresent yourself among us at the head of a set of brigands?"
"Well," said the captain jeeringly, "I see you want to answer me by anevasion. As to the menace contained in the latter part of your sentence,it is worth very little notice."
"You are wrong; for since you have committed the imprudence of throwingyourself into our hands, we shall not be simple enough, I warn you, toallow you to escape."
"Oh, oh!" said the pirate; "what game are we playing now?"
"You will soon learn."
"I can wait," the pirate replied, casting around a provoking glance.
"In these deserts, where all human laws are silent," the hunter replied,in a loud clear voice, "the law of God ought to reign in full vigour.This law says, 'An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.'"
"What follows?" said the pirate, in a dry tone.
"During ten years," Belhumeur continued impassively, "at the head ofa troop of bandits, without faith and without law, you have been theterror of the prairies, pillaging and assassinating white men and redmen; for you are of no country, plunder and rapine being your only rule;trappers, hunters, gambusinos, or Indians, you have respected no one,if murder could procure you a piece of gold. Not many days ago you tookby assault the camp of peaceful Mexican travellers, and massacred themwithout pity. This career of crime must have an end, and that end hasnow come. We have Indians and hunters assembled here to try you, andapply to you the implacable law of the prairies."
"An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth," the assembled Indians andhunters cried, brandishing their arms.
"You deceive yourselves greatly, my masters," the pirate answered, withassurance, "If you believe I shall hold my throat out peaceably to theknife, like a calf that is being led to the shambles. I suspected whatwould happen, and that is why I am so well accompanied. I have with metwenty resolute men, who well know how to defend themselves. You havenot got us yet."
"Look around you, and see what is left for you to do."
The pirate cast a look behind him, and saw five hundred guns levelled athis band.
A shudder passed through his limbs, a mortal pallor covered his face,the pirate understood that he was confronted by a terrible danger;but after a second of reflection, he recovered all his coolness, andaddressing the hunter, he replied in a jeering voice:--
"What is the use of all these menaces, which do not frighten me? Youknow very well that I am screened from all your violence. You have toldme that I attacked some Mexican travellers a few days ago, but you arenot ignorant that the most important of those travellers has fallen intomy power. Dare but to touch a single hair of my head, and the general,the uncle of the girl you would in vain ravish from my power, willimmediately pay with his life for the insult you offer me. Believe me,then, my masters, you had better cease endeavouring to terrify me; giveup to me with a good grace her whom I come to demand, or I swear to you,by God, that within an hour the general will be a dead man."
All at once a man broke through the crowd, and placing himself in frontof the pirate, said--
"You are mistaken, the general is free!"
That man was Loyal Heart.
A hum of joy resounded from the ranks of the hunters and Indians, whilsta shudder of terror agitated the pirates.