The Trail-Hunter: A Tale of the Far West

  CHAPTER IX.

  THE EMBASSY.

  On the selfsame day that Father Seraphin went to the prison to proposean escape to the condemned, a very strange circumstance had aroused theentire population of Santa Fe. At about midday, at the moment when theinhabitants were enjoying their siesta, and the streets, calcined by thebeams of a tropical sun, were completely deserted, a formidable whoop,the terrible war yell of the Comanche Indians, burst forth at theentrance of the town.

  There was a general alarm, and everybody barricaded himself in hishouse, believing in a sudden assault of the savages. Presently animmense clamour, and cries of distress and despair uttered by aterrified population, could be heard throughout the town. Several timesalready the Comanches, in their periodical incursions, had come nearSanta Fe, but never so closely as this time; and the remembrance of thecruelties they had practised on the hapless Spaniards who fell intotheir hands was still present to every mind.

  In the meanwhile a few inhabitants, bolder than the rest, or havingnothing to lose, proceeded with the greatest precautions toward the spotwhence the shouts were heard; and a singular spectacle presented itself.A detachment of dismounted Comanche warriors, about two hundred strong,was marching in close column, flanked on either wing by two troops, eachof fifty horses. About twenty paces in front caracoled Unicorn.

  All these men had a martial aspect which was really remarkable: all werestrangely painted, well adorned, and in their full war costume. Thehorsemen were loaded with all sorts of arms and ornaments: they had abow and quiver on their backs, their guns slung and decorated with theirmedicine bags, and their lances in their hands. They were crowned withmagnificent black and white eagle feathers, with a falling tuft. Theupper part of the body, otherwise naked, was covered by a coyote skinrolled up and worn across the shoulder; their bucklers were ornamentedwith feathers, cloth of different colours, and human scalps. They wereseated on handsome saddlecloth of panthers' skins, lined with red, whichalmost covered the horses' backs. According to the prairie fashion, theyhad no stirrups.

  Unicorn brandished in his right hand the long medicine lance, thedistinctive mark of the powerful "dance of the prairie dogs." It was astaff in the shape of a crook, covered with an otter skin, and decoratedthrough its entire length with owl feathers. This talisman, which he hadinherited, possessed the power of bringing under his orders all thewarriors of his nation scattered over the prairies: hence on all grandoccasions he never failed to carry it. He wore a shirt made of the skinof the bighorn, embroidered on the sleeves with blue flowers, andadorned on the right arm with long stripes of rolled ermine and redfeathers, and on the left arm with long tresses of black hair cut fromthe scalps he had raised. Over his shoulders he had thrown a cloak ofgazelle skin, having at each end an enormous tuft of ermine. On hisforehead the chief had fastened two buffalo horns, which with the blue,red, and green paint plastered on his face, gave him a terrible aspect.His magnificent horse, a mustang full of fire, which he managed withinimitable grace and skill, was painted red in different fashions: onits legs were stripes like a zebra, and on either side the backbone weredesigned arrowhead, lances, beavers, tortoises, &c. The same was thecase with the face and the haunches.

  There was something at once imposing and striking in the appearancepresented by this band of ferocious warriors as they advanced though thedeserted streets of the city, brandishing their tremendous weapons, anduttering at intervals their sinister war cry, which they accompanied bythe shrill sound of long whistles made of human thigh bones, which theywore suspended by strips of wild beast hide.

  By this time the Comanches had penetrated to the heart of the city,driving before them, though without violence, the few inhabitants whohad ventured to get in their way. They marched in good order, notturning to the right or left to plunder, and doing no reprehensiveaction.

  The Spaniards, more and more surprised at the haughty and bold attitudeof the Indians, and their exemplary conduct, asked themselves withterror what these men wanted, and what reason had led them to invadetheir frontiers in so sudden and secret a way, that the scouts theMexican Government pays to watch them had no knowledge of their march.As usually happens in such cases, terror gradually gave way tocuriosity. In the first place the leperos and adventurers dared toapproach the Indians; then the inhabitants, if not completelytranquilised, still reassured by their peaceful attitude, mingled withthe groups; so that when the Comanche war party arrived on the PlazaMayor; it was followed by a crowd of Spaniards, who regarded them withthe restless and stupid curiosity only to be found among the masses.

  The Comanches did not appear to notice the excitement they created. Assoon as they were on the Plaza Mayor they halted, and remainedmotionless, as if their feet had suddenly grown to the ground. Unicornmade a sign with his talisman; a warrior quitted the ranks, and rode upto the sentry standing in front of the governor's palace, who regardedthe singular scene with a dazed air.

  "Wah!" the Indian said sarcastically, as he lightly touched the soldierwith the end of his lance. "Is my brother asleep, that he does not heara warrior addressing him?"

  "I am not asleep," the soldier answered, as he fell back a pace. "Whatdo you want?"

  "The great sachem of the Comanches, the cacique whom the red childrencall Haboutzelze, has come to speak to his great white father, the chiefof the frontier palefaces."

  "What does he want with him?" the soldier asked, not knowing what hesaid, so much had the unexpected sight of the redskin disturbed him.

  "Is my brother a chief?" the Indian asked cunningly.

  "No," the soldier answered, greatly confused by this lesson.

  "Well, then, let him close his ears as regards those the Great Spirithas set above him, and deliver the message I give him in the sachem'sname."

  While the Comanche was exchanging these few words with the sentry,several persons, drawn out of the palace by the unusual disturbance theyheard, mingled with the crowd. Among them were several officers, one ofwhom advanced to the Indian horseman.

  "What does my brother want?" he asked him.

  The warrior saw at the first glance that this time he had to do with achief. He bowed courteously, and answered.

  "A deputation of the great Comanche nation desires to be introduced tomy great white father."

  "Good! But all the warriors cannot enter the palace," the officer said.

  "My brother is right. Their chiefs alone will go in: their young menwill await them here."

  "Let my brother be patient. I will go and deliver his message in allhaste."

  "Good! My brother is a chief. The Spider will await him."

  The officer disappeared in the interior, while the Spider planted theend of his long lance in the ground, and remained with his eye fixed onthe gate of the palace, not evincing the slightest impatience.

  The new governor of Santa Fe was a general of the name of Don BenitoVentura. He was ignorant as a fish, stupid and haughty as a heathcock.Like the majority of his colleagues in this eccentric country, he hadgained his general's epaulettes by repeated pronunciamentos, managingto gain a step by every revolution, while never having seen more firethan that of the thin husk _pajillo_ he constantly had in his mouth. Tosum him up, he was very rich, a wonderful coward, and more afraid ofblows than aught else in the world. Such he was morally: physically hewas a plump little man, round as a barrel, with a rubicund face, lightedup by two small grey eyes.

  This worthy officer perspired water and blood when the duties of hisstation obliged him to put on the uniform, every seam of which wasoverlaid with gold lace: his chest literally disappeared under theinfinity of crosses of every description with which each president hadhonoured him on attaining power. In a word, General Ventura was a worthyman, as fit to be a soldier as he was to be a cardinal; and he had onlyone object, that of being President of the Republic in his turn; butthis object he ever pursued without Once swerving from his path.

  If he accepted the governorship of New Mexico, it was for the simplereason that, as Sant
a Fe was a long distance from Mexico, he hadcalculated that it would be easy for him to make a _pronunciamento_ inhis own favour, and become, _ipso facto_, president. He was not aware, oncoming to Santa Fe, that the province he was about to govern wasincessantly menaced by Indian forays. Had he known it, howeveradvantageous the post of governor might, be for his schemes, he wouldhave refused point blank so perilous an honour.

  He had learned with the utmost terror the entrance of the Comanches intothe town, and when the officer intrusted with the Spider's messagepresented himself before him he had literally lost his head. It took allpossible trouble to make him comprehend that the Indians came asfriends, that they merely wished to have a palaver with him, and thatsince their coming their conduct had been most honourable and exemplary.Fortunately for the Spanish honour, other officers entered the apartmentin which was the governor, attracted to the palace by the news, whichhad spread with the speed of a train of powder through Santa Fe, of theappearance of an Indian detachment.

  When the general saw himself surrounded and supported by the officers ofhis staff his terror was slightly toned down, he regained his presenceof mind and it was with a calm and almost dignified demeanor that hediscussed the question whether it was proper to receive the Indiandeputation, and in what manner it should be done. The other officers,who, in the course of their professional career, had had many a skirmishwith the redskins, felt no inclination to anger them. They produced insupport of their opinions such peremptory reasons, that General Ventura,convinced by their arguments gave the officer who brought the messageorders to bring the three principal Indian chiefs into the palace.