CHAPTER XIII
I sat there till it was very dark, and the longer I sat the colder andstiffer I grew, yet I felt no disposition to walk farther. At lengtha large owl, flapping down close to my head, gave utterance to a longhiss, followed by a sharp, clicking sound, ending with a sudden loud,laugh-like cry. The nearness of it startled me, and, looking up, I saw atwinkling yellow light gleam for a moment across the wide, black plain,then disappear. A few fireflies were flitting about the grass, but Ifelt sure the gleam just witnessed proceeded from a fire; and aftervainly trying to catch sight of it again from my seat on the ground, Irose and walked on, keeping before me a particular star shining directlyover the spot where that transient glimmer had appeared. Presently, tomy great joy, I spied it again in the same place, and felt convincedthat it was the gleam of firelight shining from the open door or windowof some _rancho_ or _estancia_ house. With renewed hope and energy Ihastened on, the light increasing in brightness as I progressed; and,after half an hour's brisk walking, I found myself approaching a humandwelling of some kind. I could make out a dark mass of trees and bushes,a long, low house, and, nearer to me, a corral, or cattle-pen, of tall,upright posts. Now, however, when a refuge seemed so close, the fearof the terrible, savage dogs kept on most of these cattle-breedingestablishments made me hesitate. Unless I wished to run the risk ofbeing shot, it was necessary to shout loudly to make my approach known,yet by shouting I would inevitably bring a pack of huge, frantic dogsupon me; and the horns of the angry bull I had encountered were lessterrible to contemplate than the fangs of these powerful, truculentbrutes. I sat down on the ground to consider the position, and presentlyheard the clatter of approaching hoofs. Immediately afterwards three menrode past me, but did not see me, for I was crouching down behind somescrubby bushes. When the horsemen approached the house the dogs rushedforth to assail them, and their loud, fierce barking, and the wildshouts of some person from the house calling them off, were enough tomake a dismounted man nervous. However, now was my only chance, and,starting up, I hurried on towards the noise. As I passed the corral thebrutes became aware of my approach, and instantly turned their attentionon me. I wildly shouted. _"Ave Maria,"_ then, revolver in hand, stoodawaiting the onset; but when they were near enough for me to see thatthe pack was composed of eight or ten huge yellow mastiff-like brutes,my courage failed, and I fled to the corral, where, with an agilitysurpassing that of a wild cat, so great was my terror, I climbed upa post and placed myself beyond their reach. With the dogs furiouslybarking under me, I renewed my shouts of _"Ave Maria"_--the proper thingto do when you approach a strange house in these pious latitudes. Aftersome time the men approached--four of them--and asked me who I was andwhat I did there. I gave an account of myself, then asked whether itwould be safe for me to descend. The master of the house took the hint,and drove his faithful protectors off, after which I came down from myuncomfortable perch.
He was a tall, well-made, but rather fierce-looking gaucho, with keenblack eyes, and a heavy black beard. He seemed suspicious of me--a veryunusual thing in a native's house, and asked me a great many searchingquestions; and finally, still with some reluctance in his manner, heinvited me into the kitchen. There I found a big fire blazing merrily onthe raised clay hearth in the centre of the large room, and seated nearit an old grey-haired woman, a middle-aged, tall, dark-skinned dame in apurple dress--my host's wife; a pale, pretty young woman, about sixteenyears old, and a little girl. When I sat down my host began once morequestioning me; but he apologised for doing so, saying that my arrivalon foot seemed a very extraordinary circumstance. I told them how I hadlost my horse, saddle, and _poncho_ in the wood, and then related myencounter with the bull. They listened to it all with very gravefaces, but I am sure it was as good as a comedy to them. Don SinforianoAlday--the owner of the place, and my questioner--made me take off mycoat to exhibit the bruises the bull's hoofs had inflicted on my armsand shoulders. He was anxious, even after that, to know something moreabout me, and so to satisfy him I gave him a brief account of some of myadventures in the country, down to my arrest with Marcos Marco, andhow that plausible gentleman had made his escape from the magistrate'shouse. That made them all laugh, and the three men I had seen arrive,and who appeared to be casual visitors, became very friendly, frequentlypassing me the rum-bottle with which they were provided.
After sipping _mate_ and rum for half an hour we settled down to discussa plentiful supper of roast and boiled beef and mutton, with greatbasins of well-seasoned broth to wash it down. I consumed an amazingquantity of meat, as much, in fact, as any gaucho there; and to eat asmuch as one of these men at a sitting is a feat for an Englishman toboast about. Supper done, I lit a cigar and leant back against the wall,enjoying many delightful sensations all together--warmth, rest, andhunger satisfied, and the subtle fragrance of that friend and comforter,divine tobacco. On the farther side of the room my host was meanwhiletalking to the other men in low tones. Occasional glances in mydirection seemed to show that they still harboured some suspicion of me,or that they had some grave matters to converse about unsuitable for astranger to hear.
At length Alday rose and addressed me. "Senor, if you are ready to restI will now conduct you to another room, where you can have some rugs and_ponchos_ to make a bed with."
"If my presence here is not inconvenient," I returned, "I would ratherremain and smoke by the fire."
"You see, senor," he said, "I have arranged to meet some neighbours andfriends, who are coming here to discuss matters of importance with me.I am even now expecting their arrival, and the presence of a strangerwould scarcely allow us to talk freely over our affairs."
"Since you wish it, I will go to any part of the house you may thinkproper to put me in," I returned.
I rose, not very cheerfully, I must say, from my comfortable seat beforethe fire, to follow him out, when the tramp of galloping horses came toour ears.
"Follow me this way--quick," exclaimed my impatient conductor; but justas I reached the door about a dozen mounted men dashed up close to usand burst forth in a perfect storm of yells. Instantly all those whowere in the kitchen sprang to their feet uttering loud exclamations andlooking greatly excited. Then came from the mounted men anotherwild outburst as they all yelled together, _"Viva el General SantaColoma--viv--a."_
The other three men then rushed from the kitchen, and in excited tonesbegan to ask if anything fresh had happened. Meanwhile I was leftstanding at the door by myself. The women appeared almost as excited asthe men, except the girl, who had glanced at me with shy compassion inher large, dark eyes when I had been roused from my seat by the fire.Taking advantage of the general excitement, I now repaid that kindlylook with one of admiration. She was a quiet, bashful girl, her paleface crowned with a profusion of black hair; and while she stood therewaiting, apparently unconcerned by the hubbub outside, she lookedstrangely pretty, her homemade cotton gown, of limp and scanty material,clinging closely to her limbs so as to display her slender, gracefulform to the best advantage. Presently, seeing me looking at her, shecame near, and, touching my arm in passing, told me in a whisper to goback to my seat by the fire. I gladly obeyed her, for my curiosity wasnow thoroughly aroused, and I wished to know the meaning of this outcrywhich had thrown these phlegmatic gauchos into such a frenzied state ofexcitement. It looked rather like a political row--but of General SantaColoma I had never heard, and it seemed curious that a name so seldommentioned should be the rallying cry of revolutionists.
In a few minutes the men all streamed back into the kitchen. Thenthe master of the house, Alday, his face on fire with emotion, thrusthimself into the midst of the crowd.
"Boys, are you mad!" he cried. "Do you not see a stranger here? What isthe meaning of all this outcry if nothing new has happened?"
A roar of laughter from the new-comers greeted this outburst, afterwhich they raised another yell of "_Viva Santa Colomal_!"
Alday became furious. "Speak, madmen!" he shouted; "tell me, in God'sname, what has happened--
or do you wish to ruin everything with yourimprudence?"
"Listen, Alday," replied one of the men, "and know how little we needfear the presence of a stranger. Santa Coloma, the hope of Uruguay, thesaviour of his country, who will shortly deliver us out of the power ofColorado assassins and pirates--Santa Coloma has come! He is here in ourmidst; he has seized on El Molino del Yi, and has raised the standardof revolt against the infamous government of Montevideo! _Viva SantaColomal_!"
Alday flung his hat off, and, falling on his knees, remained for somemoments in silent prayer, his hands clasped before him. The others allsnatched off their hats and stood silent, grouped about him. Then hestood up, and all together joined in a _viva_, which far surpassed inits deafening power their previous performances.
My host now appeared to be almost beside himself with excitement.
"What," he cried, "my General come! Do you tell me that Santa Coloma hascome? Oh, friends, the great God has remembered our suffering countryat last! He has grown weary of looking on man's injustice, thepersecutions, the bloodshed, the cruelties that have almost driven usmad. I cannot realise it! Let me go to my General, that these eyes thathave watched for his coming may see him and rejoice. I cannot wait fordaylight--this very night must I ride to El Molino, that I may see himand touch him with my hands, and know that it is not a dream."
His words were welcomed with a shout of applause, and the other men allimmediately announced their intention to accompany him to El Molino, asmall town on the Yi some leagues distant.
Some of the men now went out to catch fresh horses, while Alday busiedhimself in bringing out a store of old broadswords and carbines fromtheir concealment in some other part of the house. The men, talkingexcitedly together, occupied themselves in scouring and sharpening therusty weapons, while the women cooked a fresh supply of meat for thelast comers; and in the meantime I was permitted to remain unnoticed bythe fire, smoking peacefully.