Les fils de la tortue. English

  CHAPTER XX.

  THE REDSKINS.

  The body of the Indian killed by Leon had followed for some minutesthe course of the river, then had become entangled in the reeds, andeventually stopped exactly in the centre of the Indian camp, in whoseproximity Leon and his comrades halted that night without suspecting it.

  At the sight of their brother's corpse, the redskins had uttered theformidable yell which the smugglers heard, and rushed tumultuously tothe bank, pointing to the canoe. Leon seized the paddles, which were inthe boat, and, aided by Wilhelm, was soon out of reach.

  The disconcerted Indians, who did not know with whom they had todeal, gesticulated and bespattered the fugitives with all the insultswhich the Indian language could supply them with, calling them dogs,asses, ducks, and other epithets borrowed from the nomenclature of theanimals which they hate and despise. Leon troubled himself but littleabout their insults, and continued to paddle, which re-established thecirculation of the blood, which the cold had interrupted.

  A few bullets, meant for the fugitives, were sent after them, but theymerely dashed up the water.

  The night passed thus: the smugglers paddled eagerly, for they hadnoticed that the stream, owing to repeated windings, was sensiblyapproaching the forest which was their destination. Still, havingnothing more to fear from their enemies, they drew in the paddles fora few minutes' rest, and each feeling in his alforjas, drew out someprovisions, which he hurriedly devoured. As day had arrived, there wasno harm in their letting the canoe drift for awhile, though they kept asharp lookout.

  Leon and Giacomo had lit their cigarettes, and Wilhelm his magnificentporcelain pipe, from which he never separated, when the latter, who wasbeginning to inhale with gentle satisfaction the enormous jets of smokewhich he drew from the stem, let his pipe fall in the bottom of thecanoe, while exclaiming with an expression of terror and surprise--

  "Der Teufel!"

  "What is it?" Leon at once said, who understood that Wilhelm had seensomething extraordinary.

  "Look!" the German replied, as he stretched out his arm in thedirection whence they had come.

  "Sacrebleu!" Leon shouted; "two canoes in pursuit of us! We must lookout."

  "Sangre de Cristo!" Giacomo said, with a start which nearly upset thecanoe.

  "What now?" Leon asked.

  "Look!"

  "A thousand fiends!" Leon exclaimed, "we are surrounded!"

  Two canoes were really coming up rapidly behind the smugglers, whiletwo others, which had started from the opposite banks, were arrivingwith the manifest intention of barring their passage and cutting offtheir retreat.

  "These gentlemen," said Giacomo, "wish to make us dance a funnysambacueca; what do you say to it, captain?"

  "We will pay for their music, my fine fellows. In the meanwhile, paddlefirmly, and look out for the attack."

  And seizing the paddles again, Wilhelm and Giacomo gave such an impulseto the canoe that it seemed to fly through the water. Leon, who wasstanding up, was calculating the chances of the encounter. He was notafraid of the boats that were following them, for they were still attoo great a distance to hope to catch him, but all his anxiety wasdirected to those coming toward them, and between which they mustinfallibly pass. Each paddle stroke brought them nearer to the hostilecanoes, which seemed overloaded with men, and to move with considerabledifficulty.

  Leon formed a bold resolution, the only one that could save him andhis. Instead of trying to pass between the canoes, in which he ran arisk of being sunk, he kept to the left, and advanced in a straightline on the canoe nearest to him.

  On seeing this manoeuvre, the Indians broke out in shouts of joy andtriumph. The smugglers made no reply, but continued to advance. A smileplayed round Leon's lips. As he steered the canoe toward the Indians,he noticed that the left bank of the stream formed an inlet, behind anisland, which, though very near the land, left a passage sufficientlywide for his boat, which thus would avoid a detour, and at the sametime gain ground on their pursuers. The great thing was, to reach thepoint of the island before the Indians in the first canoe.

  The latter, who suspected their enemy's intentions, had changed theirtactics, and, instead of coming up to meet the Europeans, tacked andpaddled actively for the island. Leon understood that he must delaytheir progress at all risks.

  Not a shot had as yet been fired on either side; the redskins feltthemselves so sure of seizing the smugglers that they had thought itunnecessary, to proceed to such extremities, while the smugglers, whofelt the need of saving their powder in a hostile country, where itwould be impossible for them to renew their stock, had imitated theirprudence, however desirous they might feel to attack.

  The Indian canoe was only fifty yards from the island, when Leonstooped down to his comrades and whispered a few words. The lattershipped their paddies, and seizing their rifles, knelt down, and restedthe barrels on the gunwale of the canoe, after driving home a secondbullet. Leon had done the same.

  "Are you ready?" he asked a moment after.

  "Yes," the two men replied.

  "Fire, then, and aim low."

  The three discharges were blended in one. We have said that the twocanoes were excessively close.

  "Now to your paddles--quick!" the captain said.

  Four arms seized them, and the light canoe recommenced its rapidcourse. Leon alone reloaded his rifle and knelt down in readiness tofire. The effect of the firing was soon visible; the three bullets,striking at the same spot, had formed an enormous breach in the side ofthe canoe, just at the line of floatation.

  Cries of terror were raised by the Indians, who leaped into the waterone after the other, and swam in different directions. As for thecanoe, left to itself, it drifted for a little while, gradually filled,and sank. Fancying themselves freed from their enemies, the smugglersrelaxed their efforts; but all at once Wilhelm raised his paddle, whileLeon seized his rifle by the barrel.

  Two Indians, with athletic limbs and savage looks, were trying to catchhold of the canoe and upset it, but they soon fell back with clovenskulls and drifted down the stream. A few moments later the smugglersreached the passage. The Indians who had left the water pursued them byrunning along the bank, and threw stones at them, as they were unableto use their muskets, which had been wetted by the plunge into thewater.

  Leon again recommended his men to redouble their vigour, in order toescape as soon as possible from the enormous projectiles which fellaround the canoe from every tuft of grass; for the Indians, accordingto their habit, were careful not to show themselves in the open throughfear of bullets.

  The captain saw, a few paces from him, a thicket of aquatic plantsshaking, so he aimed at it and fired on the chance. A terrible yellburst from the tangled mass of canaverales and lianas, and an Indianrushed forth to seek shelter behind the tree that grew on the bank.Leon, who had reloaded his piece in all haste, pointed it in thedirection of the fugitive, but raised it again directly. The man hadjust fallen, and was writhing in the last convulsions of death.

  Several redskins rushed upon him, carried him away and disappeared.A suddenly calm and extraordinary tranquillity succeeded the extremeagitation and cries which had aroused the echoes a few minutes before.

  "There!" said Leon as he laid the gun in the bottom of the boat, andseizing a pair of paddles to help Giacomo--"they have enough; now thatthey know the range of my rifle, they will leave us at peace."

  In fact, the Indians gave no further sign of life; but this must notsurprise the reader. The redskins are accustomed never to exposethemselves unnecessarily. With them success alone can justify theiractions, and when they do not consider themselves the stronger, theygive up with the greatest facility any plans which they have formed,for the most inveterate pursuit.

  At this moment the smugglers doubled the point of the island. Thesecond canoe was already far behind them; as for those which they hadfirst perceived, they were mere specks on the horizon. When the Indiansin the second canoe perceived that the smugglers wer
e escaping fromthem, and had got ahead of them, they gave a general discharge whichwounded nobody, and turned back to join their companions on land.

  Leon and his men were saved. After paddling for about an hour in orderto put a great distance between themselves and their enemies, theytook a moment's rest to recover from this warm alarm, and wash thecontusions which they had received, for some of the stones had struckthem. In the heat of the action they had not noticed this, but now thatthe danger was passed, they began to feel them.

  The forest, which in the morning had been so distant from them, was nowexcessively close, and they had hopes of reaching it before night. Theytherefore took up the paddles again with fresh ardour and continuedtheir route. At sunset the canoe disappeared beneath the immense domeof foliage of the virgin forest which the stream intersected obliquely.

  At nightfall the yells of wild beasts were heard hoarsely in the depthsof the forest. Leon did not consider it prudent to venture at this hourinto unknown regions, which contained dangers of every description.Consequently after tacking about for some time, the captain gave ordersto pull for a rocky point which jutted out into the water, and whichthey could approach without any difficulty. After they had landed, Leonwalked round the rock in order to reconnoitre the neighbourhood, andfind out in what part of the forest they were.

  Chance served him better than he could have hoped for. After partingwith great difficulty and extraordinary precautions the creepers andshrubs which obstructed his progress, he suddenly found himself at theentrance of a natural grotto formed by one of the volcanic convulsionsso frequent in these regions.

  On seeing this he stopped, and lopping with his machete a branch of theresinous tree, which the Indians call the candle tree, and which growsprofusely in that part of America, he struck a light, lit the torch,and then boldly entered the grotto, followed by Wilhelm and Giacomo.The smuggler's sudden appearance startled a swarm of night birds andbats, which began flying heavily in all directions and attempting toescape.

  Leon continued his march without troubling himself about these gloomydenizens, whose sports he so unexpectedly interrupted. All at oncea hoarse and prolonged growl was audible in a remote corner of thegrotto. The three men remained nailed to the ground. They foundthemselves face to face with a magnificent bear, of which the cavernwas doubtless the usual abode, and which, standing on its hind legswith widely-opened mouth, showed the troublesome visitors, who haddisturbed it in its retreat, a tongue red as blood, and glisteningclaws of a remarkable length. Its round and staring eyes were fixed onthe smugglers in a way that caused them to reflect. Luckily the latterwere not the men to let themselves be intimidated for long.

  "There's a fellow who seems inclined to sup with us," said Giacomo,looking at the animal.

  "Silence! My piece will make us, on the contrary, sup with him. Here,Giacomo, take my torch, lad."

  "Take care, captain," the latter observed. "A shot fired at this spotwill make a frightful din, and bring a band of red devils on our back."

  "You are right, by Heaven!" the captain replied; "We must run no risk."

  Then, laying his rifle along the side of the grotto, he undid the lassowhich he rolled round his body.

  "Get behind me," he said to his comrades, "and be in readiness to helpme."

  Then, after carefully preparing the lasso, he whirled it round hishead, while whistling in a peculiar manner. At this unexpectedapparition the bear shambled two or three paces toward him, andthat was its ruin. The running knot fell on its shoulders, and thethree smugglers, laying hold of the end of the lasso, began runningbackwards, while pulling with all their strength.

  The poor animal thus strangled and putting out a tongue of a foot long,tottered about, while trying in vain to free itself with its heavy pawsfrom the necklace which squeezed its throat. The smugglers did notrelax their efforts till the bear had heaved its last sigh.

  "Now," said Leon, when he was certain that the bear was really dead,"for the canoe."

  The three men returned to the boat, drew it out of the water, andtaking it on their shoulders, carried it to the end of the grotto.Then, with a patience of which Indians and wood rangers are alonecapable, they effaced every trace which might have led to a discoveryof their landing, and the retreat which they had chosen. The smallestbent blade of grass was straightened; the lianas and shrubs which theyhad parted were brought together again, and after this operation wascompleted, no one could have suspected that human beings had passedthat way. After this, making an ample provision of dead wood andtorches, they re-entered the grotto with the manifest intention of atlength taking the rest which they so greatly needed.

  All this had required time; hence, so soon as they were free fromanxiety, Giacomo, who was a mighty hunter, began flaying the bear,while Wilhelm lit a colossal fire. The queso and charque remained inthe alforjas, thanks to the succulent steaks which Giacomo adroitly cutoff the animal, and which, being roasted on the embers, procured them adelicious supper.

  When quite satisfied, the three men crowned this feast with a fewdrops of rum which Leon had about him, and after smoking for some tenminutes, they wrapped themselves in their ponchos, with their feet tothe fire and their hands on their weapons. Nothing disturbed theirrest, which lasted till long after the first sunbeams had purpled thehorizon, and it was Leon who awoke his comrades.

  "Up!" he shouted to them, "the sun has risen and we must think ofbusiness."

  "Ah!" said Wilhelm, as he rubbed his eyes, "what a pity! I was dreamingthat we were carrying a cargo of pisco past the custom-house officers,who presented arms to us."

  "I was not dreaming," said Giacomo, "but I was having a glorioussnooze."

  In a minute he was on his legs, while Leon was reflecting on his bestcourse.

  "Giacomo," he said to the Italian, who was making arrangements fora start, "we have arrived at the spot where our search will reallybegin. It is impossible for all three of us to dream of entering thecity, which must be in the heart of this forest. On the other hand, Imay have occasion to require men here in whom I can trust; you willtherefore go back to the Parumo of San Juan Bautista. So soon as theband arrives you will take the command and lead it to the spot where wenow are."

  "What! I am to leave you!"

  "It must be. Take careful note of the road we have followed, so as tomake no mistake."

  "All right, captain."

  "However, when you return with our comrades, you will try to find ashorter and more direct route."

  "Yes, captain."

  "This grotto is large enough to shelter you all; you will remain in itwith your horses, and not quit it, save on an order from me--you hear?"

  "And understand--all right."

  "One last recommendation. I have told you that it was important for thesuccess of the enterprise I am undertaking that I should find all mymen here in case of need. Remember, then, that I expressly forbid youletting yourselves be trapped by the Redskins, and you must show themthat they are but asses when compared with a clever smuggler."

  "We will prove it to them, captain, and I will take it on myself."

  "In that case, you will set out directly, while we proceed through thisforest, which seems the most entangled that I ever saw."

  "One moment--hang it!" Wilhelm exclaimed; "do you not see, captain,that breakfast is ready?"

  In fact, Wilhelm, as a man who did not care to run after adventures onan empty stomach, had blown up the fire smouldering in the ashes, androasted some superb slices of bear meat.

  "Wilhelm, you are growing greedy," said Leon, affecting a tone ofreproach.

  "Captain, when a man has his stomach full he can march a long distancewithout feeling fatigued," the German answered sententiously; "besides,the morning air sharpens the appetite."

  "Very good, then, but we must make haste," Leon resumed, amazed at thislong sentence.

  "There, captain, it is first-rate."

  Wilhelm had spoken the truth in asserting that the morning airsharpened the appetite, for, in
spite of the toughness of the meatwhich composed the staple of their meal, it was disposed of in atwinkling, which leads to the supposition that the idea which theGerman had was not inopportune.

  "Giacomo," Leon said again, "Wilhelm and I have provisions enough for afew days, and the forest will not let us want for game, if we requireit; so you had better take the rest of the bear with you."

  "Thanks, captain. At my first halt I will cut up all the best meatleft."

  "Take it while we put the canoe in the water."

  The three men then left the grotto, though not till they had lookedall around to see whether any danger existed for them. Giacomo hadthrown the bear's hide over his shoulders, and walked in front, Leonand Wilhelm following, and bearing on their shoulders the canoe, in thebottom of which they had deposited the remaining bear meat. The skiffwas soon balancing lightly on the water; Giacomo leaped in, seized thepaddles and went off.

  "Good-bye, captain--good-bye, Wilhelm, till we meet again," he said forthe last time.

  "Good-bye and good luck," the latter replied, and the smugglerproceeded in the direction of the Parumo of San Juan Bautista. Leonlooked after him for a moment, and then addressed Wilhelm, who wasawaiting his orders.

  "My friend," he said to him, "I fear that we may have many difficultiesto face if we cross the forest together. Suppose I left you in thegrotto to await Giacomo's return? Once I have arrived at Garakouaiti, Icould easily find means to warn you."

  "What are you thinking of, captain? Suppose you were to be takenprisoner, or wounded, in that case there would be no chance of helpingyou if you were alone. At any rate, if anything happen on the roadwhile we are travelling together, I will return at full speed to warnmy comrades."

  "Still, you will be forced to leave me after we have crossed theforest; for, as I told you, admission to the city is interdicted toall those who are not Indians, and the means which I imagine I havediscovered to enter can only be used by myself."

  "Well, then, captain, let me accompany you to the vicinity of the city,and then I will turn back."

  "Very good; that is settled."

  The two men re-entered the grotto, fetched their travelling utensils,and came out again, rifle on shoulders, and axe in hand. They thenburied themselves in the virgin forest which lay expanded before them.