CHAPTER XV.
THE DEPARTURE.
Sergeant Diego, when left by General Bustamente a few paces from theQuinta Verde, was very uneasy regarding the fate of his leader, andentertained dismal presentiments. He was an old soldier, and wellacquainted with all the machinations and treacheries practised in thiscountry between inveterate enemies. He had been far from approving ofthe General's undertaking, for he knew better than anyone how littleconfidence ought to be placed in spies. Constrained, ostensibly, toobey the order he had received, he had resolved, _in petto_, not toleave his leader without help in the wasps' nest into which he hadcast himself headlong. Diego entertained for General Bustamente, underwhose orders he had served ten years, a profound regard, which entitledhim to certain freedoms, and his entire confidence. He immediatelyplaced himself in relation with two other officers of the detachment,ordered, like himself, to watch the mysterious house whose dark outlinecut gloomily across the cloudy sky, and around which there was a closeblockade. He was walking about, biting his moustache, and swearing tohimself, determined, if the General did not come out within half anhour, to obtain an entrance by force, if necessary, when a heavy handwas laid upon his shoulder. He turned sharply round, stopping short inan oath that was passing his lips, and saw a man standing before him: itwas Don Pedro.
"Is that you?" he asked, as soon as he recognised him.
"Myself," the spy replied.
"But where the devil do you come from?"
"No matter; do you wish to save the General?"
"Is he in danger?"
"In danger of death."
"_Demonios!_" the sergeant shouted; "he must be saved!"
"For that purpose I am here; but don't speak so loud."
"I will speak as you like, provided you will tell me."
"Nothing!" Don Pedro replied, "for there is not a minute to be lost."
"What is to be done?"
"Listen! A detachment must feign an attack upon the gate by which theGeneral entered; another will watch the environs, for the Dark-Heartshave roads known only to themselves; you, with a third detachment, willfollow me; I will undertake to introduce you into the house--is thatagreed upon?"
"Perfectly."
"Make haste, then, to inform your colleagues; time presses."
"Instantly; where shall I find you again?"
"Here."
"Very well; I only ask five minutes," and he strode away in haste.
"Hem!" thought Don Pedro, as soon as he was alone; "we should beprudent when we wish affairs to be profitable; from what I heard, theywill condemn the General, and they must not be allowed to go as far asthat, for my interests would suffer too seriously; I have manoeuvredso as to be safe from all suspicion; if I succeed, I shall be more infavour with the General than ever, without losing the confidence of theconspirators."
"Well!" he said, as he saw Diego coming towards him.
"Everything is done," replied the sergeant, out of breath. "I am ready."
"Come on, then, and God grant it may not be too late!"
"Amen!" said the soldier.
Everything was done as had been arranged; whilst one detachmentvigorously attacked the gate of the Quinta Verde, Don Pedro led thetroops commanded by Diego to the opposite side of the house, where alow window was open; this window was grated, but several bars had beenremoved beforehand, which left the entrance easy. Pedro commanded thesoldiers to be silent, and they entered the house one by one. Guided bythe spy, they advanced stealthily, without meeting with obstacles of anykind. At the end of a few minutes they came to a closed door.
"This is it!" said Pedro, in a low voice.
At a sign from the sergeant, the door was beaten in with the butt endof their muskets, and the soldiers rushed into the room. It was nearlyempty, its only occupant being a man stretched motionless upon thefloor. The sergeant sprang towards him, but recoiled with a cry ofhorror--he had recognised his leader--General Bustamente lay with adagger sticking upright in his breast. To the hilt of the dagger wastied a long black strip, upon which were written these words in red ink:
"_The Justice of the Dark-Hearts!_"
"Oh!" cried Diego; "Vengeance! Vengeance!"
"Vengeance!" the soldiers repeated, with rage, mingled with terror.
The sergeant turned round towards Pedro, whom he believed to be still byhis side; but the spy, who alone could guide them in their researches,had thought it prudent to steal away. As soon as he saw that what hedreaded had happened, he had disappeared without anybody observing hisdeparture.
"No matter!" said Diego. "If I demolish this den of assassins, frombottom to top, and don't leave stone upon stone, I swear I will findthese demons, if they are buried in the centre of the earth."
The old soldier began searching in all directions, whilst a surgeon whohad followed the detachment paid attention to the wounded man, whom heendeavoured to restore to his senses.
The Dark-Hearts, as the spy had truly said, had paths known onlyto themselves, by which they had quietly departed, after havingaccomplished their terrible vengeance, or executed their severe justice,according to the point of view in which an act of this nature andimportance is viewed. They were already far off in the country, safefrom all danger, while the soldiers were still ferociously searching forthem in and about the house.
Don Tadeo and Don Gregorio returned together to the chacra, and wereastonished, on their arrival, to find Valentine, whom they supposed tobe in bed and asleep long before, waiting for them at that late hour,to request a few minutes' conversation. In spite of the very naturalsurprise which the demand at such a singular hour excited, the twogentlemen, who supposed the Frenchman had serious reasons for actingthus, granted his request, without making the least observation. Theconversation was long--so long, that we think it useless to repeat ithere in detail, but will satisfy ourselves with giving our readers theend of it, which sums it up perfectly.
"I will not insist," said Don Tadeo, "although you will not tell usyour motives. I believe you to be too considerate a man, Don Valentine,not to be convinced that the reasons which force you to leave us areserious."
"Of the greatest seriousness," the young man replied.
"Very well. But on leaving this place, in which direction do you intendto bend your steps?"
"Faith! I own frankly--besides, you know already that I and my friendare in search of fortune--that all directions are the same to us, sincewe must, above everything, depend upon chance."
"I am of your opinion," replied Don Tadeo, smiling. "Listen to me,then. I possess large estates in the province of Valdivia, which itis my intention to visit shortly. What prevents you going that way inpreference to any other?"
"Nothing, that I know of."
"I, at this moment, stand in need of a man whom I can depend upon, toundertake an important mission into Araucania, to one of the principalchiefs of the people of that country. If you are going to the provinceof Valdivia, you will be obliged to traverse Araucania in its wholelength. Are you willing to undertake this commission? Will thatinconvenience you?"
"Why should I not?" said Valentine. "I have never come face to face withsavages; I should like to see what sort of people they are."
"Very well; now is your opportunity. That is agreed upon then. You wishto start tomorrow, do you not?"
"Tomorrow! Today, if you please--in a few hours, for it will not be longbefore the sun will be up."
"That is true. Very well, then; at the moment of your departure, mymajor-domo shall place, on my part, written instructions in your hands."
"Caramba!" said Valentine, laughing; "here am I transformed into anambassador!"
"Do not joke, my friend," said Don Tadeo, seriously. "The mission Iconfide to you is delicate--dangerous, even; I do not conceal that fromyou. If the papers of which you will be the bearer are found upon you,you will be exposed to great dangers. Are you still willing to be myemissary?"
"Pardieu! Wherever there is danger there is pleasure. And what is thename of the
person to whom I am to remit these despatches?"
"They are of two descriptions. The latter only concerns yourself; duringthe course of your journey you can make yourself acquainted with them;they will instruct you in certain matters you should know in order tosecure the success of your mission."
"I understand--and the others?"
"The others are for Antinahuel, that is, the Tiger Sun, and must bedelivered into his own hands."
"A queer name that!" Valentine replied, with a laugh. "And where am I tofind the gentleman rejoicing in such a formidable title?"
"By my faith, my friend," replied Don Tadeo, "I know no more than youdo."
"The Araucano Indians," interrupted Don Gregorio, "are a ratherwandering race, and it is sometimes difficult to find the one you are insearch of."
"Bah! I shall find him, be assured of that."
"We do entirely rely upon you."
"In a few hours, as I have told you, I shall myself set out to place ina convent in Valdivia the young lady whom you so fortunately saved; itwill, therefore, be in Valdivia I shall await your answer."
"I beg your pardon, but I have not the least idea where Valdivia is,"observed Valentine.
"Don't be uneasy on that account; any child in this country can directyou the way thither," Don Gregorio replied.
"Thanks."
"And now, if you change your mind when we meet again, and consent toremain among us, remember we are brothers, and do not hesitate to informme of your new determination."
"I can neither, reply yes or no, sir; if it depended upon me, we shouldcontinue to see each other frequently."
After exchanging a few more friendly expressions, the three menseparated. At sunrise, Louis and Valentine, mounted on magnificenthorses, which Don Tadeo had forced them to accept, rode away from thechacra, followed by Caesar. Valentine had received his despatches fromthe hands of the major-domo. As they were quitting the farm Louisturned round instinctively, as if to salute with a last look a spothe abandoned for ever, and which contained all that was dear to him.A window was gently opened, and the face of the fair girl appearedthrough the small interval, bathed in tears. The two young men bowedrespectfully towards the necks of their horses, and with a deep sighfrom Louis, they moved on as the window closed.
"Adieu! oh, adieu for ever!" murmured Louis, choking with emotion.
"Ah, perhaps!" said Valentine; and, to rouse his friend from his grief,he put his horse into a gallop, and they soon lost sight of the chacrain the windings of the road.
Within four hours from their departure Don Tadeo and Don Gregoriolikewise set out on their journey to Valdivia, for the purpose ofplacing Dona Rosario in the convent. But the enemy of whom they thoughtthey had relieved themselves at the Quinta Verde, was not dead; thedagger of the King of Darkness had not proved more sure than the bulletsof the General. The two enemies were destined soon to meet again.Notwithstanding the seriousness of the wound he had received, thanksto the intelligent cares lavished upon him, but more particularly,thanks to his excellent constitution, General Bustamente was soon in aconvalescent state. Don Pancho and the Linda, from that time united bythe strongest of ties--a common personal hatred--prepared to take theirrevenge upon Don Tadeo, and that of the bitterest nature. The Generalsignalized his restoration to health by cruelties of the most flagrantkind towards every man suspected of liberalism, and by inauguratingthroughout the republic a pitiless system of terror. Don Tadeo waspronounced outlawed; his friends were cast into dungeons, and theirproperty was confiscated; and then, when the General thought that allthese vexations must bring his enemy to bay, and he had nothing to dreadfrom him or his partizans, under the pretence of visiting the provincesof the Republic, he set out for Valdivia, accompanied by his mistress.