CHAPTER XVII.
THE PUELCHES.
"Eh! eh!" said Valentine, whistling sharply to his dog, who immediatelycame to him; "these fellows do not seem to have friendly intentions; wemust be upon our guard: who knows what may happen?"
"They are Araucanos," said Louis.
"Do you think so? Then they are devilish ugly!"
"Well, now, for my part, I think them very handsome."
"Ah, yes; that may be in an artistic point of view. But, ugly orhandsome, we will await their coming."
The Indians talked among themselves, and continued to look at the youngmen.
"They are consulting to determine with what sauce they shall eat us,"said Valentine.
"Not at all----"
"Bah! I tell you they are."
"Pardieu! they are not cannibals!"
"No? So much the worse; that's a defect. In Paris, all the savagesexhibited in public are cannibals."
"You madman! you laugh at everything."
"Would you prefer my weeping a little? It appears to me that at thismoment our position is not so seducing in itself that we should seek tomake it more dismal."
These Indians were for the most part men of from forty to forty-fiveyears of age, clothed in the costume of the Puelches, one of the mostwarlike tribes of Upper Araucania; they wore the poncho floating fromthe shoulders, the calzoneras fastened round the hips and falling tothe ankle, the head bare, the hair long, straight, and greasy, gatheredtogether by a red ribbon, which encircled the brow like a diadem, andthe face painted of various colours. Their arms consisted of a longlance, a knife, a gun hanging from the saddle, and a round buckler,covered with leather, ornamented with horsehair and human scalps.
The man who appeared to be their chief was a man of lofty stature,expressive features, hard and haughty, but still displayed a certainfrankness, a very rare quality among Indians. The only thing whichdistinguished him from his companions was a feather of the eagle of theAndes, planted upright on the left side of his head, in the bright redribbon that confined his hair.
After having consulted with his companions for a few minutes, the chiefadvanced towards the travellers, making his horse curvet with inimitablegrace, and lowered the point of his lance in sign of peace. Whenwithin three paces of Valentine, he stopped, and, after saluting himceremoniously, in the Indian fashion, by placing his right hand on hisbreast, and slowly bowing his head twice, he said to him in Spanish:--
"My brothers are Muruches--foreigners,--and not Culme-Huinca--despicableSpaniards. Why are they so far from the men of their own nation?"
This question, asked in the guttural accent, and with the emphatic tonepeculiar to the Indians, was perfectly understood by the young men, who,as we have before observed, generally spoke Spanish themselves.
"Hum!" Valentine said to his companion, "here is a savage who appears tohave a little curiosity about him--what think you?"
"Bah!" Louis replied, "answer him, at all events that will do no harm."
"Why, no, that is true; we cannot easily be more compromised than we arealready."
And turning towards the chief, who waited impassibly,
"We are travelling," he said, laconically.
"What! alone, thus?" asked the chief.
"Does that astonish you, my friend?"
"Do my brothers fear nothing?"
"What should we fear?" said the Parisian in a bantering tone. "We havenothing to lose."
"What! not even your hair?"
Louis could not refrain from laughing, as he looked at Valentine.
"Ah! ah! what, he is laughing at the disordered state of my hair, is he,the ugly wretch?" Valentine grumbled, vexed at the observation of thechief, and quite mistaking his intentions. "Stop a bit!" then he added,in a loud voice, "Have the goodness to pass on, gentlemen savages. Yourremarks are not pleasant, I can assure you."
He cocked his rifle, and lifted it to his shoulder, as if taking aimat the chief. Louis, who had attentively followed the progress of theconversation, without saying a word imitated the action of his friend,directing the barrel of his rifle towards the group of Indians. Thechief had, doubtless, understood but little of the speeches of hisadversaries, but far from appearing terrified at the menacing attitudethey assumed, he seemed to contemplate with pleasure the martial andfirm deportment of the Frenchmen; and putting gently on one side theweapon pointed against his breast, said in a conciliatory tone:
"My friend is mistaken. I have no intention of insulting him. I am his_penni_--brother--and his companion's likewise. Were not the palefaceseating when I and my young men came up?"
"Faith! yes, chief, you say true," interrupted Louis, with a smile;"your sudden appearance stopped the progress of our humble repast."
"Part of which is very much at your service," continued Valentine,pointing with his finger to the provisions spread upon the grass.
"I accept your offer," said the Indian, cordially.
"Bravo!" cried Valentine, throwing down his rifle, and preparing toresume his seat on the grass; "to table, then!"
"Yes," replied the chief, "but upon one condition."
"What is that?" the young men asked together.
"That I shall furnish my part."
"Agreed," said Louis.
"Well, that is but fair," Valentine added; "and it will be the moreacceptable, from our not being rich, and having but meagre fare to offeryou."
"The bread of a friend is always good," the chief said, sententiously.
"That is admirably answered! But, at this moment, unfortunately, ourbread is only stale biscuit."
"I will remedy that;" and the chief said a few words in the Molucholanguage to his companions, who began to rummage in their alforjas, andquickly produced maize tortillas, some charqui, and several leathernbottles filled with chica--a sort of cider made of apples and Indiancorn. The whole was placed upon the grass before the two Frenchmen, whowere wonderstruck at the sudden abundance which had succeeded withoutany transition to their late short commons. The Indians dismounted,and sat down in a circle round the travellers. The chief, then turningtowards his guests, said with a pleasant smile--
"Now, then, let my brothers eat."
The young men did not require the cordial invitation to be repeated, butvigorously attacked the provisions so frankly offered. For the first fewminutes silence prevailed among the party, for all were too well engagedto talk; but as soon as appetite was a little appeased, conversation wasresumed.
Of all men, Indians, perhaps, understand the laws of hospitalitythe best. They have an instinct of social conventions, if such anexpression may be allowed, which makes them divine at once, withinfallible correctness, what the questions are that may be properlyaddressed to their guests, and the point at which they should stop toavoid committing any indiscretion. The two Frenchmen, who for the firsttime found themselves in contact with Araucanos, could not overcomethe surprise caused by the knowledge of life, and the noble and frankmanners of these men, whom, on the faith of accounts more or less false,they were accustomed, in common with all Europeans, to consider as grosssavages, almost destitute of intelligence, and quite incapable of anydelicacy of behaviour.
"My brothers are not Spaniards?" the chief said, half interrogatively.
"That is true," Louis replied; "but how did you discover that?"
"Oh!" he said, with a disdainful smile, "we are well acquainted withthose _chiaplos_--wicked soldiers. They are too old enemies to allow usto commit an error with regard to them. From what island do my brotherscome?"
"Our country is not an island," Valentine observed.
"My brother is mistaken," the chief said emphatically; "there is but onecountry that is not an island, and that is the great land of the Aucas."
The two young men bowed their heads before an opinion so peremptorilyput forth--all discussion became impossible.
"We are Frenchmen," Louis replied.
"Frenchmen! ah! a good brave nation! We had several French warriors inthe time of t
he great war."
"What!" said Louis, with excited curiosity, "have French warriors foughtwith you?"
"Yes," the chief remarked, proudly; "warriors with grey beards, andbreasts marked with honourable scars, which they received in the wars oftheir island, when they fought under the orders of their great chief,Zaleon."
"Napoleon?" said Valentine, quite astonished.
"Yes; I believe it is so the palefaces pronounce his name. Did mybrother know him?" the chief added, with ill-concealed curiosity.
"No," replied the young man. "Although born in his reign, I was neverable to get sight of him, and he is now dead."
"My brother is mistaken," said the Puelche, solemnly; "such warriors ashe do not die. When they have performed their task upon earth they go toParadise--to hunt with Pillian, the master of the world."
The young men bowed, as if convinced.
"It is very singular," said Louis, "that the reputation of that powerfulgenius should have spread to the most remote and unknown regions of theglobe, and be preserved pure and brilliant among these rude men; whilstin that France, for which he did everything men invariably seek tolessen it, and even to destroy it."
"Like all their compatriots, who, from time to time, traverse ourhunting grounds, our brothers have, doubtless, trading purposes incoming among us. Where are your goods?" said the chief.
"We are not traders," replied Valentine; "we came to visit our brothers,the Araucanos, of whose wisdom and hospitality we have heard much."
"The Moluchos love the French," the chief said, flattered by thecompliment; "my brothers will be well received in our villages."
"To what tribe does my brother belong?" asked Valentine, inwardlydelighted at the good opinion the Indians entertained of his compatriots.
"I am one of the principal Ulmens of the sacred tribe of the GreatHare," the chief said, proudly.
"Thank you--one word more."
"Let my brother speak; my ears are open."
"We are in search of a Molucho chief, to whom we have a message from afriend of his, with whom he has had much dealing."
"What is the chief's name?"
"Antinahuel."
"Good!"
"Does my brother know him?"
"I know him. If my brothers will follow me they shall see the toldo ofa chief in which they shall be received like pennis. When they haverested, if they desire it, I will myself conduct them to Antinahuel, themost powerful Toqui of the four Uthal-Mapus of the Araucano confederacy."
"What province is governed by Antinahuel?"
"The Pire-Mapus, that is to say, the interior of the Andes."
"Thanks, brother."
"Will my brothers accept the offer I have made them?"
"Why should we not accept it, chief, if, as I believe, it is made inearnest?"
"Let my brothers come, then," the chief said, with a smile; "my tolderiais not far off."
The breakfast was over, and the Indians were mounting.
"We may as well go," said Valentine, in French. "This Indian appears tospeak cordially and honestly, and it will give us a capital opportunityof studying interesting manners and customs. What do you think,Louis?--It may prove very amusing."
"Well, I see no harm that accepting the invitation can do."
"God speed us, then!"
And with a bound he was in his saddle, imitated by Louis.
"Forward!" cried the chief, and the party set off at a gallop.
"Well, it must be allowed," said Valentine, in his cheerful way, "thatthese savages, if savages they are, have some redeeming qualitiesbelonging to them. I begin to take a warm interest in them. They aretrue Scotch mountaineers for hospitality. I wonder what my regimentalcomrades, and more particularly my old friends of the Boulevard duTemple, would say if they could see me now! Houp! After me, the end ofthe world!"
Louis laughed at this outburst of the incorrigible _gamin_, and, withoutfurther inquiries, the young men gaily abandoned themselves to theguidance of their new friends, who, after leaving the banks of theriver, directed their course towards the mountains.