CHAPTER VI.
PREPARATIONS FOR DELIVERANCE
The little troop of cavalry, at the head of which Antinahuel and theLinda rode, advanced rapidly and silently along the road from SanMiguel towards the valley in which, the day before, the renewal of thetreaties had been accomplished. At sunrise they debouched into theplain. They had scarcely advanced fifty paces when they saw a horsemancoming at full speed towards them. This horseman was Black Stag:Antinahuel halted his escort.
"What is the use of this halt?" Dona Maria observed.
"Is my sister a soldier?" Antinahuel asked.
Dona Maria, mortified at this rude speech, reined in her horse andremained a few paces in the rear, so that Antinahuel was left alone atthe head of his troop. At the expiration of five minutes Black Stagpulled up his horse.
"Has my father returned among his children?" he said, bowing his headas a salutation to the chief.
"Yes!" Antinahuel replied. "What has my son done during my absence?"
"I have executed the orders of my father."
"All of them?"
"All!"
"Good! Has my son received any news of the palefaces?"
"A strong body of the Chiaplos is preparing to quit Valdivia to repairto Santiago."
"Good! With what purpose?"
"They are taking to Santiago the prisoner named General Bustamente."
Antinahuel turned towards the Linda, and exchanged a glance ofintelligence with her.
"For what day have the Huincas fixed their departure?"
"They are to set out the day after tomorrow."
Antinahuel reflected for a few minutes.
"This is what my son will do," he said. "In two hours he will strikehis camp, and direct his course toward the Canyon del Rio Seco, where Iwill go and wait for him."
"I will obey!" said the Black Stag, bowing his head affirmatively.
"Good! My son is an experienced warrior; he will execute my orders withintelligence."
The man smiled with pleasure at receiving this praise from his chief;after bowing respectfully before him, he made his horse curvetgracefully, and set off with his followers.
Antinahuel took the road towards the mountains at a sharp trot. Afterriding silently for some time by the side of Dona Maria, he turnedtowards her graciously, and said--
"Does my sister understand the tenor of the order I have just given?"
"No!" she replied, with a slight tinge of irony; "as my brother haswell remarked, I am not a soldier."
"My intentions are very simple," he replied; "the Canyon del Rio Secois in a narrow defile which the palefaces are obliged to cross. Fiftychosen warriors can here contend with advantage against twenty timestheir number. It is in that place I am determined to wait for theHuincas. The Moluchos will take possession of the heights; and when thepalefaces have entered that passage without suspicion, I will attackthem on all sides."
"Does there, then, exist no other road to Santiago?"
"None; they must go that way."
"Then they are doomed!" she joyfully exclaimed.
"Without doubt!" he said proudly; "the Canyon del Rio Seco iscelebrated in our history."
"Then my brother can answer for saving Don Pancho Bustamente?"
"Yes, unless the sky falls!" he said, with a smile.