The Trail-Hunter: A Tale of the Far West

by Gustave Aimard

  CHAPTER XLVI.

  THE COMANCHES.

  Valentine and his friends awoke at daybreak. The Comanches were alreadyprepared to start; and Unicorn, dressed in his great war costume,presented himself to the hunter.

  "Is my brother going?" Valentine asked him.

  "Yes," the sachem answered. "I am returning to the Presidio to receivethe answer of the chief of the palefaces."

  "What is my brother's intention, should his demand be rejected?"

  Unicorn smiled.

  "The Comanches have long lances," he said; "the palefaces will notrefuse."

  "My anxiety will be extreme till you return, chief; the Spaniards areperfidious; take care they have not planned some treachery."

  "They would not dare," Unicorn said, haughtily. "If the chief, whom mybrother loves, is not delivered to me safe and sound, the Spanishprisoners shall be tortured on the plaza of Santa Fe, the town burnedand sacked. I have spoken; my brother's mind may be at rest."

  "Good! Unicorn is a wise chief; he will do what is necessary."

  In the meantime the Comanche warriors had formed their ranks, and onlyawaited the signal of the sachem to start. The Spanish prisoners takenduring the night were placed in the centre bound and half naked.Suddenly a disturbance was heard in the camp, and two men rushed pantingtoward the spot where stood Valentine, the sachem and Curumilla. Theywere Don Pablo and Father Seraphin, their clothes in disorder, theirfeatures haggard, and their faces glistening with perspiration. Onreaching their friends, they fell, almost in a fainting state, on theground. The proper attentions were at once paid them, and the missionarywas the first to recover. Don Pablo seemed stupefied; the tears pouredincessantly down his cheeks, and he could not utter a word. Valentinefelt strangely alarmed.

  "Good heavens!" he exclaimed, "What has happened? Don Miguel--?"

  The missionary shook his head.

  "No," he said, "nothing has happened to him, as far as I know."

  "Heaven be praised! But what is the matter, father? What misfortune haveyou to announce to me?"

  "A frightful one, indeed, my son," the missionary replied, as he buriedhis face in his hands.

  "Speak, in Heaven's name! Your delay is killing me."

  "Dona Clara--"

  "Well!" he hunter said, sharply.

  "Was captured again last night by Red Cedar, and torn from the refugewhere I placed her."

  "Oh!" Valentine exclaimed, with concentrated fury, as he stamped hisfoot, "Always that demon--that accursed Red Cedar. My curses on him! Buttake courage, father; let us first save Don Miguel, and then I swear toyou that I will restore his daughter to him."

  Unicorn advanced.

  "Master of prayer," he said to Father Seraphin, in a soft and impressivevoice, "your heart is good. The Comanches love you. Unicorn will helpyou. Pray to your God. He will protect us in our researches, since Heis, as you say, so powerful."

  Then the chief turned to Don Pablo, and laid his hand firmly on hisshoulder.

  "Women weep," he said; "men avenge themselves. Has not my brother hisrifle?"

  On feeling the Comanche's hand laid on him--on hearing these words--theyoung man quivered as if he had received an electric shock. He drewhimself up, and fixed on the chief his eyes burning with the fever ofsorrow.

  "Yes," he said, in a broken voice, "you are right, chief, and," passinghis hand over his eyes, with a gesture of rage, "let us leave tears towomen, who have no other weapons to protect their weakness. I am a man,and will avenge myself."

  "Good. My brother speaks well: he is a warrior; Unicorn esteems him; hewill become great on the war path."

  Don Pablo, crushed for a moment, had regained all his energy; he was nolonger the same man; he looked around him.

  "Where are you going?" he asked.

  "To Santa Fe, to deliver your father."

  "I will go with you."

  "Come," said Unicorn.

  "No," Valentine interposed, authoritatively. "Your place is not there,Don Pablo; leave the Comanche warriors to act as they please; they donot need your help to carry out their plans properly. Remain with me."

  "Command me, my friend," the young man said with resignation; "I haveperfect confidence in your experience."

  "Good. You are reasonable. Brother," he added, turning to the chief,"you can start. The sun is already high in the horizon; may Heaven grantthat you may succeed!"

  Unicorn gave the signal for departure. The Comanches uttered their waryell, while brandishing their arms, and started at a quick amble, theonly pace they know. Curumilla then rose, and wrapped himself in hisbuffalo robe; Valentine watching him, inquiringly.

  "Does my brother leave us?" he said.

  "Yes," the Araucano answered, laconically.

  "For long?"

  "For a few hours?"

  "Where is my brother going?"

  "To look for the camp of Red Cedar's gambusinos," the Indian repliedwith a cunning smile.

  "Good," Valentine said, gleefully. "My brother is a wise chief; heforgets nothing."

  "Curumilla loves his brother; he thinks for him," the chief answered,simply.

  After uttering these words, the Unicorn bowed gracefully, and proceededin the direction of the Paso del Norte, soon disappearing in thewindings of the road. Valentine looked after him for a long while. Whenhe no longer saw him, he let his head fall pensively on his chest,murmuring in a low voice--

  "Good, intelligent fellow! Heart of gold! The only friend left me! Theonly one remaining of my old and faithful comrades! Louis, my poorLouis, where are you now?" A deep sigh burst from his bosom, and heremained absorbed in a gloomy reverie.

  At length Valentine raised his head, passed his hand over his brow, asif to dispel these sad thoughts, and turned to his friends.

  "Pardon me," he said, "but I, at times, give way to my thoughts in thatfashion. Alas! I, too, have suffered; but let us leave that," he added,gaily. "Bygones must be bygones. Let us attend to your affairs."

  He made them a sign to sit down by his side on the grass, rummaged hisalforjas and produced some slight food, which he laid before them.

  "Eat," he said to them; "we do not know what awaits us within the nextfew hours, and we must recruit our strength. When you have satisfiedyour appetite, you will tell me all about Dona Clara being carried offagain, for I must have the fullest details."

  We will leave the three now conversing, and join the Comanches andUnicorn again.

  When the Comanches reached the Plaza Mayor, opposite the Cabildo, theyhalted. At an order from Unicorn, the prisoners were completely strippedof their clothing and placed some distance in front of the first rank ofIndians, each of them having at his side a fully armed Indian ready tomassacre him mercilessly at the slightest sign from Unicorn. When thepreparations were completed, and the Comanches had stationed sentinelsat each corner of the streets, opening in the square, in order not to betaken in reverse, and surrounded by the Spaniards, if they felt anyinclination for fighting, the Spider, the chief who had alreadyperformed the duty of flag of truce, pranced up to the gate of thepalace, and demanded speech with the governor.

  The officer of the guard, who was no other than Don Lopez, politelyrequested the Indian warrior to wait a few moments, and then proceededin all haste to General Ventura. We have seen what took place, and,after a delay of nearly half an hour, Captain Don Lopez returned. It wastime, for the Comanches were beginning to grow tired of waiting, andwere preparing to force the passage which was not voluntarily grantedthem. After some preliminary explanations, Captain Lopez informed theSpider that the general, surrounded by his staff, was awaiting, in thehall of audience, the sachem of the nation and his three principalwarriors.

  The Spider communicated this answer to Unicorn, who gave a nod ofassent, dismounted, and entered the Cabildo.