CHAPTER IX.
DIPLOMACY.
It was an unheard-of piece of audacity in the captain, after what hadtaken place, to come thus and deliver himself up, without the slightestresistance, into the hands of men who would not hesitate to inflict uponhim a severe vengeance.
The hunters were consequently astonished at the proceeding of thepirate, and began to suspect a snare; their surprise increased inproportion as they reflected upon his apparent madness.
They perfectly understood that if they had taken him, it was because hewas willing that it should be so; that he had probably some powerfulmotive for acting thus, particularly after all the pains he had taken toconceal his track from all eyes, and find a retreat so impenetrable thatthe Indians themselves, those cunning bloodhounds whom nothing generallycould throw off the scent, had given up searching for him.
What did he want amidst his most implacable enemies? What reasonsufficiently strong had been able to induce him to commit the imprudenceof delivering himself up?
This is what the trappers asked each other, whilst looking at him withthat curiosity and that interest which, in spite of ourselves, we areforced to accord to the intrepid man who accomplishes a bold action,whatever otherwise may be his moral character.
"Sir," said Loyal Heart, after the pause of a few minutes, "as you havethought proper to place yourself in our hands, you certainly will notrefuse to reply to the questions we may think proper to put to you?"
A smile of an undefinable expression passed over the thin, pale lips ofthe pirate.
"Not only," he replied, in a calm, clear voice, "will I not refuseto reply to you, gentlemen, but still further, if you will permit,I will forestall your questions by telling you myself spontaneouslyall that has passed, which will enlighten you, I am sure, with regardto the facts which have appeared obscure, and which you have in vainendeavoured to make out."
A murmur of stupefaction pervaded the ranks of the trappers, who haddrawn near by degrees, and listened attentively.
The scene assumed strange proportions, and promised to become extremelyinteresting.
Loyal Heart reflected for a moment, and then addressed the pirate.
"Do so, sir," he said; "we listen to you."
The Captain bowed, and, with a jeering tone, commenced his recital; whenhe arrived at the taking of the camp, he continued thus:--
"It was cleverly played, was it not, gentlemen? Certes, I can look fornothing but compliments from you who are past masters in such matters;but there is one thing of which you are ignorant, and which I will tellyou. The capture of the Mexican general's wealth was but of secondaryimportance to me, I had another aim, and that aim I will make youacquainted with--I wished to obtain possession of Dona Luz. From MexicoI followed the caravan, step by step; I had corrupted the principalguide, the Babbler, an old friend of mine; abandoning to my companionsthe gold and jewels, I desired nothing but the young girl."
"Well, but it seems you missed your aim," Belhumeur interrupted him,with a sardonic smile.
"Do you think so?" the other replied, with imperturbable assurance."Well, you appear to be in the right; I have, for this time, missed myaim, but all is not yet said, and I may not always miss."
"You speak here, amidst a hundred and fifty of the best rifles of theprairies about this odious project, with as much confidence as if youwere in safety, surrounded by your own bandits, and concealed in thedepths of one of your most secret dens, captain. This is either an actof great imprudence or a still more rare piece of insolence," LoyalHeart said, sternly.
"Bah! the peril is not so great for me as you would make me believe; youknow I am not a man easily intimidated, therefore a truce to threats, ifyou please, and let us reason like serious men."
"We hunters, trappers, and Indian warriors, assembled in this grotto,have the right, acting in the name of our common safety, to apply to youthe laws of the frontiers, an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth,as attainted and convicted, even by your own confession, of robbery,murder, and an attempt at abduction. This law we mean to apply to youimmediately. What have you to say in your defence?"
"Everything in its turn, Loyal Heart; we will talk about that presently;but, in the first place, let us terminate, if you please, what I had tosay to you. Be satisfied, it is but the delay of a few minutes; I willmyself revert to that question which you seem to have so much at heart,as you instal yourself, by your own private authority, judge in thedesert."
"That law is as ancient as the world, it emanates from God himself; itis the duty of all honest people to run down a wild beast when they meetwith one in their passage."
"The comparison is not flattering," the pirate replied, perfectlyunmoved, "but I am not at all susceptible; I do not easily take offence.Will you, once for all, allow me to speak?"
"Speak, then, and let us have an end of this."
"That is exactly what I ask; listen to me, then. In this world, everyone comprehends life after his own fashion, some widely, others ina narrow way; for me, my dream is to retire, a few years hence, tothe depths of one of our beautiful Mexican provinces with a moderatecompetency--you see I am not ambitious. A few months back, at thetermination of several tolerably lucrative affairs which I had happilyeffected in the prairies by means of courage and address, I found myselfmaster of a pretty round sum, which, according to my custom, I resolvedto invest, in order to procure me hereafter the moderate competencyof which I was speaking to you. I went to Mexico to place my money inthe hands of an honourable French banker established in that city, whoanswered all my expectations, and whom I recommend to you, if you haveoccasion for such a person."
"What is all this verbiage to us?" Loyal Heart interrupted, hotly. "Youare laughing at us, captain."
"Not the least in the world. I will go on. In Mexico, chance afforded mean opportunity of rendering Dona Luz a rather important service."
"You?" said Loyal Heart, angrily.
"Why not?" the other replied. "The affair is very simple. I deliveredher from the hands of four bandits, who were plundering her. I saw her,and became madly in love with her."
"Man! man!" said the hunter, colouring with vexation; "this exceedsall bounds. Dona Luz is a young lady who ought never to be spoken ofwithout the greatest respect. I will not allow her to be insulted in mypresence."
"We are exactly of the same opinion," the other continued, jeeringly;"but it is none the less true that I fell in love with her. I skilfullyobtained information concerning her; I learnt who she was, the journeyshe was about to take; I played successfully, as you see. Then my planwas laid, which, as you just now said, has completely failed; but which,nevertheless, I have not yet given up."
"We will endeavour to settle that once for all."
"And you will do well, if you can."
"Now, I suppose, you have finished?"
"Not yet, if you please; but at this point what remains for me to sayrenders the presence of Dona Luz indispensable. Upon her alone dependsthe success of my mission to you."
"I do not understand you."
"It would be useless for you to understand me at this moment; but restsatisfied, Loyal Heart, you shall soon have the key to the enigma."
During the whole of this long discussion, the pirate had not for amoment lost that self-possession, that sneering smile, that banteringtone, and that freedom of manner, that confounded the hunters.
He bore much more the resemblance to a gentleman on a visit at the houseof a country neighbour, than to a prisoner on the point of being shot.He did not appear to care the least in the world about the danger hewas running. As soon as he had finished speaking, whilst the trapperswere consulting in a low voice, he employed himself in rolling a huskcigarette, which he lit and smoked quietly.
"Dona Luz," Loyal Heart resumed, with ill-disguised impatience, "hasnothing to do with these debates; her presence is not necessary."
"You are entirely mistaken, my dear sir," the pirate coolly replied,puffing out a volume of smoke; "she is indispensable,
and for thisreason:--You understand perfectly, do you not, that I am too cunning afox to give myself up thus voluntarily into your hands, if I had notbehind me someone whose life would answer for mine. That someone is theuncle of the young lady. If I am not at midnight in my den, as you dome the honour to call it, with my brave companions, at precisely tenminutes after midnight the honourable gentleman will be shot withoutfail or pity."
A shudder of anger ran along the ranks of the hunters.
"I know very well," the pirate continued, "that you, personally, carevery little for the life of the general, and would generously sacrificeit in exchange for mine; but, fortunately for me, Dona Luz, I amconvinced, is not of your opinion, and attaches great value to theexistence of her uncle; be good enough, therefore, to beg her to comehere, in order that she may hear the proposal I have to make her. Timepresses, the way to my encampment is long; if I arrive too late, youalone will be responsible for the misfortunes that may be caused by myinvoluntary delay."
"I am here, sir," said Dona Luz, coming forward. Concealed amidst thecrowd of hunters, she had heard all that had been said.
The pirate threw away his half-consumed cigarette, bowed courteously tothe young lady, and saluted her with respect.
"I am proud of the honour, senora, that you deign to do me."
"A truce to ironical compliments, if you please. I am listening to you;what have you to say to me?"
"You judge me wrongly, senora," the pirate replied; "but I hope toreinstate myself in your good opinion hereafter. Do you not recogniseme? I thought I had left a better remembrance in your mind."
"It is possible, sir, that during a certain time I retained a favourableremembrance of you," the young lady answered, with some degree ofemotion; "but, after what has taken place within these few days, I canonly see in you a robber and a murderer!"
"The terms are harsh, senora."
"Pardon them, if they wound you, sir; but I have not yet recovered fromthe terrors you have caused me--terrors which your proceedings of todayaugment instead of diminishing. Be pleased, then, without further delay,to let me know your intentions."
"I am in despair at being thus ill-understood by you, senora. Attribute,I implore you, all that has happened solely to the violence of thepassion I feel for you, and believe----"
"Sir! you insult me," the young lady interrupted, drawing herself uphaughtily: "what can there be in common between me and the leader ofbandits?"
At this cutting reproof a flush passed over the face of the pirate: hebit his moustache with anger; but, making a strong effort, he kept downin the depths of his heart the feelings which agitated him, and repliedin a calm, respectful tone,--
"So be it, senora; crush me--I have deserved it."
"Is it for the purpose of uttering these commonplaces that you haverequired my presence here, sir? In that case you will please to allow meto retire; a lady of my rank is not accustomed to such manners, nor tolisten to such language."
She made a movement as if to rejoin the mother of Loyal Heart, who, onher side, advanced towards her.
"One instant, senora," the pirate cried, savagely; "since you despise myprayers, listen to my orders!"
"Your orders!" the hunter shouted, springing close to his side. "Haveyou forgotten where you are, miserable scoundrel?"
"Come, come! a truce to threats and abuse, my masters!" the piratereplied, in a commanding voice, as he crossed his arms upon his breast,threw up his head, and darted a look of supreme disdain upon allpresent. "You know very well you dare do nothing against me--that not asingle hair of my head will fall."
"This is too much!" the hunter ejaculated.
"Stop! Loyal Heart," said Dona Luz, placing herself before him; "thisman is unworthy of your anger. I prefer seeing him thus he is best inhis part of a bandit--he at least plays that without a mask."
"Yes! I have thrown off the mask," the pirate shouted, furiously: "andnow, listen to me, silly girl. In three days I will return--you see Ikeep my word," he added, with a sinister smile. "I give you time toreflect. If you do not then consent to follow me, your uncle shall begiven up to the most atrocious tortures; and, as a last remembrance ofme, I will send you his head."
"Monster!" the poor girl exclaimed, in an accent of despair.
"Ah! you see," said he, shrugging his shoulders, and with the grin of ademon, "everyone makes love after his own fashion. I have sworn that youshall be my wife!"
But Dona Luz could hear no more. Overcome by grief as well as otherfeelings, she sank senseless into the arms of the mother of the hunter,who with No Eusebio, bore her out of the larger apartment.
"Enough!" said Loyal Heart, with a stern accent, as he laid his handupon his shoulder, "be thankful to God, who allows you to go safe andsound from our hands."
"In three days, at the same hour, you will see me again, my masters," hesaid, disdainfully.
"Between this and then luck may turn," said Belhumeur.
The pirate made no reply, but by a grin and a contemptuous shrug ofthe shoulders; and left the cavern with a step as firm and free as ifnothing extraordinary had happened, without even deigning to turn round,so certain was he of the profound feeling he had caused--of the effecthe had produced.
He had scarcely disappeared, when, from the other outlets of the grotto,Belhumeur, Black Elk, and Eagle Head rushed upon his track.
Loyal Heart remained thoughtful for an instant, and then went, with apale face and a pensive brow to inquire after Dona Luz.
Les trappeurs de l'Arkansas. English Page 33