by Mayne Reid
CHAPTER FOURTEEN.
That was a _noche triste_ to Carlos--a night of painful reflections.Bereft of his property--in the midst of hostile Indians, who mightchange their minds, return, and massacre him and his party--many hundredmiles from home, or from any settlement of whites--a wide desert to betraversed--the further discouragement that there was no object for hisgoing home, now that he was stripped of all his trading-stock--perhapsto be laughed at on his return--no prospect of satisfaction orindemnity, for he well knew that his government would send out noexpedition to revenge so humble an individual as he was--he knew, infact, that no expedition of Spanish soldiery could penetrate to theplace, even if they had the will; but to fancy Vizcarra and Robladosending one on his account! No, no; there was no hope of his obtainingsatisfaction. He was cruelly robbed, and he knew that he must endureit; but what a blighted prospect was before him!
As soon as day broke he would go to the Waco camp--he would boldlyupbraid them for their treachery. But what purpose would that serve?Besides, would he find them still there? No; most likely they weremoving off to some other part at the time they had planned the robbery!
Several times during the night a wild idea occurred to him. If he couldnot have indemnity he might obtain revenge. The Wacoes were not withoutenemies. Several bordering tribes were at war with them; and Carlosknew they had a powerful foe in the Panes.
"My fortune is bitter," thought Carlos; "but revenge is sweet! What ifI seek the Pane,--tell him my intention,--offer him my lance, my bow,and my true rifle? I have never met the Pane. I know him not; but I amno weak hand, and now that I have a cause for vengeance he will notdespise my aid. My men will follow me--I know they will--anywhere; and,tame `Tagnos' though they be, they can fight when roused to revenge. Ishall seek the Pane!"
The last thought was uttered half aloud, and with emphasis that spokedetermination. The cibolero was a man of quick resolves, and thisresolve he had actually come to. It is not to be wondered at, Hisindignation at being treated in such a cruel and cowardly manner--thepoor prospect before him on returning to the settlement--his naturaldesire to punish those who had placed him in such a predicament--as wellas some hope which he still entertained of recovering at least a part ofhis lost property,--all influenced him to this resolve. He haddetermined upon it, and was just on the point of communicating hisdetermination to his companions, when he was interrupted by thehalf-blood Antonio.
"Master," said the latter, who appeared to have been for some timebusied with his own thoughts, "did you notice nothing strange?"
"When, Antonio?"
"During the estampeda."
"What was there strange?"
"Why, there appeared to be a good number, full half, of the rascalsafoot."
"True; I observed that."
"Now, master, I have seen a _cavallada_ stampeded by the Comanches morethan once--they were always mounted."
"What signifies that? These are Wacoes, not Comanches."
"True, master; but I have heard that the Wacoes, like the Comanches, aretrue Horse-Indians, and never go afoot on any business."
"That is indeed so," replied the cibolero in a reflective mood."Something strange, I confess."
"But, master," continued the half-blood, "did you notice nothing elsestrange during the stampede?"
"No," answered Carlos; "I was so annoyed--so put out by the loss--Iscarce noticed anything. What else, Antonio?"
"Why, in the midst of these yellings, did you not hear a shrill whoopnow and then--a _whistle_?"
"Ha! did you hear that?"
"More than once--distinctly."
"Where were my ears?" asked the cibolero of himself. "You are sure,Antonio?"
"Quite sure, master."
Carlos remained for a moment silent, evidently engaged in busyreflection. After a pause, he broke out in a half-soliloquy:--
"It may have been--it must have been--by Heavens! it must--"
"What, master?"
"The Pane whistle!"
"Just what I was thinking, master. The Comanches never whoop so--theKiawa never. I have not heard that the Wacoes give such a signal. Whynot Pane? Besides, their being afoot--that's like Pane!"
A sudden revulsion had taken place in the mind of the cibolero. Therewas every probability that Antonio's conjecture was correct. The"whistle" is a peculiar signal of the Pane tribes. Moreover, the factof so many of the marauders being on foot--that was another peculiarity.Carlos knew that among the Southern Indians such a tactic is neverresorted to. The Panes are _Horse_-Indians too, but on their maraudingexpeditions to the South they often go afoot, trusting to returnmounted--which they almost invariably do.
"After all," thought Carlos, "I have been wronging the Wacoes--therobbers are Panes!"
But now a new suspicion entered his mind. It was still the Wacoes thathad done it. They had adopted the Pane whistle to deceive him! A partyof them might easily be afoot--it was not such a distance to theircamp,--besides, after the estampeda they had gone in that verydirection!
No doubt, should he go there on the morrow, they would tell him thatPanes were in the neighbourhood, that it was they who had stolen hismules--the mules of course he would not see, as these would be safelyconcealed among the hills.
"No, Antonio," he said, after making these reflections, "our enemies arethe Wacoes themselves."
"Master," replied Antonio, "I hope not."
"I hope not, too, camarado. I had taken a fancy to our friends of butyesterday: I should be sorry to find them our foes--but I fear it iseven so."
With all, Carlos was not confident; and now that he reflected, anothercircumstance came to his mind in favour of the Wacoes. His companionshad also noted it.
That circumstance was the running of the buffaloes observed during thepast few days. The gangs had passed from the north, going southward;and their excited manner was almost a proof that they were pressed by aparty of hunters. The Wacoes were all this time hunting to the south ofthe cibolero's camp! This would seem to indicate that some otherIndians were upon the north. What more likely than a band of Panes?
Again Carlos reproached himself for his too hasty suspicions of his newfriends. His mind was filled with doubts. Perhaps these would beresolved by the light of the morning.
As soon as day should arrive, he had resolved to go to the Waco camp,and satisfy himself, or at all events openly make his inquiries.
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The first streaks of daylight were just falling upon the prairie, whenthe quick keen eye of the half-blood, ranging the ground in everydirection, was arrested by the appearance of something odd upon thegrass. It lay near the spot where the _mulada_ had been picketed. Itwas a darkish object in a recumbent position. Was it bushes or gorse?No. It could not be that. Its outlines were different. It was morelike some animal lying down--perhaps a large wolf? It was near theplace where they had fancied that they saw something in the darkness,and at which Carlos had fired.
Antonio, on first perceiving the object, called his master's attentionto it, and both now gazed over the box of the carreta, scanning it aswell as the grey light would permit them.
As this became brighter, the object was seen more distinctly, while ateach moment the curiosity of the ciboleros increased. They would havelong since gone out to examine it more closely; but they were not yetfree from apprehensions of a second attack from the Indians; and theyprudently remained within the corral.
At length, however, they could forego an examination no longer. Theyhad formed their suspicion of what the object was; and Carlos andAntonio climbed over the carretas, and proceeded towards it.
On arriving at the spot they were not so much surprised--for they hadpartially anticipated such a thing--at finding the body of a deadIndian. It was lying flat upon the grass, face downwards; and, oncloser examination, a wound, from which much blood had run, wasperceived in the side. There was the mark of a rifle bul
let--Carlos hadnot fired in vain! They bent down, and turned over the body to examineit. The savage was in full war-costume--that is, naked to the waist,and painted over the breast and face so as to render him as frightful aspossible: but what struck the ciboleros as most significant was the_costume of his head_! This was close shaven over the temples andbehind the ears. A patch upon the top was clipped short, but in thecentre of the crown one long lock of hair remained uncut, and this lockwas intermingled with plumes, and plaited so as to hang, queue-like,down the back. The naked temples were stained with vermilion, and thecheeks and bosom daubed in a similar manner. These brilliant spotscontrasted with the colourless and deathly hue of the skin, and, withthe blanched lips and glazed eyeballs, gave to the corpse a hideousappearance.
Carlos, after gazing upon it for some moments, turned to his companionwith a look of intelligence; and, pointing to the shaved head, and thento the moccasins upon the Indian's feet, in a tone that expressed thesatisfaction he felt at the discovery, pronounced the word,--"Pane!"