long detours toget round a lake or the spur of a mountain, although the lower hills westill continued to face and cross.
Sport, and plenty of it, still fell to our lot, though the gun andrevolver and spear came in now more handy than the bolas and lasso.
Even here, however, in the midst of the wildest mountain and sylvanscenery, there were vast stretches of level valleys and plateaus betweenthe hills. Most of these were the feeding-grounds for vast herds ofguanacos and of wild horses.
Our camping grounds of a night were now generally in some grass-coveredglade, and it was indeed a pleasure to fall asleep in our toldo with thesound of the wind whispering through the trees like the murmur of waveson a sandy beach.
There were many night sounds now, however, besides the whispering of thetrees, and some of these, to say the least, were not over-pleasant tolisten to. If, for instance, we were anywhere near to rocky ground,there was the mournful and weird yelling of wild cats. These weremingled at times with the "Yap-yap-yeow--ow" of the Patagonian fox.There were also many strange cries and sounds which we could not accountfor, so we were fain to put them all down to the birds.
It was not safe to enter the forests by night; sometimes even in daytimethere was danger enough. I remember I went to bathe one day by myselfin a bright clear pool formed by a mountain torrent. The water wasdelightfully cool, so I stopped for a full hour enjoying myself.
After lounging a little by the river's bank, dressing leisurely andfalling into a kind of day-dream, I prepared to return. No one knewwhere I was, and if I were missed, both Jill and Peter would be anxious.I commenced to retrace my steps up a little pathway through anentanglement of bush and thorn, but had only advanced a short way whenfrom the scrub in front I heard a low growl, emitted evidently by apuma, and he could not be many yards away. To fly was to court pursuit,and that meant death, for I had no arms of any kind. I shaded my eyeswith my hand, and looked cautiously under the bush. Yes, yonder was apair of huge green fiend-like eyes glaring at me, watching me as a catwatches a mouse.
I drew cautiously back, glad to get away with my life, and re-crossedthe stream. But here I was on another horn of the dilemma, for the onlyother way back to the camp would take me fully three miles about, withthe probability, too, that I might lose myself and wander about allnight long. No, this would not do; I must scare that puma. The littlepathway, it just then occurred to me, must have been made by wildbeasts--perhaps pumas.
"Whatever man dares, he can do," I said to myself, as I gathered anarmful of big round stones. Then I advanced once more towards thepuma's bush, and shouting, threw a stone I was answered by a snap and agrowling roar. Another stone: result the same, only the snap morevicious and the growl more angry. I was in for it now, so I threw thethird stone with all the force I could command, giving vent at the sametime a yell that would have startled a Chak-Chak Indian.
This had an effect that I had hardly bargained for. I had counted uponthe denizen of that incense bush going off in any direction rather thanmine. Not so. With a spitting coughing roar, that went through mynerves like a shock from a powerful battery, the brute sprang outtowards me. But a merciful Providence was surely protecting me, for atthe very moment the huge extended talons were nearly in my neck, anotherand larger puma bounded from the bush, striking the first and sending itrolling down the little pathway. Then over and over they rolled liketwo huge overgrown kittens, until they finally disappeared. Indeed itis evident enough the two beasts had been all the time romping together,and that even my presence did not suffice to interfere with their senseof fun.
Peter laughed heartily when I told him of the occurrence; but Jill didnot. He even scolded me. What right had I to go away into the bushwithout him? he inquired, and hoped it would be a warning to me.
Poor innocent Jill!
The Indians, and even Jeeka, were rather afraid of the wood in whichthis adventure had taken place. It was haunted.
Strange, I thought, that so many woods were haunted.
Yet one cannot wonder at these poor people being superstitious,wandering so much as they do in this wild lone land, seeing so manysights and hearing so many strange sounds for which they cannot account.
CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR.
A JOURNEY TO THE COUNTRY OF THE GUALICHU--THE EARTHQUAKE--A WONDROUSSIGHT--"I WILL PRAY TO THE GREAT GOOD SPIRIT."
"I feel unusually fresh this morning," said Peter one day as we allsquatted down to breakfast.
"Considering," he added, "the roughish time we had yesterday, I'm alittle astonished at my recuperative powers."
"What ship did you say?" said Ritchie.
"Recuperative powers, Edward. That's the ship. And I didn't know I hadany. Why, when I turned in last night I said to Jack there, `Jack,'says I, `I'm feeling ninety years of age.' But this morning I can holdmy age like a young hawk."
"And the bumps, Peter?" I said.
"Gone down beautifully, Jack. Hardly a bump visible to-day. Just ablueness on some of the bone ends. Greenie, I'll trouble you foranother slice of that ostrich gizzard."
"Well," said Castizo, "I'm glad to see you all looking so bright andjolly. `Jolly' is English, is it not?"
"Oh, thorough English!"
"Because, my boys all, I want to make a _detour_ to-day, and pay a visitto an old friend of mine, Kaiso to name--King Kaiso in full. Kaisomeans big, and big he is."
"A giant."
"A giant among giants, for he has surrounded himself with the biggestfellows he could find anywhere. He's a funny fellow himself. He hasbeen far travelled too: been to Chili and Monte Video, where he went asa show on the boards of a small theatre or concert place. As soon as hemade money, however, he bought all the pretty and useful things he couldfind, and so retired to the fastnesses of his mountains. His troops area strange band, of northern and southern Indians. The wonder to me ishow he manages to keep peace among them. He keeps a private witch,however, a tame puma, and a medicine man."
"I don't mind the witch much," said Peter, "they are usually prettytame; but the puma, _mon ami_, is it tame? Has he a dog licence? Doeshe keep it chained up?"
"Oh, no, but it is very affectionate. Don't let it lick your hand, thatis all, for its tongue is exceedingly rough, and if it tastes blood, itis like King Kaiso with rum, it wants more. Jill, my plate is empty."
"And does this King Kaiso," said Ritchie, "live far from here."
"Yes, several days' hard ride."
Peter groaned.
"But we'll have a good rest when we get there. Then a few days morewill take us home."
Peter smiled now, and passed his plate to Jill again.
"Last time, and the only time in fact," continued our cacique, "that Ivisited Kaiso, he condemned me to death. But this was at night, andKaiso had some rum. He told me he would himself do me the honour to cutmy head off with one of his very best swords. I thanked him, of course,and appeared quite pleased about it. But lo! in the morning he hadforgotten all about it. We were half-way through breakfast when hesaid, `Oh, by de way, I was goin' to lop your head off dis mornin'. ButI too tire. I much too tire. Some oder day p'r'aps.' I assured himnot to trouble about the matter; that I could afford to wait, and wouldwait to oblige him."
"And there was no more about it?"
"Never a word. He had finished all the rum, you see. But Kaiso livesin a strange land. His home is in the country of the Gualichu."
"Gualichu! That's the evil spirit, isn't it?"
"Yes, Jill. But the only evil spirit I ever saw there had been importedfrom Jamaica."
"Rum?"
"Rum, yes, that's the real Gualichu. Well, Jack, you have goodinfluence with Jeeka; go and tell him where we mean going. He willdemur; I had the greatest difficulty in getting him to go last time, andhe said he never would return."
So as soon as breakfast was finished I paid a visit to Jeeka's toldo.He was waiting while his people, harnessed up and were ready for theroad.
"Jeeka," I said, coming t
o the point at once, "we are going to visitKing Kaiso!"
Jeeka's face assumed an aspect of almost terror.
"What!" he said. "Go to Kaiso. Kaiso bad man. Kaiso all same'sGualichu. He live in Gualichu land. Hum-m-m. I will not go. Kaisokill us all. Hum-m. He have snake to hiss and bite. He have puma toroar and tear. He keep Gualichu man and Gualichu karken. He have fireall round de forest. But the forest itself not burn!"
I sat with Jeeka and Nadi a whole hour, and it needed all my powers ofpersuasion to make them consent to lead the way to the Gualichu land.
They did so at last, however, and long before the sun was high in thenorth we were well on our road.
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It would take the greater part of a goodly volume, to give anything likea correct description and history of our journey to the land of theGualichu. We had hills to climb, mountain torrents to wade, long drearyplains to cross that seemed never-ending, and deep jungle-like foreststo penetrate through. Sometimes these last were as dark as gloamingeven under the midday sun. In their gloomy thickets we could hear thevoices of angry pumas, and we saw and shot some of these of immensesize.
We saw one immense snake of the boa description, and we also saw some_deer_.
Castizo marvelled much at this.
"I did not know," he said, "there were deer so far south."
"Strayed out of some gentleman's park," said Peter, quizzingly.
"And as for boas, if that _was_ a boa, how on earth did it come there!"continued Castizo.
"Oh, I know," said Peter.
"Do you?" said Ritchie; "tell us."
"Why it has escaped from Wombell's Menagerie, of course."
The idea of gentleman's parks or Wombell's Menagerie being in thiswilderness was ridiculous enough; but Peter was in one of his funnymoods.
We did not stop anywhere for sport, only when any wild creature crossedour hawse, as Ritchie phrased it, we brought it down for sake of itsflesh or skin.
Hawks and vultures we found very numerous in these regions, and manystrange animals we had never seen before, some of the ant-eatingfraternity, others like ermines, but brilliantly coloured, and othersagain that seemed partly rat and partly nondescript. There were ottersin the mountain streams, and fish in such marvellous abundance that, inone hour, Jill and I caught nearly one hundred and fifty.
(This would, indeed, be a land of pleasure for the sportsman. And yetonly a month ago, I heard a member of a West-End club assure a friendthat sport was played out. He had been everywhere, he said, and shoteverything, and there really wasn't anything left worth pointing a gunat.)
One dark night, while encamped near the borders of a deep, dark wood, wewere all awakened by a strange feeling of qualmishness.
"I dreamt," said Jill, "I was at sea for the first time again."
"Something we've all eaten," said Peter, "that hasn't agreed with us,though I had nothing for supper except about a pound of that puma steak,and a few handfuls of ba-ba roots."
"Hark! Listen."
"Hark! Listen," from Jill and me.
There was a noise in the distance as of heavy waggons rolling over ametal road, then the earth trembled and shook with a strange heavingmotion as if water were rushing beneath the surface. The same feelingof qualmishness shot over us, and we all pressed our hands to our heads.
It was an earthquake.
The vibration had no sooner ceased than we heard Castizo's voice callingto us.
"_Come_ out, boys, and you'll see something."
We hurried on our clothes. I felt more nervous and frightened than everI had done in my life before. So were Jill and Peter.
"I hope," said the latter, "the earth won't open and swallow us up.Fancy being buried alive!"
"It would soon be all over, Peter," said Jill.
Castizo, Lawlor and Ritchie were already out in the open and gazingwestward. A fitful, changeful light was on their faces, such as I hadnever seen before. Sometimes it was a rosy glimmer, then it wouldchange to pale yellow or blue.
The light came from the western horizon, and the appearance there wassimply appalling. A great cone-shaped hill was vomiting forth columnsof smoke alternating with fierce and terrible flames. In the midst ofthe fire we saw innumerable dark bodies which were undoubtedly rocks.
The night was very dark, so that the eruption was more fearful than itwould otherwise have been.
All the Indians were out; most of them lying on their faces, and, Ithought, praying.
I went to Jeeka, who sat beside his wife on the grass. Nadi was weepingand moaning.
"Jeeka," I said, "do not pray to the Gualichu. Pray to Him who madeeverything, and who loves us--the Great Good Spirit."
"Did He make that fiery hill?"
"He made and governs everything."
"Does He govern the Gualichu?"
"He governs every one on earth, and all things on and under the earth."
"I will pray to the Great Good Spirit."
Towards morning the eruption died away as quickly as it had begun. Thenwe retired, and slept well and soundly for several hours.
But next day there was something very like mutiny in our camp. TheIndians now refused point blank to go farther with us into the land ofthe Gualichu.
Jeeka would have braved everything to oblige us, but cacique though hewas, he could not go entirely against the wishes of his people.
So it was determined to leave them here in camp till we returned. Itwas but one day's journey now to King Kaiso's country, and Jeeka gave usa solemn pledge that he would not let his people desert. He would shootthem first, he said.
Then we white men saddled our horses, the Indians loaded our pack mares,and off we started all alone to see the terrible king, who kept petpumas and snakes, tame witches and medicine men.
CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE.
KING KAISO'S LAND--A REGIMENT OF GIANTS--KAISO'S WITCH--CONDEMNED TODEATH.
Our first intimation we received that we were close on King Kaiso'scountry, we had this same evening from a lot of dogs that were rangingthrough the wood we were in. A wood, singular to say, with hardly anyundergrowth, but bedded feet deep with the fallen leaves and nut husksthat had fallen in previous years.
The dogs yelped and ran. Presently we came upon a bevy of children whomour sudden appearance seemed to scare out of their senses. I shallnever forget their looks of terror, nor the speed with which they fledscreaming and howling out of the woods.
Soon we heard drums beating and a trumpet braying. "Braying" is exactlythe right word in the right place, but, a donkey with a bad attack ofwhooping cough would have brayed far more musically.
Nevertheless, that trumpet was a call to arms. And we were no soonerclear of the trees than we saw a troop of fully fifty spear-armedwarriors riding boldly towards us, from a gipsy-like encampment in thecentre of a plain.
This was the flower of King Kaiso's army. And yonder was the kinghimself at the head of them.
We halted, and as they came rushing on towards us, I thought I had neverseen finer men in my life. Not one of them could have been less thansix feet high in his potro boots, while the muscles of their arms andnaked chests were wondrous to behold. They were naked to the waist, andtheir black hair, adorned with ostrich feathers, floated over theirbrawny shoulders.
The king was a giant, pure and simple. A very Saul among his soldiers,towering a good head and shoulders over the biggest among them.
We had halted, and when within about fifty yards of us, at a word ofcommand from Kaiso, the troop suddenly drew rein, and stood likestatues, looking most delightfully picturesque.
Castizo waved a white handkerchief. That was all. But the effect waswonderful.
Without saying a word, Kaiso pointed back towards the encampment. Roundwent each horse and away went the troop thundering over the plain, andin a few minutes had entirely disappeared.
Then, and not till then, did Kaiso advan
ce. His greeting was mostcordial. No, there was no sham. It really was sincere. There wereactually tears in the giant's eyes.
After asking Castizo fifty questions at least, he turned to us and shookus cordially by the hand, calling us "brothers," and bidding us welcometo the country of the Kaisos.
Chatting and laughing pleasantly now he led us towards the toldos,telling us all that he meant to do to entertain us, and what we shouldhave to eat. The _menu_, I remember, included horse, puma, guanaco,skunk, armadillo, eggs, fish of every sort, and _yerba mate_. It wasevident he did not mean to starve us.
Kaiso was a fine bold-looking man. Although a giant, there was nothingrepulsive about him. His frame was everywhere well knit, and when hebent his naked arm, his biceps stuck out like Donald Dinnie's--and thisis paying the king a very high compliment indeed.
Jill and I dismounted.
Peter was more cautious.
"I say, your majesty," said Peter, "how's your puma? I hope it islively. I'm extremely fond of pumas."
Kaiso did not reply verbally; he put two fingers of his right hand intohis mouth and the puma came in a series of bounds from the wood not faroff, and, arching his back, rubbed himself against his master's leg.
Then the beast marched up to Castizo and went through the sameperformance. He evidently knew our cacique. He smelt Jill's legs andmine, but made no sign of friendliness.
"Delightful creature!" said Peter from his saddle. "Tame, I suppose?Looks like a huge cat. Pussy, pussy, pussy."
"Tame," said the king. "So, see what I do now."
What he did do was rather startling, and at the same time proved thestrength of this Herculean king.
"Gollie! Gollie! Gollie!" he cried, and Gollie followed him for somedistance. Then, after stroking him, he seized the huge animal by thetail, and, turning on a pivot himself, he whirled the puma off theground and round and round in a circle for fully a minute. When he letgo the beast lay in a heap, dead to all appearance.
"Dead!" said Peter, dismounting. "Well, Kaiso, old chap, you needn'thave killed him. I'm so sorry I sha'n't be able to have any fun withhim. Poor Gollie!"
"Gollie not dead," cried the king, laughing. "Gollie drunk. Dat isall. Byme-by he come sober, and den you hab fun plenty."
Peter's face fell.
"I'm sorry I spoke," he said.
"Peter," I said, "you're a humbug."
Meanwhile Kaiso's wives had made us _mate_, and we all squatted down todrink it. It was extremely refreshing, and as the puma presently got upand slunk away to the woods, even Peter grew happy once more.
King Kaiso was as good as his word. He was hospitality personified. Heseemed not to know how kind to be to us, and during the five days wesojourned with him the village was _en gala_, given up to games andfestivities.
It was a strange country this, in which King Kaiso lived, close to theborders of a region of volcanoes, the fires of which we could see everynight. But there was trace of volcanic action in the immediatevicinity. If ever there was a true oasis in the desert, this was one,and I could not help believing, with Castizo, that there were firesright beneath us, and that it was the heat from these which caused theluxuriant growth of tree and shrub and waving grass. The woods were, insome places, quite a sight to see, for not only did lovely ferns and themost charming of wild flowers grow everywhere, but even floweringcreepers and climbers. Some of the latter were of the wistariadescription, but in clusters of the deepest crimson, with a sweetness ofodour that permeated the air in every direction.
Kaiso lived here in tents all summer, but his warriors and people wenton frequent far-off hunting expeditions, and even visited Santa Cruz,bringing back many of the luxuries of civilisation.
Kaiso was never attacked. The Patagonian Indians are far toosuperstitious to venture anywhere near the Gualichu land. So Kaiso andhis people, who numbered in all about three hundred souls, lived inpeace. The king told us there was no Gualichu; his medicine man haddriven him away, with the assistance of his witch.
We were introduced to this medicine man. He had a string of strangecharms hanging round his neck, the fangs of wild beasts, curiouscoloured stones, and other trifles; and he carried attached to his speara bunch of herbs. Otherwise there was nothing remarkable about him.
The witch we also saw. Instead of the old hag we imagined she would be,we were agreeably surprised to find a young girl of very prepossessingappearance, who smiled pleasantly on us, shook hands and made signs.She was deaf and dumb.
The bad spirit, the medicine man told us, had stolen her ears andtongue, but had given her much wisdom instead.
During the winter months Kaiso and his wives lived in caves.
We visited these caves, and found to our astonishment that they werecompletely lined with skins; all the walls, all the roofs, and all thefloors were skin. The value of these skins must have been very great.Thousands of pounds would not purchase them in Europe.
Some of Kaiso's customs were ridiculous enough. One was this: heinsisted upon his wives having a Banian day, as we call it at sea, oncea week. He not only insisted, but made sure of it; for the night beforehe clapped them all together in one of these hairy caves, and placedarmed sentries before the door, and neither food nor drink was allowedto cross the threshold till they had fasted four and twenty hours.
"They get too fat," Kaiso explained. "Suppose I not do that. Fat wifetoo slow. No good. No."
Every day of our sojourn in the country of the Gualichu brought some newpleasure. As far as I can remember, the programme was somewhat asfollows:--
_First day_. A grand hunt and battue in the forest, in which all handsengaged, even to the women and children. We killed many pumas, foxes asbig as wolves, and other beasts and birds innumerable.
_Second day_. A great fishing expedition, with a feast of fish in theevening. We were more than astonished to-day to see little boys andgirls leap from cliffs over a hundred feet high into deep pools in theriver beneath. They also allowed themselves to be carried over awaterfall, and when we white folks thought we should never again beholdthem, lo! they bobbed up like seals close to our feet, smiling, andthinking it the best fun in the world.
_Third day_. A kind of circus. Marvellous display of horsemanship byKaiso's people. We tried to persuade Peter to display his prowess, buthe begged to be excused owing to the bumps. Dance in the evening.
_Fourth day_. The marriage of a subordinate chief. This marriage wasmade on purpose to gratify us, for the chief had no particular desire toenter the holy bonds. Kaiso's word was law, however. There was a grandprocession to bring the bride home, and a wild ride all round the plain,with much clapping of hands, singing, and shouting.
_Fifth day_. This was our last, and I shall never forget it. It was tobe devoted to harmless dancing and other frolics. But unfortunatelysome of Kaiso's men who had been away at Santa Cruz arrived in theforenoon, bringing with them a large keg of rum.
"Now," said Castizo to us, "the Gualichu has come in earnest."
I am sorry to say that the rejoicing among the male portion of KingKaiso's little community was universal, as soon as that keg offire-water was broached. Even old quiet men, of whom there were severalin camp, smacked their lips and grew garrulous in their glee.
To do him justice, Kaiso shared the poison liberally among his braves.After which, dancing and the wildest revelry became the order of theday. Everything, however, passed off pleasantly enough till nearsunset, when some disagreement between two of the warriors was to befought out with knives upon the spot. In this they were disappointed,however, for the women had taken the precaution to hide all warlikeweapons. The warriors, however, were not to be entirely baulked intheir designs. They commenced therefore to fight literally with teethand nails, like wild beasts. The desire to tear each other spreadthrough the camp like wild-fire. Donnybrook Fair was never anything tothe scene we now witnessed.
We white folks stood aloof and simply looked on. It is dreadf
ul to haveto say that several men were killed with stones in this inhuman battle.
In the midst of it all up strode the giant Kaiso, with the keg of rum inhis arms, and peace was immediately restored, and more rum distributed.The men who fought now commenced to sing and to hug each other, and voweternal friendship; but in the midst of their ill-timed merriment it washeartrending to hear the wail of the women and children over deadhusbands and fathers.
Kaiso had gradually changed during the afternoon from a fool to a ravingmaniac, rushing around with a bludgeon, felling his men and smashing thetents. He relapsed into idiocy again, but it was of a mischievous andfiendish kind.
Castizo tried to get him to eat. He would not; but he would drink_mate_ mixed with rum. So our good cacique humoured him, hoping hewould soon fall asleep.
Not so soon, however. He called his chiefs together, and waving an armwildly in our direction, said briefly and fiercely,--
"Wirriow walloo! Eemook noosh. Lasso!"
His chiefs grinned and retired. But Castizo began to sing; but we couldsee it was but a ruse. Kaiso joined in with his deep bass voice, whichwas more like a lion's roar than anything human. It was a song with achorus, and a rattling one too, and this we all sang. We certainly werenot very like men who were condemned to be strangled with the lassoearly in the morning, but such had, indeed, been Kaiso's command.
"More rum!" Kaiso would have it. But it told even on the brain of thisgiant before long, and he toppled back where he sat, and fell into adeep sleep.
What a sigh of relief Peter gave!
I was expecting that pet puma in every minute.
"D'ye think he'll waken?"
"Oh no, he won't wake to-night," said Castizo.
"We're going to be all hanged in the morning, aren't we?" said Ritchie.
"Yes, that's the order."
"Well, if I had my way, I'd--"
"What?"
"Scupper the lot. Begin with Kaiso."
"No, no, my friend; Kaiso is not a bad fellow when sober. I know abetter plan than that Come with me. Lawlor, you're a big fellow, carrythe keg."
Off we marched to the large toldo, where all who were awake of Kaiso'swarriors were still talking and shouting.
Seeing what we carried, they welcomed us with a shout and a yell.
Castizo was most liberal in his
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