CHAPTER VII.
A COUNTERMINE.
As Trangoil-Lanec had predicted, Louis recovered from the effects ofhis wounds with surprising rapidity. Whether it was owing to his ardentdesire to commence his researches, or to the goodness of his condition,we will not say; but on the eve of the day fixed for the departurehe was quite on the alert, and told Don Tadeo he was ready to startwhenever he pleased.
He was the more anxious to depart in that Valentine, his dog Caesar,and Trangoil-Lanec had been absent three days, and no tidings hadbeen received. Curumilla had not come back. All these circumstancesaugmented in an enormous degree the impatience of the count; whilst, onhis part, Don Tadeo was not much more easy. The poor father shudderedat the idea of the suffering to which his child was exposed.
And yet there was mingled an undefinable joy at thinking of thetortures he should inflict, in his turn, upon Dona Maria, whenrevealing to her that the person she had taken so much delight inmartyrizing was her own daughter. Don Tadeo, a man of elevated mind,endeavoured to shake off this unworthy thought, but it persisted inrecurring with tenacity.
Don Gregorio, in whose hands Don Tadeo had placed his power andauthority, urged on by Louis, hastened the preparations for thedeparture on the morrow. At about eight o'clock in the evening. DonGregorio, after giving certain instructions in one of the privateapartments of the cabildo to General Cornejo and the senator Sandias,who were to conduct Don Pancho to Santiago, had dismissed them, andwas conversing with Don Tadeo, when the door was thrown open, and aman entered. On seeing him, they uttered a general cry of joy andastonishment. It was Curumilla!
"At last!" Louis and Don Tadeo exclaimed.
"I am here!" the Ulmen replied, sorrowfully.
As the poor Indian seemed quite exhausted with fatigue and want offood, they made him sit down. In spite of all his Indian stoicism,Curumilla literally seized the food as soon as it appeared, anddevoured it greedily.
As soon as the keenness of his appetite was a little abated, Curumillarelated the full details of all that had happened since his departurefrom the camp, the manner in which he had delivered the young lady,and how, an hour after, she had been recaptured by her enemies. Whenhe quitted Dona Rosario the brave Indian had only kept at a sufficientdistance from her to avoid being himself taken by her ravishers.
Don Tadeo and the count warmly thanked him.
"I have done nothing yet," he said, "since all must be begun again; andnow," he added, "it will be more difficult, for they will be on theirguard."
"Tomorrow," Don Tadeo replied, warmly, "we will set out all together onthe track."
"Yes," the chief said, "I am aware you are to depart tomorrow."
The three men looked at each other with astonishment; they could notunderstand how the news of their movements should be known.
"There are no secrets for Aucas, when they wish to know them," thechief said with a smile.
"It is impossible!" Don Gregorio exclaimed angrily.
"Let my brother listen," the chief replied quietly. "Tomorrow, atsunrise, a detachment of a thousand white soldiers will leave Valdiviato conduct the prisoner Bustamente to Santiago. Is it not so?"
"Yes," Don Gregorio replied, "I must admit that what you say iscorrect."
"Well," said the Ulmen smiling, "I cannot deny that the man who gave methese details had no suspicion that I overheard him."
"Explain yourself, chief, I implore you!" Don Tadeo cried; "we are uponburning coals."
"I have told you that I followed Antinahuel's party; I must add thatoccasionally I got before them. The day before yesterday, at sunrise,the Black Stag, who was left with Antinahuel's warriors during hisabsence, was on the prairie of the treaties, and as soon as he saw hischief, galloped to meet him. As I had no doubt that these two men,during their conference, would allow some words to escape that mightafterwards be of service to me, I drew as close to them as possible,and that is the way they placed me in possession of their projects."
"Of their projects?" Don Gregorio asked, "are they mad enough, then, tothink of attacking us?"
"The pale woman has made Antinahuel swear to deliver her friend, who isa prisoner."
"Well! and what then?"
"Antinahuel will deliver him."
"Ay, ay!" said Don Gregorio, "but that project is more easily formedthan executed, chief."
"The soldiers are obliged to traverse the Canyon del Rio Seco."
"No doubt they are."
"It is there that Antinahuel will attack the palefaces with hismosotones."
"Sangre de Cristo!" Don Gregorio exclaimed, "What is to be done?"
"The escort will be defeated," Don Tadeo observed.
Curumilla remained silent.
"Perhaps not!" said the count: "I know the chief; he is not the man tocause his friends embarrassment without having the means of showingthem how to avoid the peril he reveals to them."
"Unfortunately," Don Tadeo replied, "there exists no other passage butthat cursed defile; it must absolutely be cleared, and five hundredresolute men might not there only hold a whole army in check, but cutit to pieces."
"That may be all very true," the young man replied persistently; "butI repeat what I have said--the chief is a skilful warrior, his mind isfertile in resources."
Curumilla smiled and nodded.
"I was sure of it!" Louis cried. "Now then, chief, speak out! Do younot know a means of enabling us to avoid this dangerous passage?"
"I will not certify that," the Ulmen replied; "but if my brothers thepalefaces will consent to allow me to act, I will undertake to foil theplans of Antinahuel and his companions."
"Speak! speak, chief!" the count exclaimed, vehemently; "explain to usthe plan you have formed; these caballeros rely entirely upon you."
"Yes," Don Tadeo replied, "we are listening to you anxiously, chief."
"But," Curumilla resumed, "my brothers must act with caution. I requireto be left absolute master."
"You have my word, Ulmen," said Don Gregorio; "we will only act as youcommand us."
"Good!" said the chief; "let my brothers listen."
And without more delay he detailed to them the plan he had formed, andwhich, as might be expected, obtained the general assent. Don Tadeo andthe count entered enthusiastically into it, promising themselves thehappiest results. By the time the last measures were agreed to and allwas arranged the night was far advanced, and the four speakers stood inneed of some repose. Curumilla in particular, having slept but littlefor several days, was literally sinking with fatigue. Louis aloneappeared to require no repair for his strength. But prudence demandedthat a few hours should be given to sleep, and, in spite of the countsremonstrances, they separated.
The young man, forced to submit to the reasons of the experienced menwho surrounded him, retired with a very bad grace, promising himself_in petto_ not to let his friends forget the hour fixed upon for theirdeparture.
Louis felt it was impossible to follow their example, and impatienceand love--those two tyrants of youth--heated his brain, he ascendedto the roof of the palace, and with his eyes fixed upon the loftymountains, whose dark shadows were thrown across the horizon, he gaveall his thoughts to the fair Rosario.
Louis, abandoning himself to delightful thoughts, thus dreamed throughthe night, and did not think of descending till the stars successivelydisappeared in the depths of the heavens, and a pale whiteness began totinge the horizon. In that climate this announced the speedy approachof day.
The Pearl of the Andes: A Tale of Love and Adventure Page 7