by Mayne Reid
CHAPTER FIFTY TWO.
A FRIEND UNEXPECTED.
Straight across the cemetery goes Gaspar, with Shebotha in his arms, norstops he till back on the spot where the path leads down to the outerplain. Arriving there, he deposits his living burden upon the earth;not gently, but dumping her down with a rude violence, as though it werea bunch of faggots. Still he does not let her out of his armsaltogether; but with a threat, once more warning her to be silent,retains fast hold of her, till Cypriano has brought him a _lazo_ fromthe saddle of one of the horses near by. Looping this round the body ofthe sorceress, and taking a few turns of it about her arms and ankles,he spreads his poncho over her head, then knots the rope around herneck, and so muffles her beyond the chance of either hearing or makingherself heard. All this done, he again raises her from the ground, andcarrying her some distance back among the scaffolds, he binds her to acorner post of one with the end of the _lazo_ yet unused. His purposein thus disposing of her is not clear to his companions, both of whom hehas left in charge of the Indian girl; who, on her part, makes noattempt to escape. Instead, released from Ludwig's arms, she standssilently by his side, neither trembling nor showing sign of fear. Whyshould she, with those words of friendly assurance which have been oncemore whispered in her ear?
And now Gaspar getting back to where they stand, and speaking in theTovas tongue sufficiently well to be understood by her, says to Nacena--
"_Muchacha mia_! you see who we are, and know all three of us. We knowyou, Nacena--even to your tenderest secret; which has been revealed tous in the dialogue just held between yourself and Mam Shebotha. Everyword of that we've heard, with the lies she's been telling you. And letme tell you, that of all the wicked impostor's promises, there's but oneshe could have kept--that to rid you of her you deem a rival. And shecould only have done that by doing murder; which was what she meant byher sleeping draught."
The young girl shudders listening to what she knows is but the truth.
"'Twas good of you to reject the foul proposal," goes on the gaucho,"and indignantly, as we know you did. We saw and heard it all. Andnow, I have a proposal to offer, which you won't reject; I'm sure youwon't, Nacena."
She makes no rejoinder, but stands waiting to receive it.
"It is," he continues, "that you can still rid yourself of that rival,not by doing wrong, but right and justice. With your help we shall takeher away to a place where Aguara will never more set eyes upon her. Butas I've said, we stand in need of your assistance, and you must giveit."
"You will, you will!" interposes Cypriano, in tones of earnest appeal.
"Yes, dear Nacena," follows Ludwig, in tenderer tones; "I'm sure youwill. Remember, she is my sister, and that you yourself have abrother!"
Had they but known it, there was no need for all this petitioning. Evenwhile Gaspar was speaking, and long before he had finished, the Indiangirl, with the quick, subtle instinct of her race, divined what theywere aiming at--the very end she herself desires, and might haveproposed to them. The same instinct, however, prompts her to feignignorance of it, as evinced by her interrogative rejoinder:--
"How can Nacena assist you? In what way?"
"By helping us to get the paleface out of her prison." It is Gaspar whospeaks. "She is imprisoned, is she not?"
"She is."
"And where is she kept?" further questions the gaucho.
Cypriano trembles as he listens for the answer. He fears, halfexpecting it to be, "In the _toldo_ of the _cacique_."
It is a relief to him, when Nacena, pointing towards the dark objectbound to the scaffold-post, says: "She has charge of the palefacecaptive."
"_Bueno_!" ejaculates Gaspar with delight in his eyes, as in those ofCypriano. "Nothing could be better than that. And now that we haveShebotha here, no one will be guarding the prisoner--will there?"
"Alas, yes!" responds the Indian girl, her words with their tone tellingthat she has entered into the spirit of their enterprise.
"Who?" interrogates Gaspar. "What is he--if it be a man?"
"Yes, a man. A white man, like yourselves; one who has been long withour tribe--a captive taken many years ago from some of the countriessouth. He is Shebotha's own slave, and watches over the paleface whenshe is out of the _toldo_."
Again the gaucho ejaculates, "_Bueno_!" adding, in _sotto voce_, to histwo companions, "It seems better still; a bit of rare good luck; thatis, if this white man, whoever he be, isn't grown Indianised, as I'veknown some to be." Then to the girl. "Shebotha's slave, you say? Inthat case, he should be wanting to regain his liberty, and we may givehim the chance. If need be, we can take him along, too. Youunderstand, Nacena?"
"I do."
"Then you agree to assist us?"
"Say yes!" urges Cypriano.
"_My_ sister, Nacena!" adds Ludwig.
In response to their united appeals, she points to the sorceress,saying--
"Her vengeance is to be dreaded. If I do as you wish me, Shebotha--"
"Won't hurt a hair of your head," says Gaspar, interrupting. "Norcan't. She'll not be near enough to do you any injury. That worthywoman is on the eve of a long journey, to be made in our company, if youagree to assist us in getting the paleface away. You do agree to it,_amiga mia_?"
The girl fully comprehending, and relieved at the thought of the dreadedsorceress being taken out of the way, at length not only signifiesassent to their scheme, but embraces it with alacrity. Its success willbe to her advantage as theirs, ridding her of that rival feared, and itmay be, restoring to her the affections of him on whom she has fixed herown.
And now that confidence is established between her and her captors, shegives them a full account of how things stand in the _tolderia_, and theplace where the captive is confined. Having heard which, Gasparcounsels her how to act, as a last word, saying--
"Tell this white man, who has charge of the _nina_, he need no longer bea prisoner himself, nor Shebotha's slave. Say to him, that men of hisown race and colour are near, ready to rescue and take him back to hispeople, wherever they may be. Surely that will be enough to gain him toour side, and get his help also."
Nacena hesitates for a time; then answering, says--
"No, not enough, I fear."
"But why?"
"The white man is not in his senses. He has lost them long ago. Thelittle left him is given to Shebotha. He fears her, as all our peopledo; but he more than any. She has surely left him with commands to keepa close watch. He does not disobey her; and it may be impossible for meto speak with the paleface, much more get her away from him."
"_Caspita_!" exclaims Gaspar, his countenance again turning grave."There will be a difficulty there, I see it; if the man's crazed, as yousay he is, Nacena. You think he won't let you speak with the prisoner,unless you have permission from Shebotha?"
"He will not--I am sure he will not."
"In that case all may be idle, and our scheme go for nought. _PorDios_! what's to be done?"
Pressing his head between his hands, the gaucho stands considering,while the other three in silence await the result. His deliberation isnot for long; a bright idea has flashed across his brain, and with hiscountenance also recovering brightness, he exclaims--
"_Gracios a Dios_! I know how it can be managed; I think I know."
Ludwig and Cypriano have it on their tongues to inquire what he means.But before either can say a word, he is off and away in a rush towardthe scaffold-post to which Shebotha is tied.
Reaching it, he is seen with arms outstretched and in rapid play, asthough he were setting her free. Far from that, however, is hisintention. He but undoes the knot around her neck, and raising theponcho, clutches at something which encircles her throat. He hadnoticed this something while throttling her when first caught; it hadrattled between his fingers as the beads of a rosary, and he knew it tobe such, with a slight difference--the beads being human teeth! Aremembrance, moreover, admonishes him that this ghastly neckl
ace wasworn by the sorceress, not for adornment, but to inspire dread. It is,in fact, one of her weapons of weird mystery and power, and an idea hasoccurred to him that it may now be used as an instrument againstherself.
Having detached it from her neck, and replaced the poncho upon her head,he returns to where he had left the others, and holding out the stringof teeth, says to Nacena--
"Take this. Present it to the crazy paleface; tell him Shebotha sent itas a token authorising you to act for her; and, if he be not altogetherout of his wits, I warrant it'll get you admission to the presence ofthe paleface. For anything beyond, you will best know how to act ofyourself."
The girl grasps the hideous symbol, a gleam of intelligence lighting upher swarth but beautiful face. For she, too, anticipates the effect itwill have on Shebotha's slave, from actual knowledge--not by guessing,as with Gaspar.
Knowing herself now at liberty and free to depart, without sayinganother word, she turns her back upon them; and gliding away with theagile, stealthy step peculiar to her race, soon passes beyond theirsight.
They stand looking after her, till her dark figure disappears amid theshadows of the scaffolds. But they have no doubt of her fidelity--nofear that she will fail to do what she can for the fulfilment of herpromise. The keeping it is secured by her own interested motives: forthe passion impelling her to act on their behalf, though purely selfish,can be trusted as truth itself.