by Mayne Reid
CHAPTER FIFTY NINE.
FRIENDS OR FOES?
The solitary _estancia_ which for two years had been the happy home ofLudwig Halberger and his family, but late the abode of deepest sorrow,is once more revisited by a gleam of joy. For the rescuing party hasreturned to it, bringing Francesca back safe and still unharmed. In thetumult of gratified emotions at recovering her lost child,--or ratherchildren, for she had begun to think them all for ever gone from her--the widow almost forgets that she is widowed.
Only for a brief moment, however. The other great bereavement has beentoo recent to remain long out of her thoughts, and soon returns to themin its full afflicting bitterness.
But she has no time to dwell upon it now. The tale of actual experiencewhich the rescuers have brought back, with Caspar's surmises added, hasgiven her a full and clear comprehension of everything; not onlyexplaining the tragic event already past, but foreshadowing other andfurther dangers yet to come, and which may, at any moment, descend uponherself and the dear ones still left to her.
She has no longer any doubts as to the hand that has dealt her such aterrible blow; neither of the man who actually committed the murder, norof him who instigated it. For Francesca's recognition of Valdez hasconfirmed all the gaucho's conjectures.
And the Dictator of Paraguay is not the man to leave unfinished eitherhis cruel deeds or designs. Surely will he further prosecute them,either by hastening himself to the _estancia_, or sending thither hismyrmidons. Yes, at any hour, any minute, a party of these may appearapproaching it from the east, while in like short time the pursuingTovas, headed by their enraged _cacique_, may show themselves comingfrom the west.
No wonder that the moments of mutual congratulation between the SenoraHalberger and those just returned to her are brief, and but littlejoyful. The fugitives have reached home, but not to find it a refuge.For them it is no more a place of safety; instead, the most perilous inwhich they could now or ever after sojourn. But where are they to go--whither further flee? In all the Chaco there is not a spot that canshelter them from such pursuers as they are expecting!
It is now near noon of the fourth day since they left the Sacred Town ofthe Tovas, and in the interval they had been riding hard and fast, dayand night, scarce allowing themselves either sleep or rest. But, fastas they have travelled, they know that Aguara, with his braves, will notbe far behind; and although less than an hour has elapsed since theirarrival at the _estancia_, Gaspar has already made preparations fortheir departure from it. Assisted by the faithful Guano Indians, who ofcourse are to accompany them in their flight, he has caught up andcaparisoned fresh horses, with the mules belonging to the establishment.Still the question remains unanswered--Whither are they to go?Throughout all the vicissitudes of his eventful life, never had thegaucho one so perplexing him, or fraught with such fears.
In the hope of finding an answer, and the better to reflect upon it, hehas drawn a little apart from the house, with the hurry and bustle goingon around it. A slight eminence, not far off in front, gives acommanding view of the _campo_; and, taking stand upon its top, he firstcasts a sweeping glance around the horizon, then fixes it only in onedirection--that southwards, towards the old _tolderia_. For, althoughexpecting enemies both from east and west, he knows that, coming fromeither side, they will most likely approach by the Pilcomayo's bank; theformer by the trail leading up the river, the latter by the same goingdown. It is not the first time for him to be standing on that elevatedspot. Every ten minutes since their return to the _estancia_, he hasbeen upon it, gazing out in the same way, and for the self-same purpose.Still, as yet, he observes nothing to add to his apprehensions, alreadykeen enough. No living thing--much less human being--stirs over thewide expanse of green grassy plain. For it is near the meridian hour,and the tropical sun, pouring its fervid rays vertically down, hasforced both birds and quadrupeds inside the cooler shadow of theircoverts. Only two of the former are seen--a brace of _urubus_, or "kingvultures," soaring in circles aloft--beautiful birds, but lessemblematic of life than death. A bad omen he might deem their presence;and worse, if he but saw what they see. For, from their more elevatedposition, they command a view of the plain to a much greater distance,and see mounted men upon it; not a single party, but three distinctgroups of them, leagues distant from each other, though all round forthe _estancia_. They are approaching it by separate routes, and fromdifferent quarters of the compass; one party coming up the Pilcomayo'sbank, and making straight for the old _tolderia_, a second movingtowards the same place on the down-river trail; while the third, awayfrom the river, and out upon the open plain, is heading more direct forthe _estancia_ itself. The first cohort, which is the smallest, iscomposed of some forty or fifty horsemen, riding "by twos;" theirregular formation on the march, but more the uniformity in their dress,arms, and accoutrements, telling them to be soldiers. For such theyreally are--the _cuarteleros_ of Paraguay, with Rufino Valdez riding attheir head; not as their commanding officer, but in the exercise of hismore proper and special calling of _vaqueano_, or guide. Ghastly andpallid, with his arm supported in a sling, he is on the way back toHalberger's _estancia_, to complete the ruffian's task assigned to himby the Dictator of Paraguay, and make more desolate the home he hadalready enough ruined. But for his mischance in the _biscachera_, therescuers would have found it empty on their return, and instead of alost daughter, it would have been the mother missing.
The second band of horsemen, coming from the opposite quarter and downthe river, is no other than the pursuing party of Tovas, with Aguara attheir head. They are mostly young men, the _cacique's_ particularfriends and partisans, nearly a hundred in number, all armed with_bolas_ and long spears. Hastily summoned together, they had started inpursuit soon as they could catch up their horses; but with all theirspeed the rescuing party had so far kept ahead, as to have arrived atthe _estancia_ some time before them. But they are pressing on for itnow, fast as their horses can carry them, urged forward by their leader,who, in his rage, is not only determined to retake the escaped captive,but kill cousin, brother, all who aided in her escape.
The third party, also approaching from the west, but by a route leadingdirect to the house, with the river far southward on their right, is, asthe second, composed entirely of Tovas Indians. But, instead of thembeing the youths of the tribe, they are, for the most part, men ofmature age, though a young man is at their head, and acting as theircommander. There is a girl riding by his side, a beautiful girl, at aglance recognisable as Nacena--he himself being her brother, Kaolin.
They and their party are also pursuing. Though not to retake, thepaleface captive; instead, to protect her--the object of their pursuitbeing Aguara himself. For soon as the latter had started off on hisreckless chase--braving public opinion, and defying the opposition ofthe elders--a revolution had arisen in the tribe; while a councilmeeting, hastily called in the _malocca_, had, with almost unanimousvote, deposed him from the chieftainship, and chosen Kaolin _cacique_ inhis stead. Needless to say, that to all this Nacena was a consentingparty. And something more--since she gave the cue to her brother, whowas chief instigator in the revolt. That blow which laid her along theearth, with the cause for which it was given, had severed the last linkof love that bound her to Aguara, and for him her heart is now full ofhate and burning with vengeance. While pressing on in pursuit of hisescaped captive, little dreams the deposed _cacique_ of the Tovas,either that he has been deposed of his chieftainship or that others arepursuing him.
But his pursuers are not now behind him; instead, in front, or, at allevents, nearer to the _estancia_ than he. For Kaolin's followers,availing themselves of a route known to one of their number--a shortercut across the _pampas_--have passed the party led by Aguara, and willbe the first to arrive at the objective point aimed at by both.
And they are first sighted by Gaspar, though the gaucho has not beenlooking in their direction, little expectant of pursuers to come fromthat quarter. The _urubus_ have gu
ided him, or rather their shadowsgliding over the grassy sward; these, as the birds making them, havingsuddenly passed away towards the west. Following them with his eyes, hesees what causes him to exclaim--
"_Santos Dios_! we are lost. Too late--too late; 'tis all over with usnow!"
His cry, sent up in accent of deepest despair, brings Ludwig andCypriano to his side: and the three stand watching the dark cohortadvancing towards them. None of them speaks or thinks of retreat. Thatwould be idle, and any attempt at escape must surely result in failure;while to resist would but hasten the disaster impending over them.Convinced of this, they no longer contemplate either flight orresistance, but stand in sullen silence to await the approach of thepursuers, for such they suppose them to be. Deeming them avengers also,as well they may, recalling their last encounter with the young Tovaschief.
Never did mistaken men more rejoice at their mistake than do they, when,on the band of Indian braves galloping up to the ground, they behold atits head, and evidently in command of it, not the _cacique_ Aguara, butthe sub-chief, Kaolin, and beside him his sister Nacena! She who aidedthem in effecting the escape of the captive, and, as a last word, badethem "God speed," would not be with pursuers who are hostile.
Nor is she, as they soon learn; instead, along with friends who come butto give comfort and protection!