Barney Blake, the Boy Privateer; or, The Cruise of the Queer Fish

by Herrick Johnstone

  CHAPTER X.

  VALPARAISO.

  In a few days after our ostrich-hunt, our preparations for leavingWellington Sound and our kind Patagonian friends were complete. Walgilkawas very pressing in his desire for us to defer our departure, promisingus all the hunting we could desire, but duty was duty, so we badefarewell to him and his people, and hoisted sail.

  The American Government had agents in the Chilian port of Valparaiso,whom it was important for Captain Joker to see, and it was thereforedecided to make sail in that direction. Another inducement for enteringValparaiso was our scarcity of hands, owing to the depletion our crewhad suffered through the many detachments we had been compelled to makein the way of prize-crews. We hoped to obtain some recruits among themerchantmen of Valparaiso. But there was even more difficulty inentering this port than we had experienced at Rio, because the formerwas then one of the principal rendezvous of the British Pacificsquadron, and we expected little mercy if we should be so unfortunate asto run afoul of one of them.

  Nevertheless, we had been so successful thus far that we were not by anymeans specially apprehensive. We had not lost a single man since westarted. But now, on our way to Valparaiso, there was a little eventhappened on board the Queer Fish, which, though it at first appearedtrifling, was afterward viewed in the light of importance.

  Little Willie Warner, our pretty cabin-boy, received a severe contusionof the head by a fall down the companionway, and had to go under medicaltreatment in consequence. He had always been exceedingly quiet andreticent, but was beloved by the whole crew on account of his gentlenessand beauty. Every kindness was now evinced for him from every quarter.The captain especially was very considerate. He allowed Roddy Prinn tobe nearly altogether excused from duty, in order that he might wait uponhis little chum--a favor for which Roddy was exceedingly grateful. Thedoctor--I have forgotten to mention him; he was a good old body by thename of Benedict--the doctor was very attentive to Willie Warner, andalways had something encouraging to say about his charge.

  But, one day, we noticed Doctor Benedict come hastily up from below,looking very queer in the face. He went up to Captain Joker, and spokeapart with him in low tones, when they both looked pretty serious, andthere was an expression on the captain's smiling lips--they alwayssmiled more or less--which I had never noticed them wear before. Well,we didn't know what to make of this mystery; and it was not cleared upfor a long time afterward.

  Willie got well and returned to his duties, but the captain and doctorwere, somehow, kinder and more gentle with him than they had ever beenbefore, and his duties were made as light as possible.

  Before Willie's convalescence was thoroughly over, we arrived offValparaiso, but did not dare to enter openly, for fear of being stoppedat the entrance by a British man-o'-war. We expected a signal from ouragents, and hung off the coast a long time, watching for it. But noneappeared, and Captain Joker resolved to attempt an entrance at his ownhazard.

  Luckily, he was perfectly familiar with the harbor, and, choosing a darkand stormy night, we succeeded in running in, without meeting anymolestation.

  The tempest went off during the night, and the bright sunlight of theensuing morning saw us riding safely at anchor, not forty fathoms fromthe city's wharves.

  Valparaiso was a city of much less importance then than now, but it was,nevertheless, a smart seaport for that remote portion of the globe. Itis built right at the water's edge, with the grand mountain-wall of theAndes running so stiffly, loftily and impenetrably up behind, that youwonder how the rays of the rising sun ever reach the little city nestledat their rocky feet. At least you think they must have daylight on thelevel pampas beyond many moments before it surmounts those mountains toreach the narrow strip of plain between them and the sea. There is afine cathedral in the city now, but when I was there, the largestestablishment of this kind appeared to be a wooden structure. It wassurmounted by a great red, wooden cross, and every morning and evening,we heard the sweet music of the Catholic service come floating to usover the waters of the bay.

  We only remained in this port a few days, but, while at anchor there, Iwas a party in a kind of sport seldom, probably never, met with in anyother portion of the globe. This was nothing more nor less than a huntfor electric eels.

  Tony Trybrace and I became acquainted, while at Valparaiso, with aChilian gentleman named Jose Gonzales. He possessed a large landedestate in the interior, and, when Tony had told him of our ostrich huntin Patagonia, invited us to visit him at his country place, and he wouldpromise us sport of, at least, a more novel character. Dicky Drakebegged us to have the invitation extended to him also, which was readilycomplied with by Don Jose. And, one morning, having obtained athree-days' "leave" of Captain Joker, we mounted some fine mules, andset forth with our pleasant host. A portion of our journey lay throughmountain land--the outskirts of the Andes, and we had a good opportunityof observing the inhabitants of the country.

  Chili is, at present, considered, and with justice, the first of SouthAmerican countries in point of everything pertaining to population; andevidences of her future were not lacking in the year 1812. The Spanishpopulation of the mountain region were a simple and hardy race; whosehospitality alone causes the heart of the stranger to warm toward themwith a kindly thrill.

  We saw a great many of the llamas of the country, more condors, as wellas monkeys, and many other strange and interesting individuals of brutecreation.

  A ride of about six hours from Valparaiso brought us to the ranch of ourhost. It was most beautifully situated on the fertile table-land, andmade me in love with South American rural life. As we approached themansion, we passed several black-looking pools, or lagoons, and weremuch surprised when told, by our host, that they were to be ourhunting-grounds.

  As we rode by the largest of these lagoons, which was scarcely a furlongfrom the ranch, Don Jose drew a biscuit from his saddle-bags and tossedit into the middle of the still, black waters. Instantly, and before ittouched the surface, the lifeless-looking lagoon was filled with astrange and horrible existence. Myriads of snakes (as they appeared)rose suddenly to the surface, and engaged in a furious combat for thefloating biscuit. Presently we saw the little fins on either side oftheir necks, and we then knew them to be eels. Some of them were verylarge--from six to seven feet in length, I should judge--but theyaveraged a much briefer length. Presently one of the larger snapped thebiscuit under the water, which caused a sudden disappearance of all ofthem. One little fellow, however, swam around the edge of the tarn, inhopes of more food, projecting his shining head out of the water, andeven climbed up the slimy bank, eying us with a peculiarly villainousgaze from his dull, leaden-colored eyes. Here was a chance for DickyDrake, for, of course, there was no liability of a scrape that he didnot seize with avidity.

  "I allers wanted a specimen of that cuss for my old uncle's cabinet athum', and here's my chance!" he exclaimed, springing from his mule, andadvancing, with hands innocently outstretched; while, from the peculiarexpression of Don Jose's features, Tony and I suspected that there wassomething in the wind.

  "I've got yer, yer varmint!" exclaimed Dicky, stooping joyfully over thereptile.

  But no sooner did he clutch it than over he went, head over heels, witha bellow of pain, at the same time dropping the "critter" as if it was acandent thunderbolt.

  "Don't give it up, Dicky! At him again!" roared Tony through hislaughter.

  "Bravo! Buena!" exclaimed the se?or.

  Smarting at the merriment which his mishap occasioned, Dicky pickedhimself up in a rage and again grabbed the reptile, which was makingtracks for the water. But again he was knocked over by the electricshock, and the eel made its escape to the water.

  The discomfited eel-catcher regained his feet, and slowly returned tohis mule.

  "Where's your specimen?" I asked.

  Everybody else had something similar to say.

  "Blast ther critter!" said Dicky, sulkily. "I never heer'd of a snake aswas stuffed with red-hot needles afo
re."

  With no other incident worthy of recording, our party soon arrived atthe comfortable ranch of Don Jose.

  The next day, at an early hour, we were summoned from our beds by theservants, and, descending, found our host already on muleback, with aneel-prong in his hand. Our mules and weapons of the same kind wereawaiting us. We mounted and were soon on our way to the lagoon.

  It was a glorious morning. The sun had not yet appeared, but the goldenspears of his coming shot high above the sublime peaks of the Andes,gilding their ancient summits with a thousand hues, and flashing down,with a glittering swoop, upon the luxuriant plains. Everything wasbright and blooming. Monkeys were leaping amid the branches of thetropical trees, and gaudy-plumed paroquets were flitting here and there;while the bright-green lizards glided across our path, rejoicingsilently in the morning beams.

  We reached the lagoon, which looked as lifeless and stagnant as ever. Iwas surprised at not seeing any boats; for I thought that, of course,they were necessary for the pursuit of our game. But they have a better,though more cruel, way of catching the festive eel in Chili.

  We were accompanied by a large number of Don Jose's peons, who proceededon foot, with legs bare as far up as the thigh, and each armed with aneel-prong, which is a four-pronged "trident," so to speak, sharplypointed, and provided with a wooden handle, or stalk, about four feet inlength. They were a merry set, and kept up an incessant conversation andsong in their mongrel Spanish, which the devil's interpreter couldn'tunderstand.

  We reached the margin of the lagoon, and waited there a short time, whenwe were aroused by a great trampling of the ground, and perceived a herdof some hundreds of wild horses and mules coming over the prairie towardthe tarn at a thundering gait.

  Don Jose now condescended to explain. These animals had been purposelykept without water for two days, and now, so soon as released, wererushing to the nearest lagoon to satisfy their fiery thirst. Thecharacter of the inhabitants of the pool was well known to them, and,under ordinary circumstances, not a horse or mule could be induced toput nose or foot into the electric waters. But now, maddened by thirst,and forgetful of everything but the frantic desire to satisfy it, theywere making for the nearest water that glittered on the plain.

  On came the thundering troop of steeds from the opposite side neighingand snorting, with their tongues lolling out. They burst through thechaparral and thick-growing cacti of the border, and in a moment were inthe center of the pool--which was but a few rods in diameter.

  Then commenced a scene which completely beggars description.

  A most furious contest commenced between the animals and theelectric-eels--who, thus suddenly aroused and trampled upon, werestriking their strong enemies with all their power. Now and then an eelor two would flash up through the surface, but they were mostlyinvisible. The horses plunged frantically, uttering cries of agonyalmost human-like. They bit at the water, shrieked, and endeavored toreach the bank, but in vain. Stricken down by their unseen foes, many ofthem lost their legs, and went down, with difficulty keeping their headsabove the water; and those that fell blocked the path of escape to thoseless fortunate. The appearance of the horses was most agonizing. Theirmanes fairly bristled with horror and pain, while it made me sick tohear their cries. The mules also suffered terribly, but not quite soacutely, it seemed to me, as the horses. Don Jose and his people enjoyedthe scene immensely, shouting and crying out in the exuberance of theirjoy.

  The singular contest lasted fully ten minutes, when it became evidentthat the fury of the attack of the eels was sensibly abating. In aboutfive minutes more, the fear and pain of the horses and mules totallyceased. Those which had fallen regained their feet, and the whole herd,after quietly drinking their fill, left the pool, and galloped off overthe pampas.

  The reason of this was that the electric power of these eels becomescompletely exhausted or expended after it has been exercised malignantlyfor a certain time, and it requires several hours of rest to recuperatetheir electric power. And during this time they are powerless of harm.

  And now the peons advanced into the lagoon, brandishing their spears,while the Don, Tony, Dicky and myself dismounted and stood on themargin, watching our chance. The peons drove their prongs along thebottom, spiking the enfeebled reptiles, which they threw on the shore ingreat numbers, and then, retracing their steps, drove them toward ourposition on the bank, where we soon had our fill of the sport. The eelscame up, first singly, then in knotted masses, and we darted our spearsinto them at our pleasure.

  Dicky Drake enjoyed the sport hugely, but, as usual, met with somemishap. He had taken off his shoes, and was toddling barefoot in theslime, when he accidentally trod on an eel which had been prudent enoughto hold off from the attack on the horses.

  The poor fellow leaped back, with a loud scream, and went limping up thebank.

  "Did you ever tread on a paper of red-hot pins?" he asked of me at theconclusion of the sport.

  "Never did," I replied.

  "If you'd like to know how it feels, just sot yer hoof on that airinnocent-lookin' varmint," said he, pointing ruefully to the reptile bywhich he had suffered; but I had no anxiety to make the attempt.

  At length we grew weary of the sport, left the peons to carry home thecaptured eels--which are much esteemed as an article of food--andproceeded on our return. Many thousands of eels were captured on thatday.

  We returned to the ranch and enjoyed ourselves in other, and less novel,ways than eel-hunting.

  Before we left, our hospitable host showed us some curious relics of theancient Indian inhabitants. These, from appearances, seem to have beenmound-builders. We saw one of the mounds which had been excavated, andDon Jose, afterward, shewed us some specimens of earthenware andinstruments of war--the latter fashioned of stone--which he had procuredin the neighborhood.

  We also made a short expedition with our host, to the crater of anextinct volcano, and looked with wonder, upon the vast basin, which hadonce--long, long ago, perhaps--vomited fire and lava upon the plainsbelow.

  Thanking our host for the pleasure he had afforded us, we, at the closeof the second day, set out upon our return to Valparaiso, at which placewe shortly arrived.

  Captain Joker having transacted his business to his satisfaction, andthe coast being clear of British cruisers, we, shortly afterward,weighed anchor, set all sail to catch the trade-winds, and danced outseaward and westward, intending to create an excitement among theBritish whalers of the South Pacific.