The Adventurers

by Gustave Aimard

  CHAPTER XXXI.

  SPANIARD AND INDIAN.

  It was not, as may well be believed, through fear, that GeneralBustamente had absented himself from Valdivia at the moment when oneof his lieutenants so boldly proclaimed him from the top of the stepsof the cabildo, before the populace. No, General Bustamente was oneof those soldiers of fortune of whom so many are found in America,accustomed to set his life upon a cast of the die, and to be turnedaside by nothing in the world from the accomplishment of his projects.He had hoped, by the means of the forces he had concentrated in thisremote province of the republic, that the inhabitants, taken unawares,would only offer an insignificant resistance, and that he should beable, by joining his troops with those of Antinahuel, to make a forcedmarch through Araucania, gain possession of Concepcion, and thence,keeping the gathering snowball in motion, and dragging his companionsafter him, arrive at Santiago in time to prevent any movement, andoblige the inhabitants to capitulate and accept, as an accomplishedfact, the change of government inaugurated by him in the distantprovinces of the republic.

  This plan was not deficient in audacity, or even in a certain degree ofpolicy; it comprised great chances of success. Unfortunately for GeneralBustamente, the Dark-Hearts, whose spies were everywhere, had got windof this project, and had countermined it by taking advantage of theopportunity offered them by their enemy to unmask their own batteries.We have seen under what conditions the struggle between the two partieshad commenced in Valdivia. The General, who was ignorant of what waspassing, felt in a state of perfect security. As soon as he was in histent with Antinahuel, he let fall the curtain which closed it behindthem, and, by a gesture, invited the toqui to be seated.

  "Sit down, chief," he said, "I have something to say to you."

  "I am at the orders of my white brother," the Indian replied, with a bow.

  The General attentively examined the man before him; he endeavoured toread on his countenance the various feelings that acted upon him; butthe features of the Indian were marble; no impression was reflected bythem.

  "Let us speak frankly, loyally, and as friends who wish no better thanto understand each other plainly," he said.

  Antinahuel bowed reservedly to this appeal to frankness, and the Generalcontinued--

  "At this moment the people of Valdivia are constituting me, byacclamation, protector of a new confederation, formed of all the states."

  "Good!" said the chief, with an almost imperceptible shake of the head;"is my father sure of that?"

  "Certainly I am. The Chilians are tired of the continual agitationswhich disturb the country; they have forced this heavy burden upon me;but I owe myself to my country, and I will not disappoint the hopes mycompatriots place in me."

  These words were pronounced in a hypocritical tone of self-denial, ofwhich the Indian was not in the least the dupe. A smile flitted acrossthe lips of the chief, which the General affected not to perceive.

  "To be brief," he continued, quitting the mild, conciliatory tone inwhich he had till that time spoken, to assume a more decided and abruptmanner, "are you prepared to keep your engagements?"

  "Why should I not keep them?" Antinahuel remarked.

  "Will you march with me to assure the success of my projects?"

  "Let my father order, I will obey."

  This readiness was displeasing to the General.

  "Come," he said, angrily, "let us put an end to this; I have not time toenter into a contest of wits with you, or follow you through a labyrinthof Indian circumlocutions."

  "I do not understand my father," Antinahuel replied, impassively.

  "We shall never get to the end, chief," the General said, stamping hisfoot, "if you will not answer me categorically."

  "I listen to my father; let him ask, I will reply."

  "How many men can you have under arms within twenty-four hours?"

  "Ten thousand," the chief said, drawing himself up proudly.

  "All experienced warriors?"

  "All."

  "What do you require of me for them?"

  "My father knows."

  "I accept of all your conditions but one."

  "Which is that?"

  "The surrender of the province of Valdivia to you."

  "Is not my father going to make up for that province on another side?"

  "How so?"

  "Am I not to assist my father in conquering Bolivia?"

  "Yes."

  "Well, then?"

  "You are mistaken, chief, it is not the same thing; I may enlarge theChilian territory, but honour forbids me to diminish it."

  "Let my father reflect; the province of Valdivia was anciently anAraucanian Uthal-Mapus."

  "Very possibly, chief; but, according to that principle, all Chili wasAraucanian previous to the discovery of America."

  "My father is mistaken; the Inca Sinchiroca had, a hundred years before,conquered the Chilian land as far as the Rio-Maule."

  "You seem to be well acquainted with the history of your country,chief," the General observed.

  "Does not my father know the history of his?"

  "That is not the question, now; do you accept my proposals or not?"

  The chief appeared to reflect for an instant.

  "Well!" the General exclaimed, impatiently, "time presses."

  "That is true; I will, therefore, go and command a council, composedof the Apo-Ulmens and Ulmens of my nation, and submit the words of myfather to them."

  The General with difficulty suppressed an expression of anger.

  "You must, doubtless, be joking, chief," he said--"your words cannot beserious."

  "Antinahuel is the first toqui of his nation," the Indian replied,haughtily; "he never jokes."

  "But you must give me your answer now--at once--in a few minutes!" criedthe General; "who knows whether we may not be obliged to march within anhour from this time?"

  "It is my duty, as much as it is my father's, to enlarge the territoryof my people."

  At this moment the gallop of a horse was heard approaching; the Generalflew to the entrance of the tent, where an orderly officer appeared. Theface of this officer was bathed with perspiration, and spots of bloodstained his uniform.

  "General!" he said breathlessly.

  "Silence!" the latter hissed, pointing to the chief, who, thoughapparently indifferent, followed all his movements attentively. TheGeneral turned towards Antinahuel.

  "Chief," he said, "I have orders to give to this officer--pressingorders; if you will permit me, we will resume our conversationpresently."

  "Good!" replied the chief; "my father need not inconvenience himself; Ican wait."

  And after bowing, he left the tent slowly.

  "Oh!" said the General to himself, "you demon! if, some day, I have youin my power!"

  But perceiving that anger was making him forget himself, he turnedtowards the officer, who stood motionless:

  "Well, Diego," he said, "what news have you?--are we conquerors?"

  "No," the officer replied, shaking his head; "the people, excited bythose incarnate demons, the Dark-Hearts, have rebelled."

  "Oh!" the General cried, "shall I never be able to crush them? What hastaken place?"

  "The people have raised barricades; and Don Tadeo de Leon is at the headof the movement."

  "Don Tadeo de Leon!" said the General.

  "Yes, he who was so clumsily shot."

  "Oh! this is war to the death then!"

  "A part of the troops, seduced by their officers, who have soldthemselves to the Dark-Hearts, have passed over to their side; atthis moment they are fighting in all the streets with the fiercestinveteracy. I had to pass through a shower of bullets to come and informyou."

  "We have not an instant to lose."

  "No; for though the soldiers who have remained faithful to you arefighting like lions, I can assure you they are closely pressed."

  "Maldicion!" the General howled; "I will not leave stone upon stone ofthat accursed city!"

  "
Yes, but, in the first place, we must reconquer it, General, and thatwill prove rather a rough job, I promise you," replied the old soldier,who had preserved his blunt speech throughout.

  "Very well!" said Bustamente; "let 'boot and saddle' be sounded, andevery horseman take a foot soldier behind him."

  Don Pancho Bustamente was a prey to the most violent rage; for severalinstants he stamped about his tent, like a wild beast in its cage. Thisunexpected resistance, in spite of all the measures of precaution he hadtaken, exasperated him. Suddenly the curtain of his tent was raised."Who is there?" he cried. "Ah! chief, is that you? Well, what do yousay?"

  "I saw the chief come out, and I thought that perhaps my father wouldnot be sorry to see me," the other replied, courteously.

  "And you were right; I am delighted to see you; forget all we have said,chief; I accept all your conditions; are you satisfied, this time?"

  "Yes. Including Valdivia?"

  "That above all!" said the General, with concentrated rage.

  "Ah!"

  "Yes, and as that province has revolted, in order to be able to give itto you, I must bring it back to its duty, must I not?"

  "To be sure you must!"

  "Well, as I have it at my heart to fulfil all my engagements to you,I am going instantly to march against that city; will you help me tosubdue it?"

  "That will be but just, as I shall labour for myself."

  "How many horsemen have you at hand?"

  "Twelve hundred."

  "Good!" said the General, "they will be more than we shall want."

  "The troops are ready," said Diego, entering the tent, "and only awaityour Excellency's orders."

  "To saddle, then; let us be gone! let us be gone! And you, chief, willyou not accompany us?"

  "Let my father move onward! my mosotones and I will tread in his stepsquickly."

  Ten minutes later, General Bustamente, with his soldiers, was againgalloping along the road to Valdivia. Antinahuel followed him with hiseyes attentively; then he rejoined his Ulmens, saying between his teeth,"Let us leave these Moro-Huincas to slaughter each other a little while;it will always be time enough to fall into the party."