CHAPTER XII.
A RUSE DE GUERRE.
After his strange proposal to the hunters, the leader of the piratesretook, at his best speed, the road to his den.
But he was too much accustomed to the life of the prairies not tosuspect that several of his enemies would follow his track at adistance. Therefore, he had put in practice, to mislead them, allthe tricks which his inventive mind could furnish with him, making_detours_ without number, retracing incessantly his steps, or, as it isvulgarly said, going back ten yards to advance one.
These numerous precautions had excessively retarded his journey.
When he arrived on the banks of the river whose waters bathed theentrance to the cavern, he cast a last look around him, to make certainthat no busy eye was watching his movements.
Everything was calm, nothing suspicious appeared, and he was about tolaunch into the stream the raft concealed beneath the leaves, when aslight noise in the bushes attracted his attention.
The pirate started; promptly drawing a pistol from his belt, he cockedit, and advanced boldly towards the spot whence this alarming noiseproceeded.
A man bent towards the ground, was busy digging up herbs and plants witha small spade.
The pirate smiled, and replaced his pistol in his belt.
He had recognized the doctor, who was as much absorbed in his favouritepassion as usual; so much so, indeed, that he had not perceived him.
After surveying him for an instant with disdain, the pirate was turninghis back upon him, when an idea occurred to him, which made him, on thecontrary,--advance towards the _savant_, upon whose shoulder he somewhatroughly laid his hand.
At this rude salutation, the poor doctor drew himself up in a fright,letting fall both plants and spade.
"Holla! my good fellow," said the captain, in a jeering tone, "whatmadness possesses you to be herbalizing thus at all hours of the day andnight?"
"How!" the doctor replied, "what do you mean by that?"
"Zounds! it's plain enough! Don't you know it is not far from midnight?"
"That is true," the _savant_ remarked ingenuously; "but there is such afine moon."
"Which you, I suppose, have taken for the sun," said the pirate, with aloud laugh; "but," he added, becoming all at once serious, "that is ofno consequence now; although half a madman, I have been told that youare a pretty good doctor."
"I have passed my examinations," the doctor replied, offended by theepithet applied to him.
"Very well! you are just the man I want, then."
The _savant_ bowed with a very ill grace; it was evident he was not muchflattered by the attention.
"What do you require of me?" he asked; "are you ill?"
"Not I, thank God! but one of your friends, who is at this moment myprisoner, is; so please to follow me."
"But----" the doctor would fain have objected.
"I admit of no excuses; follow me, or I will blow your brains out.Besides, don't be afraid, you run no risk; my men will pay you all therespect science is entitled to."
As resistance was impossible, the worthy man did as he was bidden with agood grace--with so good a grace, even, that for a second he allowed asmile to stray across his lips, which would have aroused the suspicionsof the pirate if he had perceived it.
The captain commanded the _savant_ to walk on before him, and both thusreached the river.
At the instant they quitted the place where this conversation, had takenplace, the branches of a bush parted slowly, and a head, shaved withthe exception of a long tuft of hair at the top, on which was stuckan eagle's feather, appeared, then a body, and then an entire man, whobounded like a jaguar in pursuit of them.
This man was Eagle Head.
He was a silent spectator of the embarkation of the two whites, saw thementer the grotto, and then, in his turn, disappeared in the shade of thewoods, after muttering to himself in a low voice the word--
"_Och!_" (good) the highest expression of joy in the language of theComanches.
The doctor had plainly only served as a bait to attract the pirate, andcause him to fall into the snare laid by the Indian chief.
Now, had the worthy _savant_ any secret intelligence with Eagle Head?That is what we shall soon know.
On the morrow, at daybreak, the pirate ordered a close battue to be madein the environs of the grotto; but no track existed.
The captain rubbed his hands with joy; his expedition had doublysucceeded, since he had managed to return to his cavern without beingfollowed.
Certain of having nothing to dread, he was unwilling to keep about himso many men in a state of inactivity; placing, therefore, his troopprovisionally under the command of Frank, a veteran bandit, in whom hehad perfect confidence, he only retained ten chosen men with him, andsent away the rest.
Although the affair he was now engaged in was interesting, and hissuccess appeared certain, he was not, on that account, willing toneglect his other occupations, and maintain a score of bandits inidleness, who might, at any moment, from merely having nothing else todo, play him an ugly turn.
It is evident that the captain was not only a prudent man, but wasthoroughly acquainted with his honourable associates.
When the pirates had left the grotto, the captain made a sign to thedoctor to follow him, and conducted him to the general.
After having introduced them to each other with that ironical politenessin which he was such a master, the bandit retired, leaving them together.
Only before he departed, the captain drew a pistol from his belt, andclapping it to the breast of the _savant_--
"Although you may be half a madman," he said, "as you may, nevertheless,have some desire to betray me, observe this well, my dear sir; at theleast equivocal proceeding that I see you attempt, I will blow yourbrains out; you are warned, so now act as you think proper."
And replacing his pistol in his belt, he retired with one of hiseloquent sneers on his lips.
The doctor listened to this admonition with a very demure countenance,but with a sly smile, which, in spite of himself, glided over his lips,but which, fortunately, was not perceived by the captain.
The general and his Negro, Jupiter, were confined in a compartment ofthe grotto at some distance from the outlet.
They were alone, for the captain had deemed it useless to keep guardsconstantly with them.
Both seated upon a heap of leaves, with heads cast down and crossedarms, they were reflecting seriously, if not profoundly.
At sight of the _savant_, the dismal countenance of the general waslighted up by a fugitive smile of hope.
"Ah, doctor, is that you?" he said, holding out to him a hand which theother pressed warmly hut silently, "have I reason to rejoice or to bestill sad at your presence?"
"Are we alone?" the doctor asked, without answering the general'squestion.
"I believe so," he replied, in a tone of surprise; "at all events, it iseasy to satisfy yourself."
The doctor groped all round the place, carefully examined every corner;he then went back to the prisoners.
"We can talk," he said.
The _savant_ was habitually so absorbed by his scientific calculations,and was naturally so absent, that the prisoners had but littleconfidence in him.
"And my niece?" the general asked, anxiously.
"Be at ease on her account; she is in safety with a hunter named LoyalHeart, who has a great respect for her."
The general breathed a sigh of relief; this good news had restored himall his courage.
"Oh!" he said, "of what consequence is my being a prisoner? Now I knowmy niece is safe, I can suffer anything."
"No, no," said the doctor, warmly, "on the contrary, you must escapefrom this place tomorrow, by some means."
"Why?"
"Answer me in the first place."
"I ask no better than to do so."
"Your wounds appear slight; are they progressing towards cure?"
"I think so."
"Do you feel you
rself able to walk?
"Oh, yes!"
"But let us understand each other. I mean, are you able to walk adistance?"
"I believe so, if it be absolutely necessary."
"Eh! eh!" said the Negro, who, up to this moment had remained silent,"am I not able to carry my master when he can walk no longer?"
The general pressed his hand.
"That's true, so far," said the doctor; "all is well, only you mustescape."
"I should be most glad to do so, but how?"
"Ah! that," said the _savant_, scratching his head, "is what I do notknow, for my part! But be at ease, I will find some means; at present, Idon't know what."
Steps were heard approaching, and the captain appeared.
"Well!" he asked, "how are your patients going on?"
"Not too well!" the doctor replied.
"Bah! bah!" the pirate resumed; "all that will come round; besides,the general will soon be free, then he can get well at his ease. Now,doctor, come along with me; I hope I have left you and your friend longenough together to have said all you wish."
The doctor followed him without reply, after having made the general aparting sign to recommend prudence.
The day passed away without further incident.
The prisoners looked for the night with impatience; in spite ofthemselves, a confidence in the doctor had gained upon them--they hoped.
Towards evening the worthy _savant_ reappeared. He walked with adeliberate step, his countenance was cheerful, he held a torch in hishand.
"What is there fresh, doctor?" the general asked; "you appear to bequite gay."
"In fact, general, I am so," he replied with a smile, "because I havefound the means of securing your escape--not forgetting my own."
"And those means?"
"Are already half executed," he said, with a little dry smile, which waspeculiar to him when he was satisfied.
"What do you mean by that?"
"By Galen! something very simple, but which you never would guess: allour bandits are asleep, we are masters of the grotto."
"That may be possible; but if they should wake?"
"Don't trouble yourself about that; they will wake, of that there is nodoubt, but not within six hours at least."
"How the devil can you tell that?"
"Because I took upon myself to send them to sleep; that is to say, attheir supper I served them with a decoction of opium, which brought themdown like lumps of lead, and they have all been snoring ever since likeso many forge bellows."
"Oh, that is capital!" said the general.
"Is it not?" the doctor observed, modestly. "By Galen, I was determinedto repair the mischief I had done you by my negligence! I am not asoldier, I am but a poor physician; I have made use of my properweapons; you see that in certain cases they are as good as others."
"They are a hundred times better! Doctor, you are a noble fellow!"
"Well, come, let us lose no time."
"That is true, let us be gone; but the captain, what have you done withhim?"
"Oh, as to him, the devil only knows where he is. He left us afterdinner without saying anything to anybody; but I have a shrewd suspicionI know where he is gone, and am much mistaken if we do not see himpresently."
"All, then, is for the best; lead on."
The three men set off at once. In spite of the means employed by thedoctor, the general and the Negro were not quite at ease.
They arrived at the compartment which now served as a dormitory for thebandits; they were lying about asleep in all directions.
The fugitives passed safely through them.
When they arrived at the entrance of the grotto, at the moment they wereabout to unfasten the raft to cross the river, they saw, by the palerays of the moon, another raft, manned by fifteen men, who steadilydirected their course towards them.
Their retreat was cut off.
How could they possibly resist such a number of adversaries?
"What a fatality!" the general murmured, despondingly.
"Oh!" said the doctor, piteously, "a plan of escape that cost me so muchtrouble to elaborate!"
The fugitives threw themselves into a cavity of the rocks, to avoidbeing seen, and there waited the landing of the newcomers, whosemanoeuvres appeared more and more suspicious.