CHAPTER XIV.
THE CHASTISEMENT.
The general and his two companions had not remained long in a state ofuncertainty.
The raft, after several attempts, came to shore at last, and fifteenmen, armed with guns advanced, and rushed into the grotto, uttering loudcries.
The fugitives ran towards them with joy; for they recognized at the headof them Loyal Heart, Eagle Head, and Black Elk.
This is what had happened.
As soon as the doctor had entered the grotto with the captain, EagleHead, certain of having discovered the retreat of the pirates, hadrejoined his friends, to whom he imparted the success of his stratagem,Belhumeur had been despatched to Loyal Heart, who had hastened to come.All, in concert, had resolved to attack the bandits in their cavern,whilst other detachments of hunters and redskin warriors, spread aboutthe prairies, and concealed among the rocks should watch the approachesto the grottos and prevent the escape of the pirates.
We have seen the result of this expedition.
After having devoted the first moment entirely to joy, and the pleasureof having succeeded without a blow being struck, the general informedhis liberators that half a score bandits were sleeping in the grotto,under the influence of the worthy doctor's opium.
The pirates were strongly bound and carried away; then, after calling inthe various detachments, the whole band again bent their way to the camp.
Great had been the surprise of the captain at the exclamation of LoyalHeart; but that surprise was changed into terror, when he saw thegeneral, whom he thought so safely guarded by his men, standing beforehim.
He saw at once that all his measures were defeated, and his trickscircumvented, and that this time he was lost without resource.
The blood mounted to his throat, his eyes darted lightning, and turningtowards Loyal Heart, he said, in a hoarse loud voice--
"Well played! but all is not yet ended between us. By God's help I shallhave my revenge!"
He made a gesture as if to put his horse in motion; but Loyal Heart heldit resolutely by the bridle.
"We have not done yet," he remarked.
The pirate looked at him for an instant with eyes injected with blood,and then said in a voice broken by passion, whilst urging on his horseto oblige the hunter to quit his hold.
"What more do you want with me?"
Loyal Heart, thanks to a wrist of iron, still held the horse, whichplunged furiously.
"You have been brought to trial," he replied, "and the law of theprairies is about to be applied to you."
The pirate uttered a terrible, sneering, maniac laugh, and tore hispistols from his belt:--
"Woe be to him who touches me!" he cried, with rage, "give me way!"
"No," the impassive hunter replied, "you are fairly taken, my master;this time you shall not escape me."
"Die then!" cried the pirate, aiming one of his pistols at Loyal Heart.
But, quick as thought, Belhumeur, who had watched his movements closely,threw himself before his friend with a swiftness increased tenfold bythe seriousness of the situation.
The shot was fired. The ball struck the Canadian, who fell bathed in hisblood.
"One!" cried the pirate, with a ferocious laugh.
"_Two_!" screamed Eagle Head, and with the bound of a panther, he leapedupon the pirate's horse behind him.
Before the captain could make a movement to defend himself, the Indianseized him with his left hand, by the long hair, of which he formed atuft, and pulled him backwards violently, with his head downwards.
"Curses on you!" cried the pirate, in vain endeavouring to free himselffrom his enemy.
And then took place a scene which chilled the spectators with horror.
The horse, which Loyal Heart had left his hold of, when at liberty,furious with being urged on by its master and checked by Loyal Heart,and with the double weight imposed upon it, sprang forward, mad withrage, breaking and overturning in its course every object that opposedits passage. But it still carried, clinging to its sides, the two menstruggling to kill each other, and who on the back of the terrifiedanimal writhed about like serpents.
Eagle Head had, as we have said, pulled back the head of the pirate;he placed his knee against his loins, uttered his hideous war cry, andflourished with a terrible gesture his knife around the brow of hisenemy.
"Kill me, then, vile wretch!" the pirate cried, and with a rapid efforthe raised his left hand, still armed with a pistol, but the bullet waslost in space.
The Comanche chief fixed his eyes upon the captain's face.
"Thou art a coward!" he said, with disgust, "and an old woman, who isafraid of death!"
At the same time he pushed the bandit forcibly with his knee, andplunged the knife into his skull.
The captain uttered a piercing cry, which arose into the air, mingledwith the howl of triumph of the chief.
The horse stumbled over a root; the two enemies rolled upon the ground.
Only one rose up.
It was the Comanche chief, who brandished the bleeding scalp of thepirate.
But the latter was not dead. Almost mad with pain and fury, and blindedwith the blood which trickled into his eyes, he arose and rushed uponhis adversary, who had no expectation of such an attack.
Then, with limbs entwined, each endeavoured, by strength and artifice,to throw his antagonist, and plunge into his body the knife with whichhe was armed.
Several hunters sprang forward to separate them, but when they reachedthem all was over.
The captain lay upon the ground with the knife of Eagle Head buried tothe hilt in his heart.
The pirates, held in awe by the white hunters and the Indian warriorswho surrounded them, did not attempt a resistance, which they knew wouldbe useless.
When he saw his captain fall, Frank, in the name of his companions,proclaimed that they surrendered. At a signal from Loyal Heart they laiddown their arms and were bound.
Belhumeur, the brave Canadian, whose devotedness had saved the lifeof his friend, had received a serious wound, but, happily, it was notmortal. He had been instantly lifted up and carried into the grotto,where the mother of the hunter paid him every attention.
Eagle Head approached Loyal Heart, who stood pensive and silent, leaningagainst a tree.
"The chiefs are assembled round the fire of council," he said, "andawait my brother."
"I follow, my brother," the hunter replied, laconically.
When the two men entered the hut, all the chiefs were assembled; amongthem were the general, Black Elk, and several other trappers.
The calumet was brought into the middle of the circle by the pipebearer; he bowed respectfully towards the four cardinal points, and thenpresented the long tube to every chief in his turn.
When the calumet had made the round of the circle, the pipe beareremptied the ashes into the fire, murmuring some mystic words, and thenretired.
Then the old chief named the Sun, arose, and after saluting the membersof the council, said--
"Chiefs and warriors, listen to the words which my lungs breathe andwhich the Master of Life has placed in my heart. What do you purposedoing with the twenty prisoners who are now in your hands? Will yourelease them that they may continue their life of murder and rapine?that they may carry off your wives, steal your horses, and kill yourbrothers? Will you conduct them to the stone villages of the great whitehearts of the East? The route is long, abounding in dangers, traversedby mountains and rapid rivers; the prisoners may escape in the journey,or may surprise you in your sleep and massacre you. And then, youknow, warriors, when you have arrived at the stone villages, the longknives will release them, for there exists no justice for red men. No,warriors, the Master of Life, who has, at length, delivered up thesemen into our power, wills that they should die. He has marked the termof their crimes. When we find a jaguar or a grizzly bear upon our path,we kill them; these men are more cruel than jaguars or grizzlies, theyowe a reckoning for the blood they have shed, an eye fo
r an eye, a toothfor a tooth. Let them, then, be fastened to the stake of torture. I casta necklace of red wampums into the council. Have I spoken well, men ofpower?"
After these words, the old chief sat down again. There was a moment ofsolemn silence. It was evident that all present approved of his advice.
Loyal Heart waited for a few minutes; he saw that nobody was preparingto reply to the speech of the Sun; then he arose:--
"Comanche chiefs and warriors, and you white trappers, my brothers," hesaid in a mild, sad tone, "the words pronounced by the venerable sachemare just; unfortunately, the safety of the prairies requires death ofour prisoners. This extremity is terrible, but we are forced to submitto it, if we desire to enjoy the fruit of our rude labours in peace.But if we find ourselves constrained to apply the implacable law of thedesert, let us not show ourselves barbarians by choice; let us punish,since it must be so, but let us punish like men of heart, and not likecruel men. Let us prove to these bandits that we are executing justice,that in killing them it is not for the purpose of avenging ourselves,but the whole of society. Besides, their chief, by far the most guiltyof them, has fallen before the courage and weapons of Eagle Head. Letus be clement without ceasing to be just. Let us leave them the choiceof their death. No useless torture. The Master of Life will smile uponus, he will be content with his red children, to whom he will grantabundance of game in their hunting grounds. I have spoken: have I spokenwell, men of power?"
The members of the council had listened attentively to the words of theyoung man. The chiefs had smiled kindly at the noble sentiments he hadexpressed; for all, both Indians and trappers, loved and respected him.
Eagle Head arose.
"My brother, Loyal Heart has spoken well," said he; "his years are fewin number, but his wisdom is great. We are happy to find an opportunityof proving our friendship for him; we seize it with eagerness. We willdo what he desires."
"Thank you!" Loyal Heart replied warmly; "thank you, my brothers! TheComanche nation is a great and noble nation, which I love; I am proud ofhaving been adopted by it."
The council broke up, and the chiefs left the lodge. The prisoners,collected in a group, were strictly guarded by a detachment of warriors.
The public crier called together all the members of the tribe, and thehunters dispersed about the village.
When all were assembled, Eagle Head arose to speak, and, addressing thepirates, said--
"Dogs of palefaces, the council of the great chiefs of the powerfulnation of the Comanches, whose vast hunting grounds cover a great partof the earth, has pronounced your fate. Try, after having lived likewild beasts, not to die like timid old women; be brave, and then,perhaps, the Master of Life will have pity on you, and will receive youafter death into the eskennane,--that place of delights where the bravewho have looked death in the face hunt during eternity."
"We are ready," replied Frank, unmoved; "fasten us to the stakes, inventthe most atrocious tortures; you will not see us blench."
"Our brother, Loyal Heart," the chief continued, "has intercededfor you. You will not be fastened to the stake; the chiefs leave toyourselves the choice of your death."
Then was awakened that characteristic trait in the manners of thewhites, who, inhabiting the prairies for any length of time, end byforsaking the customs of their ancestors, and adopt those of the Indians.
The proposition made by Eagle Head was revolting to the pride of thepirates.
"By what right," Frank cried, "does Loyal Heart intercede for us? Doeshe fancy that we are not men? that tortures will be able to draw fromus cries and complaints unworthy of us? No! no! lead us to punishment;whatever you can inflict upon us will not be so cruel as what we makethe warriors of your nation undergo when they fall into our hands."
At these insulting words a sensation of anger pervaded the ranks of theIndians, whilst the pirates, on the contrary, uttered cries of joy andtriumph.
"Dogs! rabbits!" they shouted; "Comanche warriors are old women, whoought to wear petticoats!"
Loyal Heart advanced, and silence was re-established.
"You have wrongly understood the words of the chief," he said; "inleaving you the choice of your death, it was not an insult, but a markof respect that he paid you. Here is my dagger; you shall be unbound,let it pass from hand to hand, and be buried in all your hearts in turn.The man who is free, and without hesitation kills himself at a singleblow, is braver than he who, fastened to the stake of torture, andunable to endure the pain, insults his executioner in order to receive aprompt death."
A loud acclamation welcomed these words of the hunter.
The pirates consulted among themselves for an instant with a look, then,with one spontaneous movement, they made the sign of the cross, andcried with one voice--
"We accept your offer!"
The crowd, an instant before, so tumultuous and violent, became silentand attentive, awed by the expectation of the terrible tragedy which wasabout to be played before them.
"Unbind the prisoners," Loyal Heart commanded.
This order was immediately executed.
"Your dagger!" said Frank.
The hunter gave it to him.
"Thank you, and farewell!" said the pirate, in a firm voice; and,opening his vestments, he deliberately, and with a smile, as if heenjoyed death, buried the dagger up to the hilt in his heart.
A livid pallor gradually invaded his countenance, his eyes rolled intheir orbits, and casting round wild and aimless glances, he staggeredlike a drunken man, and rolled upon the ground.
He was dead.
"My turn!" cried the pirate next him, and plucking the still reekingdagger from the wound, he plunged it into his heart.
He fell upon the body of the first victim.
After him came the turn of another, then another, and so on; not onehesitated, not one displayed weakness,--all fell smiling, and thankingLoyal Heart for the death they owed to him.
The spectators were awestruck by this terrible execution; but,fascinated by the frightful spectacle,--drunk, so to say, with theodour of blood, they stood with haggard eyes and heaving breasts,without having the power to turn away their looks.
There soon remained but one pirate. This man contemplated for a momentthe heap of bodies which lay before him; then, drawing the dagger fromthe breast of him who had preceded him, he said with a smile,--
"A fellow is lucky to die in such good company; but where the devil dowe go to after death? Bah! what a fool I am! I shall soon know!"
And with a gesture quick as thought he stabbed himself.
He fell instantly quite dead.
This frightful slaughter did not last more than a quarter of an hour.[1]
Not one of the pirates had struck twice; all were killed by the firstblow.
"The dagger is mine!" said Eagle Head, drawing it smoking from thestill palpitating body of the last bandit. "It is a good weapon for awarrior;" and he placed it coolly in his belt, after having wiped itupon the grass.
The bodies of the pirates were scalped, and borne out of the camp.
They were abandoned to the vultures and the urubus, for whom they wouldfurnish an ample feast, and who, attracted by the odour of blood, werealready hovering over them, uttering lugubrious cries of joy.
The formidable troop of Captain Waktehno was thus annihilated.Unfortunately there were other pirates in the prairies.
After the execution, the Indians re-entered their huts carelessly; forthem it had only been one of those spectacles to which they had been fora long time accustomed, and which have no effect upon their nerves.
The trappers, on the contrary, notwithstanding the rough life they lead,and the frequency with which they see blood shed--either their own orthat of other people, dispersed silently and noiselessly, with heartsoppressed by the spectacle of this frightful butchery.
Loyal Heart and the general directed their steps towards the grotto.
The ladies, shut up in the interior of the cavern, were ignorant of theterrible
drama that had been played, and of the sanguinary expiationwhich had terminated it.
[1] All this scene is historical, and strictly true; the authorwas present in Apacheria, at a similar execution.]