CHAPTER XXV
NEW SCENES AND PLEASANT TRAVELLING
A new and agreeable sensation is a pleasant thing. It was on as bright anevening as ever shone upon Brazil, and in as fair a scene as one couldwish to behold, that Martin Rattler and his friend Barney experienced anew sensation. On the wide campos, on the flower-bedecked and grassyplains, they each bestrode a fiery charger; and, in the exultation ofhealth, and strength, and liberty, they swept over the green sward of theundulating campos, as light as the soft wind that fanned their bronzedcheeks, as gay in heart as the buzzing insects that hovered above thebrilliant flowers.
"Oh, this is best of all!" shouted Martin, turning his sparkling eyes toBarney, as he reined up his steed after a gallop that caused its nostrilto expand and its eye to dilate. "There's nothing like it! A fierycharger that can't and _won't_ tire, and a glorious sweep of plain likethat! Huzza! whoop!" And loosening the rein of his willing horse, away hewent again in a wild headlong career.
"Och, boy, pull up, or ye'll kill the baste!" cried Barney, who thunderedalong at Martin's side enjoying to the full the spring of his powerfulhorse; for Barney had spent the last farthing of his salary on the twobest steeds the country could produce, being determined, as he said, tomake the last overland voyage on clipper-built animals, which, he wiselyconcluded, would fetch a good price at the end of the journey. "Pull up!d'ye hear? They can't stand goin' at that pace. Back yer topsails, yeyoung rascal, or I'll board ye in a jiffy."
"How can I pull up with _that_ before me?" cried Martin, pointing toa wide ditch or gully that lay in front of them. "I must go overthat first."
"Go over that!" cried Barney, endeavouring to rein in his horse, andlooking with an anxious expression at the chasm. "It's all very well foryou to talk o' goin' over, ye feather; but fifteen stun--Ah, then,_won't_ ye stop? Bad luck to him, he's got the bit in his teeth! Oh then,ye ugly baste, go, and my blissin' go with ye!"
The leap was inevitable. Martin went over like a deer. Barney shut hiseyes, seized the pommel of the saddle, and went at it like athunder-bolt In the excitement of the moment he shouted, in a stentorianvoice, "Clap on all sail! d'ye hear? Stu'n-sails and sky-scrapers! Kapeher steady! Hooray!"
It was well for Barney that he had seized the saddle. Even as it was hereceived a tremendous blow from the horse's head as it took the leap,and was thrown back on its haunches when it cleared the ditch, which itdid nobly.
"Hallo! old boy, not hurt, I hope," said Martin, suppressing his laughteras his comrade scrambled on to the saddle. "You travel about on the backof your horse at full gallop like a circus rider."
"Whist, darlint, I do belave he has damaged my faygurhead. What a noseI've got! Sure I can see it mesilf without squintin'."
"So you have, Barney. It's a little swelled, but never mind. We must alllearn by experience, you know. So come along."
"Hould on, ye spalpeen, till I git my wind!"
But Martin was off again at full speed; and Barney's horse, scorning tobe left behind, took the bit again in its teeth and went--as he himselfexpressed it,--"screamin' before the wind."
A new sensation is not always and necessarily an agreeable thing. Martinand Barney found it so on the evening of that same day, as they reclined(they could not sit) by the side of their fire on the campo under theshelter of one of the small trees which grew here and there at wideintervals on the plain. They had left the diamond mine early thatmorning, and their first day on horseback proved to them that there areshadows as well as lights in equestrian life. Their only baggage was asingle change of apparel and a small bag of diamonds,--the latter beingthe product of the mine during the Baron Fagoni's reign, and which thatworthy was conveying faithfully to his employer. During the first part ofthe day they had ridden through a hilly and woody country, and towardsevening they emerged upon one of the smaller campos, which occur here andthere in the district.
"Martin," said Barney, as he lay smoking his pipe, "'tis a pity thatthere's no pleasure in this world without _something_ cross-grainedinto it. My own feelin's is as if I had been lately passed through astamping machine."
"Wrong, Barney, as usual," said Martin, who was busily engaged concludingsupper with an orange. "If we had pleasures without discomforts wewouldn't half enjoy them. We need lights and shadows in life--what areyou grinning at, Barney?"
"Oh! nothin', only ye're a remarkable philosopher, when ye're inthe vein."
"Tis always in vain to talk philosophy to you, Barney, so good-night t'ye. Oh, dear me, I wish I could sit down! but there's noalternative,--either bolt upright or quite flat."
In a quarter of an hour they both forgot pleasures and sorrows alike insleep. Next day the sun rose on the edge of the campo as it does out ofthe ocean, streaming across its grassy billows, and tipping the ridges aswith ruddy gold. At first Martin and Barney did not enjoy the lovelyscene, for they felt stiff and sore; but after half an hour's ride theybegan to recover; and when the sun rose in all its glory on the wideplain, the feelings of joyous bounding freedom that such scenes alwaysengender obtained the mastery, and they coursed along in silent delight.
The campo was hard, composed chiefly of a stiff red clay soil and coveredwith short grass in most places; but here and there were rank bushes oflong hairy grasses, around and amongst which grew a multitude of the mostexquisitely beautiful flowerets and plants of elegant forms. Whereverthese flowers flourished very luxuriantly there were single trees ofstunted growth and thick bark, which seldom rose above fifteen or twentyfeet. Besides these there were rich flowering myrtles, and here and therea grotesque cactus or two.
Under one of these trees they reined up after a ride of two hours, andpiqueting their horses, prepared breakfast. It was soon despatched, andthen remounting, away they went once more over the beautiful plains.
About mid-day, as they were hasting towards the shelter of a grove whichappeared opportunely on the horizon, Barney said suddenly,--
"Martin, lad, we're lost! We're out of our course, for sartin."
"I've been thinking that for some time, Barney," replied Martin; "but youhave your compass, and we can surely make the coast by deadreckoning--eh?"
"True, lad, we can; but it'll cost us a dale o' tackin' to make up forlee-way. Ah, good luck to ye! here's a friend 'll help us."
As he spoke a herd of wild cattle dashed out of the grove and scamperedover the plain, followed by a herdsman on horseback. Seeing that he wasin eager pursuit of an animal which he wished to lasso, they followed himquietly and watched his movements. Whirling the noose round his head, hethrew it adroitly in such a manner that the bull put one of its legswithin the coil. Then he reined up suddenly, and the animal was thrown onits back. At the same moment the lasso broke, and the bull recovered itsfeet and continued its wild flight.
"Good-day, friend," said Barney, galloping towards the disappointedherdsman and addressing him in Portuguese, "could you show us the road toRio? We've lost it intirely."
The man pointed sulkily in the direction in which they were going, and,having mended his lasso, he wheeled about and galloped after the herdof cattle.
"Bad luck to yer manners!" said Barney, as he gazed after him. "But whatcan ye expect from the poor critter? He niver larned better Come along,Martin, we'll rest here a while."
They were soon under the shelter of the trees, and having fastened theirhorses to one of them, they proceeded to search for water. While thusemployed, Barney shouted to his companion, "Come here, lad; look here."
There was something in the tone of the Irishman's voice that startledMartin, and he sprang hastily towards him. Barney was standing with hisarms crossed upon his chest and his head bowed forward, as he gazed witha solemn expression on the figure of a man at his feet.
"Is he ill?" inquired Martin, stooping and lifting his hand. Startingback as he dropped it, he exclaimed, "Dead!"
"Ah, boy, he has gone to his last account. Look at him again, Martin. Itwas he who came to the mine a week ago to buy a horse, and now--" Barneysighed
as he stooped and turned the body over in order to ascertainwhether he had been murdered; but there were no marks of violence to beseen. There was bread too in his wallet; so they could come to no otherconclusion than that the unhappy man had been seized with fatal illnessin the lonesome wood and died there.
As they searched his clothes they found a small leathern bag, which, totheir amazement, was filled with gold-dust; and in the midst of the goldwas another smaller bag containing several small diamonds.
"Ha!" exclaimed Martin, "that explains his hurry. No doubt he had madeoff with these, and was anxious to avoid pursuit."
"No doubt of it," said Barney. "Well, thief or no thief, we must give thepoor cratur' dacent burial. There's not a scrap o' paper to tell who heis or where he came from,--a sure sign that he wasn't what he should ha'been. Ah! Martin, what will we not do for the sake o' money! and, afterall, we can't keep it long. May the Almighty niver let you or me set ourhearts on it."
They dug a shallow grave with their hands in a sandy spot where the soilwas loose, in which they deposited the body of the unfortunate man; andthen remounting their horses, rode away and left him in his lonelyresting-place.
For many days did Martin and Barney travel through the land on horseback,now galloping over open campos, anon threading their way through theforest, and sometimes toiling slowly up the mountain sides. The aspect ofthe country varied continually as they advanced, and the feelings ofexcessive hilarity with which they commenced the journey began to subsideas they became accustomed to it.
One evening they were toiling slowly up a steep range of hills which hadbeen the prospect in front of them the whole of that day. As they nearedthe summit of the range Martin halted at a stream to drink, and Barneyadvanced alone. Suddenly Martin was startled by a loud cry, and lookingup he saw Barney on his knees with his hands clasped before him! Rushingup the hill, Martin found his comrade with his face flushed and the tearscoursing down his cheeks as he stared before him!
"Look at it, Martin, dear!" he cried, starting up and flinging his cap inthe air, and shouting like a madman. "The say! my own native illiment!the beautiful ocean! Och, darlint, my blessing on ye! Little did I thinkto see you more,--hooray!"
Barney sang and danced till he sank down on the grass exhausted; and, tosay truth, Martin felt much difficulty in restraining himself from doinglikewise, for before him was spread out the bright ocean, gleaming in thelight of the sinking sun, and calm and placid as a mirror. It was indeeda glorious sight to these two sailors, who had not seen the sea fornearly two years. It was like coming suddenly face to face--after a longabsence--with an old and much loved friend.
Although visible, the sea, however, was still a long way off from theSerra dos Orgos on which they stood. But their steeds were good, and itwas not long ere they were both rolling like dolphins in the beautifulbay of Rio de Janeiro.
Here Barney delivered up the gold and diamonds to his employer, who paidhim liberally for his services and entertained them both hospitably whilethey remained in the city. The bag of gold and diamonds which had beenfound on the body of the dead man they appropriated, as it was absolutelyimpossible to discover the rightful owner. Barney's friend bought it ofthem at full price; and when they embarked, soon after, on board ahomeward bound ship, each had four hundred pounds in his pocket!
As they sailed out of the noble harbour Martin sat on the poop gazing atthe receding shore while thick-coming memories crowded on his brain.
His imagination flew back to the day when he first landed on the coastand escaped with his friend Barney from the pirates,--to the hermit'scottage in the lonely valley, where he first made acquaintance withmonkeys, iguanas, jaguars, armadillos, and all the wonderful, beautiful,and curious birds, beasts, and reptiles, plants, trees, and flowers, thatlive and flourish in that romantic country. Once more, in fancy, he wassailing up the mighty Amazon, shooting alligators on its banks, spearingfish in its waters, paddling through its curious gapo, and swinging inhis hammock under its luxuriant forests. Once again he was a prisoneramong the wild Indians, and he started convulsively as he thought of theterrible leap over the precipice into the stream that flowed into theheart of the earth. Then he wandered in the lonely forest. Suddenly thediamond mines were before him, and Barney's jovial voice rang in hisears; and he replied to it with energy, for now he was bounding on afiery steed over the grassy campos. With a deep sigh he awoke from hisreverie to find himself surrounded by the great wide sea.