CHAPTER XIX.
TWO OLD FRIENDS.
Antinahuel--the Tiger Sun--was at this time a man of about thirty-fiveyears of age. In stature he was tall, and in his carriage majestic;everything in his person announced a man accustomed to command, and madeto rule over his fellows. As a warrior, his reputation was immense,and his mosotones held him in superstitious veneration. Such was,physically, the man whom Dona Maria de Leon came to visit; what he was,morally, we shall soon see.
The cloth was laid in the toldo,--we make use of the expression, thecloth was laid, advisedly, because the Araucano chiefs are perfectlywell acquainted with European customs, and almost all possess dishes,plates, and silver spoons and forks. It is true, they only make use ofthese upon great occasions, and for the purpose of display; for, asto themselves, they carry frugality and plainness to an excess, andwhen they are alone with their families, are content to eat with theirfingers.
Dona Maria seated herself at the table, and made a sign to Antinahuel,who stood respectfully beside her, to keep her company, and to take hisplace opposite to her. It was clear to the Indian chief that his sister,as he called her, who for some years had completely neglected him, musthave been induced by some powerful interest to seek him thus in hisremote village. But what could the interest be which led a delicatewoman, accustomed to all the luxurious comforts of life, to undertake along and perilous journey in order to come and talk with an Indian in amiserable tolderia, hidden in the midst of the desert?
On her side, the young woman was a prey to still greater uneasiness,for she was anxious to discover whether, in spite of her neglect of thechief, she had preserved the boundless power she had formerly exercisedover that Indian nature, which civilization had softened rather thansubdued; she feared lest the long forgetfulness in which she had lefthim had made her lose her prestige in his eyes, and that coolness andindifference might have succeeded to the warm friendship of early days.
When the repast was ended, a peon brought in the _mate_[1] the infusionof the Paraguay herb which, with the Chilians, takes the place of tea,and of which they are very fond. Two chased cups, placed upon a filagreesalver, were presented to Dona Maria and the chief; they lit their maize_pajillos_, and smoked, whilst sipping their _mate_, reflectively. Aftera few minutes' silence, which was beginning to be embarrassing to both,Dona Maria, who perceived that Antinahuel was resolved to act on thedefensive, determined to open the attack.
"My brother," she said, with a smile, "is surprised at my sudden arrivalat his tolderia."
"It is true; the Eglantine of the Woods has appeared unexpectedlyamongst us, but she is not the less welcome on that account."
And he bowed.
"I am glad to observe that my brother is as gallant as ever."
"No; I love my sister, and I am happy to see her, after being so longdeprived of her presence."
"I know your friendship for me, Penni; our childhood was passedtogether, but it is a long time since that time. You are now one of thecaraskens, whilst I am only, as formerly, a poor woman."
"The Eglantine of the Woods is my sister, her least wishes shall alwaysbe sacred with me."
"Thanks, Penni! But let us drop this conversation, and talk of our earlyyears, which, alas! so quickly glided away."
"Yesterday exists no longer," he said, sententiously.
"That's true," she replied, with a sigh; "why, indeed, should we talk oftimes that can never come back?"
"Does my sister intend to return to Chili?"
"No; I have left Santiago for a time; I intend, for a season, to take upmy abode in Valdivia; I left my friends to continue their route, whilstI came on to pay my respects to my brother."
"Yes, I know that the man whom the palefaces call General Bustamente,though scarcely cured of a dangerous wound, set off, a month ago, tovisit the province of Valdivia, I, myself, intend shortly to visit thatcity."
"There are many palefaces from the South there at present."
"Among these strangers are there any that I know?"
"Good heavens! how can I tell? Yes, there is one, Don Tadeo, my husband."
Antinahuel raised his head in astonishment.
"I thought he had been shot!" he said.
"He was."
"Well?"
"He escaped death, though grievously wounded."
The artful woman endeavoured to read what impression the news she had socoolly imparted made upon the stoical face of the Indian.
"Listen to me, my sister," he resumed, after a minute's pause; "DonTadeo is still your enemy, is he not?"
"More so than ever."
"Good!"
"Not content with having basely abandoned me, and having torn from memy child, the innocent creature who alone consoled me and enabled me tosupport the sorrows with which he has overwhelmed me, he has crownedhis insults by publicly paying his addresses to another woman, whom hetakes with him everywhere, and who is at this moment his companion atValdivia."
"Hum!" the chief said, carelessly.
Accustomed to Araucanian manners, which permit every man to take as manywives as he can support, he found the action of Don Tadeo perfectlynatural. This did not escape Dona Maria: an ironical smile curled fora second the corners of her lips, and she continued, negligently, butlooking earnestly in the face of the chief--
"Yes, the woman is called, as I hear, Dona Rosario de Mendoz; and is,they say, a beautiful creature!"
That name, pronounced with such apparent indifference, produced theeffect of a clap of thunder upon the chief; he sprang up, his faceinflamed, and his eyes sparkling.
"Rosario de Mendoz, did you say, my sister?" he shouted.
"Good heavens! I hardly know," she replied. "I have only heard hername--I believe that may be it--but," she added, "what interest can mybrother take in it?"
"Oh! none," he said, as he quietly resumed his seat. "Why does not mysister avenge herself upon the man who has abandoned her?"
"To what purpose? and, besides, what vengeance can I hope for? I am buta weak and timid woman, without friends, without support; in short,alone."
"And I?" said the chief; "what am I, then?"
"Oh!" she replied, warmly; "I would not on any account that my brothershould constitute himself the avenger of an insult which is personal tomyself."
"My sister is mistaken; in attacking this man I avenge my own insult."
"My brother must explain himself--I do not understand him."
"That is what I am going to do."
"I am all attention."
At this moment Antinahuel's mother entered the toldo, and, approachingthe chief, said in a humble, but sad tone,--
"My son is wrong in thus recalling old remembrances, and opening ancientwounds again."
"Woman!" the Indian replied, "Retire! I am a warrior! My father left mea vengeance. I have sworn, and I will accomplish my oath!"
The poor mother left the toldo with a sigh. The Linda, whose curiositywas excited to the highest degree, awaited impatiently the chief'sexplanation. Without, the rain fell pattering upon the leaves of thetrees; at intervals a blast of night wind, loaded with uncertain sounds,came whistling through the ill-joined boards of the toldo, and causedthe flame of the torch which lighted it to waver unsteadily. The twospeakers, though absorbed in their own reflections, involuntarily lentan ear to these nameless sounds, and felt a depression of spirits theycould not account for. The chief raised his head, and inhaling, oneafter another, several mouthfuls of smoke from his pajillo, which hepuffed out brusquely, commenced in a low voice,--
"Although my sister is almost a child of the nation, as my mother nursedher, she has never been made acquainted with the history of my family.The history I am about to relate will reveal to her that I have againstDon Tadeo de Leon an old hatred, ever kept alive; and which, if I haveto the present moment appeared to allow to slumber, it has been becausethat man was the husband of my sister: the conduct of Don Tadeo towardsmy sister frees me from the promise I had made myself, and leaves meliber
ty of action."
Dona Maria bowed assentingly.
"When the vile Spaniards," he continued, "conquered Chili, and reducedits cowardly inhabitants to slavery, they dreamt of subjugatingAraucania in its turn, and marched against the Aucas, whose frontiersthey violated. My sister sees that I take up my recital from thebeginning. The Toqui Cadegual was one of the first to convoke a grandcouncil of the nation, on the plain of the Carampangue. Named Toqui, oneof the four Uthal-Mapus, he gave battle to the palefaces. The conflictwas terrible! It lasted from the rising to the setting of the sun. ManyMolucho warriors departed for the happy prairies of the Eskennane, butPillian did not abandon the Aucas; they were conquerors, and the Chiaplofled like timid hares before the terrible lances of our warriors.Numbers of palefaces fell into our hands; among them was a powerfulchief, named Don Estevan de Leon. The Toqui Cadegual might have employedhis rights, and have killed him, but he did nothing of the kind: so farfrom it, he led him to his toldo, and treated him with kindness, as abrother. But when did Spaniards ever show themselves grateful for akindness? Don Estevan, forgetful of the sacred duties of hospitality,seduced the daughter of the man to whom he owed his life, and, oneday, disappeared with her. The grief of the Toqui was immense at thisunworthy and disloyal treachery. He swore to wage from that time apitiless war against the palefaces, and he kept his oath: all Spaniardstaken by them, whatever their age or sex, were massacred. These terriblereprisals were just, were they not?"
"Yes," said the Linda laconically.
"One day, Cadegual, surprised by his ferocious enemies, fell, coveredwith wounds, into their hands, after a heroic resistance, during whichall his brave Mosotones had allowed themselves to be killed by his side.In his turn, as it happened, Cadegual was in the power of Don Estevan deLeon. The Spanish chief recollected the man who had, years before, savedhis life. He was merciful. After cutting off the hands, and scooping outthe eyes of his prisoner, he restored to him his daughter, of whom hewas tired, and sent him back to his nation. The Toqui was led back byhis child, whom he pardoned. When he joined his tribe, Cadegual calledtogether his relations, related to them what he had suffered, showedthem his bleeding and mutilated arms, and, after having made his sonsand all his relations swear to avenge him, he allowed himself to die ofhunger, that he might not survive his shame."
"Oh, that is frightful!" Dona Maria cried, affected, in spite of herself.
"That is nothing yet!" the chief resumed, with a bitter smile; "letmy sister listen to the sequel. From that time, an implacable destinyhas always hung over the two families, and continually brought thedescendants of the Toqui Cadegual in contact with those of CaptainDon Estevan de Leon. During three centuries, this ardent, inveteratestruggle has lasted between the two families, and will never terminatebut by the extinction of one, or perhaps both of them. Up to the presenttime, the advantage has almost always been on the side of the Leons;the sons of the Toqui have very often been conquered, but they havealways remained firm and implacable, ready to re-commence the combat atthe first signal. At the present day, the family of Don Estevan has butone representative, Don Tadeo--a representative formidable through hiscourage, his fortune, and the immense influence, he exercises over hiscompatriots. He, personally, has never injured the Aucas; he seems evento be ignorant of the inveterate hatred which exists between his familyand that of the Toqui; but the descendants of Cadegual do not forgetit: they are strong, numerous, and powerful in their turn; the hourof vengeance has struck, they will not let it escape! My sister," hecontinued, in a voice almost rising to a shout; "my sister, my ancestorwas the Toqui Cadegual, and I thank you for having warned me that notonly my enemy is not dead, but that he is within my reach!"
"Your mother asked you properly, Penni, why should you revive oldhatreds? Peace now reigns between the Chilians and the Aucas: letmy brother beware; the whites are numerous; they have many warlike,disciplined soldiers."
"Oh," he replied, with a sinister look; "I am sure of succeeding, for Ihave my nymph."
Indians of high rank all entertain a firm belief that they have afamiliar genius, who is bound to obey them.
Dona Maria feigned to yield to this reason; she had succeeded in puttingthe hunter upon the scent of the game she wished to destroy, and it wasof very little importance to her what motive made him obey her. She knewperfectly well that the hatred alleged by the chief was nothing but apretext, and that the real cause remained hidden in the depths of hisheart. Although she had a clear idea of what it was, she affected not tohave the least suspicion of it.
She continued talking with Antinahuel for some time longer aboutindifferent subjects, and then retired to a chamber which had beenprepared for her. It was late, and she wished to set out for Valdivia atdaybreak. She was sufficiently well acquainted with the companion of herchildhood to know that, now the tiger was roused, it would not be longbefore he started in quest of the prey which she had marked down for him.
As for the Toqui, the whole night passed away without his thinking oftaking a moment's repose; he remained plunged in profound and agitatingreflections.
[1] The Chilians borrowed the mate from the Araucanos, who think it agreat delicacy, and have a particular talent for making it. This is themanner in which they prepare it:--They put into a coffee cup a spoonfulof the Paraguay herb, to which they add a lump of sugar, which theyleave upon the fire till it is a little burnt; they squeeze a few dropsof lemon juice into it, with some cinnamon and a clove; they then fillthe cup up with boiling water. The mate being now ready, they introducea silver tube of the thickness of a quill, pierced with small holes atits lower end, by means of which the mate is drawn up,--at the risk,be it remembered, of horribly scalding the mouth, as always happens tostrangers when they first partake of the luxury, to the great amusementof the Chilians. Drinking mate is so common in Chili, as to be whatcoffee is in the East; it is taken after every repast, and presented toevery visitor. In ceremonial parties, a single tube serves for all thepersons assembled.