CHAPTER XXVI.
THE END OF DON RAMON'S JOURNEY.
In the meantime Don Ramon had left Valdivia. This time the senatorwas alone--alone with his horse, a poor, lean, half-foundered beast,which hobbled along with its head and ears down, and appeared in allpoints to harmonise with the sad thoughts which doubtless occupied itsmaster's mind.
The future by no means appeared to him pleasant. He had left Valdiviaunder a threat of death; at every step he expected to be aimed at bysome invisible gun. Being conscious that he could not impose upon theenemies, doubtless disseminated over his route, by any appearanceof strength or power, he determined to impose upon them by hisweakness--that is to say, he got rid of all his arms. At a few leaguesdistance from Valdivia he had been passed by Joan. Don Ramon watchedhim for a long time with a look of envy.
"What happy fellows these Indians are!" he grumbled; "the desertbelongs to them. Ah!" he added, with a sigh; "if I were but at CasaAzul."
Casa Azul was the senator's quinta--that quinta with white walls, greenblinds, and leafy bowers, which he so much regretted having left in amoment of silly ambition, and which he never hoped to see again. Whenhe passed by a wood, or along a narrow way between two mountains, hecast terrified glances around him, and entered the suspicious passage,murmuring--
"This is where they are waiting for me!"
And when the wood was passed, and the dangerous lane cleared, insteadof felicitating himself upon being still safe and sound, he said, witha shake of the head--
"Hum! the Picaros! they know very well I cannot escape them, and theyare playing with me as a cat does with a mouse."
And yet two days had passed away without a mishap, nothing had occurredto corroborate the senator's suspicions and uneasiness. He had thatmorning crossed the ford of the Carampangne, and was drawing near tothe Bio Bio which he hoped to reach by sunset.
But the Bio Bio had to be crossed, and there lay the difficulty. Theriver has but one ford, a little above Concepcion. The senator knew itperfectly well but a secret presentiment told him not to approach it.Unfortunately Don Ramon had no choice, he could take no other road.
The senator hesitated as long as Caesar did at the famous passage ofthe Rubicon; at length, as there were no means of doing otherwise, DonRamon very unwillingly spurred on his horse, and advanced towards theford, recommending himself to the protection of all the saints of theSpanish golden legend.
The horse was tired, but the smell of the water renovated its strength,and it cantered gaily on with the infallible instinct of these noblebeasts, without pausing in the inextricable windings which crossedeach other in the high grass. Although the river was not yet visible,Don Ramon could hear the roaring of the waters. He was passing by,at the moment, a dark hill, from the thickly-wooded sides of whichproceeded, at intervals, sounds which he could not make out. The animaltoo, as much alarmed as its master, pricked up its ears and redoubledits speed. Don Ramon scarcely ventured to breathe, and looked in alldirections with the greatest terror. He was close to the ford, whensuddenly a rough voice smote his ear and rendered him as motionlessas if he had been changed into a block of marble. Half a score Indianwarriors surrounded him on all sides; these warriors were commanded byBlack Stag.
It was a strange circumstance, but when the first moment of terrorwas past, the senator completely recovered himself--now that he knewwhat he had to trust to, the danger which he had so long dreaded wasbefore him, but less terrific than he had supposed it to be. BlackStag examined him carefully, and at length placed his hand upon thebridle of his horse, saying, as he endeavoured to recall a half-effacedremembrance--
"It seems to me that I have seen the paleface somewhere?"
"To be sure," the senator replied; "we are old friends."
"I am not the friend of the Huincas," the Indian said, sternly.
"I mean," Don Ramon corrected himself, "we are old acquaintances."
"Good! what is the Chiapla doing here?"
"Hum!" the senator said; "I am doing nothing."
"Let the paleface reply clearly; a chief is questioning him," BlackStag said, frowning.
"I ask no better," Don Ramon replied, in a conciliating tone. "Questionme."
"Where is the paleface going?"
"Where am I going? When you stopped me I was preparing to cross the BioBio."
"Good! And when you had crossed the Bio Bio?"
"Oh, then I should have hastened to gain my quinta, which I am verysorry I ever quitted."
"Doubtless the paleface is charged with some mission?"
"Who, I?" said the senator, in the most careless way possible; "Who doyou think would charge me with a mission?"
"Good! Where is the necklace?"
"What necklace do you mean?"
"The one which you have to deliver to the chief of Concepcion."
"Who! I?"
"Yes, you."
"I have none."
"My brother speaks well: Aucas warriors are not women, they know how todiscover what is hidden."
Any resistance was impossible, and if it had not been, Don Ramon wasnot the man to have attempted it; hence he obeyed, and his horse wasled away.
"The paleface will follow me," Black Stag commanded.
"Hum!" said Don Ramon, "where are you going?"
"To the Toqui and the Great Eagle of the Whites."
"Oh, dear! oh, dear!" said Don Ramon to himself.
The warriors led their prisoner among the coppice. After a short ascentthey arrived at the camp. General Bustamente and Antinahuel wereconversing as they walked about.
"What have you there?" asked the general.
"A prisoner," Black Stag replied.
"Eh, what!" said the general, "it is my honourable friend, Don Ramon!"
"Yes--worse luck--"
"How can that be? Were you not seeking me?"
"God forbid!" the senator cried.
"Look there, now; why, then, where were you going alone thus?"
"I was going to my own home."
The general and Antinahuel exchanged a few words.
"Come with us, Don Ramon," the general rejoined, "the Toqui wishes tohave some conversation."
"With pleasure," said Don Ramon; and cursing his evil star he followedthe two men into the toldo.
The warriors who had brought the senator remained without, to executethe orders they might receive.
"You said," the general continued, as soon as they were in the toldo,"that you were going home at Casa Azul."
"Yes, general."
"Why that sigh? nothing that I am aware of will be opposed to thecontinuation of your journey."
"Do you mean that?" the senator exclaimed.
"Hum! that depends entirely upon yourself."
"How so?"
"Deliver up to the Toqui the order which Don Tadeo de Leon has chargedyou."
"What order do you mean, general?"
"Why, the one you probably have."
"You are mistaken, general; I am not charged with any mission toGeneral Fuentes, I am sure."
"And yet the Toqui asserts the contrary."
"This man lies; he must have a necklace," said Antinahuel.
"It is very easy to ascertain that." said the general, coolly. "BlackStag, my friend, please to have this caballero suspended by the thumbsto the next tree."
The senator shuddered.
"I beg you to observe," the general continued, "that we do not committhe rudeness of searching you."
"But I assure you I have no order."
"Bah! and I am certain you will find one--there is nothing like beingsuspended by the thumbs."
"Come," said Black Stag.
The senator bounded away from him with fear.
"Well, I think I recollect----" he stammered.
"There, you see."
"That I am the bearer of a letter."
"Just as I said you were."
"But I am ignorant of its contents."
"Caramba! that is very likely."
&n
bsp; "Well, to General Fuentes, I suppose. But if I give you up the papershall I be free?" he asked.
"Hum! the position is changed. If you had given it up with a good graceI could have guaranteed your freedom."
"Still!"
"Come, give it to me."
"Here it is," said the senator, drawing it from his bosom.
The general took the paper, ran his eye rapidly over it, then drawingAntinahuel to the other extremity of the toldo, they talked togetherfor some minutes in a low voice. At length the general turned towardsthe senator.
"Unhappy fool!" he said, sternly; "Is it thus you betray me, after theproofs of friendship I have given you?"
"I assure you, general--" the other began.
"Silence, you miserable spy!" the general replied; "You wished to sellme to my enemies, but God has not permitted the execution of so black aproject."
The senator was annihilated.
"Take away this man," said Antinahuel.
The poor wretch struggled in vain in the hands of the Indian warriors,who seized him roughly, and dragged him out of the toldo, in spite ofhis cries and tears. Black Stag led them to the foot of an enormousespino, whose thick branches formed a wide shadow on the hill. Whenthey arrived there, Don Ramon made a last and powerful effort, escapedfrom the hands of his surprised guards, and darted away like a madmanup the steep acclivity of the mountain.
But this wild race lasted only a few minutes, and quite exhausted hisstrength. When the Indian warriors overtook him, which they easily did,terror had already nearly killed him. The warriors placed the nooseof a lasso round his neck, and then threw it up over the principalbranch of the espino. But he was dead when they hanged him--fright hadkilled him. It was written that poor Don Ramon Sandias, the victim of afoolish ambition, should never see Casa Azul again.