CHAPTER XXXII.
AFTER THE BATTLE.
For some time the young men followed at a distance the march of theChilian army, which advanced slowly, though in good order, towards theBio Bio. They crossed, at a foot's pace, the plain where the day beforethe sanguinary battle had been fought between the Indians and theChilians.
"Why do we not hasten to quit this accursed place?" Valentine asked.
"We have a duty to fulfil," Louis replied solemnly.
"A duty to fulfil?" said Valentine.
"Yes," the young me continued, "would you leave our poor Joan withoutsepulture?"
"Thank you for having reminded me of it; oh, you are better than I am,you forget nothing."
"Do not calumniate yourself."
In a short time they arrived at the spot where Joan and GeneralBustamente had fallen. The foster brothers remained for a few instants,drew their sabres and dug a deep hole, in which they buried the twoenemies.
"Farewell!" said Valentine. "Farewell, Joan! Sleep in peace, at thespot where you valiantly fought; the remembrance of you will not beeasily effaced."
"Farewell, Joan!" said the count, in his turn. "Sleep in peace, goodfriend."
Caesar had watched with intelligent attention the movements of hismasters; at this moment he placed his forepaws upon the grave, smeltthe earth, and then gave two lugubrious howls.
The young men felt their spirits very much depressed; they remountedtheir horses silently, and after having taken one last farewell look atthe spot where the brave Araucano lay, they departed.
They had by degrees diverged a little towards the right to get nearerto the mountains and were following a narrow path traced along therather sharp descent of a wooded hill. Caesar suddenly pricked up hisears, and sprang forward, wagging his tail.
"We are getting near," said Louis.
"Yes," Valentine replied, laconically.
They soon reached a place where the path formed a bend, round whichthe Newfoundland disappeared. After passing this elbow, the Frenchmensuddenly found themselves in front of a fire, before which a quarterof a guanaco was roasting; two men, reclined upon the grass at a shortdistance, were smoking comfortably, whilst Caesar, gravely seated onhis tail, followed with a jealous eye the progress of the cooking ofthe guanaco. These two men were Curumilla and Trangoil-Lanec. At thesight of their friends, the Frenchmen dismounted. Valentine led thehorses up to those of the Indians, hobbled them, unsaddled them, andgave them some provender; then he took his place by the fire. Not aword had been exchanged between the four men.
"Well?" Trangoil-Lanec asked, at length.
"The battle has been a fierce one," Valentine replied.
"I know it has," said the Indian, shaking his head; "the Araucanos areconquered; I saw them flying."
"They supported a bad cause," observed Curumilla.
"They are our brothers," Trangoil-Lanec said.
Curumilla bowed his head at this reproach.
"He who placed arms in their hands is dead," said Valentine.
"Good! And does my brother know the name of the warrior who killed him?"
"Yes, I know it," Valentine said mournfully.
"Let my brother tell me that name that I may keep it in my memory."
"Joan, our friend, killed that man."
"That is true," said Curumilla; "but why is not Joan here?"
"My brothers will never see Joan again," said Valentine.
The two chiefs exchanged a look of sorrow.
"He had a noble heart," they murmured.
"Yes," added Valentine; "and he was a friend."
A short silence ensued; then the two chiefs suddenly rose and wenttowards their horses, without speaking a word.
"Where are our brothers going?" the count asked.
"To give sepulture to a warrior; the body of Joan must not become theprey of urubus," Trangoil-Lanec replied, gravely.
"My brothers can take their places again," Louis said.
The chiefs re-seated themselves silently.
"Do Trangoil-Lanec and Curumilla know their brothers so ill," Louiscontinued, "as to suppose they would leave the body of a friend withoutsepulture? Joan was buried by us before we rejoined our brothers."
"Good!" said Trangoil-Lanec.
"The Muruches are not Huincas," Curumilla said.
"But a great misfortune has happened to us," Louis continuedsorrowfully; "Don Tadeo, our dearest friend--"
"Well?" Curumilla interrupted.
"He is dead," said Valentine; "he was killed in the battle yesterday."
"Is my brother certain of what he states?"
"At least I suppose so, as his body has not been found."
"Let my brothers be consoled," said the Ulmen; "the Great Eagle of theWhites is not dead."
"Does the chief know that?" the two young men exclaimed in a breath.
"I do know it," replied Trangoil-Lanec. "Let my brothers listen.Curumilla and I are chiefs in our tribe; if our opinions prevented usfrom fighting for Antinahuel, they prevented us also from bearing armsagainst our nation. Our friends wished to go and join the Great Eagle;we left them to act as they pleased. They wished to protect a friend;they were right. We allowed them to go; but after their departure wethought of the young maiden of the palefaces, and we reflected that ifthe Aucas lost the battle, the maiden, according to the orders of theToqui, would be the first placed in safety; in consequence we squattedamong the bushes by the side of the road which, according to allprobability, the mosotones would take when flying with their charge.The battle lasted long; as they always do, the Aucas died bravely."
"You may justly be proud of them, chief," Valentine exclaimed warmly.
"For that reason they are called Aucas--free men," repliedTrangoil-Lanec.
"Suddenly a noise like thunder struck our ears, and between twenty andthirty mosotones passed by us like the wind. They took with them twowomen; one was the viper face, and the other the blue-eyed maiden."
"Oh!" the count exclaimed.
"A few minutes later," Trangoil-Lanec continued, "another troop, muchmore numerous than the first, arrived with equal swiftness; this wasled by Antinahuel in person."
"He is wounded," Valentine observed.
"By his side galloped the Great Eagle of the Whites."
"Was he wounded?" Louis asked, anxiously.
"No, he carried himself upright."
"Oh! if he is not dead, we will save him."
"Save him? Yes, Don Valentine."
"When shall we take the track?"
"At daybreak. We will save the daughter, and we will deliver thefather," said Trangoil-Lanec.
"Good, chief," Valentine replied with delight; "I am happy to hear youspeak so; all is not lost yet."
"Far from it," said the Ulmen.
"Now, my brothers, that we feel reassured," Louis observed, "if youwill take my advice, we will enjoy a few hours of repose."