CHAPTER XXXIX.
THE BLACK SERPENTS.
As soon as Curumilla and Valentine had been awakened, they saddledthe horses, then the Indians sat down by the fire, making a sign tothe Frenchmen to imitate them. The count was driven to despair by theslowness of his friends; if he had only listened to his own feelings,he would have instantly set out in pursuit of the ravishers; but hecould not help seeing how necessary the support of the Ulmens must beto him in the decisive struggle he was about to undertake, whether forattack, defence, or following the track of the Aucas.
After a tolerably long interval, employed by our four personages inconscientiously burning their tobacco leaf, the last, Trangoil-Lanecspoke--
"The warriors are numerous," he said, "therefore we cannot hope toconquer by force. Since we have been upon their track many events musthave occurred; we ought to ascertain what Antinahuel means to do withhis prisoners, and whether they are really in danger. Antinahuel isignorant of the ties which connect me with those who are in his power,he will not suspect me."
"Very well!" said Curumilla, "my brother is prudent, he will succeed.But let him carefully calculate his actions and his words whilst he isamongst them."
Valentine looked at his foster brother with astonishment.
"What does all this mean?" he asked. "Is Antinahuels track found again?"
"Yes, brother," Louis replied, in a melancholy tone, "Dona Rosario andher father are within half a league of us, and in danger of death!"
"Vive Dieu!" the young man cried, "and we are here prating."
"Alas!" Louis murmured, "what can four men do against fifty?"
"That is too true," he replied, returning dejectedly to his place. "AsTrangoil-Lanec says, fighting will not avail us, we must manoeuvre."
"Chief," Louis observed, "your plan is good, but I think of twomaterial ameliorations."
"My brother can speak, he is wise," Trangoil-Lanec replied, bowingcourteously.
"We must provide against all that may happen. Go to the camp, we willfollow your steps; but if you cannot rejoin us as quickly as we maywish, agree upon a signal which may inform us why, and agree also uponanother signal in case your life may be in danger."
"Very well," said Curumilla; "if the chief requires our presence, hewill imitate the cry of the water-hawk; if he is obliged to remain withthe Aucas the song of the goldfinch will warn us of it."
"That is settled," Trangoil-Lanec answered; "but what is my brother'ssecond observation?"
The count rummaged in his haversack, took out some paper, wrote a fewwords upon a sheet, which he folded and handed to the chief, saying--
"It is particularly important that those whom we wish to deliver shouldnot thwart our plans; perhaps Don Tadeo may not recognise my brother.The chief will slip this necklace into the hands of the young palewoman."
"That shall be done; the young blue-eyed maiden shall have thenecklace, the chief replied with a smile.
"Well, now," said Curumilla, "let us take the track."
"Yes, time presses," said Valentine.
Towards the evening of the second day, Trangoil-Lanec, leaving hiscompanions to establish their encampment upon the declivity of a littlehill, at the entrance of a natural grotto, clapped spurs to his horse,and was soon out of sight. He directed his course towards the spotwhere the Black Serpents had stopped for the night--a spot announcedto the clear-sighted Indian by a thin thread of white smoke. When hearrived at a certain distance from the camp, the chief saw two IndianBlack Serpents suddenly spring up before him, clothed in their warcostume.
"Where is my brother going?" one of the Black Serpents asked, advancingtowards him.
"Good!" the chief replied, throwing his gun, which he held in his lefthand, on his shoulder. "Trangoil-Lanec has recognised the trail of hisbrothers the Black Serpents, and he wishes to smoke at their fire."
"My brother will follow me," the Indian remarked.
He made an imperceptible sign to his companion, who quitted his hidingplace. Trangoil-Lanec followed them, casting around an apparentlycareless glance. In a few minutes they reached the camp, whosesituation was admirably chosen.
The arrival of the warrior created a stir in the camp, which was,however, quickly repressed. Trangoil-Lanec was conducted into thepresence of the chief, and as his reputation was high among hiscompatriots, Antinahuel, to do him honour, received him in the mostelevated part or the camp. The two chiefs saluted each other.
"Is my brother Antinahuel hunting with his young men?" askedTrangoil-Lanec.
"Yes," the Toqui replied, laconically.
"Has my brother been fortunate in his hunting?"
"Very fortunate," said Antinahuel, with a sinister smile; "let mybrother open his eyes."
"Wah!" said Trangoil-Lanec, "palefaces! My brother has had good sportindeed; he will get a heavy ransom for his prisoners."
"The toldo of Antinahuel is solitary--he wants a squaw to inhabit it."
"Good! I understand; my brother will take one of the pale women."
"The blue-eyed maiden will be the wife of a chief."
"Wah! but why does my brother detain the Great Eagle?"
Antinahuel only replied by a smile, the expression of which the chiefcould not mistake.
"Oh, good!" he rejoined; "my brother is a great chief--who is able tofathom his thoughts?"
The Araucano warrior rose, quitted Antinahuel, and walked about thecamp, the order and position of which he feigned to admire, but inreality he drew nearer and nearer, in an almost imperceptible manner,to that part at which the prisoners were seated.
"Let my brother look," Antinahuel said, pointing to Dona Rosario; "doesnot that woman deserve to espouse a chief?"
"She is pretty!" Trangoil-Lanec replied, coldly; "But I would give allthe palefaces in the world for one bottle of such firewater as I havehere."
"Has my brother some firewater?" Antinahuel asked, whose eyes sparkledat the thought.
"Yes," the chief replied; "look!"
The Toqui turned round, and the Aucas profited by the movement tocleverly let fall upon Rosario's lap the paper committed to his chargeby Louis.
"Look!" he said "the sun is sinking, the maukawis is singing his firstevening song; my brother will follow me, he and his warriors will emptythese bottles."
The two chiefs walked away, and a few minutes after all the Indianswere satisfactorily employed in emptying the bottles brought by theUlmen.
Dona Rosario could not at first imagine what a message sent to her insuch a curious manner could mean, and she looked at her father.
"Read, my Rosario!" Don Tadeo said, softly.
The young girl tremblingly took the note, opened it, and read it witha secret joy. It contained only these few laconic words, but they weresufficient to cause a smile.
"Take courage, senorita, we are preparing everything for saving you atlast."
After having read, or rather devoured these words, she gave the note toher father.
"Who can this friend be who is watching over us? What can he do?"
"Why should we doubt the infinite goodness of God, my child?" said DonTadeo. "Ungrateful girl! Have you forgotten the two brave Frenchmen?"
The young girl smiled through her tears, leaning fondly upon her father.
The Linda could not suppress a feeling of jealousy at this caress ofwhich she had no share; but the hope that her daughter would soon beliberated, rendered her quite happy.
In the meantime the Indians continued drinking. Many of the Aucas werein a helpless state of intoxication. Trangoil-Lanec and Antinahuel wereat length the only drinkers. But even the strength of the renownedToqui was not of avail against the insidious poison he quaffed sogreedily; his eyes closed, and he fell backwards--fast asleep.
Trangoil-Lanec waited for a few moments, carefully surveying the campin which he and the prisoners were the only persons awake; then, whenhe had ascertained to a certainty that the Black Serpents had reallyallowed themselves to be caught in the snare he had laid fo
r them, herose cautiously, made a sign of encouragement to the prisoners, anddisappeared into the forest.
"Is that an enemy or a friend?" murmured the Linda anxiously.
"Oh, I have long known that man!" replied Don Tadeo; "his is a nobleheart! He is devoted body and soul to our friends."