CHAPTER TWELVE.
THE DIADEM.
Chagrined at the result, the traveller had no course left but to returnto the place where he had left his horse. He was now in a worsepredicament than ever; since it had become dark, and it would bedifficult not only to find a path, but to follow it when found. Themoon, however, had already risen, or rather had been all the while abovethe horizon, but hidden by a thick band of cumulus clouds that hung overthe west. As the clouds did not cover the whole canopy, and it waslikely that the moon would soon be visible, the traveller saw that hehad no other resource than to wait: in hopes that by her light he mightextricate himself from the difficulty into which his mischances hadguided him.
On arriving where he had left his horse, Don Rafael sat down upon afallen tree; and, lighting a cigar, awaited the appearance of the moon.He knew he should not have long to wait, for the yellow sheen, whichbetokened the situation of the luminary of night, was at no greatdistance from the edge of the cloud.
He had not been seated more than a few seconds, when a singular soundfell upon his ear. It was not the rushing noise of the cascade--for tothat he had been accustomed for some time--but a sound that resembledthe scream of some wild animal, ending in a hoarse and fiercely intonedroaring. He had heard it once or twice before; and although he couldtell that it was not the howl of the coyote, he knew not what sort ofcreature was causing it.
Despite his ignorance of the cause, there was something in the soundthat denoted danger; and, instinctively influenced by this idea, theyoung officer rose from his seat upon the log; and, untying his horse,leaped into the saddle. It was not with the intention of moving awayfrom the spot--for the moon was not visible as yet--but with theknowledge that on horseback he would be the better prepared for anyevent that might arise. Still further to provide against possibledanger, he unbuckled the strap of his carbine, and tried whether thepiece was primed and in order. Don Rafael, although young, had seensome military service on the northern frontier of Mexico--where Indianwarfare had taught him the wisdom of keeping habitually upon his guard.
Again he heard the wild lugubrious scream rising above the roar of thewaters; and perceived that his horse, hearing it also, trembled betweenhis thighs!
Coupling the sound with the strange spectacle to which he had just beena witness, the young officer could not help feeling a slight sensationof fear. He was a Creole, brought up consequently in the midst ofecclesiastical superstition, scarce less monstrous and absurd than thatof pure paganism itself. He had heard in his youth how animals inpresence of beings of the other world are seized with a shivering--suchas that exhibited at the moment by his own horse--and he could almostfancy that the scene he had just witnessed was some evocation of thePrince of Darkness, to which the lugubrious sounds now reaching him werethe response.
But Don Rafael was one of those bold spirits whom fear may visit but notsubdue; and he remained immobile in his saddle, without showing anyfurther symptoms of apprehension than by the twitching of his lipsagainst his cigar, the light of which at intervals gleamed like a meteorthrough the darkness.
While thus patiently waiting the moonlight, the horseman fancied that heheard other sounds, and of a different import. Human voices theyappeared to be; and it at once occurred to him, that it might be the twomen whom he had disturbed and driven from their incantations. Thevoices were each moment more distinctly uttered; and it was evident thatthe speakers were approaching him. He perceived that it was probablethey would come out somewhere near where he was stationed; and in orderto have the advantage of a preliminary survey, in case they might turnout to be enemies, he drew his horse back under the darker shadow of thetrees--placing himself in such a position that he commanded a view ofthe path.
The voices he heard were in reality those of the Indian and negro orCostal and Clara: for it need scarce be told that it was they who werethe heroes of the mysterious spectacle of which Don Rafael had been thesole spectator.
The two worthies, on being interrupted in their pagan ceremony by theshower of pebbles, had given up the performance; and were now threadingtheir way through the thicket to reach the road beyond it.
The Indian was venting his wrath against the unknown personage who hadintruded upon their sacred devotions, and who had very probably hinderedthe Siren of the dishevelled hair from showing herself. The negroappeared to be equally indignant; but his anger was probably onlypretended.
"Is it only at the first appearance of a new moon that the Siren showsherself?" inquired Clara, as if the opportunity for seeing her hadescaped them.
"Of course," replied Costal, "only then; but if there is a profaneperson in the neighbourhood--and by profane I mean a _white_--the spiritwill not appear."
"Perhaps she is afraid of the Inquisition?" naively suggested the negro.
"Bah! Clara, you're a ninny! Why the devil should you suppose that thepowerful divinity of the waters has any fear of long-robed monks? It isthey, more likely, who would have cause to tremble in her presence, andprostrate themselves before her."
"_Carrambo_! if she's afraid to show herself before one white man, morereason why she should fear a whole host of monks--who, it must beconfessed, are ugly enough to frighten anything."
"May the devil drown the man who interrupted us!" cried Costal, renderedthe more indignant by the justice of the negro's reasoning. "A fewminutes more, and I am certain the Siren would have showed herself."
"Why did you extinguish the fire so soon? I think, friend Costal, youdid wrong in that," remonstrated Clara.
"I did it to hide from the eyes of the profane white man the mysteryabout to be accomplished. Besides, I knew after what happened there wasno chance of her appearing."
"So you really think it was some one who disturbed us?"
"I am sure of it."
"And is that how you account for the shower of stones?"
"Of course."
"By my faith, then," said the negro in a serious tone, "I differ withyou in opinion about that."
"You do? And what is your opinion about it?" inquired Costal, stoppingand turning his eyes upon his companion.
"I would stake my life upon it," replied the negro, still speakingseriously, "that while you were dancing around the rock, I saw theSiren."
"Saw the Siren?"
"Yes. Just where we had been--up by the _ahuehuetes_--I saw by theblaze of our fire a face, surrounded by a diadem of shining gold. Whatcould that have been but the Siren?"
"You must have been mistaken, friend Clara."
"I was not mistaken. I saw what I tell you, and I shouldn't a bitwonder that what we took for pebbles were neither more nor less than ashower of _pepitas_ (nuggets) of gold, which the spirit had thrown downto us."
"_Carajo_! why did you allow us to leave the place without telling me ofthis?"
"Because it has just occurred to me now that it was _pepitas_, and notpebbles; besides, our touchwood is all gone, and we could not havekindled another fire."
"We might have groped in the dark."
"Nonsense, friend Costal! How could we tell grains of gold from gravelor anything else in the midst of such darkness as there is down here.Besides, if I came away, it was only with the thought of returningagain. We can come back in the morning at daybreak."
"Aha!" cried Costal, suddenly starting with an alarmed air, and strikinghis forehead with his hand. "We shan't return here to-morrow morning._Carrai_! I had forgotten; we shall do well to get out of this ravineas quickly as possible."
"Why so?" hastily inquired the black, astounded beyond measure at thealtered demeanour of his companion.
"_Carrai_! I had forgotten," said Costal, repeating his words."To-night is new moon; and it is just at this season that the riversrise, break over their banks, and inundate the whole country. Yes! theflood will come upon us like an avalanche, and almost without warning.Ha! I do believe that is the warning now! Do you not hear a distanthissing sound?" And as he said this the Indian bent his head a
nd stoodlistening.
"The cascade, is it not?"
"No--it is very different--it is a distant sound, and I can distinguishit from the roar of the river. I am almost certain it is theinundation."
"Heaven have mercy upon us!" exclaimed the black. "What are we to do?"
"Oh! make your mind easy," rejoined Costal in a consolatory tone. "Weare not in much danger. Once out of the ravine, we can climb a tree.If the flood should find us here, it would be all over with us."
"_Por Dios_! let us make haste then," said Clara, "and get out of thisaccursed place, fit only for demons and tigers!"
A few steps more brought the two adventurers out into the open ground;and close to the spot where the dragoon captain was sitting silently onhis horse. The red coal glowing at the end of his cigar shone atintervals in the darkness, lighting up his face, and the gold band oflace that encircled his hat. Clara was the first to perceive thisunexpected apparition.
"Look, Costal!" said he, hastily grasping his companion by the arm, andwhispering in his ear; "look there! As I live, the diadem of theSiren!"
The Indian turned his eyes in the direction indicated, and there, sureenough, beheld something of a circular shape, shining in the glow of areddish-coloured spot of fire.
He might have been as much puzzled to account for this strangeappearance as was his companion; but at that moment the moon shot upfrom behind the bank of clouds that had hitherto hindered her from beingseen, and the figures of both horse and rider were brought fully intothe light.