The Queen of the Savannah: A Story of the Mexican War

by Gustave Aimard

  CHAPTER XXXV.

  IN THE FIELD.

  The duty confided to Moonshine by General Cardenas was not difficult tocarry out. The track of the Mexicans was clearly marked on the ground,and the hunter suspected that the bargain the general had proposedto him was merely a pretext, and that in reality he wished to keephim by his side, in order to punish him if he had laid a trap for theSpaniards. Still the couple continued to gallop side by side, talkingpleasantly and apparently well satisfied with each other. The day wassplendid, the sky blue, and the sun dazzling; the leaves, washed by therain, were greener and dew laden; the night storm had refreshed theatmosphere, and the hot sunbeams incessantly drawing out the moisture,made the earth smoke like the mouth of a crater; the birds twitteredbeneath the foliage, the squirrels leapt from branch to branch, and attimes elks and antelopes, awakened by the sound of the horses, roseamid the lofty grass, looked around them timidly, and then bounded offin all directions. Men and horses unconsciously underwent the influenceof the scene; they eagerly inhaled the air impregnated with the sharpscent of flowers and plants, and felt happy at living.

  "On my honour," said the general, "give me the country. It is pleasantto breathe the fresh air, when you have been confined within stonewalls for several days."

  "Yes, you are right, General," the Canadian answered, joyously; "lifeis splendid in the desert; existence in town is ridiculous. Men weregreat asses for inventing them, and restricting their horizon,when they had space and liberty before them. Deuce take towns. Thehandsomest house is not worth the blade of grass that shelters thegrasshopper we can hear singing so merrily."

  "You seem to love the desert, Senor Moonshine?"

  "I, General? Why I was born in it. My father was in the service of theHudson's Bay Company as trapper. My mother brought me into the worldon the shore of one of our magnificent Canadian lakes. My eyes firstopened beneath the majestic verdant arcades of a virgin forest. Thefirst horizon I gazed at was surrounded by chains of mountains whosehaughty crest no human foot has yet trodden. Oh! General, how gloriousit is to live in the desert without ties of any sort, to feel yourheart beat freely in your bosom, to aspire through every pore thefragrant exhalations of the savannah. Alone with your horse, with noregrets for the past or care for the future, you feel that you live,and you unconsciously become a better man, because you are nearer toGOD whose sublime book ever lies open before you. Such an existenceis the only true one, the only possible for a stout-hearted man; theother is only a continual slavery, an incessant restraint which withersideas, dulls the intellect, and converts man such as GOD created himinto a badly organized machine, a quarrelsome and wicked creature, whogoes to his grave pale, sickly, and discontented."

  "By Jove! That is what I call enthusiasm, my boy," the general said,laughing. "Unfortunately, all this is only good in theory. What wouldbecome of civilization if everybody followed your example?"

  "Oh, yes," the hunter exclaimed, with a disdainful smile, "that's thegreat word, 'civilization'--that is to say, slavery; brutalization ofthe masses for the advantage of ambitious and insatiable minorities;an association of bandits decorated with pompous titles and soundingnames, among whom strength represents the law, and who answerarguments by gaols, prisons, and bullets; where everything is paidfor, life as well as death, and even the very vitiated atmosphere,breathed in muddy, narrow streets, and low, stifling houses. Deucetake civilization and the rogues who invented it for their own profit!Civilization is the plague and cause of all the diseases that afflicthumanity. I'll have none of it."

  The general listened to the hunter with increasing surprise. Thenervous blunt language involuntarily seduced him. It was the first timehe found himself in the presence of one of those wood rangers who,impatient of control, have resolutely broken with the life of society.He could not understand this strange nature, so contrary to those hehad hitherto elbowed in life.

  While conversing thus the general and the Canadian reached the fordwhere Sotavento had escaped that morning. The column halted for amoment; for about two leagues on the other side of the river ran achain of lofty, wooded mountains, while an enormous barranca yawnedin the centre of this range, and formed a narrow defile--the onlyplace by which the Spanish troops could pass to continue their march.The general examined with growing anxiety the gloomy landscape spreadout before him. All around was silent and desolate. In vain did thegeneral survey the plain through his telescope; he could see nothingbut trees growing very close together, through which it seemed almostimpossible to force a passage. The canyon or barranca began justopposite the ford, and there was no doubt but that the Mexican armyhad followed this, the sole practicable road, for the traces of itspassage were deeply marked in the ground. The general frowned, andlooked suspiciously at the hunter; the latter, who had fallen behind totighten his girths, went up to him.

  "I understand--" he said to him.

  "What do you understand?"

  "Why, that you suspect me, General."

  "And suppose I did, what then?"

  "You would be wrong."

  "Why so?"

  "For a hundred reasons."

  "Tell me one of them."

  "For what purpose should I have led you into a trap?"

  "To betray me, iviva Cristo! If, as I suppose, you belong to theMexican army."

  "I do belong to that army," the hunter replied coolly; "but what doesthat prove?"

  "What it proves?" the general exclaimed furiously, "That you are a spy,and that I shall have you shot."

  "That is not answering, General, but knocking a man down."

  "Be it so; recommend your soul to God."

  "A man like myself is ever ready to appear before Him. Could you saythe same?"

  The general stamped his foot furiously.

  "But give me a reason, at least," he said.

  "I did give you one; but you would not accept it."

  "Seek another."

  "Well, if you wish to argue the matter, I am quite agreeable," thehunter, who still quiet, calm, and straightforward, continued.

  "What has occurred between us? I informed you that the Mexicans hadabandoned their camp, leaving their train behind. Was that false? No;it was true, and I told you nothing else. You resolved to set out inpursuit of the insurgents, and instead of urging you on to do so, Irecommended you to remain at Coahuila. Is that like a traitor? I donot think so. You insisted on my following you, and I obeyed. My partwas entirely restricted to that, I think you will allow, General? Nowthat you find yourself in front of a defile in which you are afraid ofbeing attacked, you turn upon me. Is that fair? I fancy that if youare really afraid of falling into an ambuscade, there is one very easything to do."

  "What is it?"

  "Why, turn back and reach Coahuila again as quickly as possible; ifthe Mexicans wished to lay a trap for you, they will be caught in itthemselves, as they leave their guns and ammunition in your hands."

  The general reflected.

  "What would you do in my place?" he asked.

  "Well, I will be frank with you, General. We men of the desert regardcourage in a manner diametrically opposite to yours. As we generallyfight only to save our life or our plunder, we never venture on anaction unless we have almost a certainty of success."

  "Hence, under the present circumstances?"

  "I should turn back without shame, and be off to Coahuila at the samepace at which I started, that is, a gallop; that is what I should do. Ican understand that you would act differently."

  "Ah!" the general said, giving him a piercing glance, "For what reason?"

  "Nonsense, General, you are making fun of me; for you know as well asI do. Come, have me shot, and let us have an end of it."

  "I shall not have you shot," he answered; "for, traitor or no, you havespoken to me like an honest man. Go where you please; you are free."

  The Canadian felt involuntarily affected by this remark.

  "Thanks, General. Now take my advice, and do not push on."

  "Does danger
really exist?"

  "I cannot tell you; still, I confess that I have a bad opinion of thatblack large hole I see over there; it seems to me to contain a storm."

  "Yes, I feel that I ought to follow your advice, but unhappily I cannotdo so. The troops of the king, my master, must not appear to recoilbefore such miserable foes; for it would be giving these scoundrels animportance which they do not possess."

  "You know better than I how you should act; but, I repeat, take care."

  "Oh, be sure of that. Well, good-bye; get away before the actionbegins."

  "Well, then, thank you, and good-bye, General--I dare not wish yougood luck."

  The Canadian turned his horse and started at a gallop in the directionof Coahuila. The general looked after him till he was hidden by a turnin the road.

  "What a singular man!" he muttered; "If he is a spy I never saw onelike him."

  It was high time, however, to come to some resolution, and so thegeneral summoned his officers around him.

  "Caballeros," he said bluntly, when they were assembled, "I am afraidthat we acted very imprudently in venturing to pursue the enemy withso small a force as we have at our disposal. Although I do not wishto throw any of my responsibility as chief upon you, still I deem iturgent to take your advice before crossing this stream, beyond which,as you can see from here, is a canyon, which, if I am not mistaken,contains a formidable ambuscade. Answer me frankly, which shall we do?Push boldly on, at the risk of what may happen; or quietly turn backand regain our entrenchments?"

  The officers were mostly of opinion that they must march forward atall risks. The effect of a retreat made almost in the presence of theenemy might have as disastrous an influence upon the prestige thatsurrounded the Spanish army as a battle lost. All these brave soldierswere ashamed at appearing to fly before an invisible enemy; for as yetonly vague suspicions were entertained, which might be false, moreespecially as the plain continued to be deserted, and nothing of adubious nature had been perceived.

  "Very well, caballeros," the general said with a bow to his officers,"we will march on; if fate betrays our courage we will fall like bravemen. Long live Spain!"

  "Long live Spain!" the officers repeated enthusiastically.

  "Captain Don Luis Obregozo, take two hundred horse, and make areconnoissance in the canyon; be very prudent, and do not venture toofar. Don Pedro Castilla will hold himself in readiness to support youwith five hundred cavalry, should it be necessary; the rest of the armywill not cross the stream till your return. Go at once."

  The two officers selected by the general immediately prepared toobey; the troopers, leaving the infantry they carried with the mainbody, crossed the ford, and galloped into the plain. The general gaveorders for the troops to be drawn up in a column, in order to lose aslittle time as possible in passing, and, opening his telescope, heattentively followed the movements of the two detachments he had senton ahead. The second body, commanded by Captain Castilla, halted abouthalfway between the stream and the canyon, ready to act on the firstalarm, Captain Obregozo boldly pushed on, sending a few troopers aheadas scouts, while others scattered on either side the main body, andexamined the thickets. The detachment advanced thus almost into theentrance of the defile, and nothing suspicious occurred. On reachingthis point the captain ordered a halt.

  "My lads," he said to his soldiers, "if the enemy is really in there,it is unnecessary for us all foolishly to enter the wolf's throat; afew men of good will are enough. Who will follow me?"

  The soldiers remained motionless and silent.

  "What?" the captain exclaimed with a frown, "Does not a man offer tofollow me?"

  "It is not that, Captain," an old sergeant replied roughly; "you knowvery well that we are all of good will and ready to follow you topurgatory; choose yourself the men you will take with you."

  "Very good," the captain said gaily, as he pointed out five or sixtroopers. They at once quitted the ranks, and placed themselves behindthe captain; The latter, after temporarily entrusting the command ofthe detachment to his lieutenant, with strict orders not to enter thedefile, whatever might happen, but, on the contrary, to fall back onthe reserve if he did not return, boldly entered the canyon, followedby his weak escort. Several minutes elapsed, and then a discharge wassuddenly heard, and two riderless horses galloped back into the plain.

  "The captain! Let us save the captain!" the dragoons shouted, as theywaved their sabres frantically.

  And without listening to the remonstrances of their lieutenant, whotried in vain to hold them back, they dashed irregularly into thedefile. The officer, finding his efforts useless, bravely placedhimself at their head. Then the sound of a regular combat and a wellsustained musketry fire was audible.

  "Let us support our brothers!" Captain Castilla exclaimed, drawing hissword.

  "Forward, forward!" the soldiers yelled.

  The second detachment, starting at a gallop, in its turn was engulfedin this accursed defile, which, like the mouth of the infernal regions,swallowed up everything but gave nothing back. The general, as we said,was attentively watching the movements of his scouts.

  "The unhappy men!" he exclaimed, on seeing what was going on, "Themaniacs! They will be killed to the last man. Come back, come back, Icommand you," he shouted, without reflecting that the troops he thusaddressed were too far off to hear or obey him, and that had they bychance heard, they would not have obeyed him, owing to the frenzy whichseemed to have suddenly assailed them.

  The soldiers remaining on the river bank also saw, not what was goingon in the defile, but on the plain; they began muttering at theinactivity to which their chief condemned them, and brandished theirweapons with a fury which only required an excuse to break out.

  "Shall we let our brothers be butchered?" an old officer asked, bitinghis moustache passionately.

  "Silence, caballero," the general answered savagely; "had they obeyedmy orders, this would not have occurred."

  "But the misfortune is done at present, General; we must not desertseven hundred men in that way."

  "Look, look," the soldiers exclaimed, on perceiving several horsemenissue from the defile vigorously pursued by others, who speedily caughtthem up and sabred them.

  This last episode raised the exasperation of the troops to the highestpitch, a species of vertigo seized on them, and refusing to listen toanything, many of them forced their horses into the river.

  "Stop, stop!" the general shouted in a voice of thunder, "Since youabsolutely insist on marching to an inevitable butchery, let me atleast guide you."

  The soldiers recognizing, in spite of their excitement, the voice theyhad so long been accustomed to obey, halted instinctively. Then thegeneral restored order among them as far as was possible, and the fordwas crossed rapidly and in a manner that did not endanger the positionof the army. On reaching the plain the infantry dismounted and formed;the general arranged them so that they should support the cavalry, anddrew his sword, whose blade flashed in the sun.

  "I throw away the scabbard," he shouted in a voice heard by all;"forward! For the king and for Spain!"

  "Long live Spain!" the soldiers shouted.

  The Spanish army then rushed like an avalanche into the defile, whencethe noise of the invisible combat could still be heard.