CHAPTER XXXI.
CONQUEROR AND PRISONER.
On seeing General Bustamente fall, the Chilians uttered a loud cry oftriumph.
"Poor Joan!" Valentine murmured, as he cleft the skull of an Indian;"poor Joan! he was a brave, faithful fellow."
"His death was a glorious one," Louis replied.
"By dying thus bravely," Don Tadeo observed, "Joan has rendered us alast service.
"Bah!" Valentine philosophically rejoined, "he is happy. Must we notall die, one day or another?"
Valentine was in his element; he had never been present at such afestival, he absolutely fought with pleasure.
"Pardieu! we did wisely in quitting France," he said, "there is nothinglike travelling."
Louis laughed heartily at hearing him moralize.
"You seem to be enjoying yourself, brother," he said.
"Prodigiously." Valentine replied.
His courage was so great, so audacious, so spontaneous, that theChilians looked at him with admiration, and felt themselves electrifiedby his example. Caesar, covered by his master with a kind of cuirassof leather and armed with an enormous collar edged with steel points,inspired the Indians with the greatest terror--they knew not what tomake of such a creature.
The battle raged as fiercely as ever; both Chilians and Araucanosfought upon heaps of carcases. The Indians gave up all hopes ofconquering, but they did not even think of flying; resolved all to die,they determined to sell their lives as dearly as possible, and foughtwith the terrible despair of brave men who neither expect nor ask forquarter. The Chilian army drew nearer and nearer around them. A fewminutes more and the Araucano army would have ceased to exist.
Antinahuel shed tears of rage; he felt his heart bursting in his breastat seeing his dearest companions thus fall around him. All these men,the victims of the ambition of their chief, died without a complaint,without a reproach. Suddenly a smile of strange character curled histhin lips; he beckoned to the Ulmens, who were fighting near him, andexchanged a few words.
After making a sign of acquiescence in reply to the orders they hadreceived, the Ulmens immediately regained their respective posts, andduring some minutes the battle continued to rage with the same fury.But all at once a mass of fifteen hundred Indians simultaneously rushedwith inexpressible force against the centre squadron, in which DonTadeo fought, and enveloped it on all sides.
"Caramba!" shouted Valentine, "we are surrounded! Mon Dieu! we mustdisengage ourselves, or these demons will cut us up."
And he dashed headlong into the thickest of the combatants, followed bythe rest of his party. After a hot struggle of three or four minutes,they were safe and sound outside of the fatal circle.
"Hum!" said Valentine, "rather sharp work. But, thank God, here we are."
"Yes," the count replied, "we have had a narrow escape! But where isDon Tadeo?"
"That is true," Valentine observed. "Oh," he added, striking his browwith anger, "I see it all now. Quick, to the rescue!"
The two young men placed themselves at the head of the horsemen whoaccompanied them, and rode back furiously into the _melee_. They soonperceived the person they were in search of; Don Tadeo, supported byonly four or five men, was fighting desperately.
"Hold out! hold out!" Valentine shouted.
"We are here! Courage, we are here!" the count cried.
Their voices reached Don Tadeo, and he smiled.
"Thanks," he replied despondingly; "but all is useless. I am lost."
"Caramba!" said Valentine, biting his moustache with rage; "I will savehim, or perish with him."
And he redoubled his efforts. In vain the Aucas warriors opposed hispassage, every stroke of his sabre cut down a man. At length theimpetuosity of the two Frenchmen prevailed over the courage of theIndians, and they penetrated into the circle--Don Tadeo had disappeared.
All at once, the Indian army, feeling, no doubt, the impossibility ofmaintaining a longer contest with superior forces which threatened toannihilate them, dispersed.
The victory of the Chilians was brilliant, and, probably, for a longtime the Araucanos would have no inclination to recommence a war.Of ten thousand warriors who had formed their line of battle, theIndians had left seven thousand on the field. General Bustamente, theinstigator of this war, was killed; his body was found with the daggerstill sticking in his breast; and, strange coincidence! The pommel ofthe dagger bore the distinctive sign of the Dark Hearts.
The results obtained by the winning of this battle were immense.Unfortunately, these results were lessened, if not compromised, by apublic disaster of immense consequence, which was the disappearance,and perhaps the death, of Don Tadeo de Leon, the only man whose energyand severity of principles could save the country. The Chilian army inthe midst of its triumph was plunged in grief.
The army encamped upon the field of battle; Valentine, the count, andDon Gregorio, passed the whole night in searching amongst this immensecharnel house, upon which the vultures had already fallen with hideouscries of joy. The three men had the courage to lift and examine heapsof carcases; but all without success, they could not find the body oftheir friend.
The next morning at daybreak the army set forward on its march towardsthe Bio Bio, to re-enter Chili. It took with it, as hostages, thirtyUlmens.
"Come with us," said Don Gregorio; "now our friend is dead, you canhave nothing more to do."
"I am not of your opinion," Valentine replied; "I do not think DonTadeo is dead."
"What makes you suppose that?" Don Gregorio asked; "have you anyproofs?"
"Unfortunately, none."
"And yet you must have some reason?"
"Why, yes, I have one."
"Then tell it me."
"I am afraid it will appear futile to you."
"Well, but tell it me, nevertheless."
"Well, since you insist upon it, I must confess that I feel a secretpresentiment."
"Upon what do you ground that supposition? You are too intelligent tojest."
"You only do me justice. I perceived the absence of Don Tadeo. I wentback again, in quick time. Don Tadeo, though closely pressed, wasfighting vigorously, and I shouted out to him to stand his ground."
"And did he hear you?"
"Certainly he did, for he answered me. I redoubled my efforts--he haddisappeared, and left no traces behind."
"And you thence conclude--"
"That his numerous enemies seized him and carried him off."
"But who can tell whether, after having killed him, they have notcarried away the body?"
"Why should they do that? Don Tadeo dead, could only inconveniencethem, whereas, as prisoner, they probably hope that by restoring him toliberty. Or perhaps, by threatening to kill him, they will have theirhostages given up."
Don Gregorio was struck with the justness of this reasoning.
"It is possible," he replied; "there is a great deal of truth in whatyou say--what do you mean to do?"
"A very simple thing, my friend. In the environs are concealed twoIndian chiefs."
"Well?"
"These men are devoted to Louis and me, and they will serve us asguides."
Don Gregorio looked at him for an instant in deep emotion, and tearsglistened in his eyes; he took the young man's hand pressed it warmly,and said, in a voice tremulous with tenderness--
"Don Valentine, pardon me I did not know you; I have not appreciatedyour heart at its just value. Don Valentine, will you permit me toembrace you?"
"With all my heart, my brave friend," the young man replied.
"Then you are going?" Don Gregorio resumed.
"Immediately."
"Come on," said Valentine to his foster brother, as he whistled toCaesar and clapped spurs to his horse.
"I am with you," Louis replied, promptly.
And they set off.
The Pearl of the Andes: A Tale of Love and Adventure Page 31
