Popular Adventure Tales

by Mayne Reid

  CHAPTER II.

  THE REFUGEES.

  Upon a bright and lovely evening, many years ago, a party of travellersmight have been seen climbing up that Cordillera of the Andes that liesto the eastward of the ancient city of Cuzco. It was a small andsomewhat singular party of travellers; in fact, a travellingfamily,--father, mother, children, and one attendant. We shall say aword of each of them separately.

  The chief of the party was a tall and handsome man, of nearly fortyyears of age. His countenance bespoke him of Spanish race, and so hewas. He was not a Spaniard, however, but a Spanish-American, or"Creole," for so Spaniards born in America are called to distinguishthem from the natives of Old Spain.

  Remember--Creoles are _not_ people with negro or African blood in theirveins. There is a misconception on this head in England, and elsewhere.The African races of America are either negroes, mulattoes, quadroons,quinteroons, or mestizoes; but the "Creoles" are of European blood,though born in America. Remember this. Don Pablo Romero--for that wasthe name of our traveller--was a Creole, a native of Cuzco, which, asyou know, was the ancient capital of the Incas of Peru.

  Don Pablo, as already stated, was nearly forty years of age. Perhaps helooked older. His life had not been spent in idleness. Much study,combined with a good deal of suffering and care, had made many of thoselines that rob the face of its youthful appearance. Still, although hislook was serious, and just then sad, his eye was occasionally seen tobrighten, and his light elastic step showed that he was full of vigourand manhood. He had a moustache, very full and black, but his whiskerswere clean shaven, and his hair cut short, after the fashion of mostpeople in Spanish America.

  He wore velvet pantaloons, trimmed at the bottoms with black stampedleather, and upon his feet were strong boots of a reddish yellowcolour--that is, the natural colour of the tanned hide before it hasbeen stained. A dark jacket, closely buttoned, covered the upper-part ofhis body, and a scarlet silk sash encircled his waist, the long fringedends hanging down over the left hip. In this sash were stuck a Spanishknife and a pair of pistols, richly ornamented with silver mountings.

  But all these things were concealed from the view by a capacious poncho,which is a garment that in South America serves as a cloak by day and ablanket by night. It is nearly of the size and shape of an ordinaryblanket, with a slit in the centre, through which the head is passed,leaving the ends to hang down. Instead of being of uniform colour,several bright colours are usually woven into the poncho, forming avariety of patterns. In Mexico a very similar garment--the serape--isalmost universally worn. The poncho of Don Pablo was a costly one, wovenby hand, and out of the finest wool of the vicuna, for that is thenative country of this useful and curious animal.

  Such a poncho would cost 20_l._, and would not only keep out cold, butwould turn rain like a "macintosh." Don Pablo's hat was also curious andcostly. It was one of those known as "Panama," or "Guayaquil,"--hats socalled because they are manufactured by Indian tribes who dwell upon thePacific coast, and are made out of a rare sea-grass, which is found nearthe above-mentioned places. A good Guayaquil hat will cost 20_l._; andalthough, with its broad curling brim and low crown, it looks not muchbetter than Leghorn or even fine straw, yet it is far superior toeither, both as a protection against rain, or, what is of moreimportance in southern countries, against a hot tropical sun. The bestof them will wear half a life-time. Don Pablo's "sombrero" was one ofthe very best and costliest; and this, combined with the style of hisother habiliments, betokened that the wearer was one of the "ricos," orhigh class of his country.

  The costume of his wife, who was a dark and very beautiful Spanishwoman, would have strengthened this idea. She wore a dress of black silkwith velvet bodice and sleeves, tastefully embroidered. A mantilla ofdark cloth covered her shoulders, and on her head was a lowbroad-brimmed hat, similar to those usually worn by men, for a bonnet isa thing unknown to the ladies of Spanish America. A single glance at theDona Isidora would have satisfied any one that she was a lady of rankand refinement.

  There were two children, upon which, from time to time, she gazedtenderly. They were her only ones. They were a boy and girl, nearly ofequal size and age. The boy was the elder, perhaps thirteen or more, ahandsome lad, with swarth face, coal-black eyes, and curly full-flowingdark hair. The girl, too, who would be about twelve, was dark--that isto say, brunette in complexion. Her eyes were large, round, and dreamy,with long lashes that kept the sun from shining into them, and thusdeepened their expression.

  Perhaps there are no children in the world so beautiful as those of theSpanish race. There is a smoothness of skin, a richness in colour, and anoble "hidalgo" expression in their round black eyes that is rare inother countries. Spanish women retain this expression to a good age. Themen lose it earlier, because, as I believe, they are oftener ofcorrupted morals and habits; and these, long exercised, certainly stamptheir lines upon the face. Those which are mean, and low, and vicious,produce a similar character of countenance, while those which are high,and holy, and virtuous, give it an aspect of beauty and nobility.

  Of all beautiful Spanish children none could have been more beautifulthan our two little Creole Spaniards, Leon and Leona--for such were thenames of the brother and sister.

  There yet remains one to be described, ere we complete the account ofour travelling party. This one was a grown and tall man, quite as tallas Don Pablo himself, but thinner and more angular in his outlines. Hiscoppery colour, his long straight black hair, his dark and wild piercingeye, with his somewhat odd attire, told you at once he was of adifferent race from any of the others. He was an Indian--a SouthAmerican Indian; and although a descendant from the noble race of thePeruvian Incas, he was acting in the capacity of a servant or attendantto Don Pablo and his family.

  There was a familiarity, however, between the old Indian--for he was anold man--and Don Pablo, that bespoke the existence of some tie of astronger nature than that which exists between master and servant. Andsuch there was in reality. This Indian had been one of the patriots whohad rallied around Tupac Amaru in his revolution against the Spaniards.He had been proscribed, captured, and sentenced to death. He would havebeen executed, but for the interference of Don Pablo, who had saved hislife. Since then Guapo--such was the Indian's name--had remained notonly the retainer, but the firm and faithful friend, of his benefactor.

  Guapo's feet were sandalled. His legs were naked up to the knees,showing many an old scar received from the cactus plants and the thornybushes of acacia, so common in the mountain-valleys of Peru. Atunic-like skirt of woollen cloth,--that home-made sort called"bayeta,"--was fastened around his waist, and reached down to the knees;but the upper part of his body was quite bare, and you could see thenaked breast and arms, corded with strong muscles, and covered with askin of a dark copper colour. The upper part of his body was naked onlywhen the sun was hot. At other times Guapo wore a species of poncho likehis master, but that of the Indian was of common stuff--woven out of thecoarse wool of the llama. His head was bare.

  THE FLIGHT OF THE REFUGEES.]

  Guapo's features were thin, sharp, and intelligent. His eye was keen andpiercing; and the gait of the old man, as he strode along the rockypath, told that it would be many years before he would show any signs offeebleness or tottering.

  There were four animals that carried our travellers and their effects.One was a horse ridden by the boy Leon. The second was a saddle mule, onwhich rode Dona Isidora and Leona. The other two animals were notmounted. They were beasts of burden, with "yerguas," or pack-saddles,upon which were carried the few articles that belonged to thetravellers. They were the camels of Peru--the far-famed llamas. DonPablo, with his faithful retainer, travelled afoot.

  You will wonder that one apparently so rich, and on so distant ajourney, was not provided with animals enough to carry his whole party.Another horse at least, or a mule, might have been expected in thecavalcade. It would not have been strange had Guapo only walked--as hewas the arriero, or driver, of the llamas--but to s
ee Don Pablo afootand evidently tired, with neither horse nor mule to ride upon, wassomething that required explanation. There was another fact thatrequired explanation. The countenance of Don Pablo wore an anxiousexpression, as if some danger impended; so did that of the lady, and thechildren were silent, with their little hearts full of fear. They knewnot _what_ danger, but they knew that their father and mother were introuble.

  The Indian, too, had a serious look; and at each angle of the mountainroad he and Don Pablo would turn around, and with anxious eyes gaze backin the direction that led towards Cuzco. As yet they could distinguishthe spires of the distant city, and the Catholic crosses, as theyglistened under the evening sunbeam. Why did they look back with fearand distrust? Why? _Because Don Pablo was in flight, and fearedpursuers!_ What? Had he committed some great crime? No. On the contrary,he was the _victim of a noble virtue_--the virtue of patriotism! Forthat had he been condemned, and was now in flight--flying to save notonly his liberty but his life! yes, _his life;_ for had the sentinels onthose distant towers but recognised him, he would soon have beenfollowed and dragged back to an ignominious death.

  Young reader, I am writing of things that occurred before theSpanish-American colonies became free from the rule of Old Spain. Youwill remember that these countries were then governed by viceroys, whorepresented the King of Spain, but who in reality were quite as absoluteas that monarch himself. The great viceroys of Mexico and Peru heldcourt in grand state, and lived in the midst of barbaric pomp andluxury. The power of life and death was in their hands, and in manyinstances they used it in the most unjust and arbitrary manner. Theywere themselves, of course, natives of Old Spain--often the pamperedfavourites of that corrupt court.

  All the officials by which they were surrounded and served were, likethemselves, natives of Spain, or "Gachupinos," (as the Creoles used tocall them,) while the Creoles--no matter how rich, or learned, oraccomplished in any way--were excluded from every office of honour andprofit. They were treated by the Gachupinos with contempt and insult.Hence for long, long years before the great revolutions of SpanishAmerica, a strong feeling of dislike existed between Creole Spaniardsand Spaniards of Old Spain; and this feeling was quite independent ofthat which either had towards the Indians--the aborigines of America.This feeling brought about the revolution, which broke out in all thecountries of Spanish America (including Mexico) and which, after fifteenyears of cruel and sanguinary fighting, led to the independence of thesecountries.

  Some people will tell you that they gained nothing by this independence,as since that time so much war and anarchy have marked their history.There is scarcely any subject upon which mankind thinks moresuperficially, and judges more wrongly, than upon this very one. It is amistake to suppose that a people enjoys either peace or prosperity,simply because it is quiet. There is quiet in Russia, but to itsmillions of serfs war continuous and eternal; and the same may be saidof many other countries as well as Russia.

  To the poor slave, or even to the over-taxed subject, peace is no peace,but a constant and systematised struggle, often more pernicious in itseffects than even the anarchy of open war. A war of this kind numbersits slain by millions, for the victims of famine are victims of_political crime_ on the part of a nation's rulers. I have no time nowto talk of these things. Perhaps, boy reader, you and I may meet on thisground again, and at no very distant period.

  Well, it was not in the general rising that Don Pablo had beencompromised, but previous to that. The influence of the EuropeanRevolution of 1798 was felt even in distant Spanish America, and severalebullitions occurred in different parts of that country at the sametime. They were premature; they were crushed. Those who had taken partin them were hunted to the death. Death! death! was the war-cry of theSpanish hirelings, and bitterly did they execute their vengeance on allwho were compromised. Don Pablo would have been a victim among others,had he not had timely warning and escaped; but as it was, all hisproperty was taken by confiscation, and became the plunder of therapacious tyrant.

  We are introduced to him just at the period of his escape. By the aid ofthe faithful Guapo he had hastily collected a few things, and with hiswife and family fled in the night. Hence the incompleteness of histravelling equipage. He had taken one of the most unfrequented paths--amere bridle-road--that led from Cuzco eastward over the Cordillera. Hisintent was to gain the eastern slope of the Andes mountains, where hemight conceal himself for a time in the uninhabited woods of the Great_Montana_, and towards this point was he journeying. By a _ruse_ he hadsucceeded in putting the soldiers of the despot on a false track; but itwas not certain that they might not yet fall into the true one. Nowonder then, when he gazed back towards Cuzco, that his look was one ofapprehension and anxiety.