Les fils de la tortue. English

by Gustave Aimard

  CHAPTER XIII.

  THE BALAS RUBY.

  The sun was rising radiantly when Senor Don Juan de Soto-Mayor, withpale face and features worn by the unhappy news which Don Pedro deSallazar brought him on the previous evening, raised the canvass of thetent in which he had spent the night, and stepped forth. General DonPedro accompanied him.

  The morning was superb, and the arrieros were engaged in loadingthe mules and saddling of horses; Leon, seated apart on a fallentree, seemed plunged in deep and bitter thoughts. The old gentlemanapproached, and he did not seem to notice his presence.

  "Good morning, Senor Captain," he said to him, lightly touching hisshoulder.

  The young man started at the sound of this voice; then rising, heslightly raised his hat off his head, and bowed to the old general,while replying, mechanically--

  "May heaven grant it be good to you, caballero."

  "What is the matter, my friend?" the speaker asked him, kindly; "hasanything unpleasant occurred during your sleep?"

  "Nothing, sir," Leon said, hastily; "I trust that the ladies have sleptwell."

  "Yes, yes; at least, I suppose so, for I have not seen them yet."

  "Here are the senoras," Don Pedro, who had remained a little behind,said to the general: "and what is more, all ready to mount."

  The two gentlemen advanced to meet them. "Ah! ah!" said Diego, goodhumouredly, "everybody is up; all the better, for the sooner we start,the sooner we shall reach our journey's end."

  "Gentlemen, one word with you, if you please," General Don Juan saidto the two smuggler chiefs, after inquiring the health of his wife anddaughters.

  "We are at your orders, general," Leon and Diego said. And theyfollowed Don Juan, who led them apart from the muleteers.

  "Gentlemen," he said to them, when he fancied himself out of earshot,"I received strange news last night; it seems that the Indians haverisen, and are disturbing the province of Valdivia; hence we must tryto reach the city as speedily as possible."

  Diego affected surprise.

  "Really," he said, "that is extraordinary."

  Then, after appearing to reflect for a moment, he added--

  "Must you absolutely pass through Talca?"

  "No; but why that question?"

  "Because," Diego answered, "I know a road across the mountain whichshortens the journey twenty leagues."

  "That is true," said Leon; "by crossing the mountain we shall save aday's march."

  "In that case, gentlemen, let us do so, for when a man is in a hurry toarrive, he must choose the shortest road. Ah! bye-the-bye," he added,"before forming a determination, I must consult with General Don Pedro,in order to know if he consents to accompany us without stopping atTalca."

  Don Pedro did not consider it advisable to oppose the plan; on thecontrary, his plan of inspecting the vicinity of Talca was served bythe measure, which would allow him to reconnoitre whether the Indianshad as yet entered the wood skirting the forest.

  For a moment the fear of some surprise seemed to occupy his mind;but reflecting that his escort, joined to that of Don Juan, would besufficient to protect the caravan, he saw no inconvenience in adoptingthe change of route proposed by Diego.

  The latter had not seen, without some displeasure, the caravan swelledby Don Pedro and his soldiers; but, too clever to let it be seen, hepretended to be extremely pleased by this increase of men, who, in theevent of an attack, would serve as a reinforcement. However this maybe, Don Pedro ordered four of his lanceros to march about a hundredpaces ahead of the column, and then they started. Each horseman, fullyarmed, advanced with his eye on the watch, and in profound silence,while two other lanceros, forming the rearguard, rode fifty yardsbehind. The small troop was composed altogether of five-and-thirtypersons.

  Leon scarce dared to raise his eyes to Maria, who rode by her mother'sside. Each time that the maiden's glance met his, a sort of confusionor remorse was depicted on his features, in spite of the efforts whichhe made to recover his usual coolness. Dona Maria knew not to whatto attribute this change in the young man's manner, and seemed to bestriving to discover the cause.

  "Can it be the arrival of Don Pedro that thus brings a cloud to hisbrow?" she asked herself; "perhaps he is jealous of that cavalier. Oh!if that be the case, it is because he loves me."

  And turning her face once again toward the smuggler, she smiled on himin a way that must remove his error; but he, far from deriving from themarks of love which the maiden gave him, the joy which the heart feelson knowing itself beloved, he found in it a motive for secret grief.

  The scene he had witnessed during the previous night in the Indiancamp had produced so deep an impression upon him, that he could notrefrain from thinking of the mournful consequences it must have for theSoto-Mayor family, which was, doubtless, devoted to death.

  Although Dona Maria's life had been guaranteed by Diego, he trembledat the grief which must assail her, when struck in her dearest andtenderest affections; and, while recognising the apparent justice inthe name of which Diego had condemned the general, his wife, and hisother children, he was horrified by the terrible position in which thehalf-breed had placed him by making him swear to aid his revenge.

  "What!" he said, "I love Dona Maria, and not only must I allow thedeath of her family to be carried out without opposition, but if thecontest breaks out between them and the Indians, my duty orders me tojoin the latter. Oh, no! for I feel that I shall never commit such anunworthy action, and I would sooner let myself be killed than arraymyself against those whom I am pledged to serve, or those whom I havesworn to defend."

  And the young man's cheeks were flushed by the action of the internalfever which devoured him; his burning forehead, and his sharp, quickgestures announced the agitation which the combat going on in his mindproduced.

  The caravan had entered the wood where the Indians had assembled onthe past night, and they soon reached the middle of the clearing wherethey had camped. The sons of the Tortoise had disappeared, but the hutsbuilt by them, though half destroyed, still stood, as well as the traceof the ashes of the pyre on which the body of the ill-fated lancero hadbeen burnt. Leon could not see the spot again without feeling a shudderof awe and terror. Diego looked around him carelessly, and whistled asambacueca between his teeth.

  "Oh, oh!" said Don Pedro, looking all around; "what have we here?"

  And with the experience which he had acquired in wars in which he hadtaken part against the Indians, he began to rummage all the huts, aftergiving Leon a sign to follow him, and the rest orders to go on ahead.Leon acceded to his wishes, and both remained behind; and at themoment when they entered one of the huts, Leon saw something glisteningon the ground, which he fancied was a precious stone.

  He suddenly stooped, and eagerly picking up the article, examined it;it was a gold ring, set with a balas ruby of inestimable value. Theyoung man thrust it into his belt with a vague feeling of alarm. Heasked himself to whom this ring could belong, for it was not probablethat an Indian had lost it: moreover, he fancied that he had alreadyseen one like it, though he could not remember on whose finger.

  "On the lancero's, perhaps?" he said to himself, thinking of thesoldier who had been assassinated in his presence; but this lattersupposition was speedily abandoned, for it was impossible that a simpleprivate could be the possessor of such a jewel. Then he thought of theother prisoner, and a terrible presentiment was rising in his mind,when Don Pedro called him. The latter had completed his inspection, andwas preparing to rejoin the travellers, apparently knowing all that hedesired to know. Leon was soon at his side.

  "I have two words to say to you, sir," Don Pedro remarked to him.

  "Speak, sir," the smuggler answered, affected by the tone in which thegeneral had uttered these words.

  "I do not know you, sir," the general continued, "nor do I know yourusual mode of conduct with the travellers whom you may escort."

  "Do you wish to insult me, general?" Leon interrupted, as he drewhimself up and fixed his fi
rm and haughty glance on the speaker.

  "Not the least in the world; still, as I do not share the friendshipwhich the Soto-Mayor family--whether rightly or wrongly--displays foryou, I wish to inform you of the reflections I have made on yourscore, and give you a piece of advice."

  "Speak, sir," said Leon, disdainfully; "but in the first place, youknow that I do not care for your reflections, and shall not accept youradvice."

  "Perhaps so, senor captain. At any rate, you shall have them," DonPedro continued, not deigning to notice the arrogance which thesmuggler placed on his remarks. "The place where we are at this momentis an Indian camp; if I doubted the fact, this," he added, as heknocked over a broken pipe, "would afford me a certainty. This camp wasbut a few hours ago still occupied by Indians, and here is the proof,"he said, stooping down; "the ashes are quite warm."

  "Sir," said Leon in his turn, who felt a cold perspiration beading onhis temples, "what you are saying appears to me highly probable, but Ido not see how that can personally interest me, or form any motive forwhat you said to me just now. Be good enough to explain yourself moreclearly."

  "I will do so, sir, and frankly," the general replied; "for I am asoldier, and do not like any prefacing."

  "Nor I, sir; so to facts."

  "They are these. Last night, after a lengthened conversation withGeneral Don Juan, I had a fancy to go and smoke my cigar in the openair; the night was magnificent and invited a walk. Now, at the momentwhen I raised the tent curtain to go out, I saw two men glide betweenthe bales and leave camp without warning the sentry."

  "What next, sir?"

  "Next? Good gracious! that is very simple. I asked myself what thesetwo men could have to do outside the camp at that hour, when dutyimposed on them the obligation of remaining at their post; but as Icould learn nothing at that moment, I resolved to satisfy my curiosityby awaiting their return. I waited a long time, captain; but that didnot cause me much annoyance, for I am naturally very patient, as youwill say, when I tell you that I saw these two men go out and also sawthem return, although they did not do so till a few minutes beforedaybreak. Now, I conclude by begging you to tell me where they went,for one of the two men was yourself."

  "It is true, sir, I left the camp, and only returned at daybreak."

  "But what important reason urged you to do so?"

  "That I cannot tell you, sir," Leon said with firmness. "Suffice it foryou to know that I allow nobody, not even you, general, the right toinquire into my conduct, and that, moreover, the step which I took inno way compromised the safety of the persons confided to my charge."

  "Very good! that answer does not surprise me; but bear this in mind--atthe first mysterious sortie you make in future--at the first actionwhich appears to me suspicious--I will simply have you seized by mylanceros and give them orders to shoot you within an hour. You haveunderstood me, I suppose?"

  "Perfectly, general; and whenever you please, you will find me at yourorders," the smuggler replied, with a tinge of irony; "but, in themeanwhile, I think it would be more useful to rejoin the caravan."

  "You are warned, sir," the general continued, "and will only haveyourself to blame if anything unpleasant happen to you. Now let usstart."

  "Very good, general."

  And the two men, leaping into the saddle, galloped in the direction ofthe small party, which they soon, rejoined. Don Pedro placed himself atthe head, and rode by the side of Diego, still silently, while Leon,who had remained a few paces in the rear, drew from the belt the ringwhich he had found, and regarded it afresh with sustained attention.

  "I have certainly seen this ring before," he said, after turning itover and over in all directions; "but on whose finger, in Heaven'sname?"

  Then, thrusting it on to his finger and pulling it off again, hecontinued in vain to rack his brains in recalling his recollections,but could not succeed in fixing his doubts. Then pressing his horse'sflank, he rode up to the travellers, and soon found himself by DonaMaria's side.

  "Senor captain," the latter said to him, "shall we go through this woodfor any length of time?"

  "For about two hours, Senora."

  "Oh, all the better, for there is an exquisite freshness in it. I amdelighted that we have left the road which we were following yesterday;here it is so picturesque, that I am never weary of admiring thescenery."

  "And then it will shorten our journey by a day," Leon said, sadly.

  "That is true," the maiden answered, each of whose words was overheardby her mother and sister.

  But at the same moment she gave the smuggler a glance which signifiedhow much she regretted to see him so badly interpret the words to whichshe was far from giving the meaning which he attributed to them. Thejourney ended, what hope would remain to the maiden of seeing again theman whom she loved.

  Leon understood the reproach, and bending down his head, he concealedhis trouble by spurring his mustang, which soon carried him up toGeneral Don Juan, who was engaged in a conversation with Don Pedro.

  "For all that, general," the latter was saying to Don Juan, "I amastonished that your son did not meet you when you were following theTalca road, for I do not know any other which he could have taken inorder to arrive sooner."

  "Did he command any detachment of troops?" the general asked.

  "No; he started for Tulcapel, merely accompanied by two lanceros."

  Leon did not hear the close of the conversation, for a suddenrevelation had been made to him. Suddenly his blood was frozen and histeeth were clenched. He remembered that young Don Juan de Soto-Mayorwore on his right hand, on the night which he spent at the general'scountry house, a ring resembling the one which he had in his belt. Heperfectly remembered having noticed the sparkling of the ruby, whoseexceptional size had attracted his attention.

  But in proportion as his thoughts, becoming more lucid, rendered thetruth more distinct, he saw with horror the dark drama of which hescarce dared to seek the meaning, so afraid was he of finding thereality in it. He had picked up the ring in the tent into which he hadseen the prisoners carried on the previous evening; one was a lancero,and he was dead; but the other. Was not the other Don Juan, the son ofthe old general in front of him? And if, as he feared he was certain,this prisoner was Don Juan, what had become of him? Perhaps, at thatvery hour, he might be expiring under the frightful sufferings whichthe Indians were making him undergo.

  Leon wished at once to question Diego on the point, for he must knowthe truth, but the fear of not being able to master his emotion inthe presence of the two generals prevented him from doing so, and heresolved to await the first halt to satisfy his anxious curiosity. But,agitated by a thousand conflicting emotions, he did not dare look atMaria, for he was already afraid lest the maiden should ask him, withtears in her voice, what he had done with her brother's blood, as hewas the accomplice of those who had assassinated him.

  The caravan still advanced, and soon left the wood to debouch upon aplain intersected by numerous rivulets, which wound through a hardand rocky soil. At the moment when the last man left the edge of theforest, the dense shrubs that bordered the road noiselessly parted andmade room for the head of an Indian, who looked out cautiously, afterhaving, so to speak, smelt the air around him. His eyes settled on thelittle troop, which they followed until it had bent to the left andentirely disappeared; then carefully removing the twigs, the Indianthrust forward the rest of his body and crawled out. He soon foundhimself in the middle of the road, and began looking around him againin all directions, after which his face assumed a marked expression ofsatisfaction.

  "Matai," he said, smiling so as to show his long white teeth.

  And then he began running with the lightness of a llama in the tracesof the caravan. On reaching the spot where the road formed a bend, hethrust out his head, and then hurriedly withdrawing it, climbed up theside of a wood-clad height and disappeared.

  This man was Tcharanguii, the feared and formidable chief of the Jaos,one of the most powerful tribes of the twelve Molucho n
ations. Forsome minutes the rustling of parted branches might be heard, then allbecame silent again, the sole interruption being the imposing sounds ofthe desert.