Gaspar the Gaucho: A Story of the Gran Chaco

by Mayne Reid

  CHAPTER FORTY THREE.

  IN THE SACRED TOWN.

  That same sun which became so suddenly obscured over the _salitral_, toshine again in the later hours of the afternoon, is once more about towithdraw its light from the Chaco--this time for setting. Alreadyappears its disc almost down upon the horizon; and the strangely-shapedhill, which towers above the Tovas town, casts a dark shadow over theplain eastward, to the distance of many miles. The palms skirting thelake reflect their graceful forms far over the water, whose surface,undisturbed by the slightest breath of air, shows smooth and shining asa mirror; broken, however, here and there, where water-fowl disportthemselves upon it. Among these may be observed the great musk duck,misnamed "Muscovy," and the black-necked swan; both indigenous to theChaco; while in the shallower places along shore, and by the edges ofthe islets, appear various species of long-legged waders, standingstill, or stalking about as if on stilts; the most conspicuous of allbeing the scarlet flamingo, side by side with the yet taller _garzon_,already known to us as "soldier-crane."

  A scene of tranquil yet picturesque beauty--perhaps no fairer on earth--is the landscape lying around the Sacred Town of the Tovas.

  And on this same day and hour, a stranger entering within the precinctsof the place itself might not observe anything to contrast with thetranquillity of the scene outside. Among the _toldos_ he would seechildren at play, and, here and there, seated by their doors young girlsengaged in various occupations; some at basket work, others weaving matsfrom the fibres of split palm leaves, still others knitting _redes_, orhammocks. Women of more mature age are busied with culinary cares,preparing the evening repast over fires kindled in the open air; whileseveral are straining out the honey of the wild bee, called _tosimi_,which a party of bee-hunters, just returned to the _tolderia_, hasbrought home.

  A few of the men may also be observed moving about, or standing ingroups on the open ground adjoining the _malocca_; but at this hour mostof them are on horseback out upon the adjacent plain, there galloping toand fro, gathering their flocks and herds, and driving them towards the_corrals_; these flocks and herds composed of horned cattle, sheep, andgoats--the Tovas Indians being somewhat of a pastoral people. Nosavages they, in the usual sense of the term, nor yet is hunting theirchief occupation. This they follow now and then, diversifying the chaseby a warlike raid into the territory of some hostile tribe, or as oftensome settlement of the palefaces. For all civilisation of a certainkind has made progress among them; having its origin in an earlyimmigration from Peru, when the "Children of the Sun" were conquered byPizarro and his _conquistadores_. At that time many Peruvians, fleeingfrom the barbarous cruelty of their Spanish invaders, sought asylum inthe Chaco, there finding it; and from these the Tovas and other tribeshave long ago learnt many of the arts of civilised life; can spin theirown thread, and sew skilfully as any sempstress of the palefaces; weavetheir own cloth, dress and dye it in fast colours of becoming patterns;in short, can do many kinds of mechanical work, which no white artisanneed feel ashamed to acknowledge as his own. Above all, are they famedfor the "feather-work," or plume embroidery--an art peculiarly Indian--which, on their first becoming acquainted with it, astonished the roughsoldiers of Cortez and Pizarro, as much as it delighted them.

  To this day is it practised among several of the South American tribes,notably those of the Gran Chaco, while the Tovas particularly excel init. But perhaps the highest evidence of these Indians having somecivilisation, is their form of government, which is in realityRepublican. For their _cacique_, or chief, although sometimes allowedto rule by hereditary succession, is more often chosen by the sub-chiefsand warriors; in short, elected just as the President of a Republic.

  This gives the key to Aguara's doubts and fears on returning to theSacred Town with Francesca Halberger as his captive. Nor are the latteryet allayed, despite three days having elapsed since his return. Thoughhe has done all in his power to conceal from his people the true factsin relation to her father's death, still certain details of the tragedyhave leaked out; and it has become known to most, that thehunter-naturalist is not only dead, but died by the hand of an assassin.This last, however, they suppose to have been the other white man lateon a visit to them--Valdez the _vaqueano_. For the same tale whichAguara had told to his captive on the way, he has repeated, with somevariations, to the elders of the tribe assembled in council within the_malocca_. So far not much of a fiction; only that part accounting forthe death of the young brave who fell to Halberger's bullet--a strayshot, while the latter was defending himself against Valdez.

  And the daughter of the murdered man has been brought back with them,not as a prisoner, but because it was inconvenient to take her direct toher own home. She can and will be sent thither at the first opportunitywhich offers. So promises the deceitful son of Naraguana to those ofthe tribe who would call him to account.

  Meanwhile, the girl has been entrusted to the charge and safe keeping ofShebotha, a sort of "mystery woman," or sorceress, of much power in thecommunity; though, as all know, under the influence of Aguara himself.But he has not dared to take the youthful captive to his own _toldo_, oreven hint at so doing; instead, he still keeps his wicked purpose tohimself, trusting to time and Shebotha for its accomplishment.According to his own way of thinking, he can well afford to wait. Hehas no thought that anyone will ever come after the captive girl; muchless one with power to release her. It is not probable, and from aknowledge possessed only by himself, scarcely possible. Her father isdead, her mother doomed to worse than death, as also her brother andthat other relative--his own rival. For before parting with him, RufinoValdez had said what amounted to so much; and possibly by this time theSenora Halberger, with what remained of her family, would be on the wayback to Paraguay; not returning voluntarily, but taken back by the_vaqueano_. With this belief--a false one, as we know--the young Tovaschief feels secure of his victim, and therefore refrains from any act ofopen violence, as likely to call down upon him the censure of hispeople. Though popular with the younger members of the tribe, he is notso much in favour with the elders as to fly in the face of publicopinion; for were these aware of what has really taken place, it wouldgo ill with him. But as yet they are not; silence having been enjoinedon the youths who accompanied him in that ill-starred expedition, whichthey, for their own sakes, have hitherto been careful to keep.

  For all, certain facts have come to light in disjointed, fragmentaryform, with deductions drawn from them, which go hard against thecharacter of the young _cacique_; and as the hours pass others areadded, until discontent begins to show itself among the older and moreprominent men of the tribe, chiefly those who were the friends of hisfather. For these were also friends of her father, now alikefatherless, though made so by a more cruel fate. Low murmurings arehere and there heard, which speak of an intent to prosecute inquiry onthe subject of Halberger's assassination--even to the carrying it intoParaguay. Now that they have re-entered into amity with Paraguay'sDictator, they may go thither, though the purpose be a strange one; toarraign the commissioner who acted in restoring the treaty!

  With much whispering and murmurs around, it is not strange that theyoung _cacique_, while dreaming of future pleasures, should also havefears for that future. His own passion, wild as wicked, has brought himinto danger, and a storm seems brewing that, sooner or later, maydeprive him of his chieftainship.