Gaspar the Gaucho: A Story of the Gran Chaco

by Mayne Reid

  CHAPTER FIFTY.

  A MIDNIGHT PROMENADER.

  Rising from their knees, and resuming their seats upon the ledge, theyreturn to the subject of discourse, interrupted by their devotionalinterlude; Caspar declaring it his fixed intention to disguise himselfas an Indian, and so seek entrance into the town. No matter what thedanger, he is ready to risk it.

  The others consenting, the next question that comes before them is, howthe disguise is to be got up. About this there seems a difficulty toLudwig, and also to Cypriano; though recalling the transformation of thelatter into a soldier-crane, so quickly done by the deft hands of thegaucho, they doubt not that he will also find the ways and means fortransforming himself into a redskin.

  "If we only had a Tovas Indian here," he says, "as I had that sleepyGuaycuru, I'd not be long in changing clothes with him. Well, as wecan't borrow a dress, I must see what can be done to make one. Goodluck, there's no great quantity of cloth in a Tovas suit, and thestitching isn't much. All that's needed is a bit of breech-clout, whichI can make out of the tail of my shirt; then the poncho over myshoulders, that will cover everything."

  "But the colour of your skin, Gaspar! Wouldn't that betray you?"

  Ludwig thus interrogates, not thinking how easily the dexterous gauchocan alter his complexion, nor recalling what he has said about hishaving done so to disguise himself as a Guaycuru.

  "It might," returns Gaspar; "and no doubt would, if I left it as it is;which I don't intend doing. True, my face is not so fair as to needmuch darkening, beyond what the sun has done for it. I've seen someTovas Indians with cheeks nigh as white as my own, and so have you,senoritos. As for my arms, legs, and body, they'll require a littlebrowning, but as it so happens I've got the stuff to give it them.After the service rendered me by a coat of that colour, you may trustthis gaucho never to go on any expedition over the pampas without a cakeof brown paint stowed away in some corner of his _alparejas_. For theponcho, it won't be out of place. As you know, there are many of thecommon kind among the Tovas Indians, worn and woven by them; with someof better sort, snatched, no doubt, from the shoulders of some poorgaucho, found straying too far from the settlements."

  "But, Gaspar," says Ludwig, still doubting the possibility of thescheme; "surely such a disguise as you speak of will never do? In thedaylight they'd see through it."

  "Ah! in the daylight, yes, they might. But I don't intend giving themthat chance. If I enter their town at all, and I see no other way forit, that entry must be made in the darkness. I propose making itto-morrow evening, after the sun's gone down, and when it's got to belate twilight. Then they'll all be off guard, engaged in driving theiranimals into the _corrales_, and less likely to notice any one strollingabout the streets."

  "But supposing you get safe into the place, and can go about withoutattracting attention, what will you do?" questions Ludwig.

  "What can you?" is the form in which Cypriano puts it.

  "Well, senoritos, that will depend on circumstances, and a good deal onthe sort of luck in store for us. Still you mustn't suppose I'mtrusting all to chance. Gaspar Mendez isn't the man to thrust his handinto a hornet's nest, without a likelihood--nay, a certainty, of drawingsome honey out of it."

  "Then you have such certainty now?" interrogates Cypriano, a gleam ofhope irradiating his countenance. For the figurative words lead him tobelieve that the gaucho has not yet revealed the whole of his scheme.

  "Of course I have," is Gaspar's rejoinder. "If I hadn't we might aswell give everything up, and take the back-track home again. We won'tdo that, while there's a chance left for taking the _muchachita_ alongwith us."

  "Never!" exclaims Cypriano, with determined emphasis. "If I have to gointo their town myself, and die in it, I'll do that rather than returnwithout my cousin."

  "Be calm, _hijo mio_!" counsels Gaspar in a soothing tone, intended tocurb the excitement of the fiery youth; "I don't think there will be anyneed for you either to enter the town, or lay down your life in it.Certainly neither, unless my plan get spoiled by the ill luck that'sbeen so long hanging about us. It isn't much of a plan after all; onlyto find one of the Indians, to whom I did a service when they wereliving at their old place. I cured the man of a complaint, which, butfor the medicine I administered, would have carried him off to the happyhunting grounds--where just then he didn't wish to go. That medicinewasn't mine either. I had it from the _dueno_. But the sick man gaveme credit for it all the same, and swore if I ever stood in need of hisservices, I could count upon receiving them, sure. From what I saw ofhim afterwards, and we came to know one another pretty well, I think Ican. If ever there was a redskin to be trusted it's he. Besides, he'sone of some authority in the tribe--a sort of sub-chief."

  "I know another," breaks in Ludwig, as if suddenly recollecting; "onewho'd help us too--if we could only have a word with him. That'sNacena's brother, Kaolin."

  Cypriano casts at his cousin a glance of peculiar meaning--somethinglike surprise. Not because the latter has made mention of an Indiangirl and her brother, both known to himself; but his giving the girl'sname first, as though she were uppermost in his thoughts. And she is;though that is a secret the young naturalist has hitherto kept closelocked within his own breast.

  Without noticing the glance of scrutiny bent upon him, he proceeds toexplain himself.

  "You may remember, Kaolin and I were the best of friends. He often wentfishing with me, or rather I went with him. And I'm sure he'd stand byme now, in spite of Aguara."

  "So much the better," rejoins Caspar. "If my man fail me, we can fallback upon yours. What I propose doing, then, is this. We must keepquiet, and of course concealed, all day to-morrow till after sunset. Wecan employ ourselves in the preparation of my masquerading costume.When it comes on twilight, or a little later, I can slip down amongthose _toldos_, and go sauntering about, like any other redskin, till Ifind my old patient. He being a big fellow, there shouldn't be muchdifficulty in doing that. When found I'll make appeal to him, to helpus in getting the _nina_ out of--" he has it on his tongue to say"Aguara's clutches," but thinking of the effect of such a phrase fallingupon Cypriano's ears, he concludes with the words, "whatever placethey're keeping her in."

  Caspar's scheme thus at length declared, seeming feasible enough--andindeed the only one which any of them can think of as at allpracticable--the other two signify assent to it; and its execution, orthe attempt, is finally determined upon.

  Going on to discuss the steps next best to be taken, they areinterrupted by the sound of footsteps--some one ascending from below!The footfall is a light one, but distinct enough for them to tell, thatwhoever makes it is continuing on towards them, though yet unseen. Asalready said, the causeway is in part overshadowed by the cliff, andwithin this shadow keeps the person approaching. For all, on thefootsteps drawing near, there is light enough for them to make out afigure; the better from its being clad in a drapery of white, loose andflowing, as though the wearer were a woman.

  And so is she, or, to speak more correctly, a girl; her sex and agerevealed to them, as at a certain point she steps to the off side of thepath, and the moonlight falling upon her, exposes to their view a facebeautiful as youthful.

  Gaspar and Cypriano both recognise the face, but say nothing. DifferentLudwig, who at the first glance got of it, unable to restrain himself,mechanically mutters the name--

  "Nacena!"