Gustave Aimard

“ The chief of the Pincheyras, a man of tall figure, with energetic and marked features, and a harsh and cruel expression—still young, and who, during the combat, had performed prodigies of valour, and had furiously pressed Don Zeno Cabral himself, whom he had at the commencement of the action overthrown from his horse—soon appeared almost lying on his horse, furiously brandishing his lance, and exciting with loud cries the twenty horsemen by whom he was followed. ”

“ The young officer bowed affirmatively.
"So," said he, "the Guaycurus are the most civilised among the Indians?"
"The only civilised," answered the chief, with pride; "the Great Spirit loves and protects them."
"I admit it, chief; but that does not explain to me how it is that you speak our language with perfection—a perfection which you warriors are far from attaining, for they can scarcely understand a word I say to them."
"The Cougar has lived many years," answered he; "the snows of many a great winters have fallen on his head since he saw the light. ”

“ When silence was completely re-established, Emile made a sign to his companions.
"Now that we are alone, Señores," said he, "let us talk, for affairs are serious. Tyro, light the fire; we will hold counsel in the Indian fashion."
The Guaraní gathered some dry wood, piled it carefully, struck a light, and soon a slight column of flame rose brightly in the air.
A death-like silence reigned in the valley; the breeze had died away; there was not a sound in the air; the sky, black as ink, had not a single star; nature appeared to be gathering all her powers for a terrible strife of the elements ”

“ Happily the partisan, blinded by rage, had not calculated his fire; the ball, badly directed, instead of striking the Frenchman full in the body, only made a slight graze on the arm, and fell harmless.
"Your life belongs to me," coolly said the young man, cocking his pistol in his turn.
"Blow my brains out then, ¡caray!" cried Don Pablo; "Fire, and let all be over!"
"No," replied the young painter, without emotion, "it is well for you to see the difference which exists between a man of your sort and of mine." ”

“ It was no longer 300 men who had shown themselves in the environs of the town, but a formidable Spanish army, coming from Peru—pillaging, burning, devastating everything on its route—and of which the ferocious squadron of the Pincheyras formed the advance guard. They had arrived by forced marches; and soon—the next day, perhaps—they would encamp before the town. What was to be done? what was to be resolved on? Where were the people to hide, or to fly? It was all over with San Miguel; the Spaniards, to avenge their defeats, would not leave there one stone upon another. ”

“ In conditions like these, life becomes literally impossible. Better a hundred times would it have been for me to remain in France, where at least I should have been allowed to live quietly, and in my own fashion! A pretty situation is this of mine—placed here, without knowing why, between the gun and the gallows! Why, it is absurd, it is unheard-of! The devil take these Americans and Spaniards! As if they could not quarrel with one another without bringing into the dispute a poor painter, who has nothing to do with it, and who is travelling as an amateur in their country! ”

“ The marchioness, remarking the embarrassed position and the piteous air of the stranger, quickly approached him, and said with a gracious smile—
"It is useless to keep up any further disguise," said she to him; "it is I, Señor, who have written to you; speak, then, without fear before Madame, she is my best friend, and my only protectress."
The painter breathed heavily.
"Madame," answered he, "you remove an immense weight from my breast. I humbly confess that I did not know what countenance to assume in seeing myself recognised so unawares. ”

“ The Indian looked at him for some moments with an astonishment that he did not seek to dissimulate.
"Was I not right, master," he resumed at last, "to ask you at the commencement of this conversation, if you had courage?"
"What do you mean?" cried the young man, suddenly collecting himself, and darting a look at the Indian.
Tyro did not lower his eyes; his countenance remained impassive, and it was with the same calm voice, with the same careless accent, that he continued:
"In this country, master, courage does not resemble in anything what you possess. ”

“ Like us, you are watched, and exposed to suspicion. Alas! We have only escaped the revolutionists to fall into the hands of men more cruel still."
"Have you to complain of the proceedings of Don Pablo Pincheyra, or of any of his people, Madame?"
"Oh!" answered she, with a significant smile, "Don Pablo is polite—too polite, perhaps, for me! Oh! Mon Dieu! What have I done to be thus exposed to his persecutions?"
"Have you seen my servant this morning, Madame! I ask pardon for interrogating you thus, but time presses."
"Is it of Tyro that you speak?" ”

“ We are ruined, then!"
"Listen, master," coldly answered the Guaraní.
At this moment a cry of agony pierced the air. Although far off it had such an expression of anguish and of grief that the painter involuntarily trembled, and felt himself covered with a cold perspiration.
"Oh!" cried he; "It is the cry of a man who is being murdered. What is happening? Mon Dieu!" And he made a movement to jump out of the barque.
"Stop, master," said Tyro, "it is useless; the treachery of Neno need no longer be feared." ”

“ And then he strode towards the gallery.
"Come, Don Santiago," cried he, with a loud voice, stopping at the entrance, "you can show yourself; there are none here but friends."
The sound of a quick step was heard, and the Montonero almost immediately showed himself.
Alter having cast a glance around him, he advanced briskly towards the Guaraní, and, grasping him heartily by the hand—
"¡Vive Dios!" cried he; "My brave friend, I am happy to see you here!"
"And so am I, Señor," respectfully answered the Indian; "but first permit me to ask you a favour." ”

“ Gueyma resumed:
"Has the pale chief anything to add to what he has told me?"
"Nothing," answered the partisan.
"It is well; it is my turn now to impose conditions."
"That is quite true, chief; I listen to you."
"My brother, the white chief, knows the customs of the Pampa, does he not?"
"I know them; my life has been almost wholly passed in the desert."
"Does he know the ceremony of the compact of vengeance in use in the tribe of the Guaycurus?" ”

“ You, Zeno Cabral, for the tribe of the Guaycurus, you are now named Cabral Gueyma; and you, Gueyma, for the brothers of your friend, are Gueyma Zeno. Your blood even ought to mix in your breasts, in order that your thoughts may be really the same, and that, at the hour when you shall appear after death before the Master of the world, he may recognise you and reunite you to each other."
After having thus spoken, the Cougar drew his knife from its sheath, and slightly punctured the chest of the partisan, just over the heart. ”

“ Speedily the bolas and the lagos flew on all sides, and the horsemen, hurled from their saddles, rolled on the ground with cries of rage and anguish.
The strife was short, but terrible. Surrounded by the squadron, the Pincheyras, despite a desperate resistance, were defeated, and were obliged to surrender.
Scarcely twenty-five survived; the others, strangled by the lagos, wounded by the lances, or their skulls broken by the terrible bolas, lay stretched upon the field.
One man only had escaped, by what miracle it was impossible to say.
It was the chief of the Pincheyras. ”

“ The abbess slightly shrugged her shoulders, and resumed: "It is, Señor, that you now tell me things which are so incredible. How can you expect, when you yourself have just admitted that you arrested these ladies, when it would have been so easy to allow them to continue their journey; that it is you who brought them into this town; that it is you who also brought them to this convent, in order to deprive them of all hope of flight—how can you expect that I should credit the professions of devotion of which you are now pleased to make a parade before me? ”

“ The Pincheyras knew the most secret hiding places in the Cordilleras. Their expeditions over, they withdrew into these retreats, so much the more inaccessible, as they were defended not only by desolate solitude, but by the terror which these redoubtable partisans inspired. They cared for nothing, and spared neither children, women, nor old men, dragging them after them, attached by the wrists to the tails of their horses.
Another partisan chief—a brave and honest Castilian officer—also fought for the defence of the losing cause of Spain. ”

“ It is not I who have committed the crime. I avenge the insult done to my family; the die is cast; God will judge me!"
He rose and took a few steps in the cavern. The darkness was nearly complete. Zeno Cabral took a torch of rotten wood, lit it, and fixed it in the ground; then, after another hesitation, he shook his head, passed his hand over his forehead, as if to chase away a passing idea, and sat himself down on one of the seats, after having cleared away the traces of the meal and those left by the Guaycurus warriors. ”

“ The prisoners were tied to the tails of the horses, and the squadron set out at a gallop for San Miguel.
"Señor general," said Don Zeno Cabral to the governor, taking his hand with emotion, "you have saved my life—more than that, you have saved my honour. Whatever happens, I am yours, at whatever time—I give you my word."
"Thank you, Don Zeno," replied the general, a slight smile answering to the warm grasp of the hand; "I accept your word, and will remember it in case of need."
"In everything, and for everything, depend on me." ”

“ Like all natures not feeble, but careless—not daring seriously to question himself, and sound the gulf which had thus opened in his heart—he allowed himself carelessly to be drifted by the current which carried him along, enjoying the present without caring for the future, and assuring himself that when the catastrophe arrived it would be time enough to face the danger and to take his stand.
He had taken but a few steps in the camp when, turning his head, he perceived Don Santiago Pincheyra at a few paces behind him. ”

“ Here am I asked to be a protector—I, who so much want protection myself! Heaven is not just to permit, without rhyme or reason, a good fellow, who only sighs for quiet, to be thus tormented in every possible circumstance."
He rose, and began to stride about his room.
"However," added he, after a pause, "these ladies are in a frightful position; I cannot abandon them thus, without trying to come to their aid; my honour is engaged in it; a Frenchman, spite of himself, represents France in a foreign country. But what is to be done?" ”

“ Notwithstanding the candour of this avowal, the French painter—little acquainted yet with the character of these primitive races—by no means intended to put the Indian completely in the confidence of his secrets.
Too much civilisation renders us mistrustful.
The Guaraní readily perceived the hesitation of the artist, who, unaccustomed to dissimulation, allowed his countenance to reflect his emotions, as in a mirror.
"The master has nothing to teach Tyro," said he, with a smile; "the Indian knows all." ”

“ Without this precaution they would have fallen from their horses—not so much by reason of the fatigue they suffered, though that fatigue was great, but because sleep overcame them, and prevented them, notwithstanding all their efforts, from keeping their eyes open and guiding their horses.
"But who has betrayed us?" suddenly exclaimed Don Santiago.
"I know him," answered Sacatripas.
"You know him, Señor? Well, then, you will do me the pleasure of telling me, will you not?"
"It is useless, Señor. The man who has betrayed you is dead; only he has been killed two hours too late." ”

“ However, they heard the remark, to which one of them replied—
"It is not a question of delicacy, chief, but an innate feeling of propriety amongst men who not only respect themselves, but also in themselves respect those whom they are charged to represent."
"You will excuse us, Señor," pursued Gueyma, "we Indians, almost savages, as you call us, know nothing of those subtle distinctions that you are pleased to establish; the life of the desert does not teach such things." ”

“ The Pincheyra, a man naturally very unsentimental, did not appreciate what the Montonero said to him. But, by reason of that species of innate vanity in all men, which leads them to attribute qualities to themselves which they do not possess—attracted, moreover, towards his own acquaintance by an inexplicable sympathy—he made no difficulty in agreeing to what Don Zeno Cabral asked him, and consented to let him act quite in his own way, inwardly flattered by the good opinion that the latter appeared to have of him, and anxious to prove to him that he was not deceived in him. ”

“ Primitive natures are easy to draw out. These men, half savages, felt themselves recompensed by the honours accorded to their chief; they were proud of him, and manifested their joy in their own way—that is to say, by bawling out and gesticulating.
The Spaniards themselves shared to a certain extent the general excitement. For a time, hope, nearly extinguished, arose as strongly in their hearts as on the first day, and they persuaded themselves into the belief in a success henceforth impossible. ”

“ I should, however, have much liked to give myself that pleasure."
"Believe me, Señor—you or me—he will lose nothing," pursued the Indian, with an accent of hatred it would be impossible to render.
"I will not cavil any longer with you on that; let us return to our business; I am sufficiently embarrassed at this moment."
The Indian smiled.
"Do you not know me then, Don Santiago?" said he; "The evil has been repaired as far as it is possible." ”

“ Notwithstanding the advanced hour—it was beyond midnight—the Cabildo, at the moment when the governor and the Montonero entered it, was invaded by the crowd, and offered a spectacle of disorder and of fear, not less animated and not less noisy than that which they had just seen in crossing the Plaza Mayor.
The two officers were received with cries of joy and protestations of devotion that fear alone could inspire in the greater part of the people present. ”