The White Chief: A Legend of Northern Mexico Read online

  CHAPTER TWENTY SIX.

  Circumstances were arising that would be likely to interrupt theComandante and his captain in the execution of their design. At leastso it might have been supposed. In less than twenty-four hours afterthe conversation described, a rumour of Indian incursions was carried tothe town, and spread through every house in the valley. The rumour saidthat a band of "Indios bravos,"--whether Apache, Yuta, or Comanche, wasnot stated,--had made their appearance near the settlement, in full_war-paint and costume_!

  This of course denoted hostile intentions, and an attack might beexpected in some part of the settlement. The first rumour was followedby one still more substantial,--that the Indians had attacked someshepherds in the upper plain, not far from the town itself. Theshepherds had escaped, but their dogs had been killed, and a largenumber of sheep driven off to the mountain fastnesses of the marauders!

  This time the report was more definite. The Indians were Yutas, andbelonged to a band of that tribe that had been hunting to the east ofthe Pecos, and who had no doubt resolved upon this plundering expeditionbefore returning to their _home_, near the heads of the Del Norte. Theshepherds had seen them distinctly, and knew the _Yuta paint_.

  That the Indians were Yutas was probable enough. The same tribe hadlately made a foray upon the settlements in the fine valley of Taos.They had heard of the prosperous condition of San Ildefonso, and hencetheir hostile visit. Besides, both Apaches and Comanches were _en paz_with the settlement, and had for some years confined themselves toravaging the provinces of Coahuila and Chihuahua. No provocation hadbeen given to these tribes to recommence hostilities, nor had they givenany signs of such an intention.

  Upon the night of the same day in which the sheep were carried off, amore important robbery was committed. That took place in the settlementitself. A large number of cattle were driven off from a grazing-farmnear the lower end of the valley. The Indians had been seen in the act,but the frightened vaqueros were but too glad to escape, and shutthemselves up in the buildings of the farm.

  No murders had as yet been committed, but that was because no resistancehad been made to the spoliations. Nor had any houses been yet attacked.Perhaps the Indians were only a small band; but there was no knowinghow soon their numbers might be increased, and greater outragesattempted.

  The people of the valley, as well as those in the town, were now in astate of excitement. Consternation prevailed everywhere. Those wholived in the scattered ranchos forsook their homes during the night, andbetook themselves to the town and the larger haciendas for shelter.These last were shut up as soon as darkness approached, and regularsentries posted upon their azoteas, who kept watch until morning. Theterror of the inhabitants was great,--the greater because for a longperiod they had lived on good terms with the Indios bravos, and a visitfrom them was novel as unexpected.

  No wonder that they were alarmed. They had cause for it. They wellknew that in these hostile incursions the savage enemy acts with theutmost barbarity,--murdering the men, and sparing only the youngerwomen, whom they carry off to a cruel captivity. They well knew this,for at that very date there were thousands of their countrywomen in thehands of the wild Indians, lost to their families and friends for ever!No wonder that there was fear and trembling.

  The Comandante seemed particularly on the alert. At the head of histroops he scoured the neighbouring plains, and made incursions towardsthe spurs of the mountains. At night his patrols were in constantmotion up and down the valley. The people were admonished to keepwithin their houses, and barricade their doors in case of attack. Alladmired the zeal and activity of their military protectors.

  The Comandante won golden opinions daily. This was the first realopportunity he had had of showing them his "pluck," for there had beenno alarm of Indians since he arrived. In the time of his predecessorseveral had taken place, and on these occasions it was remembered thatthe troops, instead of going abroad to search for the "barbaros," shutthemselves up in the garrison till the latter were gone clear out of thevalley, after having carried off all the cattle they could collect!What a contrast in the new Comandante! What a brave officer was ColonelVizcarra!

  This excitement continued for several days. As yet no murders had beencommitted, nor any women, carried off; and as the Indians had onlyappeared in the night, the probability was that they were in but smallforce,--some weak band of robbers. Had it been otherwise, they wouldhave long since boldly shown themselves by daylight, and carried ontheir depredations on a much larger scale.

  During all this time the mother and sister of the cibolero lived intheir lone rancho without any protection, and were, perhaps, less indread of the Indians than any other family in the whole valley. Thiswas to be attributed to several causes. First, their training, whichhad taught them to make light of dangers that terrified their lesscourageous neighbours. Secondly, their poor hut was not likely to temptthe cupidity of Indian robbers, whose design was evidently plunder.There were too many well-stocked ranchos a little farther up the valley.The Indians would not be likely to molest them.

  But there was still a better reason for this feeling, of confidence ontheir part, and that was somewhat of a family secret. Carlos, havingtraded with all the neighbouring tribes, was known to the Indians, andwas on terms of friendship with nearly every one of their chiefs. Onecause of this friendship was, that Carlos was known to them as an_American_. Such was their feeling in regard to Americans that, at thistime, and for a long period after, both the trappers and traders of thatnation could pass through the whole Apache and Comanche range in thesmallest parties without molestation, while large caravans of Mexicanswould be attacked and robbed! It was only long after that these tribesassumed a fierce hostility against the Saxon whites; and this wasbrought about by several acts of barbarism committed by parties of thewhites themselves.

  In his dealings with the Indios bravos, then, the cibolero had notforgotten his little rancho at home; and he had always counselled hismother and sister not to fear the Indians in his absence, assuring themthat these would not molest them.

  The only tribe with which Carlos was not on friendly terms was theJicarilla, a small and miserable band that lived among the mountainsnorth-east of Santa Fe. They were a branch of the Apaches, but livedapart, and had little in common with the great freebooters of thesouth--the _Mezcaleros_ and _Wolf-eaters_.

  For these reasons, then, the little Rosita and her mother, though notentirely without apprehension, were yet less frightened by the currentrumours of the time than their neighbours.

  Every now and then Don Juan rode over to the rancho, and advised them tocome and stay at his house--a large strong building well defended byhimself and his numerous peons. But the mother of Rosita only laughedat the fears of Don Juan; and Rosita herself, from motives of delicacy,of course refused to accede to his proposal.

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  It was the third night from the time the Indians had been first heardof. The mother and daughter had laid aside their spindle and loom, andwere about to retire to their primitive couches on the earthen floor,when Cibolo was seen to spring from his petate, and rush towards thedoor, growling fiercely.

  His growl increased to a bark--so earnest, that it was evident some onewas outside. The door was shut and barred; but the old woman, withouteven inquiring who was there, pulled out the bar, and opened the door.

  She had scarcely shown herself when the wild whoop of Indians rang inher ears, and a blow from a heavy club prostrated her upon thethreshold. Spite the terrible onset of the dog, several savages, in allthe horrid glare of paint and feathers, rushed into the house yellingfearfully, and brandishing their weapons; and in less than five minutes'time, the young girl, screaming with terror, was borne in their arms tothe outside of the rancho, and there tied upon the back of a mule.

  The few articles which the Indians deemed of any value were carried awaywith them; and the savages, after setting fir
e to the rancho, made offin haste.

  Rosita saw the blaze of the rancho as she sat tied upon the mule. Shehad seen her mother stretched upon the door-step, and was in factdragged over her apparently lifeless form; and the roof was now inflames!

  "My poor mother!" she muttered in her agony; "O God! O God! what willbecome of my poor mother?"

  Almost simultaneously with this attack, or a little after it, theIndians appeared before the house of the ranchero, Don Juan; but, afteryelling around it and firing several arrows over the azotea and againstthe door, they retired.

  Don Juan was apprehensive for his friends at the rancho. As soon as theIndians had gone away from about his own premises, he stole out; and,trusting to the darkness, made his way in that direction.

  He had not gone far before the blaze of the building came under hiseyes, causing the blood to rush cold through his veins.

  He did not stop. He was afoot, but he was armed, and he dashed madlyforward, resolved to defend Rosita, or die!

  In a few minutes he stood before the door of the rancho; and there, tohis horror, lay the still senseless form of the mother, her wild andghastly features illuminated by the blaze from the roof. The fire hadnot yet reached her, though in a few moments more she would have beenburied in the flames!

  Don Juan drew her forth into the garden, and then rushed franticallyaround calling on Rosita.

  But there was no reply. The crackling blaze--the sighing of the nightwind--the hooting of the cliff owl, and the howling of the _coyote_,alone answered his anxious calls.

  After remaining until all hope had vanished, he turned towards theprostrate body, and knelt down to examine it. To his surprise there wasstill life, and, after her lips had been touched with water, the oldwoman showed symptoms of recovery. She had only been stunned by theheavy blow.

  Don Juan at length lifted her in his arms, and taking the well-knownpath returned with his burden, and with a heavy heart, to his own house.

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  Next morning the news of the affair was carried through all thesettlement, adding to the terror of the inhabitants. The Comandantewith a large troop galloped conspicuously through the town; and aftermuch loud talk and empty demonstrations, went off on the trail which theIndians were supposed to have taken.

  Long before night the troopers returned with their usual report, "_losbarbaros no pudimos alcanzar_." (We could not overtake the savages.)

  They said that they had followed the trail to the Pecos, where theIndians had crossed, and that the savages had continued on towards theLlano Estacado.

  This piece of news gave some relief, for it was conjectured, if themarauders had gone in that direction, their plundering would end. Theyhad probably proceeded to join the rest of their tribe, known to besomewhere in that quarter.