Gaspar the Gaucho: A Story of the Gran Chaco Page 4

  CHAPTER FOUR.

  HIS NEAREST NEIGHBOURS.

  The house of the hunter-naturalist was placed at some distance from theriver's bank, its site chosen with an eye to the picturesque; and nolovelier landscape ever lay before the windows of a dwelling. From itsfront ones--or, better still, the verandah outside them--the eyecommands a view alone limited by the power of vision: verdant savannas,mottled with copses of acacia and groves of palm, with here and theresingle trees of the latter standing solitary, their smooth stems andgracefully-curving fronds cut clear as cameos against the azure sky.Nor is it a dead level plain, as _pampas_ and prairies are erroneouslysupposed always to be. Instead, its surface is varied with undulations;not abrupt as the ordinary hill and dale scenery, but gently swellinglike the ocean's waves when these have become crestless after thesubsidence of a storm.

  Looking across this champaign from Halberger's house at almost any hourof the day, one would rarely fail to observe living creatures movingupon it. It may be a herd of the great _guazuti_ deer, or the smaller_pampas_ roe, or, perchance, a flock of _rheas_--the South Americanostrich--stalking along tranquilly or in flight, with their long necksextended far before, and their plumed tails streaming train-like behindthem. Possibly they may have been affrighted by the tawny puma, orspotted jaguar, seen skulking through the long pampas grass likegigantic cats. A drove of wild horses, too, may go careering past, withmanes and tails showing a wealth of hair which shears have nevertouched; now galloping up the acclivity of a ridge; anon disappearingover its crest to re-appear on one farther off and of greater elevation.Verily, a scene of Nature in its wildest and most interesting aspect!

  Upon that same plain, Ludwig Halberger and his people are accustomed tosee others than wild horses--some with men upon their backs, who sitthem as firmly as riders in the ring; that is, when they do _sit_ them,which is not always. Often may they be seen standing erect upon theirsteeds, these going in full gallop! True, your ring-rider can do thesame; but then his horse gallops in a circle, which makes it a mere featof centrifugal and centripetal balancing. Let him try it in a straightline, and he would drop off like a ripe pear from the tree. No curvingcourse needs the Chaco Indian, no saddle nor padded platform on the backof his horse, which he can ride standing almost as well as seated. Nowonder, then, these savages--if savages they may be called--haveobtained the fanciful designation of centaurs--the "Red Centaurs of theChaco."

  Those seen by Ludwig Halberger and his family are the "Tovas," alreadyintroduced. Their village, termed _tolderia_, is about ten miles off,up the river. Naraguana wished the white man to have fixed hisresidence nearer to him, but the naturalist knew that would not answer.Less than two leagues from an Indian encampment, and still more if apermanent dwelling-place, which this _tolderia_ is, would make thepursuit of his calling something more than precarious. The wild birdsand beasts--in short, all the animated creation--dislike the proximityof the Indian, and flee his presence afar.

  It may seem strange that the naturalist still continues to formcollections, so far from any place where he might hope to dispose ofthem. Down the Pilcomayo he dares not take them, as that would onlybring him back to the Paraguay river, interdict to navigation, as everjealously guarded, and, above all, tabooed to himself. But he has nothought, or intention, to attempt communicating with the civilised worldin that way; while a design of doing so in quite another direction hasoccurred to him, and, in truth, been already all arranged. This, tocarry his commodities overland to the Rio Vermejo, and down that streamtill near its mouth; then again overland, and across the Parana toCorrientes. There he will find a shipping port in direct commerce withBuenos Ayres, and so beyond the jurisdiction of Paraguay's Dictator.

  Naraguana has promised him not only an escort of his best braves, but aband of _cargadores_ (carriers) for the transport of his freight; theselast the slaves of his tribe. For the aristocratic Tovas Indians havetheir bondsmen, just as the Caffres, or Arab merchants of Africa.

  Nearly three years have elapsed since the naturalist became establishedin his new quarters, and his collection has grown to be a large one.Safely landed in any European port, it would be worth many thousands ofdollars; and thither he wishes to have it shipped as soon as possible.He has already warned Naraguana of his wish, and that the freight isready; the chief, on his part, promising to make immediate preparationsfor its transport overland.

  But a week has passed over, and no Naraguana, nor any messenger fromhim, has made appearance at the _estancia_. No Indian of the Tovastribe has been seen about the place, nor anywhere near it; in short, noredskin has been seen at all, save the _guanos_, Halberger's own maleand female domestics.

  Strange all this! Scarce ever has a whole week gone by without hisreceiving a visit from the Tovas chief, or some one of his tribe; andrarely half this time without Naraguana's own son, by name Aguara,favouring the family with a call, and making himself as agreeable assavage may in the company of civilised people.

  For all, there is one of that family to whom his visits are anything butagreeable; in truth, the very reverse. This Cypriano, who has conceivedthe fancy, or rather feels conviction, that the eyes of the young Tovaschief rest too often, and too covetously, on his pretty cousin,Francesca. Perhaps, except himself, no one has noticed this, and healone is glad to count the completion of a week without any Indianhaving presented himself at his uncle's establishment.

  Though there is something odd in their prolonged non-appearance, stillit is nothing to be alarmed about. On other occasions there had beenintervals of absence as long, and even longer, when the men of the tribewere away from their _tolderia_, on some foraging or hunting expedition.Nor would Halberger have thought anything of it; but for theunderstanding between him and the Tovas chief, in regard to thetransport of his collections. Naraguana had never before failed in anypromise made to him. Why should he in this?

  A sense of delicacy hinders the naturalist from riding over to the Tovastown, and asking explanation why the chief delays keeping his word. Inall such matters, the American Indian, savage though styled, issensitive as the most refined son of civilisation; and, knowing this,Ludwig Halberger waits for Naraguana to come to him.

  But when a second week has passed, and a third, without the Tovas chiefreporting himself, or sending either message or messenger, the Prussianbecomes really apprehensive, not so much for himself, as the safety ofhis red-skinned protector. Can it be that some hostile band hasattacked the Tovas tribe, massacred all the men, and carried off thewomen? For in the Chaco are various communities of Indians, often atdeadly feud with one another. Though such conjecture seems improbable,the thing is yet possible; and to assure himself, Halberger at lengthresolves upon going over to the _tolderia_ of the Tovas. Ordering hishorse saddled, he mounts, and is about to ride off alone, when a sweetvoice salutes him, saying:--

  "Papa! won't you take me with you?"

  It is his daughter who speaks, a girl not yet entered upon her teens.

  "In welcome, Francesca. Come along!" is his answer to her query.

  "Then stay till I get my pony. I sha'n't be a minute."

  She runs back towards the corrals, calling to one of the servants tosaddle her diminutive steed. Which, soon brought round to the front ofthe house, receives her upon its back.

  But now another, also a soft, sweet voice, is heard in exhortation. Itis that of Francesca's mother, entering protest against her husbandeither going alone, or with a companion so incapable of protecting him.She says:--

  "Dear Ludwig, take Caspar with you. There may be danger--who knows?"

  "Let me go, _tio_?" puts in Cypriano, with impressive eagerness, hiseyes turned towards his cousin as though he did not at all relish thethought of her visiting the Tovas village without his being along withher.

  "And me, too?" also requests Ludwig, the son, who is two years olderthan his sister.

  "No, neither of you," rejoins the father. "Ludwig, you would not leaveyour mother alone? Besides, rememb
er I have set both you and Cypriano alesson, which you must learn off to-day. There is nothing to fear,_querida_!" he adds, addressing himself to his wife. "We are not now inParaguay, but a country where our old Friend Francia and his satellitesdare not intrude on us. Besides, I cannot spare the good Caspar fromsome work I have given him to do. Bah! 'Tis only a bit of a morning'strot there and back; and if I find there's nothing wrong, we'll be homeagain in little ever a couple of hours. So _adios! Vamos_, Francesca!"

  With a wave of his hand he moves off, Francesca giving her tiny roadstera gentle touch of the whip, and trotting by his side.

  The other three, left standing in the verandah, with their eyes followthe departing equestrians, the countenance of each exhibiting anexpression that betrays different emotions in their minds, thesediffering both as to the matter of thought and the degree of intensity.Ludwig simply looks a little annoyed at having to stay at home when hewanted to go abroad, but without any great feeling of disappointment;whereas Cypriano evidently suffers chagrin, so much that he is notlikely to profit by the appointed lesson. With the Senora herself it isneither disappointment nor chagrin, but a positive and keenapprehension. A daughter of Paraguay, brought up to believe its rulerall powerful over the earth, she can hardly realise the idea of therebeing a spot where the hand of "El Supremo" cannot reach and punishthose who have thwarted his wishes or caprices. Many the tale has sheheard whispered in her ear, from the cradle upwards, telling of theweird power of this wicked despot, and the remorseless manner in whichhe has often wielded it. Even after their escape into the chaco, where,under the protection of the Tovas chief, they might laugh his enmity toscorn, she has never felt the confidence of complete security. And now,that an uncertainty has arisen as to what has befallen Naraguana and hispeople, her fears became redoubled and intensified. Standing in thetrellissed verandah, her eyes fixed upon the departing forms of herhusband and daughter, she has a heaviness at the heart, a presentimentof some impending danger, which seems so near and dreadful as to causeshivering throughout her frame.

  The two youths, observing this, essay to reassure her--one in filialduty, the other with affection almost as warm.

  Alas! in vain. As the crown of the tall hat worn by her husband, goesdown behind the crest of a distant ridge, Francesca's having soonerdisappeared, her heart sinks at the same time; and, making a sign of thecross, she exclaims in desponding accents:--

  "_Madre de Dios_! We may ne'er see them more!"