Gustave Aimard
The Smuggler Chief: A Novel
CHAPTER XXV
THE ARREST
The appearance of Valparaíso had greatly changed. It was no longer the careless, laughing town which we have described, echoing from morning to night with gay love songs, and whirling round with a wild sambacueca. No! its gaiety had faded away to make room for sombre anxieties. Although its sky was still as pure, its sun as hot, and its women as lovely, a veil of sadness had spread over the forehead of the inhabitants, and chilled the smile on every lip. The streets, usually so full of promenaders and so noisy, were gloomy and silent. The shops – nearly all deserted and closed – no longer displayed to purchasers from all countries those thousand charming trifles of which the Creoles are so fond.
Numerous troops of soldiers were encamped in all the squares; strong patrols marched through each district, and the ships anchored in the bay, with nettings triced up and ports opened, were awaiting the moment for action; while at intervals the beating of the drums or the dull ringing of the tocsin, terrified the timid citizens in their houses, where they hid themselves under triple bolts and locks.
What was occurring, however, was sufficient to excuse the terror of the alarmed population. Tahi-Mari, the great Molucho chief, at the head of the twelve allied Araucano nations, after seizing the forts of Araucas and Tulcapel, and massacring their garrisons, had taken Valdivia, which he plundered, and continuing his march with more than two hundred thousand Indians, had subjugated Talcahueno, Concepción, Maule, and Talca. In spite of the desperate efforts and courage of General Don Pedro Sallazar, who at the head of six thousand men had vainly attempted to arrest the invader, the Spanish army, conquered in five successive actions, was dispersed, leaving Tahi-Mari at liberty to march upon Santiago, the capital of Chili.
Only one resource was left Don Pedro Sallazar, that of collecting the relics of his defeated army, and entrenching himself on the banks of the Massucho, in order to dispute its passage with the Indians, who were preparing to cross the river. This he did with the help; of four thousand men, whom Don Juan brought to him, though not without difficulty.
The President of the Republic had called under arms all the youth of Chili, and in the towns, pueblos, and villages, the citizens had eagerly placed themselves at the disposal of the military authorities, who had armed and sent them off to Valparaíso, which was selected as headquarters, owing to the proximity of that town and Santiago.
On the eighth day after the arrival of General Soto-Mayor's daughters at the convent of the Purísima Concepción, at about midday, three or four thousand men, forming the volunteer contingent, were piously kneeling in the Plaza del Gobernador and attending the divine service, which the Bishop of Valparaíso was celebrating in the cathedral for the success of their arms. In all the towns of the republic, novenas and public prayers had been ordered, to implore heaven to save the country from the immense danger which menaced it.
When mass was ended, the soldiers rose to their feet and closed up in line. Then a brilliant staff, composed of general officers, at the head of whom was the commandant of Valparaíso, came out of the cathedral and stood on the last step of the peristyle. The governor stretched out his arm as a signal that he wished to speak, and the drums beat a prolonged roll. When silence was re-established, he said: —
"Chilians! the hand of God presses heavily upon us: the ferocious Indians have rushed upon our territory like wild beasts; they are firing our towns, and plundering, burning, massacring, and violating on their passage. Soldiers, you are about to fight for your homes; you are the last hope of your country, who is looking at you and counting on your courage; will you deceive its expectations?"
"No!" the volunteers shouted, brandishing their weapons frenziedly. "Lead us against the Indians!"
"Very good," the general continued; "I am happy to see the noble ardour which animates you, and I know that I can trust to your promise. The President of the Republic, in his solicitude for you, has chosen as your commander one of the noblest veterans of our War of Independence, who has claimed the honour of marching at your head – General Don Juan de Soto-Mayor."
"Long live General Soto-Mayor," the soldiers cried. The general, upon this, stationed himself by the side of the governor, and all were silent for the sake of listening to him.
"Soldiers!" he exclaimed, in a fierce voice, and with a glance sparkling with enthusiasm, "I have sworn to the President of the Republic that the enemy should only reach Santiago by passing over our corpses."
"Yes, yes, we will all die. Long live General Soto-Mayor!"
At this moment the doors of the cathedral, which had been shut, were noisily opened; a religious band could be heard; the bells rang out loudly; a cloud of incense obscured the air; and an imposing procession, with the bishop at its head, came out under the portico, and ranged itself there while singing pious hymns. On seeing this, soldiers and generals knelt down.
"Christians!" said the bishop, a venerable, white-haired old man, whom two vicars held under the arms, "go whither duty summons you. Save your country, or die for it. I give you my pastoral blessing."
Then, seizing a magnificent standard, on which sparkled a figure of the Virgin, embroidered in gold, he said —
"Take this consecrated flag. I place it in the hands of your general, and Nuestra Señora de la Merced will give you the victory!"
At these words, pronounced by the worthy bishop, a perfect delirium seized upon his hearers, and they swore with many imprecations and with tears in their eyes to defend the flag which General Soto-Mayor waved over their heads with a martial air, and to conquer or die in following him. The volunteers then marched past the staff and the clergy, and returned to their cantonments at the Almendral.
The general had already taken leave of the governor, as the troops had completely evacuated the square, and was preparing to return to the mansion which he had inhabited since his arrival from Valdivia, when he heard his name pronounced behind him just as he was on the point of mounting his horse. He turned his head quickly, and uttered a cry of joy on recognising Captain Leon Delbès.
"You here!" he said.
"Heaven be praised, I have found you, general!"
"Where are my girls?" the old gentleman asked, anxiously.
"Saved."
The general opened his arms to the young man, who rushed into them.
"Oh, my friend, what do I not owe you! My poor children! for mercy's sake take me at once to them. Where have you left them?"
"At the convent of the Purísima Concepción, general, as I pledged myself to do."
"Thanks! Come then with me; while we are going we will talk together, and you will tell me how I can recompense the eminent service which you have done me."
"General, I beg you do not revert to this subject. When I started to seek the two young ladies who had been torn from you I accomplished a duty, and I cannot and will not accept any reward."
The general looked at Leon, seeking to read his thoughts in his face, but he could not divine anything.
"Ah!" he answered, "we shall see. Caramba! You are a man of heart, but I have a desire to be a man of my word. Let us hasten at once to the convent, for I am longing to embrace my poor girls."
"But, general, my presence may perhaps be inopportune – I am only a stranger, and – "
"Sir! the man who devoted himself to save my children cannot be regarded as a stranger either by them or me."
The captain bowed.
"Let us start," Don Juan continued. "You are on foot, so I will send my horse home."
"Pray do not do so, general, for my horse is waiting a few yards off."
Leon whistled in a peculiar manner, and almost immediately the general saw a horseman, leading another horse by the bridle, turn out of the Calle San Agostino. It was our old acquaintance, Wilhelm.
"Here it is," said Leon.
Wilhelm had come up, and after saluting the general, said to the smuggler, in a low voice:
"Captain, here is a letter which has arrived for you, and which Master Crevel bade me to give you, adding that it was very pressing."
"Very good," said Leon, taking it and putting it in his pocket, without even looking at the handwriting. And he leapt on his horse.
"Follow us," he shouted to Wilhelm.
"All right, captain."
The two gentlemen rode off in the direction of the convent, escorted by Wilhelm, and followed by the general's servant. On the road the general overwhelmed Leon with questions as to the way in which he had contrived to find his daughters; and the captain described his expedition to him. When he came to the rescue which he accomplished by pretending to deliver Inez and Maria from the possession of the fiend, the general could not restrain a burst of laughter.
"On my word, captain, what you did there denotes on your part great boldness and profound skill. I knew that you were a courageous fellow, but I now see that you are a man of genius."
Leon tried to defend himself against such a flattering qualification, but the general insisted, while repeating the expression of his gratitude. In this way they reached the convent gates, and the general and Leon went in. Here again the young man was obliged to repeat to the curious abbess the details of his Odyssey.
The general yielded to all the transports of a real joy, and never tired of lavishing the tenderest caresses on those whom he had thought eternally lost. It was then that the memory of the beloved wife who no longer lived returned to him with all the greater force. Heavy tears poured from his eyes, and were mingled with those of his daughters.
"My children," he said to them, "Heaven has recalled your mother from my side, and your brother, Don Juan, is at this moment exposed to all the horrors of civil war. Hence I should only have you to cherish if my son succumbed beneath the blows of our cruel enemies. Remain here, then, my children, in this holy house, until the re-establishment of peace restores us better days."
"What! are you going away again, father?" Inez asked.
"I must. I have been intrusted with the command of a division, and I owe the little blood left me to the defence of my country."
"Oh, Heaven!" the young ladies exclaimed.
"Reassure yourselves: I hope to see you again soon: the walls of this convent will preserve you from external dangers. I leave you here without anxiety, until I return to be present at your taking the veil, my good Maria, and your marriage with Don Pedro Sallazar, my dear Inez."
The young ladies made no reply, but simultaneously glanced at the smuggler, whose face was extremely pale.
"It is to you that I confide them, my sister," the general continued, addressing the abbess. "Watch carefully over them, and whatever may happen, only act on my orders, or those of my son, if I am killed, as regards Maria's taking the veil or Inez's departure, for the war may – produce great changes and unforeseen catastrophes."
"You shall be obeyed, general," the abbess replied.
The general embraced his daughters for the last time, and prepared to depart; but at the moment of separating from their father they appeared visibly affected. Maria looked at Leon, striving to read in his face an encouragement to confess to the general the slight inclination she felt for a conventual life. The captain understood the maiden's desire, but his face did not speak, and hence Maria's lips did not move.
On her side Inez appeared to have formed some violent resolution, for with purpled cheeks she addressed the general, while repressing the beating of her heart.
"Father," she said to him, with an effort, "before you leave us, I wish to say a few words to you without witnesses."
The tone in which these words were uttered produced a certain impression on the general.
"What have you to tell me, my child?"
"You shall know directly, father."
"Allow me to withdraw, general," said Leon; "besides," he added, "I have some business to settle, and – "
"Señor, Inez has secrets to reveal to me," the old gentleman said, with a smile. "I will let you go; but only on condition that you come and see me tonight before I set out for Santiago."
"I shall not fail, general."
"Good-bye then, for the present, captain."
Leon bowed, and after exchanging a few compliments with the persons present, left the room. The abbess also retired, though somewhat reluctantly, followed by Maria, and the general found himself alone with Inez. Let us leave him and his daughter together for a moment, and accompany Leon, who found Wilhelm waiting at the gate.
"What is the matter with you?" he asked him, as he mounted his horse; "you have a very singular look today."
"Well," the German replied, "it is because I see some fellows I do not like prowling about here."
"What do you mean?"
"Nothing, except that we had better be on our guard."
"Nonsense, you are mad!"
"We shall see."
"In the meanwhile, let us make haste, for Diego is waiting for us at the Rio Claro, and time is slipping away."
The two smugglers rode off in the direction of the spot fixed by Diego for the meeting he had given the captain. Leon was thinking of the scene which he had just witnessed at the convent, and was asking himself what Inez could have to say to her father. Wilhelm was looking around him suspiciously. They rode on thus for about ten minutes, when just as they were turning the corner of the great Almendral street and preparing to leave Valparaíso, a dozen alguaciles barred their passage.
"In the name of the law I arrest you, Señor Delbès!" one of them said, addressing Leon.
"I beg your pardon," the smuggler said, laying his hands on his pistols, and raising his head.
Wilhelm followed his example.
"Shall we drop them?" he asked, eagerly, in a whisper.
"We two could certainly kill eight!" Leon replied; "but I fancy that would do us no good, as we are beset."
In fact, the first two men were joined by other ten, and a large band of serenos speedily surrounded them.
"Surrender!" said the man who had before spoken.
"I must do so," Leon replied; "but tell me why you arrest me?" Then he bent down to Wilhelm and whispered – "You know where we were going; proceed there alone, and tell Diego what has happened to me."
"All right; trust to me."
"Gentlemen," Leon continued, "I have asked you for what motive you arrest me; will you be good enough to tell me?"
"We do not know," the head of the serenos answered. "I have orders to make certain of your body and the rest does not concern me. For the third time, are you willing to follow us peaceably?"
Leon reflected for a few seconds, and answered in the affirmative.
"In that case, uncock your pistols."
He raised his arms and discharged his pistols in the air.
"Why, what are you about?" the sereno exclaimed; "you will give an alarm!"
"You told me to uncock my pistols, and I did more, I unloaded them. What more would you have?"
"Enough argument; march!" said the man.
"March!" the captain repeated.
And surrounded by a strong squad of police, Leon was carried off to the governor's house. This arrest, and the two shots heard in this part of the town, had brought to the spot a large number of curious persons. Wilhelm mingled among them, and joined the mob that was awaiting the prisoner coming out.
Ten minutes passed, and at the expiration of that time Leon reappeared, escorted by twenty serenos, who led him to the Calabozo, situated on the Almendral, at no great distance from the Convent of the Purísima Concepción, where he was safely placed under lock and key. Wilhelm understood that he would have no hope of seeing his captain again by waiting longer.
"Good!" he said to himself, "I know where to find him now: let us make haste to go and warn Diego or Tahi-Mari, for I really do not know what to think of our friend and foe, the captain's lieutenant."
Whereupon the worthy German buried his wide spurs in his horse's flanks, which started at a gallop in the direction of the Rio Claro.
"No matter; all this does not appear to me clear," the smuggler muttered. "Well, we shall see."
Night was beginning to fall. As he left the town, the angelus was ringing in all the churches, and the tattoo sounding in all the streets of Valparaíso.
CHAPTER XXVI
THE SCALP
It was about ten o'clock at night. It was cold and foggy; the wind whistled violently, and heavy black clouds coming from the south dropped heavy rain upon the ground. Between Valparaíso and Rio Claro – that is to say, in the gorge which had many times served as a refuge for the smugglers, and which our readers are already acquainted with – Tahi-Mari indolently lying at the foot of a tree, was rolling a papelito in his fingers, while lending an attentive ear to the slightest sounds which the gust conveyed to him and at times darting glances around him which seemed trying to pierce the obscurity.
"Ten o'clock already," he said, "and Leon not yet arrived: what can detain him? It is not possible that he can have forgotten the hour of our meeting. I will wait longer," he added, as he drew his mechero from his pocket and lit his cigarette, "for Leon must come back to me – he must absolutely."
Suddenly a sound so light that only an Indian's ear could seize it, crossed the space.
"What is that?" Diego asked himself.
He rose cautiously, and after concealing his horse in a dense thicket, hid himself behind the trunk of an enormous tree close by. The sound gradually drew nearer, and it was soon easy to recognise the gallop of a horse at full speed. A few minutes later a rider turned into the clearing; but he had not gone a few yards when his horse stumbled against a stone, tottered, and in spite of the efforts of the man on its back, slipped with all four feet, and fell.
"Der Teufel! Carajo! Sacrebleu!" Wilhelm shouted, as he fell, borrowing from all the languages he spoke the expressions best adapted to render the lively annoyance which he felt at the accident which had happened to him.
But the German was a good horseman, and the fall of the horse did not at all take him unawares. He freed his feet from the stirrups and found himself on his legs. Still, on looking around him, he noticed that the clearing which was deserted on his arrival, had become peopled, as if by enchantment, by some fifty Indians, who seemed to have sprung out of the ground.
"The deuce!" thought Wilhelm; "I fancy there will be a row, and I am afraid that I shall come off second best."
At this moment a shrill whistle was heard, and the Indians disappeared so rapidly that the German rubbed his eyes to see whether he was awake.
"Hilloh!" he asked himself, "is this an apparition, and are they demons or men?"
Then, seeing that he was really alone, he busied himself with raising his horse.
"There," he continued, when the animal was on its legs again, "I will wait till Señor Diego arrives. Plague take the spot; it does not appear to me so sure as formerly, and our ex-lieutenant might have chosen another."
"Here I am, Wilhelm!" Diego said, suddenly, as he stood before the smuggler.
"Well, I am not sorry for it, lieutenant," the German answered, phlegmatically.
"What do you want here?" the other asked him, sharply.
"I have come because the captain ordered me to do so, that is all."
"Why did Leon send you in his place? I was expecting him here."
"Ah, that is another matter, and you must not be angry with him."
"But," Diego continued, biting his moustache savagely, "what does he expect me to do with you?"
"Hang it all – whatever you like."
"But where is he?"
"He is arrested."
"How! – arrested?"
"Yes; and it was before being imprisoned in the Calabozo, that he ordered me to go in all haste and warn you."
"Arrested!" the half-breed said, stamping his foot; "that scoundrel of a Crevel has betrayed me, and shall pay dearly for it."
"Crevel, do you say, lieutenant? Well, it is possible; and yet I do not think so."
"I am sure of it."
"Why so?"
"I sent him a letter which he was to deliver to Leon, and in which I warned the latter of the danger that menaced him."
"A letter, you say; and when did you send it?"
"This morning early."
"Ah!" said Wilhelm, "I have it."
And he told Diego how – as Leon had gone out when the letter arrived at Crevel's – the latter asked him to deliver it to the captain, and that when he received it, he put it in his pocket without reading, absorbed as he was in his conversation with General Soto-Mayor.
"What! is the general at Valparaíso?" Diego asked, interrupting the smuggler.
"Yes, lieutenant; but he will not be so for long."
"Why not?"
"Because the governor had just given him command of the new body of volunteers, who are going to reinforce the Chilian army at Santiago."
"That is well."
Tahi-Mari whistled in a peculiar way, and an Indian appeared. The chief of the Molucho army said a few words to him in a low voice. The Indian bowed as a sign of obedience, and, gliding through the herbage, disappeared. Wilhelm looked on at the scene, whistling to give himself a careless air. When the Indian had gone, Tahi-Mari turned to him, and laid his hand on his shoulder.
"Wilhelm," he said to him, "you love your captain, do you not, my lad?"
While uttering these words his searching glance was plunged into the smuggler's eyes, as if questioning his thoughts.
"I love the captain? Der Teufel! do you doubt it, lieutenant?"
"No! that will do; you are an honest fellow."
"All right."
"But listen to me. Will you save him?"
"Certainly. What am I to do for that?"
"I will tell you. Where is Leon's band?"
"At Valparaíso."
"How many men does it consist of at this moment?"
"Forty."
"Would they all die for their captain?"
"I should think so."
"In that case, you will assemble them tomorrow at Crevel's."
"At what hour?"
"Eleven o'clock at night."
"Settled."
"Pay attention that Crevel does not open the door to any persons who do not rap thrice, and say Diego and Leon."
"I will open it myself."
"That will be better still."
"After that, what are we to do?"
"Nothing; the rest is my business: remember my instructions, and be off."
"Enough, lieutenant."
Wilhelm remounted his horse and set out on his return. At about a league from Valparaíso he met the column of volunteers marching to Santiago, and gaily advancing while singing patriotic airs. Wilhelm who was not at all desirous of being arrested as a suspicious person for travelling at this hour of the night, drew up by the wayside, and allowed the men to defile past him. When the last had disappeared in the distance, the German returned to the high road, and half an hour later re-entered Valparaíso, puzzling over the remarks of Tahi-Mari, whose plans he could not divine.
In the meanwhile, the volunteers continued to advance, filling the air with their martial strains. They formed a body of about four thousand men; but of this number only one-half were armed with muskets – the rest had pikes, lances, or forks; but their enthusiasm – powerfully inflamed by the copious libations of aguardiente which the inhabitants of Valparaíso had furnished to them – knew no limits, and made them discount beforehand a victory which they regarded as certain.
These soldiers of the moment had been selected from the lowest classes of society, and retained a turbulence and want of discipline which nothing could conquer. The citizens of Valparaíso, who feared them almost as much as if they had been Indians, were delighted at their departure, for, during their short stay in the town, they had, so to speak, organized plunder, and made robbery their vocation.
General Soto-Mayor did not at all deceive himself as to the qualities of the men whom he commanded, and perceived at the first glance that it would be impossible to obtain from them the obedience which he had a right to demand. In spite of the repeated orders which he gave them at starting to observe, the greatest silence on the march, through fear of being surprised by the Indians, he found himself constrained to let them act as they pleased, and he resolved to let the army bivouac on the road, while he proceeded to his country house, whence he could dispatch a courier to Santiago, requesting officers to be sent him who could aid him in restoring some degree of order among the men he commanded. It was evident that such a disorderly and noisy march exposed them to be murdered to a man in the first ambuscade which the Araucanos prepared for him.
It was about one in the morning when the volunteers arrived at the general's country house. It was plunged in profound obscurity; all the shutters were closed, and the watch dogs barked mournfully in the deserted courtyards. After ordering a halt for some hours the general proceeded towards his residence. At the sound of the bell a heavy footfall was heard inside, and a grumbling voice asked who was knocking at such an hour, and what he wanted.
When the general had made himself known, the gate turned heavily on its hinges, and Señor Soto-Mayor entered, not without a painful contraction of the heart, the house which recalled to him such affecting recollections. Alas! long past were the happy days which he had spent in this charming retreat, surrounded by all those to whom he was attached, and resting from the fatigues of a gloriously occupied life.
The old gentleman's first care was to send off the courier, and then, after taking out of the manservant's hand the candle which he held, he entered the apartments. This splendid residence, which he had left so brilliant and so animated, was now solitary and deserted. The rooms he passed through, on whose floor his foot echoed dully, were cold; the atmosphere which he breathed was impregnated with a close and unhealthy odour, which testified the little care the guardians of the house had displayed in removing it; on all sides were abandonment and sadness.
At times the general's eyes fell upon an object which had belonged to his wife, and then they filled with tears, while a deep sigh issued from his oppressed chest. At length, after visiting in turn all the apartments in the house with that painful pleasure which persons feel in evoking a past which cannot return, the general opened the door of the room which had served as his bedroom. He could not restrain a start of terror. A man, seated in an easy chair, with his arms folded on his chest, seemed to be awaiting somebody.
It was Diego.
"Come in, my dear general," he said, as he rose and bowed courteously.
"Señor!" said the general.
"Yes; I understand. It astonishes you to see me here: but what would you have? Circumstances allowed me no choice; and I am sure that you will pardon me this slight infraction of etiquette."
The general was dumb with surprise at the sight of such audacity. Still, when the first flush of indignation had passed, feeling curious to know the object of the person who behaved to him so strangely, he restrained his anger and awaited the result of this singular interview.
"Sit down, general, pray," Diego continued, keeping up his tone of assurance.
"I thank, you, sir, for your politeness in doing the honours of my house; but before aught else, I should wish to know the reason which has procured me this visit."
"I beg your pardon, general," the other replied, with a slight tremor in his voice; "but perhaps you do not recognize me, and so I will – "
"It is unnecessary, sir. I remember you perfectly well; you are a smuggler, called Diego the Vaquero, who abandoned us after engaging to escort us, as did Captain Leon Delbès, in whose service I believe you were."
"That is perfectly correct, general; still the name of Diego is not the only one which I have the right to bear."
"That concerns me but slightly."
"Perhaps not."
"Explain yourself."
"If the Spaniards call me Diego, the Indians call me Tahi-Mari."
This name produced the same effect on the general as an electric shock.
"Tahi-Mari!" he exclaimed. "You!"
"Myself!"
A flash of hatred animated the eyes of the two men, who seemed measuring each other like two tigers brought face to face. After a moment's silence, the general continued:
"Can you be ignorant that I have round the house in which we now are four thousand men ready to hurry up at my first summons?"
"No, general; but you do not seem to know that I, too, have in this house two hundred Indians, who are watching each of your movements, and who would rush on you at the slightest signal I gave."
The general's lips blanched.
"Ah! I understand," he said. "You have come to assassinate me after killing my wife, for now I no longer doubt but that it was you who had us surprised in such a cowardly fashion in the Parumo of San Juan Bautista."
"You are mistaken, general: it was not I who made you a widower; and it was in order that none of my men should tear from me the prey I covet, that I have come myself to fetch it."
"But what impels you to be so furious against those of my race, so that the name of Tahi-Mari may be equivalent to that of the murderer of the Soto-Mayors."
"Because the Soto-Mayors are all cowards and infamous."
"Villain!"
"Yes, infamous! and it is because I have sworn to exterminate the last of the accursed family that I have come to take your life!"
"Assassin!"
"Nonsense; a Tahi-Mari fights, but he does so honourably – face to face. Here are two swords," Diego continued, pointing to the weapons lying on a cheffonier, "choose the one you please; or if you like, you have your sabre, and here is mine. On guard! and may heaven protect the last of the Tahi-Maris, while destroying the last of the Soto-Mayors!"
"I have a son who will avenge me," the general exclaimed.
"Perhaps not, Señor Don Juan, for you know not whether he is dead or alive."
"My son! – oh!"
And the general, overpowered by a feverish excitement, furiously drew the pistol which he had in his belt and discharged it point-blank at Diego. But the latter was following his movements, and at the moment when the general's hand was lowered at him, he cut through his wrist with a sabre-stroke. The general uttered a cry of pain, and the bullet broke a mirror.
