As they ride down through the giant cacti two huge vultures rise with flapping wings and heavy bodies at no great distance. It was into that very thicket that Moncrieff rode this morning. It was there he fired his revolver. The vultures had been disturbed at a feast--nothing more.
Great was the rejoicing at the safe return of Moncrieff and his party from the hills. Our poor aunt had been troubled, indeed, but Aileen was frantic, and threw herself into her husband"s arms when she saw him in quite a pa.s.sion of hysterical joy.
Now although there was but little if any danger of an attack to-night on the _estancias_, no one thought of retiring to bed. There was much to be done by way of preparation, for we were determined not to lose a horse, nor even a sheep, if we could help it. So we arranged a code of signals by means of rifle-shots, and spent the whole of the hours that intervened betwixt the time of our return and sunrise in riding round the farms and visiting even distant _puestos_.
My brothers and I and Moncrieff lay down when day broke to s.n.a.t.c.h a few hours of much-needed rest.
It was well on in the forenoon when I went over to Moncrieff"s mansion. I had already been told that strangers had arrived from distant _estancias_ bringing evil tidings. The poor men whom I found in the drawing-room with Moncrieff had indeed brought dreadful news. They had escaped from their burned _estancias_ after seeing their people ma.s.sacred by savages before their eyes. They had seen others on the road who had suffered even worse, and did not know what to do or where to fly. Many had been hunted into the bush and killed there. Forts had been attacked further south, and even the soldiers of the republic in some instances had been defeated and scattered over the country.
The year, indeed, was one that will be long remembered by the citizens of the Argentine Republic. Happily things have now changed for the better, and the Indians have been driven back south of the Rio Negro, which will for ever form a boundary which they must not cross on pain of death.
More fugitives dropped in that day, and all had pitiful, heartrending stories to tell.
Moncrieff made every one welcome, and so did we all, trying our very best to soothe the grief and anguish they felt for those dear ones they would never see more on earth.
And now hardly a day pa.s.sed that did not bring news of some kind of the doings of the Indians. Success had rendered them bold, while it appeared to have cowed for a time the Government of this n.o.ble republic, or, at all events, had confused and paralyzed all its action. Forts were overcome almost without resistance. Indeed, some of them were dest.i.tute of the means of resisting, the men having no proper supply of ammunition.
_Estancia_ after _estancia_ on the frontier had been raided and burned, with the usual shocking barbarities that make one shudder even to think of.
It was but little likely that our small but wealthy colony would escape, for the fact that we were now possessed of the long-buried treasure--many thousands of pounds in value--must have spread like wild-fire.
One morning Moncrieff and I started early, and rode to a distant _estancia_, which we were told had been attacked and utterly destroyed, not a creature being left alive about the place with the exception of the cattle and horses, which the Indians had captured. We had known this family. They had often attended Moncrieff"s happy little evening parties, and the children had played in our garden and rowed with us in the gondola.
Heaven forbid I should attempt to draw a graphic picture of all we saw!
Let it be sufficient to say that the rumours which had reached us were all too true, and that Moncrieff and I saw sights which will haunt us both until our dying day.
The silence all round the _estancia_ when we rode up was eloquent, terribly eloquent. The buildings were blackened ruins, and it was painful to notice the half-scorched trailing flowers, many still in bloom, clinging around the wrecked and charred verandah. But everywhere about, in the out-buildings, on the lawn, in the garden itself, were the remains of the poor creatures who had suffered.
"Alas! for love of this were all, And none beyond, O earth!"
Moncrieff spoke but little all the way back. While standing near the verandah I had seen him move his hand to his eyes and impatiently brush away a tear, but after that his face became firm and set, and for many a day after this I never saw him smile.
At this period of our strange family story I lay down my pen and lean wearily back in my chair. It is not that I am tired of writing. Oh, no!
Evening after evening for many and many a long week I have repaired up here to my turret chamber--my beautiful study in our Castle of Coila--and with my faithful hound by my feet I have bent over my sheets and transcribed as faithfully as I could events as I remember them. But it is the very multiplicity of these events as I near the end of my story that causes me to pause and think.
Ah! here comes aunt, gliding into my room, pausing for a moment, curtain in hand, half apologetically, as she did on that evening described in our first chapter.
"No, auntie, you do not disturb me. Far from it. I was longing for your company."
She is by my side now, and looking down at my ma.n.u.script.
"Yes," she says many times--nodding a.s.sent to every sentence, and ever turning back the pages for reference--"yes, and now you come near the last events of this story of the M"Crimmans of Coila. Come out to the castle roof, and breathe the evening air, and I will talk."
We sit there nearly an hour. Aunt"s memory is better even than mine, and I listen to her without ever once opening my lips. Then I lead her back to the tower, and point smilingly to the harp.
She has gone at last, and I resume my story.
We, Moncrieff and I, saw no signs of Indians during our long ride that day. We had gone on this journey with our lives in our hands. The very daringness and dash of it was probably our salvation. The enemy were about--they might be here, there, anywhere. Every bush might conceal a foe, but they certainly made no appearance.
All was the same apparently about our _estancias_; _but_ I wondered a little that my brothers had not come out to meet me as usual, and that faithful, though plain-faced Yambo looked at me strangely, and I thought pityingly, as he took my mule to lead away to the compound.
I went straight away through our gardens, and entered the drawing-room by the verandah window.
I paused a moment, holding the cas.e.m.e.nt in my hand. Coming straight out of the glare of the evening sunset, the room appeared somewhat dark, but I noticed Dugald sitting at the table with his face bent down over his hand, and Donald lying on the couch.
"Dugald!"
He started up and ran towards me, seizing and wringing my hand.
"Oh, Murdoch," he cried, "our poor father!"
"You have had a letter--he is ill?"
"He is ill."
"Dugald," I cried, "tell me all! Dugald--is--father--dead?"
No reply.
I staggered towards the table, and dropped limp and stricken and helpless into a chair.
I think I must have been ill for many, many days after this sad news. I have little recollection of the events of the next week--I was engrossed, engulfed in the one great sorrow. The unexpected death of so well-beloved a father in the meridian of life was a terrible blow to us all, but more so to me, with all I had on my mind.
"And so, and so," I thought, as I began to recover, "there is an end to my bright dreams of future happiness--_the_ dream of all my dreams, to have father out here among us in our new home in the Silver West, and all the dark portions of the past forgotten. Heaven give me strength to bear it!"
I had spoken the last words aloud, for a voice at my elbow said--
"Amen! Poor boy! Amen!"
I turned, and--_there stood Townley_.
"You wonder to see me here," he said, as he took my hand. "Nay, but n.o.body should ever wonder at anything I do. I am erratic. I did not come over before, because I did not wish to influence your mind. You have been ill, but--I"m glad to see you weeping."
I did really sob and cry then as if my very heart would burst and break.
I was well enough in a day or two to hear the rest of the news. Townley, who was very wise, had hesitated to tell me everything at once.
But if anything could be called joyful news now surely this was--mother and Flora were at Villa Mercedes, and would be here in a day or two.
Townley had come on before, even at considerable personal risk, to break the news to us, and prepare us all. Mother and sister were waiting an escort, not got up specially for them certainly, but that would see to their safety. It consisted of a large party of officers and men who were pa.s.sing on to the frontiers to repel, or try to repel, the Indian invasion.
We all went to meet mother and sister at the far-off cross roads. There was quite a large and very well-armed party of us, and we encamped for three days near an _estancia_ to await their coming.