Then away we both went at a canter, but in silence.
We rode on and on, the ground rising gently but steadily, until we stopped at last on a high plateau, and gazed around us at the scene. A more bleak and desolate country it would be impossible to imagine. One vast and semi-desert plain, the eye relieved only by patches of algarrobo bushes, or little lakes of water. Far ahead of us the cone of a solitary mountain rose on the horizon, and towards this the sun was slowly declining. Away miles in our rear were the waggons and horses struggling up the hill. But silence as deep as death was everywhere. Moncrieff stretched his arm southwards.
"What do you see yonder, Murdo?" he said.
"I see," I replied, after carefully scanning the rolling plain, "two ostriches hurrying over the pampas."
"Those are not ostriches, boy. They are those same villain Gauchos, and they are after no good. I tell you this, that you may be prepared for anything that may happen to-night. But look," he added, turning his horse"s head; "down here is a corral, and we are sure to find water."
We soon reached it. Somewhat to our surprise we found no horses anywhere about, and no sign of life around the little inn or _fonda_ except one wretched-looking dog.
As we drew up at the door and listened the stillness felt oppressive.
Moncrieff shouted. No human voice responded; but the dog, seated on his haunches, gave vent to a melancholy howl.
"Look," I said, "the dog"s paws are red with blood. He is wounded."
"It isn"t _his_ blood, boy."
The words thrilled me. I felt a sudden fear at my heart, born perhaps of the death-like stillness. Ah! it was indeed a death-like stillness, and the stillness of death itself as well.
Moncrieff dismounted. I followed his example, and together we entered the _fonda_.
We had not advanced a yard when we came on an awesome sight--the dead body of a Gaucho! It lay on its back with the arms spread out, the face hacked to pieces, and gashes in the neck. The interior of the hut was a chaos of wild confusion, the little furniture there was smashed, and evidently everything of value had been carried away. Half buried in the _debris_ was the body of a woman, and near it that of a child. Both were slashed and disfigured, while pools of blood lay everywhere about. Young though I was, I had seen death before in several shapes, but never anything so ghastly and awful as this.
A cold shudder ran through my frame and seemed to pierce to the very marrow of my bones. I felt for a few moments as if in some dreadful nightmare, and I do not hesitate to confess that, M"Crimman and all as I am, had those Gauchos suddenly appeared now in the doorway, I could not have made the slightest resistance to their attack. I should have taken my death by almost rushing on the point of their terrible knives. But Moncrieff"s calm earnest voice restored me in a moment. At its tones I felt raised up out of my coward self, and prepared to face anything.
"Murdoch," he said, "this is a time for calm thought and action."
"Yes," I answered; "bid me do anything, and I will do it. But come out of this awful place. I--I feel a little faint."
Together we left the blood-stained _fonda_, Moncrieff shutting the door behind him.
"No other eye must look in there," he said. "Now, Murdoch, listen."
He paused, and I waited; his steadfast eyes bent on my face.
"You are better now? You are calm, and no longer afraid?"
"I am no longer afraid."
"Well, I can trust _you_, and no one else. Led by those evil fiends whom we saw to-day, the Indians will be on us to-night in force. I will prepare to give them a warm reception--"
"And I will a.s.sist," I hastened to say.
"No, Murdoch, you will not be here to help us at the commencement. I said the Indians would attack in _force_, because they know our numbers. Those _malo_ men have been spying on us when we little thought it. They know our strength to a gun, and they will come in a cloud that nothing can withstand, or that nothing could withstand in the open. But we will entrench and defend ourselves till your return."
"My return!"
"Twelve miles from here," he went on, "is a fort. It contains two officers and over a score soldiers. In two hours it will be dusk, in an hour after that the moon rises. "Twixt twilight and moonrise you must ride to that fort and bring a.s.sistance. Depend upon it, we can defend ourselves till you come with your men, and you must attack the savages in the rear. You understand?"
"Perfectly. But had I not better ride away at once?"
"No, the Indians would waylay you. You never would reach the frontier fort. Even if you did escape from the chase, the knowledge that the troops were coming would prevent them from attacking to-night."
"And you want them to attack to-night?"
"I wish them to attack to-night. We may never be able to give a good account of them again, but all depends on your success."
In a short time the first waggons came up. They would have stopped, but Moncrieff beckoned them onwards. When the last waggon had gone we mounted our horses and slowly followed. At a stream not far distant we watered, and once more continued our journey.
The road now rose rapidly, till in half an hour we were on high ground, and here the halt was made. I could breathe more easily now we had left that blood-stained hollow, though well I knew the sight I had witnessed would not leave my thoughts for years to come.
Everything was done as quietly and orderly as if no cloud were hovering over us, so soon to burst. The big fire was lit as usual, supper cooked, prayers said, and the fire also lit in the ladies" caravan, for the nights were cold and raw now.
The night began to fall. Moncrieff and I had kept our secret to ourselves. .h.i.therto, but we could no longer conceal from any one that there was danger in the air. Yet the news seemed to astonish no one, not even aunt.
"Dear brother," she said to our leader, "I read it in your face all the afternoon."
It was almost dusk now, and work was commenced in earnest. Spades were got out, and every man worked like a slave to entrench the whole position. The strength that I was to leave behind me was seven-and-twenty men all told, but this included ten Gauchos. Nevertheless, behind trenches, with plenty of guns, revolvers, and ammunition, they were powerful enough to defend the position against hundreds of badly-armed Indians. Not far off was a patch of wood which stretched downwards into a rocky ravine. Luckily it lay on the north side of the road, and hither, as soon as it was dark enough, every horse and mule was led and secured to the trees. Nor even in this extremity of danger were their wants forgotten, for gra.s.s mixed with grains was placed in front of each.
My horse was now led round. Each hoof was encased in a new and strong _potro_ boot, secured by thongs around the legs.
"You must neither be heard nor seen," said Moncrieff, as he pointed to these. "Now, good-night, boy; G.o.d be wi" ye, and with us all!"
"Amen!" I responded, earnestly.
Then away I rode in silence, through the starlight; but as I looked back to the camp my heart gave an uneasy throb. Should I ever see them alive again?
[4] Cland, a kind of hawk.
CHAPTER XII.
ATTACK BY PAMPA INDIANS.
So lonesome a ride in the darkness of night, through a country wild and bleak, with danger lurking perhaps on either side of me, might easily have daunted a bolder heart than mine.
Something of the unspeakable feeling of dread I had experienced in the _fonda_ while surrounded by those awful corpses came back to me now. I tried to banish it, but failed. My nervousness became extreme, and appeared to increase rather than diminish as I left the camp farther and farther behind me. It was almost a superst.i.tious fear that had gotten possession of my soul. It was fear of the unseen; and even at this distance of time I can only say I would willingly face death in open day a hundred times over rather than endure for an hour the terrors I suffered that night. Every bush I saw I took for a figure lurking by the roadside, while solitary trees I had to pa.s.s a.s.sumed the form and shape and even movement of an enemy on horseback riding silently down to meet me. Again and again I clutched my revolver, and even now I cannot tell what power prevented me from firing at my phantom foes. Over and over again I reined up to listen, and at such times the wind whispering through the tall gra.s.s sounded to me like human voices, while the cry of birds that now and then rose startlingly close to me, made my heart beat with a violence that in itself was painful.
Sometimes I closed my eyes, and gave the horse his head, trying to carry my thoughts back to the lights of the camp, or forward to the fort which I hoped soon to reach.
I had ridden thus probably five good miles, when I ventured to look behind me, and so great had been the strain on my nerves that the sight I now witnessed almost paralyzed me.