CHAPTER XXII.
It was a glorious morning when the search party embarked on the raft two days after the capture of the mammoth river-serpent, to which Mary the discoverer had given the name of the demon-snake. Of course the creature had been skinned, and his shining, scaly coat was pegged out in the hot sun, which soon dried it up without any further curing being necessary. Then it was neatly rolled and tied up by the Indians, and placed on one of the pack-horses.
It had been decided to drive these horses, and all the other ones as well, another ten miles or so, where Piñone reported rich pasturage to abound, and turn them loose thereon under the care of their bell mare, a steady old lady, so called because she always wore a bell around her neck, the tinkling of which while she fed kept the rest of the herd together. She was pretty well to be trusted not to stray away from these plentiful feeding grounds, and the Indians knew that the others would not leave her.
No sooner, therefore, had the animals been committed to her care, and the saddles and the rest of the equipments stacked in the centre of the raft, than every oneembarked, and the punters set to work to propel the craft up stream. Harry and Topsie, and indeed all the others, were looking out eagerly for the white Trauco settlement, through which Piñone had told them they would pass that day. He had no idea what their reception would be, however; and after consultation with Sir Francis, it was decided to lay to some two miles before the spot was reached, and to send a spy party to reconnoitre, and to see if danger lay ahead. If it was ascertained that the station was quiet, a forward movement could be made at once, but if a large number of Traucos were discerned to be in temporary possession of the locality, it was deemed prudent to delay an advance until they had proceeded on their way. The fact was, that Sir Francis wished, if possible, to avoid collision with these strange people, of whose humanity he had little doubt. He had not forgotten the pathetic death of the Trauco who had stolen Topsie, while the splendid courage and self-sacrifice of the Trauco queen, had raised her people in his estimation high above the realm wherein the brute creation dwells.
Thus, when they had proceeded up the river for several hours, Piñone called a halt, and the raft was paddled to land and made fast in the shade of the forest, and under the overhanging branches of a great tree. He then selected to accompany him, Harry and Topsie, Aniwee, Graviel, and two of his Indian followers, and with a caution to Sir Francis to be on thequi vive, the Indian chief stole noiselessly forward, with Aniwee and his two white friends beside him, and the others following closely in the rear.
At first the going was pretty easy, but soon, Piñone having dived deeper into the forest, progress became more difficult. They had to keep a sharp look-out too, for there was no knowing what these strange, unexplored forests contained, and they might at any moment be confronted by an angry jaguar, or, more terrible still, an Andes demon, to say nothing of creatures yet unseen, and yet in all probability no less existent, for the vast solitudes which stretch beneath the mighty chain of South America’s giants have yet to be explored; and who knows what wonders they may not have in store for the adventurous explorer who is hardy enough to penetrate their mysterious depths?
As luck would have it, however, nothing arose to dispute the passage of the small reconnoitring party, and after about an hour’s fight with the dense undergrowth the Indian cacique was able to call a halt. Then, laying his fingers on his lips, he stole forward in the direction of the river, signing to the others to follow as quietly as possible.
Now the river for some time had been hidden from view, and with it the opposite banks thereof. Aniwee and her companions were therefore not a little astonished when, with its sudden appearance, a strange scene presented itself to their gaze on the frontage across the water.
Peering through some thick bushes behind which they lay effectively concealed, they made out the figures of some thirty or forty Traucos, all stretched out, or sitting in the sun and basking themselves in its rays. Two large rafts lay moored to the shore, ofwhich both the centres were piled up with fruit. Behind, and higher up the bank, stood several bright green huts newly thatched, and sitting outside them were six white hairy forms, the Albino Traucos.
But as she looked upon this novel scene Aniwee could hardly repress a cry, as her eyes alighted on a tiny figure which she knew full well. Under a big awning of green branches, and lying on a thick jaguar skin, playing with two little Traucos a shade bigger than herself, lay La Guardia Chica, the little Indian child, upon whom the malice of Inacayal had fallen, Aniwee’s baby girl, the love of her tender heart. Her impulse was to spring forward, but with a tremendous effort she restrained herself, and Piñone, half divining the temptation, laid his hand on her arm.
“Courage, Aniwee,” he whispered; “see, La Guardia Chica does not suffer. Did I not tell thee, Carita, that they would treat her with kindness and care? Did I not say well?”
The Indian girl nodded, and a look of relief overspread her hitherto anxious, eager face, as she inquired, “But cannot we rescue her now, Piñone?”
“And lose her perchance for ever,” answered the young chief quickly. “No, no, Aniwee; the child can only be safely secured by cunning and ruse. The Traucos are merely resting ere proceeding up the river, and in a short space they will embark on their journey up country. We must watch for their departure, and make no attempt to pass this spot on our raft until the white Traucos are asleep. I see well that if they perceived us they would probably carryforward the alarm, and put the village on its guard, and thus we should lose the child, and place ourselves and our friends in a most dangerous position. Piñone has spoken.”
“And wisely, I feel sure, Aniwee,” put in Topsie kindly. “It would be madness to discover ourselves just now. Let us squat down here as Piñone advises, watch the Traucos depart, and then return to the raft.”
Softly and quietly the little reconnoitring party went down on their knees, and thence into a more comfortable position, keeping their eyes fixed upon the scene before them. Aniwee never took hers off her child, who appeared very happy, and who had evidently struck up a firm friendship with its little comrades.
The watchers had not very long to wait, for suddenly the leader of the Trauco party arose, and clapping his hands gave the signal for departure. With prompt discipline all the others sprang up, and began trooping towards the raft, and then the Indian girl saw her child lifted up by a big Trauco, who kissed it gently, and carried it down to the water’s edge. Here it was made pleased and comfortable once more on its jaguar skin, and its tiny comrades restored to it, whereat Aniwee could hear it laughing and crowing with delight. And a smile parted the girl’s lips as she watched her darling play, and a great load was lifted off her mind, for she knew that at least it was happy, well, and well cared for.
Having divided themselves into two companies, the Traucos took their places on the rafts, their Albino brethren, with staves uplifted, superintending theirdeparture. In a short time both crafts were under weigh, and La Guardia Chica passed out of the sight of its yearning mother’s gaze, as it floated up stream with its hairy companions, still laughing, and crowing, and clapping its tiny hands, altogether oblivious that close by, its father and mother watched it with hungry eyes.
As soon as the rafts had disappeared, the reconnoitring party stole quietly forth from their place of observation, and made their way back towards those awaiting them down stream. There was nothing to keep them any longer, as the white Traucos had retired to their huts as soon as their brown brethren had taken their departure. Piñone, too, was all eagerness to report the result of the expedition to Sir Francis, and to take counsel with the great white Cacique, as he called him, and in whom he placed the highest confidence.
“Aunt Ruby, Aunt Ruby, we have had such luck,” cried Harry excitedly, as he and his companions rejoined the others on the river’s banks.
“How, dear boy?” inquired Lady Vane, as she laid her hand on the eager young midshipman’s shoulder, while his cousins crowded round to hear the news.
“We’ve sighted the lost lamb, Aunt Ruby; we saw the Guardia Chica amongst the Traucos. She looked awfully well and happy, and not a bit like a prisoner, I can tell you.”
“Then they treat her properly, Harry, you think?” again inquired his aunt.
“Rather, Aunt Ruby, and the picaninny was clappingher hands, and playing all sorts of high jinks with two dear little Traucolings, about her own age, and who looked just like wee balls of fur. I never saw such ducks as they were.”
Here Piñone claimed Sir Francis’s ear, and a council was at once held. It was decided to try and snatch a few hours’ sleep until sundown, and to start as the shades of evening fell. In this way they would escape observation by the Albinos, as they punted past that small, queer station on the river’s banks. Thence he proposed to make way for some fifteen miles or so, and as that would bring them into territory frequented by Traucos, to lay concealed during the daytime, proceeding on again next night. His object was to pass the head-quarters of the hairy people unnoticed, take the raft some miles up stream, where it could be concealed in a small side affluent of the river, and which he had frequently taken notice of during his up country expeditions with the Trauco queen. From this point of vantage reconnoitring would have to be resorted to, observations carefully taken of the whereabouts of the baby Cacique, and a well-organised rescue raid undertaken, if no other suitable plan could be decided upon.
Thus, after an interval for rest, the rescue party set forth once more in the track of the tiny prisoner. A lovely moon lit them on their way, and the stars gleamed through the dark forest with curious gaze, scrutinising the unwonted sight, which presented itself in the picture of this small band of pioneers, passing through the old primeval strongholds, which had until then resisted the presence of civilised man, toleratingonly the human species in the shape of the strange, hairy, large-eyed beings, to whom the Araucanians gave the name of Trauco.
There is something inexpressibly delightful in penetrating unexplored regions, regions virgin hitherto to the foot of civilised man. The thrilling sensation which pervades the explorer can only be properly realised by one who has experienced it, and there is no language which adequately conveys the mixed feelings with which one surveys a beautiful and hitherto unveiled scene, and realises that one is the first that yet has burst upon its lonely loveliness. So thought the young Vanes, as they lay outstretched on the raft, and revelled in the beauty which that moonlight night unveiled before them. Though these children had travelled far and wide, and had had various opportunities for feasting their eyes upon the glorious creations of God, they all agreed that nothing lovelier than this moonlight scene had ever gladdened them before.
An hour’s punting brought them parallel with the Albinos’ huts, and the greatest caution was observed in passing them. All held their breath while the punters dipped their long poles gently into the water, and sent the raft swiftly against the stream. It was a critical moment, and all felt that the success of the expedition hung on the slender chance of avoiding detection. All prayed silently for success—our white friends to God, the Indians to their good Gualichu. And the prayer was answered, as the raft glided by the dangerous spot, and passed up stream in the darkness of night.