The Pirates of the Prairies Part 52

"Hilloh!" a rough voice shouted, which caused the fugitives to tremble, "I felt sure that these horses belonged to somebody. Let us see what we have here. A torch here, Orson, to have a look at them."

"It is unnecessary, Red Cedar, we are friends."

"Friends," Red Cedar answered, hesitating, for it was really he; "that is possible; still, I would sooner be convinced of it. Light the torch, lad, all the same."

There was a moment's silence, during which Orson lit a branch of candle wood tree.

"Ah, ah," the squatter said, with a grin; "in truth, we are among friends. But where the deuce were you going at this hour of the night, senor Padre?"

"We were returning to the camp, after a ride, in which we have lost our way," the monk answered, imperturbably.

Red Cedar gave him a suspicious glance.

"A ride!" he growled between his teeth; "It is a singular hour for that.

But there is Shaw. You are welcome, my boy, though I little expected to meet you, especially in the company of that charming dove," he added, with a sarcastic smile.

"Yes, it is I, father," the young man answered in a hollow voice.

"Very good; presently you shall tell me what has become of you for so long, but this is not the moment. Did you not say that your camp was near here, senor Padre? Although, may the devil twist my neck, if I can understand how that is, as I was going to seek you on the isle where I left you."

"We were compelled to leave it."

"All right; we have no time to lose in chattering. Lead me to the camp, my master; at a later date, all will be cleared up, never fear."

Guided by the monk, and followed by the pirates, who had Shaw and Dona Clara in their midst, Red Cedar entered the forest. This unforeseen meeting once again robbed the poor girl of a speedy deliverance. As for Fray Ambrosio, he walked along apparently as calmly as if nothing extraordinary had happened to him.

CHAPTER x.x.xIII.

THE TRAIL.

The dawn was just commencing to overshadow the horizon with transient opaline tints; a few stars were still glistening in the dark blue sky.

The wild beasts were leaving their watering places, and slowly retiring to their dens, disturbing at intervals the solemn silence of the desert with their sinister howling.

Valentine opened his eyes, looked around him anxiously, and after employing a few seconds in shaking off his drowsiness, he rose slowly and awoke his comrades, who were still sleeping, rolled up in their blankets.

Soon, the whole little party were collected round the fire, on which the hunter had thrown a few armfuls of dry wood, and in whose brilliant flames the breakfast was now preparing.

The Mexicans, with their eyes fixed Valentine, silently awaited his explanation, for they guessed that he had important communications to make to them. But their expectations were foiled, at least for the present, and the Frenchman remained quite silent.

When the meal was ready, Valentine made his comrades a signal to eat; and for some twenty minutes no other sound could be heard save that caused by the formidable appet.i.tes of the hunters. When they had finished, Valentine quietly lit his Indian pipe, and indicated to his companions that he wished to speak. All turned toward him.

"My friends," he said, in his sympathetic voice, "what I feared has happened. Red Cedar has left his island camp; he has, if I am not mistaken, several days' start of us, and in vain did I try last night to take up his trail: it was impossible. Red Cedar is a villain, endowed with a fortunately far from common ferocity, whose destruction we have sworn, and I hope we shall keep our word. But I am compelled to do him the justice of saying, that he is one of the most experienced hunters in the Far West; and no one, when he pleases, can more cleverly hide his own trail, and discover that of others. We are, therefore, about to have a trial of patience with him, for he has learned all the stratagems of the redskins, of whom, I am not ashamed to say, he is the superior in roguery."

"Alas!" Don Miguel muttered.

"I have sworn to restore your daughter to you, my friend," Valentine continued, "with the help of heaven. I shall keep my oath, but I am about to undertake a gigantic task: hence I ask of you all the most perfect obedience. Your ignorance of the desert might, under certain circ.u.mstances, cause us serious injury, and make us lose in a few minutes the fruit of lengthened researches: hence I ask of your friendship that you will let yourselves be entirely guided by my experience."

"My friend," Don Miguel replied, with an accent full of majesty, "whatever you may order, we will do; for you alone can successfully carry out the difficult enterprise in which we are engaged."

"Good! I thank you for the obedience you promise me, my friend: without it, it would be impossible to succeed. Now leave me to arrange with the Indian chiefs."

Valentine rose, made a sign to Curumilla and Eagle-wing, and the three sat down a short distance off. Valentine pa.s.sed his calumet to the Araucano, who took a few whiffs and then handed it to Eagle-wing, and he, after smoking also, returned it to the hunter.

"My brothers know why I have convened them in council," Valentine said presently.

The two chiefs bowed in reply.

"Very good," he continued; "now what is the advice of my brother? Let the Sachem of the Coras speak first. He is a wise chief, whose counsels can only be good for us."

"Why does Koutonepi ask the advice of his red brothers?" he said.

"Koutonepi is a great warrior: he has the eye of the eagle, the scent of the dog, the courage of the lion, and the prudence of the serpent. No one can discover better than him a trail lost in the sand: what Koutonepi does is well done: his brothers will follow him."

"Thanks, chief," Valentine continued; "but in what direction should we proceed?"

"Red Cedar is the friend of Stanapat: after his defeat the scalp hunter will have sought a refuge with his friend."

"That is also my opinion," the hunter remarked. "What do you think, chief?" he said, turning to Curumilla.

The Araucano shook his head.

"No," he said, "Red Cedar loves gold."

"That is true," said Valentine: "besides, the Apaches are too near us.

You are right, chief: we must therefore proceed northward?"

Curumilla nodded an a.s.sent.

"No horses," he said, "they destroy a trail."

"We will go on foot. Have you Red Cedar's measure?"

Curumilla fumbled in his medicine bag, and produced an old worn moccasin.

"Oh!" Valentine said eagerly; "that is better still: let us be off at once."

They broke up the conference.

"My friends," the hunter said to the Mexicans, "this is what we have resolved on: you three, alone, will be mounted. Each of you will lead one of our horses, so that we may mount at the first signal. The two chiefs and myself will march on foot, in order to let no sign escape us.

You will keep two hundred yards, behind us: and as I noticed that there are at this moment a great many trumpeter swans in the river, that will be our rallying cry. All this is arranged?"

"Yes," the three gentlemen answered unanimously.

"Good! now to set out, and try never to let us out of sight."