OF THE 
 UNIVERSITY 
 OF 
 
THE WHITE SCALPER, 
 
 , Steg jrf % tan 
 
 GUSTAVE AIMARD, 
 
 AUTHOK OF "INDIAN SCOUT/' " FEEEBOOTBES/' "BOEDER ErFLES," ETC, 
 
 LONDON : 
 WARD AND LOCK, 
 
 158, FLEET STKEET. 
 
 MDCCCLXI. 4 
 
 [Registered according to International Copyright Act.~\ 
 
BILLING, PBIXTER .AND STEREOTYPES, GUILDFORD, SUBBEY. 
 
ADVEETISEMENT. 
 
 WITH the conclusion of the present series of GTJSTAVE AIMAED'S 
 tales, it may be advisable to inform the readers injwhat succes- 
 sion the eleven volumes already published should be read. It 
 is as follows ; 
 
 JFirst Series. 
 
 . 1. BOEDEE ElFLES. 2. FfiEEBOOTEES. 3. WHITE SCALPEB, 
 
 Second Series, 
 
 1. TEAIL HUNTEB. 
 
 2. PlEATES OF THE PEAIEIES. 
 
 3. TEAPPEE'S DAIJGHTEE. 
 
 4. TI&EE-SLAYEE. 
 
 5. GOLD-SEEKEES. 
 
 6. INDIAN CHIEF. 
 
 Series. 
 1. PEAIEIE FLOWEE. | 2. INDIAN SCOUT. 
 
 These three series afe now complete, and in the ensuing vo- 
 lumes the Author intends to introduce an entirely fresh set of 
 characters. 
 
 Encouraged by the unexpectedly favourable reception these 
 volumes have met with, the Publishers have determined on pro- 
 ducing a Magnificent Illustrated edition. Each volume will 
 contain twelve page Engravings, drawn and Engraved by the First 
 Artists of the Day, and be published at a price which will place 
 the series within reach of all classes. 
 
IV ADVEBTISEMENT. 
 
 These engravings will necessarily enhance the pleasure of the 
 reader ; as the most careful attention has been paid to correct- 
 ness of costume and scenery, and a perfect idea can be at once 
 formed from them of the peculiarities of the country in which 
 the scene is laid. In all Indian novels that have hitherto been 
 published with illustrations, this important point has been 
 neglected; but the purchasers of the Illustrated Edition of 
 G-USTAVE AiMAED's works may feel assured that whatever is 
 offered them in the way of elucidating the text is strictly true to 
 Nature. When it is stated, for instance, that the Indian dresses 
 have been obtained from CATLIN'S elaborate work, and the dis- 
 tinctive costumes of each tribe faithfully adhered to, the Pub- 
 lishers trust this will prove a sufficient guarantee that no idle 
 boast is intended. At the same time, artistic value has not been 
 neglected. The engraving has been intrusted to Mr. EDMTJND 
 EVANS, who has surpassed all his former efforts in the elabora- 
 tion of these, the most perfect specimens which have yet issued 
 from his studio. 
 
 The Publishers, therefore, confidently anticipate that this 
 enterprize will render GJ-USTAVE AIMABD'S works of Indian life 
 the universal favourites they deserve to be, for the volumes will 
 be appropriate as gift books at all seasons of the year. For it 
 should not be left out of sight that, although the Author has 
 thought proper to write his tales in different series, each volume 
 can be read with equal interest separately. As he only records 
 the incidents of his own life under assumed characters, it is but 
 natural that the same individuals should appear on the scene in 
 a succession of volumes. But in this G-USTAVE AIMAED merely 
 follows the example of his master, FENIMOEE COOPEE, and no 
 complaint was ever, to our knowledge, raised to his introduction 
 of the same hero through a lengthened series of volumes. On 
 
ADVEETISEMENT. V 
 
 the contrary, the readers were pleased at it 5 and the same kind 
 indulgence is asked for the present Author, who, if he may 
 have erred in an artistic sense, has a brilliant example to fall 
 back on. 
 
 The first volume of the New Illustrated Edition will be pub- 
 lished in October next, and procurable of all Booksellers 
 throughout the kingdom, As the demand, however, is antici- 
 pated to be very large, intending Subscribers are requested to 
 send in their orders early, so that any delay or disappointment 
 may be avoided. 
 
 August, 1861. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTEE PAGE 
 
 I. A EECONNOISSANCE 1 
 
 II. A BARGAIN ...... 18 
 
 III. THE EETBEAT 34 
 
 IT. JOHN DAYIS 50 
 
 V. BEFOBE THE BATTLE . . . .65 
 
 VI. THE BATTLE OE CEBBO PAEDO . . 80 
 
 VII. THE ATEPETL . . . . . .95 
 
 VIII. HOSPITALITY 110 
 
 IX. THE MAEBIAGE 125 
 
 X. BETUEN TO LIFE 140 
 
 XI. THE PIEATES OF THE PEAIEIES . . 154 
 
 XII. IN THE CAVEEN 167 
 
 XIII. A CONVEBSATION 182 
 
 XIV. TWO ENEMIES 197 
 
 XV. THE AMBUSCADE 211 
 
 XVI. THE SCALP DANCE 225 
 
 XVII. THE MEETING 240 
 
 XVIII. A EEACTION . .... 253 
 
 XIX. A PAGE OE HISTOEY . . . .267 
 
 M565068 
 
VUl CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER PAGE 
 
 XX. THE BIVOUAC 277 
 
 XXI. SANDOVAL 288 
 
 xxn. LOYAL HEART'S HISTOBT . . . soi 
 
 XXIII. THE EXPIATION 311 
 
 XXIY. IN THE DESEET 321 
 
 XXV. THE LAST HALT 33 J 
 
 XXVI. SAN JACINTO 341 
 
THE WHITE SCALPER 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 A EECOXNOISSANCE. 
 
 COLONEL MELENDEZ, after leaving the Jaguar, galloped 
 with his head afire, and panting chest, along the Galves- 
 ton road, exciting with his spurs the ardour of his horse, 
 which yet seemed to devour space, so rapid was its speed. 
 But it is a long jo'urney from the Sal to del Frayle to the 
 town. While galloping, the Colonel reflected; and the 
 more he did so, the more impossible did it appear to him 
 that the Jaguar had told him the truth. In fact, how 
 could it be supposed that this partizan, brave and rash 
 though he was, would have dared to attack, at the head 
 of a handful of adventurers, a well-equipped corvette, 
 manned by a numerous crew, and commanded by one of 
 the best officers in the Mexican navy ? The capture 
 of the fort seemed even more improbable to the Colonel. 
 While reflecting thus, the Colonel had gradually 
 slackened his horse's speed ; the animal, feeling that it 
 was no longer watched, had insensibly passed from a 
 gallop into a canter, then a trot, and by a perfectly natu- 
 .ral transition, fell into a walk, with drooping head, and 
 snapping at the blades of grass within its reach. 
 
2 THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 Night had set in for some time past ; a complete 
 silence brooded over the country, only broken by the 
 hollow moan of the sea as it rolled over the shingle. 
 The Colonel was following a small track formed along 
 the coast, which greatly shortened the distance separat- 
 ing him from Galveston. This path, much used by day, 
 was at this early hour of night completely deserted ; the 
 ranches that stood here and there were shut up, and no 
 light gleamed through their narrow windows, for the 
 fishermen, fatigued by the rude toil of the day, had re- 
 tired to bed at an early hour. 
 
 The young officer's horse, which had more and more 
 slackened its pace, emboldened by impunity, at length 
 stopped near a scrubby bush, whose leaves it began 
 nibbling. This immobility aroused the Colonel from his 
 reverie, and he looked about him to see where he was. 
 Although the obscurity was very dense, it was easy for 
 him to perceive that he was still a l<3ng distance from 
 his destination. About a musket-shot ahead was a 
 rancho, whose hermetically-closed windows allowed a 
 thin pencil of light to filter through the interstices of 
 the shutters. The Colonel struck his repeater and found 
 it was midnight. To go on would be madness ; the more 
 so, as it would be impossible for him to find a boat in 
 which to cross to the island. Greatly annoyed at this 
 obstacle, which, supposing the Jaguar's revelations to be 
 true, might entail serious consequences, the young offi- 
 cer, while cursing this involuntary delay, resolved on 
 pushing on to the rancho before him, and once there, 
 try to obtain means to cross the bay. 
 
 After drawing his cloak tightly round him, to protect 
 him as far as possible from the damp sea- air, the Colo- 
 nel caught up his reins again, and giving his horse the 
 
A KECONNOISSANCE. O 
 
 spur, trotted sharply towards the rancho. The traveller 
 speedily reached it, but, when only a few paces from it, 
 instead of riding straight up to the door, he dismounted, 
 fastened his horse to a larch- tree, and, after placing his 
 pistols in his belt, made a rather long circuit, and 
 stealthily crept up to the window of the rancho. 
 
 In the present state of fermentation from which people 
 were suffering in Texas, the olden confidence had en- 
 tirely disappeared to make way for the greatest distrust. 
 The times were past when the doors of houses remained 
 open day and night, in order to enable strangers to reach 
 the fire- side with greater facility. Hospitality, which 
 was traditional in these parts, had, temporarily at any 
 rate, changed into a suspicious reserve, and it would 
 have been an act of unjustifiable imprudence to ride up 
 to a strange house, without first discovering whether it 
 was that of a friend. The Colonel especially, being 
 dressed in a Mexican uniform, was bound to act with 
 extreme reserve. 
 
 This rancho was rather large ; it had not that appear- 
 ance of poverty and neglect which are found only too 
 often in the houses of Spanish American Campesinos. 
 It was a square house, with a roof in the Italian fashion, 
 having in front an azotea-covered portillo. The white- 
 washed walls were an agreeable contrast to the virgin 
 vines, and other plants which ran over it. This rancho 
 was not enclosed with walls: a thick hedge, broken 
 through at several places, alone defended the approaches. 
 The dependencies of the house were vast, and well kept 
 up. All proved that the owner of this mansion carried 
 on a large trade on his account. 
 
 The Colonel, as we have said, had softly approached 
 one of the windows. The shutters were carefully closed, 
 
 B 2 
 
4 THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 but not so carefully as not to let it be seen that some 
 one was up inside. In vain did the Colonel, though, 
 place his eye at the slit, for he could see nothing. If 
 he could not see, however, he could hear, and the first 
 words that reached his ear probably appeared to him 
 very serious, for he redoubled his attention, in order to 
 lose no portion of the conversation. Employing once 
 again our privilege as romancers, we will enter the 
 rancho, and allow the reader to witness the singular scene 
 going on there, the most interesting part of which es- 
 caped the Colonel, greatly to his annoyance. 
 
 In a rather small room, dimly lighted by a smoky 
 candle, four men, with gloomy faces and ferocious glances, 
 dressed in the garb of Campesinos, were assembled. 
 Three of them, seated on butaccas and equipals, were 
 listening, with their guns between their legs, to the 
 fourth, who, with his arms behind his back, was walking 
 rapidly up and down, while talking. 
 
 The broad brims of the vicuna hats which the three 
 first wore, and the obscurity prevailing in the room, 
 only allowed their faces to be dimly seen, and their ex- 
 pression judged. The fourth, on the contrary, was bare- 
 headed ; he was a man of about forty, tall, and well 
 built ; his muscular limbs denoted a far from common 
 strength, and a forest of black and curly hair fell on his 
 wide shoulders. He had a lofty forehead, aquiline nose, 
 and black and piercing eyes ; while the lower part of 
 his face disappeared in a long and thick beard. There 
 was in the appearance of this man something bold and 
 haughty, which inspired respect, and almost fear. 
 
 At this moment, he seemed to be in a tremendous pas- 
 sion ; his eyebrows were contracted, his cheeks livid, 
 and, at times, when he yielded to the emotion he tried 
 
A RECOKN'OISSA^CE. 5 
 
 in. vain to restrain, his eye flashed so fiercely, that it 
 forced his three hearers to bow their heads humbly, and 
 they seemed to be his inferiors. At the moment when 
 we entered the room, the stranger appeared to be conti- 
 nuing a discussion that had been going on for some time. 
 
 "No," he said in a powerful voice, "things cannot 
 go on thus any longer. You dishonour the holy cause 
 we are defending by revolting acts of cruelty, which in- 
 jure us in the opinion of the population, and authorise 
 all the calumnies our enemies spread with reference to 
 us. It is not by imitating our oppressors that we shall 
 succeed in proving to the masses that we really wish 
 their welfare. However sweet it may be to avenge an 
 insult received, where men put themselves forward as 
 defenders of a principle so sacred as that for which we 
 have been shedding our blood the last ten years, every 
 man must practise self-denial, and forget all his private 
 animosities to absorb them in the great national ven- 
 geance. I tell you this frankly, plainly, and with no 
 reserve. I, who was the first that dared to utter the 
 cry of revolt, and inaugurate resistance : I, who, since 
 I have reached man's estate, have sacrificed everything, 
 fortune, friends, and relations, in the sole hope of seeing 
 my country one day free, would retire from a struggle 
 which is daily dishonoured by excesses such as the Red- 
 skins themselves would disavow." 
 
 The three men, who had been tolerably quiet up to 
 this moment, then rose, protesting simultaneously that 
 they were innocent of the crimes imputed to them. 
 
 "I do not believe you," he continued passionately; 
 " I do not believe you, because I can prove the utter 
 truth of the accusation I am now making. You deny 
 it, as I expected. Your part was ready traced, and you 
 
6 THE WHITE SCALPEB. 
 
 might be expected to act so : all other paths were closed 
 to you. Only one of you, the youngest, the one who 
 perhaps had the greatest right to employ reprisals, has 
 always remained equal to his mission ; and, though our 
 enemies have tried several times to brand him, he has 
 ever remained firm, as the Mexicans themselves allow. 
 This Chief you know as well as I do : it is the Jaguar* 
 Only yesterday, at the head of some of our men, he , ac- 
 complished one of the most glorious and extraordinary 
 exploits." 
 
 All pressed round the stranger, and eagerly questioned 
 him. 
 
 ""What need for me to tell you what has occurred ? 
 You will know it within a few hours. Suffice it for 
 you to know for the present, that the consequence of the 
 Jaguar's daring achievement is the immediate surrender 
 of Galveston, which cannot hold out against us any 
 longer." 
 
 " Then we triumph !" one of the Campesinos ex- 
 claimed. 
 
 " Yes ; but all is not over yet : if we have succeeded 
 in taking the town of Galveston from the Mexicans, they 
 have fifty others left, in which they can shut themselves 
 up. Hence, believe me, instead of giving way to im- 
 moderate joy, and imprudent confidence, redouble, on the 
 contrary, your efforts and self-denial, if you wish to re- 
 main victors to the end." 
 
 " But what is to be done to obtain the result we de- 
 sire as much as you do ?" the one who had already 
 spoken asked. 
 
 " Follow blindly the counsels I give you, and obey 
 without hesitation or comment the orders I send you. 
 Will you promise me this ?" 
 
A KECONNOTSSAKCE. i 
 
 " Yes," they exclaimed, enthusiastically ; " you 
 alone, Don Benito, can guide us safely and ensure our 
 victory." 
 
 There was a moment's silence. The man who had 
 just been addressed as Don Benito went to a corner of 
 the room hidden behind a curtain of green serge. This 
 curtain he drew back, and behind it was an alabaster 
 statue of the Yirgin Soledad, with a lamp burning in 
 front of it, and then turned to the others. 
 
 " On your knees, and take off your hats," he said. 
 
 They obeyed. 
 
 " Now," he continued, " swear to keep faithfully the 
 promise you have just made me of your own accord; 
 swear to be merciful to the conquered in battle, and. 
 gentle to the prisoners after the victory. At this price 
 I pledge myself to support you ; if not, I retire imme- 
 diately from a cause which is at least dishonoured, if 
 not lost." 
 
 The three men, after piously crossing themselves, 
 stretched out their right arms toward the statue, saying 
 in a firm voice 
 
 " "We swear it, by the share we hope in Paradise." 
 
 "It is well," Don Benito replied, as he drew the 
 curtain across again and made them a sign to rise ; " I 
 know you are too thoroughly Caballeros to break so 
 solemn an oath." 
 
 The Colonel, confounded by this singular scene, which 
 he did not at all comprehend, did net know what to do, 
 when he fancied he heard an indistinct sound not far 
 from him. J)rawing himself up at once, he concealed 
 himself behind the hedge, rather alarmed as to the 
 cause of this noise, which was rapidly approaching. 
 Almost immediately he noticed several men coming 
 
8 THE WHITE SCALPEB. 
 
 gently up ; they were four in number, as he soon made 
 out, and carrying a fifth in their arms. They walked 
 straight to the door, at which they tapped in a peculiar 
 way. 
 
 " Who's there ?" was asked from inside. 
 
 One of the newcomers replied, but in so low a tone, 
 that it was impossible for the Colonel to hear the word 
 pronounced. The door was opened, and the strangers 
 entered ; it was then closed again, but not until the 
 opener had cast a scrutinizing glance round him. 
 
 " What does this mean ?" the Colonel muttered. 
 
 " It means," a rough voice said in his ear, " that 
 you are listening to what does not concern you, Colonel 
 Melendez, and that it may prove dangerous to you." 
 
 The Colonel, astounded at this unexpected answer, 
 and especially at being so well known, quickly drew a 
 pistol from his belt, cocked it, and turned to his strange 
 speaker. 
 
 " On my word," he answered, " there is no worse 
 danger to incur than that of an immediate death, which 
 I should not at all object to, I swear to you." 
 
 The stranger began laughing, and emerged from the 
 thicket in which he was hidden. He was a powerful- 
 looking man, and, like the Colonel, held a pistol in his 
 hand. 
 
 " You are aware that duelling is forbidden in the 
 Mexican army," he said, " so take my advice, sir, and 
 put up that pistol, which, if it exploded, might entail 
 very disagreeable consequences for you." 
 
 " Lower your weapon first," the Colonel said, coldly, 
 " and then I will see what I have to do." 
 
 " Very good," the other remarked, still smiling, as he 
 thrust his pistol into his belt. The Colonel imitated him. 
 
A EECON^OISSANCE. 
 
 " And now, 5 ' the stranger continued, " I have to 
 converse with you ; but, as you can see, this spot is 
 badly chosen for a secret interview." 
 
 " That is true," the Colonel interrupted, frankly 
 assuming the tone of the singular man with whom 
 chance had so unexpectedly brought him together. 
 
 " I am delighted that you are of my opinion. Well, 
 Colonel, as it is so, be kind enough to accompany me 
 merely a few paces, and I will lead you to a spot I 
 know, which is perfectly adapted for the conversation 
 we must have together." 
 
 " I am at your orders, Caballero," the Colonel an- 
 swered, with a bow. 
 
 " Come, then," the stranger added, as he made a start. 
 
 The Colonel followed him. The stranger led him to 
 the spot where he had tied up his horse, by the side of 
 which another was now standing. The stranger stopped. 
 
 " Let us mount," he said. 
 
 " What for?'* the young officer asked. 
 
 "To 'be off, of course. Are you not returning to 
 Galveston?" 
 
 "Certainly; still " 
 
 " Still/' the stranger interrupted, "you would have 
 had no objection to prowl a little longer round the 
 rancho, I presume ?" 
 
 "I confess it." 
 
 " Well, on my honour, you are wrong, for two ex- 
 cellent reasons : the first is, that you will learn nothing 
 more than you have surmised, that is to say, that the 
 rancho is the head quarters of the insurrection. You 
 see that I am frank with you." 
 
 "I perceive it. And now, what is your second 
 reason ?" 
 
10 THE WHITE SCALPEB. 
 
 "It is very simple : you run the risk, at any mo- 
 ment, of being saluted with a bullet, and you know that 
 the Texans are decent marksmen." 
 
 " Certainly ; but you know also that this reason pos- 
 sesses but slight value for me." 
 
 " I beg your pardon ; courage does not consist, in 
 my opinion, at least, in sacrificing one's life without 
 reason ; it consists, on the contrary, in being only killed 
 for a good price, that is to say, for a motive worth 
 the trouble." 
 
 "Thanks for the lecture, Caballero." 
 
 "Shall we be off?" 
 
 " At once, if you will be good enough to tell me who 
 you are and where we are going r" 
 
 "I am surprised that you did not recognise me long 
 ago, for we have been for some time past on excellent, 
 if not intimate terms." 
 
 "That may be ; the sound of your voice is rather 
 familiar to me, and I fancy I have heard it before, but 
 it is impossible for me to recal either when or under 
 what circumstances." 
 
 " By Heaven, Colonel ! you will allow me to remark 
 that you have a preciously short memory. But since 
 our last meeting, so many events have occurred, that it 
 is not surprising you should have forgotten me. With 
 one word I will recal everything to your mind I am 
 John Davis, the ex- slave-dealer." 
 
 " You !" the Colonel exclaimed, with a start of sur- 
 prise. 
 
 " Yes, I am that person." 
 
 " Ah ! ah!" the Colonel continued, as he crossed his 
 arms haughtily and looked him in the face, "in that 
 case we have an account to settle." 
 
A RECON1SOISSANCE. H 
 
 " I am not aware of the fact, Colonel." 
 
 "You forget, Master Davis, in what manner you 
 abused my confidence in order to betray me." 
 
 " I ? you are in error, Colonel. To do that I must 
 have been a Mexican, which is not the case, thank 
 Heaven ! I served my country as you serve yours, that 
 is all ; each for himself in a revolution, you know." 
 
 " That proverb may suit you, Master Davis, I grant, 
 but I only know one way of acting honourably, with 
 uplifted head." 
 
 "Hum ! there would be a good deal to say on that 
 head, but it is not the question at this moment. The 
 proof that you are mistaken and unjust toward me is, 
 that a few minutes ago I held your life in my hands, 
 and was unwilling to take it." 
 
 " You were wrong, for I swear to you that unless 
 you defend yourself I shall take yours in a second," he 
 said, as he cocked a pisto], 
 
 "You are in earnest, then ?" 
 
 " Most earnest, be assured." 
 
 "You are mad," said Davis, with a shrug of his 
 shoulders ; " what strange idea is this of yours to insist 
 on killing me ?" 
 
 " Will you defend yourself; yes or no ?" 
 
 " Wait a moment. What a man you are ! there is no 
 way of having an explanation with you." 
 
 " One word, then, but be brief." 
 
 " Well, as you are aware, I am not accustomed to 
 make long speeches." 
 
 " I am listening to you." 
 
 " Why play with the butt of your pistol so ? vengeance 
 is only real when complete. A shot fired would be the 
 signal for your death, for you would be surrounded and 
 
12 THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 attacked on all sides at once before you had even time to 
 place a foot in the stirrup. You allow this, I suppose ?" 
 
 "To the point, Master Davis, for I am in a hurry." 
 
 61 You admit," the other said, with his old stoicism, 
 " that I am seeking no unworthy subterfuge to avoid a 
 meeting with you : !> 
 
 "I know that you are a brave man." 
 
 " Thanks ! I do not discuss the validity of the reason 
 which makes you wish to exchange bullets with me : a 
 pretext is nothing with men like ourselves. I pledge 
 my word to be at your disposal on any day, and at any 
 hour you please, with or without witnesses. Does that 
 suit you r" 
 
 " Would it not be better to mount, gallop into the 
 plain that stretches out before us, and settle the affair 
 at once r" 
 
 " I should like to do so, but, unfortunately, I must, 
 for the present, deprive myself of the pleasure. I repeat 
 to you that we cannot fight, at least not at this moment." 
 
 " But the reason, the reason r" the young man ex- 
 claimed, with feverish impatience. 
 
 " The reason is this, as you absolutely insist on my 
 telling it you : I am at this moment entrusted with very 
 great interests ; in a word, I am charged by the Chief of 
 the Texan army with a mission of the utmost import- 
 ance to General Eubio, Military Governor of Galveston. 
 You are too much of a gentleman not to understand that 
 this prohibits me risking a life which does not belong 
 to me.'fr 
 
 The Colonel bowed with exquisite politeness and un- 
 cocked the pistol, which he restored to his belt. 
 
 " I am confounded at what has taken place," he said. 
 " You will excuse me, Senor, for having allowed my 
 
A BECCXNNOISSANCE. 13 
 
 passion to carry me away thus ; I recognise how worthy 
 and delicate your conduct has been under the circum- 
 stances. May I venture to hope you will pardon me ?" 
 
 " Not another word about the past, Colonel. So soon 
 as I have terminated my mission, I shall have the 
 honour of placing myself at your orders. Wow, if no- 
 thing further keeps you here, we will proceed together to 
 Galveston." 
 
 " I accept gladly the offer you make me. There is a 
 truce between us : be good enough till further orders to 
 consider and treat me as one of your friends." 
 
 " That is settled ; I was certain we should end by 
 understanding each other. To horse, then, and let us 
 start." 
 
 " I ask nothing better ; still, I would observe that the 
 night is as yet only half spent." 
 
 " Which means?" 
 
 " That till sunrise, and perhaps later, it will be im- 
 possible for us to find a boat in which to cross over to 
 the island." 
 
 " That need not trouble you, Colonel ; I have a boat 
 waiting for me, in which I shall be delighted to offer 
 you a place." 
 
 " Hum ! all the measures of you revolutionary gen- 
 tlemen seem to be well taken ; you want for nothing." 
 
 " The reason is very simple ; would you like to 
 know it?" 
 
 " I confess that I am curious in the matter." 
 
 " It is because, up to the present, we have appealed 
 to the hearts, rather than the purses of our confidants. 
 The hatred of the Mexican Government renders every 
 intelligent man a devoted partizan ; the hope of liberty 
 .gives us all we want; that is our whole secret. You 
 
14 THE WHITE SCALPEE. 
 
 are aware, Colonel, that the spirit of opposition is in- 
 nate in the heart of every man ; insurrection or opposi- 
 tion, whichever you like to call it, is only that spirit 
 organised." 
 
 " That is true," said the Colonel, with a laugh. 
 
 The two enemies, temporarily friends, mounted and 
 set out side by side. 
 
 " You have very singular ideas and opinions," the 
 Colonel, whom the American's remarks amused, con- 
 tinued. 
 
 " Oh dear no !" the latter replied, carelessly ; " those 
 ideas and opinions are nothing but the fruit of lengthened 
 experience. I do not ask of a man more than his 
 organisation allows him to give, and enacting these I 
 am certain of never making a mistake. Hence, suppose 
 that the Mexicans are expelled the country, and the 
 government of Texas established and working regu- 
 larly " 
 
 " Good," the Colonel said, with a smile ; " what will 
 happen then." 
 
 "This will inevitably happen," the American an- 
 swered, imperturbably. " A hot-headed or ambitious 
 man will emerge from the crowd and rebel against the 
 Government. He will immediately have partizans, who 
 will make a flag of truce, and the same men who to-day 
 are ready to shed their blood for us with the most utter 
 abnegation, will act in the same way for him ; not be- 
 cause they have to complain of the Government they 
 desire to overthrow, but merely on account of that spirit 
 of opposition to which I have alluded." 
 
 "Come, that is a little too strong," the Colonel ex- 
 claimed, as he burst into a laugh. 
 
 " You do not believe me ? Well, listen to this : I 
 
A BECONNOISSANCE. 15 
 
 who am speaking to you once knew, no matter where, 
 a man whose whole life was spent in conspiring. One 
 . day luck smiled on him, and chance enabled him, hardly 
 knowing how or why, to occupy the highest post in 
 the Republic something like President. Do you know 
 what he did, so soon as he obtained power ?" 
 
 " Canarios ! he tried to hold his ground, of course.' ' 
 
 " You are quite out. On the contrary, he went on 
 conspiring, and so famously that he overthrew himself, 
 and was condemned to perpetual imprisonment." 
 
 " So that ?" 
 
 " So that, if the man who succeeded to power had 
 not amnestied him, he would, in all probability, have 
 died in prison." 
 
 The two men were still laughing at John Davis's last 
 repartee, when the latter stopped, and made the Colonel 
 a sign to follow his example. 
 
 " Have we arrived ?" he asked. 
 
 " All but. Do you see that boat tossing about at the 
 foot of the cliff?" 
 
 " Of course I see it." 
 
 " Well, it is the one which will convey us to Gal- 
 veston." 
 
 "But our horses?" 
 
 " Don't be uneasy; the owner of that wretched rancho 
 will lake all proper care of them." 
 
 John Davis raised a whistle to his lip and blew it 
 twice sharply. Almost immediately the door of the 
 rancho opened and a man appeared ; but, after taking one 
 step forward, he took two backward, doubtless astonished 
 at seeing two persons when he only expected one. 
 
 " Halloh ! halloh, John I" Davis shouted, " don't go in 
 again." 
 
16 THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 " Is it you, then ?" he asked. 
 
 " Yes ! unless it be the demon who has assumed my 
 face." 
 
 The fisherman shook his head with a dissatisfied air. 
 
 " Do not jest so, John Davis," he said ; " the night is 
 black and the sea rough ; so the demon is about." 
 
 " Come, come, old porpoise," the American continued, 
 " get your boat ready, for we have no time to lose. This 
 Senor is a friend of mine. Have you any alfalfa for 
 our horses in your cabin ?" 
 
 "I should think so. Eh, Pedriello, come hither, 
 muchacho. Take the horses from the Caballero, and 
 lead them to the corral." 
 
 At this summons a tall young fellow came yawning 
 from the rancho, and walked up to the two travellers. 
 The latter had already dismounted ; the peon took the 
 horses by the bridle and went off with them, not saying 
 a word. 
 
 " Shall we go r" John Davis asked. 
 
 " Whenever you please," the fisherman growled. 
 
 " I hope you have men enough ?" 
 
 " My two sons and I are, I should think, enough to 
 cross the bay." 
 
 " You must know better than I." 
 
 " Then, why ask ?" the fisherman said with a shrug 
 of his shoulders, as he proceeded toward the boat. 
 
 The two men followed him, and found that he had 
 not deceived them. The sea was bad, being rough and 
 lumpy, and it required all the old sailor's skill to suc- 
 cessfully cross the bay. Still, after two hours of inces- 
 sant toil, the boat came alongside Galveston jetty, and 
 disembarked its passengers safe and sound ; then, with- 
 out waiting for a word of thanks, the sailor D,t once dis- 
 appeared in the obscurity. 
 
A EECONXOISSA1S-CE. 17 
 
 " We part here," said John Davis to the Colonel ; 
 " for we each follow a different road. To-morrow morn- 
 ing, at nine o'clock, I shall have the honour of present- 
 ing myself at the General's house. May I hope that 
 you have spoken to him of me in sufficient favourable 
 terms for him to grant me a kind reception?" 
 
 "I will do all that depends on myself." 
 
 " Thank you, and good night/' 
 
 " One word, if you please, before parting." 
 
 " Speak, Colonel." 
 
 " I confess to you, that at this moment I am suffering 
 from extreme curiosity." 
 
 "What about?" 
 
 "A moment before your arrival, I saw four men, 
 carrying a fifth, enter the rancho to which accident had 
 brought me." 
 
 "Well?" 
 
 " Who is that man ?" 
 
 " I know no more about him than you do. All I can 
 tell you is, that he was picked up dying on the beach, 
 at eleven o'clock at night, by some of our men stationed 
 as videttes to watch the bay. Now, who he is, or where 
 he comes from, I do not know at all. He is covered 
 with wounds; when picked up, he held an axe still 
 clutghed in his hand, which makes me suppose that he 
 belonged to the crew of the Libertad corvette, which 
 our friends so successfully boarded. That is all the in- 
 formation I am able to give you. Is it all you wish to 
 know ?" t 
 
 " One word more. Who is the man I saw at the 
 rancho, and to whom the persons with him gave the 
 name of Don Eenito r" 
 
 "As for that man, you will soon learn to know him. 
 
 c 
 
18 THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 He is the supreme Chief of the Texan revolution ; but 
 I am not permitted to tell you more. Good bye, till we 
 meet again at the General's. " 
 
 " All right." 
 
 The two men, after bowing courteously, separated, 
 and entered the town from opposite sides ; the Colonel 
 proceeding to his house, and John Davis, in all proba- 
 bility, to crave hospitality from one of the numerous 
 conspirators Galveston con tain ed. 
 
 CHAPTEE II. 
 
 A BABGAiy. 
 
 THERE is in the rapidity with which all news spread, a 
 mystery which has remained, up to the present, incom- 
 prehensible. It seems that an electric current bears 
 them along at headlong speed, and takes a cruel pleasure 
 in spreading them everywhere. 
 
 The most minute precautions had been taken by the 
 Jaguar and El Alferez to keep their double expedition a 
 secret, and hide their success until they had found time 
 to make certain arrangements necessary to secure the 
 results of their daring attempts. The means of com- 
 munication were at that period, and still are, extremely 
 rare and difficult. Only one man, Colonel Melendez, 
 was at all cognizant of what had happened, and we have 
 seen that it was impossible for him to have said any- 
 thing. And yet, scarce two hours after the events we 
 have described were accomplished, a vague rumour, 
 which had come no one knew whence, already ran about 
 the town. 
 
 This rumour, like a rising tide, swelled from instant 
 to instant, and assumed gigantic proportions ; for, as 
 
A BARGAIN. 19 
 
 always happens under similar circumstances, the truth, 
 buried in a mass of absurd and impossible details, dis- 
 appeared almost entirely to make way for a monstrous 
 collection of reports, each more absurd than the other^ 
 but which terrified the population, and plunged it into 
 extreme anxiety. 
 
 Among other things, it was stated that the insurgents 
 were advancing on the town with a formidable fleet of 
 twenty-five ships, having on board ten thousand troops, 
 amply provided with cannon and ammunition of every 
 description. Nothing less was spoken of than the im- 
 mediate bombardment of Galveston by the insurgents, . 
 large parties of whom, it was stated, were scouring the 
 country to intercept all communication between the town, 
 and the mainland. 
 
 Terror never calculates or reasons. In spite of the 
 material impossibility of the insurgents being able to 
 collect so considerable a fleet and army, no one doubted 
 the truth of the rumour, and the townspeople, with their 
 eyes anxiously fixed on the sea, fancied in each gull 
 whose wing flashed on the horizon, they saw the van- 
 guard of the Texan fleet. 
 
 General Baibio was himself very much alarmed. If 
 he did not place entire faith on these stupid rumours, 
 still one of those secret forebodings, that never deceive, 
 warned him that grave events were preparing, and would 
 soon burst like a thunder-cloud over the town. The 
 Colonel's prolonged absence, whose motive the General 
 was ignorant of, added still further to his anxiety. Still 
 the situation was too critical for the General not to try 
 to escape from it by any means, or dispel the storm that 
 was constantly menacing. 
 
 Unfortunately, through its position and commerce, 
 
20 THE WEITE SCALPEE. 
 
 Galveston is a thoroughly American town, and the Mexi- 
 can element is found there in but very limited propor- 
 tions. The General was perfectly aware that the North 
 Americans who represented the mercantile houses, sym- 
 pathized with the revolution, and only waited for a 
 favourable opportunity to raise the mask and declare 
 themselves overtly. The Mexican population itself was 
 not at all desirous of running the risk of a siege : it pre- 
 ferred to a contest, which is ever injurious to commer- 
 cial interests, an arrangement, no matter its nature, 
 which would protect them. Money has no country, and 
 hence, politically regarded, the population of Galveston 
 cared very little whether it was Texan or Mexican, pro- 
 vided that it was not ruined, which was the essential 
 point. 
 
 In the midst of all this egotism and vexation, the 
 General felt the more embarrassed, because he possessed 
 but a very weak armed force, incapable of keeping the 
 population in check, if they felt any desire to revolt. 
 After vainly awaiting the Colonel's return till eleven 
 o'clock, the General resolved to summon to his house the 
 most influential merchants of the town, in order to con- 
 sult with them on the means to protect individuals, and 
 place the town in a posture of defence, were that possible. 
 
 The merchants responded to the General's summons 
 with an eagerness which, to any man less thoroughly 
 acquainted with the American character, would have 
 seemed a good omen, but which produced a diametrically 
 opposite effect on the General. At about half-an hour 
 after midnight, the General's saloon was crowded : some 
 thirty merchants, the elite of Galveston, were collected 
 there. 
 
 His Excellency, Don Jose Maria Eubio, was essentially 
 
A BARGAIN. 
 
 a man of action, frank, loyal, and convinced that in all 
 cases the best way of dealing is to go straight to the 
 point. After the first compliments, he began speaking, 
 and without any tergiversation or weakness, explained 
 clearly and distinctly the state of their situation, and 
 claimed the assistance of the notable inhabitants of the 
 town to ward off the dangers that threatened it, promis- 
 ing, if that help were assured him, to hold out against 
 the whole revolutionary army, and compel it to retire. 
 
 The merchants were far from expecting such a request? 
 which literally stunned them. Eor some minutes they 
 knew not what answer to give ; but at last, after consult- 
 ing in whispers, the oldest and most influential of them 
 undertook to reply in the names of all, and began speak- 
 ing with that feigned frankness which forms the basis of 
 the Anglo-American character a frankness which con- 
 ceals so much duplicity, and by which only those who 
 are unacquainted with the inhabitants of the United 
 States are at times entrapped. 
 
 This merchant, a native of Tennessee, had in his 
 youth carried on nearly all those trades more or less 
 acknowledgeable, by means of which men in the new 
 world contrive in so short a time to raise the scaffold- 
 ings of a large fortune. Coming to Texas as a slave- 
 dealer, he had gradually extended his trade ; then he 
 became a speculator, corn-dealer, and all sorts of things. 
 In a word, he worked so well, that in less than ten 
 years he was in possession of several millions. Morally, 
 he was an old fox, without faith or law ; a Greek by 
 instinct, and a Jew by temperament. His name was 
 Lionel Fisher; he was short and stout, and appeared 
 scarce sixty years of age, although he was in reality close 
 on seventy. 
 
22 THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 " Senor General," he said in an obsequious voice, 
 after bowing with that haughty humility which distin- 
 guishes parvenus, "we are extremely pained by the sad 
 news your excellency has thought it right to communi- 
 cate to us, for none are more affected than ourselves by 
 the calamities of our hapless country. \Ve deplore in 
 our hearts the situation into which Texas is suddenly 
 cast, for we shall be the first assailed in our fortunes 
 and affections. We should be glad to make the great- 
 est sacrifices in order to prevent disasters and ward off 
 the fearful catastrophe that menaces us. But, alas ! 
 what can we do ? nothing. In spite of our good will 
 and warm desire to prove to your excellency that you 
 possess all our sympathies, our hands are tied. Our 
 assistance, far from helping the Mexican Government, 
 would, on the contrary, injure it, because the populace 
 and vagabonds who fiock to all sea-ports, and who are 
 in a majority at Galveston, delighted at having found a 
 pretext for disorder, would immediately revolt, appa- 
 rently to defend the insurrection, but in reality to plun- 
 der us. This consideration, therefore, compels us most 
 reluctantly to remain neutral." 
 
 "Reflect, Senores," the General answered, "that the 
 sacrifice I ask of you is but a trifle. Each of you will 
 give me a thousand piastres; it is not too much, I sup- 
 pose, to guarantee the security of your money and 
 goods ? for with the sum you collect, I pledge myself 
 to preserve you from all harm by collecting a sufncient 
 number of men to foil any expedition made against the 
 town by the insurgents." 
 
 At this point-blank appeal the merchants made a 
 frightful grimace, which the General did not appear to- 
 notice. 
 
A. BAHGAIN. 23 
 
 " The offering I claim from you at suck a moment," 
 he continued, "is not exorbitant ; is it not just that in. 
 the hour of need you should come to the aid of a go- 
 vernment under whose protection you have grown rich, 
 and which, although it would have been perfectly justi- 
 fied in doing so, has, up to this day, demanded nothing 
 from you r" 
 
 Caught in this dilemma, the merchants did not know 
 what to answer. They were not all desirous to give 
 their money in the defence of a cause which their secret 
 efforts tended on the contrary to destroy, but when thus 
 pressed by the General, their embarrassment was ex- 
 treme ; they did not dare openly to refuse, and wished 
 still less to say yes. It is a singular fact, though per- 
 fectly true, that those men who have grown rich with 
 the greatest facility, cling the most to their fortunes. 
 Of all the natives of the New World, the North Ame- 
 rican is the one who most craves mone}'. He professes a 
 profound love for the precious metals ; with him money 
 is everything, and to gain it he would sacrifice relatives 
 and friends without remorse and without pity. It is 
 the North American who invented that egotistic and 
 heartless proverb, which so thoroughly displays the cha- 
 racter of the people, time is money. Ask what you will 
 of a North American, and he will give it you, but do not 
 try to borrow a dollar of him, for he will bluntly refuse, 
 however great the obligations he owes you may be. 
 
 The great American bankruptcies which a few years 
 back terrified the Old "World by their cynical effrontery, 
 edified us as to the commercial honesty of this country, 
 which in its dealings never says yes, and is so afraid of 
 letting its thoughts be penetrated, that even in the 
 most frivolous conversations the people, through fear of 
 
24 THE WHITE SCALPEK. 
 
 compromising themselves by an affirmative, say at each 
 sentence, " I suppose," "I believe," "I think." 
 
 General Eubio, who had been a long time in Texas, 
 and accustomed to daily dealings with the Americans, 
 was perfectly well aware in what way he should treat 
 them, hence he was not at all disturbed by their em- 
 barrassed denials, their protestations of devotion, or their 
 downcast faces. After leaving them a few moments for 
 reflection, seeing that they could not make up their 
 minds to answer him, he continued in his calmest voice 
 and with his most pleasant air 
 
 " I see, Senores, that the reasons I have had the 
 honour of laying before you have not had the good for- 
 tune to convince you, and I am really vexed at it. Un- 
 fortunately, we are in one of those fatal crises where 
 long deliberations are impossible. Ever since the Pre- 
 sident of the Republic appointed me Military Chief of 
 this State, I have ever been anxious to satisfy you, and 
 not make you feel too heavily the weight of the power 
 entrusted to me, taking on myself, on several occasions, 
 to modify any harshness in the orders I received from 
 high quarters with reference to you. I venture to be- 
 lieve that you will do me the justice of saying that you 
 have always found me kind and complaisant toward 
 you." 
 
 The merchants naturally burst into affirmations as 
 the General continued. 
 
 " Unfortunately it can no longer be so. In the face 
 of this obstinate and unpatriotic refusal you so perempto- 
 rily give me, I am, to my great regret, constrained to 
 carry out literally the orders I have received, orders 
 that concern you, Senores, and whose tenor, I repeat, I 
 find myself utterly unable to modify." 
 
A BAKGAIIT. 25 
 
 At this declaration, made in a sarcastic voice, the 
 merchants began shivering ; they understood that the 
 General was about to take a brilliant revenge, although 
 they did not know yet what was about to happen. For 
 all that, they began to repent having accepted the invi- 
 tation, and placed themselves so simply in the wolf's 
 mouth. The General kept smiling, but the smile had 
 something bitter and mocking in its expression, which 
 was far from reassuring them. At this moment a clock, 
 standing on a bracket, struck two. 
 
 " Caramba," said the General, " is it so late as that 
 already ? How quickly time passes in your agreeable 
 company. Senores, we must wind up the business. I 
 should be in despair if I kept you longer from your 
 homes the more so, as you must be desirous of rest." 
 
 " In truth," stammered the merchant who had hitherto 
 spoken in the name of all, " whatever pleasure we feel 
 at being here " 
 
 "You would feel greater still at being elsewhere," 
 the General interrupted, with a laugh ; "I perfectly 
 understand that, Don Lionel, hence I will not abuse 
 your patience much longer. I only ask you for a few 
 minutes more, and then I will set you at liberty, so be 
 kind enough to sit down again." 
 
 The merchants obeyed, while exchanging a glance of 
 despair on the sly. The General seemed on this night 
 to be deaf and blind, for he saw and heard nothing. 
 He struck a bell ; at the summons a door opened, and 
 an officer walked in. 
 
 " Captain Saldana," the General asked, "is all ready? 87 
 
 "Yes, General," the Captain answered, with a re- 
 spectful bow. 
 
 " Senores," the Governor continued, " I have re- 
 
26 THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 ceived from the Mexican Government orders to lay on 
 the rich merchants of this town a war-tax of sixty 
 thousand piastres in cash. As you are aware, Senores, 
 a soldier can only obey. Still, I had taken on myself 
 to reduce this contribution by one-half, desiring, as far 
 as in me lay, to prove to you up to the last moment, 
 the interest I take in you. You would not understand 
 me ; I am vexed at it, but nothing is now left me save 
 obedience. Here is the order," he added, as he took a 
 paper from the table and unfolded it, " it is peremptory ; 
 still, I am ready to grant you five minutes to make up 
 your minds ; but when that period has elapsed, I shall 
 be compelled to do my duty, and you are sufficiently 
 well acquainted with me, Senores, to know that I shall 
 do it at all hazards." 
 
 "But, General," the old merchant hazarded, "your 
 Excellency will permit me to observe, that the sum is 
 enormous. " 
 
 " Nonsense, Senores ; there are thirty of you it only 
 amounts to two thousand piastres per head, which is only 
 a trine to you. I made you an offer to knock off half, 
 but you were not willing." 
 
 " Business has been very flat for some years, and 
 money is becoming excessively scarce." 
 
 " To whom do you say that, Don Lionel ? I fancy I 
 am better aware of that fact than anybody else." 
 
 " Perhaps if you were to grant us a delay of a month 
 or a fortnight, by collecting all our resources and making 
 enormous sacrifices, we might manage to scrape together 
 one-half the amount." 
 
 "Unfortunately* I cannot even grant you an hour." 
 
 " In that case, General, it is impossible." 
 " Nonsense ! I feel certain that you have not reflected. 
 
A BARGAIN. 27 
 
 Besides, that is no affair of mine : in asking you for 
 this money, I carry out the orders I have received, it is 
 for you to judge whether you will consent or not. I, 
 personally, am completely out of the affair." 
 
 "Really, General," the old merchant continued, de- 
 ceived, in spite of all his craft, by the Governor's tone, 
 " really, it is impossible for us to pay the smallest 
 amount." 
 
 All bowed in affirmation, supporting the remarks of 
 their spokesman. 
 
 " Yery good," the General continued, still in a coolly 
 mocking tone, "that is clearly understood, then. Still, 
 you will not, I trust, render me responsible for the con- 
 sequences w r hich this refusal may entail on you." 
 
 " Oh, General, you cannot suppose that !" 
 
 "Thanks. You heard, Captain?" he added, turning 
 to the officer, who was standing motionless by the door ; 
 " order in the detachment." 
 
 " Yes, General." ' 
 
 And the officer quitted the room. The merchants gave 
 a start of terror, for this mysterious order caused them 
 to reflect seriously, and their anxiety became the greater, 
 when they heard the clang of arms in the patios, and 
 the heavy foot-falls of approaching troops. 
 
 " What is the meaning of this, General :" they cried 
 in terror, " can we have fallen into a trap ?" 
 
 "What do you mean?" the General said. "Oh, I 
 beg your pardon, but I forgot to communicate to you 
 the end of this order, which concerns you particularly, 
 however, that will be soon done. I am instructed to 
 have all persons shot, who refuse to subscribe to the 
 loan demanded by the government, in order to get over 
 the serious embarrassments the malcontents occasion it.'* 
 
28 THP WHITE SCALPEE. 
 
 At the same instant, the doors were thrown wide 
 open, and a detachment of fifty men silently surrounded 
 the American merchants. The latter were more dead 
 than alive they fancied they were having a frightful 
 dream, or suffering from a horrible nightmare. Certain 
 that the General would not hesitate to execute the 
 threat he had made them, the merchants did not know 
 how to get out of the scrape. The Governor himself 
 had made no change in his demeanour his face was still 
 gracious, and his voice gentle. 
 
 " Come, Senors," he said, " pray accept my heartfelt 
 sympathy. " Captain, lead away these gentlemen, and 
 treat them with all the kindness their sad position 
 claims." 
 
 He then bowed, and prepared to leave the room. 
 
 " One moment," the old merchant said, quite appalled 
 by the approach of death; " are there no means of 
 settling this business, General r" 
 
 " I only know one paying." 
 
 " I am well aware of that," he said with a sigh ; 
 " but, alas ! we are ruined." 
 
 " What can I do ? you know, and yourselves allowed, 
 that I am quite unconnected with this unhappy affair." 
 
 "Alas," the poor merchants exclaimed in chorus, 
 " you will not kill us, surely, General ; we are fathers of 
 families, what will become of our wives and children ?'' 
 
 " I pity you, but, unfortunately, can do 'no more than 
 that." 
 
 " General," they cried, falling at his knees, "in the 
 name of what you hold dearest, have pity on us, we 
 implore you." 
 
 " I am really in despair at 'what has occurred, and 
 should like to come to your aid ; unhappily I do not 
 
A BARGAIN. 29 
 
 see my way, and then, again, you do nothing to help 
 me." 
 
 "Alas!" they repeated, sobbing and clasping their 
 hands desperately. 
 
 " I am well aware that you have not the money, and 
 there is the insurmountable difficulty, believe me. 
 However, let us see," he added, apparently reflecting. 
 
 The poor devils, who felt themselves so near death, 
 looked at him with eyes sparkling with hope. There 
 was a rather lengthened silence, during which you 
 might have heard the heart throbs of these men, who 
 knew that life and death depended on the man who 
 held them panting under his eye. 
 
 "Listen," he continued, "this is all I can do for you, 
 and believe me, that, in acting thus, I assume an enor- 
 mous responsibility ; there are thirty of you, I think ?" 
 "Yes, Excellency," they exclaimed unanimously. 
 " Well, only ten of you shall be shot. You shall 
 select them yourselves, and those you designate will be 
 immediately led into the patio and executed. But now 
 ask me for nothing further, as I shall be constrained to 
 refuse you ; and that you may have time to make your 
 selection carefully, I grant you ten minutes." 
 
 This was a proof of incontestable cleverness on the 
 part of the General. By breaking, through this decision, 
 the agreement that had hitherto prevailed among the 
 merchants, by opposing them to one another, he was 
 certain of obtaining the result which, without, he 
 would probably not have secured. For we prefer to 
 suppose, for the honour of the General, whose career up 
 to this day had been so free from excesses, and acts of 
 this nature, that the threat of death was only a mode 
 employed to cause these men, whom he knew to be op- 
 
30 THE WHITE SCALPEE. 
 
 posed to the government he represented, into undoing 
 their purse-strings, and that he would not have heen 
 so cruel as to carry matters to extremities, and shoot 
 in cold blood thirty of the most respectable townsmen. 
 
 Whatever General Bubio's intentions might have 
 been, however, the Americans believed him, and acted 
 accordingly. After two or three minutes' hesitation, 
 the merchants came one after the other, to give their 
 consent to the loan. Eut their tergiversation had cost 
 them a thousand dollars a-piece. It was dear, hence 
 we must allow that they consented with very ill grace. 
 Eut the soldiers were there ready to obey the slightest 
 sign from their chief; the muskets were loaded, and 
 the patio two paces off. There was no chance of getting 
 out of it. 
 
 Still, the General did not let them off so cheaply. 
 The Americans were led home one after the other by 
 four soldiers and an officer, whose instructions were to 
 shoot the prisoner at the slightest attempted escape, and 
 it was not till the General had the two thousand pias- 
 tres in his hands that a second prisoner was sent home 
 in the same fashion. This went on until the whole 
 sum was collected, and the only persons remaining in the 
 saloon were the General and old Lionel. 
 
 " Oh, Excellency !" he said, reproachfully, "how is 
 it possible that you, who have hitherto been so kind to 
 us, could have had the thought of committing such an. 
 act of cruelty ?" 
 
 The General burst out laughing. 
 
 "Do you imagine I would have done it:" he said, 
 with a shrug of his shoulder. 
 
 The merchant struck his forehead with a gesture of 
 despair. 
 
A BAKGAIN. 31 
 
 " Ah !" he exclaimed, " we were idiots." 
 
 " Hang it, did you have such a bad opinion of me ? 
 Caramba, Sen or, I do not commit such acts as that." 
 
 "Ah," the merchant said, with a laugh, "I have not 
 paid yet." 
 
 " Which means:" 
 
 " That now I know what I have to expect. I shall 
 not pay." 
 
 " Keally, I believed you cleverer than that." 
 
 "Why so?" 
 
 "What? you do not understand that a man may 
 hesitate to execute thirty persons, but when ifc comes to 
 only one man, who, like yourself, has a great number of 
 misdeeds on his conscience, his execution is considered 
 an act of justice, and carried out without hesitation ?" 
 
 "Then, you would shoot me ?" 
 
 "Without the slightest remorse." 
 
 " Come, come, General, you are decidedly stronger 
 than I am." 
 
 " You flatter me, Sen or Lionel." 
 
 " Ko, I tell you what I think ; it was cleverly played/' 
 
 " You are a judge." 
 
 " Thanks," he answered, with a modest smile. " To 
 spare you the trouble of having me executed, I will 
 execute myself," he added, good temperedly, as he felt 
 his coat pocket. 
 
 He drew out a pocket-book crammed with Bank of 
 England notes, and made up the sum of two thousand 
 piastres, which he laid on the table. 
 
 " I have now only to thank you," the General said, 
 as he picked up the notes. 
 
 " And I you, Excellency," he answered. 
 
 "Why so?" 
 
32 THE WHITE SCALPEK. 
 
 ' Because you have given me a lesson by which I 
 shall profit when the occasion offers." 
 
 " Take care, Sen or Lionel," the General said, mean- 
 ingly; " you will not, perhaps, come across a man so 
 good-natured as myself." 
 
 The merchant restored the portfolio to his pocket, 
 bowed to the General, and went out. It was three 
 o'clock ; all had been finished in less than an hour ; it 
 was quick work. 
 
 " Poor scamps, after all, those gringos," the General 
 said, when he was alone ; " oh, if we had not to deal with 
 mountaineers and campesinos we should soon settle 
 this population." 
 
 " General," said an aide-de-camp, as he opened the 
 door, " Colonel Melendez asks whether you will deign 
 to receive him, in spite of the late hour ?" 
 
 " Is Colonel Melendez here?" the General asked in 
 surprise. 
 
 " He has this instant arrived, General ; can he come 
 in?" 
 
 " Of course ; show him in at once." 
 
 In a few minutes the Colonel appeared. 
 
 " Here you are at last," the General cried, as he went 
 to meet him ; "I fancied you were either dead or a 
 prisoner." 
 
 " It was a toss up that one of the two events did not 
 happen." 
 
 " Oh, oh ! then you have something serious to tell me." 
 
 " Most serious, General." 
 
 " Hang it, my friend, take a chair and let us talk." 
 
 "Before all, General," the Colonel remarked, " do 
 you know our position ?" 
 
 " What do you mean ?" 
 
A BABGAI1T. 33 
 
 " Only, General, that you may possibly be ignorant 
 of certain events that have happened." 
 
 " I think I have heard grave events rumoured, though 
 I do not exactly know what has happened." 
 
 " Listen, then ! the Libertad corvette is in the hands 
 of the insurgents." 
 
 " Impossible !" the General exclaimed, bounding in 
 his chair. 
 
 " General," the young officer said, in a mournful 
 voice, " I have to inform you of something more seri- 
 ous still." 
 
 " Pardon me, my friend, perhaps I am mistaken, but 
 it seems to me highly improbable that you could have 
 obtained such positive news during the pleasure trip you 
 have been making." 
 
 " Not only, General, have the insurgents seized the 
 Libertacl, but they have also made themselves masters 
 of the Port of the Point." 
 
 " Oh !" the General shouted, as he rose passionately, 
 "this time, Colonel, you are badly informed ; the Port 
 of the Point is impregnable." 
 
 " It was taken in an hour by thirty Freebooters, com- 
 manded by the Jaguar." 
 
 The General hid his face in his hands, with an expres- 
 sion of despair impossible to render. 
 
 " Oh ! it is too much at once," he exclaimed. 
 "That is not all," the Colonel continued, sharply. 
 " What have you to tell me more terrible than what 
 you have just said ?" 
 
 " A. thing that will make you leap with rage and 
 blush with shame, General." 
 
 The old soldier laid his hand on his heart, as if wish- 
 
 D 
 
34 THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 fill to arrest its hurried beating, and then said to the 
 Colonel, in a tone of supreme resignation 
 
 " Speak, my friend ; I am ready to hear all." 
 
 The Colonel remained silent for some minutes ; the 
 despair of the brave old soldier made him shiver. 
 
 " General/' he said, " perhaps it would be better to 
 defer till to-morrow what I have to say to you ; you 
 appear fatigued, and a few hours, more or less, are not 
 of much consequence." 
 
 " Colonel Melendez," the General said, giving the 
 young officer a searching glance, " under present cir- 
 cumstances a minute is worth an age. I order you to 
 speak." 
 
 " The insurgents request a parley," the Colonel said, 
 distinctly. 
 
 " To parley with me ?" the General answered, with 
 an almost imperceptible tinge of irony in his voice. 
 " These Caballeros do me a great honour. And what 
 about, pray ?" 
 
 " As they think themselves capable of seizing Galves- 
 ton, they wish to avoid bloodshed by treating with you." 
 
 The General rose, and walked sharply up and down 
 the room for some minutes. At length he stopped 
 before the Colonel. 
 
 " And what would you do in my place ?" 
 
 " I should treat," the young officer replied, . un- 
 hesitatingly. 
 
 CHAPTEK III. 
 
 THE RETREAT. 
 
 AFTER this frankly expressed opinion there was a rather 
 lengthened silence, and the Colonel was the first to re- 
 sume the conversation. 
 
THE RETREAT. 35 
 
 " General," he went on, " you evidently know no- 
 thing of the events that have occurred during the last 
 four and twenty hours." 
 
 "How could I know anything ? these demons of in- 
 surgents have organised Guerillas, who hold the country 
 and so thoroughly intercept the communications, that : 
 out of twenty spies I have sent out, not one has returned." 
 
 "And not one will return, be assured/' 
 
 ""What is to be done, then?" 
 
 " Do you really wish for my advice, General ?" 
 
 " On my honour, I desire to know your real opinion ; 
 for you are the only one among us., I fancy, who really 
 knows what is going on." 
 
 " I am aware of it. Listen to me, then, and do not. 
 feel astonished at anything you may hear, for all is 
 positively true. The information I am about to have 
 the honour of communicating to you was given me, by 
 the Jaguar himself, scarce three hours back, at the Salto 
 del Frayle, whither he invited me to come to converse 
 about some matters in no way connected with politics." 
 
 Yery good," the General remarked, with a slight 
 smile. " Go on, I am listening to you with the deepest 
 attention." 
 
 The Colonel felt himself blush under his chief's slightly 
 ironical smile; still he recovered himself, and continued 
 
 " In two words, this is our position : while a few bold 
 men, aided by a privateer brig under the American flag, 
 .carried by surprise the Libertad " 
 
 " One of the finest ships in our navy !" the General 
 interrupted, with a sigh. 
 
 " Yes, General, but unhappily it is now an accom- 
 plished fact. While this was taking place, other in- 
 surgents, commanded by the Jaguar in person, got into 
 
 B 2 
 
36 THE WHITE SCALPEK. 
 
 the Fort of the Point, and carried it almost without a 
 blow." 
 
 " But what you tell me is impossible !" the old sol- 
 dier interrupted with a burst of passion. 
 
 " I tell you nothing that is not rigorously true, 
 General." 
 
 " The vague rumours that have reached me, led me 
 to suppose that the insurgents had dealt us afresh blow ; 
 but I was far from suspecting such a frightful catas- 
 trophe." 
 
 " I swear to you, on my honour, as a soldier, General, 
 that I only tell you the most rigid truth." 
 
 " I believe you, my friend, for I know how brave and 
 worthy of confidence you are. Still, the news you give 
 me is so frightful, that, in spite of myself, I should like 
 to be able to doubt it." 
 
 " Unhappily, that is impossible." 
 
 The General, suffering from a fury which was the 
 more terrible as it was concentrated, walked up arid 
 down the room, clenching iis fists, and muttering broken 
 sentences. The Colonel looked after him sadly, not dream- 
 ing of offering him any of those conventional consolations 
 which, far from offering any relief to pain, only render 
 it sharper and more poignant. At the end of some 
 minutes, the General succeeded so far in mastering his 
 emotion as to draw back to his heart the annoyance he 
 felt. He sat down again by the Colonel's side, and took 
 his hand kindly. 
 
 " You have not yet given me your advice," he said 
 with a ghost of a smile. 
 
 "If you really insist on my speaking, I will do so, 
 General," the young man answered, " though I am con- 
 vinced beforehand that our ideas are absolutely similar 
 on this question." 
 
THE RETKEA.T. 37 
 
 " That is probable. Still, my dear Colonel, the opinion 
 of a man of your merits is always precious, and I should 
 be curious to know if I really agree with you." 
 
 " Be it so, General. This is what I think : we have 
 but insufficient forces to sustain an assault effectively. 
 The town is very badly disposed toward us : I ana con- 
 vinced that it only wants an opportunity to rise and 
 make common cause with the insurgents. On the other 
 hand, it would be a signal act of folly to shut ourselves 
 up in a town with an issue, where we should be forced 
 to surrender an indelible stain for the Mexican army. 
 For the present, we have no succour to expect from the 
 government of Mexico, which is too much engaged ia 
 defending itself against the ambitious men of every de- 
 scription who hold it continually in check, to dream of 
 coming effectively to our assistance, either by sending 
 us reinforcements, or carrying out a diversion in our 
 favour." 
 
 " What you say is unfortunately only too true ; we 
 are reduced to reckon on ourselves alone." 
 
 " Now, if we obstinately shut ourselves up in the 
 town, it is evident to me that we shall be compelled 
 eventually to surrender. As the insurgents are masters 
 of the sea, it is a mere question of time. On the other 
 hand,, if we quit it of our free will, the position will be 
 singularly simplified." 
 
 "But, in that case, we shall be compelled to treat 
 with these scoundrels?" 
 
 " I thought so for an instant ; but I believe we can 
 easily avoid that misfortune." 
 
 " In what way ? speak, speak, my friend." 
 
 " The flag of truce the insurgents send you, will not 
 arrive at the cabildo till nine in the morning ; what pre- 
 
38 THE WHITE SCALPEE. 
 
 vents you, General, evacuating the town, ere he makes 
 his appearance r" 
 
 "Hum!" said the General, growing more and more 
 attentive to the young man's remarks. "Then you 
 propose flight to me ?" 
 
 " jtfot at all," the Colonel retorted ; " remember, Gene- 
 ral, that the position is admitted, that in war, recoiling 
 is not flying. If we render ourselves masters of the 
 country by leaving the town to the insurgents, by this 
 skilful retreat we place them in the difficult position in 
 which we are to-day. In the open plains, and through 
 our discipline, we shall be enabled to hold our own against 
 a force four times our strength, which would not be 
 possible here ; then, when we have obtained those rein- 
 forcements Santa Anna will probably himself bring us 
 ere long, we will re-enter Galveston, which the insur- 
 gents will not attempt to defend against us. Such is 
 my opinion, General, and the plan I should adopt, had 
 I the honour to be Governor of this State." 
 
 "Yes," the General answered, "the advice you offer 
 would have some chance of success, were it possible to 
 follow it. Unluckily, it would be madness to reckon 
 on Santa Anna's support : he would allow us to be 
 crushed, not perhaps of his own will, but compelled by 
 circumstances, and impeded by the constant obstacles 
 the Senate creates for him." 
 
 "I cannot share your opinion on that point, General; 
 be well assured that the Senate, ill-disposed though it 
 may be to the President of the Eepublic, is no more 
 desirous to lose Texas than he is. Besides, under the 
 present circumstances, we must make a virtue of neces- 
 sity ; it would be great madness for us to await here the 
 enemy's attack." 
 
THE BETREAT. 39 
 
 The General seemed to hesitate for some minutes, 
 then, suddenly forming a determination, he rang a bell. 
 An aide-de-camp appeared. 
 
 " Let all the general officers assemble here within half- 
 an-hour," he said. " Begone." 
 
 The aide-de-camp bowed, and left the room. 
 
 " You wish it," the General continued, turning to the 
 Colonel; " well, be it so. I consent to follow your ad- 
 vice. Besides, it is, perhaps, the only chance of safety 
 left us at this moment." 
 
 In Europe, where we are accustomed to see great 
 masses of men come in contact on the field of battle, it 
 would cause a smile to hear the name of army given to 
 what, among us, would not even be a regiment. But 
 we must bear in mind that the new world, excepting 
 ^Torth America, is very sparely populated ; the inhabi- 
 tants are scattered over immense districts, and the most 
 imposing regular forces rarely attain the number of five 
 or six thousand men. An army is usually composed of 
 fifteen to eighteen hundred troops, all told, infantry, 
 cavalry, and artillery. And what soldiers ! ignorant, 
 badly paid, badly armed, only half obeying their Chiefs, 
 whom they know to be as ignorant as themselves, and 
 in whom they naturally have not the slightest confidence. 
 
 In .Mexico, the military profession, far from being 
 honoured as it is in Europe, is, on the contrary, despised, 
 so that the officers and soldiers are generally blemished 
 men to whom every other career would be closed. The 
 ofilcers, with a few honourable exceptions, are men ruined 
 by debt and in reputation, whose ignorance of their pro- 
 fession is so great, that one of our sergeants could give 
 them lessons. As for the soldiers, they are only re- 
 cruited among the leperos, thieves, and assassins. Hence 
 
40 THE WHITE SCALPEB. 
 
 the army is a real scourge for the country. It is the 
 army that makes and unmakes the Governments, which 
 succeed each other with perfectly headlong rapidity in 
 Mexico ; for, since its pretended emancipation, this un- 
 happy country has witnessed nearly three hundred pro- 
 nunciamentos, all organised in the army, and carried 
 through for the benefit of the officers, whose only object 
 is to be promoted. 
 
 Still, what we say is not absolute. "We have known 
 several Mexican officers, highly educated and honourable 
 men ; unluckily their number is so limited, that they 
 are impotent to remedy the evil, and are constrained to 
 put up with what they cannot prevent. General Eubio 
 was undeniably one of the most honourable officers in 
 the Mexican army. Still, we have seen that he did not 
 hesitate to plunder the very persons whom his duty 
 obliged him to protect against all annoyance. My readers 
 can judge by this example, selected from a thousand, 
 what tricks the other Generals play. 
 
 The corps d'armee placed under the command of Gene- 
 ral Eubio, and shut up with him in Galveston, only 
 amounted to nine hundred and fifty officers and men, to 
 whom might be found at a given signal some three hun- 
 dred lanceros scattered in little posts of observation along 
 the coast. Though incapable of effectually defending 
 the town, this force, well directed, might hold in check 
 for a long time the worse armed, and certainly worse- 
 disciplined insurgents. 
 
 The General had rapidly seen the value of the Colonel's 
 advice. The plan the latter proposed was, in truth, the 
 only practicable one, and hence he accepted it at once. 
 Still, it was necessary to act with vigour ; the sun was 
 rising, and the coming day was Sunday ; hence it was 
 
THE KETBEJLT. 41 
 
 important that the army should have evacuated the town 
 before the end of mass, that is to say, eleven in the 
 morning, for the following reason : 
 
 In all the slave states, and especially in Texas, a 
 strange custom exists, reminding us distantly of the 
 Lupercalia of ancient Borne. On a Sunday masters grant 
 their slaves entire liberty ; one day in seven is certainly 
 not much ; but it is a great deal for the Southern States, 
 where slavery is so sternly and strictly established. 
 These poor slaves, who seek compensation for six days of 
 hard servitude, enjoy with childish delight their few 
 holiday hours : not caring a whit for the torrid heat that 
 transforms the streets into perfect ovens, they spread 
 over the town singing, dancing, or galloping at full speed 
 in carts belonging to their masters which they have 
 appropriated. On this day the town belongs to them, 
 they behave almost as they please, no one interfering or 
 trying to check their frolic. 
 
 General Eubio rightly feared lest the merchants of 
 Galveston, whom he had so cleverly compelled to dis- 
 gorge, might try to take their revenge by exciting the 
 slaves to mutiny against the Mexicans, and they would 
 probably be ready enough to do so, delighted at find- 
 ing a pretext for disorder, without troubling them- 
 selves- further as to the more or less grave results of 
 their mutiny. Hence, while his aide-de-camp per- 
 formed the commission he had entrusted to him, General 
 Eubio ordered Colonel Melendez to take with him all 
 the soldiers on duty at the Cabildo, place himself at 
 their head, and seize the requisite number of boats for 
 the transport of the troops to the main land. 
 
 This order was not difficult to execute. The Colonel, 
 without losing a moment, went to the port, and not 
 
42 THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 experiencing the slightest opposition from the captains 
 and masters of the vessels, who were well aware, he- 
 sides, that a refusal would not he listened to, assembled 
 a flotilla of fifteen light vessels, amply sufficient for the 
 transport of the garrison. In the meanwhile, the aide- 
 de-camp had performed his duties with intelligence and 
 celerity, so that within twenty minutes all the Mexican 
 officers were collected at the General's house. 
 
 The latter, without losing a moment, explained to 
 them in a voice that admitted of no reply, the position 
 in which the capture of the fort placed the garrison, 
 the necessity of not letting the communication with the 
 main land be cut off, and his intention of evacuating 
 the town with the least possible delay. The officers, as 
 the General expected, were unanimous in applauding 
 his resolution, for in their hearts they were not at all 
 anxious to sustain a siege in which only hard blows 
 could be received. Taking the field pleased them, on 
 the contrary, for many reasons : in the first place, the 
 pillage of the estancias and the haciendas offered them 
 great profits, and then they had a hope of taking a bril- 
 liant revenge on the insurgents for the numerous defeats 
 the latter had inflicted on them since they had been 
 immured in the town. 
 
 Orders were therefore immediately given by the 
 General to march the troops down to the quay with 
 arms and baggage ; still, in order to avoid any cause for 
 disorder, the movement was executed very slowly, and 
 the Colonel, who presided over the embarkation, was 
 careful to establish numerous posts at the entrance of 
 each street leading to the port, so that the populace 
 were kept away from the soldiers, and no disputes were 
 possible between them. So soon as one boat had its 
 
THE EETREAT. 
 
 complement of troops on board it pushed off, though it 
 did not start, as the General wished the entire flotilla 
 to leave the town together. 
 
 It was a magnificent day, the sun dazzled, and the 
 bay sparkled like a burning-glass. The people, kept at 
 a distance by the bayonets of the soldiers, watched in 
 gloomy silence the embarkation of the troops. Alarmed 
 by this movement, which they did not at all under- 
 stand, and were so far from suspecting the departure of 
 the Mexican garrison, that they supposed, on the con- 
 trary, that the General was proceeding with a portion 
 of his troops to make an expedition against the in- 
 surgents. 
 
 When all the soldiers, with the exception of those 
 intended to protect the retreat of their comrades, had 
 embarked, the General sent for the alcade mayor, the 
 juez de letras, and the corregidor. These magistrates 
 came to the General, concealing, but poorly, under a 
 feigned eagerness, the secret alarm caused them by the 
 order they had just received. In spite of the rapidity 
 with which the troops effected their embarkation, it 
 was by this time nearly nine o'clock. At the moment 
 when the General was preparing to address the magis- 
 trates whom he had so unexpectedly convened, Colonel 
 Melendez entered the cabildo, and after bowing re- 
 spectfully to the Governor, said 
 
 " General, the person to whom I had the honour of 
 referring last night is awaiting your good pleasure." 
 
 "Ah! ah!" the General replied, biting his mous- 
 tache with an ironical air, " is he there, then?" 
 
 "Yes, General; I have promised to act as his intro- 
 ducer to your Excellency." 
 
 " Very good. Bequest the person to enter." 
 
44 THE WHITE SCALPEK. 
 
 " What !" the Colonel exclaimed, in surprise, " does 
 your Excellency intend to confer with him in the pre- 
 sence of witnesses ?" 
 
 " Certainly, and I regret there are not more here. 
 Bring in the person, my dear Colonel." 
 
 " Has your Excellency carefully reflected on the order 
 you have done me the honour to give me ?" 
 
 " Hang it ! I should think so. I am sure you will 
 be satisfied with what I am about to do." 
 
 "As you insist, General," the Colonel said with 
 marked hesitation, "I can only obey." 
 
 " Yes, yes, my friend, obey ; do not be uneasy, I tell 
 you." 
 
 The Colonel withdrew without any further remark, 
 and in a few moments returned, bringing John Davis 
 with him. The American had changed his dress for 
 one more appropriate to the circumstances. His de- 
 meanour was grave, and step haughty, though not arro- 
 gant. On entering the room he bowed to the General 
 courteously, and prepared to address him. General 
 Rubio returned his bow with equal courtesy, but stopped 
 him by a sign. 
 
 " Pardon me, sir," he said to him, "be kind enough 
 to excuse me for a few moments. Perhaps, after listen- 
 ing to what I shall have the honour of saying to these 
 Caballeros, you will consider your mission to me as 
 finished." 
 
 The American made no further reply than a bow, 
 and waited. 
 
 " Senores," the General then said, addressing the 
 magistrates, " orders I have this moment received com- 
 pel me to leave the town at once with the troops I have 
 the honour to command. During my absence I entrust 
 
THE BETKEAT. 45 
 
 the direction of affairs to you, feeling convinced that 
 you will act in all things prudently and for the common 
 welfare. Still, you must be cautious not to let your- 
 selves be influenced by evil counsels, or led by certain 
 passions to which I will not allude now, particularly 
 here. On my return, which will not be long delayed, 
 I shall ask of you a strict account of your acts during 
 my absence. Weigh my words carefully, and be as- 
 sured that nothing you may do will be concealed from 
 me." 
 
 " Then, General," the Alcade said, " that is the mo- 
 tive of the movement of the troops we have witnessed 
 this morning. Do you really intend to depart ?" 
 
 " You have heard me, Senor." 
 
 " Yes, I have heard you, General ; but in my turn, 
 in my capacity as magistrate, I will ask you. by what 
 right you, the military governor of the state, leave one 
 of its principal ports to its own resources in the present 
 critical state of affairs, when the revolution is before our 
 gates, and make not the slightest attempt to defend us ? 
 Is it really acting as defenders of this hapless town 
 thus to withdraw, leaving it, after your departure, a 
 prey to that anarchy which, as you are aware, only 
 the presence of your forces has hitherto prevented 
 breaking out ? The burden you wish to lay upon us, 
 General, we decline to accept ; we will not assume the 
 responsibility of so heavy a task ; we cannot bear the 
 penalty of another person's faults. The last Mexican 
 soldier will scarcely have left the town, ere we shall 
 have handed in our resignations, not being at all desi- 
 rous to sacrifice ourselves for a government whose con- 
 duct toward us is stamped with egotism and cold- 
 blooded cruelty. That is what I have to say to you in 
 
46 THE WHITE SCALPEK. 
 
 my name and in that of my colleagues. IsTow, in your 
 turn, you will act as you think proper, but you are 
 warned that you can in no way reckon upon us." 
 
 " Ah, ah, Sen ores !" the General exclaimed, with an 
 angry frown, "is that the way you venture to act? 
 Take care, I have not gone yet ; I am still master of 
 Galveston, and can institute a severe example before 
 my departure." 
 
 "Do so, General, we will undergo without a murmur 
 any punishment you may please to inflict on us, even 
 were it death." 
 
 " Very good," the General replied, in a voice quiver- 
 ing with passion ; " as it is so, I leave you free to act, 
 according to circumstances. But you will have a severe 
 account to render to me, and that perhaps shortly." 
 
 "JSTot we, Excellency, for your departure will be the 
 signal of our resignation." 
 
 " Then you have made up your mind to plunge the 
 country into anarchy ?" 
 
 " What can we do ? What means have we to pre- 
 vent it ? ETo, no, General, we are not the persons^who 
 deserve reproach." 
 
 General Eubio in his heart felt the logic of this 
 reasoning ; he saw perfectly well how egotistic and 
 cruel his conduct was toward the townsmen, whom he 
 thus surrendered, without any means of defence, to the 
 fury of the popular passion. Unfortunately, the posi- 
 tion was no longer tenable the town could not be de- 
 fended, hence he must depart, without answering the 
 decade ; for what reply could he have made him ? The 
 General gave his aides-de-camp a sign to follow him, 
 and prepared to leave the cabildo. 
 
 " Pardon me for detaining you for a moment, Ge- 
 
THE EETKEAT. 47 
 
 neral," John Davis said : " but I should have liked to 
 have a short conversation with your Excellency, prior 
 to your departure." 
 
 " For what good object, sir?" the General answered, 
 sharply ; " did you not hear what was said in this room ? 
 Return to those who sent you, and report to them what 
 you have seen, that will be sufficient." 
 
 " Still, General," he urged, " I should have desired " 
 " What ?" the General interrupted, and then added, 
 ironically, " To make me proposals, I presume, on the 
 part of the insurgents. Know, sir, that whatever may 
 happen, I will never consent to treat with rebels. 
 Thank Colonel Melendez, who was kind enough to in- 
 troduce you to my presence. Had it not been for his 
 intervention I should have had you hung as a traitor to 
 your country. Eegone ! or stay !" he added, on re- 
 flection ; "I will not leave you here after I am gone. 
 Seize this man !" 
 
 " General, take care," the American replied. " I am 
 intrusted with a mission ; arresting me is a violation of 
 the law of nations." 
 
 " Nonsense, sir," the General continued, with a 
 shrug of his shoulders, " why, you must be mad ? Do 
 I recognize the right of the persons from whom you 
 come to send me a flag of truce ? Do I know who you 
 are ? Yiva Dios ! in what age are we living, then, that 
 rebels dare to treat on equal terms with the govern- 
 ment against which they have revolted ? You are my 
 prisoner, sir ! But be at your ease ; I have no intention 
 of illtreating you, or retaining you any length of time. 
 You will accompany us to the mainland, that is all. 
 When we have arrived there you will be free to go 
 wherever you please ; so you see, sir, that those Mex- 
 
48 THE WHITE SC1LPEB. 
 
 
 
 leans, whom you like to represent in such dark colours, 
 are not quite so ferocious as you would have them sup- 
 posed." 
 
 " We have always rendered justice to your heart and 
 loyalty, General." 
 
 " I care very little for the opinion you and yours 
 have of me. Come on, sir." 
 
 " I protest, General, against this illegal arrest." 
 
 " Protest as much as you please, sir, but follow me !" 
 
 As resistance would have been madness, Davis obeyed. 
 
 "Well," he said, with a laugh, " I follow you, Ge- 
 neral. After all, I have not much cause to complain, 
 for everything is fair in war." 
 
 They went out. In spite of the dazzling brilliancy 
 of the sun, whose beams spread a tropical heat through 
 the town, the entire population encumbered the streets 
 and squares. The multitude was silent, however ; it 
 witnessed with calm stoicism the departure of the Mex- 
 ican army ; not an effort was attempted by the people 
 to break the cordon of sentries drawn up on the fort. 
 "When the General appeared, the crowd made way re- 
 spectfully to let him pass, and many persons saluted him. 
 
 The inhabitants of Galveston detested the Mexican 
 Government; but they did justice to the Governor, 
 whose honest and moderate administration had effectu- 
 ally protected them during the whole time he remained 
 among them, instead of taking advantage of his autho- 
 rity to plunder and tyrannize over them. They saw 
 with pleasure the departure of the troops, with sorrow 
 that of the General. The old soldier advanced with a 
 calm step, talking loudly with his officers, and courte- 
 ously returning the bows he received, with smiling face 
 and assured demeanour. He reached the port in a few 
 
THE RETREAT. 49 
 
 minutes, and at his order the last soldiers embarked. 
 The General, with no other weapon but his sword, re- 
 mained for some minutes almost alone in the midst of 
 the crowd that followed him to the quay. Two aides- 
 de-camp alone accompanied him. John Davis had 
 already entered a boat, which took him on board the 
 schooner, in which the General himself intended to cross. 
 
 "General," one of the aides-de-camp said, "all the 
 troops have embarked, and we are now only waiting 
 your Excellency's pleasure." 
 
 " Very good, Captain," he answered. He then turned 
 to the magistrates, who had walked by his side from 
 the cabildo. " Earewell, senores," he said, taking off 
 his hat, whose white plumes swept the ground, " fare- 
 well, till we meet again. I pray Heaven, from my 
 heart, that, during ni} r short absence, you will be en- 
 abled to avoid the scenes of disorder and anarchy which 
 the effervescence of parties too often occasions. We 
 shall meet again sooner than you may possibly suppose. 
 Long live Mexico!" 
 
 " Long live Mexico !" the two officers shouted. 
 
 The crowd remained dumb ; not a man took up the 
 General's shout. He shook his head sadly, bowed for 
 the last time, and went down into the boat waiting for 
 him. Two minutes later the Mexican flotilla had left 
 Galveston. 
 
 " When shall we return ?" the General muttered, 
 sadly, with eyes fixed on the town, whose buildings 
 were slowly disappearing from sight. 
 
 " Never !" John Davis whispered in his ear ; and this 
 prophetic voice affected the old soldier to the depth of 
 his heart, and filled it with bitterness. 
 
50 THE WHITE SCALPEE. 
 
 CHAPTER IY. 
 
 JOHN DAVIS. 
 
 THE Mexican flotilla, impelled by a favourable breeze, 
 accomplished the passage from the island to the main- 
 land in a comparatively very brief period. The brig 
 and corvette, anchored under the battery of the fort, 
 made no move to disturb the General ; and it was evident 
 that the Texans did not suspect the events taking place 
 at this moment, but awaited the return of their Envoy 
 ere making any demonstration. 
 
 Colonel Melendez had seized the few boats capable of 
 standing out to sea in Galveston harbour, so that the ma- 
 gistrates could not, had they wished it, have sent a boat 
 to the Texans to inform them of the precipitate departure 
 of the Mexican garrison. The General's resolution had 
 been formed so suddenly, and executed with such ra- 
 pidity, that the partizans of the revolution in the town, 
 and who were ignorant of the cause of that retreat, felt 
 singularly embarrassed by the liberty so singularly 
 granted them, and did not know what arrangements to 
 make, or how to enter into communication with their 
 friends, whose position they were ignorant of. Only 
 one man could have enlightened them, and he was John 
 Davis* But General Eubio, foreseeing what would have 
 inevitably happened had he left the ex-slave-dealer 
 behind him, had been very careful to carry him off with 
 him. 
 
 The landing of the troops was effected under 1 the 
 most favourable conditions. The point they steered for 
 was in the hands of the Mexicans, who had a strong 
 detachment there, so that the army got ashore without 
 arousing the slightest suspicion, or any attempt to pre- 
 
JOHN DAVIS. 51 
 
 vent the landing. The General's first care, so soon as 
 he reached the mainland, was to send off spies in every 
 direction, in order to discover, were it possible, the 
 enemy's plans, and whether they were preparing to 
 make a forward movement. 
 
 The boats which had been used to convey the troops 
 were, till further orders, drawn up on the beach, through 
 fear lest the insurgents might make use of them. Two 
 schooners, however, on each of which two guns were 
 put, received orders to cruize in the bay, and pick up 
 all boats the inhabitants of Galveston might attempt to 
 send off to the Chief of the Texan army. 
 
 . The banks of the Rio Trinidad are charming and 
 deliciously diversified, bordered by rushes and reeds, 
 and covered with mangroves, amid which sport 
 thousands of flamingoes, cranes, herons, and wild ducks, 
 which cackle noisily as they swim about in tranquil and 
 transparent waters. About four miles from the sea, the 
 banks rise gradually with insensible undulations, and 
 form meadows covered with a tall and tufted grass, on 
 which grow gigantic mahogany trees with their oblong 
 leaves, and Peru trees with their red fruit, and magno- 
 lias, whose large white flowers shed an intoxicating 
 perfume. All these trees, fastened together by lianas 
 which envelop them in their inextricable network, 
 serve as a re treat for a population of red and grey squir- 
 rels, that may be seen perpetually leaping from branch 
 to branch, and of cardinal and mocking birds. The cent- 
 zontle, the exquisite Mexican nightingale, so soon as 
 night arrives, causes this picturesque solitude to re-echo 
 with its gentle strains. 
 
 On the side of a hill that descends in a gentle slope 
 to the river, glisten the white walls of some twenty cot- 
 
 E 2 
 
52 THE WHITE SCALP EE. 
 
 tages, with their flat roofs and green shutters, hanging 
 in clusters from the % scarped side of the hill, and hidden 
 like timorous birds amid the foliage. These few cot- 
 tages, built so far from the noise of the world, constitute 
 the rancho of San Isidro. 
 
 Unfortunately for the inhabitants of this obscure 
 nook, General Eubio, who felt the necessity of choosing 
 for the site of his camp a strong strategic position, 
 came suddenly to trouble their peace, and recall them 
 rather roughly to the affairs of this world. In fact, from 
 this species of eagles' nests, nothing was easier than for 
 the General to send his columns in all directions. The 
 Mexican army, therefore, marched straight on the 
 rancho of San Isidro, where it arrived about mid-day. 
 At the unexpected appearance of the troops, the inha- 
 bitants were so terrified that, hastily loading themselves 
 with their most valuable articles, they left their houses 
 and fied to hide themselves in the woods. 
 
 Whatever efforts the General might make to prevent 
 them, or bring them back to their houses, the poor 
 Indians offered a deaf ear to all, and were resolved not 
 to remain in the vicinity of the troops. The .Mexicans 
 therefore remained sole possessors of the rancho, and at 
 once installed themselves in their peaceful conquest, 
 whose appearance was completely changed within a few 
 hours. Tall trees, flowers, and lianas, nothing was re- 
 spected. Enormous masses of wood lay that same 
 evening on the ground, which they had so long protected 
 with their beneficent shadow. The very birds were 
 constrained to quit their pleasant retreat, to seek a 
 shelter in the neighbouring forest. 
 
 "When all the approaches to the forest had been 
 cleared for a radius of about twelve hundred yards, the 
 
JOHN" DAVIS. 53 
 
 General had the place surrounded by powerful barri- 
 cades, which transformed the peaceful village into a for- 
 tress almost impregnable, with the weak resources the 
 insurgents possessed. The trees on the interior of the 
 rancho were alone left standing, not for the purpose of 
 affording, but to conceal from the enemy the strength of 
 the corps encamped at this spot. 
 
 The house of the Indian Alcade, somewhat larger 
 and more comfortably built than the rest, was selected by 
 the General as head quarters. This house stood in the 
 centre of the pueblo ; from its azotea the country could 
 be surveyed for a great distance, and no movement in 
 Galveston roads escaped notice. The Texans could not 
 stir without being immediately discovered and signaled 
 by the sentry, whom the General was careful to place 
 in this improvised observatory. 
 
 At sunset all the preliminary preparations were finished, 
 and the rancho rendered safe against a coup de main. 
 About seven in the evening the General, after listening to 
 the report of the spies, was sitting in front of the house 
 in the shadow of a magnificent magnolia, whose graceful 
 branches crossed above his head. He was smoking a 
 papillo, while conversing with several of his officer?, 
 when an aide-de-camp came up and told him that the 
 person who had come to him that morning from the 
 rebels, earnestly requested the favour of a few minutes' 
 conversation. The General gave an angry start, and was 
 about to refuse, when Colonel Helendez interposed, re- 
 presenting to the General that he could not do so with- 
 out breaking his word, which he had himself pledged 
 in the morning. 
 
 " As it is so," the General said, " let him come." 
 
 " Why," the Colonel continued, " refuse to listen to 
 the propositions this man is authorized to offer you ?" 
 
54 IHE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 " What good is it at this moment? there is always 
 a time to do so if circumstances compel it. ]S"ow our 
 situation is excellent ; we have not to accept proposals, 
 but, on the contrary, are in a position to impose those 
 that may suit us." 
 
 These words were uttered in a tone that compelled 
 the Colonel to silence ; he bowed respectfully, and with- 
 drew softly from the circle of officers. At the same 
 moment John Davis arrived, led by the aide-de-camp. 
 The American's face was gloomy and frowning; he 
 saluted the General by raising his hand to his hat, but 
 did not remove it; then he drew himself up haughtily and 
 crossed his hands on his chest. The General regarded 
 him for a moment with repressed curiosity. 
 
 " What do you want ?" he asked him. 
 
 " The fulfilment of your promise/' Davis replied 
 drily. 
 
 " I do not understand you." 
 
 " What do you say ? when you made me a prisoner 
 this morning, in. con tempt of the military code and the 
 laws of nations, did you not tell me that so soon as we 
 reached the mainland, the liberty you had deprived me 
 of by an unworthy abuse of strength, would be imme- 
 mediately restored to me ?" 
 
 " I did say so," the General answered meekly. 
 
 "Well, I demand the fulfilment of that promise; I 
 ought to have left your camp long ago." 
 
 " Did you not tell me that you were deputed to me 
 
 by the rebel army, in order to submit certain proposi- 
 
 j* *>> 
 tions : 
 
 " Yes, but you refused to hear me." 
 11 Because the moment was not favourable for such a 
 communication. Imperious duties prevented me then 
 
JOHN" DAY1S. 55 
 
 giving your words all the attention that they doubtless 
 deserve." 
 
 " Well, and now r" 
 
 "2Tow I am ready to listen to you." 
 
 The American looked at the officers that surrounded 
 him. 
 
 " Before all these persons ?" he asked. 
 
 " Why not ? These Caballeros belong to the staff of 
 my army, they are as interested >as I am in this inter- 
 view." 
 
 "Perhaps so: still, I would observe, General, that it 
 would be better for our discussion to be private." 
 
 " I am the sole judge, Senor, of the propriety of my 
 actions. If it please you to be silent, be so ; if not, 
 speak, I am listening." 
 
 " There is one thing I wish to settle first." 
 
 What is it?" 
 
 "Do you regard me as an envoy, or merely as your 
 prisoner ?" 
 
 " Why this question, whose purport I do not under- 
 stand r" 
 
 " Pardon me, General," he said with an ironical 
 smile, " but you understand me perfectly well, and so 
 do these Caballeros if a prisoner, you have the right to 
 force silence upon me ; as a deputy, on the other hand, 
 I enjoy certain immunities, under, the protection of 
 which I can speak frankly and clearly, and no one can 
 bid me be silent, so long as I do not go beyond the 
 limits of my mission. That is the reason why I wish 
 first to settle my position with you." 
 
 " Your position has not changed to my knowledge. 
 You are an envoy of rebels." 
 
 " Oh, you recognise it now ?" 
 
56 THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 " I always did so." 
 
 " Why did you make me a prisoner, then?" 
 " You are shifting the question. I explained to you 
 a moment ago, for what reason I was, to my great regret, 
 compelled to defer our interview till a more favourable 
 moment, that is all." 
 
 "Very good, I am willing to admit it. Be kind 
 enough, General, to read this letter," he added, as he 
 drew from his pocket a* large envelope, which, at a sign 
 from the General, he handed to him. 
 
 !N"ight had fallen some time before, and two soldiers 
 brought up torches of acote-wood, which one of the 
 aides-de-camp lit. The General opened the letter and 
 read it attentively, by the ruddy light of the torches. 
 When he had finished reading, he folded up the letter 
 again pensively, and thrust it into the breast of his 
 uniform. There was a moment's silence, which the 
 General at last broke. 
 
 " Who is the man who gave you this letter r" 
 " Did you not read his signature ?" 
 " He may have employed a go-between." 
 " With me, that is not necessary." 
 " Then, he is here ?" 
 
 " I have not to tell you who sent me, but merely 
 discuss with you the proposals contained in the letter." 
 The General gave a passionate start. 
 " Reply, Senor, to the questions I do you the honour 
 of asking you," he said, "if you do not wish to have 
 reasons for repenting." 
 
 " What is the use of threatening me, General ? You 
 will learn nothing from me," he answered firmly. 
 
 "As it is so, listen to me attentively, and carefully 
 weigh your answer, before opening your mouth to give 
 it." 
 
JOHN DAVIS. 57 
 
 "Speak, General." 
 
 " This moment, you understand, this moment, Senor, 
 you will confess to me, where the man is who gave you 
 this letter, if not " 
 
 " Well ?" the American nominally interrupted. 
 
 (( Within ten minutes you will be hanging from a 
 branch of that tree, close to you." 
 
 Davis gave him a disdainful glance. 
 
 " On my soul," he said ironically, "you Mexicans 
 have a strange way of treating envoys." 
 
 " I do not recognise the right of a scoundrel, who is 
 outlawed for his crimes, and whose head is justly for- 
 feited, to send me envoys, and treat with me on an equal 
 footing." 
 
 " The man whom you seek in vain to brand, Genera], 
 is a man of heart, as you know better than anybody 
 else. But gratitude is as offensive to you as it is to all 
 haughty minds, and you cannot forgive the person to 
 whom we allude, for having saved, not only your life, 
 but also your honour." 
 
 John Davis might have gone on speaking much longer, 
 for the General, who was as pale as a corpse, and whose 
 features were contracted by a terrible emotion he sought 
 in vain to master, seemed incapable of uttering a sylla- 
 ble. Colonel Melendez had quietly approached the 
 circle. For some minutes he had listened to the words 
 the speakers interchanged, with gradually augmenting 
 passion; judging jt necessary, therefore, to interpose 
 ere matters had reached such a point as rendered any 
 hope of conciliation impossible, he said to John Davis, as 
 he laid his hand on his shoulder : 
 
 " Silence ! you are under the lion's claw, take care 
 that it does not rend you." 
 
58 THE WHITE SCALPEE. 
 
 11 Under the tiger's claw you mean, Colonel Melendez," 
 he exclaimed, with much animation. " What ! shall I 
 listen calmly to an insult offered the noblest heart, the 
 greatest man, the most devoted and sincere patriot, and 
 not attempt to defend him and confound his calum- 
 niator ? Come, Colonel, that would be cowardice, and 
 you know me well enough to feel assured that no con- 
 sideration of personal safety would force me to do so." 
 
 " Enough," the General interrupted him, in a loud 
 voice, " that man is right ; under the influence of pain- 
 ful reminiscences I uttered words that I sincerely re- 
 gret. I should wish them forgotten." 
 
 John Davis bowed courteously. 
 
 "General," he said, respectfully, " I thank you for 
 this retraction ; I expected nothing less from your sense 
 of honour." 
 
 The General made no answer ; he walked rapidly up 
 and down, suffering from a violent agitation. 
 
 The officers, astonished at this strange scene, which 
 they did not at all understand, looked restlessly at each 
 other, though not venturing to express their surprise 
 otherwise. The General walked up to John Davis and 
 stopped in front of him. 
 
 " Master Davis," he said to him, in a harsh aod snap- 
 ping voice, " you are a stout-hearted and rough-spoken 
 man. Enough of this ; return to the man who sent you, 
 and tell him this : ' General Don Jose Maria Rubio will 
 not consent to enter into any relations with you ; he 
 hates you personally, and only wishes to meet you sword 
 in hand. No political question will be discussed between 
 you and him until you have consented to give him the 
 satisfaction he demands.' Engrave these words well in 
 your memory, Senor, in order to repeat them exactly to 
 the said person." 
 
JOHX DAYJS. 59 
 
 " I will repeat them exactly."' 
 
 " Very good. Now, begone, we have nothing more 
 to say to each other. Colonel Melendez, be good enough 
 to give this Caballero a horse, and accompany him to 
 the outposts." 
 
 " One word more, General." 
 
 " Speak." 
 
 " In what way shall I bring you the person's answer ?" 
 
 " Bring it yourself, if you are not afraid to enter ray 
 camp a second time." 
 
 " You are well aware that I fear nothing, General. 
 I will bring you the answer." 
 
 " I wish it; good-bye." 
 , " Farewell," the American answered. 
 
 And bowing to the company, he withdrew, accom- 
 panied by the Colonel. 
 
 "You played a dangerous game," the latter said, 
 when they had gone a few steps; " the General might 
 very easily have had you hung." 
 
 The American shrugged his shoulders. 
 
 "He would not have dared," he said, disdainfully. 
 
 " Oh, oh ! and why not, if you please ?" 
 
 " How does that concern you, Colonel ; am I not free:" 
 
 " You are." 
 
 " That must be sufficient for you, and prove to you 
 that I am not mistaken." 
 
 The Colonel led, the American to his quarters, and 
 asked him to walk in for a moment, while a horse was 
 being got ready. 
 
 " Master Davis," he said to him, *f be good enough to 
 select from those weapons, whose excellence I guaran- 
 tee, such as best suit you." 
 
 " Why so ?" he remarked. 
 
60 THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 " Confound it ! you are going to travel by night ; you 
 do not know whom you may meet. I fancy that under 
 such circumstances it is prudent to take certain pre- 
 cautions." 
 
 The two men exchanged a glance ; they understood 
 each other. 
 
 " That is true," the American said, carelessly ; " now 
 that I come 'to think of it, the roads are not safe. As 
 you permit me, I will take these pistols, this rifle, 
 machete, and knife." 
 
 " As you please, but pray take some ammunition as 
 well; without that your fire-arms would be of no 
 service." 
 
 " By Jove ! Colonel, you think of everything, you are 
 really an excellent fellow," he added, while carelessly 
 loading his rifle and pistols, and fastening to his belt a 
 powder flask and bullet pouch. 
 
 "You overwhelm me, Master Davis; I am only 
 doing now what you would do in my place." 
 
 " Agreed. Eut you display a graciousness which 
 confuses me." 
 
 " A truce, if you please, to further compliments. 
 Here is your horse, which my assistant is bringing up." 
 
 " Eut he is leading a second ; do you intend to accom- 
 pany me beyond the advanced posts ?" 
 
 " Oh, only for a few yards, if my company does not 
 seem to you too wearisome/' 
 
 " Oh, Colonel, I shall always be delighted to have 
 you for a companion." 
 
 All these remarks were made with an accent of exces- 
 sive courtesy, in which, however, could be traced an 
 almost imperceptible tinge of fun and biting raillery. 
 The two men left the house and mounted their horses. 
 
JOKN" DAYIS. 61 
 
 The night was limpid and clear ; millions of stars 
 sparkled in the sky, which seemed studded with dia- 
 monds ; the moon spread afar its white and fantastic 
 light; the mysterious night breeze bowed the tufted 
 crests of the trees, and softly rippled the silvery waters 
 of the Rio Trinidad, as they died away amorously on 
 the bank. 
 
 The two men walked side by side, passing without 
 being challenged by the sentinels, who, at a signal from 
 the Colonel, respectfully stepped back. They soon de- 
 scended the hill, passed the main-guard, and found 
 themselves in the open country. Each of them yielded 
 to the voluptuous calmness of nature, and seemed no 
 longer to be thinking of his comrade. They proceeded 
 thus for more than an hour, and reached a spot where 
 two paths, in crossing, formed a species of fork, in the 
 centre of which stood a cross of evil omen, probably 
 erected in memory of a murder formerly committed at 
 this solitary spot. 
 
 As if by common accord, the two horses stopped and 
 thrust out their heads, while laying back their ears and 
 snorting loudly. Suddenly aroused from their reveries 
 and recalled to actual life, the two riders drew them- 
 selves up in the saddle, and bent a scrutinising glance 
 around. 'No hunyin sound disturbed the silence; all 
 around was calm and deserted as in the first days of 
 creation. 
 
 " Do you intend, my dear Colonel," the American 
 asked, " to honour me with your charming society any 
 longer ?" 
 
 " $"0," the young man answered, bluntly; " I shall 
 stop here." 
 
 "Ah!" John Davis continued, with feigned disap- 
 pointment, " shall we part already ?" 
 
62 THE WHITE SCALPEE. 
 
 " Oh no," the Colonel answered, " not yet." 
 
 "In spite of the extreme pleasure I should feel in 
 remaining longer in your company, I am obliged to con- 
 tinue my journey." 
 
 tl Oh, you will surely grant me a few moments, Mas- 
 ter Davis r" the other said, with an emphasis on each 
 syllable. 
 
 "Well, a few moments, but no more; for I have a 
 long distance to go, and whatever pleasure I feel in con- 
 versing with you " 
 
 " You alone," the Colonel interrupted him, " shall 
 decide the time we shall remain together." 
 
 " It is impossible to display greater courtesy." 
 
 " Master Davis," the Colonel said, raising his voice, 
 " have you forgotten the last conversation we had 
 together r" 
 
 "My dear Colonel, you must know me well enough 
 to be sure that I only forget those things which I ought 
 not to remember." 
 
 " Which means ?" 
 
 " That I perfectly well remember the conversation to 
 which you allude." 
 
 " All the better. In that case your excellent memory 
 spares me half the trouble, and we shall soon come to an - 
 understanding." 
 
 " I believe so." 
 
 " Do you not find the spot where we are admirably 
 adapted for what we have to do ?" 
 
 " I consider it delicious, my dear Colonel." 
 
 u Then, with your consent, we will dismount?*' 
 
 " At your orders ; there is nothing I detest so much 
 as a lengthened conversation on horseback." 
 
 They leaped to the ground and tied up their horses. 
 
JOHN DAYIS. Go 
 
 "Do you take your rifle ?" the American inquired. 
 ; " Yes, if you have no objection:" 
 
 "Kot at all. Then we are going to see some sport:" 
 
 " Oh yes, but on this occasion the game will be 
 human." 
 
 " Which will add greatly to the interest of the sport." 
 
 " Come, you are a delightful comrade, Master Davis." 
 
 " What would you, Colonel ? I never was able to 
 refuse my friends anything." 
 
 " Where shall we place ourselves :" 
 
 " I trust to you entirely for that." 
 
 " Look ! on each side the road are bushes, which seem 
 to have grown for the express purpose." 
 
 "That is really singular. Well, , we will each hide 
 behind one of the bushes, count ten, and then fire." 
 
 " First rate ; but suppose we miss ? I am perfectly 
 well aware that we are both first-rate marksmen, and 
 that is almost impossible ; but it might happen." 
 
 " In that case nothing is more simple : we will draw 
 our machetes and charge each other." 
 
 "Agreed. Stay, one word more; one of us must 
 remain on the ground, I suppose ?" 
 
 " I should think so. If not, what would be the use 
 of fighting ?" 
 
 " That is true ; so promise me one thing." 
 
 " What is it?" 
 
 " The survivor will throw the body into the river." 
 
 <{ Hum ! Then you are very desirous that I should 
 not come to life again r" 
 
 " Well, you can understand " 
 
 " All right, that is agreed." 
 
 " Thank you." 
 
 The two men bowed, and then went off in opposite 
 
64 THE WHITE SCALPEE. 
 
 directions, to take up their stations. The distance be- 
 tween them was about seventy yards ; in a few seconds 
 a* double detonation burst forth like a clap of thunder, 
 and woke up the echoes. The two adversaries then 
 rushed on each other, machete in hand. They met 
 nearly half way, and not uttering a word, attacked each 
 other furiously. 
 
 The combat lasted a long time, and threatened to 
 continue longer, without any marked advantage for 
 either of the champions, for they were nearly of equal 
 strength, when all at once several men appeared, and, 
 aiming at the two adversaries, ordered them to lay down 
 their arms immediately; Each fell back a step, and 
 waited. 
 
 " Stop !" the man shouted, who seemed to be the 
 Chief of the new comers ; "do you, John Davis, mount 
 your horse and be off !" 
 
 "By what right do you give me that order ?" the 
 American asked, savagely. 
 
 "By the right of the stronger," the leader replied. 
 "Be off, if you do not wish a misfortune to happen to 
 you !" 
 
 John Davis looked around him. Any resistance was 
 impossible for what could he have done alone, merely 
 armed with a sabre, against twenty individuals ? The 
 American stifled an oath, and mounted again, but sud- 
 denly reflecting, he asked, " And who may you be, who 
 thus pretend to dictate to me ?" 
 
 " You wish to know ?" 
 
 "Yes." 
 
 " Well, I am a man to whom you and Colonel Me- 
 lendez offered an atrocious insult. I am the Monk An- 
 tonio !" 
 
BEFORE THE BATTLE. 65 
 
 At this name the two adversaries felt a thrill of terror 
 run through their veins ; without doubt the monk was 
 about to avenge himself, now that in his turn he had 
 them in his power. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 BEFORE THE BATTLE. 
 
 N DAVIS recovered almost immediately. 
 
 " Ah, ah !" he said, " then it is you, my master:" 
 
 " It astonishes you to meet me here." 
 
 " On my honour, no. Your place, in my opinion, is 
 wherever a snare is laid ; hence nothing is more natural 
 than your presence." 
 
 "It is wrong, John Davis, for a man to take ad- 
 vantage of his weakness to insult people, especially when 
 he is ignorant of their intentions." 
 
 " Ah, they appear to me tolerably clear at this mo- 
 ment/' 
 
 " You might be mistaken.' 7 
 
 "I do not believe it. However, I shall soon be cer- 
 tain." 
 
 " What are you doing ?" 
 
 "As you see, I am dismounting. " 
 
 In fact, the American leapt from his horse, drew his 
 pistols from the holsters, and walked toward the monk 
 with a most quiet step and thoroughly natural air. 
 
 " Why do you not go, as I advised you to do ?" Eray 
 Antonio continued. 
 
 " Eor two reasons, my dear Senor. The first is, that 
 I have no orders or advice to receive from you ; the se- 
 cond, because I shall not be sorry to be present at the 
 
66 THE WHITE SCALPER, 
 
 pretty little act of scoundrelism you are of course medi- 
 tating." 
 
 " Then your intention is " 
 
 " To defend iny friend, by Heaven !" the American 
 exclaimed, warmly. 
 
 " What ! your friend ?" the monk said, in amaze- 
 ment : " why, only a minute ago you were trying to 
 take his life." 
 
 " My dear Senor," Davis remarked, ironically, " there 
 are certain remarks whose sense you unhappily never 
 catch. Understand me clearly : I am ready to kill this 
 gentleman, but I will not consent to see him assassi- 
 nated. That is clear enough, hang it all !" 
 
 Fray Antonio burst into a laugh. 
 
 " Singular man !" he said. 
 
 " Am I not ?" Then turning to his adversary, who 
 still stood perfectly quiet, he continued : " Ify dear Co- 
 lonel, we will resume, at a later date, the interesting 
 interview which this worthy Padre so untowardly in- 
 terrupted. Eor the present, permit me to restore you 
 one of the pistols you so generously lent me ; it is un- 
 doubted that these scamps will kill us ; but, ' at any 
 rate, we shall have the pleasure of settling three or four 
 of them first." 
 
 " Thank you, Davis," the Colonel answered, " I ex- 
 pected nothing less from you. I accept your proposition 
 as frankly as you make it." 
 
 And he took the pistol, and cocked it. The American 
 took his place by his side, and bowed to the stranger 
 with mocking courtesy. 
 
 " Senores," he said, "you can charge us whenever 
 you think proper, for we are prepared to sustain your 
 charge bravely." 
 
BEFORE THE BATTLE. 67 
 
 < Ah, ah !" said Fray Antonio, " then you really 
 mean it ?" 
 
 " What ! mean it ? The question seems to me some- 
 what simple ; I suppose you think the hour and place 
 well chosen for a joke ?" 
 
 The monk shrugged his shoulders, and turned to the 
 men who accompanied him. 
 
 "Be off !" he said. "In an hour I will join you 
 again, you know where." 
 
 The strangers gave a nod of assent, and disappeared 
 almost instantaneously among the trees and shrubs. 
 The monk then threw his weapons on the ground, and 
 ' drew so near to the men as almost to touch them. 
 
 " Are you still afraid ?" he said ; "it is I now who 
 am in your power." 
 
 "Halloh!" Davis said, as he uncocked his pistol, 
 " why, what is the meaning of this ?" 
 
 " If, instead of taking me as a handit, as you did, 
 you had taken the trouble to reflect, you would have 
 understood that I had but one object, and that was, to 
 prevent the resumption of the obstinate fight which my 
 presence so fortunately interrupted." 
 
 " But how did you ariive here so opportunely ?" 
 
 " Accident did it all. Ordered by our Commander- 
 in-chief to watch the enemy's movements, I posted 
 myself on the two roads, in order to take prisoner all 
 the scouts who came in this direction/' 
 
 "Then you do not owe either the Colonel or myself 
 any grudge?" 
 
 "Perhaps," he said, with hesitation, "I have not 
 quite forgotten the unworthy treatment you inflicted on 
 me ; but, at any rate, I have given up all thoughts of 
 vengeance." 
 
 F 2 
 
68 THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 John Davis reflected for a moment, and then said, as 
 he offered him his hand, " You are a worthy monk. I 
 see that you are faithful to the pledge of amendment 
 you made. I am sorry for what I did." 
 
 "I will say the same, SeDor," the Colonel remarked; 
 " I was far from expecting such generosity on your 
 part." 
 
 " One word, now, Senores." 
 
 "Speak," they said, " we are listening." 
 
 " Promise me not to renew that impious duel, and 
 follow my example by forgetting your hatred," 
 
 The two men stretched out their hand with a simul- 
 taneous movement. 
 
 "That is well," he continued, " I am happy to see 
 you act thus. !N\)w let us separate. You, Colonel, will 
 mount and return to camp the road is free, and no one 
 will try to oppose your passing. As for you, John Davis, 
 please to follow me. Your long absence has caused a 
 degree of alarm which your presence will doubtless dis- 
 sipate. I had orders to try and obtain news of you." 
 
 " Good-bye for the present," the Colonel said ; " forget, 
 Senor Davis, what passed between us at the outset of 
 our meeting, and merely remember the manner in which 
 we separate." 
 
 " May we, Colonel, meet again under happier aus- 
 pices, when I may be permitted to express to you all 
 the sympathy with which your frank and loyal character 
 inspires me." 
 
 After exchanging a few words more, and cordially 
 shaking hands, the three men separated. Colonel Me- 
 lendez set off at a gallop in the direction of the rancho, 
 while the monk and Davis started at an equal pace in 
 exactly the opposite direction. It was about midnight 
 
BEFORE THE B1T1LE. 69 
 
 when the Colonel reached the main guard, where an 
 aide-de-camp of the General was waiting for him. A 
 certain degree of animation appeared to prevail in the 
 rancho. Instead of sleeping, as they might be expected 
 to be doing at so late an hour, the soldiers were travers- 
 ing the streets in large numbers ; in short, an extreme 
 agitation was visible everywhere. 
 
 " What is the matter ?" the Colonel asked the aide- 
 de-camp. 
 
 "The General will tell you himself," the officer an- 
 swered, " for he is impatiently expecting you, and has 
 already asked several times for you." 
 
 " Oh, then, there is something new." 
 
 " I believe so." 
 
 The Colonel pushed on a-head, and in a few minutes 
 found himself before the house occupied by the General. 
 The house was fall of noise and light ; but so soon as 
 the General perceived the young man, he left the officers 
 with whom he was talking, and walked quickly toward 
 him. 
 
 " Here you are at last," he said ; "I was impatiently 
 expecting you." 
 
 "What is the matter then?" the Colonel asked, as- 
 tounded at this reception, which he was far from expect- 
 ing, for he had left the camp so quiet, and found it on 
 his return so noisy. 
 
 " You shall know, Senores," the General added ad- 
 dressing the officers in the room : "be kind enough not 
 to go away. I shall be with you in an instant. Follow 
 me, Colonel." 
 
 Don Juan bowed, and passed into an adjoining room, 
 the door of which the General shut after him. Hardly 
 were they alone, ere the General took the young man 
 
70 THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 affectionately by one of his coat-buttons, and fixed on 
 him a glance that seemed trying to read the depths of 
 his heart. 
 
 " Since your departure," he said, " we have had a 
 visit from a friend of yours." 
 
 " A friend of mine ?" the young man repeated. 
 
 " Or, at any rate, of a man who gives himself out as 
 such." 
 
 "I only know one man in this country," the Colonel 
 replied distinctly, " who, despite the opinions that di- 
 vide us, can justly assume that title." 
 
 " And that man is ?" 
 
 " The Jaguar." 
 
 " Do you feel a friendship for him ?" 
 
 Yes." 
 
 " But he is a bandit." 
 
 " Possibly he is so to you, General ; from your point 
 of sight, it is possible that you are right. I neither 
 descry his character, nor condemn him ; I am attached 
 to him, for he saved my life." 
 
 "But you fight against him, for all that." 
 
 * ' Certainly ; for being hurled into two opponent camps, 
 each of us serves the cause that appears to him the better. 
 But, for all that, we are not the less attached to each 
 other in our hearts." 
 
 " I am not at all disposed to blame you, my friend, 
 for our inclinations should be independent of our political 
 opinions. But let us return to the subject which at this 
 moment is the most interesting to us. A man, I say, 
 presented himself during your absence at the outposts as 
 being a friend of yours." 
 
 " That is strange," the Colonel muttered, searching 
 his memory ; " and did he mention his name ?" 
 
BEFORE THE BATTLE. 71 
 
 " Of course ; do you think I would liave received him. 
 else ? However, he is in this very house, for I begged 
 him to await your return." 
 
 "But his name, my dear General?" 
 
 " He calls himself Don Felix Paz." 
 
 " Oh," the Colonel exclaimed eagerly, "he spoke the 
 truth, General, for he is really one of my dearest friends.'' 
 
 "Then we can place in him " 
 
 " Full and entire confidence ; I answer for him on 
 my head," the young officer interrupted warmly. 
 
 " I am the more pleased at what you tell me, because 
 this man assured me that he held in his hands means 
 that would enable us to give the rebels a tremendous 
 thrashing." 
 
 " If he has promised it, General, he will do so without 
 doubt. I presume you have had a serious conversation 
 with him ?" 
 
 " Not at all. You understand, my friend, that I was 
 not willing, till I had previously conversed with you, to 
 listen to this roan, who after all might have been a spy 
 of the enemy." 
 
 " Capital reasoning ; and what do you propose doing 
 now ?" 
 
 " Hearing him ; he told me enough for me, in the 
 prevision of what is happening at this moment, to have 
 everything prepared for action at a moment's notice ; 
 hence no time will have been lost." 
 
 " Very good ! we will listen to him then." 
 
 The General clapped his hands, and an aide-de-camp 
 came in. 
 
 " Eequest Don Felix to corne hither, Captain." 
 
 Five minutes later, the ex-Major-domo of the Larch- 
 tree hacienda entered the room where the two officers were. 
 
72 THE WHITE SCALPEK. 
 
 " Forgive me, Caballero," the General said courteously 
 as he advanced to meet him, " for the rather cold manner 
 in which I received you ; but unfortunately we live in 
 a period when it is so difficult to distinguish friends from 
 enemies, that a man involuntarily runs the risk of con- 
 founding one with the other, and making a mistake." 
 
 " You have no occasion to apologise to me, General," 
 Don Felix answered ; " when I presented myself at your 
 outposts in the way I did, I anticipated what would 
 happen to me." 
 
 The Colonel pressed his friend's hand warmly. A 
 lengthened explanation was unnecessary for men of this 
 stamp ; at the first word they understood each other. 
 They had a lengthened conversation, which did not ter- 
 minate till a late hour of the night, or rather an early 
 hour of the morning, for it struck four at the moment 
 when the General opened the door of the room in which 
 they were shut up, and accompanied them, conversing 
 in whispers, to the saguan of the house. 
 
 What had occurred during this lengthened interview ? 
 No one knew ; not a syllable transpired as to the arrange- 
 ments made by the General with the two men who had 
 remained so long with him. The officers and soldiers 
 were suffering from the most lively curiosity, which was 
 only increased by the General's orders to raise the camp. 
 
 Don Felix was conducted by the Colonel to the outer- 
 most post, where they separated after shaking hands and 
 exchanging only one sentence 
 
 " We shall meet again soon." 
 
 The Colonel then returned at a gallop to his quarters, 
 while Don Felix buried himself in the forest as rapidly 
 as his horse could carry him. On returning to camp, 
 the Colonel at once ordered the boot and saddle to be 
 
BEFORE THE BATTLE. 73 
 
 sounded, and without waiting for farther orders, put 
 himself at the head of about five hundred cavalry, and 
 left the rancho. 
 
 It was nearly five in the morning, the sun was rising 
 in floods of purple and gold, and all seemed to promise a 
 magnificent day. The General, who had mounted to his 
 observatory, attentively followed with a telescope the 
 movements of the Colonel, who, through the speed at 
 which he went, not only got down the hill within a 
 quarter of an hour, but had also crossed, without obsta- 
 cle, a stream as wide as the Eio Trinidad itself. The 
 General anxiously watched this operation, which is so 
 awkward for an armed body of men ; he saw the sol- 
 diers close up, and then, at a sign from the leader, this 
 column stretched out like a serpent undoing its rings, 
 went into the water, and cutting the rather strong cur- 
 rent diagonally, reached the other bank in a few minutes, 
 when, after a moment of inevitable tumult, the men 
 formed their ranks again and entered a forest, where they 
 were speedily lost from sight. 
 
 When the last lancero had disappeared, and the 
 landscape had become quite desolate, the General shut 
 up his glass, and went down again, apparently plunged 
 in serious thought. We have said that the garrison of 
 Galveston consisted of nine hundred men ; but this 
 strength had been raised to nearly fourteen hundred by 
 calling in the numerous small posts scattered along the 
 coast. Colonel Melendez had taken with him five hun- 
 dred sabres the General left at the rancho, which he 
 determined on retaining at all hazards as an important 
 strategical point, two hundred and fifty men under the 
 orders of a brave and experienced officer ; and he had at 
 his disposal about six hundred and fifty men, supported 
 by a battery of four mountain howitzers. 
 
74 THE WHITE SCA.LPEH. 
 
 This force, small as it may appear, in spite of the 
 smile of contempt it will doubtless produce on the lips 
 of Europeans accustomed to the shock of great masses, 
 was more than sufficient for the country. It is true that 
 the Texan army counted nearly four thousand combatants, 
 but the majority of these men were badly-armed pea- 
 sants, unskilled in the management of the warlike wea- 
 pons which a movement of revolutionary fanaticism had 
 caused them to take up, and incapable of sustaining in 
 the open field the attack of skilled troops. Hence, in 
 spite of his numerical inferiority, he reckoned greatly on 
 the discipline and military education of his soldiers, to 
 defeat this assemblage of men, who were more dangerous 
 through their numbers than for any other reason. 
 
 The start from the rancho was effected with admira- 
 ble regularity ; the General had ordered that the bag- 
 gage should be left behind, so that nothing might im- 
 pede the march of the army. Each horseman, in ac- 
 cordance with the American fashion, which is too greatly 
 despised in Europe, took up a foot soldier behind him, 
 so that the speed of the army was doubled. Numerous 
 spies and scouts sent out to reconnoitre in every direc- 
 tion, had announced that the Insurrectionary army, 
 marching in two columns, was advancing to seize the 
 mouth of the Trinidad and cover the approaches to 
 Galveston, a movement which it was of the utmost im- 
 portance to prevent ; for, were it successful, the Insur- 
 gents would combine the movements of the vessels they 
 had so advantageously seized with those of their army, 
 and would be masters of a considerable extent of the sea- 
 board, from which possibly the Mexican forces would 
 not be strong enough to dislodge them. On the other 
 hand. General Eubio had been advised that Santa Anna, 
 
BEFORE THE BATTLE. 75 
 
 President of the Eepublic, had left Mexico, and was 
 coming with forced marches, at the head of twelve 
 hundred men, to forcibly crush the Insurrection. 
 
 General Santa Anna has been very variously judged ; 
 some make him a profound politician and a thunder- 
 bolt of war ; and he seems to have that opinion about 
 himself, as he does not hesitate to say that he is the 
 Napoleon of the ISTew World ; his enemies reproach him 
 for his turbulence and his unbounded ambition; accuse 
 him of too often keeping aloof from danger, and consider 
 him an agitator without valour or morality. For our 
 part, without attempting to form any judgment of this 
 statesman, we will merely say in two words, that we 
 are convinced he is the scourge of SEexico, whose ruin 
 he accelerates, and one of the causes of the misfortunes 
 which have for twenty years overwhelmed that ill-fated 
 country. 
 
 General Rubio understood how important it was for 
 him to deal a heavy blow before his junction with the 
 President, who, while following his advice, would not 
 fail, in the event of defeat, to attribute the reverses to 
 him, while, if the Mexicans remained masters of the 
 field, he would keep all the honour of victory to himself. 
 
 The Texan insurgents had not up to this moment 
 dared to measure themselves with the Mexican troops 
 in the open field, but the events that had succeeded 
 each other during the last few days with lightning 
 speed, had, by accelerating the catastrophe, completely 
 changed the aspect of affairs. The Chiefs of the revo- 
 lutionary army, rendered confident by their constant 
 advantages, and masters without a blow of one of the 
 principal Texan sea-ports, felt the necessity of giving up 
 their hedge warfare, and consolidating their success by 
 some brilliant exploit. 
 
76 THE WHITE SCALPEK. 
 
 To attain this end, a battle must be gained ; but the 
 Texan Chiefs did not let themselves be deceived by the 
 successes they had hitherto met with, successes obtained 
 by rash strokes, surprises, and unexampled audacity ; 
 they feared with reason the moment when they would 
 have to face the veteran Mexican troops with their in- 
 experienced guerillas. Hence they sought by every 
 means to retard the hour for this supreme and decisive 
 contest, in which a few hours might eternally over- 
 throw their dearest hopes, and the work of regeneration 
 they had been pursuing for the last ten years with un- 
 paralleled courage and resignation. They desired, 
 before definitively fighting the regulars, that their 
 volunteers should have acquired that discipline and 
 practice without which the largest and bravest army is 
 only an heterogeneous compound of opposing elements? 
 an agglomeration of men, possessing no consistency or 
 real vitality. 
 
 After the capture of the fort a grand council had been 
 held by the principal Texan Chiefs, in order to consult 
 on the measures to be taken, so as not to lose, by any 
 imprudence, results so miraculously obtained. It was 
 then resolved that the army should occupy Galveston, 
 which its position rendered perfectly secure against a 
 surprise ; that the freebooters should alone remain out 
 to skirmish with the Mexicans and harass them ; while 
 the troops shut up in the town were being drilled, and 
 receiving a regular and permanent organization. 
 
 The first care of the Chiefs, therefore, was to avoid 
 any encounter with the enemy, and try to enter Galves- 
 ton without fighting the Mexicans. The following was 
 the respective position of the two armies ; the Texans 
 were trying to avoid a battle, which General Eubio was 
 
BEFOSE THE BATTLE. 77 
 
 longing, on the contrary, to fight. The terrain on 
 which the adversaries would have to manoeuvre was 
 extremely limited, for scarce four leagues separated the 
 videttes of the two armies. From his observatory the 
 General could clearly distinguish the camp fires of the 
 rebels. 
 
 In the mean while Colonel Melendez had continued 
 to advance ; on reaching the cross where he and John 
 Davis had fought so furiously on the previous evening, 
 the Colonel himself examined the ground with the ut- 
 most care, then, feeling convinced that none of the 
 enemy's flankers had remained ambushed at this spot, 
 which was so favourable for a surprise, he gave his 
 men orders to dismount. The horses were thrown 
 down, secured, and their heads wrapped in thick blankets 
 to prevent their neighing, and after all these precau- 
 tions had been taken, the soldiers lay down on their 
 stomachs among the shrubs, with instructions not to 
 stir. 
 
 General Eubio had himself effected a flank march, 
 which enabled him to avoid the crossways ; immediately 
 after descending the hill, he marched rapidly upon the 
 river bank. We have said that the Kio Trinidad, which 
 is rather confined at certain spots, is bordered by mag- 
 nificent forests, whose branches form on the bank grand 
 arcades of foliage overhanging the mangroves ; it was 
 among the latter, and on the branches of the forest trees, 
 about two gun-shots from the spot where he had landed, 
 that the General ambuscaded about one-third of his 
 infantry. The remainder, divided into two corps, were 
 echelonned along either side of the road the Insurgents 
 must follow, but it was done in the American fashion, 
 that is to say, the men were so hidden in the tall grass 
 that they were invisible. 
 
78 THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 The four mountain howitzers crowned a small hill 
 which, through its position, completely commanded the 
 road, while the cavalry was massed in the rear of the 
 infantry. The silence momentarily disturbed was re- 
 established, and the desert resumed its calm and solitary 
 aspect. General Bubio had taken his measures so well 
 that his army had suddenly become invisible. 
 
 "When it was resolved in the council of the Texan 
 Chiefs that the Insurrectionary army should proceed 
 to Galveston, a rather sharp discussion took place as to 
 the means to be adopted in reaching it, The Jaguar pro- 
 posed to embark the troops aboard the corvette, the brig, 
 and a few smaller vessels collected for the purpose. 
 Unfortunately this advice, excellent though it was, 
 could not be followed, owing to General Rubio's precau- 
 tion of carrying off all the boats ; collecting others would 
 have occasioned an extreme loss of time ; but as the boats 
 the Mexicans had employed were now lying high and 
 dry on the beach, and the guard at first put over them 
 withdrawn a few hours later, the Texans thought 
 it far more simple to set them afloat, and use them in 
 their turn to effect the passage. 
 
 By a species of fatality the council would not put 
 faith in the assertions of John Davis, who in vain as- 
 sured them that General Rubio, entrenched in a strong 
 position, would not allow this movement to be carried 
 out without, an attempt to prevent it ; so that the aban- 
 donment of the boats by the Mexicans was only ficti- 
 tious, and a trap adroitly laid to draw the Revolutionists 
 to a spot where it would be easy to conquer them. 
 
 "Unfortunately, the mysterious man to whom, we have 
 alluded had alone the right to give orders, and the 
 reasons urged by Davis could not convince him. De- 
 
BEFOKE THE BATTLE. 79 
 
 ceived by hid spies, he persuaded himself that General 
 Bubio, far from having any intention of recapturing 
 Galveston, wished to effect his junction with Santa 
 Anna before attempting any fresh offensive movement, 
 and that the halt at the rancho had been merely a feint 
 to embarrass the rebels. 
 
 This incomprehensible error was the cause of incal- 
 culable disasters. The chiefs received orders to march 
 forward, and were constrained to carry them out. Still, 
 when this erroneous resolution had been once formed, 
 the means of execution were selected with extreme pru- 
 dence. The corvette and brig were ordered to get as 
 near land as they could, in order to protect, by their 
 cross fire, the embarcation of the troops, and sweep the 
 Mexicans, if they offered any opposition. Flying co- 
 lumns were sent off in advance and on the flanks of the 
 army, to clear the way, by making prisoners of any 
 small outposts the enemy might have established. 
 
 Four principal chiefs commanded strong detachments 
 of mounted freebooters. The four were the Jaguar, 
 Fray Antonio, El Alferez, and Don Felix Paz, whom 
 the reader assuredly did not expect to find under the 
 flag of the rebels, and whom he saw only a few hours 
 back enter the Mexican camp, and hold a secret confer- 
 ence with General Eubio and Colonel Melendez. These 
 four chiefs were ordered by the Commander-in-Chief to 
 prevent any surprise, by searching the forests and ex- 
 amining the tall grass. Ei Alferez was on the right of 
 the army, Fray Antonio on the left, the Jaguar had the 
 rear guard, while Don Felix, with six hundred sabres, 
 formed the van. One word as to the guerillas of the 
 ex-Mayor-domo of the Larch- tree hacienda. The men 
 who composed his band, raised on lands dependent on 
 
80 THE WHITE SCALPES. 
 
 the hacienda, had been enlisted by Don Felix. They 
 were Indies mansos, vaqueros, and peons, mostly half 
 savages, and rogues to a certain extent, who fought 
 like lions at the order of their leader, to whom they 
 were thoroughly devoted, but only recognising and 
 obeying him, while caring nothing for the other leaders 
 of the army. Don Felix Paz had joined the insur- 
 gents about two months previously, and rendered them 
 eminent service with his guerillas. Hence, he had in 
 a short time gained general confidence. "We shall soon 
 see whether he was worthy of it. 
 
 By a singular coincidence, the two armies left their 
 camp at the same time, and marched one against the 
 other, little suspecting that two hours later they would 
 be face to face. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 THE BATTLE OF CEEEO PAKDO. 
 
 THE battle of Cerro Pardo was one of those sanguinary 
 days, whose memory a nation retains for ages as an ill- 
 omened date. In order to explain to the reader tho- 
 roughly how the events happened which we are about 
 to narrate, we must give a detailed account of the ground 
 on which they took place. 
 
 The spot selected by the Mexicans to effect their 
 landing after leaving Galveston, had been very cleverly 
 chosen by General Eubio. The stream, which, for some 
 distance, is enclosed by high banks, runs at that spot 
 through an extensive plain, covered with tall grass and 
 clumps of trees, the last relics of a virgin forest, which 
 the claims of trade have almost destroyed. This plain 
 
THE BATTLE OF CERRO PARDO. 81 
 
 is closed by a species of canon, or very narrow gorge, 
 enclosed between two lofty hills, whose scarped flanks 
 are carpeted at all seasons with plants and flowers. 
 These two hills are the Cerro Pardo and the Cerro 
 Prieto, that is to say, the Bed Mountain and the Black 
 Mountain. 
 
 At the canon begins a road, or, to speak more correctly, 
 a rather wide track, bordered by bogs and morasses, and 
 running to the cross we have before visited. This road is 
 the only one that can be followed in going from the in- 
 terior to the sea-shore. A little in advance of the two 
 hills, whose summit is covered with dense wood and 
 scrub, extend marshes, which are the more dangerous, 
 because their surface is perfidiously covered with close 
 green grass, which completely conceals from the tra- 
 veller the terrible danger to which he is exposed if he 
 venture on to this moving abyss. The Cerro Pardo, 
 which is much higher than the other hill, not only com- 
 mands the latter, but also the surrounding country, as 
 well as the sea. 
 
 After what we have said, the reader will easily per- 
 ceive that the enterprise attempted by the Texans was 
 only possible in the event of the coast being entirely 
 undefended ; but under the present circumstances, the 
 inconceivable obstinacy of the Commander-in-Chief was 
 the more incomprehensible, because he was not only 
 thoroughly acquainted with the country, but at the 
 moment when the army was about to begin its forward 
 movements, several spies came in in succession, bring- 
 ing news which entirely coincided with the positive 
 reports already made by John Davis. 
 
 Whom the gods wish to destroy, they first blind. 
 This wise and thoughtful man, who had ever acted with 
 
82 THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 extreme prudence, and whose conceptions up to this 
 day had been remarkable for their lucidity, was deaf to 
 all remonstrances, and the order was given to march. 
 The army at once set out ; Don Feliz Paz went on a-head 
 with his guerillas, while the Jaguar's euadrilla, on the 
 contrary, remained in the rear. Tranquil, in spite of the 
 wounds he had received, would not remain in the fort ; 
 he came along lying in a cart, having at his side Car- 
 mela and Quoniam, who paid him the utmost attention ; 
 while Lanzi, at the head of a dozen picked Freebooters 
 given him by the Jaguar, escorted the cart, in the event 
 of the army being disturbed during the march. 
 
 The Jaguar was sorrowful, a gloomy presentiment 
 seemed to warn him of a misfortune. This daring* man, 
 who carried out as if in sport the maddest and most 
 venturesome deeds, now advanced reluctantly, hesi- 
 tating and 'constantly looking about him suspiciously, 
 and almost timidly. Assuredly, he feared no personal 
 danger; what did he care for an attack? what alarm 
 did he feel about dying r Peril was his element ; the 
 heated atmosphere of battle, the odour of powder in- 
 toxicated him, and made him feel strange delight ; but 
 at this moment Carmelawas near him ; Carmela, whom 
 he had so miraculously found again, and whom he 
 feared to lose again. This strong man felt his heart 
 soften at the thought, hence he insisted on taking the 
 rear guard, in order to watch more closely over the 
 maiden, and be in a position to help her if necessary. 
 
 The superior Commander had not dared to refuse the 
 bold partizan this post, which he asked for as a favour. 
 This condescension on the part of the Chief had terrible 
 consequences, and was partly the cause of the events 
 that happened a few hours later. 
 
THE BATTLE OF CEBEO PARDO. 83 
 
 The Texan troops, in spite of the various elements of 
 which they were composed, advanced, however, with 
 an order and discipline that would have done honour to 
 regulars. Don Felix Paz had thrown out to the right 
 and left of the road flankers ordered to investigate the 
 chapparal, and guarantee the safety of the route ; but 
 in spite of these precautions, whether the Mexicans 
 were really ambushed in inaccessible places, or for 
 some other reason, the flankers did not discover them, 
 and the vanguard advanced at a pace which heightened 
 the security of the main body, and gradually induced 
 the Chiefs to relax their previous watchfulness. 
 
 The vanguard reached the cross, and nothing had as 
 yet happened in any way to trouble the march of the 
 army. Don Felix, after allowing his cuadrilla to halt 
 for twenty minutes, resolutely entered the road that led 
 to the spot where the Mexicans had landed. From the 
 cross to the Rio Trinidad was no great distance, and 
 could be covered in less than two hours by troops march- 
 ing at the ordinary pace. The road, however, after 
 passing the cross, insensibly becomes narrower, and 
 soon changes into a very confined track, in which three 
 persons can scarce walk abreast. 
 
 We have said that trembling prairies extend on either 
 side this road. We will explain, in a few sentences, 
 what these trembling prairies are, which are met with 
 in several parts of America, but principally in Texas 
 and Louisiana. These prairies, if we may trust to the 
 frequently false theories of science, have a similar organ 
 to that of Artesian springs, for the earth does in one 
 case what water does in the other. Through the action 
 of geological dynamics, the earthy matter which con- 
 stitutes the trembling prairies ascends to the surface of 
 
 G 2 
 
84 THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 lakes and ponds, while in Artesian wells the water 
 rushes up from the depths through the pressure of the 
 strata by which it was held down. 
 
 Nothing is more dangerous than those trembling 
 prairies, covered with a perfidious vegetation that deceives 
 the eye. The Eio Trinidad flows at a few hundred 
 yards from the prairie we have just described, convey- 
 ing into the Gulf of Mexico the sedimentary deposits 
 which would consolidate this shifting soil. Nature has 
 already traced canals intersecting the prairie, and which 
 run between banks formed by mysterious forces. The 
 wild beasts, whose admirable instinct never deceives 
 them, have for ages past formed tracks across these 
 dangerous zones, and the path followed by the Texan 
 army was no other than one of those trails trodden by 
 the wild beasts when they go down at night to water. 
 
 I know not whether, since Texas has gained its liberty 
 and been incorporated with the United States, any 
 attempt has been made to drain these prairies. And 
 yet, I believe that it would require but a very slight 
 effort to complete the work so intelligently sketched out 
 by nature. It would be sufficient to dig a series of 
 colmates, or aqueducts, which would introduce into the 
 trembling prairie the turbid waters of the river, and con- 
 vey to it the sedimentary matter ; and, before all, the 
 vegetation growing on the prairie should not be burnt, 
 as is the unfortunate custom. With these two condi- 
 tions, a firm, rich, and fertile soil would soon be attained 
 in the line of these slimy and pestilential marshes that 
 poison the air, produce contagious diseases, and cause 
 the death of so many unfortunate travellers, deceived by 
 the luxuriant appearance of these prairies, and who 
 perish miserably, by being swallowed up in their fetid 
 mud. 
 
THE BATTLE OP CEEEO PAEDO. 85 
 
 But in America it is not so much land that is wanting 
 as men. Probably, the trembling prairies will remain 
 for a long time what they are at the present day, for no 
 one has a really personal interest in draining and getting 
 rid of them. 
 
 "We will now take up our story at the point where 
 we broke it off, begging the reader to forgive us the 
 long digression in which we indulged, but which has its 
 value, we think, in a work intended to make known a 
 country which is destined ere long to assume an import- 
 ant part in the trade of the world. 
 
 The Texan Vanguard passed the cross at about nine 
 A.M. It had halted for about twenty minutes and then 
 resumed its -march. Still, without any apparent mo- 
 tive, after crossing without obstacle the defile of the 
 Cerro Pardo, instead of advancing in the direction of the 
 river, on the bank of which the stranded boats could 
 already be seen, Don Felix ordered his cuadrilla to 
 wheel at about two hundred yards from the defile, and 
 formed a front of fifty horses by ten deep. After com- 
 manding a halt, he dug his spurs in and returned to the 
 gorge, but on this occasion alone. 
 
 While galloping, the partizan looked searchingly 
 around him. As far as the eye could see, the road was 
 entirely deserted. Don Felix halted and bent over his 
 horse's neck, as if wishing to arrange some buckle, but 
 while patting his noble animal he twice repeated the 
 croak of a rook. At once the harsh cry of the puffin 
 rose from the bushes that bordered the right hand side 
 of the road; the branches were then parted a man 
 appeared it was Colonel Don Juan Melendez de Gon* 
 gora. Don Felix did not appear at all surprised at 
 seeing him; on the contrary, he advanced hurriedly 
 towards him. 
 
86 THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 "Return to your ambush, Colonel," he said, "you 
 know that there is an eye in every leaf. If I am seen 
 alone on the road my presence will arouse no suspicions ; 
 but you, Cuerpo de Cristo ! you must not be seen. We 
 can converse equally well at a distance, as the ears able- 
 to overhear us are those of friends." 
 
 " You are always prudent, Don Felix," 
 
 " I, not at all ; I merely wish to avenge myself on 
 those bandits who have plundered so many magnificent 
 haciendas, and hatred renders a man prudent." 
 
 " "Whatever be the motive that impels you, it gives 
 you good inspirations, that is the main point. But let 
 us return to our business : what do you want with me ?" 
 
 "Merely to know two things." 
 
 "What are they?" 
 
 " "Whether General Eubio is really satisfied with the 
 plan I submitted to him ?" 
 
 " You have a proof of it before you ; if he were not 
 so, should I be here ?" 
 
 " That is true." 
 
 " Now for the second." 
 
 " That is of an extremely delicate nature." 
 
 " Ah, ah ! you pique my curiosity," the Colonel said, 
 laughingly. 
 
 Don Felix frowned and lowered his voice, as it were 
 involuntarily. 
 
 " It is very serious, Don Juan," he continued ; "I 
 wish, before the battle, to know if you have retained 
 towards me that esteem and friendship with which you 
 deigned to honour me at the Larch- tree hacienda r" 
 
 The Colonel turned away in embarrassment. 
 
 " Why ask that question at this moment r" he re- 
 marked. 
 
THE BATTLE OF CERKO PAEDO, 87 
 
 Don Felix turned pale and fixed a flashing glance 
 upon him. 
 
 " Answer me, I implore you, Don Juan," lie said, 
 pressingly. " Whatever you may think, whatever 
 opinion you may have of me, I wish to know it ; it 
 must be so." 
 
 " Do not press me, I beg, Don Felix. What can 
 you care for any opinion I may have, which is isolated 
 and unimportant ?" 
 
 " What can I care, do you ask ?" he exclaimed, hotly ; 
 " but it is, indeed, useless to press you further, for I 
 know all I wish to know. Thank you, Don Juan, I ask 
 no more. When a man of so noble a character and 
 such a loyal heart as yours condemns the conduct of 
 another man, it is because that conduct is really blame- 
 able." 
 
 " Well, be it so ; since you absolutely insist, I will 
 explain my views, Don Felix. Yes, I blame but do not 
 condemn you, for I cannot and will not be your judge. 
 Don Felix, I am internally convinced in my soul and 
 conscience that the man who makes himself, no matter 
 the motive that impels him, the agent of treachery, 
 commits worse than a crime, for he is guilty of an act 
 of cowardice ! Such a man I can pity, but no longer 
 esteem." 
 
 The ex-lf ayor-domo listened to these harsh words with 
 a forehead dripping with perspiration, but with head 
 erect and eye sparkling with a gloomy fire. When the 
 officer stopped he bowed coldly and took the hand which 
 Don Juan did not attempt to draw from his grasp. 
 
 " It is well," he said ; " your words are rude, but they 
 are true. I thank you for your frankness, Don Juan ; 
 I know now what remains for me to do." 
 
THE WHITE SCALPEK. 
 
 The Colonel, who had involuntarily allowed his feel- 
 ings of the moment to carry him away, fancied that he 
 had gone too far, and was alarmed at the consequences 
 of his imprudence. 
 
 " Don Felix," he added, tf forgive me ; I spoke to you 
 like a madman." 
 
 '* Come, come, Don Juan," he replied, with a bitter 
 smile, " do not attempt to recall your words, you were 
 but the echo of my conscience ; what you have said 
 aloud my heart has often whispered to me. Fear not 
 that I shall let myself be overcome by a passing feeling 
 of passion. No ! I am one of those men who, when they 
 have once entered a path, persevere in it at all hazards* 
 But enough of this ; I notice a dust, which probably 
 announces our friends," he added, with a poignant irony. 
 " Farewell, Don Juan, farewell." 
 
 And, not waiting for the answer Don Juan was pre- 
 paring to give him, Don Felix spurred his horse, turned 
 hastily round, and went off as rapidly as he had come. 
 The Colonel looked after him for a moment thoughtfully. 
 
 " Alas!" he muttered, "that man is now more un- 
 happy than culpable, or I am greatly mistaken ; if he 
 be not killed to-day it will not be for want of seeking 
 death." 
 
 He then buried himself again in the chapparal with 
 a melancholy shake of his 'head. In the meanwhile, 
 the Texan army rapidly advanced ; like the Mexicans, 
 each mounted man had a foot soldier behind him. At 
 about a gun-shot from the cross roads, the Texans came 
 upon the edge of the trembling prairie ; they were con- 
 sequently obliged to halt in order to call in their flankers* 
 scattered dn the right and left, which naturally pro- 
 duced a momentary disorder, promply repaired, however, 
 by the activity of the chief, then they started again. 
 
THE BATTLE OF CERKO PAEDO. 89 
 
 The order of march was necessarily altered, the path. 
 grew narrower at every step, and the cavalry were un- 
 able to keep their ranks any longer. However, from 
 the moment of the start, the van-guard had not an- 
 nounced any danger. The army, trusting in the expe- 
 rience of the officer detached to clear the way, marched 
 in perfect security, which was augmented by the hope 
 of speedily reaching the mouth of the Bio Trinidad, 
 and at once embarking for Galveston. 
 
 The Jaguar alone did not share the general confidence : 
 accustomed for a long period to a war of ambushes, the 
 ground he now trod seemed to him so suitable in every 
 way for a surprise, that he could not persuade himself 
 that they would reach the sea-shore without an attack. 
 In a word, the young Chief had an intuition of ap- 
 proaching danger. He guessed it, felt it, so to speak, 
 though he could not tell from what quarter it would 
 come, and suddenly burst on his comrades and himself. 
 
 There is nothing so terrible as such a situation, where 
 a man is obliged to stand on his defence against space. 
 The desert tranquilly surrounds him on all sides, in vain 
 does he interrogate the air and earth, to find a clue 
 which constantly escapes him, and yet he has in his 
 heart a certainty for which he finds it impossible to 
 account ! He can only answer questions with the 
 enigmatical, though strictly logical phrase, " I do not 
 know, and yet I am sure of it." 
 
 The Jaguar resolved, whatever the consequences 
 might be, to avoid personally a surprise, whose results 
 would be disastrous to those he had vowed to protect 
 and defend, that is to say, to Tranquil and Carmela. 
 Gradually slackening the pace of his detachment, he 
 succeeded in leaving a sufficiently wide distance between 
 
90 THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 himself and the main body, to regain almost entirely 
 his liberty of action. His first care was to collect round 
 the cart the men in whom he placed most confidence. 
 Then selecting those of his comrades whom he supposed 
 most conversant with Indian tricks, he placed them 
 under the command of John Davis, with orders to force 
 their way, as well as they could, through the chapparal 
 that skirted both sides of the track, and enclosed it so 
 completely, that it was impossible to see anything be- 
 yond. 
 
 It could not enter the Jaguar's mind that the Mexi- 
 cans would not profit by the opportunity offered them 
 by the imprudence of the Texans, to try and take their 
 revenge for the defeats they had suffered. . In this view 
 he was entirely supported by Davis, who, it will be 
 remembered, had urgently, though vainly, begged the 
 Commander- in-Chief to give up his plan. The two 
 men, who had been so long acquainted, understood each 
 other at the first word, and John Davis immediately 
 spread out his men, as a forlorn hope, on either side the 
 road. The Jaguar proceeded to the cart after this, and 
 addressed the hunter. 
 
 " Well, Tranquil," he said to him, "how do you find 
 yourself r" 
 
 " Better," the other answered ; " I hope within a few 
 days to be sufficiently recovered to give up this weari- 
 some position." 
 
 " And your strength r" 
 
 " Is rapidly returning." 
 
 " All the better. Would you. be capable of firing in 
 your own defence, without leaving the cart ?" 
 
 "I think so. But do you fear any trap? the spot 
 where we now are, appears most favourable for it." 
 
THE BATTLE OF CERRO PARDO. 91 
 
 "Does it not! "Well, you have spoken the truth, 
 I fear an ambuscade. Here is a rifle, and if needs must, 
 make use of it." 
 
 " Trust to me. Thanks, " he added, as he clutched 
 the weapon with a delight he did not attempt to con- 
 ceal. 
 
 The Jaguar then placed himself at the head of his 
 troop, and gave orders to set out again. Long before 
 this, the main body of the army had passed the cross, 
 the heads of the columns were already entering the 
 defile, a movement which, owing to the narrowness, 
 produced some disorder the leaders were trying to 
 repress, when suddenly a shower of canister burst from 
 the Cerro Pardo, and made wide gaps in the crowded 
 ranks of the Texans. At the same instant a terrible 
 shout was heard from the other end of the gorge, and 
 Don Felix Paz* cuadrilla appeared galloping at full 
 speed toward the main body. 
 
 At the first moment the Texans had to make way for 
 these horsemen, whom they supposed to be closely pur- 
 sued by a still invisible enemy ; but their surprise 
 changed into terror and stupor when they saw this van- 
 guard dash at them and mercilessly sabre them with 
 shouts of " Mejico ! Mejico ! Federation !" 
 
 The Texans were betrayed ! Suffering from a terror 
 that almost attained to madness, unable to form in this 
 limited spot, decimated by the canister incessantly dis- 
 charged at them, and sabred by Don Felix* cuadrilla, 
 they had but one thought that of flight. But at the 
 moment when they tried to turn, the terrible cry of 
 "Mejico! Mejico! mueran los rebeldes!" resounded 
 like a funeral knell in their rear, and Colonel Melendez, 
 at the head of his iive hundred horses, dashed at the 
 Texans, who were thus caught between two fires. 
 
92 THE WHITE SCALPEB. 
 
 The medley then assumed the fearful proportions of 
 one of those mediaeval butcheries in which man, having 
 attained the paroxysm of fury, intoxicated by the sharp 
 smell of blood, the powder, smoke, and the din of battle, 
 kills for the sake of killing with the pleasure of a wild 
 beast, growing excited by the massacre of every victim 
 that falls, and far from satiating his hatred, finds it 
 increase in proportion to the corpses piled up on the 
 blood-stained ground. 
 
 Flight was impossible, and resistance seemed the 
 same. At this supreme hour, when all appeared lost 
 and the cause of liberty was about to be eternally buried 
 under the pile of corpses, an irresistible movement sud. 
 denly took place in the terrified crowd, which opened 
 like a ripe fruit through the bloody track thus made 
 by main force. The Jaguar now dashed forward, splendid 
 in his wrath and despair, brandishing his machete above 
 his head, and followed by his brave cuadrilla. A cry of 
 delight saluted the arrival of the daring freebooter, 
 who had been obliged to cut his way through Colonel 
 Melendez' Mexicans, as they vainly strove to stop his 
 passage. 
 
 " My lads !" the Jaguar shouted, in a voice that rose 
 above the din of battle, " we are surrounded by the 
 enemy, and have been betrayed and led into a trap by a 
 coward. Let us show these Mexicans, who believe us 
 already conquered, and are congratulating themselves 
 on their easy victory, what men like ourselves are capa- 
 ble of. Follow me forward ! forward !" 
 
 " Forward !" the Texans vociferated, electrified by 
 these daring words. 
 
 The Jaguar made his horse bound, and dashed at the 
 side of the mountain. His military instinct had not 
 
THE BATTLE OF CEBBO PABDO. 93 
 
 deserted him, for that was, in fact, the key of the 
 battle. The Texans rushed after him, brandishing their 
 weapons and uttering yells of fury. Eut at this mo- 
 ment the troops of General Eubio made their appear- 
 ance, who had hitherto remained ambushed behind the 
 trees and bushes ; they crowned the heights, lined the 
 sides of the road, and the fight began again more terrible 
 and obstinate than before. The efforts were useless ; 
 the Texans returned eight times to the assault of the 
 Cerro Pardo, and eight times were driven back in dis- 
 order to the foot of the mountain, which they were 
 unable to scale. 
 
 In vain did the Jaguar, Davis, Pray Antonio, El Al- 
 ferez, and the other Chiefs perform prodigies of valour ; 
 the Mexican bullets decimated their soldiers, who at 
 length growing discouraged, refused any longer to con- 
 tinue an impossible contest. The Commander-in- Chief 
 of the army, who by his imprudence had caused this 
 grave disaster, resolved to make a final and supreme 
 effort. Collecting around him all the willing men who 
 still attempted resistance, he formed them, into a column 
 of attack, and dashed like a whirlwind at the Mexican 
 guns, the artillerymen of which were cut down with- 
 out yielding an inch. Surprised by this sudden and 
 furious charge, the Mexicans broke and abandoned the 
 battery ; this audacious attempt might change the issue 
 of the battle. Already the Texans, who were almost 
 masters of the plateau, were preparing to take advan- 
 tage of this fortuitous and unhoped-for success ; but 
 unfortunately, the revolutionary army, nearly entirely 
 demoralized, did not support with the necessary vigour 
 the heroic effort of these few chosen braves $ the Mexi- 
 cans had time to recover from their surprise and com- 
 
94 THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 pare their strength with that of their foes. Ashamed 
 at the check they had suffered, they rushed upon tho 
 enemy, and after a frightful hand-to-hand fight, they 
 succeeded in driving the Texans from the plateau at the 
 moment when the latter formed hopes of holding it. 
 
 Colonel Melendez and Don Felix Paz had at length 
 effected their junction ; the Texans had not even the 
 possibility of flight left them, but the Jaguar did not 
 yet despair ; still, since he could no longer conquer, he 
 would at least save Carmela. But between her and 
 him stood a human wall, through which he must clear 
 a road. The young man did not hesitate ; turning like 
 a wounded lion, he bounded into the midst of the enemy's 
 ranks, summoning his comrades, and waving round his 
 head the terrible machete he had employed so well 
 during the action. A man boldly rushed to meet him 
 with uplifted sabre. 
 
 "Ah! the traitor Don Felix!" the Jaguar shouted, 
 on recognising him, and split his skull open. 
 
 Then he rushed like an avalanche down the moun- 
 tain side, overthrowing every one he came across ; and 
 followed by a few of his most devoted companions, the 
 ranks of the Mexicans opened to let them pass. 
 
 " Thanks, brother," the Jaguar shouted with consi- 
 derable emotion to Colonel Melendez, who had given, 
 his soldiers a sign to let him pass. 
 
 The Colonel turned away and made no answer. The 
 carnage lasted a long time yet, as the Texans would 
 not accept quarter. Six hundred Texans fell into the 
 hands of the victors, while eight hundred found death 
 on the field of battle. 
 
 The same evening General Eubio re-entered Galveston 
 at the head of his victorious army ; the insurrectionists 
 
THE ATEPETL. 95 
 
 fled in terror in all directions, without hope of ever 
 again collecting. The cause of Texan liberty seemed 
 lost for a long time, if not for ever. 
 
 The Jaguar, on reaching the cross roads, found the 
 cart smashed, and most of its defenders lying dead on 
 the ground. Singular to say, they had all been scalped. 
 Tranquil, Quoniam, Carmela, and Lanzi had disap- 
 peared. "What terrible drama could have been performed 
 at this spot ? 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 THE ATEPETL. 
 
 TEXAS is intersected by two lines of continuous forests, 
 which run from the north, near the sources of the Bio 
 Trinidad to the Arkansas river. These forests are called 
 the " Cross Timbers ;" behind them commence the im- 
 mense prairies of Apacheria, on which countless herds 
 of bufFalos and wild horses wander about at liberty. 
 
 In tbe centre of a narrow valley, enclosed on three 
 sides by the denuded and serrated crests of the moun- 
 tains and on the banks of the Eio Sabina, a little 
 above its confluence with the Vermejo, where it still 
 flows wide and transparent between undulating banks, 
 bordered by clumps of cotton-wood trees and dwarf 
 palms an Indian village was deliciously scattered 
 among the trees. The latter formed a dense dome of 
 foliage over the callis, which they sheltered from the 
 hot beams of the southern sun, and protected from the 
 cold gusts which at times descend from the mountains 
 in the winter season. This village was a winter atepetl 
 of the Comanche Indians, belonging to the Antelope 
 tribe. We will describe in a few words this village, 
 
96 THE WHITE SCALPEK. 
 
 where several important scenes connected with our nar- 
 rative will take place. 
 
 Although built to the fancy of the Redskins, the callis 
 affected a certain regularity of construction, as they all 
 converged on a common point, which formed a species of 
 grand square in the heart of the village. In the centre 
 of this square could be seen a large unhooped barrel, 
 deeply buried in the ground, and covered with lichens 
 and stone-crop. It was the " ark of the first man." It 
 was here that the war stake was planted before the great 
 medicine lodge; and here, under grave circumstances, 
 the Sachems lit the council fire, and smoked the sacred 
 calumet ordinarily placed before the entrance of the 
 calli of the chief Sachem, and supported on two forked 
 sticks, as it must never touch the ground. 
 
 The Indian callis are generally constructed in a 
 spherical shape, built on piles covered with mud, over 
 which buffalo hides sewn together, and displaying nume- 
 rous pictures of animals painted in vermilion, are thrown. 
 On a scaffolding standing in front of the calli, Indian 
 corn, forage for the horses, and the winter provisions of 
 each inhabitant were stored. At intervals could be seen 
 tall poles, from which waved, at the slightest breath of 
 air, blankets, harness, and fragments of stuffs of every 
 description, the homage raised by the superstitious Red- 
 skins to the Master of Life, a species of ex voto torn from 
 them by their fears, and named the " Medicine of Hope." 
 
 The village, excepting on the side turned to the Sabina 
 river, was surrounded by a strong palisade about fifteen feet 
 high, made of enormous trunks of trees, fastened together 
 with strips of bark and wooden cramp-hooks. At about 
 five or, six hundred yards from the atepetl was the ceme- 
 tery, the exhalations from which, by disagreeably affect- 
 
THE ATEPETL. 97 
 
 ing the traveller's sense of smell, advised him that he 
 was approaching an Indian tribe. The natives of America, 
 like most of those in Polynesia, have a very singular 
 mode of burial. As a general rule, they do not inter 
 their dead, but suspend them between earth and sky. 
 After wrapping them carefully in blankets and buffalo 
 robes, they place them on platforms supported on four 
 poles some fifty feet high, and leave them exposed to 
 the rain and sun to decompose gradually. The birds of 
 prey incessantly hover over these strange tombs, uttering 
 shrill and discordant cries, while making a disgusting 
 meal on the putrefying flesh. 
 
 Two months after the battle of the Cerro Pardo, on the 
 day when we resume our narrative, and about an hour 
 before sunset, on a delicious afternoon of September, 
 which the Indians call the Moon of the "Wild Oats seve- 
 ral riders, mounted on fiery mustangs, harnessed in the 
 desert fashion, that is to say, painted of several colours, 
 and adorned with plumes and bells, were following, 
 while conversing together rather eagerly, a winding 
 path, which runs for several leagues along the winding 
 course of the* Bio Sabina, and terminates at the winter 
 atepetl of 'the Antelope Comanches, which we described 
 at the beginning of this chapter. 
 
 These horsemen, five in number, were armed with 
 rifies, tomahawks, and machetes. They wore the cotton 
 hunting shirt of the woodrangers fastened round the 
 waist, mitasses, or trowsers, in two pieces tied at the 
 ankles, fur caps, and Indian mocassins. Still, although 
 this costume was almost identical with that worn by the 
 majority of the Indian tribes, in whom constant contact 
 with the Americans has produced a sort of bastard civili- 
 zation, it was easy to recognise these riders as white 
 
 H 
 
98 THE WHITE SCALPEE. 
 
 men, not only through, the ease of their manners, but 
 also through the clearness of their complexion, which 
 the hot sunbeams had been impotent to render so dusky 
 as that of the aboriginals. 
 
 About two hundred yards behind the horsemen, came 
 a sixth, mounted and dressed 'like them, but who was 
 assuredly a E/edskin. His head, instead of being covered 
 by a fur cap, was bare ; his hair, pulled up at the top 
 of his head, and stained with red ochre, was fastened 
 with strips of snake-skin ; a falcon feather stuck in above 
 his right ear, near his war-scalp lock, indicated his claim 
 to high rank among his countrymen, while the nume- 
 rous wolf-tails fastened to his heels, proved that he was 
 a renowned warrior ; in his right hand he held a fan 
 made of the entire wing of an eagle, and in his left he 
 waved the short-handled and long-lashed whip, peculiar 
 to the Comanche and Sioux Indians. 
 
 These riders employed none of the precautions usual 
 on the prairie to avoid surprises, or foil the enemies 
 generally ambushed in the track of hunters. Prom the 
 way in which they conversed together, and the absent 
 glances they at times took across the country, rather 
 through habit than any prudential motive, it might 
 easily be guessed that these men were reaching a spot 
 perfectly well known to them, and where they felt cer- 
 tain of not falling into a trap. Still, had they not been 
 absorbed in their conversation, and could their glances 
 have pierced the dense curtain of verdure that formed a 
 fragrant wall on their right, they would have seen amid 
 the shrubs and lower branches of the trees an agitation 
 not at all natural, and doubtless produced by the passage 
 of a wild beast ; at times, too, they might have noticed 
 two eyes flashing among the leaves, which were fixed 
 
THE ATEPETL. 99 
 
 upon them with a savage expression of passion and 
 hatred. 
 
 But, we repeat, these men, who, however, were wood- 
 rangers, renowned in these parts for their almost miracu- 
 lous sagacity and skill, were so completely absorbed in 
 their conversation ; they felt so sure of having no snare 
 to apprehend, their eyes and ears were so thoroughly 
 closed, that they appeared blind and deaf, although ordi- 
 narily not the slightest noise, or the most futile object 
 escaped their notice, but was analyzed with the search- 
 ing and investigating spirit of individuals whose life 
 may hang on a false step or a badly calculated move- 
 ment. 
 
 On coming within pistol-shot of the village, the horse- 
 men stopped to give the Indian behind them time to 
 rejoin them. So soon as the latter perceived this halt, 
 he whipped his horse, and almost immediately ranged 
 up alongside his comrades. He stopped his horse, and 
 waited silently and calmly till he should be addressed. 
 
 " What are we to do now, Chief?" one of the 
 travellers asked. " So soon as we have passed that pro- 
 jecting point we shall be at the valley." 
 
 "Our Pale brothers are brave; the Antelope Coman- 
 ches will be happy to receive them and burn powder in 
 their honour. A Chief will go alone to the village to 
 announce their arrival to the Sachems." 
 " Go then, Chief, we will await you here." 
 ""Wan ! my brother has spoken well." 
 The Indian vigorously lashed his horse, which bounded 
 ahead and speedily disappeared behind the peak to which 
 the hunter had pointed. The horsemen drew up in 
 line and waited motionless with their hands on their 
 weapons. In a very few minutes a noise was heard 
 
100 THE WHITE SCALPEE. 
 
 resembling the rolling of thunder, and suddenly a crowd 
 of mounted Indians appeared, coming up at full speed, 
 brandishing their weapons, discharging their guns, howl- 
 ing and whistling in the long iskocMttas made of human 
 thigh-bones, which they wore hanging from their necks. 
 
 On their side, the hunters, at a sign from the man 
 who appeared to be their leader, made their horses cur- 
 vet, and discharged their weapons with repeated shouts 
 and demonstrations of joy. For half an hour there was 
 a deafening noise, augmented by the yells of the squaws 
 and children who flocked up, blowing shells and rattling 
 cliichikoues, and the barking of the thousands of savage 
 and half-tamed dogs which the Indians constantly take 
 about with them. It was plain that the strangers to 
 whom the Redskins, generally so haughty and retiring, 
 offered so warm and friendly a reception, were great 
 friends of the tribe; for, had it been otherwise, a 
 deputation of Chiefs would have met them at the 
 entrance of the village to do them the honours of the 
 atepetl, but the brave and renowned warriors would 
 not have thought it requisite to get under arms. 
 
 All at once the noise ceased as if by enchantment, 
 and the Indian horsemen ranged themselves in a semi- 
 circle in front of the white hunters. A few paces before 
 the line, four principal Chiefs, mounted on magnificent 
 mustangs, formed a separate group. These warriors, 
 completely armed and painted for war, wore the great 
 cap of feathers which only renowned warriors who have 
 raised many scalps are entitled to assume ; their shoulders 
 were decked with superb necklaces of grizzly bears 7 
 claws, five inches long and white at the tips; behind 
 them floated the wide white buffalo robe, painted red 
 inside, and on which their exploits were designed; in 
 
THE ATEPETL. 101 
 
 one hand they held their guns, in the other a fan made 
 of the wing of a white-headed eagle. These Indian 
 warriors, clothed in such a magnificent costume, had 
 something majestic and imposing about them that in- 
 spired respect. 
 
 For some ten minutes the Indians and hunters stood 
 thus, motionless and silent, in presence of each other, 
 when suddenly a fresh horseman appeared, coming at 
 full speed from the village. He was evidently a white 
 man ; he was dressed in the garb of a woodranger, and 
 two magnificent rastreros, or greyhounds, leaped up 
 playfully on either side of his horse. At the appear- 
 ance of the new comer the Indians burst into yells of 
 joy, and shouted 
 
 " The great brave of the Antelope Comanches ! Loyal 
 Heart, Loyal Heart !" 
 
 The warrior was really the Mexican hunter, who has 
 already made his appearance several times during the 
 course of our narrative. He saluted the warriors by a 
 wave of the hand, and took his place among the Chiefs, 
 who respectfully made way for him. 
 
 " My brother Black-deer has informed me of the 
 arrival of great friends of our nation," he said, "and I 
 have hurried up in all haste to witness their reception 
 and bid them welcome." 
 
 " Why has not the Black-deer accompanied our brother 
 the great Brave of the tribe r" one of the Chiefs asked. 
 
 " The Sachem wished to remain in the village and 
 watch the preparation of the medicine lodge." 
 
 The Chief bowed, but said nothing further. Loyal 
 Heart then put his horse at a gallop and advanced to- 
 ward the hunters, who, on their sides, made a move to 
 meet him. 
 
102 THE WHITE SCALPER, 
 
 "You are welcome here, Tranquil/' Loyal Heart 
 said ; " yourself and your comrades were impatiently 
 expected." 
 
 "Thank you," Tranquil answered, pressing the hand 
 the hunter offered him ; " many events have happened 
 since our separation, and it certainly did not depend on 
 us that we did not arrive sooner." 
 
 The five white hunters were all old acquaintances 
 Tranquil, Lanzi, Quoniam, John Davis, and Fray Anto- 
 nio. How was it that the American and the Monk had 
 joined the three woodrangers ! We shall explain that 
 to the reader in the proper place. Loyal Heart took 
 Tranquil's right hand, and both advanced at an amble 
 towards the Chiefs. 
 
 " Sachems of the Antelope tribe," he said, " this 
 Pale hunter is my brother ; his heart is good, his arm 
 strong, and his tongue is not forked ; he loves the red 
 men ; he is renowned as a great brave in his nation, he 
 is wise at the council fire ; love him, for the Master of 
 Life sustains him and has removed the skin from his 
 heart, in order that his blood may be pure and the words 
 he utters such as a wise warrior ought to pronounce." 
 
 " "Wah !" one of the Sachems answered, with a grace- 
 ful bow to the hunter; " the Comanches are great war- 
 riors ; who can tell the extent of the hunting grounds 
 the great spirit has given them ? They are the masters 
 of the red man because they are all great braves, whose 
 heels are adorned with numerous wolf- tails. My Pale 
 brother and his warriors will enter the atepetl ; they 
 will receive callis, horses, and squaws to clean their 
 arms and prepare their food, and the tribe of Antelope 
 Comanches will count five braves more. I have spoken ; 
 have I said right, powerful Chiefs ?" 
 
THE ATEPETL. 103 
 
 " Chief," Tranquil replied, " I thank you for the 
 hearty reception you are pleased to offer me. My 
 brother, Loyal Heart, has told you the truth about my 
 feelings towards your nation. I love the Red men, and 
 especially the Comanches, who, of all the nations dwell- 
 ing on the prairies, are the noblest and most courageous, 
 and rightly call themselves the Queen Nation of the 
 prairies, because their war horses and braves traverse it 
 in all directions, and no one dares to oppose them. In 
 my own name and that of my comrades I accept your 
 frank and cordial hospitality, and we shall requite so 
 great a favour by our wise and moderate conduct." 
 
 The principal Sachem then took off his buffalo robe, 
 with a gesture full of dignity, and placed it on the 
 shoulders of the hunter, while the other Chiefs did the 
 same to his comrades. 
 
 " Warriors and braves of the powerful Antelope tribe," 
 he said, turning to the Indians, who were still motion- 
 less and silent, " these Palefaces are henceforth our 
 brothers. Woe to the man who insults them !" 
 
 At these words the shouts and yells recommenced 
 with fresh vigour, and the Indians displayed signs of 
 the liveliest joy. Possibly this joy was not so real as 
 it appeared, and was not equally shared by all present. 
 Eut those who might feel annoyed at the admission of 
 the wood-rangers into the tribe, carefully concealed their 
 displeasure, and were, perhaps, the very men whose de- 
 monstrations of delight were the most vociferous. 
 
 Indian policy, very logical in this as in many other 
 things, orders the natives to seek at any price an alliance 
 with the whites, whose recognized skill in the manage- 
 ment of arms, and profound knowledge of the manners of 
 their countrymen, may at a given moment be of great 
 
104 THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 service to the Indians, either in the interminable wars 
 they wage against each other, or to defend them against 
 the soldiers, civicos, and armed colonists, whom the civi- 
 lized governments surrounding them frequently send to 
 take vengeance for incursions on the territories of the 
 "White men, incursions in which the Indians indulge only 
 too frequently, and during which they are guilty of 
 deeds of unheard-of cruelty, and cause irreparable 
 misfortunes. 
 
 After the final ceremony we have described, the In- 
 dian Sachems took the White hunters in their midst, 
 and placing themselves at the head of their warriors, 
 started at a gallop for the village, which they reached 
 in less than a quarter of an hour. At the entrance 
 Black-deer was waiting for them, surrounded by the 
 most important and wisest Sachems of the tribe. With- 
 out uttering a syllable, he took the head of the column 
 and led it to the centre of the village, near the Ark of the 
 first man. On reaching it the Indians suddenly halted, 
 as if the feet of their horses were imbedded in the 
 ground. Black-deer then stationed himself at the door- 
 way of the medicine-lodge, between the hachesto, who 
 held in his hand the totem of the tribe, "and the pipe- 
 bearer, who supported the sacred calumet. 
 
 " Who are the Pale men who thus enter as friends 
 the atepetl of the Antelope Comanches ?" he asked, ad- 
 dressing Loyal Heart. 
 
 ''They are brothers, who ask leave to sit by the 
 hearth of the Red men," the latter answered. 
 
 " It is well/' Black-deer continued; " these men are 
 our brothers. The Council-fire is lighted; they will 
 enter with us the lodge of the Great Medicine, sit down 
 by the fire and smoke morichee from the sacred calumet 
 with the Sachems of the nation." 
 
THE ATEPETL. 105 
 
 " Let it be as my brother has decided," Loyal Heart 
 responded. 
 
 Black-deer gave a wave of the hand, upon which the 
 hachesto raised the curtained door of the lodge, and the 
 Chiefs entered, followed by the hunters. The medicine- 
 lodge, much larger than the other callis of the village, 
 was also built with greater care. The buffalo skins that 
 covered it entirely were painted red with a profusion of 
 black designs, a species of sacred hieroglyphics, only 
 understood by the medicine-men and the most renowned 
 Sachems of the tribe, who possessed the scent of the 
 war-trail. The interior of the lodge was perfectly 
 empty. In the centre was a round hole dug in the 
 earth to a depth of about two feet ;. in this hole the re- 
 quisite wood and charcoal were prepared. 
 
 When all the Chiefs had entered the lodge, the ha- 
 chesto let the curtain fall again that formed the entrance. 
 A band of picked warriors immediately surrounded the 
 lodge to keep off the curious, and insure the secrecy of 
 the deliberations. The Indians are excessively strict 
 about the laws of etiquette ; with them everything is 
 regulated with a minuteness we should be far from ex- 
 pecting among a semibarbarous nation ; and each is 
 bound by the severest penalties to conform to the cere- 
 monial. In order to make our readers thoroughly un- 
 derstand their strange manners, we thought it best to 
 give them in their fullest detail. 
 
 Thus Black-deer was perfectly well aware who the Pale- 
 faces were that reached the village, since he had acted 
 as their guide. But etiquette demanded that he should 
 receive them as he had done, for otherwise the other 
 Chiefs might have been scandalized by such a breach of 
 custom, and the strangers would, in all probability, have 
 
106 THE WHITE SCALPEB. 
 
 fallen victims to their forgetfulness of the usages of the 
 nation. 
 
 The Chiefs crouched silently in the centre of the 
 lodge. The -hachesto then presented Elack-deer with 
 a medicine-rod, to the end of which was attached a piece 
 of lighted ocote wood. The Sachem kindled the fire. 
 The pipe-bearer then entered the lodge, bearing on his 
 shoulder the sacred calumet, which must never touch 
 the ground. The pipe-bearer is usually selected from 
 among the most renowned warriors of the tribe, whom 
 a wound in battle has rendered unfit for active service. 
 
 The sacred calumet is a pipe whose stem, ordinarily 
 of maple, varies from nine to eleven feet in length. 
 This stick is profusely garnished with feathers, glass 
 bells, and rattles. The bowl is made of a red stone, only 
 met with in a certain district of the Rocky Mountains, 
 whither the Indians do not hesitate to go and extract it, 
 in spite of the fatigue and difficulty of the journey. 
 When the stone is not entirely red, they are very careful 
 to stain it of that colour. 
 
 The Indian Sachems only use the sacred calumet on 
 solemn occasions, such as receptions, declarations of war, 
 or the election of a Chief. The tobacco they burn in 
 the calumet is called morochee ; it is a narcotic plant, 
 bearing a distant resemblance to tobacco. It is washed 
 before using, and then steeped in spirits, after which it 
 is dried and mixed with ordinary tobacco. This ma- 
 nipulation is effected by the medicine-men, or sorcerers, 
 who alone have the right of keeping the morichee, 
 though they are not allowed to convert it to their 
 private use. 
 
 At a sign from Black-deer the pipe-bearer lit the ca- 
 lumet with a medicine-rod ; he then presented the end 
 
THE ATEPETL. 107 
 
 of the tube to the Chief, while holding the bowl in the 
 palm of his right hand. Elack-deer inhaled the smoke 
 twice, and then blew it out in the direction of the four 
 cardinal points, saying, " Master of Life ! powerful "Wa- 
 condah ! may the smell of the morichee delight thy 
 nostrils ! regard us with a favourable eye, as thy well-be- 
 loved children ! As I breathe this smoke toward thee, 
 blow into our bosoms the wisdom that ought to preside 
 at our councils !" 
 
 After pronouncing these words, Black-deer inhaled 
 the smoke twice, and then passed the tube to the next 
 Chief. The latter silently puffed forth the smoke, and 
 passed the pipe on to his neighbour. The calumet thus 
 went the round of the company, and returned to Blaok- 
 deer, who smoked it out. When all the tobacco was 
 consumed, the pipe-bearer emptied the burning ash into 
 the council fire, saying 
 
 " The Master of Life has received the offering of the 
 Comanche Sachems. All the rites are accomplished, the 
 auguries are favourable ; the council is opened." 
 
 After speaking thus, the pipe-bearer withdrew, and 
 the Chiefs remained alone. We will not repeat the 
 speeches made. The savages, as persons so unjustly 
 insist on calling them, have one great advantage over 
 us, in the fact that in their deliberative meetings the 
 speakers never give vent to attacks, or insults, or per- 
 sonalities against their political adversaries. All, on the 
 contrary, goes on with the utmost decency : each speaks 
 in his turn, and is never interrupted ; then, when a 
 question has been sufficiently elucidated, the oldest Chief 
 sums up the debate, takes the opinion of each, which is 
 intimated by a simple move of the head, and all is over. 
 
 On this occasion the council had two very serious 
 
108 THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 questions to discuss. In the first place, it was proposed 
 to organise a great expedition against the Buffalo Apaches, 
 a plundering tribe, who had several times stolen horses 
 from the very villages of the Comanches, and on whom the 
 Sachems desired to take exemplary revenge. Secondty, 
 Tranquil, through the medium of Loyal Heart, whose 
 influence was great with the tribe, requested that a band 
 of picked braves, amounting to fifty, and placed under 
 the command of Loyal Heart, should be entrusted to him 
 for an expedition, the object of which he could not divulge 
 at the moment, but its success would benefit his allies 
 as much as himself. 
 
 The first question was, after several speeches, unani- 
 mously resolved in the affirmative. The council was 
 proceeding to discuss the second, when a loud noise was 
 heard outside, the curtain of the medicine lodge was 
 raised, and the hachesto walked in. Let us shortly ex- 
 plain what the hachesto of an Indian village is, and the 
 nature of his duties. The hachesto is a man who must 
 be gifted with a loud and powerful voice. He represents 
 among the Red skins the town-crier, and his duty is to 
 make news public, and convene the Chiefs to council. 
 When he made his appearance in the lodge, Black-deer 
 gave him an angry glance. * 
 
 " When the Chiefs are assembled in the Medicine- 
 lodge, they must not be disturbed," he said to him. 
 
 "My father, Wah-Eush-a-Menec, speaks well," the 
 Indian answered with a respectful bow; " his son 
 knows it." 
 
 " Then, why has my son entered without the orders 
 of the Sachems :" 
 
 " Because five warriors of the Buffalo Apaches have 
 arrived at the village." 
 
THE ATEPETL. 109 
 
 " Wah ! and who is the brave that has made them 
 prisoners ? why has he not taken their scalps ? does he 
 prefer fastening them to the stake of torture ?" 
 
 The hachesto shook his head. 
 
 " My father is mistaken," he said; " these warriors 
 have not been made prisoners by any of our braves, they 
 are free." 
 
 " Ooehst !" said Black-deer with a degree of surprise 
 he could not entirely conceal ; " how then did they enter 
 the village ?" 
 
 " Openly, in the sight of all ; they call themselves 
 ambassadors." 
 
 " Ambassadors ! And who is the Chief that marches 
 at their head?" 
 
 " Blue-fox." 
 
 " Blue-fox is a great brave. He is a terrible warrior 
 in fight ; his arm has raised many scalps belonging to 
 my sons ; his hand has robbed them of many horses. 
 But his presence is disagreeable to the Comanches. What 
 does he want ?" 
 
 "To enter the Medicine-lodge, and explain to the 
 Sachems the mission with which he is entrusted." 
 
 "It is well," said Black-deer, giving an enquiring 
 glance to the members of the council. 
 
 The latter replied by a nod of assent. Loyal Heart 
 rose- f 
 
 " My Pale brothers, I must not be present at the de- 
 liberation that is about to take place," he remarked ; 
 " will the Chief permit me to retire r" 
 
 " Loyal Heart is a son of the Comanches," Black-deer 
 answered ; "his place is among us, for, if he be young 
 in years, his experience and wisdom are great. But he 
 can do as he pleases the Pale hunters can retire. If 
 
110 THE WHITE SCALPEE. 
 
 the Chiefs require Loyal Heart, they will request his 
 return." 
 
 The young man bowed ceremoniously, and withdrew, 
 followed by the hunters, who, we must confess, were 
 delighted at getting away from the Medicine-lodge, for 
 they felt the need of rest after the fatigue they had 
 undergone in making a long journey by almost impracti- 
 cable roads. 
 
 CHAPTEE VIII. 
 
 HOSPITALITY. 
 
 WE have said that some callis had been got ready for 
 the hunters. These callis, built like those of the Indians, 
 were, however, comfortable enough for men who, accus- 
 tomed to desert life, despise the superfluities of towns, 
 and are contented with what is strictly necessary. On 
 quitting the Medicine-lodge, Loyal Heart led the travel- 
 lers to two callis communicating with each other ; then, 
 making Tranquil a sign to follow him, he left the four 
 hunters to make themselves as jolly as they could. 
 
 " As for you, my friend," he said to Tigrero, "I hope 
 you will accept the hospitality my modest abode permits 
 me to offer you." 
 
 " Why put yourself to trouble for me :" the Canadian 
 replied, " the slightest thing suffices m^ I assure you 
 that I should be all right with my comrades." 
 
 " I do not put myself out at all ; on the contrary, I 
 feel a real pleasure in giving you a place at my fireside." 
 
 " As it is so, I no longer insist : do what you please 
 with me." 
 
 " Thanks ! come on then." 
 
 Without further remark, they crossed the village- 
 
HOSPITALITY. Ill 
 
 square, which was almost deserted at this moment, for 
 night had fallen some time previously, and most of the 
 Indians had retired to their wigwams. Still, from the 
 interior of the callis, songs and laughter could be heard, 
 proving that if the inhabitants had shut themselves up, 
 they were not the less awake for all that. We will re- 
 mark in passing, that many travellers who have only 
 seen Indians, and have not been in a position to study 
 their character, represent them as gloomy, mournful men, 
 speaking but little, and never laughing. This is a grave 
 error ; the Eedskins, on the contrary, are generally very 
 jovial when together, and are specially fond of telling 
 stories. But with the strangers, whose language they do 
 not understand, and who do not understand theirs, they 
 maintain a reserve, and only speak when absolutely com- 
 pelled, because, as they are extremely susceptible, they 
 fear giving their listeners an opportunity of ridiculing 
 them. 
 
 Loyal Heart, after walking for some minutes through 
 the streets, stopped before a calli of sufficiently singular 
 appearance to surprise Tranquil, although he was not 
 easily astonished. This calli, which anywhere else 
 would have been quite common- place, justly appeared 
 strange in an Indian village. It was a rather large 
 rancho, built in the Mexican fashion, of planks painted 
 of a dazzling whiteness. It formed a parallelogram, the 
 roof was flat, and in front of the door was a porch formed 
 of six enormous trees fastened together, and covered with 
 an azotea. On either side the door, three windows were 
 pierced in the frontage, and these windows had glass 
 panes, a most singular thing at a spot so remote from 
 all towns. 
 
 A man of about fifty years of age, tall and thin, and 
 
112 THE TVHITE SCALPER. 
 
 dressed in the Mexican garb, was smoking a cigarette 
 as he sat on an equipal in the porch. This man, whose 
 hair was turning grey, hud the placid though resolute 
 look of men who have suffered greatly. On seeing him, 
 the rastreros, which hitherto had not left Loyal Heart a 
 yard, rushed toward him with a joyous bark, and leaped 
 up at him caressingly. 
 
 " Ah," the man said, as he rose and bowed respect- 
 fully to the hunter, "it is you, mi amo ! you return 
 home very late." 
 
 These words were uttered in that affectionate tone 
 which is so pleasing in the mouth of an old and faith- 
 ful servant. 
 
 " That is true, no Eusebio," the young man answered 
 with a smile, as he squeezed the hand of the old man, 
 whom those of our readers who have perused the 
 "Trappers of Arkansas" have doubtless recognised, 
 "I bring a friend/' 
 
 " He is welcome," no Eusebio answered; " we will 
 try to give him as hearty a welcome as he deserves, to 
 the best of our ability." 
 
 "Oh, oh, gossip I" Tranquil remarked, gaily; "I 
 am no troublesome guest, I shall not put you out of 
 your way much." 
 
 " Come in, my friend," said Loyal Heart; " I should 
 not like to keep my mother waiting any longer." 
 
 " The Senora is so restless when you are out late." 
 
 " Announce us; no Eusebio, we follow you.'' 
 
 The servant turned to obey, but the rastreros had 
 long ago announced the hunter's return to his mother, 
 by rushing madly into the house, hence the lady ap- 
 peared in the doorway at the moment when the three 
 men prepared to enter. At the moment when we meet 
 
HOSPITALITY. 113 
 
 Dona Garillas again, she was no longer the young and 
 charming woman, with such pure and soft beauty, whom 
 we saw in the prologue of the " Trappers ;" eight years 
 had passed over her ; eight long year a of agony, alarm, 
 and grief. She was still young and lovely, it is true, 
 hut this beauty had ripened beneath the burning blast 
 of adversity. Her pale forehead and calm features wore 
 that expression of crushing resignation which the old 
 sculptor succeeded in rendering on the admirable bust 
 of Melancholy. "When she saw her son her eyes spar- 
 kled, but that was all. 
 
 " Caballero," she said, in a gentle and melodious 
 voice as she smiled on the Canadian, " enter this modest 
 abode, where you have been impatiently expected for a 
 long time. Although our hearth be small, we always 
 keep a nook for a friend." 
 
 "Senora," the hunter replied with a bow, "your 
 reception overcomes me with joy. I trust I shall 
 prove deserving of the kindness you show me." 
 
 They entered the rancho, whose interior corresponded 
 exactly with the exterior. A candil, suspended from 
 a beam, illumined a rather large room, the furniture of 
 which consisted merely of a few equipals, two butaccas, 
 and a chiffonier, all clumsily made with the hatchet. 
 On the white- washed walls hung four of those coloured 
 engravings with which Parisian commerce inundates 
 both hemispheres. The first represented Napoleon at 
 the St. Bernard ; the second, Iturbide, that Mexican 
 general who was for six months emperor, and died, like 
 Murat, shot by his own subjects ; the third, our Saviour 
 on the cross between the two thieves ; and the fourth, 
 Nuestra-Senoni-de-los-Dolores. Before the last two 
 hung lamps that burned night and day. 
 
114 THE WHITE SCALPER, 
 
 During our lengthened wanderings we have been 
 enabled to discover a singular fact ; it is, that in Asia, 
 America, Africa, and the heart of Polynesia, among the 
 most savage tribes, the name of Napoleon the First has 
 not only penetrated, but is venerated like a god ; and I 
 even found his portrait among the Botecudos, that un- 
 tameable horde hidden in the forests of Brazil. What 
 is the magic influence exerted on humanity by this ex- 
 traordinary man ? It is vain to seek the solution of 
 this problem, vain to -try to discover by what remark- 
 able concourse of events the name of the great Emperor 
 penetrated beneath the grand domes of foliage, where 
 all the rumours of civilization expire without an echo. 
 
 An European rarely visits an Indian tribe in which 
 the Chiefs do not ask him news of Napoleon, and beg 
 him to tell anecdotes about his reign ; and strangely 
 enough, their primitive natures will not allow that the 
 great man is dead. When told so, the Chiefs content 
 themselves with smiling cunningly. One day, after a 
 lengthened hunt in Apacheria, I demanded hospitality 
 of a party of Opata Indians. The Chief, on hearing 
 that I was a Frenchman, did not fail to speak to me 
 about the Emperor. After a long conversation, I con- 
 cluded by describing, in a way that the men who sur- 
 rounded and listened to me with the most profound 
 attention could understand, the death of the great man 
 after long and painful sufferings. The Chief, an old 
 man of venerable appearance, interrupted me, and lay- 
 ing his left hand on my arm to attract my attention, 
 while with the right he pointed to the sun, whose fiery 
 disc was sinking in the horizon in clouds of vapour, 
 asked me with a most significant smile 
 
 " Is the sun about to die r" 
 
HOSPITALITY. 115 
 
 " Certainly not," I answered, not knowing what the 
 Kedskin was driving at. 
 
 "Wah!" he continued, "if the sun never dies, how 
 can the great pale Chief be dead, who is the son of that 
 planet ?" 
 
 < The Indians applauded this conclusion ; I tried to 
 alter their opinion in vain, and at length grew so tired, 
 that I 'allowed them to he right. All my efforts had 
 only produced the result of convincing them still more 
 of the immortality of the hero whom they are accus- 
 tomed to regard as a divinity. However, I believe that 
 if a person would take the trouble to seek carefully, he 
 would find in France peasants whose opinion is pre- 
 cisely similar. Asking the reader's pardon for this 
 long digression, we will resume our narrative at the 
 point where we interrupted it. 
 
 By the care of Dona Garillas and no Eusebio, a frugal 
 meal was prepared for the travellers, who now sate 
 down to table. Tranquil, especially, who had made a 
 long journey, experienced that feeling of internal com- 
 fort which is produced after long fatigue, by finding, 
 during a desert halt, a fugitive reflex of civilization. 
 
 The meal was most simple ; it consisted of pigoles 
 with pimento, a lump of venison, and maize tortillas, 
 the whole washed down with smilax water and a few 
 mouthfuls of pulque, a wonderful luxury in these re- 
 gions, and among the Comanches, the only Indians who 
 never drink strong liquors. No Eusebio sate down with 
 the hunters. The lady waited on them, and did the 
 honours of her house with that kindly and graceful 
 attention so rarely met with in our civilized countries, 
 where everything is so expensive, even a kind reception. 
 When the meal was ended, which was not long first, 
 
 i2 
 
116 THE WHITE SCALPEB. 
 
 the three men rose from table and seated themselves 
 round a copper brasero full of hot ashes, when they 
 began smoking. The dogs, like vigilant sentries, had 
 lain down across the door, with outstretched heads and 
 pricked-up ears* 
 
 The greatest silence prevailed in the village ; the songs 
 and laughter had gradually died out ; the Indians were 
 asleep or appeared to be so. Dona Garillas had made 
 in the corner of the room a bed of furs, which would 
 seem delicious to a man accustomed, during the course 
 of his adventurous life, to sleep most nights on the bare 
 ground, and she was about to invite the hunter to rest his 
 weary limbs, when the dogs raised their heads sharply 
 and began growling ; at the same instant, two slight 
 taps were given on the door of the rancho. 
 
 " Tis a friend/' Loyal Heart said; "open, no 
 Eusebio." 
 
 The old servant obeyed, and an Indian stalked in ; it 
 was Black-deer. The Chiefs face was gloomy; he 
 bowed slightly to the company, 'and, without saying a 
 syllable, sat down on an equipal placed for him near the 
 brasero. The hunters were too conversant with the 
 Indian character to question the Chief, so long as he 
 was pleased to keep silence. Tranquil, however, drew 
 his pipe from his lips, and handed it to Black-deer, who 
 began smoking, after thanking him with one of those 
 emphatic gestures usual with the Redskins. There was 
 a long silence, but at last the Chief raised his head. 
 
 " The Chiefs have left the Council lodge," he said. 
 " Ah !" Loyal Heart replied, for the sake of saying 
 something. 
 
 " No determination was formed, no answer given the 
 Envoy? " 
 
HOSPITALITY. 117 
 
 "The Sachems are prudent, they wished to reflect." 
 
 The Sachem nodded in affirmation. 
 
 " Does my brother Loyal Heart wish to learn what 
 happened at the Council after his departure ?" he asked. 
 
 " My brother is thoughtful, his heart is sad ; let him 
 speak, the ears of a friend are open." 
 
 " The Chief will eat first," Dona Garillas remarked, 
 " he remained late at the Council ; the squaws have not 
 prepared his evening meal." 
 
 "My mother is good," he replied with a smile, "Black- 
 deer will eat ; he is here in the wigwam of the brother 
 of his heart : the warriors have exchanged horses and 
 weapons." 
 
 "Who taught the Indians this aifecting custom, which 
 makes them select a friend, with whom they exchange 
 arms and horses, and who, from that 'moment, is dearer 
 to them than if blood-ties attached them ? Black-deer 
 and Loyal Heart had really made the exchange referred 
 to by the Sachem. 
 
 " My mother will re tire to sleep," said Loyal Heart. 
 " I will wait on my brother." 
 
 " Be it so," the Eedskin answered ; "my mother 
 needs rest the night is advanced." 
 
 Dona Garillas understood that the three men had 
 to talk about secret affairs, so, after bidding her guests 
 good-night, she withdrew without offering any objection. 
 As for no Eusebio, considering his presence unnecessary, 
 he went to bed after the Indian's arrival, that is to say, 
 lay down on a hammock, suspended in the porch of the 
 house, with the two rastreros at his feet, so that no one 
 could enter or leave the house without awakening him. 
 After hurriedly eating a few mouthfuls, rather through 
 politeness than want, Black-deer spoke again, 
 
118 THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 " My brother Loyal Heart is young," he said, " but 
 his wisdom is great ; the Chiefs have confidence in him, 
 and would not decide anything till they had heard his 
 opinion." 
 
 " My brothers know that I am devoted to them. If 
 my brother will explain, I will answer him." 
 
 " Blue Pox arrived at the village to-day." 
 
 " I saw him." 
 
 " Good ; he came on the part of the Chiefs of his na- 
 tion ; Blue -fox has put on the skin of the timid asshatas, 
 his words are gentle and his mouth distils honey ; but the 
 buffalo cannot leap like the elk, or the hawk imitate 
 the dove. The Chiefs did not put faith in his words." 
 
 " Then they answered him in the negative ?" 
 
 " Ifa, they wished first to consult my brother. 5 ' 
 
 " Wah ! on what subject ?" 
 
 " My brother will listen. The Pale-faces on the other 
 side of the Meche-chebe dug up the war hatchet against 
 each other some moons ago, as my brother is aware." 
 
 "I know it, Chief, and so do you. But how does it 
 concern us ? a quarrel among the whites cannot affect 
 us in any way. So long as they do not invade our 
 hunting grounds, do not steal our horses or burn our 
 villages, we can only congratulate ourselves at seeing 
 them destroy each other." 
 
 " My brother speaks like a wise man; the Sachems 
 are of the same opinion." 
 
 " Good ; I cannot understand, then, what reason can 
 have determined the Chiefs to discuss such a subject." 
 
 " Wah ! my brother can speedily understand if tie 
 will listen." 
 
 " Chief, you Eedskins have an unhappy knack of 
 wrapping up your thoughts in so many words, that it 
 is impossible to guess the point you are aiming at." 
 
HOSPITALITY. 
 
 119 
 
 Black-deer broke into that silent laugh peculiar to 
 Indians. 
 
 " My brother knows how to discover a trail better 
 than any one," he said. 
 
 " Certainly ; but to do so I must be shown a footstep 
 or trace, however feeble it may be. ' 
 
 " And my brother has discovered the trail, which I 
 merely indicated to him ?" 
 
 "Yes." 
 
 " Oh ! I should be curious to know my brother's 
 thoughts." 
 
 ft Then listen to me in your turn, Black-deer I shall 
 be brief. Blue Fox was sent by the Buffalo Apaches 
 to the Antelope Comanches to propose to them an offen- 
 sive and defensive alliance against one of the two nations 
 of the Pale- faces which have dug up the hatchet against 
 each other." 
 
 In spite of all the phlegm which nature and Indian 
 training had endowed him with, the Chief could not 
 conceal the amazement he experienced on hearing these 
 words. 
 
 "It is well," he said; " my brother is not only a 
 great, brave, and daring warrior, but is also a man in- 
 spired by the Wacondah. His medicine is irresistible, 
 he knows everything. Blue Eox made this proposition 
 to the Sachems." 
 
 " And have they accepted it?" 
 
 "To; I repeat to my brother that they would not 
 give any answer till they heard his opinion." 
 
 " Very good, then, This is my opinion, and the 
 Chiefs can follow it or not, as they please. The Coman- 
 ches nation are the Queen of the Prairies ; the most 
 invincible warriors assemble beneath its totem ; its hunt- 
 
120 THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 ing ground extends over the whole earth ; the Comanches 
 alone are indomitable. Why should they ally them- 
 selves with the Apache thieves r are they desirous of 
 exchanging their lances and guns for weavers' shuttles ? 
 are they tired of being redoubtable warriors r do they 
 wish to put on women's petticoats ? why should they 
 league with their most obstinate enemies against men 
 who are fighting to obtain their liberty ? Blue Fox is a 
 renegade from the Snake-Pawnees ; my brother knows 
 him, since he is his personal enemy. Any peace pro- 
 posed by such an ambassador must conceal a trap; sooner 
 war than such an alliance." 
 
 There was a rather lengthened silence, during which 
 the Chief reflected deeply on what he had just heard. 
 
 " My brother is right," he said at last ; " wisdom 
 resides in him, his tongue is not forked, the words he 
 titters are inspired by the Wacondah ! The Comanches 
 will not treat with the plundering Apaches. The coun- 
 cil has asked for three suns to refiect on this grave 
 question ; in three suns Blue Fox will return with a 
 categorical refusal to those who sent him. The Coman- 
 ches will dig up the war-hatchet sooner than ally them- 
 selves with their enemies." 
 
 " My brothers, if they do that, will act like wise men." 
 
 "They will do it. I have now to speak to my 
 brother on a matter that interests me personally." 
 
 " Good. Sleep does not yet weigh down my eyelids, 
 so I will listen to my brother." 
 
 " Loyal Heart is a friend of Blackbird," the Chief 
 continued, with some hesitation. 
 
 The hunter smiled knowingly. 
 
 " Blackbird is one of the most renowned braves of 
 the tribe," he answered; " his daughter, Bounding 
 
HOSPITALITY. 121 
 
 Fawn, will count fourteen autumns at the fall of the 
 leaves." 
 
 "Black-deer loves Bounding Fawn." 
 
 " I know it ; my brother has already confessed to me 
 that the virgin of the first love placed, during his sleep, 
 a four-leaved shamrock under his head. But has the 
 Chief assured himself as to Bounding Fawn's feelings ?" 
 
 " The young virgin smiles when the Chief returns 
 from an expedition with scalps hanging from his girdle ; 
 she trembles when he departs ; she feeds his horse in 
 secret, and her greatest pleasure is to clean his weapons. 
 When the maidens of the tribe dance at night to the 
 sound of the drum and chichikoue, Bounding Fawn 
 gazes thoughtfully in the direction of Black-deer's calli, 
 and forgets to dance with her companions." 
 
 '* Good ! and does the maiden recognise the sound of 
 my brother's war whistle, and run joyfully to the meet- 
 ing the Chief grants her ? To-night, for instance, were 
 the Chief to call her, would she rise from her bed to 
 obey his summons ?" 
 
 " She would rise," the Chief answered, laconically. 
 
 " Good ! Now, what does the Chief wish to ask of 
 me ? Black-bird is rich." 
 
 " Black-deer will give six mares which have never 
 felt a bit, two guns, and four hides of the white she- 
 buffalo ; to-morrow the Chief's mother will give them 
 to my brother." 
 
 " Good. And does my brother intend to carry off 
 the woman he loves this night r" 
 
 " Black-deer suffers from being so long separated 
 from her ; since the death of his well-beloved wife, 
 Singing-bird, the Chiefs calli is solitary. Bounding 
 Fawn will prepare the venison for the Chief ; what does 
 my brother think of it ?" 
 
122 THE WHITE SCALFEE. 
 
 " My horse is ready ; if my brother say yes, I will 
 accompany him, if it be that he desires, as I suppose." 
 
 " Loyal Heart knows everything ; nothing escapes 
 his discernment." 
 
 "Let us go without loss of time. Will you accom- 
 pany us, Tranquil ? two witnesses are required, as you 
 are aware." 
 
 " I wish for nothing better, if my presence be not 
 disagreeable to the Chief." 
 
 " On the contrary; the Pale hunter is a great brave. 
 I shall be pleased to know that he is by my side." 
 
 The three men rose and quitted the house. K"o 
 Eusebio raised his head. 
 
 "We shall return in an hour," Loyal Heart said, as 
 he passed. 
 
 The old servant made no objection, and fell back in 
 his hammock. The Chief's horse was tied up near the 
 rancho ; he leaped into the saddle and waited for the 
 two hunters, who had gone to fetch theirs from the 
 corral. In a few minutes they arrived. The three 
 men slowly traversed the village, whose streets were 
 completely deserted at this late hour of the night. At 
 times, however, dogs got up as they passed, and barked 
 furiously after their horses' heels. Like all the winter 
 villages, this one was carefully guarded. Numerous 
 sentries, placed at different points, watched over the 
 common safety ; but, either that they recognised the 
 three horsemen, or for some other motive, they did not 
 challenge, but allowed them to pass apparently un- 
 noticed. 
 
 After leaving the village, Black-deer, who rode in front, 
 made a sharp turn to the right, and the horsemen almost 
 immediately disappeared in a thick chapparal, where 
 
HOSPITALITY. 123 
 
 men and horses concealed themselves with the utmost 
 care. The night was magnificent, the sky studded with 
 a profusion of glistening stars ; the moon shed a pale 
 and soft light, which, owing to the purity of the atmos- 
 phere, allowed objects to be distinguished for a great 
 distance. A solemn silence brooded over the forest, and 
 a gentle breeze sighed through the tree-tops. 
 
 Black-deer advanced to the edge of the covert, and, 
 raising his fingers to his lips, imitated the cry of the 
 raven thrice with such perfection, that the two hunters 
 concealed in the rear looked up mechanically to dis- 
 cover the bird that uttered the note. A few minutes 
 after, the cry of the Blue-jay, borne on the breeze, ex- 
 pressed like a plaintive sigh on the ears of the attentive 
 hunters. Black-deer repeated his signal. This time the 
 note of the sparrow-hawk was mingled almost instan- 
 taneously with that of the jay. The Indian started, and 
 looked in the direction where his friends were concealed. 
 
 "Is my brother ready ?" he said. 
 
 " I am," Loyal Heart simply answered. 
 
 Almost immediately, four riders could be seen leaving 
 the village at a gallop, and advancing rapidly toward 
 the spot where the Chief stood motionless. The rider 
 who galloped at the head of the band was a woman ; 
 she made her horse bound with feverish impatience, and 
 compelled it to gallop in a straight line, clearing all the 
 obstacles that were in its way. The three other riders 
 were about a bow-shot behind her. This race had some- 
 thing fantastic about it in the night, amidst this grand 
 scenery. Bounding Fawn, for it was she, fell panting 
 into Black-deer's arras. 
 
 " Here I am ! here I am !" she cried in a joyous voice, 
 choked, however, by emotion. 
 
124 THE WHITE SCALPEE. 
 
 The Indian pressed her lovingly to his wide chest, and 
 lifting her from the ground with that irresistible strength 
 that passion produces, he leaped with her on to his horse, 
 into whose flank he dug his spurs, and started at full 
 speed in the direction of the desert. At the same mo- 
 ment, the horsemen arrived, uttering yells of anger, and 
 brandishing, their weapons ; but they found before them 
 the two hunters, who resolutely barred their passage. 
 
 " Stay, Blackbird," Loyal Heart shouted ; " your 
 daughter belongs to my brother. Elack-deer is a great 
 Chief, his calli is lined with scalps he is rich in horses, 
 arms, and furs ; Bounding Pawn will be the cihuatl of a 
 great brave, whose medicine is powerful." 
 
 " Does Black-deer mean, then, to carry off my daugh- 
 ter r" Blackbird asked. 
 
 " He does mean it, and we his friends will defend him. 
 Tour daughter pleases him, and he will have her. In 
 defiance of you, and all who may attempt to oppose it, 
 he will take her as his wife." 
 
 " Wah !" the Indian said, turning to the horsemen 
 who accompanied him, " my brothers have heard: what 
 do they say ?" 
 
 " "We have heard," the Redskins answered; " we say 
 that Black-deer is truly a great Chief, and since he is 
 powerful enough to seize the woman he loves in spite of 
 her father and relatives, he ought to keep her." 
 
 "My brothers have spoken well," Loyal Heart re- 
 marked. " To-morrow I will come to Blackbird's calli 
 and pay him the purchase-money for the maiden the 
 Chief has robbed him of." 
 
 11 Good ! To-morrow I shall expect Loyal Heart and 
 his friend, the other Pale-face warrior," Blackbird said 
 with a bow. 
 
THE iTAREIAGE. 125 
 
 After these remarks, the three Indian warriors re- 
 turned to the village, closely followed hy the two hunters. 
 As for Black-deer, he had buried himself with his booty 
 in the thickest part of the forest, where no one attempted 
 to disturb him. The preliminaries of a Comanche mar- 
 riage had been strictly carried out on both sides. 
 
 A strange nation this Comanche, whose warriors love 
 like wild beasts, and who think themselves obliged to 
 carry off the woman they love, instead of obtaining her 
 by the voluntary consent of her family ! Is there not 
 something grand and noble in their haughty and indo- 
 mitable character ? 
 
 As Loyal Heart told no Eusebio, he was hardly an 
 hour absent. 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 THE MARRIAGE. 
 
 WHEN the two hunters returned to the rancho, Tranquil 
 looked at Loyal Heart. 
 
 " Well," he said to him, " and what are you going 
 to do ?" 
 
 "Well," the other replied with a smile, "the same 
 as you are going to do yourself, I suppose, sleep for it 
 is close on two o'clock." But noticing the Canadian's 
 anxious air, he hurriedly added " Pardon me, friend, 
 I forget that you have made a long journey to find me 
 here, and that, probably, you have important matters to 
 communicate to me. Well ! if you do not feel too 
 fatigued, I will rekindle the fire, we will sit down by 
 the brasero, and I will listen to you ; I do not feel at all 
 disposed for sleep, and the present hour is admirably 
 adapted for confidence." 
 
126 THE WHITE SCA1PEB. 
 
 Tranquil gently shook his head. 
 "I thank you for your kindness, my friend," he said; 
 " but, on reflection, I prefer deferring the conversation 
 till to-morrow ; I have no serious motive that compels 
 me to speak at this moment, and a few hours, more or 
 less, will have no influence in the events I have cause 
 to fear." 
 
 " You know better than I do the conduct best suited 
 to you under the circumstances. I merely repeat that 
 I am quite at your service whatever you may be pleased 
 to do." 
 
 " Let us sleep," the Canadian answered, with a smile. 
 "To-morrow, after our visit to Blackbird, we will 
 hold a palaver." 
 
 "Be it so, my friend, I will not press you; here is 
 your bed," he added, pointing to the pile of furs. 
 
 " It is rare for me to have so good a one in the desert/' 
 said Tranquil. 
 
 The two men then lay down fraternally side by side, 
 placed their weapons within reach, and ere long the 
 calmness of their breathing indicated that they were 
 asleep. Nothing disturbed the repose they enjoyed, and 
 the night passed quietly. A few minutes before sun- 
 rise Loyal Heart awoke ; a feeble light was beginning 
 to penetrate into the rancho, through the windows, 
 which had no sheltering or curtains. The hunter rose, 
 and at the moment when he was going to awake his 
 comrade, the latter opened his eyes. 
 
 " Ah, ah !" Loyal Heart said, "you are a very light 
 sleeper, my friend." 
 
 " It is an old hunter's habit, which I think I should 
 find it difficult to get rid of, unless I remained a long 
 time with you." 
 
THE MAKKTAGE. 127 
 
 "What prevents your doing so ? Such, a determina- 
 tion would cause great pleasure to my mother and my- 
 self." 
 
 " Do not form plans, my boy ; you know that with 
 us woodrangers we can hardly call the present moment 
 our own, and it would he utter madness for us to enter 
 on the future. We will revert to this subject ; but 
 now I believe we have something more important to 
 attend to." 
 
 " We have to perform the commission Black-deer en- 
 trusted to us ; are you still of a mind to help me ?" 
 
 " Certainly : the Chiefs of the tribe received me with 
 too much courtesy for me not to eagerly take the first 
 opportunity that offers to testify to them the lively sym- 
 pathy I feel for them." 
 
 " Well, as it is so, go to your comrades, get ready to 
 mount, and wait for me; I shall join them directly at 
 their calli." 
 
 " All right," Tranquil answered. 
 
 The two men left the house ; no Eusebio had deserted 
 his hammock, and was probably attending to household 
 duties. The Canadian went straight to the calli lent 
 his comrades by the Indians. 
 
 Day had by this time entirely broken; the curtains of 
 the callis were raised one after the other, and the Indian 
 squaws were beginning to emerge to go in quest of the 
 necessary wood and water for the preparation of break- 
 fast. Small parties of warriors were going off in dif- 
 ferent directions, some to indulge in the pleasures of the 
 chace, others to beat the forest and be certain that there 
 was no enemy's trail in the vicinity of the village. 
 
 At the moment when the Canadian passed in front ot 
 the Medicine-lodge, the sorcerer of the tribe came out 
 
128 IHE WHITE SCALPEB. 
 
 of it. He held in his hand a calabash filled with water, 
 in which a bunch of wormwood was dipped. The sor- 
 cerer ascended to the roof of the Medicine-lodge, and 
 turned to the rising sun. At the same instant the ha- 
 chesto shouted three different times in a powerful voice, 
 " The sun ! the sun ! the sun !" 
 
 A warrior then came out of each calli, holding in his 
 hand, like the sorcerer, a calabash of water with a 
 bunch of wormwood. The sorcerer began an incanta- 
 tion by murmuring mysterious words which he alone 
 comprehended, and sprinkling the four cardinal points 
 with the wormwood, an operation imitated exactly by 
 the warriors. Then, at a signal given by the sorcerer, 
 all the men threw the contents of the calabash towards 
 the sun, shouting at the same time, " Oh, sun ! thou 
 visible representative of the Invisible Master of Life ! 
 protect us on this commencing day ! Give us water, 
 air, and fire, for the earth belongs to us, and we can 
 defend it !" 
 
 After this haughty prayer the warriors re-entered 
 their callis, and the sorcerer descended from his elevated 
 post. Tranquil, who was perfectly conversant with In- 
 dian customs, had stopped and waited, in a respectful 
 attitude, the end of the ceremony. When the sorcerer 
 had disappeared in the Medicine-lodge, the hunter re- 
 sumed his walk. The inhabitants of the village already 
 affected to regard him as one of themselves ; the women 
 saluted him with a smile and a pleasant word as he 
 passed, and the children ran up laughing to bid him 
 good-day. "When Tranquil entered the calli his com- 
 rades were still asleep, but he soon roused them. 
 
 " Hilloh !" John Davis said, good-humouredly, " you 
 are very early, old hunter. Are we going to make any 
 expedition ?" 
 
THE MAKRIAGE. 129 
 
 " Not that I know of, for the present, at any rate," 
 the Canadian answered ; " we are merely going to ac- 
 corapany Loyal Heart, while he accomplishes a cere- 
 mony." 
 
 " What is up, then ?" 
 
 " The marriage of our friend Black-deer. I supposed 
 it to be good policy not to refuse our aid, especially as 
 you, Davis, have an interest in getting into the good 
 graces of the Indians." 
 
 " I should think so. But tell me, old hunter, have 
 you consulted with our friend on the matter that brings 
 me here r" 
 
 " Not yet : various reasons urged me to wait for a 
 favourable moment." 
 
 "As you please ; but you know the matter is press- 
 ing." 
 
 " I know it, and you can trust to me." 
 
 " Oh ! I leave you to act entirely as you please. 
 What are we to do now ?" 
 
 " Nothing but mount our horses, and wait till Loyal 
 Heart comes to fetch us. He has undertaken the ma- 
 nagement of the ceremony." 
 
 " Well, that is not very difficult/' the American said, 
 with a laugh. 
 
 In an instant the hunters were up, performed their 
 ablutions, and saddled their horses. They had scarce 
 mounted, ere a great noise of shells, drums, and chichi- 
 koues, mingled with shouts of joy, shots, and the sharp 
 barking of all the dogs in the village, announced the 
 arrival of Loyal Heart. The young Chief advanced at 
 the head of a numerous procession of Indian warriors, 
 dressed in their most magnificent costumes, armed and 
 painted for war, and mounted on superb mustangs, which 
 
130 THE WHITE SCALPEB. 
 
 they caused to curvet with marks of the most lively 
 delight. The procession halted before the calli. 
 
 "Well," Loyal Heart asked, " are you ready r" 
 
 "We are waiting for you," Tranquil answered. 
 
 " Come on, then." 
 
 The five hunters placed themselves by the side of 
 their friend, and the procession started once more. The 
 Indians saw with a lively feeling of pleasure the strange 
 hunters join them ; the part Loyal Heart and Tranquil 
 took in the ceremony especially caused them great joy, 
 and inspired them with considerable pride, by proving 
 to them that their Paleface friends, far from despising 
 their customs, or displaying an indifference towards 
 them, took an interest in the ceremony, and evidenced 
 their sympathy with the Comanches by accepting a 
 place in the procession. 
 
 Loyal Heart proceeded straight to Blackbird's calli, 
 in front of which a fire had been lighted, and the Chief's 
 family were seated silent and motionless round it. 
 Blackbird, dressed in his grand war paint, and mounted 
 on his battle-charger, rode at the head of some twenty 
 warriors of his family, whom it was easy to recognize 
 as renowned warriors and great braves by the numerous 
 wolf-tails with which their heels were adorned. At 
 the moment when the procession reached the great 
 square, a solitary horseman, with a gloomy air and 
 haughty demeanour, was crossing it, and proceeding to- 
 ward the council-lodge. It was Blue-fox. At the sight 
 of the procession a smile of undefinable meaning played 
 round his lips, an$ he halted to let the Comanche warriors 
 defile before him. Tranquil whispered to Loyal Heart 
 
 "Be on your guard against that man ; if I am not 
 greatly mistaken, his mission is only a trap, and he 
 meditates some treachery." 
 
THE MARBIAGE. 131 
 
 " That is my notion too," the hunter replied ; "that 
 gloomy face forebodes nothing good ; but the council 
 are warned, and watch him closely." 
 
 " I have known him for a long time, he is a tho- 
 rough-paced villain. I would not let him out of my 
 sight, were I in your place. Bat we have reached our 
 destination, so let us attend to our own business." 
 
 Loyal Heart raised his arm ; at this signal the music, 
 if such a name can be given to the abominable row 
 made by all these instruments, which, held by unskilful 
 hands, produced the most discordant sounds, was silent 
 as if by enchantment. The warriors then seized their 
 war-whistles, and produced a shrill and prolonged note 
 thrice. A similar whistle was immediately given by 
 Blackbird's party. "When the procession halted, a 
 vacant space of about twenty yards was left between 
 the two bands, and Loyal Heart and Tranquil advanced 
 alone into this space, making their horses prance and 
 brandishing their weapons, amid the joyous applause of 
 the crowd, which admired their skill and good counte- 
 nance. Blackbird and two of his comrades then left 
 their party and rode to meet the hunters, and the five 
 men halted at about halfway. Loyal Heart, after 
 saluting the Chief respectfully, was the first to speak. 
 
 "I see that my father is a great Chief," he said ; 
 " his head is covered by the sacred feathered cap of the 
 band of the old dogs ; numerous exploits are painted on 
 his broad chest ; the wolf-tails fastened to his heels 
 make a hole in the ground, so many are they. My 
 father must be one of the greatest braves of the Ante- 
 lope Comanches : he will tell us his name, that I may 
 remember it as that of a Chief of renown in the council, 
 and brave and terrible in combat." 
 
 K2 
 
132 THE WHITE SCALPEB. 
 
 The Chief smiled proudly at this point-blank compli- 
 ment ; he bowed with dignity, and answered 
 
 " My son is young, and yet wisdom dwells in him; 
 his arm is strong in fight, and his tongue is not forked ; 
 his renown has reached me ; iny brothers call him Loyal 
 Heart. Blackbird is happy to see him. "What motive 
 brings Loyal Heart to Blackbird with so large a party, 
 when the heart of the Chief is sad, and a cloud has 
 spread over his mind r" 
 
 61 1 know," Loyal Heart answered, " that the Chief 
 is sad, and am aware of the motive of his grief. I have 
 come with the braves who accompany me to restore 
 tranquillity to the mind of the Chief, and change his 
 sorrow into joy. 1 ' 
 
 "My son Loyal Heart will then explain himself 
 without further delay ; he knows that a man of heart 
 never plays with the grief of an aged man." 
 
 " I know it, and will explain myself without further 
 delay. My father is rich, the "Wacondah has always 
 regarded him with a favourable eye ; his family is nume- 
 rous, his sons are already brave warriors, his daughters 
 are virtuous and lovely ; one of them, the fairest, per- 
 haps, but certainly the one most beloved, was violently 
 carried off last night by Black-deer." 
 
 " Yes," the Chief answered, " a Comanche warrior 
 bore away my daughter Bounding Fawn, and fled with 
 her into the forest." 
 
 " That warrior is Black-deer." 
 
 " Black-deer is one of the most celebrated warriors 
 and wisest Chiefs of my nation. My heart leaped to- 
 ward him. Why did he carry off my child ?" 
 
 " Because Black-deer loves Bounding Fawn; a great 
 brave has the right to take anywhere the wife who 
 
THE MAKE! AGE. 133 
 
 pleases him, if he is rich enough to pay her father for 
 her. Blackbird cannot ohject to that." 
 
 " If such be Black-deer's intention, if he offer me a 
 ransom such as a warrior like him ought to pay to a 
 Chief like myself, I will allow that he has acted in an 
 honourable way, and that his intentions were pure ; if 
 not, I shall be an implacable enemy to him, because he will 
 have betrayed my confidence and deceived my hopes." 
 
 " Black-deer must not hastily judge his friend ; I am 
 ordered by Black-deer to pay for Bounding Fawn such 
 a ransom as few Chiefs have ever before received." 
 
 " What is the ransom ? where is it ?" 
 
 " The warriors who accompany me have brought it 
 with them ; but before delivering it to my father, I will 
 remark, that he has not invited me to sit down by his 
 fire, or offered me the calumet." 
 
 " My son will sit down by my fire, and I will share 
 the calumet with him when the mission he is intrusted 
 with is finished." 
 
 "Be it so ; my father shall be immediately satis- 
 fied." 
 
 Loyal Heart, turning to the warriors, who during this 
 conversation, which was sternly demanded by the laws 
 of Indian etiquette, had stood silent and motionless, raised 
 his hand. At once several horsemen left the procession 
 and pranced up to him, brandishing their weapons. 
 
 " The ransom !" he merely said. 
 
 " One moment," Black-deer objected ; " of what does 
 this ransom consist :" 
 
 " You shall see," Loyal Heart replied. 
 
 " I know that, but should prefer being informed 
 beforehand." 
 
 " For what reason ?" 
 
134 THE WHITE SCALPEB. 
 
 " Wah ! that I may be in a position to refuse it if I 
 find it unworthy of you." 
 
 " You ought not to have such a fear." 
 
 " That is possible, still I adhere to what I said." 
 
 " As you please," said Loyal Heart. 
 
 "We must here disclose one of the bad sides of the 
 Indian character. The Bedskins are extraordinarily 
 rapacious and avaricious. "With them wealth is every- 
 thing not wealth as we understand it in our country, 
 for they know not the value of gold : that metal, so 
 precious to us, is as nothing in their eyes ; but furs, 
 arms, and horses constitute for these warriors veritable 
 wealth, which they appreciate at its full value. Hence 
 the transactions between the white men and natives 
 become daily more difficult, from the fact that the In- 
 dians, seeing with what ardour the peltry dealers seek 
 furs, have attached so high a value to that merchandize, 
 that it is almost impossible for the traders to obtain it ; 
 hence arises, to a great extent, the hatred of the whites 
 for the Redskins, who track, scalp, and kill the trappers 
 whenever they meet with them, in order to destroy 
 competition. 
 
 Blackbird was an Indian of the old school, gifted 
 with a smart dose of avarice. The worthy Chief was 
 not sorry, before pledging his word, to know what he 
 had to depend on, and if he would make as good a bar- 
 gain as was stated. This is why he had insisted on the 
 objects comprising the ransom being shown him. Loyal 
 Seart was perfectly acquainted with his man, and 
 hence was not much affected by his demand ; he merely 
 ordered the bearers of the ransom to approach. 
 
 This ransom had been prepared for a long period by 
 Black-deer, and was really magnificent ; it consisted of 
 
THE SiAKRlAG-E. 135 
 
 four mares in foal, four others which had never bred, a 
 three-year old charger, a mustang with slim legs and 
 flashing eye, four muskets, each with twelve charges of 
 powder ; and four white female buffalo hides, a colour 
 very rare, and greatly esteemed in this country. As 
 the several articles were presented to the old Chief, his 
 eye dilated under the influence of joy, and flashed with 
 a wild lustre. He required to make extraordinary 
 efforts to preserve the decorum necessary under such 
 circumstances, and confine in his heart the pleasure he 
 felt. "When all the presents had heen given and placed 
 by him under the immediate guard of his relatives and 
 friends, Loyal Heart spoke again. 
 
 " Is my father satisfied ?" he asked him. 
 
 Wah !" the old Chief shouted with delight. " My 
 son, Black-deer, is a great brave ; he did right to carry 
 off Bounding Eawn, for she is really his." 
 
 " Will my father bear witness to that :" the hunter 
 pressed him. 
 
 " This very moment," the Chief answered eagerly, 
 " and before all the warriors here present." 
 
 " Let my father do so, then, that all may know that 
 Black^deer is no false- tongued thief ; and when he de- 
 clares that Bounding Fawn is his squaw, no one will 
 have the right to say that it is not true." 
 
 "I will do so," Blackbird answered. 
 
 " Good ! my father will follow us." 
 
 " I will follow you." 
 
 Blackbird then placed himself at the right of Loyal 
 Heart ; the band of warriors who accompanied him 
 joined the procession, and all proceeded toward the 
 ark of the first man, at the foot of which the hachesto 
 was standing, holding in his hand the totem of the tribe. 
 
136 THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 The sorcerer was standing in front of the totem, having 
 on either side of him two Sachems chosen from among 
 the wisest of the nation. 
 
 " What do you want here ?" the sorcerer asked 
 Loyal Heart, when the latter halted about two yards 
 from him with the procession. 
 
 " We demand justice," the hunter replied. 
 
 " Speak ! we will give you that justice, whatever 
 the consequences may be," the sorcerer said. " Well re- 
 flect before speaking, lest you may presently regret 
 your precipitation." 
 
 "We shall only have to repent of one thing, and 
 that is not having appeared before you earlier." 
 
 " My ears are open." 
 
 " We wish that justice should be done to a warrior, 
 whose reputation attempts have been made to tarnish." 
 
 " Who is the warrior ?" 
 
 "Black-deer." 
 
 " Is his medicine good ?" 
 
 " His medicine is good. 
 
 " Is he a brave?" 
 
 " He is a great brave." 
 
 "What has he done?" 
 
 "Last night he carried off Bounding Fawn, the 
 daughter of Blackbird here present." 
 
 " Good ! has he paid a fine ransom ?" 
 
 "Let Blackbird himself answer." 
 
 "Yes," the old Chief here said, "I will answer. 
 Black-deer is a great warrior, he has paid a noble 
 ransom." 
 
 "In that case," said the sorcerer, "my son is satis- 
 fied?" 
 
 " I am satisfied." 
 
THE ITAKIiTAGE. 137 
 
 There was a momentary silence, during which the 
 sorcerer consulted in a whisper with the Sachems who 
 acted as assessors. At length he spoke again. 
 
 " Black-deer is a great warrior," he said in a loud 
 voice. "I, the medicine man, standing beneath the 
 totem of the tribe, declare, that he has employed the 
 right all renowned warriors possess of seizing their pro- 
 perty wherever they may find it. From this moment 
 Bounding Fawn is the squaw of Black-deer, to prepare 
 his food, clean his weapons, carry his burdens, and take 
 care of his war-chargers, and whoever says the contrary 
 speaks falsely ! Black-deer has the right to convey 
 Bounding Fawn to his calli, and no one can prevent it ; 
 he is empowered, if she deceive him, to cut off her nose 
 and ears. Blackbird will give two female buffalo hides 
 to be hung up in the great medicine lodge." 
 
 At this final clause, known beforehand, however, for 
 everything is strictly regulated by th e code of etiquette 
 in the matter of marriage, Blackbird made a frightful 
 grimace. It seemed to him hard to part with two of 
 the hides he had received but a few moments previously. 
 But Loyal Heart came to his assistance, and interposed 
 in a way that brought the smile back to his lips. 
 
 " Black- deer," he said in a loud voice, "loves 
 Bounding Fawn, and will only owe her to himself he 
 alone will pay the tribute to the Wacondah ; not two, but 
 four female buffalo hides will be given to the medicine 
 lodge." 
 
 He made a sign, and a warrior advanced, bearing the 
 hides across his horse's neck. Loyal Heart took them 
 and offered them to the sorcerer. 
 
 tl My father will receive these skins," he said ; " he 
 will make such use of them as will be most agreeable to 
 the Master of Life." 
 
138 THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 At this unexpected generosity, the audience burst 
 into shouts of frenzied joy. The shells, drums, and 
 chichekoues recommenced their infernal noise, and the 
 procession set out again for Blackbird's calli. The old 
 chief knew too well what he owed to himself, and the 
 son-in-law he had just accepted, not to behave with 
 proper decorum in spite of his avarice. When the pro- 
 cession reached the calli, he therefore said, in a loud 
 voice 
 
 "My brothers and friends, deign to honour with your 
 presence the marriage banquet, and I shall be happy 
 to see you take part in it. My son Elack-deer will 
 come, I feel convinced, to give the feast that family ap- 
 pearance which it ought to have." 
 
 He had scarce uttered the words, when a great noise 
 was heard. The crowd parted violently, and in the 
 space left free a horseman appeared, galloping at full 
 speed : he held a woman on his horse's neck with one 
 hand, while with the other he led a filly. At the sight 
 of the horseman, the shouts and applause were redoubled, 
 for everybody recognised Elack-deer. On reaching the 
 calli he leapt to the ground without uttering a syllable ; 
 then he drew his scalping knife and buried it in the 
 neck of the filly. The poor brute gave a plaintive 
 whining, trembled violently, and sank to the ground. 
 The chief then turned it on its back, ripped open its 
 chest, and tearing out the still quivering heart, he 
 touched Bounding Fawn's forehead with it, while shout- 
 ing in a voice loud enough to be heard by all the spec- 
 tators. 
 
 "This is my squaw; woe to the man who touches 
 her." 
 
 " I am his," the young wife then said. 
 
THE MA.EEIAGE. 139 
 
 The official ceremony was over : Black-deer and 
 Bounding Fawn were married according to the rites of 
 Comanche law. All dismounted, and the marriage 
 feast began. The white men, who were not very eager 
 to eat their portion of this Indian meal, composed in 
 great measure of dog, boiled milk, and horse's flesh, 
 had drawn on one side and tried to escape unnoticed. 
 Unfortunately Blackbird and Black-deer watched them, 
 and cut off their retreat ; hence they were compelled, 
 whether they liked it or no, to sit down to the banquet. 
 
 Tranquil, Loyal Heart, and their comrades made up 
 their minds to the worst, and ate, or pretended to eat, 
 with as good an appetite as the rest of the guests. The 
 repast was prolonged till late in the day ; for, though the 
 Comanches do not drink spirits, and have not to fear in- 
 toxication, still, like all Indians, they are extraordinarily 
 voracious, and eat till they can swallow no more. 
 
 The whites had hard work in declining those pro- 
 visions, of more or less suspicious appearance, which 
 were constantly offered to do them honour. Still, 
 thanks to their thorough knowledge of Indian habits, 
 they managed to escape the greater part of the infliction 
 and see out the truly Homeric banquet without much 
 annoyance. At the moment when Loyal Heart and 
 Tranquil rose to retire, Black- deer approached them. 
 
 "Where are my brothers going ?" he asked. 
 
 " To my calli," Loyal Heart replied. 
 
 " Good ! Black- deer will join them there soon ; he 
 has to speak with his brothers on serious matters." 
 
 " Let my brother remain with his friends, to-morrow 
 will be time enough." 
 
 The Chief frowned. 
 
 " My brother Loyal Heart must be careful," he said > 
 
140 THE WHITE SCALPEB. 
 
 " I have to consult with him on matters of the utmost 
 gravity.'' 
 
 The hunter, struck by the Chief's anxious air, looked 
 at him with alarm. 
 
 " What is the matter r" he asked him. 
 
 " My brother will know in an hour." 
 
 " Very good, Chief; I will await you in my ealli." 
 
 "Black-deer will come there." 
 
 The Chief then withdrew, laying his finger on his lip, 
 and the hunters want off deep in thought. 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 KETUBN TO LIFE. 
 
 WE are now compelled to go a little way back, and re- 
 turn to one of the principal actors of our story, whom 
 we have too long neglected ; we allude to White Scalper. 
 The reader of the " Freebooters" will, doubtless, re- 
 member that the terrible combat on the deck of the brig, 
 between Tranquil and the Scalper, was continued in the 
 sea, into which the ferocious old man had been hurled 
 by the negro who followed him. 
 
 Quoniam had been in too great a hurry in telling 
 the Canadian of the death of his enemy; it is true, 
 though, that the negro acted in good faith, and realty 
 believed he had killed him. The last dagger-stab 
 dealt by Quoniam was buried deep in the old man's 
 chest ; the wound was so serious that the Scalper im- 
 mediately left off further resistance ; his eyes closed, his 
 nerves relaxed like broken springs ; he loosed hold of his 
 enemy, to whom he had hitherto clung, and remained 
 an inert mass, tossed at the mercy of the waves. 
 
EETURN TO LIFE. 141 
 
 The negro, exhausted with fatigue and half suffocated, 
 hastened back to the deck of the vessel, persuaded that 
 his enemy was dead ; but it was not so. The Scalper 
 had merely lost his senses, and his inanimate body was 
 picked up by a Mexican boat. But, when this boat 
 reached the shore, the crew, on seeing the horrible 
 wounds which covered the stranger's hody, his pallor 
 and corpse-like immobility, had, in their turn, fancied 
 him dead, and taking no further trouble about him, 
 threw him back into the sea. Fortunately for the 
 Scalper, at the moment when the crew formed this 
 determination the boat was close to land, so that his 
 body, supported by the waves, was gently deposited on 
 the sand, the lower part remaining submerged, while 
 the head and chest were left dry by the retirement of 
 the waves. 
 
 Either through the fresh night air or the oscillating 
 movement the sea imparted to the lower part of his 
 body, within an hour the old man gave a slight start ; 
 a sigh heaved his powerful chest, and a few instinctive 
 attempts to change his position clearly showed that 
 this vigorous organisation was struggling energetically 
 against death, and compelling it to retire. At length 
 the wounded man opened his eyes, but profound gloom 
 still enveloped him like a winding-sheet. On the other 
 hand, the fatigue produced by the gigantic struggle he 
 had sustained, and the enormous quantity of blood 
 which had escaped through his wounds, caused him a 
 general weakness, so great, both morally and physically, 
 that it was impossible for the Scalper, not merely to 
 find out where he was, but to remember the circum- 
 stances that had brought him there. 
 
 It was in vain that he tried to restore order in his 
 
142 THE WHITE SCALPEE. 
 
 ideas, or bring back his fugitive thoughts ; the shock 
 had been too rude ; the commotion too strong ; in spite 
 of all his efforts he could not succeed in refastening the 
 broken thread of .his thoughts. He saw himself alone, 
 wounded, and abandoned on the sea- shore ; he under- 
 stood instinctively all the horror and desperation of his 
 position ; but no gleam of intelligence flashed across his 
 brain to guide him in this fearful chaos. He was angry 
 with himself at the impotence to which he found himself 
 reduced and the impossibility of attempting anything 
 to get only a few yards away from the sea, at the edge 
 of which he was lying, and which would infallibly 
 swallow him up, if his weakness overcame his will and 
 betrayed his courage. 
 
 Then took place on that desolate shore a horrible 
 drama, filled with moving and startling incidents the 
 wild struggles of a half-dead man striving to reconquer 
 the existence which was ebbing from him, and struggling 
 with savage energy against the death whose fatal hand 
 already pressed heavily upon him. The slightest move- 
 ment the Scalper attempted occasioned him unheard- 
 of sufferings, not only through the numerous wounds, 
 whose lips were filled with sand and gravel, but also 
 because he was compelled to confess to himself that all 
 his efforts would lead to no result, and that, unless a 
 miracle happened, he was infallibly lost. 
 
 That miracle, which the wretch did not hope for, the 
 very thought of which could not occur to him, Provi- 
 dence, whose ways are impenetrable, and who often only 
 appears to save a guilty man to inflict on him a more 
 terrible chastisement, was preparing to perform at the 
 moment when the wounded man, his strength and 
 energy exhausted, was falling back conquered on the 
 
TO LIFE. 143 
 
 beach, resolved to await coldly that death which he 
 could not avoid. 
 
 The Texans had scattered along the beach several 
 parties of .Freebooters, who were intended to watch the 
 movements of the Mexican cruizers. These parties were 
 all within hail of each other, and able to assemble at a 
 given point with extreme rapidity. Chance willed it that 
 when the Scalper's body was again thrown into the sea 
 it touched shore not far from a rather large rancho 
 standing close to the beach, and in which the most in- 
 fluential Chiefs of the Texan army were this night 
 assembled, in prevision of the great events that were 
 preparing. Naturally the approaches to the rancho 
 were carefully guarded, and numerous patrols marched 
 around it in order to ensure the safety of the Chiefs. 
 
 One of these patrols had seen the Mexican boats land, 
 and hurried up to drive them off, which they easily 
 effected, as the Mexicans were not at all desirous to 
 begin a fresh fight with enemies whose number and 
 strength they were not acquainted with, and whom they 
 supposed, with some appearance of reason, to be in com- 
 munication with those rebels with whom they had been 
 fighting an hour previously. When the boats got out 
 to sea again, the Texans began carefully examining the 
 beach, in order to be certain that all their enemies had 
 retired and left nobody behind them. The first to dis- 
 cover the Scalper's body summoned his comrades, and 
 soon the wounded man had twenty individuals round 
 him. At the first moment they fancied him dead ; the 
 Scalper heard all that was said around him, but was 
 unable to make a move or utter a word. He felt 
 terribly alarmed for a moment ; it was when a Free- 
 booter, after bending over and carefully examining him, 
 rose again with the careless remark : 
 
144 THE WHITE SCALPEE. 
 
 "The poor devil is dead, we have nothing to do but 
 dig a hole in the sand and put him in it, so that the 
 coyotes and vultures may not devour his corpse. Some 
 of you go and fetch the largest stones you can find 
 while we dig a hole here with our machetes ; it will 
 soon he over." 
 
 At this sentence, pronounced in a perfectly calm and 
 careless voice, as if it were the simplest and most natural 
 thing in the world, the Scalper felt a cold perspiration 
 heading at the root of his hair, and a shudder of terror 
 run over his body. He made a tremendous effort to 
 speak or shriek, but it was in vain. He was in that 
 almost cataleptic state in which, although the intellect 
 retains all its lucidity, the body is an inert and insensi- 
 ble mass which no longer obeys. 
 
 " Stay," said another adventurer interposing, and 
 checking by a sign those who were preparing to pick up 
 the stones ; "let us not be in such a hurry. This poor 
 wretch is a creature made after God's own image ; al- 
 though his is in a pitiable state, a breath of life may 
 still be left in him. We shall still be in a position to 
 bury him if we find that he is really dead ; but first let 
 us assure ourselves that any assistance is in vain." 
 
 "Nonsense," the first speaker . continued ; "Tray 
 Antonio is always like that; were we to listen to him, 
 all the dead would only be wounded, and he would make 
 us lose precious time in giving them useless care. How- 
 ever, as there is nothing to hurry us at this moment, I 
 ask no better than to try and bring this man round, al- 
 though he appears to me as dead as a fellow can well be." 
 
 "No matter," Tray Antonio answered, " let us try, at 
 any rate." 
 
 " Yery good," said the other with a shrug of the 
 shoulders. 
 
EETUEN TO LIFE. 145 
 
 "And first let us remove him from here, When he 
 is perfectly dry, and runs no further risk of being carried 
 off by the waves, we will see what we have to do. 7 ' 
 
 The wounded man was immediately picked up by four 
 Freebooters, and gently carried some twenty yards off 
 to an entirely dry spot, where it was impossible for the 
 sea to reach him. The worthy monk then produced a 
 large case bottle of rum, which he uncorked, and after 
 explaining his duty to each, that is to say, after ordering 
 that the temples, wrists, and pit of the stomach should 
 be vigorously rubbed with rum, he bent over him, and 
 opening his jaws, which were tight as a vice, with the 
 blade of his dagger, he poured into his mouth an honest 
 quartern of rum. The effect of this double treatment 
 was not long delayed. In a few seconds the wounded 
 man gave a slight start, opened his eyes feebly, and gave 
 vent to a sigh of relief. 
 
 " Ah, ah/' said Fray Antonio with a laugh : " what 
 do you think of that, No Euperto ? I fancy your dead 
 man is coming to life again, eh ?" 
 
 " On my word, it is true," the other answered with 
 a grin; " well, that is a man who can flatter himself 
 with having his soul screwed into his body ; by Bacchus ! 
 if he recover, which I did not yet assert, he can say that 
 he has made a preciously long journey." 
 
 In the meantime, the friction was continued with the 
 same vigour ; the circulation of the blood was rapidly 
 re-established ; the Scalper's eyes became less haggard, 
 his features were relaxed, and an expression of comfort 
 spread over his countenance. 
 
 " Do you feel better ?" the monk asked him kindly. 
 
 "Yes," he answered in a weak, though perfectly dis- 
 tinct voice. 
 
146 THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 " All the better. "With the help of Heaven we will 
 get you out of the scrape." 
 
 By a singular accident, the monk had not yet recog- 
 nised the man to whom he had himself owed his life a 
 few months previously. The wounds were carefully 
 washed with rum and water, and cleared from the sand 
 and gravel adhering to them ; they were then poulticed 
 with pounded oregano leaves, an extremely effective 
 remedy for wounds, and then carefully tied up. 
 
 " There," the monk continued with an air of satisfac- 
 tion, " that is finished. I will now have you carried to 
 a spot where you will be much better able than here to 
 enjoy that repose which is indispensable for you after 
 so rude a shock." 
 
 "Do what you please with me," the wounded man 
 answered with an effort ; "I owe you too much to offer 
 the slightest objection." 
 
 " The more so," Ruperto answered with a laugh, " be- 
 cause it would be perfectly useless ; the reverend Father 
 has undertaken your cure, and, whether you like it or 
 no, you must follow his prescriptions." 
 
 At a sign from Fray Antonio, four powerful men raised 
 the patient in their arms, and carried him into the rancho. 
 It was he who Colonel Melendez had seen go in, when, 
 led by chance to the same rancho, he had for some 
 minutes listened to, and surveyed what was going on 
 inside. The rancho belonged to a rich Texan haciendero, 
 a devoted partizan of the revolution, and who was de- 
 lighted to place at the disposal of the Chiefs a retreat 
 which he had built in happier times for a summer villa. 
 This house, while agreeably situated, spacious, and well 
 kept up, was abundantly provided, not only with every- 
 thing indispensable for existence, but also with those 
 
BETTJBX TO LIFE. 147 
 
 thousand trifles and luxuries which are conventionally 
 called comfort, and which rich persons, through length- 
 ened habit, cannot do without. 
 
 The Chiefs were at first rather annoyed at the free 
 and easy way in which Fray Antonio, without giving 
 them notice, had encumbered them with a wounded 
 stranger. Eut when they saw in what a pitiable state 
 the poor fellow was, they made no further objection, but 
 allowed the monk to instal him where he thought best. 
 Pray Antonio did not allow the permission to be repeated. 
 Aided by the master of the rancho, he transported the 
 wounded man to a spacious and airy room, whose win- 
 dows looked out on the sea, and in which the Scalper 
 was placed in an admirably healthy condition. 
 
 So soon as the patient was laid in a bed expressly 
 made for him for in these torrid climates the inhabi- 
 tants are accustomed to sleep on mats, or at the most in. 
 hammocks the monk handed him a narcotic drink, 
 which he requested him to swallow. The effect was 
 almost immediate ; a few minutes after he had drunk it, 
 White Scalper fell into a calm and restorative sleep. 
 The entire night passed without any incident; the 
 wounded man slept for eight hours at a stretch, and 
 when he awoke, he was no longer the same ; he felt 
 fresh, cheerful, and reposed. 
 
 Several days passed thus, during which Fray Antonio 
 paid him the closest and most affectionate attention. If, at 
 the first moment, the monk was unable to recognise the 
 White Scalper, it was not long ere he did so by daylight ; 
 after carefully examining this man, whose appearance 
 had really something strange and remarkable about it, his 
 recollection returned, and he recognised the hunter so 
 greatly feared on the prairie by the Eedskins, and eveu 
 
 L 2 
 
148 THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 by the whites, and to whom himself owed his life under 
 such singular circumstances ; hence, he was pleased at 
 the opportunity chance afforded him of repaying his debt 
 to this man. But as, on the other hand, the wounded 
 man, either through obstinacy or defective memory, did 
 not appear at all to remember him, the monk kept his dis- 
 covery to himself, and continued his attentions to the 
 wounded man without permitting himself the slightest 
 allusion which might cause the other to suspect that 
 he was recognised. 
 
 Things went on thus till the day of the battle of Cerro 
 Par do. In the morning, as usual, Fray Antonio entered 
 his patient's room, whose cure was rapidly advancing, 
 thanks to the efficacy of the oregano leaves. His wounds 
 were almost cicatrized, and he felt his strength returning. 
 
 " My friend," said the monk to him, " I have done 
 all for you I morally could ; you will do me the justice 
 of saying that I nursed you like a brother." 
 
 " I have only thanks to offer you," the wounded man 
 said, stretching out his hand. 
 
 " Much obliged," said Fray Antonio, as he took this 
 hand ; " to-day I have bad news for you." 
 
 " Bad news ?" the other repeated in surprise. 
 
 "After all," the monk continued, "the news may be 
 good. Still, to deal frankly with you, I do not believe 
 it ; I augur no good from what we are going to do." 
 
 " I must confess that I do not at all understand you, 
 so I should feel extremely obliged if you would explain 
 yourself more clearly." 
 
 " That is true. Indeed, you cannot suspect anything. 
 In two words, this is the affair : the army has received 
 orders to march forward this very morning." 
 
 " So that r" the wounded man asked. 
 
EETURN TO LIFE. 149 
 
 " I am, to my great regret,' ' the monk said with a 
 crafty smile, " compelled to leave you behind." 
 
 " Hum !" the White Scalper muttered in some alarm. 
 
 "Unless," Fray Antonio continued, "as I dare not 
 hope, we beat the Mexicans, in which case you are cer- 
 tain to see me again." 
 
 The patient seemed to grow more and more restless 
 about the position in which he ran a risk of being left. 
 
 " Did you come solely to tell me that ?" he asked. 
 
 " No. I wished to make you a proposal." 
 
 " "What is it ?" the other eagerly asked. 
 
 " Listen. I picked you up in a most desperate state." 
 
 " That is true : I allow it." 
 
 " Although some people say," Fray Antonio continued, 
 " that you received your wounds in fighting against us, 
 and, indeed, some of our men declare themselves certain 
 of the fact, I would not put faith in their words. I 
 know not why, but since I have been nursing you, I 
 have grown to take an interest in you ; I should not like 
 the cure I have carried on hitherto so successfully, 
 to break down. This is what I propose : about one 
 hundred miles from the spot where we now are, there 
 is an encampment of white men and half-breeds, over 
 whom I possessed considerable influence some time back. 
 I believe that they have not yet quite forgotten me, and 
 that anyone joining them as from me, would meet with 
 a kindly reception. "Will you go there ? it is a risk to 
 run." 
 
 " How could I perform this journey in my present 
 state of weakness and prostration r" 
 
 " That need not trouble you. Four men, who are de- 
 voted to me, will conduct you to my old friends." 
 
 " Oh, if that be the case," the Scalper exclaimed 
 
150 THE TVIIITE SCALPEK. 
 
 eagerly, " I gladly accept. If I perished on the road, I 
 would prefer that to remaining here alone." 
 
 " I trust that you will not perish, but reach your des- 
 tination all right. So that is agreed. You will go r" 
 
 " With the greatest pleasure. When do we start ?'* 
 
 " At once, there is not a moment to lose." 
 
 " Good ! give the necessary orders, I am ready." 
 
 " I must warn you, however, that the men to whom 
 I am sending you, are slightly of a scampish nature, and 
 you must not assume any high moral tone with them. 5 ' 
 
 f< What does it concern me ? if they were even pirates 
 of the prairies, believe me, I should attach no importance 
 to the fact." 
 
 " Bravo! I see that we understand each other, for I 
 believe these worthy gentlemen dabble a little in all 
 trades." 
 
 " Good, good !" the Scalper gaily answered ; " do not 
 trouble yourself about that." 
 
 "In that case, get ready to start ; I shall return in 
 ten minutes at the latest." 
 
 With these words, the monk left the room. The old 
 man, who had not many preparations to make, was soon 
 in a position to take the road. As he had stated, within 
 ten minutes the monk returned, followed by four men. 
 Among them was Buperto, who, it will be remembered, 
 offered the advice to bury the wounded man in the sand. 
 The Scalper was still very weak, and incapable of either 
 walking or sitting a horse. The monk had remedied 
 this inconvenience, as far as possible, by having a clumsy 
 litter prepared for the wounded man, carried by two 
 mules, and in which he could recline. This mode of 
 transport was very slow, and extremely inconvenient, 
 especially for the guides, in a country such as they had 
 
KETTJRX TO LIFE. 151 
 
 to cross ; but it was the only one practicable at the mo- 
 ment, and so they must put up with it. The wounded 
 man was carried to the litter, and laid on it as comfort- 
 ably as was possible. 
 
 " And now," said the monk, "may Heaven direct 
 you ; do not feel at all alarmed, Buperto has my instruc- 
 tions, and I know him well enough to be convinced that 
 he will not depart from them, whatever may happen. 
 So you can trust to him. Good bye !" 
 
 And, after giving the wounded man his hand, Fray 
 Antonio made a movement to retire. 
 
 " One moment," said the old man, as he held the hand 
 he had taken ; "I wish to say but one word to you." 
 
 " Speak, but be brief. I have the weightiest reasons 
 for desiring your immediate departure ; in a few minutes 
 some wounded men will arrive here, who have hitherto 
 been kept in the fort, and whom you would probably not 
 be at all pleased to meet." 
 
 " I fancy I can understand to whom you allude ; but 
 that is not the question. I wish, before parting with 
 you, and not knowing whether I shall ever see you again, 
 to express to you the gratitude I feel for your conduct 
 toward me, a gratitude which is the greater because I 
 am convinced you have recognised me." 
 
 " And suppose I have ?" 
 
 " You needed only to say one word to surrender me 
 to my most inveterate enemies ; and yet you did not 
 utter that word." 
 
 " Certainly not ; for even supposing, as you seem to 
 believe, that I have recognised you, I was only discharg- 
 ing a debt I had incurred with you." 
 
 The old man's face writhed ; his eye became moist ; 
 he warmly squeezed the monk's hand, which he had till 
 
152 THE WHITE SCALPEB. 
 
 now held in his own, and it was with rfmch emotion and 
 tenderness that he added 
 
 " Thanke. This kindness will not he lost ; the events 
 of the last few days have greatly modified my way of 
 looking at certain things ; you shall never regret having 
 saved my life." 
 
 "I hope so ; but be gone, and may Heaven guard you !" 
 
 " We shall meet again." 
 
 ""Who knows?" the monk muttered, as he gave the 
 guides a signal. 
 
 The latter flogged their mules, and the litter began 
 moving. About an hour after the start, it met a 
 covered cart, in which lay Tranquil, but they passed 
 without seeing each other. The monk had only spoken 
 the truth about Euperto. The worthy adventurer was 
 most attentive to the sick man, carefully watching over 
 him, and trying to while away the tedium of the journey. 
 Unluckily, the party had to cross an essentially primi- 
 tive country, in which there were no roads, and where 
 the guides were generally obliged to cut a path with 
 their axes. The litter advanced but slowly, and with 
 unheard-of difficulty, along the abominable tracts, and, 
 despite the most minute precautions, the wounded man 
 suffered horribly from the jolting and shakes the mules 
 gave the litter almost every moment. 
 
 lluperto, to fatigue the patient as little as possible, 
 only travelled by night, or very early in the morning, 
 ere the sun had acquired its full strength. They marched 
 thus for a fortnight, during which the country grew 
 wilder, and the ground gradually ascended ; the scenery 
 became more abrupt and stern, the virgin forests closed 
 in, and they could see that they were approaching the 
 mountains. 
 
31ETUKN TO LIFE. 
 
 153 
 
 One evening, when the little party had established 
 their night bivouac on the banks of a rapid stream that 
 flowed into the Arkansas, the Scalper, who, in spite of 
 the privations and fatigue to which he had been con- 
 stantly exposed since his departure from the rancho, felt 
 his strength gradually returning, asked his guide how 
 many days their journey would still last which as yet 
 he had been unwilling to do, through a feeling of delicacy. 
 At this question, Euperto smiled cunningly. 
 
 " Our journey has been finished for the last four days, 5 ' 
 he said. 
 
 " "What do you mean ?" the Scalper asked with a start 
 of surprise. 
 
 " The people we are going to see/' the adventurer 
 went on, " do not like to receive visits without being 
 previously advised ; surprises do not agree with them. 
 In order to avoid any misunderstanding, which is always 
 to be regretted between old friends, I employed the only 
 means in my power." 
 
 " And what is it?" 
 
 " Oh, it is very simple. Just look at our camp do 
 people guard themselves in this way on the desert ? In- 
 stead of being at the top of a hill, we are at the water- 
 ing place of the wild beasts ; the smoke from our fire, 
 instead of being concealed, is, on the contrary, visible for 
 a great distance. Do all these acts of imprudence com- 
 mitted purposely teach you nothing ?" 
 
 "Ah, ah," the old man said, "then you wish your 
 friends to surprise us ?" 
 
 " Quite right. In that way the recognition will be 
 effected without striking a blow. And stay ! if I am 
 not mistaken, we are about to receive visitors." 
 
 At this moment the branches of a neighbouring thicket 
 
154 THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 were roughly parted, and several men rushed into the 
 camp, with the machete in one hand, the rifle in the 
 other. 
 
 CHAPTEE XL 
 
 THE PIRATES OF THE PRAIRIES. 
 
 THE White Scalper gave an imperceptible start at the 
 unexpected apparition of the strangers ; but he had 
 sufficient power over himself apparently to preserve that 
 coolness and stoicism which the Redskins and wood- 
 rangers make a point of honour. He did not alter the 
 careless attitude he was in, and though he appeared to 
 look at the new comers absently, he, however, examined 
 them attentively. 
 
 They were at least twenty in number, for they had 
 risen from all sides at once, and in a twinkling sur- 
 rounded the travellers. These men, mostly clad in the 
 trapper's hunting shirt and fox-skin cap, had a vigorous 
 appearance, and a ferocious look, not at all adapted to 
 inspire confidence ; moreover, they were armed to the 
 teeth, not only having the rifle and machete, but also 
 the scalping- knife and tomahawk employed by the 
 Indians. 
 
 The man who appeared to be their Chief was at the 
 most thirty-five years of age, tall, well-built and propor- 
 tioned ; his wide forehead, black eyes, Grecian nose, and 
 large mouth, made up a face pleasing at the first glance, 
 though on examining it more closely, you soon perceived 
 that his glanco was false, and that a sardonic smile 
 constantly played round his thin and pale lips. His 
 face was framed in by thick black curls, which fell in 
 disorder on his shoulders and mixed with a large beard, 
 
THE PIRATES OP THE PRAIRIES. 155 
 
 which the fatigues of a wandering and adventurous life 
 were beginning to silver at places. 
 
 The four Texan adventurers had not made a move ; 
 the Chief of the strangers looked at them for a moment 
 with his hands crossed on his rifle-barrel, the butt of 
 which rested on the ground. At length, by a movement 
 that was familiar to him, he threw back his curls, and 
 addressed Ruperto 
 
 "Hallob, gossip/ 5 he said, "you here? what has 
 brought you into our parts ? J> 
 
 " A wish to see you, gossip," the other answered, as 
 he carelessly struck a light for the cigarette he had just 
 finished rolling. 
 
 " Nonsense ! only that?" the stranger continued. 
 
 " What other motive could I have, Master Sandoval?"* 
 
 "Who knows ?" the other said with a shake of his 
 head; "life has such strange chacges." 
 
 " This time you are mistaken. Nothing disagreeable 
 forces me to pay you a visit." 
 
 " That is more and more extraordinary. Then, you 
 have come on your own accord, nothing compelling you 
 to do so ?" 
 
 " I do not say that, for my visit necessarily has a 
 motive. Still, it is not at all of the nature you suppose." 
 
 " Canaries ! I am glad to see that I am not so far 
 from the truth as it appeared at first." 
 
 " All the better !" 
 
 " But why did not you come straight to our encamp- 
 ment, if you were seeking us, as you say ?" 
 
 Euperto burst into a laugh. 
 
 " That would have been a fine idea, to be welcomed 
 
 * See Trail-Hunter, same publishers. 
 
156 THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 with a shower of slugs ! No, I think I acted more wisely 
 as I have." 
 
 te We have been on your trail for three days.'* 
 
 "Why did you not show yourselves sooner?" 
 
 " I was not quite certain it was you." 
 
 "Well, that is possible. Will -you not sit down ?" 
 
 " What for ? now that we have met, I hope you will 
 come to our camp r" 
 
 " I did not like to propose it ; you see we are not 
 alone, but have a stranger with us." 
 
 " What matter, if you answer for him ?" 
 
 " With my life." 
 
 " Well, then, the friends of our friends are ours, and 
 have a claim to our attention." 
 
 " I thank you, Caballero," the Scalper replied with a 
 bow ; "I trust you will have no cause to repent having 
 offered me hospitality." 
 
 " The company in which I find you is an excellent 
 guarantee to me, Senor," the adventurer continued with 
 a courteous smile. 
 
 " Do you intend to lead us to your camp to-night ?" 
 Euperto asked. 
 
 " Why not ? we are not more than fifteen miles from 
 it at the most." 
 
 " That is true ; but this caballero is wounded, and so 
 long a distance after a fatiguing day " 
 
 " Oh, I feel very well, I assure you. My strength 
 has almost entirely returned ; I even believe that, were 
 it absolutely necessary, I could sit a horse. Hence do 
 not put yourself out of the way for me, I beg," the old 
 man said. 
 
 " As it is so, we will start whenever you like." 
 
 " All right," said Sandoval ; " however, I will under- 
 
THE PIRATES OF THE PRAIRIES. 157 
 
 take to lead you by a road which will shorten your dis- 
 tance one half." 
 
 AIL being thus arranged, the horses were saddled 
 afresh, and they started. The strangers were on foot ; 
 the Scalper would not enter the litter, and even insisted 
 on it being left behind declaring that he did not want 
 it, and cutting a rather long branch, he converted it 
 into a staff. He then took his place by SandovaPs side, 
 who, delighted by his manner, gave him a glance of 
 satisfaction. 
 
 Sandoval, as we have said, was the Chief of the men 
 who had so suddenly fallen on the bivouac of the adven- 
 turers. These men were pirates of the prairies. In a 
 previous work, we have described what they are ; but as 
 it is probable that many of our readers do not know the 
 book to which we allude, we will explain, in as few 
 words as possible, what sort of persons these gentry are. 
 In the United States, and most of the countries of the 
 new world, men are encountered who, not being re- 
 strained by any species of moral obligation or family 
 consideration, yield themselves without restraint to all 
 the violence of their evil passions. These men, led in 
 the first instance into debauchery by indolence, and al- 
 most certain of impunity in countries where the police 
 are powerless to protect honest people and enforce the 
 laws, at length grow to commit the most atrocious crimes 
 in open daylight, though this is common enough in those 
 countries where the strongest make the laws. 
 
 This goes on until the reprobation becomes general, 
 and public indignation at last growing stronger than the 
 terror inspired by these villains, they are compelled 
 to fly from town to town in order to escape the exem- 
 
158 THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 plary punishment of Lynch-law. Everywhere pursued 
 like wild beasts, abandoned by all, even by their accom- 
 plices, they draw nearer and nearer to the Indian 
 border, which they eventually cross, and are henceforth 
 condemned to live and die in the desert. But there, too, 
 everything is hostile to them white trappers, wood- 
 rangers, Indian warriors, and wild beasts they are 
 compelled to endure a daily and hourly struggle to 
 defend their life, which is incessantly assailed. But 
 they have before them space, the hiding-places ' on the 
 mountains and in the virgin forests, and hence can sus- 
 tain the combat to a certain point. Still, if they remained 
 isolated they would infallibly succumb to cold, hunger, 
 and wretchedness, even supposing they were not sur- 
 prised, scalped, and massacred by their implacable 
 enemies. 
 
 These outlaws from society, whom eveiy man thinks 
 he has a right to hunt down, frankly accept their posi- 
 tion. They feel proud of the hatred and repulsion they 
 inspire, and collect in numerous bands to requite the 
 anathema cast upon them. Taking as their rule the 
 pitiless law of the prairies, eye for eye and tooth for 
 tooth, they become formidable through their numbers, 
 and repay their enemies the injuries they receive from 
 them. Woe to the trappers or Indians who venture to 
 traverse the prairies alone, for the pirates massacre them 
 pitilessly. The emigrant trains are also attacked and 
 pillaged by them with refined and atrocious barbarity. 
 Some of these men who have retained a little shame, 
 put off the dress of white men to assume that of Red- 
 skins, so as to make those they pillage suppose they have 
 been attacked by Indians ; hence their most inveterate 
 
THE PIBATES OF THE PEA.1BIES. 159 
 
 enemies are the Indians, for whom they try to pass. 
 Still, it frequently happens that the pirates ally them- 
 selves with Bed-skins belonging to one nation to make 
 war on another. 
 
 All is good for them when their object is plunder ; 
 but what they prefer is raising scalps, for which the 
 Government of the United States, that patriarchal 
 government which protects the natives, according to 
 some heartless optimists, are not ashamed to pay fifty 
 dollars a piece. Hence, the pirates are as skilful as 
 the Indians themselves in raising hair ; but with them all 
 scalps are good ; and when they cannot come across 
 Indians, they have no scruple about scalping white men ; 
 the more so, because the United States does not look into 
 matters very closely, and pays 'without bargaining or 
 entering into details, provided that the hair be long and 
 black. 
 
 Captain SandovaFs band of pirates was one of the 
 most numerous and best organised in Upper Arkansas ; 
 his comrades, all thorough food for the gallows, formed 
 the most magnificent collection of bandits that could 
 be imagined. For a long period, Fray Antonio, if not 
 forming part of the band, had taken part in its operations, 
 and derived certain though illegal profit by supplying 
 the captain with information about the passage of cara- 
 vans, their strength, and the road they intended to 
 follow. Although the worthy monk had given up this 
 hazardous traffic, his conversion had not been of so old 
 a date for the pirates to have completely forgotten the 
 services he had rendered them ; hence, when he was 
 compelled to abandon White Scalper he thought at once 
 of his old friends. This idea occurred to him the more 
 
160 THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 naturally, because White Scalper, owing to the mode of 
 life he had hitherto led in the desert, had in his charac- 
 ter some points of resemblance with the pirates, who, 
 like him, were pitiless, and recognised no other law than 
 their caprice. 
 
 In the band of Freebooters the monk had organised 
 since his reformation were some men more beaten than 
 the others by the tempest of an adventurous life. These 
 men Tray Antonio had seen at work, and set their full 
 value upon them ; but he kept them near him, through 
 a species of intuition, in order to have them under his 
 hand if some day fate desired that he should be compelled 
 to have recourse to an heroic remedy to get out of a 
 scrape, which was easy to foresee when a man entered 
 on the life of a partizan. Among these chosen comrades 
 was naturally Euperto ; hence it was to him he entrusted 
 the choice of three sure men to escort the wounded man 
 to the camp of Captain Sandoval, in Upper Arkansas. 
 We have seen that the monk was not mistaken, and in 
 what way Ruperto performed the commission confided 
 to him. 
 
 It has frequently been said that honest men always 
 recognise each other at the first glance ; but the state- 
 ment is far truer when applied to rogues. The White 
 Scalper and the Pirate Chief had not walked side by 
 side for ten minutes ere the best possible understanding 
 was arrived at between them. The Captain admired as 
 an amateur, and especially as a connoisseur, the athletic 
 stature of his new companion. His rigid features, which 
 seemed carved in granite, for they were so firm and 
 marked, his black and sparkling eyes, and even 
 his blunt and sharp mode of speech, attracted and 
 
THE PT1UTES OF THE PBAIRIES. 161 
 
 aroused his sympathy. Several times he proposed to 
 have him carried on the shoulders of two of his most 
 powerful comrades across awkward spots ; but the old 
 man, although his ill-closed wounds caused him extreme 
 suffering, and fatigue overpowered him, constantly de- 
 clined these kind offers, merely replying that physical 
 pain was nothing, and that the man who could not con- 
 quer it hy the strength of his will, ought to he despised 
 as an old woman. 
 
 There could he no reply to such a peremptory mode 
 of reasoning, so Sandoval merely contented himself with 
 nodding an assent, and they continued their march in 
 silence. Night had fallen for some time, but it was a 
 bright and starry night, which allowed them to march 
 in safety, and have no fear of losing their way. After 
 three hours of a very difficult journey, the travellers at 
 length reached the crest of a high hill. 
 
 " We have arrived," Sandoval then said, as he stopped 
 under the pretext of resting a moment, but in reality to 
 give his companion, whom he saw to be winded, though 
 he made no complaint, an opportunity to draw breath. 
 
 "What, arrived?" the Scalper said in surprise, look- 
 ing round him, but not perceiving the slightest sign of 
 an encampment. 
 
 In fact, the adventurers found themselves on a species 
 of platform about fifteen hundred yards long, entirely 
 denuded of trees, save in the centre, where grew an im- 
 mense aloe, more than sixty feet in circumference, which 
 looked like the king of the desert, over which it soared. 
 Sandoval allowed his comrade to look around him for a 
 moment, and then said, as he stretched out his arm to 
 the giant tree' 
 
 " We shall be obliged to enter by the chimney. But 
 
 M 
 
162 THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 once is not always, and you will not feel offended at it 
 when I tell you that I only do this to shorten our 
 journey." 
 
 " You know that I did not at all understand you," 
 the Scalper answered. 
 
 " I suspected it," Sandoval said with a smile. "But 
 come along, and you will soon decipher the enigma." 
 
 The old man ho wed without replying, and both walked 
 toward the tree, followed hy their comrades, who were 
 smiling at the stranger's amazement. On reaching the 
 foot of the tree, Sandoval raised his head 
 
 " Ohe !" he shouted, tl are you there, Orson r" 
 
 " Where should I be if I was not :" a rough voice 
 answered, isssuing from the top of the tree. " I was 
 obliged to wait for you here, as you have taken it. into 
 your head to wander about the whole night through." 
 
 The pirates burst into a laugh. 
 
 " Always amiable !" Sandoval continued ; "it is as- 
 tonishing how funny that animal of an Orson always is - f 
 Come, let down the ladder, you ugly brute !" 
 
 " T^gly brute, ugly brute !" the voice growled, although 
 its owner still remained invisible ; " that is the way in 
 which he thanks me." 
 
 In the meanwhile, a long wooden ladder was let down 
 through the branches. Sandoval caught hold of it, 
 secured it, and then turned to the wounded man 
 
 " I will go first to show you the way." 
 
 " Do so," the Scalper said resolutely ; " but I swear 
 that I will be the second." 
 
 " Halloh !" the Captain said, turning round, " why 
 you are a Yankee." 
 
 " What does it matter to you r" the other said roughly. 
 
 " Xot at all. Still, I am not sorry to know the fact." 
 
THE PIEATES OF THE PKAIRIES. 163 
 
 - " Well, you know it. What next ?" 
 
 " Kext ?" Sandoval answered with a laugh ; " you 
 will be among countrymen, that is all." 
 
 " It makes little difference to me." 
 
 " Canaries, and how do you suppose it concerns me :" 
 the Captain said, still laughing, and ascended. 
 
 The wounded man followed him step for step. The 
 ladder was resting against a platform about two yards 
 in width, completely concealed in a mass of inextricable 
 foliage. On this platform stood the giant to whom his 
 Chief had given the name of Orson, a name which was 
 exactly suitable, so rough and savage did he appear. 
 
 " Any news ?" the Captain asked, as he stepped on 
 the platform. 
 
 " None," the other answered laconically. 
 
 "Have all the detachments returned:" 
 
 "All except you." 
 
 " Are the Gazelle and the American girl in the grotto?" 
 
 " They are." 
 
 " That is well. When all the people have come up, 
 you will remove the ladder and join us." 
 
 " All right, Carai, I suppose I know what I have to 
 do." 
 
 Sandoval contented himself with shrugging his shoul- 
 ders. 
 
 " Come," he said to the Scalper, who was a silent 
 witness of this scene. 
 
 They crossed the platform. The centre of the tree 
 was entirely hollow, but it had not been rendered so by 
 human agency ; old age alone had converted the heart of 
 the tree into dust, while the bark remained green and 
 vigorous. The pirates, who had for many years inhabited 
 a very large cave that ran under the hill, had one day 
 
 M 2 
 
164 THE WHITE SCALPEK. 
 
 seen the earth give way at a certain spot, in consequence 
 of a storm ; this was the way in which the chimney, as 
 they called it, had heen discovered. 
 
 The pirates, like all plundering animals, are very fond 
 of having several issues to their lairs ; this new one, 
 supplied to them by accident, caused them the greater 
 pleasure, because by the same occasion they obtained an 
 observatory, whence they could survey an immense ex- 
 tent of country, which enabled them to see any enemy 
 who might attempt to take them by surprise. A platform 
 was formed at a certain height to keep the bark intact; 
 and by means of two ladders, fitted one inside and one 
 out, a communication was established. 
 
 Sandoval, in his heart, enjoyed his guest's surprise. 
 In fact, the pirate's ingenious arrangement seemed mar- 
 vellous to White Scalper, who, forgetting his phlegm and 
 stoicism, allowed his surprise to be seen. 
 
 "Now," he said to him, pointing to a second ladder^ 
 which descended a considerable depth into the ground, 
 " we will go down." 
 
 " At your service, at your service," the stranger an- 
 swered. "It is really admirable. Go on, I follow 
 you." 
 
 They then began descending cautiously owing to the 
 darkness, for the pirate placed as sentry on the Mirador 
 had, either through forge tfulness or malice, neglected to 
 bring torches, not supposing, as he said, that his com- 
 rades would return so late. White Scalper alone had 
 followed the pirates by the strange road we have indi- 
 cated. This road, very agreeable for foot passengers, 
 was, of course, completely impracticable for horsemen ; 
 hence Euperto and his three comrades quitted Sandoval 
 at the foot of the hill, and making a rather long detour, 
 
THE PIRATES OF THE PRAIRIES. 165 
 
 sought the real entrance of the cave, with which all four 
 had been long acquainted. 
 
 As the two men gradually descended, the light in- 
 creased, and they seemed to be entering a furnace. On 
 setting foot on the ground, the Scalper found himself in 
 an immense cavern, lighted by a profusion of torches 
 held by pirates, who, grouped at the foot of the ladder, 
 seemed to find an honour in waiting the arrival of their 
 Chief, and offering him a grand reception. The grotto 
 was of an enormous size ; the spot where "White Scalper 
 found himself was a vast hall, whence radiated several 
 galleries of immense length, and running in diametrically 
 opposite directions. The scene that offered itself to the 
 Scalper in this hall, where he arrived so unexpectedly, 
 would have been worthy of Callot's pencil. Here could 
 be seen strange faces, extraordinary costumes, impossi- 
 ble attitudes, all of which gave a peculiar character to 
 this multitude of bandits, who were hailing their Chief 
 with shouts of joy, and howls like those of wild beasts. 
 
 Captain Sandoval knew too well the sort of people he 
 had to deal with, to be affected in any way by the recep- 
 tion his bandits had improvised for him ; instead of ap- 
 pearing touched by their enthusiasm, he frowned, drew 
 up his head, and looked menacingly at the attentive 
 crowd. 
 
 " What is this, Caballeros ?" he said ; " how comes it 
 that you are all here waiting for me ? Viva Dios ! Some 
 mistake must have occurred in the execution of my orders 
 to make you collect so eagerly round me. Well, leave 
 me, we will clear that up on another occasion, for the 
 present I wish to be alone : begone !" 
 
 The bandits, without replying, bowed to the Chief, 
 and immediately withdrew, dispersing so promptly in 
 
166 THE WHITE SCALPEE. 
 
 the side galleries, that in less than five minutes the hall 
 was entirely deserted. At the same moment Euperto 
 appeared ; he had left his companions with old comrades 
 who had undertaken to do them the honours of the 
 grotto, and now came to join the man who had been 
 entrusted to his care. Sandoval offered his hand cor- 
 dially to the adventurer, but it was the cordiality of 
 a man who feels himself at home, which the Texan 
 noticed. 
 
 " Halloh ! " he said, " we are no longer on the 
 prairie, it strikes me." 
 
 " I^o," the Captain answered, seriously, and he laid 
 some stress on the words, " you are in my house, but," 
 he added, with a pleasant smile, " that must not trouble 
 you ; you are my guests, and will be treated as you 
 deserve to be." 
 
 "Good, good," Euperto said, who would not let him- 
 self be imposed on by this cavalier manner, "I know 
 where the shoe pinches, gossip. Well, I will find a 
 remedy," and he turned to Orson, who at this moment 
 came down the ladder with his rough and savage face ; 
 " beg White Gazelle to come hither ; tell her particu- 
 larly that Captain Sandoval wishes to see her." 
 
 The Chief of the pirates smiled and offered his hand 
 to Euperto. 
 
 " Forgive me, Euperto>" he said to him, " but you 
 know how I love that girl. When I am a single day 
 without seeing her, I fancy that I want something, and 
 feel unhappy." 
 
 " Canaries ! I am well aware of it," Euperto an- 
 swered, with a smile; "hence, you see, that to restore 
 you to your right temper I did not hesitate to give Orson 
 orders to fetch the only person you have ever loved." 
 
IN THE CATEBN. 167 
 
 The Captain sighed, but made no answer. 
 
 " Come," the adventurer continued, gaily, " she Trill 
 come, so recover your spirits. Caramba ! it would be 
 a fine thing for you to feel any longer vexed about a 
 child who probably forgot to kiss you on your return 
 because she was at play. Bemember, we are your 
 guests, that we have the claims which hospitality gives 
 us, and that you must not, under any pretext, look 
 black at us." 
 
 " Alas, my friends," he answered, with a stifled sigh, 
 " you know not, you cannot know, how sweet it is for 
 a wretch like me, an outlaw, to be able to say to him- 
 self that there exists in the world a creature who loves 
 him for himself, and without after- thought." 
 
 " Silence," Euperto said quickly, as he laid his hand 
 on his arm, " here she comes." 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 1ST THE CAVERN. 
 
 BUPEKTO was not mistaken : at this moment the most 
 exquisite little creature imaginable came bounding up 
 like a fawn. It was a girl of twelve years of age at 
 the most, fresh, smiling, and beautifully formed. Her 
 long black hair, her rosy-lipped mouth, with its pearly 
 teeth, her magnificent black hair floating into im- 
 mense curls down to her knee, her eccentric costume, 
 rather masculine than feminine, all concurred to give 
 an imprint of strangeness, and render her fantastic, ex- 
 traordinary, almost angelic, so striking a contrast did 
 her lovely head appear to the vulgar and hideous bandits 
 who surrounded her. So soon as the girl perceived the 
 
168 THF WHITE SCALPEE. 
 
 Captain, a flash of delight shot from her eye, and with 
 one bound she was in his arms, pressed to his large and 
 powerful chest lovingly. 
 
 " Ah," he said, as he kissed her silken curls, and in 
 a voice which he tried in vain to soften, "here yon are 
 at last, my darling Gazelle,* you have been long in 
 coming. " 
 
 "Father," she answered, as she repaid his caresses, 
 and in a deliciously modulated voice, "I was not aware 
 of your return. It was late, I did not hope to see you 
 to-night, so I was about to sleep." 
 
 " Well, Mna," he said, as he put her on the ground 
 again and gave her a final kiss, "you must not remain 
 here any longer. I have seen you, I have kissed you, 
 and my stock of happiness is laid in till to-morrow. Go 
 and sleep. I am not egotistic, I do not wish you to 
 lose your healthy cheeks." 
 
 "Oh," she said, with a little shake of her charming 
 head, " I no longer feel inclined for sleep ; I can remain 
 a few minutes longer with you, father." 
 
 White Scalper gazed with growing astonishment on 
 this admirable child, so gay, so laughing, so loving, and 
 who appeared so beloved. He could not account for 
 her presence among the pirates, or the affection their 
 Captain testified for her, 
 
 "You love this child very dearly," he said, as he 
 drew her gently towards him, and kissed her on the 
 forehead. ; 
 
 She looked at him with widely opened eyes, but 
 did not evince the slightest fear, or try to avoid his 
 caresses. 
 
 " You ask if I love her/' the pirate answered ; " that 
 * See Pirates of the Prairies, same publishers. 
 
II* THE CAVERN. 169 
 
 child is the joy and happiness of our house. Do you 
 think, then," he added, with some bitterness, "that 
 because we are outlawed bandits we have stifled every 
 generous feeling in our hearts ? Undeceive yourself. 
 The jaguar and panther love their cubs, the grizzly bear 
 cherishes its whelps ; should we be more ferocious than 
 these animals, which are regarded as the most cruel in 
 creation ? Yes, yes, we love our White Gazelle ! She 
 is our good genius, our guardian angel ; so long as she 
 remains among us we shall succeed in everything, for 
 good fortune accompanies her." 
 
 " Oh, in that case, father," she said eagerly, " you will 
 always be fortunate, for I shall never leave you." 
 
 " Who can answer for the future ?" he muttered in a 
 choking voice, while a cloud of sorrow spread over his 
 manly face. 
 
 " You are a happy father," the Scalper said, with a 
 profound sigh. 
 
 " Yes, am I not ? White Gazelle is not mine alone, 
 she belongs to us all ; she is our adopted daughter." 
 
 "Ah!" said the Scalper, without adding anything 
 more, and letting his head drop sadly. 
 
 " Go, child," Sandoval exclaimed, " go and sleep, for 
 night is drawing on." 
 
 The child withdrew, after saluting the three men 
 with a soft glance, and soon disappeared in the depths 
 of a side gallery. The Captain looked after her so 
 long as he could perceive her, then turning to his 
 guests, who, like himself, had remained under the spell 
 of this touching scene, he said 
 
 "Follow me, Senores ; it is growing late, you must 
 be hungry, and need rest. The hospitality I am enabled 
 to offer you will be modest, but frank and cordial." 
 
170 THE WHITE SCALPEB. 
 
 The two men bowed and followed him into a gallery, 
 on each side of which were cells enclosed by large mats 
 fastened to the walls in the shape of curtains ; at re- 
 gular distances torches of ocote wood, fixed in iron 
 rings, spread a reddish and smoky light, sufficient, how- 
 ever, to guide them. After walking for about ten 
 minutes, and traversing several passages communicating 
 with each other and forming a regular labyrinth, in 
 which any one else must inevitably have lost his way, 
 the Captain stopped before a cell, and raising the cur- 
 tains that formed the doorway, made his companions a 
 sign to enter. Sandoval followed them, and let the 
 mat fall again behind him. 
 
 The cell into which the Captain introduced his guests 
 was vast ; the walls were rather lofty, and allowed the 
 air to penetrate through invisible fissures, which ren- 
 dered it pleasant, while wooden partitions divided it into 
 several chambers. A golden censer, probably stolen from 
 a church, and hanging from the roof, contained a lamp 
 of fragrant oil, which spread a brilliant light through 
 the cavern. Unfortunately, the rest of the furniture 
 did not at all harmonize with this princely specimen, 
 but was, on the contrary, most modest. It was com- 
 posed of a large table of black oak, clumsily shaped, six 
 equipals, and two butacca?, a sort of easy chair with 
 sloping back, and which alone had any pretensions to 
 comfort. The walls were decorated with antlers of 
 elks and bighorns, buffalo horns, and grizzly bear claws, 
 the spolia opima of animals killed by the pirates during 
 their chase on the desert. 
 
 The only thing that attracted attention was a mag- 
 nificent rack, containing all the weapons used in Ame- 
 rica, from the lance, arrow, and sagaie, up to the sword, 
 
IN THE CAVERN. 171 
 
 the machete, the double-barrelled gun, and the holster 
 pistol. It was evident that the pirate had given orders 
 for the reception of his guests, for -wooden plates, 
 glasses, and silver dishes were arranged on the table 
 among large pots of red clay containing, some water, 
 and others mezcal and pulque, those two favourite 
 beverages of the Mexicans. Orson, with his savage 
 face and ordinary, sulky look, was ready to wait on the 
 guests. 
 
 ''To table, Senores," Sandoval said gravely, as he 
 drew up an equipal and sat down on it. 
 
 The others followed his example, and each drawing 
 his knife from his belt, began a general and vigorous 
 attack on a magnificent venison pasty. The appetite of 
 the guests, sharpened by a long day's fasting, needed 
 such a comforter However, we are bound to do the 
 Chief of the pirates the justice of saying that his larder 
 appeared amply supplied, and that he did the honours 
 of the table admirably. 
 
 The first moments of the meal were passed in silence, 
 as the Mexicans thought only of eating. But when the 
 sharpest hunger was appeased, and, according to the 
 Anglo-American fashion generally admitted on the 
 prairies, the bottle circulated, the apparent coldness 
 that had prevailed among the company suddenly dis- 
 appeared, and each began conversing with his next 
 neighbour ; then the voices were gradually raised, and 
 ere long everybody was talking at the same time. 
 
 During the repast which threatened to degenerate 
 into an orgie, two men alone had moderately applied 
 themselves to the bottle; they were Sandoval and 
 White Scalper. The Chief of the pirates, while ex- 
 citing his guests to drink, was very careful to retain 
 
172 THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 his sobriety and coolness. He examined with some 
 anxiety the singular man whom chance had given him 
 as a guest ; this gloomy face caused him a feeling of 
 discomfort for which he could not account. Still he 
 did not dare question him, for the law of the desert 
 prohibits the slightest inquiry being made of a stranger, 
 so long as he thinks proper to maintain his incognito. 
 
 Fortunately for Sandoval, whose impatience and cu- 
 riosity momentarily increased, Euperto had an equal 
 desire to explain the object of his visit to the prairies. 
 At the moment, therefore, when the private conversa- 
 tions, growing more and more animated, had become 
 general, and each seemed to be trying which could 
 shout the loudest, the Texan smote the table several 
 times loudly with the pommel of his dagger to demand 
 silence. The shouts stopped instantaneously, and all 
 heads were turned towards him. 
 
 " What do you want, Ruperto r" Sandoval asked him. 
 
 " What do I want ?" the other answered, whose tongue 
 was growing dull under the influence of the numerous 
 and copious draughts he had taken ; " I want to speak." 
 
 " Silence!" the Captain shouted in a stentorian 
 voice ; " now, go on, Euperto ! no one will interrupt 
 you, even if you spoke till sunrise." 
 
 " Demonios !" the Texan said, with a laugh, " I have 
 no pretence to abuse your patience so long." 
 
 " Act as you please, gossip ; you are my guest, and 
 more than that, an old acquaintance, which gives you 
 the right to do whatever you please here." 
 
 " Thanks for your gallantry, Captain ; I must, in the 
 first place, in my own name and in that of the persons 
 who accompany me, offer you sincere thanks for your 
 splendid hospitality." 
 
IN THE CAVERN. 173 
 
 "Go on, go on/' the Captain said, carelessly.' 
 
 "INTo, no; on the contrary, Caramba! a table so weft 
 served as yours is not to be found every day on the 
 prairie. A man must be as ungrateful as a monk not to 
 feel thankful/ 5 
 
 "Halloh!" the Captain said, laughingly, "did you 
 not tell me, when I met you this evening, that you were 
 sent to me by Fray Antonio ?" 
 
 "I did, Captain." 
 
 " A worthy monk/' Sandoval observed ; " he reminds 
 one of the Rev. John Zimmers, a protestant minister, 
 who was hung about ten years back at Baton Rouge, for 
 bigamy. He was a very holy man ! I remember that 
 at the foot of the gallows he made the crowd an edify- 
 ing speech, which drew tears from most of his hearers. 
 But let us return to Fray Antonio ; I hope that no acci- 
 dent has happened to him, and that he still enjoys good 
 health." 
 
 " When I left him his health was excellent. Still it 
 is possible that he may be dangerously ill at this mo- 
 ment, or even dead." 
 
 "Rayo de Dios ! you alarm me, gossip. Explain 
 yourself." 
 
 "It is very simple : Texas, wearied with the in- 
 cessantly renewed exactions of Mexico, has revolted to 
 gain its liberty." 
 
 " Yery good ; I know it." 
 
 "You know too, of course, that all the men of talent 
 have arrayed themselves beneath the flag of Independ- 
 ence. Naturally Eray Antonio raised a cuadrilla, and 
 offered his services to the insurgents." 
 
 "That is very ingenious/ 7 the Captain said, with a 
 smile. 
 
174 THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 " IB it not ? Oh ! Fray Antonio is a clever politician." 
 " Yes, yes, and proof of it is that at the beginning of 
 the insurrection it often happened that he did not know 
 himself to which party he belonged." 
 
 "What would you haver" Ruperto said, carelessly, 
 "it is so difficult to find one's way in a general upset ; 
 but now it is no longer the case." 
 " Ah ! it seems that he is fixed :" 
 " Completely ; he forms part of the Army of Liberation. 
 Now, on the very day of my departure the insurgents 
 were marching towards the Mexican forces to offer them 
 battle. That is why I said to you it was possible that 
 Pray Antonio might be seriously indisposed, and perhaps 
 even dead." 
 
 "I hope that misfortune has not happened." 
 " And so do I. A few minutes before setting out, 
 Pray Antonio, who takes a great interest, as it seems, 
 in the wounded Caballero who accompanies me, not 
 wishing to abandon him alone and helpless in the power 
 of the Mexicans, should the Liberating Army unfortunately 
 be conquered, ordered me to lead him to you, for he felfc 
 certain you would take great care of his friend, and 
 treat him well, in consideration of old friendship." 
 
 " He did right to count on me ; I will not deceive 
 his confidence. Caballero," he added, turning to the 
 old man, who during the whole of this conversation 
 had remained cold and apathetic, " you know us by 
 this time, and are aware that we are pirates. We offer 
 you the hospitality of the desert, a frank and un- 
 bounded hospitality, and offer it without either asking 
 who you are or what you have done before setting foot 
 on our territory." 
 
 " On what conditions do you offer me all these advan- 
 
IN THE C A VEEN. 175 
 
 tagesr" the old man asked, as he bowed, with cold 
 politeness, to the Chief of the bandits. 
 
 " On none, senor," he answered ; " we ask nothing 
 of you, not even your name ; we are proscribed and 
 banished men ; hence, every prescript, whatever be the 
 motives that bring him here, has a right to a place by 
 our fire. And now," he added, as he seized a bottle 
 and poured out a bumper, " here is to yo.ur fortunate 
 arrival among us, senor ! Pledge rne !" 
 
 " One moment, senor. Before replying to your toast 
 I have, if you will permit me, a few words to say to you." 
 
 " We are listening to you, senor." 
 
 The old man rose, drew himself up to his full height, 
 and looked silently at the company. A deep silence 
 prevailed ; suffering from lively anxiety, all impatiently 
 waited for the Scalper to speak. At length he did so, 
 while his face, which had hitherto been cold and stern, 
 was animated by an expression of gentleness of which 
 it would not have been thought capable. 
 
 " Senores," he said, " your frankness challenges mine ; 
 the generosity and grandeur of your reception compels 
 me to make myself known. When a man comes to 
 claim the support of men like yourselves he must keep 
 nothing hidden from them. Yes, I am proscribed ! 
 yes, I am banished ! but I am so by my own will. I 
 could return to-morrow, if I pleased, to the bosom of 
 society, which has never repelled me. I make here 
 neither allusions nor applications. I remain in the 
 desert to accomplish a duty I have imposed on myself; 
 I pursue a vengeance, an implacable vengeance, which 
 nothing can completely satiate, not even, the death of 
 the last of my enemies ! a vengeance which is only a 
 wild dream, a horrible nightmare, but which I pursue, 
 
176 THE WHITE ECALPEE. 
 
 and shall .pursue, at all hazards, until the supreme hour 
 when, on the point of giving ray last sigh, I shall die 
 with regret at not having sufficiently avenged myself. 
 Such is the object of my life, the cause which made me 
 ahandon the life of .civilized men to take up with that 
 of wild beasts YENGEANCE ! Kow you know what I 
 am ; when I have told you my name you will be well 
 acquainted with me." 
 
 The old man's voice, at first calm and low, had 
 gradually mounted to the diapason of the passions that 
 agitated him, and had become sonorous and harsh. His 
 hearers, involuntarily overpowered by his impassioned 
 accents, listened with panting chests and, as it were 
 hanging on his lips, to this strange man, who, by reveal- 
 ing the secret of his life, had stirred up their hearts, 
 and caused the only sensitive fibre that still existed 
 there to vibrate painfully. Eor they, too, had but one 
 object left, a sole desire vengeance on that society 
 which had expelled them like impure scum. These 
 men could comprehend such a powerful and vindictive 
 nature, admire it, and even feel jealous of it, for it was 
 more complete and more vigorously tempered than their 
 own. 
 
 When the Scalper had ceased speaking, all rose as if 
 by common accord, and, leaning their quivering hands on 
 the table, bent over to him, awaiting, with feverish im- 
 patience, the revelation of his name. But, by a strange 
 revolution, the wounded man seemed to have forgotten 
 what was taking place around him, and no longer to 
 remember either where he was or what he had said. 
 His head was bowed on his chest ; with his forehead 
 resting on his right hand and his eyes fixed on the 
 ground, he tried in vain to overcome the flood of bitter 
 
Itf THE CAVE EX. 177 
 
 recollections, the ever-bleeding wound which in a mo- 
 ment of excitement he had so imprudently revived. 
 
 Sandoval regarded him for a moment with an expres- 
 sion of sadness and pity, and laid his hand on his 
 shoulder. At this touch the old man, roughly recalled 
 to a feeling of external things, drew himself up as if he 
 had received an electric shock, and gazed wildly round 
 him. 
 
 " What do you want with me r" he asked, in a hoarse 
 voice. 
 
 " To tell you your name," the pirate answered, slowly. 
 
 " Ah !" he said, " then you know it r" 
 
 " Ten minutes back I was ignorant of it." 
 
 "While now r" 
 
 " Now I have guessed it." 
 
 An ironical smile curled the old man's pale lips. 
 
 " Do you think so r" he said. 
 
 il I am sure of it; there are not two men of your 
 stamp in the desert ; you are the genius cf evil if you 
 are not "White Scalper." 
 
 At this name an electric quiver traversed the limbs of 
 the hearers. The old man raised his head haughtily. 
 
 "Yes," he said, in a sharp voice, "I am White 
 Scalper." 
 
 During this long conversation a number of pirates, 
 brought up either by idleness or curiosity, had entered 
 the dining room one after the other. On hearing this 
 name uttered which they had been accustomed so long 
 to admire, on seeing at length this man for whom they 
 felt a secret terror, they burst into a formidable shout, 
 which the resounding echoes repeated indefinitely, and 
 which caused the roof to tremble as if agitated by an 
 
178 THE WHITE SCALPEE. 
 
 earthquake. The White Scalper made a signal to ask 
 silence. 
 
 "Senores," he said, "I am very grateful for the 
 friendly demonstrations of which I am the object. Up 
 to the present I have refused every species of alliance ; 
 I obstinately resolved to live alone and accomplish, 
 without help, the work of destruction to which I have 
 devoted myself. But, after what has passed here, I 
 must break the promise I made myself; he who receives 
 is bound to give ! Henceforth I am one of yourselves, 
 if you deem me worthy to form part of your cuadrilla." 
 
 At this proposal the huzzas and shouts of joy were 
 redoubled with extreme frenzy. Sandoval frowned ; he 
 understood that his precarious power was menaced. But, 
 too skilful and crafty to let the secret fears that agitated 
 him be guessed, he resolved to outflank the difficulty, 
 and regain, by a master-stroke, the power which he felt 
 instinctively was slipping from his grasp. Raising the 
 glass he held in his hand, he shouted in a thundering 
 voice : 
 
 " Muchachos ! I drink to White Scalper!" 
 
 " To White Scalper," the bandits joined in enthu- 
 siastically. 
 
 Sandoval allowed the first effervescence time to calm 
 down. Himself exciting this enthusiasm, he at length 
 requested silence at the moment when this enthusiasm 
 had attained its paroxysm. For a few minutes his 
 efforts were in vain, for heads were beginning to grow 
 hot under the influence of copious and incessant libations 
 of mezcal, pulque, and Catalonian refino. By degrees, 
 however, and like the sea after a storm, the cries died 
 out, a calm was re-established, and nothing was audible 
 save a dull and confused murmur of whispered words. 
 
Iff THE CAVEBff. 179 
 
 Sandoval hastened to profit by this transient moment of 
 silence to speak again. 
 
 " Senores," he said, " I have a proposal to make, 
 which, I believe, will suit you." 
 
 " Speak, speak," the pirates shouted. 
 
 " Our association," Sandoval continued, "is founded 
 on the most entire equality of its members, who freely 
 elect the man they consider most worthy to command 
 them." 
 
 " Yes, yes," they exclaimed. 
 
 " Long live Sandoval !" some said. 
 
 "Let him speak, do not interrupt him," the majority 
 vociferated. 
 
 Sandoval, negligently leaning on the table, followed 
 with an apparently indifferent glance these various 
 manifestations, though he was suffering from lively 
 anxiety, and his heart beat ready to burst his chest. He 
 was playing for a heavy stake ; he knew it, for he had, 
 with the infallible glance of all ambitious men, calculated 
 all the chances for and against. Hence, it was only by 
 the strength of his will that he succeeded in giving his 
 face a marble rigidity which did not permit the supreme 
 agony he was suffering internally to be divined. 
 When silence was nearly re-established, and he might 
 hope to be heard, he continued, in a firm voice : 
 
 " You did me the honour to appoint me your Chief, 
 and I believe that hitherto I have rendered myself wor- 
 thy of that honour." 
 
 He paused as if to await a reply. A murmur of 
 assent gently tickled his ear. 
 
 " What is he driving at?" Orson asked in a rough 
 voice. 
 
 " You shall know," said Sandoval, who overheard 
 
 N 2 
 
180 THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 him. And he continued : " In the common interest, I 
 consider it my duty this night to hand you back the 
 authority with which you entrusted me. You have at t 
 present among you a man more capable than myself of 
 commanding you, a man whose mere name will inspire 
 terror in the heart of your enemies. In a word, I offer 
 you my resignation, proposing that you should elect on 
 the spot White Scalper as your Chief!" 
 
 It was only then that Sandoval really knew the feel- 
 ing of his comrades toward him. Of two hundred 
 pirates assembled at this moment in the dining hall, 
 two thirds pronounced immediately for him, energeti- 
 cally refusing the resignation he offered apparently with 
 so much self-denial ; one half the remaining third gave 
 no sign of approval or disapproval. Thirty or forty of 
 the bandits alone received the proposal with shouts of 
 
 joy- 
 Still, as happens nearly always under similar circum- 
 stances, these thirty or forty individuals, by their shouts 
 and yells, would soon have led away others, and would 
 probably have become ere long an imposing majority, 
 had not "White Scalper himself thought it high time to 
 interfere. The old adventurer did not at all desire the 
 disgraceful honour of being elected the Chief of this 
 band of ruffians, whom he despised in his heart, and 
 whom the force of circumstances alone compelled him 
 to accept as companions. He was, on the contrary, re- 
 solved to part with them so soon as his wounds were 
 closed, and he felt capable of recommencing his wander- 
 ing life. Hence, at the moment when the shouts and 
 oaths crossed each other in the air with an intensity that 
 grew more and more menacing, when already some of 
 the pirates, their arguments being exhausted, were be- 
 
IN THE CAVEBX. 181 
 
 ginning to lay hands on their knives and pistols, and a 
 frightful battle was about to begin between these men, 
 among whom a moral feeling did not exist, and who 
 were consequently restrained by no sentiment of honour 
 or affection ; he rose, and speaking amid the vociferations 
 of these turbulent men, he protested energetically against 
 the proposal made by Sandoval, not wishing, as he said, 
 to accept anything but the honour of fighting by their 
 side, and sharing their dangers, for he felt an incompe- 
 tence to command. 
 
 In the face of such an energetic refusal, all opposition 
 necessarily ceased. A reaction in the contrary sense set 
 in, and the pirates implored Sandoval to retain the com- 
 mand, while protesting their devotion to him. Sando- 
 val, after letting himself be a long time entreated, in 
 order to convince them thoroughly of the frankness of 
 his conduct, at length allowed himself to be persuaded, 
 and consented to retain that power which he had felt 
 for a moment such fear of losing. 
 
 Peace was thus restored as if by enchantment, and 
 while the pirates drank floods of mezcal to celebrate the 
 happy conclusion of this affair, the Captain led his guests 
 to a compartment separate from the grotto, where they 
 were at liberty at last to rest themselves. Still Sando- 
 val, who, rightly or wrong, had for a moment found his 
 power threatened by White Scalper, felt a malice for 
 him in his heart, and promised to avenge himself on the 
 first opportunity. 
 
 dteo 
 
 3io ra 77913 
 ^r>'ii sift 
 
182 THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 CHAPTEE XIII. 
 
 A CONVERSATION. 
 
 TRANQUIL and Loyal Heart, as we have seen, withdrew 
 immediately the opportunity appeared favourable to them, 
 and returned to the hunter's rancho, where No Eusebio 
 had made all preparations to give them a hearty recep- 
 tion. Loyal Heart was too sad by nature, the Canadian 
 too preoccupied by a fixed idea which he had hitherto 
 kept in his heart, for these two men to take the slightest 
 interest in the coarse festivities of the Indians. All this 
 noise and disturbance wearied them ; they felt a desire 
 to rest themselves. 
 
 Dona Garillas received them with that calm and radiant 
 smile which seemed to pass over her pale and sad face 
 like a sunbeam passing between two clouds. Attentive 
 to satisfy their slightest desires, she seemed to be thank- 
 ful to them for their return, and tried, by those thousand 
 little attentions of which women alone possess the secret, 
 to keep them as long as possible by her side. 
 
 The hunter's house, so peaceful and comfortable, al- 
 though in the prejudiced sight of an European it would 
 have seemed hardly above the most wretched labourer's 
 cabin in this country, formed a contrast which was not 
 without grandeur with the leather callis of the Redskins, 
 those receptacles of vermin, where the most utter neglect 
 and complete forgetfulness, not only of comfort, but of 
 the most simple enjoyments of life, were visible. 
 
 Loyal Heart, after respectfully kissing his mother's 
 forehead, shaking hands with No Eusebio, and patting 
 his dogs, which leapt up at him with joyous whines, sat 
 down to table, making Tranquil a sign to follow his 
 
A CONVERSATION. 183 
 
 example. Since the previous night a singular change 
 had taken place in the manner, and even countenance of 
 the old hunter. He whose movements were generally so 
 frank and steady, seemed embarrassed ; his eye had los^ 
 the fire which illumined it and gave it so noble an ex- 
 pression ; his eyebrows continually met under the effect 
 of some secret thought ; his very speech was sharper 
 than usual. 
 
 The young man watched pensively, and with a me- 
 lancholy smile, the hunter's movements. When the 
 meal was over, and the pipes were lit, after making his 
 mother and J^o Eusebio a sign to withdraw, he turned to 
 the Canadian 
 
 " My guest," he said affectionately, " we are old 
 friends, are we not ? although we have known each 
 other but a short time." 
 
 " Certainly ! Loyal Heart, in the desert friendships 
 and hatreds grow rapidly, and we have been together 
 under circumstances when two men, side by side, can 
 appreciate each other in a few minutes. " 
 
 " Will you let me ask you a question ?" 
 
 " Of course," the hunter answered. 
 
 "Stay," the young man continued; " do we under- 
 stand each other ? will you promise to answer me this 
 question ?" 
 
 " Why not?" Tranquil said quietly. 
 
 "Who knows quien sabe? as we Spanish Americans 
 say," the young man replied with a smile. 
 
 " Nonsense," the Canadian replied carelessly; "ask 
 your question, mine host ; I cannot foresee the possi- 
 bility of my beiDg unable to answer you." 
 
 "But, supposing it were so?" 
 
 " I do not suppose it ; you are a man of too upright 
 
184 THE WHITE SCALPEP. 
 
 sense, and too great intelligence, to fall into that error. 
 So speak without fear." 
 
 " I will do so, as you authorise me ; for you do so, I 
 think." 
 
 " Understood." 
 
 " In that case, listen to me. I know you too well, 
 or, at least, I fancy I know you too well to suppose that 
 you have come here merely to pay me a visit, as you 
 knew you could meet me any day on the prairie. You 
 have, therefore, undertaken this journey with some de- 
 finite object ; a most serious motive impelled you to 
 wish to see me." 
 
 Tranquil gave a silent nod of assent. Loyal Heart 
 went on after a moment's silence, during which he 
 seemed to be awaiting a reply, which did not come. 
 
 "You have been here now two days. You have 
 already had several opportunities for a frank explanation, 
 an explanation, by the way, which I desire with my 
 whole heart, for I foresee that it will contain a service 
 I can render you, and I shall be happy to prove to you 
 the esteem I entertain for your character. Still, that 
 explanation does not come ; you seem, on the contrary, 
 to fear it; your manner toward me has completely 
 changed ; since yesterday, in a word, you are no longer 
 the man I knew, the man who never hesitates, and 
 always utters his thoughts loudly and boldly, whatever 
 might be the consequences at a later date. Am I mis- 
 taken? Answer, old hunter." 
 
 For some minutes the Canadian seemed considerably 
 embarrassed ; this point-blank question troubled him sin- 
 gularly. At length he boldly made up his mind, and 
 raised his head 
 
 " On my word," he answered, looking his questioner 
 
A CONVERSATION. 185 
 
 firmly in the face, "I cannot contradict it ; Loyal Heart, 
 you are right all you have said is perfectly correct." 
 
 " Ah !" the young man said with a smile of satisfac- 
 tion, " I was not mistaken, then ; I am pleased to know 
 -what I have to depend on." 
 
 The Canadian shrugged his shoulders philosophically, 
 like a man who does not at all understand, but who yet 
 experiences a certain degree of pleasure at seeing his 
 questioner satisfied, though he is completely ignorant 
 why. Loyal Heart continued 
 
 " Now, I demand in the name of that friendship that 
 binds us I demand, I say, that you should be frank 
 with me, and without reservation or circumlocution, 
 confess to me the motives which urged you to act as 
 you have done." 
 
 " These motives are only honourable, be assured, Loyal 
 Heart." 
 
 "I am convinced of it, my friend ; but I repeat to 
 you, I wish to know them." 
 
 " After all," the old hunter continued with the accent 
 of a man who has formed a resolution, " why should I 
 have secrets from you when I have come to claim your 
 assistance ? You shall know all. I am only a coarse 
 adventurer, who received all the education he has on the 
 desert ; I adore GOD, and am mad for liberty ; I have 
 always tried to benefit my neighbour, and requite good 
 for evil as far as lay in my power ; such, in two words, 
 is my profession of faith." 
 
 " It is rigorously true," Loyal Heart said, with an air 
 of conviction. 
 
 " Thanks, and frankly I believe it. But, with the 
 exception of that, I know nothing. Desert life has only 
 developed in me the instincts of the brute, without 
 
186 THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 giving me any of those refinements which the civilisation 
 of towns causes to be developed in the most savage 
 natures." 
 
 " I confess that I do not see at all what you are driv- 
 ing at." 
 
 " You will soon comprehend me. From the first mo- 
 ment I saw you, with the first word you uttered, by a 
 species of intuition, by one of those sympathies what 
 are independent of the will, I felt myself attracted to- 
 wards you. You were my friend during the few days 
 we lived together, sharing the same couch, under the 
 vault of Heaven, running the same dangers, experiencing 
 the same joys and sorrows. I believed that I appreciated 
 you at your true value, and my friendship only increased 
 in consequence. Hence, when I needed a sure and 
 devoted friend, I thought of you at once, and, without 
 further reflection, started to go in quest of you." 
 
 " You did well." 
 
 " I know it," said Tranquil, with simple enthusiasm ; 
 " still, on entering this modest rancho, my ideas were 
 completely modified ; a doubt occurred to me not about 
 you, for that was impossible but about your position, 
 and the mysterious life you lead. I asked myself by 
 what concourse of circumstances a man like you had 
 confined himself to an Indian village and accepted all 
 the wretchedness of a Eedskin life, a wretchedness 
 often so cruel and opposed to our manners. On seeing 
 your mother so lovely and so kind, your old servant so 
 devoted, and the way in which you behave within these 
 walls, I thought, without prejudging anything, that a 
 great misfortune had suddenly burst on you and forced 
 you for a time into a hard exile. But I understood that 
 I was not your equal, that between you and me there 
 
A CONYEBSATIOtf. 187 
 
 was a distinctly traced line of demarcation ; then I felt 
 oppressed in your company, for you are no longer the 
 free hunter, having no other roof but the verdurous 
 dome of our virgin forests, or other fortune than his rifle ; 
 in a word, you are no longer the comrade, the friend 
 with whom I was so happy to share everything in the 
 desert. I no longer recognise the right to treat as an 
 equal a man whom a passing misfortune has accidentally 
 brought near me, and who would, doubtless, at a later 
 date, regret this intimacy which has sprung from acci- 
 dent ; while continuing to love and esteem you, I re- 
 sume the place that belongs to me." 
 
 " All of which means ?" Loyal Heart said, distinctly, 
 
 " That, being no longer able to be your comrade, and 
 not wishing to be your servant, I shall retire." 
 
 " You are mad, Tranquil," the young man exclaimed, 
 with an outburst of impatient grief. ' 4 What you say, 
 I tell you, has not common sense, and the conclusions 
 you draw from it are absurd." 
 
 "Still ?" the Canadian hazarded. 
 
 " Oh !" the other continued, with considerable anima- 
 tion, " I have allowed you to speak, have I not ? I 
 listened to whatever you had to say without interruption, 
 and it is now your turn. Without wishing it, you have 
 caused me the greatest pain it is possible for me to 
 suffer ; you have caused an ever-living wound to bleed, 
 by reminding me of things which I try in vain to forget, 
 and which will cause the wretchedness of my whole 
 life." 
 
 " I I ?" the hunter exclaimed, with a start of terror. 
 
 "Yes, you! but what matter? besides, you were 
 walking blindly, not knowing where you were going ; 
 hence, I have no right to be angry with you, and am 
 
188 THE WHITE SCALPES. 
 
 not so. But there is one thing I value above all, which 
 I esteem more than life, and that is your friendship. I 
 cannot consent to lose it. Confidence for confidence ! 
 you. shall know who I am and what motive brought me 
 to the desert, where I am condemned to live and die." 
 
 " No," Tranquil answered, clearly, " I have no claim 
 to your confidence. You say that I have unintention- 
 ally caused you great suffering ; that suffering would 
 only be increased by the confession you wish to make 
 me. I swear to you, Loyal Heart, that I will not listen 
 to you." 
 
 "You must, my friend, both for your sake and my 
 own, for in that way we shall learn to understand one 
 another. Besides," he added, with a melancholy smile, 
 "this secret which crushed me, and which I have 
 hitherto kept in my own bosom, it will be a great con- 
 solation to me, be assured, to confide to a real friend. 
 And then, you must know this : I have no one to com- 
 plain of; the terrible misfortune which suddenly fell 
 upon me, or chastisement, if you like that term better, 
 was just, though perhaps severe; I have, therefore, no 
 one to reproach but myself. My life is only one long 
 expiation ; unhappily I tremble lest the present and the 
 future will not suffice to expiate the past." 
 
 "You forget GOD, my son," a voice said, with an 
 accent of supreme majesty, " GOD, who cannot fail you 
 and will judge you. When the expiation you have im- 
 posed on yourself is completed, that GOD will cause it 
 to terminate." 
 
 And Dona Garillas, who had for some moments been 
 listening to the conversation of the two men, crossed 
 the room with a majestic step, and laid her white and 
 delicate hand on the shoulder of her son, while giving 
 
A CONVERSATION. 189 
 
 him a glance full of that powerful love which mothers 
 alone possess. 
 
 "Oh! I am a wretched ingrate!" the young man 
 exclaimed, sorrowfully ; " in my hideous egotism I for 
 a moment forgot you, my mother, who gave up every- 
 thing for me." 
 
 "Baphael, you are my first-born. What I did nine 
 years ago I would do again to-day. But now, let what 
 you are about to hear be a consolation to you. I am 
 proud of you, my son ; whatever pain you once caused 
 me, the same amount of joy and pride you cause me to- 
 day. All the Indian tribes that traverse the vast soli- 
 tudes of the prairie have the greatest respect and deep- 
 est veneration for you ; has not the name these primitive 
 men have given you become the synonyme of honor ? 
 are you not, in a word, Loyal Heart, that is to say, the 
 man whose decisions have the strength of law, whom 
 all, friends and enemies, love and esteem ? What more 
 do you want r" 
 
 The young man shook his head sadly. 
 
 "Alas, mother," he said, in a hollow voice, "can I 
 ever forget that I have been a gambler, assassin, and 
 incendiary ?" 
 
 Tranquil could not restrain a start of terror. 
 
 "Oh, it is impossible !" he muttered. 
 
 The young man heard him, and turning to him, said 
 
 " Yes, my friend, I have been a gambler, assassin, 
 and incendiary. Well, now," he added, with an accent 
 of sad and bitter raillery, " do you still fancy yourself 
 unworthy of my friendship ? Do you still consider you 
 are not my equal ?" 
 
 The Canadian rose while the young man bent on him 
 a searching glance ; he went up to Dona Garillas, 
 
190 THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 and bowed to her with a respect mingled with admi- 
 ration. 
 
 "Senora," he said, "whatever crimes a man may 
 have committed in a moment of irresistible passion, that 
 man must be absolved by all when, in spite of his fault, 
 he inspires a devotion so glorious, so perfect, and so 
 noble as yours. You are a holy woman, madam ! 
 Hope, as you said yourself a moment back, hope. GOD, 
 who is omnipotent, will, when the moment arrives, dry 
 your tears and make you forget your sorrow in immense 
 joy. I am but a poor man, without talent or learning, 
 but my instinct has never deceived me. I am con- 
 vinced that if your son were ever guilty, he is now par- 
 doned, even by the man who condemned him under the 
 influence of an exaggerated feeling of honour, which he 
 regretted at a later date." 
 
 " Thanks, my friend/' Loyal Heart answered ; 
 " thanks for words which I feel convinced are the ex- 
 pression of your innermost thoughts; thanks in my 
 mother's name and my own ! Yours is a frank and 
 upright nature. You have restored me the courage 
 which at times abandons me, and have raised me in my 
 own sight ; but this expiation to which I condemned 
 myself, would not be complete unless I told you, in 
 their fullest details, all the events of my life. No re- 
 fusal," he added, with a sign to the hunter, " it must 
 be so ! Believe me, Tranquil, this story bears its own 
 instruction. Just as the traveller, after a long and 
 painful journey, halts by the way-side, and looks with a 
 certain degree of satisfaction at the distance he has 
 covered, I shall feel a mournful pleasure in returning 
 to the early and terrible events of my life." 
 
 " Yes," said his mother, " you are right, my son. A 
 
A CGNYEESATIOtf. 191 
 
 man must have courage to look back, in order to ac- 
 quire the strength to walk worthily forward. It is 
 only by reverting to the past that you can understand 
 the present and have hope in the future. Speak, 
 speak, my son, and if in the course of your narrative 
 your memory or your courage fail you, your mother 
 will be here at your side, as I have ever been, and what 
 you dare not or cannot say, I will say." 
 
 Tranquil regarded with admiration this strange wo- 
 man, whose gestures and words harmonized so Avell 
 with her majestic bearing ; this mother, whose sweet 
 face reflected so well her v noble sentiments ; he felt him- 
 self very small and wretched in the presence of this 
 chosen nature, who, of all the passions, knew only one, 
 maternal love. 
 
 "Loyal Heart," he said, with an emotion he could 
 not master, " since you insist, I will listen to the narra- 
 tive of the events which brought you to the desert ; 
 but be assured of this, whatever I may hear, since you 
 are willing still to give me the title of friend, here is 
 my hand, take it, I will never fail you. Now, whether 
 you speak or keep your secret, is of no consequence. 
 Eemember one thing, however, that I belong to you, 
 body and soul, before and against all, to-day or to- 
 morrow, to-morrow or ten years hence, and that," he 
 added with a certain degree of solemnity, t( I swear to 
 you from my deepest soul, by the memory of my be- 
 loved mother, whose ashes now rest in Quebec ceme- 
 tery. ISTow go on, I am ready to listen to you." 
 
 Loyal Heart warmly returned the pressure of the 
 hunter's hand, and made him sit down on his right 
 hand, while Dona Garillas took her place on his left. 
 
 "Now, listen to me, 5 ' he said. 
 
192 THE WHITE SCALPEE. 
 
 At this moment the door opened, and Ko Eusebio 
 appeared. 
 
 " Mi amo," he said, " the Indian Chief, called Black- 
 deer, wishes to speak to you." 
 
 " What, Black-deer :" the hunter said with surprise ; 
 " impossible ! he must be engaged with his marriage 
 festivities/' 
 
 " Pardon me," Tranquil observed ; " you forget, Loyal 
 Heart, that when we left the feast the Chief came up to 
 us, saying in a low voice that he had a serious commu- 
 nication to make to us." 
 
 " That is true ; in fact, I did forget it. Let him 
 enter, !N"o Eusebio. My friend," he added, addressing 
 Tranquil, " it is impossible for me at this moment to 
 begin a story which would be interrupted almost at the 
 first sentence ; but soon, I hope, you shall know it." 
 
 " I will leave you to settle your Indian affairs," Dona 
 Garillas said with a smile, and rising, she quitted the 
 room. 
 
 Tranquil, we are bound to confess, was in his heart 
 delighted at an interruption which saved him from 
 listening to the narrative of painful events. The worthy 
 hunter possessed the precious quality of not being at 
 all curious to know the history of men he liked, for his 
 native integrity led him to fear seeing them break down 
 in his esteem. Hence, he easily accepted the unex- 
 pected delay in Loyal Heart's confession, and was grate- 
 ful to Black-deer for arriving so opportunely. 
 
 At the moment when Dona Garillas entered the room 
 ]STo Eusebio introduced the Indian Chief by another 
 door. Forgetful of that assumed stoicism so habitual 
 to Indians, Black- deer seemed suffering from a lively 
 anxiety. The warrior's gloomy air, his frowns no- 
 
A CONVERSATION. 193 
 
 thing, in a word, recalled in him the man who had just 
 contracted a union he had long desired, and which 
 fulfilled all his wishes ; his countenance, on the con- 
 trary, was so grave and stern, that the two hunters 
 noticed it at the first glance, and could not refrain from 
 remarking on it to him. 
 
 "' Wah !" Loyal Heart Heart said good-humouredly, 
 " you have a preciously sad face. Did you, on entering 
 the village, perceive five crows on your right, or did 
 your scalping -knife stick in the ground thrice in suc- 
 cession, which, as everybody knows, is a very evil 
 omen ?" 
 
 The Chief, before replying, bent a piercing glance 
 around. 
 
 " No," he at length said, in a low and suppressed 
 voice, " Black-deer has not seen five crows on his right ; 
 he saw a fox on his left, and a flight of owls in the 
 bushes." 
 
 " You know, Chief, that I do not at all understand 
 you," Loyal Heart said, laughing. 
 
 " Nor do I, on my honour," Tranquil observed with a 
 crafty smile. 
 
 The Chief bravely endured this double volley of sar- 
 casm. Not a muscle of his face stirred ; on the contrary, 
 his features seemed to grow more gloomy. 
 
 " My brothers can laugh," he said, " they are Pale- 
 faces ; they care little whether good or evil happens to 
 the Indians." 
 
 " Pardon, Chief," Loyal Heart answered, suddenly 
 becoming serious ; " my friend and myself had no inten- 
 tion of insulting you." 
 
 " I am aware of it," the Chief replied, " my brothers 
 cannot suppose that on a day like this I should be sad." 
 
 o 
 
194 THE "WHITE SCALPER, 
 
 " That is true, but now our ears are open : my bro- 
 ther will speak, and we listen with all the attention his 
 words deserve." 
 
 The Indian seemed to hesitate, but in a moment he 
 walked up to Loyal Heart and Tranquil, seated by his 
 side, and bent over them, so that his head touched theirs. 
 
 " The situation is grave," he said, " and I have only 
 a few minutes to spare, so my brothers will listen se- 
 riously. I must return to the calli of Blackbird, where 
 my friends and relatives await me. Are my brothers 
 listening ?" 
 
 " We are listening," the two men answered with one 
 voice. 
 
 Ere going on, Black- deer walked round the room, 
 inspecting the walls and opening the doors, as if fearing 
 listeners. Then, probably re-assured by this inspection 
 that no one could hear him, he returned to the two 
 white men, who curiously followed these singular opera- 
 tions, and said to them in a low voice, as an additional 
 precaution : 
 
 "A great danger menaces the Antelope Comanehes." 
 
 "How so, Chief?'' 
 
 " The Apaches are watching the neighbourhood of 
 the village/* 
 
 "How do you know that ?" 
 
 The Chief looked around him, and then continued in 
 the same low and suppressed voice : 
 
 "I have seen them.' 7 
 
 " My brother has seen the Apaches :" 
 
 The Chief smiled proudly. 
 
 " Yes," he said, " Black-deer is a great brave, he has 
 the fine scent of my brother's rastreros, he has smelt the 
 enemy ; smelling is seeing, with a warrior." 
 
A CONVEBSATIOtf. 195 
 
 " Yes, but my brother must take care ! passion is an 
 evil counsellor," Loyal Heart answered; "perhaps he is 
 mistaken." 
 
 Black-deer shrugged his shoulders with disdain. 
 
 " This night there was not a breath of air in the 
 forest, yet the leaves of the trees moved, and the tall 
 grass was agitated." 
 
 " Wah ! that is astonishing,' 1 said Loyal Heart; "an 
 envoy of the Buffalo Apaches is in the village at this 
 moment, we must be threatened by fearful trickery." 
 
 " Blue-fox is a traitor who has sold his people," the 
 Indian continued with some animation; "what can be 
 hoped from such a man ? he has come here to count the 
 braves, and send the warriors to sleep." 
 
 "Yes," said Loyal Heart thoughtfully, " that is pos- 
 sible. But what is to be done ? has my brother warned 
 the Chiefs ?" 
 
 " Yes, while Blue-fox requested the hachesto to as- 
 semble the council, Black- deer spoke with Bounding 
 Panther, Lynx, and Blackbird." 
 
 " Very good, what have they resolved r" 
 
 "Blue-fox will be retained as an hostage, under 
 various pretexts. At sunset two hundred picked war- 
 riors, under the orders of Loyal Heart, and guided by 
 Black-deer, will go and surprise the enemy, who, knowing 
 their emissary to be in the village, will have no suspi- 
 cion, but fall into the trap they intended to set for us." 
 Loyal heart remained silent for a moment and re- 
 flected. 
 
 " Let my brother hear me," he said presently ; " I am 
 ready to obey the orders of the Sovereign Council of the 
 Sachems of the tribe, but I will not let the warriors en- 
 trusted to me be massacred. The Buffalo Apaches are old 
 
 o 2 
 
196 THE WHITE SCALPEB. 
 
 chattering and crying squaws, without courage, to whom 
 we will give petticoats, each time they find themselves face 
 to face with us in the prairies. But here such is not the 
 case ; they are ambushed at a spot selected beforehand, 
 and are acquainted with all its resources. However 
 well my young men may be guided by my brothers, the 
 Apaches will come on their trail, so that will not do." 
 
 " What does my brother propose ?" Black-deer asked 
 with some anxiety. 
 
 "The sun has run two- thirds of its course, Black- 
 deer will warn the warriors to proceed each by himself, 
 to the mountain of the Blackbear, one hour after subset. 
 In this way they will seem to be going hunting sepa- 
 rately, and excite no suspicion. No one will see them 
 depart, and if the enemy, as is probable, have spies in 
 the camp, they cannot suppose that these hunters, start- 
 ing one after the other, are sent off to surprise them- 
 When the un has disappeared on the horizon, in the 
 sacred cavern of the Eed Mountain, my brother the 
 Pale-hunter and myself will mount our horses and join 
 the Redskins. Have I spoken well ? does what I have 
 said please my brother ?" 
 
 While Loyal Heart was thus explaining the plan he 
 had instantaneously conceived, the Indian Chief gave 
 marks of the greatest joy, and the most lively admira- 
 tion. 
 
 " My brother has spoken well," he answered ; " the 
 Wacondah is with him ; his medicine is very powerful, 
 though his hair is black ; the wisdom of the Master of 
 Life resides in him. It shall be done as he desires ; 
 Black- deer will obey him ; he will follow out exactly 
 the wise instructions of his brother, Loyal Heart." 
 
 " Good ; but my brother will take care : Blue-fox is 
 very clever !" 
 
TWO ENEMIES. 197 
 
 "Blue- fox is an Apache dog, whose ears Black-deer 
 will crop. My brother the hunter need not feel alarmed ; 
 all will happen as he desires." 
 
 After exchanging a few more sentences to come to a 
 full understanding, and make their final arrangements, 
 Black-deer withdrew. 
 
 " You will come with me, I suppose, Tranquil?" the 
 young man asked the Canadian so soon as they were 
 alone. 
 
 " Of course !" the other replied ; " did you doubt it ? 
 what the deuce should I do here during your absence ? 
 I prefer accompanying you, especially as, if I am not 
 mistaken, there will be a jolly row.'* 
 
 " You are not mistaken. It is evident to me that the 
 Apaches would not have ventured so near the village, 
 unless they were in considerable force." 
 
 " Well, in that case, two hundred men are as nothing ; 
 you should have asked for more." 
 
 " Why so? in a surprise the man who attacks is 
 always the stronger ; we will try to get the first blow, 
 that is all." 
 
 " That is true, by Jove ! I am delighted at the affair ; 
 I have not smelt powder for some time, and feel myself 
 beginning to rust ; that will restore me." 
 
 At this outburst, Loyal Heart began laughing, Tran- 
 quil formed the chorus, and they spoke about something 
 else. 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 TWO ENEMIES. 
 
 IN the high American latitudes, night comes on almost 
 suddenly, and without sensible transition; there is no twi- 
 
198 THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 light, and when the sun has disappeared on the horizon, 
 it is perfect night ; now, at the period of the year when 
 the events occurred which we have undertaken to de- 
 scribe, the sun set at seven o'clock. Half- an hour later, 
 Tranquil and Loyal Heart, mounted on excellent mus- 
 tangs, left the rancho, followed by No Eusebio, who 
 insisted on joining them, and whom no entreaties or 
 exhortations could keep back. They had only gone a 
 few yards across the square, however, when the Cana- 
 dian laid his hand on the young man's bridle. 
 " What do you want ?" the latter asked. 
 " Shall we not take our comrades with us ?" 
 " Do you think it necessary ?" 
 
 " Well, with the exception of the monk, who, I fear, 
 is not worth much, they are stout fellows, whose rifles 
 might prove very useful to us." 
 
 "That is true ; warn them in a few words, and rejoin 
 me here." 
 
 " Do you not think the departure of so large a party 
 may arouse the suspicions of Blue- fox, who is doubtless 
 prowling about the neighbourhood ?" 
 
 "Not at all, they are white men ; if he saw Indian 
 warriors departing thus, I am sure his doubts would be 
 aroused ; but he will never suppose that hunters have 
 discovered his treachery." 
 
 " You may be right, but in any case it is better to run 
 the risk ; wait for me, I shall be back in ten minutes.'* 
 " All right, go along." 
 
 Tranquil went off rapidly, while Loyal Heart and No 
 Eusebio halted a few yards further on. The adventurers 
 gleefully accepted the proposal Tranquil made them ; 
 for such men, a battle is a festival, especially when they 
 have Indians to fight ; ten minutes scarce elapsed, there- 
 
TWO ENEMIES. 199 
 
 fore, ere the Canadian rejoined the young man. The 
 little band set out, and silently left the village. 
 
 Loyal Heart was mistaken in supposing that Blue- 
 fox would not be alarmed on seeing the white hunters 
 leave the atepetl. The Eedskin, like all men who medi- 
 tate treachery, had his eyes constantly open to the move- 
 ments of the inhabitants of the village, and his watchful 
 mind took umbrage at the most insignificant matters. 
 Athough the Comanche Chiefs had acted with the great- 
 est prudence, the Apache Sachem speedily perceived that 
 he was watched, and that, though honourably treated, 
 and apparently free, he was in reality a prisoner. He 
 pretended not to suspect what was going on, but re- 
 doubled his attention. During the past .day, he had 
 seen several warriors mount their horses one after the 
 other, and set out in groups of two, three, and even 
 four, to bury themselves in the forest. 
 
 "Not one of these warriors having re-entered the atepeti 
 by sunset, this circumstance caused the Eedskin Chief 
 deep thought, and he even came to the conclusion that 
 his plans were discovered, and that the Comanches were 
 attempting a countermine, that is to say, were trying to 
 surprise the persons who desired to lay a trap for them, 
 and the departure of the white hunters would have re- 
 moved the Chief's final doubts, had any such remained. 
 The situation was growing not only very critical, but 
 most perilous for him ; his scalp was extremely compro- 
 mised ; it was plain that the Comanche warriors on 
 their return would perform the scalp dance, and the 
 finest ornament of the feast would be the Apache Chief 
 who had tried to lead them into a cleverly-prepared trap. 
 
 Blue-fox was a warrior renowned as much for his 
 wisdom in council as for his bravery in fight ; instances 
 
200 THE WHITE SCALPEK. 
 
 of extraordinary audacity and temerity were narrated 
 about him, but the courage with which the Chief was 
 gifted was calm, reasoning, and ever subordinate to 
 events ; that is to say, Blue-fox, like a true Eeclskin, 
 would never hesitate, when circumstances demanded it, 
 to substitute craft and trickery for courage, considering 
 it highly absurd, and very useless, to expose his life 
 without any hope of profit. 
 
 Blue- fox was sitting in front of the entrance of the 
 calli of honour the Comanches had given him during the 
 period of his stay with them, calmly smoking his pipe, 
 when the white hunters passed before him. He displayed 
 neither surprise nor curiosity at the sight of them, but 
 by an almost imperceptible movement of his head and 
 shoulders, he looked after them with a flashing glance 
 till they disappeared in the darkness. We have said 
 that the night was dark, the village already appeared 
 completely deserted, the Indians had withdrawn to the 
 interior of their callis, while at lengthened intervals an 
 isolated Eedskin hastily crossed the square, hurrying 
 homewards. 
 
 Blue-fox still sat before his calli smoking ; gradually 
 the arm that supported the calumet fell on his knees, 
 his head bowed on his chest, and the Apache Sachem, 
 seemed, as so often happens to the Indians, to have 
 yielded to the narcotic influence of the moriche ; and a 
 long time elapsed ere he made the slightest movement. 
 Was the Chief really asleep ? no one could have an- 
 swered the question. His calm and regular breathing, 
 and his careless attitude, led to the supposition that he 
 had been overcome by sleep ; but, if any sound suddenly 
 smote his ear, an almost imperceptible tremor ran over 
 his limbs, and his eyelash rose, probably through that 
 
TWO ENEMIES. 201 
 
 instinct of personal prudence peculiar to the Indians, 
 but more probably through a desire of investigation, as 
 we think, and as any one else would have thought who 
 was in a position to see the piercing glances he at such 
 moments darted into the obscurity. All at once the 
 curtain of the calli was raised, and a hand was roughly 
 laid on the sleeper's shoulder. The Chief started at 
 this touch, which he did not at all expect, and sprang 
 up as if a serpent had stung him. 
 
 " The nights are cold," said an ironical voice, which 
 smote unpleasantly on the ear of Blue-fox; " the dew 
 is profuse, and ices the blood ; my brother is wrong to 
 sleep thus in the open air, when he has a spacious and 
 convenient calli." 
 
 Blue-fox, by a powerful effort, extinguished the fire 
 of his glance, composed his features, and answered in 
 the gentle voice of a man who is really waking 
 
 "I thank my brother for his affectionate observation ; 
 in truth, the nights are very cold, and it is better to 
 sleep in a calli than in the open air." 
 
 He rose without further discussion, and re-entered 
 the hut with the calm step of a man delighted with the 
 warning he has received. A great fire was kindled in 
 the interior of the calli, which, besides, was illumined 
 by a torch of ocote wood stuck in the ground, whose 
 ruddy and vacillating glare imparted a blood-red hue to 
 surrounding objects. The man whose charitable advice 
 surprised Blue-fox, let the curtain fall behind him, and 
 entered after the chief. This man was Black-deer ; 
 without uttering a syllable, he sat down before the fire, 
 and began arranging the logs with a certain degree of 
 symmetry. Blue-fox gazed on him for a moment with 
 an undefinable expression, and then walked up and stood 
 by his side. 
 
202 THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 "My brothers, the Antelope Comanches," he said, 
 with an almost imperceptible tinge of irony in his voice, 
 " are great warriors ; they understand the laws of 
 hospitality better than any other nation." 
 
 " The Antelope Comanches," Black-deer answered, 
 peaceably, " know that Blue-fox is a renowned Chief, 
 and one of the great braves of the Buffalo Apaches ; they 
 are anxious to do him honour." 
 
 The Chief bowed. 
 
 " Does this honour go so far as to compel so great 
 a warrior as my brother to watch over my sleep ?" 
 
 " My brother is the guest of the Antelopes, and in that 
 quality has a claim to all possible attention." 
 
 Like two experienced duellists the Chiefs had crossed 
 swords ; having felt their blades, they perceived that they 
 were of equal strength, and each fell back a step to con- 
 tinue the engagement on new ground. 
 
 " Then," Blue-fox continued, " my brother will 
 remain in the calli with me." 
 
 The Chief gave a nod of assent. 
 
 " Wah ! I know for what reason the Comanche 
 Sachems treat me thus : they are aware that Black- 
 deer and Blue-fox, though each adopted by a different 
 tribe, are yet brothers of the great and powerful nation 
 of the Snake Pawnees ; hence they suppose that the two 
 Chiefs would be pleased to converse together and recall 
 their early years. My brother will thank the Sachems 
 of his nation for Blue-fox ; I was far from expecting so 
 great a proof of courtesy on their part." 
 
 "My brother is rightly called the Fox," the Co- 
 manche replied, briefly, with a bitter accent ; "his craft 
 is great." 
 
 " What does my brother mean ?" the Apache went 
 on, with the greatest air of surprise he could assume. 
 
TWO ENEMIES. 203 
 
 " I speak the truth, and my brother is well aware of 
 it," Black-deer answered ; " why should we thus try to 
 deceive each other ? we have been too long acquainted. 
 Let my brother listen to me : the Antelope Comanches 
 are not, as the Apaches suppose them, inexperienced 
 children, they know for what purpose my brother has 
 come to their winter atepetl." 
 
 " Ohe!" the Chief said, " I hear a mocking-bird sing- 
 ing in my ears, but I do not at all understand what it 
 means." 
 
 " Perhaps so, but to remove my brother's doubt I will 
 speak to him frankly." 
 
 "Can my brother do so?" the Apache continued, 
 ironically. 
 
 " The Chief shall judge : For some moons past the 
 Buffalo Apaches have been trying to take a brilliant 
 revenge on the Comanches for a defeat the warriors of 
 my nation inflicted on them, but the Apaches are chat- 
 tering old women who possess no craft ; the Comanches 
 will give them petticoats and send them to cut wood for 
 them in the forests." 
 
 The Chief's eyebrows were almost meeting at this 
 crushing insult ; a flash of fury burst from his eyes, but 
 still he managed to overpower his feelings. He drew 
 himself up with supreme majesty and folded himself in 
 his buffalo robe. 
 
 " My brother, Black-deer, forgets to whom he is 
 speaking," he said ; " Blue-fox is the envoy of his 
 nation to the Comanches, he has sought shelter under 
 the totem of the Antelopes and smoked their sacred 
 calumet ; his person must be respected." 
 
 " The Apache Chief is mistaken," Black-deer replied, 
 with a disdainful smile ; " he is not the envoy of a brave 
 
204 THE WHITE SCALPEE. 
 
 nation, but only the spy of a pack of savage dogs. 
 While Blue-fox tries to deceive the Comanche Sachems, 
 and lull them to sleep in a treacherous serenity, the 
 Apache dogs are hidden like moles in the tall grass, 
 awaiting the signal which will surrender their defence- 
 less enemies into their hands.'' 
 
 Blux-fox looked round the calli, and bounding like a 
 jaguar, rushed on his foeman, brandishing his knife. 
 
 "Die, dog!" he shouted. 
 
 Since the beginning of their singular conversation 
 Black-deer had not stirred, he had remained tranquilly 
 crouching over the fire, but his eyes had not lost one of 
 the Apache's movements, and when the latter rushed 
 madly at him he started aside, and springing up with 
 extreme rapidity, seized the Chief in his nervous arms 
 and both rolled on the ground, intertwined like serpents. 
 In their fall they fell on the torch, which was extin- 
 guished ; hence, the terrible and silent conflict went on 
 between the two men by the uncertain gleam of the fire, 
 each striving to stab his enemy. They were both of 
 nearly the same age, their strength and skill were equal, 
 and an implacable hatred animated them ; in this horri- 
 ble duel, which must evidently terminate in the death 
 of one of them, they disdained the usual tricks employed 
 in such fights, as they cared little about death so long 
 as their enemy received the mortal blow simultaneously. 
 
 Still, Black-deer had a great advantage over his 
 adversary, who, blinded by fury, and not calculating 
 any of his movements, could not long sustain this deadly 
 contest without himself becoming a victim to the insen- 
 sate rage which had urged him to attack the Comanche. 
 The latter, on the contrary, completely master of him- 
 self, acted with the greatest prudence, and by the way 
 
TWO ENEMIES. 205 
 
 he had seized his enemy had pinned his arms and 
 rendered it impossible for him to employ his weapons ; 
 all the efforts of Black-deer tended to roll the Apache 
 into the fire burning in the centre of the calli. 
 
 They had been wrestling thus for a long time, foot 
 against foot, chest to chest, and it was as yet impossible 
 to guess which would gain the upper hand, when sud- 
 denly the curtain of the hut was raised, and a brilliant 
 light inundated the interior. Several men entered ; they 
 were Comanche warriors. They arrived later than they 
 should have done, for all that took place at this moment 
 had been arranged beforehand between them and Black- 
 deer, but they had been delayed by circumstancss beyond 
 their control. Five minutes later their interference 
 would have been useless, as they would probably have 
 found one of the two combatants killed by the other, or 
 perhaps raised two corpses, such fury and vindictive- 
 ness were displayed in this atrocious struggle. 
 
 When Blue-fox saw the help that arrived for his 
 enemy he judged the position at a glance, and felt that 
 he was lost ; still, the cunning and coolness innate with 
 Indians did not abandon him at this supreme moment ; 
 for Redskins, whatever may be the hatred they feel, do 
 not kill an enemy who openly allows that he is con- 
 quered. The Apache Chief, so soon as he perceived the 
 Comanches, ceased his efforts, and removed the arms 
 which had hitherto held Black-deer as in a vice ; then, 
 throwing back his head and closing his eyes, he stood 
 motionless. 
 
 Blue-fox was aware that he would be regarded as a 
 prisoner and kept for the stake of torture, but until the 
 hour marked for his punishment arrived he retained the 
 hope of escaping, with whatever care he might be guarded. 
 
206 THE WHITE SCALPEB. 
 
 This chance was the last left him, so he did not wish to 
 lose it. 
 
 Black-deer rose, greatly shaken by the rude embrace ; 
 but, instead of striking- his enemy, who lay disarmed at 
 his feet, he returned his knife to his belt. The Apache's 
 calculations were correct : until the hour of punishment 
 arrived he had nothing to fear from his enemy. 
 
 " Blue-fox is a great brave, he fought like a courage- 
 ous warrior," said Black-deer; " as he must be fatigued 
 he will rise, and the Comanche Chief will show him all 
 the consideration he deserves." 
 
 And he offered his hand to help him in rising. The 
 Apache made no movement to pick up his weapons, but 
 frankly accepted the offered hand and rose. 
 
 " The Comanche dogs will see a warrior die," he said, 
 with an ironical smile ; " Blue-fox laughs at their 
 tortures ; they are not capable of making one of his 
 muscles quiver." 
 
 " Good ! my brother will see/ 5 and turning to the 
 -Saehems, who stood motionless and silent a few paces 
 off, the Chief added ; " when will this warrior die ?" 
 
 " To-morrow at sunset," the most aged of the Indians 
 laconically answered. 
 
 " My brother has heard," Black-deer continued ; 
 " has he any remark to make ?" 
 
 " Only one." 
 
 " My brother can speak, our ears are open." 
 
 " Blue-fox does not fear death, but ere he goes to 
 hunt on the happy hunting-grounds, beneath the power- 
 ful eye of the Wacondah, he has several important mat- 
 ters to settle on this earth." 
 
 The Comanches bowed in asssent. 
 
 -' Blue-fox," the Apache Chief continued, " has 
 
TWO ENEMIES. 207 
 
 a necessity to return among the warriors of his 
 nation. " 
 
 " How long will the Chief remain absent ?" 
 " One whole moon." 
 
 " Good ! What will the Chief do to insure his word, 
 and that the Coraanche Sachems may put faith in what 
 he says r" 
 
 " Blue-fox will leave an hostage." 
 " The Sachem of the Buffalo Apaches is a great brave ; 
 what warrior of his nation can die in his stead, if he 
 forget to liberate his pledge ?" 
 
 " I will give the flesh of my flesh, the blood of my 
 blood, the bone of my bone. My son will take my 
 place,'* 
 
 The Comanches exchanged a very meaning glance. 
 There was a rather lengthened silence, during which 
 the Apache, haughtily folded in his buffalo robe, stoically 
 waited, and it was impossible to read in his motionless 
 features one of the emotions that agitated him. At 
 length Black-deer spoke again. 
 
 " My brother has recalled to my memory," he said, 
 " the years of our youth, when we were both children 
 of the Snake Pawnees, and hunted in company the 
 elk and the asshata in the prairies of the Upper Mis- 
 souri. The early years are the sweetest ; the words of 
 my brother made my heart tremble with joy. I will 
 be kind to him ; his son snail be my substitute, though 
 he is still very young ; but he knows how to crawl like 
 the serpent and fly like the eagle, and his arm is strong 
 in fight. But Blue-fox will reflect before pledging his 
 word. If on the evening of the twenty-eighth sun my 
 brother has not returned to take his place at the foot of 
 the stake of torture, his son will die." 
 
208 THE WHITE SCALPEE. 
 
 "I thank my brother," the Apache replied in a firm 
 voice, " on the twenty-eighth sun I shall return : here 
 is my open hand." 
 
 " And here is mine." 
 
 The two enemies clasped in cordial pressure the two 
 hands which, a few minutes before, had been seeking 
 so eagerly to take each other's life ; then Blue-fox un- 
 fastened the cascabel skin that attached his long hair in 
 the form of a cap on the top of his head, and removed 
 the white eagle plume fixed above his right ear. 
 
 "My brother will lend me his knife," he said. 
 
 " My brother's knife is at his feet/ 1 the Comancho 
 answered cautiously; "so great a warrior must not re- 
 main unarmed. He can pick it up." 
 
 The Chief stooped, picked up his knife, and thrust it 
 in his girdle. 
 
 "Here is the plume of a Chief," he said as he gave 
 it to Black-deer, cutting off a tress of the long hair, 
 which, being no longer fastened, fell in disorder on his 
 shoulders ; he added, " My brother will keep this lock, 
 it forms part of the scalp that belongs to him : the 
 Chief will come to ask it back on the appointed day and 
 hour." 
 
 " Good !" the Comanche answered, taking the hair 
 and the plume, " my brother will follow me." 
 
 The Comanches, unmoved spectators of this scene, 
 shook their torches to revive the flame, and all the In- 
 dians leaving the calli, proceeded in the direction of the 
 Medicine Lodge, which stood, as we have seen, in the 
 centre of the square between the ark of the first man 
 and the stake of torture. It was toward the latter 
 that the Chiefs proceeded with that slow and solemn 
 step they employ in serious matters. As they passed in 
 
TWO ENEMIES. 209 
 
 front of the callis, the curtains were raised, the inhabit- 
 ants came out, holding torches, and followed the pro- 
 cession. When the Chiefs reached the stake, an 
 immense crowd filled the square, hut it was silent and 
 reflecting. 
 
 There was something strange and striking in the 
 scenes offered at this moment by the square, under the 
 light of the torches, whose flame the wind blew in all 
 directions. The Chiefs halted at the foot of the stake 
 and formed a semicircle, in the centre of which Blue- 
 fox stationed himself. 
 
 " Now that my brother has given his pledge, he can 
 summon his son," said Black-deer; " the lad is not far 
 off, I dare say." 
 
 The Apache smiled cunningly. 
 
 " The young of the eagle always follows the powerful 
 flight of its parent/' he replied ; " the warriors will 
 part to the right and left to grant him a passage." 
 
 At a silent sign from Black-deer there was a move- 
 ment in the crowd, which fell back and left a passage 
 through the. centre ; Blue-fox then thrust his fingers in 
 his mouth, and imitated thrice the call of the hawk. 
 In a few minutes a similar but very faint cry answered 
 him. The Chief renewed his summons, and this time 
 the answer was shriller and more distinct. For the 
 third time the Apache repeated his signal, which was 
 answered close at hand ; the rapid gallop of a horse 
 became audible, and almost immediately an Indian war- 
 rior dashed up at full speed. This warrior crossed the 
 entire square without evidencing the slightest surprise. 
 He stopped short at the foot of the stake, dismounted, 
 and placed himself by the side of Blue-fox, to whom he 
 merely said 
 
210 THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 " Here I am." 
 
 This warrior was the son of the Apache Chief, a 
 tall and nobly-built lad of sixteen to seventeen. His 
 features were handsome, his glance was haughty, his 
 demeanour simple, and noble without boasting. 
 
 " This boy is my son," Blue-fox said to the Comanche 
 Chiefs. 
 
 " Good !" they replied, bowing courteously. 
 
 " Does my son consent to remain as an hostage in 
 the place of his father ?" Black* deer asked him. 
 
 The young man bowed his head in assent. 
 
 " My son knows that if his father does not come to 
 liberate his pledge, he will die in his place ?" 
 
 A smile of contempt played round the boy's lips. 
 
 " I know it," he said. 
 . " And my son accepts ?" 
 
 " I do." 
 
 " Good !" the Chief continued, "let my son look/' 
 
 He then went up to the stake and fastened to it the 
 feather and lock of hair Blue-fox had given him. 
 
 " This feather and this hair will remain here until 
 the man to whom they belong returns to claim them," 
 he said. 
 
 The Apache Chief answered in his turn 
 
 " I swear on my totem to come and redeem them at 
 the appointed time." 
 
 " Wah ! my brother is free," Black-deer continued ; 
 "here is the feather of a Chief; it will serve him as a 
 recognition if the warriors of my nation were to meet 
 him. Still, rny brother will remember that he is for- 
 bidden communicating in any way with the braves of 
 his nation ambushed round the village." 
 " Blue-fox will remember it." 
 
THE AMBUSCADE. 211 
 
 After uttering these few words without even ex- 
 changing a look with his son, who stood motionless by 
 his side, the Chief took the feather Black- deer offered 
 him, leaped on the horse which had brought the young 
 man, and started at a gallop, not looking back once. 
 When he had disappeared in the darkness, the Chiefs 
 went up to the boy, bound him securely, and confined 
 him in the Medicine Lodge under the guardianship of 
 several warriors. 
 
 "Now," said Black-deer, "for the others." 
 And mounting his horse in his turn, he left the 
 village. 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 THE AMBUSCADE, 
 
 THE European traveller, accustomed to the paltry land- 
 scapes which man has carved out corresponding with 
 his own stature and the conventional nature he has, as 
 it were, contrived to create, can in no way figure to him- 
 self the grand and sublime aspect presented by the great 
 American forests, where all seems to sleep, and the ever- 
 open eye of GOD alone broods over the world. The un- 
 known rumours, without any apparent cause, which 
 incessantly rise from earth to sky like the powerful 
 breathing of sleeping nature, and mingle with the mo- 
 notonous murmur of the streams, as they rustle over 
 the pebbles of their bed ; and at intervals, the myste- 
 rious breeze which passes over the tufted tops of the 
 trees, slowly bending them with a gentle rustling of 
 .leaves and branches all this leads the mind to reverie, 
 and fills it with a religious respect for the sublime works 
 of the Creator. 
 
 p 2 
 
212 THE WHITE SCALPEK. 
 
 We fancy we have given a sufficiently detailed account 
 of the village of the Antelope Comanches, to be able to 
 dispense with further reference to it ; we will merely 
 add that it was built in an amphitheatrical shape, and 
 descended with a gentle incline to the river. This posi- 
 tion prevented the enemy surrounding the village, whose 
 approaches were guarded from surprise by the trees 
 having been felled for some distance. 
 
 Loyal Heart and his comrades advanced slowly, with 
 their rifles on their thigh, attentively watching the 
 neighbourhood, and ready, at the slightest suspicious 
 movement in the tall grass, to execute a vigorous charge. 
 All, however, remained quiet round them ; at times they 
 heard a coyote baying at the moon, or the noise of an 
 owl concealed by the foliage ; but that was all, and a 
 leaden silence fell again on the savannah. At times they 
 saw in the bluish rays of the moon indistinct forms ap- 
 pear on the banks of the river ; but these wandering 
 shadows were evidently wild beasts which had left their 
 lurking places to come down and drink. 
 
 The march continued thus without encumbrance or 
 alarm of any description, until the adventurers had 
 reached the covert, when, a dense gloom suddenly en- 
 veloped them, and did not allow them to distinguish 
 objects ten yards ahead. Loyal Heart did not consider it 
 prudent to advance further in a neighbourhood he did not 
 know, and where he saw the risk at each step of falling 
 into an ambuscade ; consequently the little band halted. 
 The horses were made to lie down on their side, their 
 legs were fastened, and their nostrils drawn in with a 
 rope, so that they could neither stir nor make a sound, 
 and the adventurers, concealing themselves, waited 
 while watching with the most profound attention. 
 
THE AMBUSCADE. . 213 
 
 From time to time they saw horsemen crossing a 
 clearing, and all going in different directions ; some 
 passed close enough to touch them without perceiving 
 the hunters, owing to the precautions the latter had 
 taken, and then disappeared in the forest. Several hours 
 passed thus, the hunters being quite unable to compre- 
 hend the delay, the reason for which the reader, however, 
 knows ; the moon had disappeared, and the darkness be- 
 come denser. Loyal Heart, not knowing to what he should 
 attribute Black-deer's lengthened absence, and fearing 
 some unforeseen misfortune had burst on the village, was 
 about to give the order for returning, when Tranquil, 
 who, by crawling on his hands and knees, had reached 
 the open plain where he remained for some time as scout, 
 suddenly returned to his comrades. 
 " What is the matter ?" Loyal Heart whispered in his 
 ear. 
 
 " I cannot say," the hunter answered, " I do not un- 
 derstand it myself. About an hour back, an Indian 
 suddenly sprung up by my side as if emerging from the 
 ground, and leaping on a horse of whose presence I was 
 equally ignorant, started at full speed in the direction 
 of the village." 
 
 " That is strange," Loyal Heart muttered ; " and you 
 do not know who the Indian is ?" 
 
 "Apache." 
 
 " Apache, impossible !" 
 
 " That is just the point that staggers me ; how could 
 an Apache venture to the village alone ?" 
 
 " There is something up we do not know ; and then 
 the signals we heard ?" 
 
 " This man answered them." 
 
 " What is to be done ?" 
 
214 THE WHITE SCALPEE/ 
 
 " Find out." 
 
 "But in what way?" 
 
 "Why, hang it, by rejoining our friends." 
 
 Loyal Heart shook his head. 
 
 " No," he said, " we must employ some other method, 
 for I promised Black-deer to help him in this expedition, 
 and I will not break my word." 
 
 "It is evident that important events have occurred 
 among the tribe." 
 
 " That is my opinion too, but you know the prudence 
 of the Indians, so we will not despair yet; stay," he 
 added, as he tapped his forehead, " I have an idea, 
 we shall soon know what is taking place ; leave me to 
 act." 
 
 " Do you require our help r" 
 
 " "Not positively ; I shall not go out of sight, but if 
 you see me in danger, come up." 
 
 " AU right," 
 
 Loyal heart took a long rope of plaited leather, which 
 served him as a picquet cord, and laying down his rifle, 
 which might have impeded him in the execution of the 
 daring plan he had formed, lay down on the ground and 
 crawled away like a serpent. The plain was covered 
 with dead trees and enormous stones, while there were 
 wide trenches at certain spots. This open ground, so 
 singularly broken up, offered, therefore, all the facilities 
 desirable for forming an ambuscade or a post of obser- 
 vation. 
 
 Loyal Heart stopped behind an enormous block of red 
 granite, whose height enabled him to stand up, in shel- 
 ter on all sides save in the direction of the forest. But 
 he had no great risk to run from any enemies concealed 
 in the chapparal, for the night was so dark that it would 
 
THE AMBTJSCA.DE. 215 
 
 have been necessary to have followed the hunter's every 
 movement, to discover the spot where he now was. 
 
 Loyal Heart was a Mexican ; like all his countrymen, 
 whose skill is proverbial in the management of certain 
 weapons, from his youth he had been familiarized with 
 the lasso, that terrible arm which renders the Mexican 
 horsemen so formidable. The lasso or reata, for this 
 weapon has two names, is a strip of plaited leather, 
 rendered supple by means of grease. It is ordinarily 
 forty-five to fifty feet in length, one of the ends termi- 
 nating in a running knot, the other being fastened to 
 an iron ring riveted in the saddle ; the rider whirls it 
 round his head, sets his horse at a gallop, and on arriving 
 within thirty or five-and-thirty yards of the man or 
 animal he is pursuing, he lets the lasso fly, so that the 
 running knot' may fall on the shoulders of his victim. 
 At the same time that he lets the lasso go, the rider makes 
 his horse suddenly turn in the opposite direction, and the 
 enemy he has lassoed is, in spite of the most strenuous 
 resistance, hurled down and dragged after him. Such 
 is the lasso and the way in which it is employed on 
 horseback. 
 
 Afoot, matters are effected much in the same fashion, 
 save that, as the lassoer has no longer his horse to aid 
 him, he is obliged to display great muscular strength, 
 and is often dragged along for a considerable distance. 
 In Mexico, where this weapon is in general use, people 
 naturally study the means to neutralize its effects, the 
 most efficacious being to cut the lasso. This is why all 
 horsemen carry in their boot, within arm's length, a long 
 and sharp knife ; still, as the horseman is nearly always 
 unexpectedly lassoed, he is strangled ere he has had 
 time to draw his knife. Of one hundred riders lassoed 
 
216 THE "WHITE SCALPEE. 
 
 thus in a combat or chase, seventy-five are inevitably 
 killed, and the others only escape by a miracle, so much 
 skill, strength, and coolness are needed to cut the fatal 
 knot. 
 
 Loyal Heart had the simple idea of forming a run- 
 ning knot at the end of his picquet-rope, and lassoing 
 the first rider who passed within reach. On getting 
 behind the rock he unrolled the long cord he had fas- 
 tened round his body ; then, after making the slip-knot 
 with all the care it demands, he coiled the lasso in his 
 hand and waited. Chance seemed to favour the project 
 of the bold hunter, for, within ten minutes at the most, 
 he heard the gallop of a horse going at full speed. 
 Loyal Heart listened attentively ; the sound approached 
 with great rapidity, and soon the black outline of a 
 horseman stood out in the night. The direction fol- 
 lowed by the rider compelled him to pass within a short 
 distance of the block of granite behind which Loyal 
 Heart was concealed. The latter spread out his legs to 
 have a firmer holdfast, bent his body slightly forward, 
 and whirled the lasso round his head. At the moment 
 when the horseman came opposite to him, Loyal Heart 
 let the lasso fly, and it fell with a whiz on the shoulders 
 of the rider, who was roughly hurled to the ground 
 ere he knew what was happening to him. His horse, 
 which was at full speed, went on some distance further, 
 but then perceiving that its rider had left it, it slackened 
 its pace, and presently halted. 
 
 In the meanwhile Loyal Heart bounded like a tiger 
 on the man he had so suddenly unsaddled. The latter 
 had not uttered a cry, but remained motionless at the 
 spot where he had been hurled. Loyal Heart at first 
 fancied him dead, but it was not so; his first care was 
 
THE AMBUSCADE. 217 
 
 to free the wounded man from the running knot, drawn 
 so tightly round his neck, in order to enable him to 
 breathe; then, without taking the trouble to look at 
 his victim, he pinioned him securely, threw him over 
 his shoulders, and returned to the spot where his com- 
 rades were awaiting him. 
 
 The latter had seen, or at least heard, what had hap- 
 pened ; and far from dreaming of the means employed 
 by the young man, although they were well acquainted 
 with it, they knew not to what they should attribute 
 the rough way in which the rider had been hurled from 
 his horse. 
 
 " Oh, oh," Tranquil said, "I fancy you have made a 
 fine capture." 
 
 " I think so too," Loyal Heart answered, as he de- 
 posited his burden on the ground. 
 
 " How on earth did you manage to unsaddle him so 
 cleverly r" 
 
 " Oh ! in the simplest way possible. I lassoed him." 
 
 " By Jove !" the hunter exclaimed, " I suspected it. 
 But let us see the nature of the game. These con- 
 founded Indians are difficult to tame when they take it 
 into their heads not to unlock their teeth. This fellow 
 will not speak, in all probability." 
 
 f< Who knows ? at anyrate we can question him." 
 
 " Yes but let us first make sure of his identity, for 
 it would not be pleasant to have captured one of our 
 friends." 
 
 "May the Lord forbid !" Loyal Heart said. 
 
 The hunters bent over the prisoner, who was ap- 
 parently motionless, and indifferent to what was said 
 around. 
 
 " Oh," the Canadian suddenly said, " whom have we 
 
218 THE WHITE SCALPEB. 
 
 here ? On my soul, compadre, I believe it is an old 
 acquaintance." 
 
 "You are right/' Loyal Heart answered, "it is 
 Blue-fox." 
 
 " Blue-fox ?" the hunters exclaimed, in surprise. 
 
 The adventurers were not mistaken ; the Indian 
 horseman, so skilfully lassoed by Loyal Heart, was 
 really the Apache Chief. The shock he had received, 
 though very rude, had not been sufficiently so to make 
 him entirely lose his senses ; with open eyes and dis- 
 dainful countenance, but with not a word of complaint at 
 the treatment he^had suffered, he waited calmly till it 
 should please his captors to decide his fate, not consi- 
 dering it consistent with his dignity to be the first to 
 speak. After examining him attentively for a moment, 
 Loyal Heart unfastened the bonds that held him, and 
 fell back a step. 
 
 "My brother can rise," he said : " only old women 
 remain thus stretched on the ground for an insignificant 
 fall." 
 
 Blue-fox reached his feet at a bound. 
 
 " The Chief is no old woman/' he said, " his heart 
 is large ; he laughs at the anger of his enemies, and 
 despises the fury which is impotent to affect him." 
 
 " We are not your enemies, Chief, we feel no hatred 
 or anger towards you ; it is you, on the contrary, who 
 are our enemy. Are you disposed to answer our ques- 
 tions :" 
 
 "I could refrain from doing so, were it my good 
 pleasure." 
 
 " I do not think so," John Davis remarked, with a 
 grin, "for we have wonderful secrets to untie the 
 tongue of those we cross-question." 
 
THE AMBUSCADE. 219 
 
 " Try them on me," the Indian observed, haughtily. 
 
 " We shall see," said the American. 
 
 " Stop !" said Loyal Heart : " there is in all this 
 something extraordinary, which I wish to discover, so 
 leave it to me." 
 
 " As you please/ 7 said John Davis. 
 
 The adventurers collected round the Indian, and 
 waited anxiously. 
 
 " How is it," Loyal Heart presently went on, " that 
 you, who were sent hy the Apaches to treat for peace 
 with the Comanches, were thus leaving the village in 
 the middle of the night, not as a friend, but as a robber 
 flying after the commission of a theft ?" 
 
 The Chief smiled contemptuously, and shrugged his 
 shoulders. 
 
 " Why should I tell you what has passed ? it would be 
 uselessly losing precious time; suffice it for you to 
 know that I left the village with the general consent 
 of the Chiefs, and if I was galloping, it was probably 
 because I was in a hurry to reach the spot I am bound 
 for." 
 
 " Hum !" said the hunter ; " you will permit me 
 to remark, Chief, that your answer is very vague, and 
 anything but satisfactory." 
 
 "It is the only one, however, I am enabled to give 
 you." 
 
 " And do you fancy we shall be satisfied with it?" 
 
 " You must." 
 
 " Perhaps so, but listen ; we are awaiting Black-deer 
 at every moment, and he shall decide your fate." 
 
 " As it pleases the Pale hunter. When the Comanche 
 Chief arrives, my brother will see that the Apache 
 Sachem has spoken truly, that his tongue is not forked, 
 
220 THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 and that the words that come from his lips are 
 sincere." 
 
 " I hope so." 
 
 At this moment the signal agreed on between Black- 
 deer and the hunters was heard : the hunter said at 
 once to his prisoner, 
 
 "Here is the Chief." 
 
 " Good," the latter simply answered. 
 
 Five minutes later, the Sachem indeed reached the spot 
 where the adventurers were assembled. His first glance 
 fell on the Apache, standing upright with folded arms 
 in the circle formed by the hunters. 
 
 "What is Blue- fox doing here?" he asked in 
 surprise. 
 
 " The Chief can ask the Pale warriors, they will 
 answer," said the Apache. 
 
 Black- deer turned to Loyal Heart; the latter, not 
 waiting till he was addressed, related in the fullest de- 
 tail what had occurred ; how he had captured the Chief, 
 and the conversation he had had with him : Black- deer 
 seemed to reflect for a moment 
 
 " Why did not my brother show the sign of recogni- 
 tion I gave him ?" he asked. 
 
 " For what good, as my brother was coming ?" 
 
 The Comanche frowned. 
 
 " My brother will be careful to remember that he has 
 passed his word, and the mere appearance of treachery 
 will cost his son's life." 
 
 A shudder passed over the Indian's body, although 
 his features lost none of their marble-like rigidity. 
 
 "Blue-fox has sworn on his totem," he replied; 
 " that oath is sacred, and he will keep it." 
 
 " Ocht ! my brother is free, he can start without fur- 
 ther delay." 
 
THE AMBUSCADE. 221 
 
 " I must find my horse again which has escaped." 
 
 "Does my brother take us for children, that he says 
 such things to us?" Black-deer replied angrily. " The 
 horse of an Indian Chief never abandons its master ; 
 let him whistle, and it will come up." 
 
 Blue- fox made no reply; hie black eye shot forth 
 a flash of fury, but that was all ; he bent forward, 
 seemed to be listening for a few moments, and then 
 gave a shrill whistle, almost immediately after which 
 there was a rustling in the branches, and the Chief's 
 horse laid its fine and intelligent head on its master's 
 shoulder. The latter patted the noble animal, leaped 
 on its back, and digging in his spurs, started at full 
 speed without taking further leave of the hunters, who 
 were quite startled by this hurried departure. John 
 Davis, by an instinctive movement swift as thought, 
 raised his rifle, with the evident intention of saluting 
 the fugitive with a bullet, but Black-deer suddenly 
 clutched his arm. 
 
 "My brother must not fire," he said ; "the sound 
 would betray our presence." 
 
 "That is true," the American said, as he took down 
 his gun. "It is unlucky, for I should have been very 
 glad to get rid of that ill-favoured scoundrel." 
 
 " My brother will find him again," said the Indian 
 with an accent impossible to describe. 
 
 " I hope so, and if it should happen, I assure you 
 that no one will be able to prevent me killing that 
 reptile." 
 
 "No one will try to do so, my brother may rest 
 assured. 5 ' 
 
 " Nothing less than that certainly was needed to con- 
 sole me for the magnificent opportunity you make me 
 lose to-day, Chief." 
 
222 THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 The Indian laughed, and continued m 
 
 " I will explain to you at another moment how it 
 happens that this man is free to retire in peace, when 
 we are threatened by an ambuscade formed by him. 
 Eor the present, let us not lose precious time in idle 
 talk, for all is ready. My warriors are at their post, 
 only awaiting the signal to begin the contest ; do my 
 Pale brothers still intend to accompany us ?" 
 
 " Certainly, Chief, we are here for that purpose, you 
 can count upon us.' 7 
 
 " Good, still I must warn my brothers that they will 
 run a great risk." 
 
 " Nonsense/' Loyal Heart replied, " it will be wel- 
 come, for are we not accustomed to danger ?" 
 
 "Then to horse, and let us start, as we have to de- 
 ceive the deceivers." 
 
 " But are you not afraid," Loyal Heart observed, 
 " lest Blue-fox has warned his comrades that their tricks 
 are discovered?" 
 
 " No, he cannot do so, he has sworn it." 
 
 The hunters did not insist further, they knew with 
 what religious exactness Indians keep oaths they make 
 to each other, and the good faith and loyalty they dis- 
 play in the accomplishment of this duty. The Chiefs 
 answer consequently convinced them that they had 
 nothing to apprehend from the Apache Sachem, and, in 
 truth, he had gone off in a direction diametrically oppo- 
 site to that where his companions were hidden. 
 
 The horses were immediately lifted on their legs, the 
 cords removed, and the party set out. They followed a 
 narrow path running between two ravines covered with 
 thick grass. This path, after running for a mile and a- 
 half, debouched on a species of cross roads, where the 
 
THE AMBUSCADE. 223 
 
 adventurers had halted for an instant. This spot, called 
 by the Indians the Elk Pass, had been selected by 
 Black-deer as the gathering place of some forty picked 
 warriors, who were to join the white men and act with 
 them. This junction was effected as the Sachem ar 
 ranged. The hunters had hardly debouched at the cross- 
 roads, ere the ComaiKjhes emerged from behind the 
 thicket which had hitherto concealed them, and flocked 
 up to Black-deer. 
 
 The band was formed in close column, and flankers 
 went ahead, preceding it but a few yards, and at- 
 tentively examining the thickets. For many an hour 
 they marched on, nothing attracting their attention, 
 when suddenly a shot was fired in the rear of the band. 
 Almost simultaneously, and as if at a given signal, the 
 fusillade broke out on both sides the war path, and a 
 shower of bullets and arrows hurtled upon the Coman- 
 ches and white men. Several men fell, and there was 
 a momentary confusion, inseparable from an unforeseen 
 attack. 
 
 By assent of Black-deer, Loyal Heart assumed the 
 supreme command. By his orders, the warriors broke 
 up into platoons, and vigorously returned the fire, while 
 retreating to the cross-roads, where the enemy could 
 not attack them without discovering themselves ; but 
 they had committed the imprudence of marching too 
 fast the cross-roads were still a long way off, and the 
 fire of the Apaches extended along the whole line. The 
 bullets and arrows rained on the Comanches, whose 
 ranks were beginning to be thinned. 
 
 Loyal Heart ordered the ranks to be broken, and the 
 men to scatter, a manoeuvre frequently employed in 
 Europe during the Yendean war, and which the Cho- 
 
224 THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 uans unconsciously obtained from the Indians. The 
 cavalry at once tried to leap the ravines and ditches that 
 bordered the path behind which the Apaches were hidden ; 
 but were repulsed by the musketry and the long-barbed 
 arrows, which the Indians fired with extreme dexterity. 
 The Comanches and Whites leaped off their horses, 
 being certain of recovering them when wanted, and re- 
 treated, sheltering themselves behind trees, only giving 
 way inch by inch, and keeping up a sustained fire with 
 their enemies, who, feeling certain of victory, displayed 
 in their attack a perseverance far from common among 
 savage nations, with whom success nearly always de- 
 pends on the first effort. 
 
 Loyal Heart, so soon as his men reached the clearing, 
 made them form a circle, and they offered an imposing 
 front to the enemy on all sides. Up to this moment, 
 the Apaches had maintained silence, not a single war- 
 yell had been uttered, not a rustling of the leaves had 
 been heard. Suddenly the firing ceased, and silence 
 once again brooded over the desert. The hunters and 
 Comanches looked at eacli other with a surprise mingled 
 with terror. They had fallen into the trap their ene- 
 mies had laid for them, while fancying they could spoil 
 it. 
 
 There was a terrible moment of expectation, whose 
 anxious expression no pen could depict. All at once 
 the conches and chichikoues were heard sounding on 
 the right and left, in the rear and front ! At this sig- 
 nal, the Apaches rose on all sides, blowing their war- 
 whistles to excite their courage, and uttering fearful 
 yells. The Comanches were surrounded, and nothing 
 was left them but to die bravely at their posts ! At this 
 terrible sight, a shudder of fear involuntarily rose 
 
1EE SCALP DAKCE. 225 
 
 along those intrepid warriors, but it was almost instan- 
 taneously quelled, for they felt that their destruction 
 was imminent and certain. 
 
 Loyal Heart and Black-deer, however, had lost none 
 of their calmness ; they hoped then, still, but what was 
 it they expected ? 
 
 CHAPTER XYI. 
 
 THE SCALP DAXCE. 
 
 FAK from us the thought of making humanitarian theo- 
 ries with reference to a fight in the heart of the desert 
 between two savage tribes, for it has too long been a 
 principle among civilized nations that the Indians are 
 ferocious brutes, possessed of nothing human but the 
 face, and who should be destroyed, like all other noxious 
 animals, by all possible means, even by those which are 
 too repugnant to humanity for us to attempt for a single 
 moment to defend. 
 
 Still, much might be said in favour of these unhappy 
 peoples, who have been oppressed ever since humanity 
 decreed that a man of genius should find once more 
 their country which had so long been lost. It would 
 be easy for us to prove, if we thought proper, that these 
 Peruvians and Mexicans, treated so haughtily and bar- 
 barously by the wretched adventurers who plundered 
 them, enjoyed, at the period of the conquest, a civili- 
 zation far more advanced than that of which their 
 oppressors boasted, who had only one advantage over 
 them in the knowledge of fire-arms, and who marched 
 cased in steel from head to foot against men clothed in 
 cotton and armed with inoffensive arrows. Placed be- 
 
 Q 
 
226 THE WHITE SCALPEE. 
 
 yond the pale of society by the unintelligent fanaticism 
 and the inextinguishable thirst for gold which devoured 
 the conquerors, the wretched Indians succumbed not 
 only to the repeated assaults of their implacable con- 
 querors, but were also destined to remain constantly 
 beneath the oppression of a calumny which made them 
 a stupid and ferocious race. 
 
 The conquest of the New World was one of the most 
 odious monstrosities of the middle ages, fertile though 
 they were in atrocities. Millions of men, whose blood 
 was poured out like water, were coldly killed; em- 
 pires crumbled away for ever, entire populations dis- 
 appeared from the globe, and left no trace of their 
 passage but their whitened bones. America, which 
 had been so populous, was almost suddenly converted 
 into an immense desert, and the proscribed relics of this 
 unfortunate race, driven back into barbarism, buried 
 themselves in the most remote countries, where they 
 resumed the nomadic life of the old days, continually 
 carrying on war against the whites, and striving to re- 
 quite them in detail all the evils they had received at 
 their hands for centuries. 
 
 It is only for a few years past that public opinion 
 has been stirred up as to the fate of the Indians ; and 
 various means have been attempted not to civilize 
 them, though that wish has been put forward, but to 
 put a stop to reprisals ; consequently they have been 
 placed in horrible deserts, which they have been for- 
 bidden to leave. A sanitary cordon has been formed 
 round them, and as this method was not found suffi- 
 ciently expeditious to get rid of them, they have been 
 gorged with spirits. We will declare here the happy 
 results obtained from these Anglo-American measures : 
 
THE SCALP DAKCE. 227 
 
 ere a century lias elapsed, not a single native will be 
 left on the territory of the Union. The philanthropy of 
 these worthy northern republicans is a very fine thing, 
 but Heaven save us from it ! 
 
 In every battle there are two terrible moments for 
 the commander who has undertaken the great responsi- 
 bility of victory : the one, when he gives the signal of 
 attack and hurls his columns at the enemy ; the other, 
 when organizing the resistance, he calmly awaits the 
 hour when the decisive blow must be dealt in accordance 
 with his previous combinations. Loyal Heart was as 
 calm and quiet as if witnessing an ordinary charge ; 
 with flashing eye and haughty lip he recommended his 
 warriors to save their powder and arrows, to keep toge- 
 ther, and sustain the charge of the Apaches, without 
 yielding an inch of ground. The Comanches uttered 
 their war-yell twice, and then a deadly silence brooded 
 over the clearing. 
 
 " Good !" the hunter said, " you are great braves ; I 
 am proud of commanding such intrepid warriors. Your 
 squaws will greet you with dances and shouts of joy on 
 your return to the village, and proudly count the scalps 
 you bring back at your girdle." 
 
 After this brief address the hunter returned to the 
 centre of the circle, and the Whites waited with their 
 finger on the trigger, the Eedskins with levelled bows. 
 In the meanwhile, the Apaches had quitted their am- 
 buscade, had formed their ranks, and were marching in 
 excellent order on the Comanches. They had also dis- 
 mounted, for a hand-to-hand fight was about to begin 
 between these irreconcilable enemies. 
 
 The night had entirely slipped away; by the first 
 beams of day, which tinged the tops of the trees, the 
 
 Q2 
 
228 THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 black and moving circle could be seen drawing closer 
 and closer round the weak group formed by the Co- 
 manches and the adventurers. It was a singular thing 
 in prairie fashions that the Apaches advanced slowly 
 without firing, as if wishing to destroy their enemies at 
 one blow. Tranquil and Loyal Heart shook hands 
 while exchanging a calm smile. 
 
 "We have five minutes left," said the hunter ; " we 
 shall settle a goodly number before falling ourselves," 
 the Canadian answered. 
 
 Loyal Heart stretched out his hand toward the north- 
 west. 
 
 "All is not over yet," he said. 
 
 " Do you hope to get us out of this scrape ?" 
 
 "I intend," the young man answered, still calm and 
 smiling, " to destroy this collection of brigands to the 
 last man." 
 
 " May Heaven grant it !" the Canadian said, with a 
 doubtful shake of the head. 
 
 The Apaches were now but a few yards off, and all 
 the rifles were levelled as if by common agreement. 
 
 " Listen !" Loyal Heart muttered in Tranquil's ear. 
 
 At the same moment distant yells were heard, and 
 the enemy stopped with alarmed hesitation. 
 
 " What is it ?" Tranquil asked. 
 
 " Our men," the young man answered laconically. 
 
 A sound of horses and fire-arms was heard in the 
 enemy's rear. 
 
 " The Comanches ! the Comanches !" the Apaches 
 shouted. 
 
 The line that surrounded the little band was suddenly 
 rent asunder, and two hundred Comanche horsemen 
 were seen cutting down and crushing every foeman 
 
THE SCALP DANCE. 229 
 
 within reach. On perceiving their brothers the horse- 
 men uttered a shout of joy, to which the others enthu- 
 siastically responded, for they had fancied themselves 
 lost. 
 
 Loyal Heart had calculated justly, he had not been a 
 second wrong ; the warriors ambuscaded by Black-deer 
 to effect a diversion and complete the victory arrived at 
 the decisive moment. This was the secret of the young 
 Chief's calmness, although in his heart he was devoured 
 by anxiety, for so many things might delay the arrival 
 of the detachment. The Apaches, thus taken by 
 surprise, attempted for a few minutes a desperate re- 
 sistance; but being surrounded and overwhelmed by 
 numbers, they soon began flying in all directions. But 
 Blackdeer's measures had been taken with great pru- 
 dence, and a thorough knowledge of the military tactics 
 of the prairies : the Apaches were literally caught 
 between two fires. 
 
 Nearly two-thirds of the Apache warriors, placed 
 under the command of Blue-fox to attempt the daring 
 stroke he had conceived, fell, and the rest had great 
 difficulty in escaping. The victory was decisive, and 
 for a long long time the Apaches would not dare to 
 measure themselves again with their redoubtable ene- 
 mies. Eight hundred horses and nearly five hundred 
 scalps were the trophies of the battle, without counting 
 some thirty wounded. The Comanches had only lost a 
 dozen warriors, and their enemies had been unable to 
 scalp them, which was regarded as a great glory. The 
 horses were collected, the dead and wounded placed on 
 litters, and when all the scalps had been lifted from the 
 Apaches who had succumbed during the fight, their 
 bodies were left to the wild beasts, and the Comanche 
 
230 THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 warriors, intoxicated with joy and pride, remounted 
 their horses and returned to the village. 
 
 The return of the Expeditionary corps was a perfect 
 triumphant march. Black-deer, to do honour to Loyal 
 Heart and his comrades, whose help had been so useful 
 during the battle, insisted on their marching at the head 
 of the column, and on Loyal Heart keeping by his side, 
 as having shared the command with him. The sun 
 rose at the moment when the Comanches emerged from 
 the forest, the day promised to be magnificent, and the 
 birds perched on all the branches loudly saluted the 
 advent of day. A large crowd, composed of women and 
 children, could be seen running from the village and 
 hurrying to meet the warriors. 
 
 A large band of horsemen soon appeared, armed and 
 painted for war, at their head marching the greatest 
 braves and most respected Sachems of the tribe. This 
 band, formed in good order, came up to the sound of 
 conches, drums, ehichikoues, and war whistles, mingled 
 with shouts of joy from the crowd. On coming within 
 a certain distance of each other, the two bands halted, 
 while the crowd fell back to the right and left. Then, 
 at a signal given by Elack-deer and the Chief commanding 
 the second detachment, a fearful yell burst forth like a 
 clap of thunder, the horsemen dug in their spurs, and 
 the two parties rushed upon one another and began a 
 series of evolutions, of which the Arab fantasias can 
 alone convey an idea. 
 
 When this performance had lasted some time, and a 
 considerable quantity of gunpowder had "been expended, 
 the two Chiefs gave a signal, and the bands, up to the 
 present commingled, separated, as if by enchantment, 
 and formed up about a pistol shot from each other* 
 
THE SCALP DANCE. 231 
 
 There was then a perfect rest, but in a few minutes, at 
 a signal from Blackbird, who commanded the band that 
 had come out of the village, the leaders of the two 
 detachments advanced towards each other. The salu- 
 tations and congratulations then began ; for, as we have 
 already made the observation, the Indians are excessively 
 strict in matters of etiquette. 
 
 Black-deer was obliged to narrate in the fullest detail, 
 to the assembled Chiefs, how the action had been fought, 
 the number of the enemy killed, how many had been 
 scalpedin short, all that had occurred. Black-deer 
 performed this duty with the utmost nobility and 
 modesty, giving to Loyal Heart, who in vain protested, 
 all the merit of the victory, and only allowing himself 
 credit for having punctually carried out the orders the 
 Pale warrior had given him. This modesty in a warrior 
 so renowned as Black-deer greatly pleased the Coman- 
 che Chiefs, and obtained him the most sincere praise. 
 
 "When all these preliminary ceremonies had been per- 
 formed, the wives of the Chiefs advanced, each leading 
 by the bridle a magnificent steed, destined to take the 
 place of their husband's chargers wearied in action. 
 Black-deer's young and charming squaw led two. 
 After bowing with a gentle smile to her husband, and 
 handing him the bridle of one of the horses, she turned 
 gracefully to Loyal Heart, and offered him the bridle of 
 the second horse : 
 
 " My brother Loyal Heart is a great brave," she said, 
 in a voice as melodious as a bird's song ; " he will per- 
 mit his sister to offer him this courser, which is intended 
 to take the place of the one he has tired in fighting to 
 save his brothers the Antelope Comanches." 
 
 All the Indians applauded this gift, so gracefully 
 
232 THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 offered; Black-deer, in spite of his assumed stoicism, 
 could not refrain from evidencing the pleasure which 
 his young wife's charming attention caused her. Loyal 
 Heart smiled sweetly, dismounted, and walked up to her. 
 
 "My sister is fair and kind," he said, as he kissed 
 her on the forehead ; " I accept the present she makes 
 me ; my brother Black-deer is happy in possessing so 
 charming a squaw to clean his arms and take care of 
 his horses/' 
 
 The young wife withdrew, all confused and delighted, 
 among her companions ; the Chiefs then mounted the 
 fresh horses brought them. Each returned to the head 
 of his detachment, and the two bands advanced slowly 
 towards the village, escorted by the crowd which inces- 
 santly filled the air with joyous shouts that mingled 
 with the musical instruments, whose savage harmony 
 deafened all ears. 
 
 The Apache prisoners, on foot and disarmed, marched 
 at the head of the column, guarded by fifty picked 
 warriors. These untameable Indians, although perfectly 
 aware of the fate that awaited them and the refined 
 tortures to which they were destined, walked with head 
 erect and haughty demeanour, as if, instead of being 
 interested actors in the scene that was preparing, they 
 were only indifferent spectators. 
 
 However, this stoicism peculiar to the Bed race 
 surprised nobody. The Comanche warriors disdained to 
 insult the misfortunes of the intrepid warriors, whose 
 courage fortune had betrayed ; the women alone, more 
 cruel than the men, especially those whose husbands were 
 killed in the battle, and whose bodies were now brought 
 along in litters, rushed like furies on the unhappy prison- 
 ers, whom they overwhelmed with insults, casting stones 
 
THE SCALP DANCE. . 233 
 
 and filth, and even at times trying to dig their sharp 
 nails into their flesh. This was carried to such a point 
 that the guards of the prisoners were compelled to inter- 
 fere to prevent them being torn asunder alive, and get 
 them away, at least for a while, from the fury of these 
 Megeras, who grew more and more excited, and in whom 
 wrath had gradually attained the proportions of inde- 
 scribable fury. 
 
 As for the prisoners, perfectly calm and impassive, 
 they endured the blows and insults without complaint ; 
 nothing moved them, and they continued their march as 
 peaceably as if they had been complete strangers to 
 what was going on. The procession, compelled to clear 
 its way through a crowd which was momentarily 
 augmented, only advanced slowly. 
 
 The da}- was far spent when it reached the palisade 
 that formed the village defences. At about ten paces 
 from the palisade the two bands stopped ; two men were 
 standing motionless at the entrance of the village they 
 were the master of the great medicine and the hachesto : 
 as if by enchantment, at the sight of these men a pro- 
 found silence fell on the crowd so noisy a moment pre- 
 viously. The hachesto held in his hand the totem of 
 the tribe, and when the warriors halted the sorcerer took 
 a step forward. 
 
 " Who are you, and what do you want ?" he asked, 
 in a loud voice. 
 
 " We are/' Black-deer answered, " the great braves of 
 the powerful nation of the Antelope Comanches ; we ask 
 leave to enter the village with our prisoners and the 
 horses we have captured, in order to perform the scalp 
 dance round the stake of torture." 
 
 " Good/' the sorcerer answered, " I recognise you ; 
 
234 THE WHITE SCALPEE. 
 
 you are, indeed, the great braves of my nation, your 
 hands are red with the blood of our enemies ; but," he 
 added, taking a gloomy glance around, " all our warriors 
 are not present; what has become of those who are 
 missing ?" 
 
 There was a moment of mournful silence at this 
 question. 
 
 "Answer," the sorcerer continued imperiously ; " have 
 you abandoned your brothers ?" 
 
 " No," Black-deer said, " they are dead, it is true, but 
 we have brought back their bodies with us, and their 
 scalps are untouched." 
 
 " Good," said the sorcerer ; " how many warriors have 
 fallen?" 
 . " Only ten." 
 
 "How did they die?" 
 
 " Like brave men, with their face turned to their foe." 
 
 " Good, theWacondah has received them into the happy 
 hunting grounds ; have their squaws bewailed them ?" 
 
 " They are doing so." 
 
 The Seer frowned. 
 
 " Brave men only weep with tears of blood," he said. 
 
 Black. deer fell back a step to make room for the 
 widows, who stood motionless and gloomy behind him ; 
 they then advanced. 
 
 " We are ready," they said, " if our father will permit 
 us, we will bewail our husbands as they deserve." 
 
 " Do so," he answered ; " the Master of Life sees it, 
 and he will smile on your grief." 
 
 Then, a strange scene occurred, which only Indian 
 stoicism could endure without shuddering with horror ; 
 these women, arming themselves with knives, cut off 
 several joints of their fingers without uttering a com- 
 
THE SCALP DANCE. 235 
 
 plaint ; then, not contented with this sacrifice, they be- 
 gan scarring their faces, arms, and bosoms, so that the 
 blood soon ran down their- whole bodies, and they be- 
 came horrible to look upon. The seer excited and en- 
 couraged them by his remarks to give their husbands 
 this proof of their regret, and their exaltation soon at- 
 tained such a pitch of delirium, that they would event- 
 ually have killed themselves, had not the sorcerer checked 
 them. Their companions then approached, took away 
 their weapons, and dragged them off. When they 
 had finally left the spot, the sorcerer addressed the war- 
 riors standing motionless and attentive before him 
 
 " The blood shed by the Apache warriors has been 
 ransomed by the Comanche squaws," he said ; " the 
 ground is saturated with it ; grief can now give way to 
 joy, and my brothers enter their village with heads erect, 
 for the Master of Life is satisfied." 
 
 Then taking from the hands of the hachesto the totem 
 which the latter had been waving round his head, he 
 stationed himself on the right hand of Black-deer, and 
 entered the village with the warriors, amid the deafen- 
 ing shouts of the crowd, and to the sound of the instru- 
 ments which had recommenced their infernal charivari. 
 
 The procession marched straight to the great square 
 where the scalp dance was to take place. Loyal Heart 
 and his comrades desired most eagerly to escape this 
 ceremony ; but it would have been a great insult to the 
 Indians to do so, and they were compelled to follow the 
 warriors, whether they liked it or not. On passing 
 before the hunter's rancho, they noticed that all the 
 windows were hermetically closed. Dona Jesuita, not at 
 all desirous to witness the cruel sight, had shut herself 
 up ; but No Eusebio, whose nerves were probably harder, 
 
236 THE WHITE SCALPEE. 
 
 was standing in the doorway, carelessly smoking his 
 cigarette, and watching the procession defile, which, by 
 Loyal Heart's orders, he had preceded by a few moments, 
 in order to reassure Dona Jesuita as to the result of the 
 engagement. 
 
 "When the whole tribe had assembled on the square, 
 the scalp dance commenced. In our previous works we 
 have had occasion to describe this ceremony, so we will 
 say nothing of it here, except that, contrary to the other 
 dances, it is performed by the squaws, and that on this 
 occasion it was Black-deer's newly-married wife who led 
 the dance, in her quality of squaw of the Chief who 
 had commanded the expedition. 
 
 The Apache prisoners had been fastened to stakes 
 erected expressly ; and for some hours they were ex- 
 posed to the ridicule, jests, and insults of their enemies 
 without displaying the slightest emotion. When the 
 dance at length ended, the time for torture arrived. 
 
 "We will not dwell on the frightful sufferings inflicted 
 on the wretched men whom their evil destiny had de- 
 livered into the hands of their implacable foes, for we 
 have no desire to describe horrible scenes ; we have even 
 felt a repugnance to allude to them, but are bound to be 
 faithful historians. As we have undertaken the task of 
 making known the manners of races hitherto almost un- 
 known, and which are destined so shortly to disappear, 
 we will not fail in our duty, and in order that our readers 
 may thoroughly understand what Indian torture is, we 
 will describe the punishment inflicted on one of the pri- 
 soners, a renowned Apache Chief. 
 
 This Chief was a young man of five-and-twenty at the 
 most, of lofty and well-proportioned stature ; his features 
 were noble, and his glance stern, and though severely 
 
THE SCALP DAXCE. 237 
 
 wounded in the action, it was only when literally over- 
 whelmed by numbers, that he had fallen upon the pile 
 of his warriors who had died bravely at his side. 
 
 The Comanches, who are judges of courage, had ad- 
 mired his heroic conduct, and treated him with a certain 
 degree of respect by the express orders of Black-deer, 
 who entertained a hope of making him renounce his 
 nation, and consent to be adopted by the Comanches, for 
 whom so brave a warrior would have been an excellent 
 acquisition. My readers must not feel surprised at this 
 idea of the Comanche Sachem ; these adoptions are fre- 
 quent among the Bedskins, and it often happens that a 
 warrior who has fallen into the power of his enemies, 
 ransoms his life, and escapes torture by marrying the 
 widow of the warrior he has killed, under the promise 
 of bringing up the children of the defunct, and regard- 
 ing them as his own. 
 
 The Apache Chief was called Running-elk. Instead 
 of fastening him to the stake like the warriors of less 
 value made prisoners at the same time as himself, he 
 had been left at liberty. He was leaning his shoulder 
 against the stake with folded arms, and watched calmly 
 and disdainfully all the incidents of the scalp dance. 
 When it was ended, Black-deer, who had previously con- 
 sulted with the other Chiefs of the tribe, and communi- 
 cated his idea, which they warmly approved of, walked 
 up to him. The prisoner let him come up without seem- 
 ing to notice him. 
 
 " My brother, Eunning-elk, is a renowned Chief and 
 great brave," he said to him in a gentle voice ; " what 
 is he thinking of at this moment ?" 
 
 " I am thinking," the Apache answered, " that I shall 
 soon be on the happy hunting grounds, where I shall 
 hunt by the side of the Master of Life." 
 
238 THE WHITE SCA.LPEK. 
 
 " My brother is still very young, his life only counts 
 spring-seasons, does he not regret losing it r" 
 
 "Why should I regret it? a little sooner, or a little 
 later, but a man must die after all." 
 
 "Certainly; but dying thus at the stake of torture, 
 when you have a long future of joy and happiness be- 
 fore you, is hard." 
 
 The Chief shook his head mournfully, and interrupted 
 the speaker. 
 
 " My brother need say no more," he replied ; " I see 
 his thoughts, he is indulging in a hope which will not 
 be realised ; Eunning-elk will not be a renegade to .his 
 nation to become a Comanche ; I could not live among 
 you, for the blood of your warriors I have shed would 
 constantly cry out against me. Could I marry all the 
 squaws whom my tomahawk has rendered widows, or 
 give you back the numerous scalps I have raised ? no, I 
 could not. When an Apache and Comanche meet on the 
 war-trail, one must kill the other. Cease then making 
 me proposals which are an insult to my character and 
 courage ; fasten me to the stake of torture, and do not 
 kill me at once, but gradually, by tortures, in the Indian 
 way. Invent the most atrocious torture, and I defy 
 you to hear from me a complaint, or even a sigh." And 
 growing more excited as he spoke, he said, "You are 
 children who do not know how to make a man of courage 
 sufler, you need the death of a brave to learn how to 
 die. Try it on me, I despise you ; you are cowardly 
 dogs, you can only snarl, and the mere sight of my eagle 
 feather has ever sufficed to put you to flight." 
 
 On hearing these haughty words, the Comanches 
 uttered a yell of anger, and prepared to rush on the pri- 
 soner, but Black-deer checked them. 
 
THE SCALP DAtfCE. 239 
 
 " Running-elk," he said, "is not a real brave, he 
 talks too much ; he is a mocking-bird, who chatters be- 
 cause he is afraid." 
 
 The Sachem shrugged his shoulders contemptuously. 
 
 " This is the last word you shall hear from me," he 
 said ; tf you are dogs !" 
 
 And biting his tongue off, he spat it into Black-deer's 
 face. The latter gave a leap of fury, and his rage no 
 longer knew bounds. Bunning-elk was immediately 
 fastened to the stake ; the women then tore out the nails 
 from his fingers and toes, and drove into the wounds 
 little spiles of wood dipped in inflammable matter, which 
 they fired. The Indian remained calm ; no contraction 
 of the muscles disturbed the harmony of his features. 
 The punishment endured three hours ; but though his 
 body was one huge wound, the Sachem remained perfectly 
 stoical. Blackbird approached in his turn. 
 
 " Wait," he said. 
 
 Boom was made for him ; rushing on the Apache, he 
 plucked out his eyes, which he threw away with disgust, 
 and filled the two burning cavities with live coals. This 
 last agony was horrible ; a nervous tremor ran for a 
 second over the wretch's body, but that was all. The 
 Comanche, exasperated by this stoicism, which he could 
 not refrain from admiring, seized him by his long hair, 
 and scalped him ; then he lashed his face with the blood- 
 dripping scalp. The prisoner was horrible to look on, 
 but still remained erect and unmoved. 
 
 Loyal Heart could no longer endure this hideous spec- 
 . tacle ; he dashed through the people in front of him, 
 and, putting a pistol to the prisoner's forehead, blew out 
 his brains. The Comae ches, furious at seeing their 
 vengeance slip from them, gave a start, as if about to 
 
240 THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 rush on the White man, who had dared to rob them 
 of their prey : but the latter drew himself up haughtily, 
 folded his arms on his chest, and looked them full in 
 the face. 
 
 " Well/' he said, in a firm voice. 
 
 This one word was enough: the wild beasts were 
 muzzled ; they fell back cursing, but did not attempt to 
 make him account for what he had done. The hunter 
 then made a sign to the adventurers to follow him, and 
 they left the square, where for some hours longer the 
 Indians wreaked their fury on the hapless prisoners. 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 THE MEETING. 
 
 WE must now go back two months in our narrative, and 
 leaving the deserts of Upper Arkansas for the banks 
 of the Bio Trinidad, return to Cerro Pardo, in the vicinity 
 of Galveston, on the very day of the battle so fatal to 
 the Texans, in order to clear up certain points of our 
 narrative, by telling the reader the fate of certain im- 
 portant personages, whom we have, perhaps, neglected 
 too long. 
 
 We have said that the Jaguar, when he saw the battle 
 irretrievably lost, rushed at full speed to the spot where 
 he had left the cart, in which were Tranquil and Car- 
 mela ; that, on reaching it, a frightful spectacle struck 
 his sight ; the cart, half broken, was lying on the 
 ground, surrounded by the majority of his friends, 
 who had bravely fallen in its defence ; but it was empty, 
 and the two persons to whose safety he attached such 
 importance had disappeared. The Jaguar, crushed by 
 this horrible catastrophe, which he was so far from 
 
THE MEETING. 241 
 
 anticipating, after the precautions he had taken, fell 
 senseless to the ground, uttering a loud cry of despair. 
 The young man remained unconscious for ^everal 
 hours ; but his was a nature which a blow, however 
 terrible it might be, could not destroy thus. At the 
 moment when the sun was disappearing on the horizon 
 in the ocean, and making way for night, the Jaguar 
 opened his eyes. He looked round haggardly, not being 
 yet able to comprehend the position in which he found 
 himself, and the circumstances owing to which he had 
 fallen in such a strange state of prostration. However 
 strong a man may be, however great the energy with 
 which nature has endowed him, when life has been sus- 
 pended in him for several hours, the recollection of past 
 facts completely fails him for a period, more or less long, 
 and he requires some minutes to restore order in his ideas. 
 This was what happened to the young man ; he was 
 alone, a sorrowful silence prevailed around him, gloom 
 was gradually invading the landscape, and the objects 
 by which he was surrounded became with each moment 
 less distinct. 
 
 Still, the atmosphere was impregnated by a warm, 
 sickly odour of carnage, and corpses covered the ground 
 here and there. He saw the dark outline of the wild 
 beasts, which darkness drew from their lairs, and which, 
 guided by their sanguinary instinct, were already 
 prowling about the battle-field, preparing to commence 
 their horrible repast. 
 
 " Oh I" the young man suddenly exclaimed, leaping 
 up, " I remember!" 
 
 We have said that the plain was deserted : nothing 
 remained but corpses and wild beasts. 
 
 "What is to be done?" the Jaguar muttered; 
 
242 THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 " whither shall I go ? What has become of my 
 brothers? in what direction have they fled ? Where 
 shall I find Carmela and Tranquil again r" 
 
 And the young man, crushed by the flood of desperate 
 thoughts that rose from his heart to his brain, sank on 
 a block of rock, and, paying no further attention to the 
 wild beasts, whose roars increased at each second, and 
 grew more menacing with the darkness, lie buried his 
 head in his hands, and violently pressing his temples as 
 if to retain that reason which was ready to abandon 
 him, he reflected. 
 
 Two hours passed thus two hours, during which he 
 was a prey to a desperation which was the more ter- 
 rible, as it was silent. This man, who had set all his 
 hopes on an idea, who had for several years fought, 
 without truce or mercy, for the realization of his dream, 
 whose life had been, so to speak, one long self-denial 
 at the moment when he was about at last to attain 
 that object, pursued with such tenacity, had seen, by a 
 sudden change of fortune, his projects annihilated for 
 ever perhaps, in a few hours ; he had lost everything, 
 and found himself alone on a battle-field, seated amid 
 corpses, and surrounded by wild beasts that watched 
 him. Por a moment he had thought of finishing with 
 life, plunging his dagger into his heart, and not sur- 
 viving the downfal of his hopes of love and ambition. 
 But this cowardly thought did not endure longer than 
 a flash of lightning ; a sudden reaction took place in 
 the young man's mind, and he rose again, stronger than 
 before, for his soul, purified in the crucible of suffering, 
 had resumed all its audacious energy. 
 
 " !N"o," he said, casting a glance of defiance around, 
 " I will not let myself be any longer crushed, GOD will 
 
THE MEETING. 243 
 
 not permit that a cause so sacred as that to which I 
 have devoted myself should fail ; it is a trial He has 
 wished to impose on us, and I will endure it without 
 complaint ; though conquered to-day, to-morrow we will 
 be victors. To work ! Liberty is the daughter of Hea- 
 ven : she is holy, and cannot die." 
 
 After uttering these words in a loud voice, with an 
 accent of inspiration, as if desirous of giving those who 
 had fallen a last and supreme consolation, the young 
 man picked up his rifle, which had fallen by his side, 
 and went off with the firm and assured step of a strong 
 man, who has really faith in the cause he defends, and 
 to whom obstacles, however great they may be, are in- 
 citements to persevere in the path he has traced. The 
 Jaguar then crossed the battle-field, striding over the 
 corpses, and putting to flight the wild beasts, which 
 eagerly got out of his way. 
 
 The young man thus passed alone and in the dark- 
 ness along the road he had traversed by the dazzling 
 sunlight, in the midst of an enthusiastic army, which 
 marched gaily into, action, and believed itself sure of 
 victory. His resolution did not break down for a mo- 
 ment, he no longer allowed the attacks of those sad 
 thoughts which had so nearly crushed him : he had 
 clutched his sorrow, struggled with it and conquered it ; 
 now, nothing more could overpower him. 
 
 On reaching the end of the plain where the battle 
 had been fought, the Jaguar halted. The moon had 
 risen, and its sickly rays sadly illumined the landscape, 
 to which it imparted a sinister hue. The young man 
 looked around him : in his utter ignorance of the road 
 followed by the fugitives of his party, he hesitated about 
 going along a path where he ran a risk of falling in 
 
 B 2 
 
244 THE WHITE SCALPEE. 
 
 with a party of Mexican scouts or plunderers, who 
 must at this moment be scouring the plain in every 
 direction, in pursuit of those Texans who had been 
 so lucky as to escape from the battle-field. 
 
 It was a long and difficult journey to the Fort of the 
 Point, and in all probability the victors, if they were 
 not already masters of the fortress, would have invested 
 it, so as to intercept all communications of the garrison 
 with their friends outside, and force it to surrender. 
 !NTor could he dream of entering Galveston, for that 
 would be delivering himself into the hands of his ene- 
 mies. The Jaguar's perplexity was great ; he remained 
 thus for a long time hesitating as to what road he should 
 follow. By a mechanical movement habitual enough to 
 men when embarrassed, he looked vaguely around him, 
 though not fixing his eyes more on one spot than another, 
 when he gave a sudden start. He had seen, some 
 distance off, a faint, almost imperceptible light gleam- 
 ing among the trees. The young man tried in vain 
 to determine the direction in which the light was ; 
 but at length, he felt certain that it came from the 
 side where was the rancho, which, on tbe previous 
 evening, had been the head quarters of the staff of the 
 Texan army. 
 
 This rancho, situate on the sea shore, at a consider- 
 able distance from the battle field, could not have been 
 visited by the Mexicans, for their horses were too tired 
 to carry them so far : the Jaguar therefore persuaded 
 himself that the light he perceived was kindled by 
 fugitives of his party ; he believed it the more easily 
 because he desired it, for night was advancing, and he 
 had neither eaten nor drunk during the past day, in 
 which he had been so actively occupied ; he began to 
 
THE MEETING. 245 
 
 feel not only exhausted with, fatigue, but his physical 
 wants regaining the mastery over his moral apprehension 
 he felt a degree of hunger and thirst, that reminded 
 him imperiously that he had been fasting for more than 
 fourteen hours ; hence he was anxious to find a place 
 where it would be possible for him to rest and refresh 
 himself. 
 
 It is only in romances that the heroes, more or less 
 problematical, brought on the scene, cover great dis- 
 tances without suffering from any of the weaknesses 
 Incidental to poor humanity. Never stopping to eat 
 or drink, they are always as fresh and well disposed as 
 when they set out ; but, unfortunately, in real life it 
 is not, and men must, whether they like it or no, yield 
 to the imperious claims inherent in their imperfect na- 
 ture. The partisans and woodrangers, men in whom 
 the physical instincts are extremely developed, whatever 
 moral agony they may undergo, never forget the hours 
 for their meals and rest. And the reason is very simple ; 
 as their life is one continual struggle to defend them- 
 selves against enemies of every description, their vigour 
 must be equal to the obstacles they have to overcome. 
 
 The Jaguar, without further hesitation, marched re- 
 solutely in the direction of the light, which he continued 
 to see gleaming among the trees like a beacon. The 
 nearer he drew to the rancho, the firmer became his 
 conviction that he had not deceived himself; after deep 
 reflection it seemed to him impossible that the Mexicans 
 could have pushed on so far ; still, when he was but a 
 short distance from the house, he judged it prudent to 
 double his precautions, not to let himself be surprised, 
 if, contrary to his expectations, he had to deal with an 
 enemy. 
 
246 THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 On coming within five hundred paces of the rancho, 
 he began to grow restless and have less confidence in the 
 opinion he had formed. Several dead horses, two or 
 three corpses lying pellmell among pieces of weapons 
 and broken carts, led to the evident supposition that 
 a fight had taken place near the rancho. But with 
 whom had the advantage remained ? with the Mexicans 
 or the Texans ? Who were the persons at this moment 
 in the house were they friends or foes ? these questions 
 were very difficult to solve, and the Jaguar felt extremely 
 embarrassed. Still he was not discouraged. The young- 
 man had too long carried on the profession of partizan 
 and scout, not to be thoroughly acquainted with all 
 the tricks of the woodranger's difficult life. After 
 reflecting for a few moments, his mind was made up. 
 
 Several times, while the rancho had served as head 
 quarters of the Texan army, the Jaguar had gone there 
 either to be present at councils of war, or to take the 
 orders of the Coramander-in- Chief. As the approach 
 to the house was thus familiar to him, he resolved to 
 slip up to a window, and assure himself with his own 
 eyes of what was going on in the rancho. This enter- 
 prise was not so difficult as it appeared at the first glance ; 
 for we have already seen, in a previous chapter, another 
 of our characters employing the same plan for a similar 
 purpose. The young man was quick, sharp, and strorg 
 three reasons for succeeding. 
 
 The light still gleamed, though no sound was heard 
 from the interior, or troubled the deep silence of the 
 night; the Jaguar, without quitting his rifle, which he 
 supposed he might require at any moment, lay down on 
 the ground, and crawling on his hands and knees, ad- 
 vanced towards the house, being careful to keep in the 
 
THE MEETING. 247 
 
 shadow thrown by the thick branches of the trees, in 
 order not to reveal his presence, if, as it was probable, 
 the inhabitants, whoever they might be, of the house 
 had placed a sentry to watch over their safety. The 
 reasoning of the young man, like all reasoning based on 
 experience, was correct; he had scarce gone fifteen yards 
 ere he saw, standing out from the white wall of the 
 house, the shadow of a man leaning on a rifle, and mo- 
 tionless as a statue. This man was evidently a sentry 
 placed there to watch the approaches to the rancho. 
 
 The situation was growing complicated for the Jaguar ; 
 the difficulties increased in such proportions, that they 
 threatened soon to become insupportable ; for in order 
 to reach the window he wanted, he would be compelled 
 to leave the shadow which had hitherto so fortunately 
 protected him, and enter the white light cast by the 
 moon with a profusion that did not at all please the 
 young man. He mechanically raised his head, hoping, 
 perhaps, that a cloud would pass over the face of the 
 planet, and intercept its too brilliant light, were it but 
 for a moment ; but the sky was of a deep azure, without 
 the smallest cloud, and studded with stars. 
 
 The Jaguar felt an enormous inclination to leap on 
 the sentry and throttle him ; but supposing it were a 
 friend ? it was a knotty point. The young man really 
 did not know what to resolve on, and sought in vain, 
 how to get out of the scrape, when the sentry suddenly 
 levelled his rifle in his direction, and aimed at him with 
 the saucy remark : 
 
 "Halloh! my friend, when you have crawled far 
 enough like a snake, I suppose you will get up ?" 
 
 At the sound of this voice, which he believed he re- 
 cognised, the young man eagerly leapt to his feet. 
 
248 THE WHITE SCALPEK. 
 
 " Caramba !" he answered with a laugh, " you are 
 right, John Davis ; I have had enough of that crawling," 
 " What !" the latter replied, in surprise; " who are 
 JLOU that you know me so well ?" 
 
 " A friend, Cuerpo de Cristo! so raise your rifle." 
 
 " A friend, a friend ! ' the American replied, without 
 changing his position, " that is possible, and the sound 
 of your voice is not unknown to me ; but, no matter, 
 whether friend or foe, tell me your name, for if you 
 don't, I will keep you on the spot, as this is not the time 
 for fishing." 
 
 " Yiva Dios!" the young man said with a laugh, 
 " that dear John is alway prudent." 
 
 " 1 should hope so, but enough talking ; your name, 
 that I may know with whom I have to deal." 
 
 "What, do you not recognise the Jaguar ?" 
 
 The American lowered his rifle, and the butt echoed 
 on the ground. 
 
 "By Heaven !" he said joyously, " I suspected it was 
 you, but did not dare believe it." 
 
 " Why not ?" the young man asked as he approached. 
 
 " Hang it ! because I was assured that you were dead.'* 
 
 " I ?" 
 
 " Yes, you.' 7 
 
 " Who the deuce could have told you that nonsense ?" 
 
 <c It is not nonsense. Fray Antonio assured me that 
 he leapt his horse over your body." 
 
 The Jaguar reflected for a moment. 
 
 "Well," he answered, "he told you the truth." 
 
 " What ?" the American exclaimed as he gave a start 
 of terror, " are you dead ?" 
 
 " Oh, oh ! make your mind easy," the young man an- 
 swered with a laugh ; " I am as good a living man as 
 yourself." 
 
THE MEETING. 
 
 249 
 
 "Are you quite sure of it?" the superstitious Ameri- 
 can said dubiously. 
 
 " Rayo de Dios ! I am certain of it, though it is pos- 
 sible that Fray Antonio leaped his horse over my body, 
 for I lay for several hours senseless on the battle-field." 
 
 " That is all right, then." 
 
 " Thanks ; but what are you doing there ?" 
 
 " As you see, I am on guard." 
 
 "Yes, but why are you so? are there more of you 
 inside ?" 
 
 " There are about a dozen of us." 
 
 " All the better ; and who are your comrades ?" 
 
 The American looked at him for some moments fixedly, 
 and then took his hand, which he squeezed. 
 
 "My friend," he said with emotion, "thank heaven, 
 for it has shown you a great mercy this day." 
 
 "What do you mean?" the young man exclaimed, 
 anxiously. 
 
 " I mean that those you confided to us are safe and 
 sound, in spite of the dangers innumerable they incurred 
 during the terrible day we have passed through." 
 
 "Can it be true?" he said, laying his hand on his 
 chest, to check the beating of his heart. 
 
 " I assure you." 
 
 "Then, they are both here?" 
 
 " Yes." 
 
 " Oh ! I must see them !" he exclaimed, as he pre- 
 pared to rush into the rancho. 
 
 " Wait a moment." 
 
 " Why so ?" he asked in alarm. 
 
 "Eor two reasons: the first being" that before you 
 enter, I must warn them of your arrival." 
 
 " That is true ; go, my friend, I will await you here." 
 
250 THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 4< I have not yet told you the second reason." 
 "What do I care?" 
 
 " More than you fancy ; do you not wish me to tell 
 you the name of the man who protected and eventually 
 saved Dona Carmela ?" 
 
 " I do not understand you, my friend. I entrusted the 
 guardianship of Tranquil and Dona Carmela to you." 
 
 " You did so." 
 
 "Then, was it not you who saved them?" 
 
 The American shook his head in denial. 
 
 "No, "he said, " it was not I, I could only have 
 died with them." 
 
 " But who saved them, then ? whoever the man may 
 he, I swear " ^ 
 
 " This man/' John Davis interrupted him, " is one of 
 your dearest and most devoted friends." 
 
 " His name ? my friend, tell me his name." 
 
 " Colonel Melendez." 
 
 " Oh ! I could have sworn it," the young man said 
 impetuously ; " why cannot I thank him ?'' 
 
 " You will soon see him." 
 
 "How so?" 
 
 " At this moment he is busy seeking a safe retreat 
 for the old hunter and his daughter. For the present 
 we shall remain at this rancho, from which he will be 
 able to keep the Mexican soldiers off; and so soon as 
 he has found another shelter, he will himself come to 
 tell us." 
 
 " Always kind and devoted ! I shall never be able to 
 pay my debt to him." 
 
 " Who knows ?" the American said philosophically ; 
 " luck will, perhaps, turn for us, and then it will be our 
 turn to protect our protectors of to-day." 
 
THE MEETING. 251 
 
 " You are right, my friend ; may Heaven grant that 
 it is so ; but how did it all happen ?" 
 
 " The Colonel, who seemed, from what he said to me, 
 to have foreboded the danger that Dona Carmela ran, 
 arrived just at the moment, when attacked on all sides at 
 once, and too weak to resist the enemies who overwhelmed 
 us, we were preparing, as we had promised, to die at our 
 post ; you can guess the rest. By threats and entreaties, 
 he drove back the soldiers who were attacking us : then, 
 not satisfied with having freed us from our enemies, he 
 desired to secure us against all danger, and accompanied 
 us thus far, recommending us to wait for him here, which 
 I believe we shall be wise in doing." 
 
 " Certainly, acting otherwise would be ungrateful; 
 Go, now, my friend, I will wait for you." 
 
 John Davis, understanding the anxiety from which 
 the young man was suffering, did not let the invitation 
 be repeated, but entered the rancho. The Jaguar re- 
 mained alone, and was not sorry for it, for he wished to 
 restore some order in his ideas. He felt himself inun- 
 dated with immense joy at finding again, safe and sound, 
 those whom he had believed dead, and whom he so 
 bitterly lamented ; he could scarce dare believe in such 
 happiness, and fancied, he must be dreaming, so impos- 
 sible did all this appear to him. In less than ten 
 minutes John Davis returned. 
 
 " Well ?" the young man asked. 
 
 " Come," he answered laconically. 
 
 The American led him forward through a room in 
 which were about a dozen Texans, among them being 
 Pray Antonio, Lanzi, and Quoniam, who were sleeping 
 on trusses of straw laid on the boards. He then pushed 
 open a door and the two men entered a second room not 
 
252 THE WHITE SCALPEB. 
 
 quite so large, and lighted by a smoky candle, standing 
 on a table, which diffused but a dim light. Tranquil 
 was lying on a bed of furs piled on each other, while 
 Dona Carmela was sitting on an equipal by his side. On 
 seeing the young man, she rose quickly and ran to meet 
 him. 
 
 " Oh !" she cried, as she offered him her hand ; " hea- 
 ven be praised, you have come at last !" And bending 
 down, she offered him her pale forehead, on which the 
 Jaguar imprinted a respectful kiss, the only answer he 
 could find, as he was suffering from such emotion. 
 Tranquil rose with an effort on his couch, and held out 
 his hand to the young man, who hurried up to him. 
 
 " No\v, whatever may happen," he said timorously, 
 " I am assured as to the fate of my poor child, since 
 you are near me. We have been terribly alarmed, my 
 friend." 
 
 " Alas 1" he answered, "I kave suffered more than 
 you." 
 
 " But what is the matter ?" Carmela exclaimed ; " you 
 turn pale and totter : are you wounded ?" 
 
 " No," he answered feebly ; "it is the happiness, the 
 emotion, the joy of seeing you again. It is nothing 
 more, so reassure yourself." 
 
 And while saying this, he fell back into a butacca 
 half fainting. Carmela, suffering from the most lively 
 alarm, hurriedly attended to him, but John Davis, 
 knowing better than the maiden what the sick man 
 wanted, seized his gourd, and made him drink a long 
 draught of its contents. The emotion the Jaguar was 
 suffering from, combined with the want of food and the 
 fatigue that oppressed him, had caused him this mo- 
 mentary weakness. Tranquil was not deceived; BO 
 
A RE ACTION. 253 
 
 soon as lie saw the young man return to consciousness, 
 he ordered his daughter to get him food, and, as she did 
 not seem to understand, he said with a laugh to the 
 Jaguar : 
 
 " I fancy, my friend, that a good meal is the only 
 remedy you need." 
 
 The young man tried to smile as he confessed that, 
 in truth, he was obliged to confess, in spite of the bad 
 opinion Dona Carmela would form of him, that he was 
 literally dying of hunger. The maiden, reassured by 
 this prosaic confession, immediately began getting him a 
 supper of some sort, for provisions were scanty in the 
 rancho, and it was not an easy matter to procure them. 
 However, in a few minutes, Carmela returned with 
 some maize tortillas and a little roast meat, a more than 
 sufficient meal, to which the young man did the greatest 
 honour after apologising to his charming hostess, who 
 now completely re-assured, had resumed her petulant 
 character, and did not fail to teaze the young Chief, who 
 bravely endured it. 
 
 The rest of the night was passed in pleasant conver- 
 sation by these three persons, who had believed they 
 would never meet again, and now felt so delighted at 
 being together once more. The sun had risen but an 
 hour when the sentry suddenly challenged, and several 
 horsemen stopped at the gate of the rancho. 
 
 CHAPTEE XVIII. 
 
 A EEACTION. 
 
 AFTER the sentry's challenge, loud shouts were raised 
 outside the rancho, and, ere long, the noise and confusion 
 
254 THE WHITE SCALPEK. 
 
 attained such proportions that the Jaguar, alarmed and 
 not knowing to what to attribute the disturbance, rose 
 with the intention of going to inquire what was taking 
 place. In the present precarious position of the fugi- 
 tives, the slightest event might prove fatal to them. 
 Carmela went all in a tremor up to Tranquil, who tried 
 in vain to console her, while cocking his pistols, and pre- 
 paring to sell his life dearly. 
 
 At the moment when the Jaguar was about to open 
 the door, it was thrown open, and John Davis rushed 
 into the room. The American was red, and his eyes 
 sparkled like carbuncles ; he seemed affected by a lively 
 emotion, but the expression of his face was rather joyous 
 and surprised than sad. 
 
 " What is the matter then r" the Jaguar asked him. 
 
 Without answering his question, the American seized 
 him by the arm, and dragged him away, saying eagerly : 
 
 " Come, make haste ; you shall see. 57 
 
 "But answer me/' the young man continued, trying, 
 though in vain, to escape the powerful grasp that held 
 him. " In Heaven's name, what is the matter ?" 
 
 " Come, I tell you; come, and you will see." 
 
 Understanding that it was useless to continue ques- 
 tioning the American, the Jaguar resolved to follow him, 
 after reassuring his friends and telling them that he 
 should return in a few minutes to them what was the 
 event, good or bad, that caused such perturbation in 
 John Davis's mind. When the young man reached the 
 hall, still dragged on by the American, who had not let 
 go his arm, he uttered a shout of joy and dashed 
 forward, after taking a rapid glance around him. Six 
 hundred horsemen at least had halted in front of the 
 rancho. They were Texan fugitives from the battle, 
 
A REACTION. 255 
 
 and among them were nearly all the comrades of the 
 Jaguar, those old Border Bifles who, when the revolution 
 was definitively organised, became freebooters, and with 
 whom the youDg man had carried out so many hazardous 
 and daring expeditions. 
 
 It was the sight of his comrades that had drawn a 
 shout of delight from the Jaguar ; while they, on per- 
 ceiving the Chief they adored, rushed toward him with 
 yells of delight. They surrounded him and almost over- 
 whelmed him with their noisy and warm protestations 
 of devotion. The young man drew himself up proudly, 
 and tears of joy ran down his eyelids. All was not over 
 yet, then, the cause of liberty was not lost ; since so many 
 generous hearts still beat, the victory of the Mexicans, 
 that victory which they had believed complete, was re- 
 duced to the proportions of a deed of arms, brilliant, it 
 is true, but without any political import. ~Now the 
 Jaguar was no longer a fugitive, a prescript compelled 
 to conceal himself like a bird of the night : he could 
 march in open day, not having disgraceful conditions to 
 endure at the hands of the victors, who, on the contrary, 
 would speedily learn that the Texan revolution they 
 fancied they had crushed was more lively and vigorous 
 than ever. 
 
 All these reflections the Jaguar made in a few seconds ; 
 and for him the future, which he had seen an hour 
 previously so sombre and menacing, became suddenly 
 smiling and full of dazzling promises. "When the first 
 emotion was calmed, when the shouts became less loud 
 and order was gradually being re-established, the young 
 Chief inquired into the events which had caused their 
 arrival at the rancho, and the reason for their coming. 
 This is what he learned from Fray Antonio ; but as, 
 
256 THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 since his return to honesty, the worthy monk had re- 
 sumed his monastic habits of prolixity, we will take his 
 place and narrate the facts as briefly as possible. 
 
 We have said that on entering the rancho the Jaguar, 
 while passing through the first room, had perceived, 
 among the sleepers upon straw, Lanzi, Quoniam, and 
 Fray Antonio. All these men were really sleeping, but 
 with that light sleep peculiar to hunters and wood- 
 rangers, and the sound of the young man's footsteps had 
 aroused them ; so soon as they saw the door of the second 
 room close on the American they rose noiselessly, took 
 up their weapons, and stealthily quitted the rancho. 
 They had done this without exchanging a syllable, and 
 were evidently carrying out a plan arranged beforehand, 
 and which the presence of the sentry had alone impeded. 
 Their horses were saddled in a twinkling, they leapt 
 into their saddles, and when John Davis returned to his 
 post they were far out of reach. The American, who 
 immediately perceived their departure, gave a start of 
 passion, and resumed his rounds, growling between his 
 teeth : 
 
 " The deuce take them ! I only hope they may get a 
 dose of lead in their heads, provided they do not bring a 
 cuadrilla of Mexican lancers down on us." 
 
 Still, the plan of these bold rangers was far from me- 
 riting such an imprecation, for they were about to 
 accomplish a work of devotion. Ignorant of Colonel 
 Melendez' promises, and having, moreover, no sort of 
 confidence in the well-known punic faith of the Mexicans, 
 they proposed to beat up the country, and assembled all 
 the fugitives of their party they came across, in order to 
 defend Tranquil and Dona Carmela from any insult. In 
 the meanwhile Lanzi would swim off to the brig, which 
 
A BE ACTION. 257 
 
 would be cruizing a cable's length from the beach, an- 
 nounce to Captain Johnson the result of the battle of 
 Cerro Pardo, tell him the critical position in which the 
 old hunter and his daughter were placed, and beg him 
 to go to the rancho and remove the wounded man on 
 board, if circumstances compelled it, 
 
 Fortune, which, according to a well-known proverb, 
 always favours the brave, was far more favourable to 
 the plans of this forlorn hope than they had any right 
 to expect ; they had hardly galloped ten miles across 
 country in no settled direction, ere they perceived 
 numerous bivouac fires sparkling through the night in 
 front of a wretched fishing village, situated on the sea 
 shore a little distance from the Fort of the Point. They 
 stopped to hold a council ; but at the moment they pre- 
 pared to deliberate, they were suddenly surrounded by a 
 dozen horsemen, and made prisoners, ere they had time 
 to lay hands on their arms or make an effort at defence. 
 
 Only one of the three comrades succeeded in escaping, 
 and that was Lanzi ; the brave half-breed slipped off his 
 horse, and passing like a serpent between the legs of the 
 horses, he disappeared before his flight was noticed. 
 Lanzi had reflected that by remaining with his comrades 
 he let himself be captured without profit ; while if he 
 succeeded in escaping he might hope to accomplish the 
 commission he had undertaken, so that he retained a 
 chance of safety for Tranquil and his daughter. It was 
 in consequence of this reasoning, made with the rapidity 
 that characterised the half-breed, that he attempted and 
 accomplished his bold flight, leaving his comrades to get 
 as they best could out of the awkward scrape they had 
 fallen into. 
 
 But a thing happened to the latter which they were 
 
258 THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 far from anticipating, and which the half-breed would 
 never have suspected. The capture of the two men was 
 effected so rapidly j they had been so surprised that not 
 a single word was exchanged on either side ; but when 
 they were secured the Chief of the detachment ordered 
 them to follow him in a rough voice, and then a curious 
 fact occurred : these men, who could not see each other 
 for the darkness, became old friends again so soon as a 
 sentence had been exchanged. Pray Antonio and his 
 comrades had fallen into the hands of Texan fugitives 
 from the battle, and were the prisoners of their own 
 friends. 
 
 After numberless mutual congratulations, explanations 
 came on the carpet, and these horsemen proved to belong 
 to the Jaguar's cuadrilla. "When their Chief left them 
 to fly to the cart they continued to fight for some time 
 while awaiting his return ; but pressed on all sides, and 
 not seeing him return, they broke and began flying in 
 all directions. As they were perfectly acquainted with 
 the country, it was easy for them to escape the pursuit 
 of the Mexican cavalry ; and each, with that instinct 
 peculiar to partizans and guerillas, proceeded separately 
 to one of the gathering places, whither the Jaguar was 
 accustomed to summon them. Here they nearly all 
 came together again, for the simple reason that as their 
 cuadrilla formed the rear-guard, it had been the last en- 
 gaged, and suffered very slightly, as it was almost imme- 
 diately broken up by the departure of its Chief. 
 
 During this flight a great number of other partizans 
 had swelled their ranks, so that at this moment their 
 band formed a corps of nearly six hundred resolute men, 
 well mounted and armed, but who, unfortunately, had 
 no leader. The capture of Fray Antonio, who found 
 
A KEACTIOX. 259 
 
 many of his soldiers among them, was, therefore, a piece 
 of good luck for the partizans, who, though they had 
 been left to their own resources for only a few hours, were 
 already beginning to understand the difficulties of their 
 position, and how dangerous it would become for them 
 if fatality willed it that they should be discovered and 
 attacked by a Mexican corps. 
 
 Still, they had acted with great prudence up to this 
 moment. Obliged to leave the retreat they had selected, 
 and which offered them no resources, they had bivou- 
 acked a little distance from the Fort of the Point, in 
 order to be protected both by the garrison of the fortress 
 and the fire of their cruizers, which they knew to be 
 close at hand. 
 
 When Fray Antonio had picked up this information, 
 which was precious for him, and overwhelmed him with 
 delight, by permitting him to dispose of numerous 
 and determined corps, instead of a few demoralized 
 fugitives of no value, he determined to requite the 
 soldiers who had captured him for the pleasure they 
 caused him by telling him that the Jaguar was not 
 dead as they had falsely supposed that he was not even 
 wounded, but was in hiding at the rancho which had 
 for a long time served as head- quarters of the Texan 
 army, and he would conduct them thither if they 
 pleased. At this proposal of the worthy monk's the joy 
 of the Freebooters became delirious, almost frenzied, 
 for they adored their Chief, and longed to place them- 
 selves under his orders again. Consequently, the camp 
 was immediately raised, the partizans formed in a 
 column, Fray Antonio placing himself at its head, and 
 the remains of the Texan army set out joyously for the 
 rancho. The reader knows the rest. 
 
 s2 
 
260 THE WHITE BCALPEE. 
 
 The Jaguar warmly thanked Fray Antonio ; he then 
 stated that the rancho would temporarily he head- 
 quarters, and ordered his men to bivouac round the 
 house. Still, there was one thing which greatly 
 alarmed the young man : no news had heen received of 
 Lanzi. "What had become of him ? perhaps he had 
 found death in accomplishing his rash enterprise, and 
 trying to reach, by swimming, Captain Johnson's brig. 
 The Jaguar knew the friendship that united Tranquil 
 and the half-breed, and what deep root that friendship 
 had taken in the heart of both, and he feared the effect 
 on the Canadian of the announcement of a calamity 
 which, unhappily, was only too probable. Hence, in 
 spite of his promise of returning at once to the hunter, 
 he walked anxiously up and down in front of the rancho, 
 gazing at intervals out to sea, and not feeling the courage 
 to be present when the Canadian asked after his old 
 friend and was told of his death. 
 
 Presently, Carmela appeared in the door- way. The 
 old hunter, not seeing the Jaguar return, and alarmed by 
 the noisy demonstrations he heard outside, at length 
 resolved to send the girl on a voyage of discovery, after 
 warning her not to commit any act of imprudence, but 
 return to his side at the slightest appearance of danger. 
 Carmela ran off in delight to find the Jaguar ; a few 
 remarks she heard while passing through the house told 
 her what was occurring, and she had no fear about 
 venturing outside. On seeing her the young man 
 checked his hurried walk and waited for her, while try- 
 ing to give his features an expression agreeing with the 
 lucky situation in which he was supposed to be. 
 
 " Well !" she said to him, with that little pouting air 
 which she could assume if necessary, and which suited 
 
' A BE ACTION. ' 261 
 
 her so well ; " what has become of you, deserter ? we 
 have been waiting for you with the most lively impa- 
 tience, and there you are walking quietly up and down, 
 instead of hurrying to bring us the good news you 
 promised us." 
 
 " Forgive me, Carmela," he replied; "I was wrong 
 to appear thus to forget you, and leave you in a state of 
 anxiety; but so many extraordinary things have oc- 
 curred, that I do not really yet know whether I am 
 awake or dreaming." 
 
 " Everybody deserts us this morning, not excepting 
 Lanzi and Quoniam, who have not yet made their 
 appearance." 
 
 "You will pardon them, Senorita, for I am the sole 
 cause of their absence. I found myself compelled to 
 entrust them both with important duties, but I trust 
 they will soon return, and directly they do so, I will 
 send them to you." 
 
 "But are you not coming in, Jaguar? my father 
 would be glad to talk with you." 
 
 "I should like to do so, Carmela, but at this moment 
 it is impossible ; remember that the army is utterly dis- 
 organized, at each moment fresh men who have escaped 
 from the battle join us ; only a few Chiefs have turned 
 up as yet, the rest are missing. I alone must undertake- 
 to restore a little order in this chaos ; but be assured 
 that so soon as I have a second to myself, I will take 
 advantage of it to join you. Alas ! it is only by your 
 side that I am happy." 
 
 The maiden blushed slightly at this insinuation, and 
 answered at once with a degree of coldness in her ac- 
 cent, of which she immediately repented, in seeing the 
 impression her words caused the young man, and the 
 cloud they brought to his forehead. 
 
262 THE WHITE SCALPEK. 
 
 " You are at liberty to remain here as long as you 
 please, Caballero ; in speaking to you as I did I merely 
 carried a message my father gave me for you ; the rest 
 concerns me but little." 
 
 The young man bowed without replying, and turned 
 away his head not to let the cruel girl see the sorrow 
 she caused him by this harsh and so unmerited apos- 
 trophe. Carmela walked a few steps toward the house, 
 but on reaching the threshold she ran back and offered 
 her little hand to the young Chief with an exquisite 
 smile. 
 
 " Forgive me, my friend," she said to him, "I ain a 
 madcap. You are not angry with me, I trust r" 
 
 " I angry with you ?" he replied, sadly, " why should 
 I be so, by what right ? what else am I to you than a 
 stranger, an indifferent being, a stranger too happy to 
 be endured without any great display of impatience on 
 your part. ' 
 
 The maiden bit her lips angrily. 
 
 " Will you not take the hand I offer you ?" she said 
 with a slight tinge of impatience. 
 
 The Jaguar looked at her for a moment fixedly, and 
 then seized her hand, on which he imprinted a burning 
 kiss. 
 
 "Why should the head ever do injustice to the 
 heart ?" he said, with a sigh. 
 
 "Am I not a woman?" she replied with a smile 
 that filled his heart with joy ; " we are waiting for you, 
 so come soon," she added, and shaking her finger at him, 
 she ran back into the house like a startled fawn, and 
 laughing like a madcap. 
 
 \e Jaguar gazed after her until she at length dis- 
 . in the interior of the rancho. 
 
A REACTION. . 263 
 
 "She is but a coquettish child/' he murmured in a 
 low voice ; " has she a heart?" 
 
 A stifled sigh was the sole answer he found for the 
 difficult question he asked himself, and he bent his eyes 
 again on the sea. Suddenly, he uttered a cry of joy ; 
 he had just seen, above the rocks which terminated on 
 the right, the small bay on which the cuadrilla was en- 
 camped, the tall masts of the Libertad corvette, followed 
 or rather convoyed by the brig. The two ships, im- 
 pelled by a favourable breeze, soon doubled the porct, 
 and entered the bay; while the. corvette made short 
 tacks not to run ashore on the dangerous coast, the brig 
 shortened sail and remained stationary. A boat was im- 
 mediately let down, several persons seated themselves 
 in it, and the sailors, letting their oars fall simultane- 
 ously into the water, pulled vigorously for the shore. 
 
 The distance they had to row was nearly half a mile, 
 and hence the Jaguar was unable to recognise the persons 
 who were arriving. Anxious to know, however, what he 
 had to depend on, he mounted the first horse he came 
 across, and galloped toward the boat, followed by some 
 twenty Freebooters; who, seeing their Chief set out, 
 formed him a guard of honour. The young man reached 
 the coast at the precise moment when the bows of the 
 boat ran up into the sand. There were three sailors in 
 the boat : Captain Johnson and the person we have met 
 before under the name of El Alferez, and lastly, Lanzi. 
 On perceiving the latter, the young Chief could not re- 
 strain a shout of joy, and without thinking of even 
 salutiog the other two, he seized the half-breed's hand 
 and pressed it cordially several times. 
 
 The Captain and his companion, far from being an- 
 noyed at this apparent want of politeness, seemed, on 
 
264 THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 the contrary, to witness with pleasure, this frank and 
 spontaneous manifestation of an honourable feeling. 
 
 " Bravo, Caballero !" said the Captain ; " by Heaven ! 
 you do right to press that man's hand, for he is a 
 loyal and devoted fellow ; ten times during the past night 
 he risked his life in trying to reach my ship, which he 
 at length came aboard, half drowned and dead with 
 fatigue." 
 
 "Nonsense," the half-breed said negligently; "it 
 was nothing at all ; the main point was to reach you, 
 as my poor comrades had the ill-luck to be taken pri- 
 soners." 
 
 The Jaguar began laughing. 
 
 " Don't be alarmed, my brave fellow," he said to 
 him ; " your comrades are as free as yourself, and you 
 will soon see them ; there was a mistake in all this 
 which they will have the pleasure of explaining to you." 
 
 Lanzi opened his eyes in amazement at this partial 
 revelation, which he did not at all understand, but he 
 made no answer, contenting himself with shrugging his 
 shoulders several times. The Jaguar then offered the 
 Captain and his two companions horses on which they 
 could proceed to the rancho, and which they accepted. 
 The partizans who had followed their Chief, on hearing 
 this offer, hastened to dismount, and courteously pre- 
 sented their horses to the strangers. The latter, with- 
 out stopping to make a choice, mounted the horses 
 nearest to them, and started. 
 
 "While galloping along, the three new comers looked 
 about them with surprise, not at all comprehending what 
 they saw ; for a time, the Jaguar paid no great attention 
 to their manoeuvres, and continued to talk about in- 
 different topics ; but their preoccupation soon became 
 
A EE ACTION. 265 
 
 so marked that he perceived it, and could not refrain 
 from asking them the cause of it. 
 
 " On my word, Caballeros," the Captain said, all at 
 once taking the ball at the rebound ; " if you had not 
 asked me that question, I was on the point of asking 
 you one, for I frankly confess that I understand nothing 
 of what is happening to us." 
 
 " What is happening, pray ?" 
 
 " Why, I learned last night from this worthy lad, the 
 frightful defeat you experienced yesterday ; the total 
 loss and the utter dispersion of your army ; I hurried 
 up to offer you and yours, whom I supposed tracked like 
 wild beasts and without shelter of any sort, an asylum 
 aboard my vessel, and I have barely set foot on land, 
 ere I find myself in the midst of this army which I 
 supposed to be swept away like autumn leaves by a 
 storm ; and this army is as firm and well disciplined as 
 before the battle. Explain to me, I beg, the meaning 
 of this riddle, for I have really given it up, as impos- 
 sible to guess." 
 
 " I am ready to satisfy your curiosity," the Jaguar 
 answered with a smile; " but first of all I crave some 
 valuable news from you." 
 
 "Very good ; but answer me this first." 
 [ "Goon." 
 
 " Has the battle really taken place r" 
 
 " Certainly." 
 
 " And you have been whipped ?" 
 
 11 To our heart's content." 
 
 " That is strange, I understand less than ever; well, 
 speak, I am listening to you." 
 
 "Is the Port of the Point still in the hands of our 
 friends r" 
 
266 THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 " Yes ; our ships have left it an hour at the most. 
 Ever since you so daringly suprised it, the Mexicans 
 have not come within gun-shot." 
 
 " May Heaven he praised !" the young man exclaimed 
 impetuously ; " nothing is lost in that case, and all can 
 he repaired. Yes, Captain, we have heen beaten, we 
 have suffered a frightful defeat ; but, as you know, dur- 
 ing the ten years we have been struggling against the 
 Mexican power, our oppressors have often believed us 
 crushed, and it is the same this time, thanks be to Hea- 
 ven ! Two of our best cuadrillas have escaped almost in 
 safety the horrible massacre of the other corps, and they 
 are those you see assembled here. At each moment 
 straggling fugitives join us, so that within a week we 
 shall probably be able to resume the offensive. GOD is 
 on our side, for the cause we defend is sacred ; we are 
 the soldiers of an idea, and must conquer. The defeat 
 of yesterday will be of use to us in the future." 
 
 "You are right, my friend," the Captain answered 
 warmly. " This revolution in truth resembles no other ; 
 ever conquered, and ever up in arms, you are stronger 
 to-day, after your numerous defeats, than when you be- 
 gan the struggle. The finger of Heaven is there, and a 
 man must be mad not to perceive it. Hence your losses 
 are limited to men and arms ?" 
 
 " To men and arms solely ; we have not lost an inch 
 of ground. I seek in vain the reason that prevented 
 the victorious Mexicans pursuing us, for we have kept 
 all our positions, and are scarce ten miles from the battle 
 field." 
 
 " Many of our Chiefs, I presume, have fallen, or are 
 in the hands of the enemy ?" 
 
 " I fear so ; still, several have already come in, and 
 
A PAGE OF HISTOBY. 
 
 267 
 
 others will probably still join us. There is one, unfor- 
 tunately, about whom we have no news you know to 
 whom I refer ; if the day pass without his making his 
 appearance, I shall start in search of him." 
 
 The Jaguar ha^ spoken the truth ; each moment sol- 
 diers who had escaped from the battle-field arrived. 
 During the short hour that had elapsed since he left the 
 raneho, more than two hundred had joined the camp. 
 
 " You see," said the young Chief, looking around him 
 proudly, " that, in spite of our defeat, nothing has really 
 changed for us, as we have retained our head quarters, 
 and the banner of Texan Independence still floats from 
 its azotea." 
 
 The horsemen then dismounted, and entered the 
 rancho. 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 A PAGE OF HISTOEY. 
 
 THE Jaguar was mistaken, or rather flattered himself, 
 when he said that the defeat of Cerro Pardo had caused 
 but an insignificant loss to the revolutionary party ; for 
 Galveston, too weak to attempt resistance to the attack 
 of the Mexican army, surrendered on the first summons, 
 and did not even attempt a useless demonstration. Still, 
 the young Chief was rightly astonished that General 
 Eubio, an old experienced soldier, and one of the best 
 officers in the Mexican army, had not attempted to com- 
 plete his victory by definitively crushing his enemies, 
 and pursuing them to the death. General Rubio really 
 intended not to give those he had beaten breathing time 
 but his will was suddenly paralysed by another more 
 powerful than his own. 
 
268 THE WHITE SCALPEE. 
 
 The facts that then occurred are so strange, that they 
 deserve to be described in their fullest details. Besides, 
 they are intimately related to the facts we have under- 
 taken to narrate, and throw a new light on certain 
 events connected with the revolution^of Texas, which 
 are but little known. 
 
 We ask our reader's pardon ; but we must go back 
 once again, and return to General Rubio, at the moment 
 when the Texans, broken by Colonel Melendez' charge, 
 and understanding that victory was hopelessly slipping 
 from their grasp, began flying in every direction, with- 
 out trying to defend themselves longer, or keep the 
 ground they held. The General had stationed himself 
 on an eminence whence he surved the whole battle-field, 
 and followed the movements of the various corps engaged. 
 So soon as he saw the disorder produced in the enemy's 
 ranks, he understood the advantage he could derive from 
 this precipitate flight, by closely pursuing the fugitives 
 up to the Fort of the Point, where he could certainly 
 enter pell mell without striking a blow. But haste 
 was needed, not to give the enemy time to re-form a 
 little further on, which the chiefs who commanded them 
 would not fail to attempt, if but an hour's respite were 
 granted them. 
 
 The General turned to an aide-de-camp by his side, 
 and was just going to send Colonel Melendez orders to 
 start all his cavalry in pursuit of the Texans, when a 
 platoon of a dozen lancers suddenly appeared, com- 
 manded by an officer who galloped at full speed to the 
 spot where the General was, making signs and waving 
 his hat. The General looked in surprise at this officer, 
 whom he knew did not belong to his army. A minute 
 later he gave a start of surprise and disappointment, 
 
A PAGE 05 1 HISTOEY. 269 
 
 took a sorrowful glance at the battle-field, and stood 
 biting his moustache and muttering, in a low voice, 
 
 " Confound this saloon officer and sabre clanker ! 
 Why did he not remain in Mexico ? "What does the 
 President mean by sending us this gold plumaged sprin- 
 gald, to make us lose all the profits of the victory ?" 
 
 At this moment the officer came up to the General, 
 bowed respectfully, drew a large sealed envelope from 
 his breast, and handed it to him. The General coldly 
 returned the salutation, took the letter, opened it, and 
 looked at it with a frown ; but almost immediately he 
 crumpled the letter up passionately, and addressed the 
 officer, who was standing motionless and stiff before him. 
 
 " You are the aide-de-camp of the President G-eneral 
 of the Republic r 5 ' he said, roughly. 
 
 " Yes, General," the officer answered, with a bow. 
 
 " Hum ! Where is the President at this moment r" 
 
 " Four leagues off at the most, with two thousand 
 troops." 
 
 " Where has he halted?" 
 
 " His Excellency has not halted, General, but, on 
 the contrary, is advancing with forced marches to join 
 you." 
 
 The General gave a start of anger. 
 
 "It is well," he continued, presently. "Keturn at 
 full gallop to his Excellency, and announce to him my 
 speedy arrival." 
 
 " Pardon me, General, but it seems to me that you 
 have not read the despatch I had the honour of handing 
 you," the officer said, respectfully, but firmly. 
 
 The General looked at him askance. 
 
 " I have not time at this moment to read the de- 
 spatch," he said, drily. 
 
270 THE WHITE SCALPEK. 
 
 "I shall have the honour then, General, to inform 
 you of the contents, for the order it contains is peremp- 
 tory." 
 
 " Ah !" said the General, with a frown. " What may 
 your name be, Senor ?" 
 
 " Don Jose Rivas, General." 
 
 " It is well, Senor. Don Jose Rivas, I shall remember 
 your name." 
 
 The menacing tone in which the words were uttered 
 did not escape the officer, and he blushed slightly. 
 
 " I am very unfortunate, General, poor subaltern as 
 I am, to find myself thus placed, against my will, under 
 the alternative of failing in my duty or incurring your 
 displeasure/' 
 
 The General remained silent for a moment ; then his 
 face became calm again, and he said to the officer, with 
 a smile, 
 
 " I was wrong. Forgive me, Caballero ; but I was 
 not master of a burst of anger. A man cannot be thus 
 deprived, by a caprice, of the fruit of a thousand fatigues, 
 and not feel a certain amount of displeasure. Go and 
 announce to his Excellency that, not knowing his wishes, 
 I fought the battle, but that, in obedience to his orders, 
 I stopped it at the first word you said to me. You can 
 go." 
 
 The General bowed to his horse's' neck, and burying 
 his spurs in the flanks of his noble animal, started at a 
 gallop, followed by his escort. The General, a moment 
 previously so proud and glad, let his head fall on his 
 chest in despair. 
 
 "Oh!" he muttered, as he gave a desperate glance 
 at his army, " such a splendid battle and so well ma- 
 naged !" and he stifled a sigh. 
 
A PAGE OF HISTORY. 271 
 
 In the meanwhile the officers collected round the 
 General, and loudly asked him for authority to pursue the 
 conquest. The General raised his head. 
 
 " Order the retreat to be sounded !" he said. 
 The aides-de-camp looked at him with amazement, 
 and fancied they must have misunderstood him. 
 
 " Yes," the General went on, " sound the retreat. 
 The army," he added, with a bitter smile, " will return 
 to its first position, as is ordered by his Excellency 
 Santa Anna, President of the Republic. I am no 
 longer your Chief; my command has been taken from 
 me by the President, who undertakes the direction of 
 the army." 
 
 The officers and aides-de-camp who surrounded the 
 General, sharing in their Chief's sorrow, lowered their 
 heads, blushing with shame and anger, and at a final 
 order from the General, prepared to execute his wishes, 
 though much against the grain. The soldiers, excited 
 by the smell of gunpowder and the intoxication inse- 
 parable from fighting, could only be restrained with 
 difficulty, the more so, because their Chiefs, far from re- 
 sponding to the repeated appeals of the bugle, on the 
 contrary, exerted their horsemen to pursue the Texans ; 
 still, by degrees, the voice of the aides-de-camp sent by 
 the General was listened to, and discipline resumed its 
 sway. Order was re-established, and the Mexican army 
 fell back on the positions they had left in the morning 
 to commence the action, and lit their camp fires. 
 
 At about eight in the evening Santa Anna effected 
 his junction with General Eubio. The President of the 
 Eepublic, after cordially saluting the General, took over 
 the command, and then withdrew to the house pre- 
 pared for him, which he made his head quarters. 
 
272 THE WHITE SCALPEE. 
 
 At the period when our history takes place, General 
 Don Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna was thirty-nine to 
 forty years of age ; he was tall and finely built ; he had 
 a lofty and projecting forehead, rounded chin, and 
 slightly aquiline nose, large black eyes, full of expres- 
 sion, and a flexible mouth, which gave him an air of 
 remarkable nobilit} 7 , while his black and curly hair, 
 which formed a contrast to the yellowish tinge of his 
 complexion, covered his temples and his high-boned 
 cheeks. Such, physically, was the man who, for thirty 
 years, has been the evil genius of Mexico, and has led it 
 to infallible ruin by making himself the cause or pretext 
 of all the wars and revolutions which, since his first 
 assumption of power, have incessantly overwhelmed this 
 unhappy country. 
 
 i We must now ask our reader's pardon, but we must 
 talk a little politics, and describe cursorily the facts 
 which preceded and led to the denouement of the too 
 lengthy story we have undertaken to narrate. 
 
 If the Mexicans had gained an important advantage 
 over the Texan s, in another portion of the revolted ter- 
 ritory they had experienced a check, whose conse- 
 quences must prove immense for them. The Mexican 
 General Cos was besieged in the town of Eejar by the 
 Texans ; the latter, with that want of foresight so natural 
 to volunteers of all countries, believing that they had 
 only a campaign of a few days, had laid in no provisions 
 or winter clothing, though the rainy season was at 
 hand, hence they were beginning to grow discouraged 
 and talk about raising the siege ; when El Alferez, that 
 mysterious personage we have come across several times, 
 went to the General in Chief, and pledged himself to 
 compel the Mexicans to capitulate, if three hundred 
 men were given him. 
 
A PAGE OF HISTOEY. 273 
 
 The young partisan's reputation for intrepidity had 
 long been famed among the Texans, and hence his offer 
 was accepted with enthusiasm. El Alferez performed 
 his promise. The town was captured after four terrible 
 assaults ; but the young Chief, struck by a bullet in the 
 forehead, fell in the breach, with his triumph as his 
 winding-sheet. A fact was then ascertained which had 
 hitherto been only vaguely suspected : El Alferez, the 
 daring and formidable partizan, was a woman. Gene- 
 ral Cos, his staif, and one thousand five hundred Mexi- 
 cans laid down their arms, and all filed, in the presence 
 of the handful of insurgents who had survived the 
 assaults and the corpse of their intrepid Chieftain, which 
 was clothed in feminine attire, and seated in a chair 
 covered with the flags taken from the vanquished. The 
 Mexicans left the territory of the New Republic, after 
 pledging their word of honour not to oppose the recog- 
 nition of independence. 
 
 Santa Anna received news of the defeat at Eejar while 
 stationed at San Luis de Potosi. Furious at the affront 
 the Mexican arms had received, the President, after 
 flying into a furious passion with the generals who had 
 hitherto directed the military operations, swore to 
 avenge the honour of Mexico, which was so disgrace- 
 fully compromised, and finally finish with these rebels 
 whom no one had yet been able to conquer. The Pre- 
 sident organized an army of six thousand men, a truly 
 formidable army, if we take into account the resources 
 of the country in which these events occurred. The 
 preparations, urged on by that vigour produced by 
 wounded pride and the hope of vengeance, were soon 
 completed, and Santa Anna entered Texas, after dividing 
 his army into three corps, under the orders of Filisola, 
 
274 THE WHITE SCALPEB. 
 
 Cos, TJrrea, and Garrey. After effecting his junction 
 with General Eubio, to whom he had sent an aide-de- 
 camp with orders to remain in his quarters and not risk 
 a battle before his arrival, an order which the General 
 received too late, the President determined to deal 
 a decisive blow by recapturing Bejar and seizing on 
 Goliad. 
 
 Bejar and Goliad are two Spanish towns ; roads run 
 from them to a common centre, the heart of the Anglo- 
 American settlements. The capture of these two towns, as 
 the basis of operations, was, consequently, of the highest 
 importance to the Mexicans. The Texans, weakened 
 and demoralized by their last defeat, were unable to 
 resist so formidable an invasion as the one with which 
 they saw themselves menaced. The Mexican army 
 carried on a true war of savages, passing like a flood 
 over this hapless country, plundering and burning the 
 towns. The two first months that followed Santa 
 Anna's arrival in Texas were an uninterrupted series of 
 successes for the Mexicans, and seemed to justify the 
 new method inaugurated by the President, however 
 barbarous and inhuman it might be in its results. The 
 Texans found themselves in ' a moment reduced to so 
 precarious a condition, that their ruin appeared to com- 
 petent men inevitable, and merely a question of time. 
 
 Let us describe, in a few words, the operations of the 
 Mexican army. Before resuming our narrative at the 
 point where we left it, we have said already that the 
 Mexican forces had been divided into three corps. Three 
 thousand men, that is to say, one moiety of the Mexican 
 army, commanded by Generals Santa Anna and Cos, 
 and well supplied with artillery, proceeded to lay siege 
 to Bejar. This town had only a feeble garrison of one 
 
A PAGE OF HISTORY. 275 
 
 hundred and eighty men, but this garrison was com- 
 manded by Colonel Travis, one of the greatest and 
 purest heroes of the War of Independence. When com- 
 pletely invested, Travis withdrew to the citadel, not 
 feeling at all alarmed by the numbers he had to fight. 
 He was summoned to surrender. 
 
 " Nonsense !" he answered with a smile ; "we will 
 all die, but your victory will cost you so dearly that a 
 defeat would be better for you." 
 
 And he loyally kept his word, resisting for a whole 
 fortnight with unexampled bravery, and incessantly ex- 
 horting his comrades. Thirty-two Texans managed to 
 throw themselves into the fort, after traversing the 
 entire Mexican army. 
 
 " We have come to die with you," the chief of this 
 heroic forlorn hope said to him. 
 
 " Thanks," was all the answer. 
 
 Santa Anna, whose strength had been more than 
 doubled during the siege, summoned Colonel Travis 
 for the last time, saying there would be madness in 
 risking an assault with a practicable breach. 
 
 " We will fill it up with our dead bodies," the Co- 
 lonel nobly answered. 
 
 The President ordered the assault, and the Texans 
 were killed to the last man. The Mexicans then en- 
 tered the citadel, not as conquerors, but with a secret 
 apprehension, and as if ashamed of their triumph. They 
 had lost fifteen hundred men.^ 
 
 " Oh !" Santa Anna exclaimed bitterly, " another 
 such victory and we are lost !" 
 
 So soon as Bejar was reduced, attention was turned 
 
 I>9iTqqD6 119W r>at> 
 
 * It was at tins marvellous siege, better known as that of the 
 Alamo, that Colonels Crockett and Bowie were killed. L. W. 
 
 T2 
 
276 THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 to Goliad. But here one of those facts occurred which 
 history is compelled to register, were it only to stigma- 
 tize and eternally brand the men who have been guilty- 
 Goliad is an open town, without walls or citadel to 
 arrest an enemy, and Colonel Eanni had abandoned it, 
 as he had only five hundred Texan Volunteers with 
 him. Compelled to leave his ammunition and baggage 
 behind, in order to effect his retreat with greater speed, 
 he was suddenly attacked on the prairie by General 
 Urrea's Mexican division, nineteen hundred strong. 
 Obeying their Colonel's orders, the Texans formed 
 square, and for a whole day endured the attack of the 
 foe without flinching. The Mexicans involuntarily 
 admiring the desperate heroism of these men, who had 
 no hope of salvation, implored them to surrender, while 
 offering them good and honourable conditions. The 
 Texans hesitated for a long time, for, as they did not 
 dare trust the word of their enemies, they preferred to 
 die. Still, when one hundred and forty Texans had 
 fallen, the Colonel resolved to lay down his arms, on 
 the condition that his soldiers and himself should be 
 regarded as prisoners of war, treated as such, and that 
 the American Volunteers should be embarked for the 
 "United States at the charges of the Mexican Govern- 
 ment. These conditions having been accepted by Gene- 
 ral Urrea, the Texans surrendered. 
 
 Santa Anna, who was still at Eejar, refused to ratify 
 the treaty ; and by his express orders, in spite of the 
 prayers and supplications of all his generals, he directed 
 the massacre of the prisoners. The three hundred and 
 fifty prisoners were murdered in cold blood, on a prairie 
 situated between Goliad and the sea. General Urrea^ 
 whom this infamous treason dishonoured, broke his 
 
THE BIVOUAC. 277 
 
 sword, weeping with rage. This horrible massacre was 
 the signal for a general upheaval, and all ran to arms ; 
 despair restored the energy of the Insurgents, and a 
 new army seemed to spring from the ground as if by 
 enchantment. General Houston was appointed Com- 
 mander-in-Chief, and on both sides preparations were 
 made for the supreme and decisive struggle. 
 
 CHAPTEK XX. 
 
 THE BIVOUAC. 
 
 As we have already said, Texas had reached a decisive 
 epoch : unfortunately, her future seemed as gloomy as 
 that of the conquered : in spite of the heroic efforts 
 attempted by the Insurgents, the rapid progress of the 
 invasion was watched with terror, and no possible 
 means of resistance could be seen. Still it was this 
 moment, when all appeared desperate, which the Conven- 
 tion, calm and moved by a love of liberty more ardent 
 than ever, selected to hurl a last and supreme defiance at 
 the invaders. *!N"ot allowing itself to be intimidated by 
 evil fortune, the convention replied to the menaces of 
 the conquerors by a statement of rights, and the de- 
 finitive declaration of the independence of a country 
 which was almost entirely occupied by, and in the 
 power of the Mexicans. It improvised a constitution, 
 created a provisional executive authority, decreed all 
 the measures of urgency which the gravity of circum- 
 stances demanded, and finally nominated General Sam 
 Houston Commander-in- Chief, with the most widely 
 extended powers. 
 
 Unhappily the Texan army no longer, existed, for its 
 
278 THE WHITE SCALPEK. 
 
 previous defeats had completely annihilated it. But 
 if military organization might be lacking, the enthu- 
 siasm was more ardent than ever. The Texans had 
 sworn to bury themselves under the smoking ruins of 
 their plundered towns and villages, sooner than return 
 beneath the detested yoke of their oppressors. And 
 this oath they were not only prepared to keep, but had 
 already kept at Eejar and Goliad : however low a people 
 may appear, and is really in the sight of its tyrants, 
 when all its acting strength is concentrated in the firm, 
 and immutable will, to live free or die, it is certain to 
 recover from its defeats, and to rise again one day a 
 conqueror, and regenerated by the blood of the martyrs 
 who have succumbed in the supreme struggle of liberty 
 against slavery. 
 
 General Houston had scarce been appointed ere he 
 prepared to obey, and he reached the banks of the 
 Guadalupe three days after the capture of the Alamo- 
 The Texan troops amounted to three hundred men, badly 
 armed, badly clothed, almost dying of hunger, but 
 burning to take their revenge. General Houston was a 
 stern and sincere patriot ; his name is revered in Texas, 
 like that of Washington in the United States, or of La- 
 fayette in France. Houston was a precursor, or one of 
 those geniuses whom it pleases GOD to create when He 
 desires to render a people free. At the sight of this 
 army of three hundred men, Houston was not discou- 
 raged; on the contrary, he felt his enthusiasm redoubled, 
 the heroic relics of the ten thousand victims who had 
 succumbed since the beginning of the war had not 
 despaired of the salvation of their country": like their 
 predecessors, they were ready to die for her. It was a 
 sacred phalanx with which he would achieve miracles. 
 
THE BIVOT7AC. 279 
 
 Still, it was not with these three hundred men, how- 
 ever brave and resolute they might he, that General 
 Houston could entertain a hope of defeating the Mex- 
 icans, who, rendered presumptuous by their past suc- 
 cesses, eagerly sought the opportunity to ^finish once for 
 all with the Insurgents, by crushing the last relics of 
 their army. General Houston, before risking an action 
 on which the fate of his new country would doubtless 
 depend, resolved to form an army once more ; for this 
 purpose, instead of marching on the enemy, he fell back 
 on the Colorado, and thence on the Brazos, burning and 
 destroying everything in his passage, in order to starve 
 the Mexicans out. 
 
 These clever tactics obtained all the success the 
 General expected from them ; for a very simple reason : 
 as he fell back on the Mexican frontier, his army was 
 daily augmented by fresh recruits, who, on the report of 
 his approach, left their houses or farms to enlist under 
 his banner; while the contrary happened to the Mexi- 
 cans, who at each march they made in pursuit of the 
 Insurgents, left a few laggards behind, who by so much 
 diminished their strength. 
 
 The Texan General had a powerful motive for falling 
 back on the American frontier ; he hoped to obtain some 
 help from General Gaines, who, by the order of Presi- 
 dent Jackson, had advanced on Texan territory as far as 
 the town of Nagogdoches. Such was the state of affairs 
 between Houston and Santa Anna, the one retreating, 
 the other continually advancing; though ere long they 
 must meet face to face, in a battle which would decide 
 the great question of a nation's emancipation or servi- 
 tude. 
 
 On the day when we resume our narrative it was 
 
280 THE WHITE SCALPEE. 
 
 about eight in the evening, the heat had been stifling 
 throughout the day, and although night had fallen long 
 before, this heat, far from diminishing, had but in- 
 creased ; there was not a breath of air, the atmosphere 
 was oppressive, and low lightning-laden clouds rolled 
 heavily athwart the sky ; all, in fact, foreboded a storm. 
 
 On the banks of a rather wide stream, whose yellow- 
 ish and turbid waters flowed mournfully between banks 
 clothed with cotton- wood trees, the bivouac fires of a 
 small detachment of cavalry might be seen glistening 
 like stars in the darkness. This stream was a confluent 
 of the Colorado, and the men encamped on its banks 
 were Texans. They were but twenty-five in number, 
 and composed the entire cavalry of the Army of Inde- 
 pendence : they were commanded by the Jaguar. 
 
 While the horsemen were sadly crouching over the 
 fires, not far from which their horses were hobbled, and 
 conversing in a low voice ; their Chief, who had retired 
 to a jacal made of branches and lighted by a smoky 
 candil, was sitting on an equipal with his back 
 leant against a tree trunk, with his arms folded on his 
 chest and gazing at vacancy. The Jaguar was no longer 
 the young and ardent man we introduced to our readers ; 
 his face was pale, his features contracted, and eyes blood- 
 shot with fever, and, though faith still dwelt in his heart, 
 hope was dead. 
 
 The truth was that death had begun to make fright- 
 ful gaps around him ; his dearest friends, the most de- 
 voted supporters of the cause he defended, had fallen one 
 after the other in this implacable struggle. El Alferez, 
 Captain Johnson, Eamirez, Pray Antonio, were lying 
 in their bloody graves ; of others he received no news, 
 nor knew what had become of them ; he therefore stood 
 
THE BIVOUAC. 281 
 
 alone, like an oak bowed by the wind and beaten by the 
 storm, resisting intrepidly, but foreseeing his approach- 
 ing fall. 
 
 General Houston, in his calculated retreat, had con- 
 fided the command of the rear guard, that is to say, the 
 most honourable and dangerous post, to the Jaguar ; a 
 post he had accepted with gloomy joy, as he felt sure 
 that he would fall gloriously, while watching over the 
 safety of all. 
 
 In the meantime the night became blacker and 
 blacker, the horizon more menacing ; a white and sharp 
 rain began piercing the grey fog ; the storm was rapidly 
 approaching, and must soon burst forth. The soldiers 
 watched with terror the progress of the storm, and in- 
 stinctively sought shelter against this convulsion of 
 nature, which was far more terrible than the other dan- 
 gers which menaced them. For no one, who has not 
 witnessed it, can form even a remote idea of an Ame- 
 rican hurricane, which twists trees like wisps of straw, 
 fires forests, levels mountains, drives streams from their 
 bed, and in a few hours convulses the surface of the 
 soil. 
 
 Suddenly a dazzling flash furrowed the darkness, and 
 a crashing burst of thunder broke the majestic silence 
 that brooded over the landscape. At the same instant 
 the sentry stationed a few paces in front of the bivouac 
 challenged. The Jaguar sprang up as if he had re- 
 ceived an electric shock, and bounding forward, as he 
 mechanically seized the weapons lying within reach, 
 listened. The dull sound of horses' hoofs could be 
 heard on the soddened ground. 
 
 "Who's there r" the sentry challenged a second time. 
 
 " Friends, " a voice replied. 
 
282 THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 " Texas." 
 
 The Jaguar emerged from the jacal. 
 
 " To arms !" he shouted to his men, " we must not 
 let ourselves be surprised. 
 
 " Come, come," the voice continued, " I see that I 
 have not diverged from the track, since I can hear the 
 Jaguar." 
 
 " Halloh !" the latter said in surprise, " who are you, 
 that you know me so well ?" 
 
 "By Jove ! a friend whose voice should be familiar 
 to you, at any rate." 
 
 " John Davis !" the young man exclaimed with a joy 
 he did not attempt to conceal. 
 
 "All right!' 7 the American continued gaily. "I 
 thought that we should understand one another pre- 
 sently." 
 
 " Come, come ; let him pass, men, he is a friend." 
 
 Five or six horsemen entered the camp and dis- 
 mounted. 
 
 At this moment the storm burst forth furiously, pass- 
 ing like a whirlwind over the plain, the twisted trees 
 on which were in a second uprooted and borne away by 
 the hurricane. The Texans had made their horses lie 
 down, and were themselves lying down by their side on 
 the wet soil, in the hope of offering a smaller surface to 
 the gusts that passed with a mournful howl above their 
 heads. It was a spectacle full of wild grandeur, pre- 
 sented by this ravaged plain, incessantly crossed by 
 flashes- which illuminated the landscape with fantastic 
 hues, while the thunder rolled hoarsely in the depths of 
 the Heavens, and the clouds scudded along like a routed 
 army, dashing against each other with electric collisions. 
 
THE BIVOTTAC. 283 
 
 For nearly three hours the hurricane raged, levelling 
 everything in its passage ; at length, at about one in 
 the morning, the rain became less dense, the wind gra- 
 dually calmed, the thunder rolled at longer intervals, 
 and the sky, swept clean by a final effort of the tempest, 
 appeared again blue and star-spangled ; the hurricane 
 had gone away to vent its fury in other regions. The 
 men and horses rose ; all breathed again, and tried to re- 
 store a little order in the camp. This was no easy 
 task, for the jacal had been carried away, the fires ex- 
 tinguished, and the logs dispersed iu all directions ; but 
 the Texans were tried men, long accustomed to the 
 dangers and fatigues of desert life. The tempest, in- 
 stead of crushing them, had, on the contrary, restored 
 their strength and patience, though not their courage, 
 for that had never failed them. 
 
 They set gaily to work, and in two hours all the in- 
 jury caused by the tempest was repaired as well as the 
 precarious resources they had at their disposal per- 
 mitted ; the fires were lighted again, and the jacal re- 
 constructed. Any stranger who had entered the camp 
 at this moment would not have supposed that so short 
 a time previously they had been assailed by so fearful a 
 hurricane. The Jaguar was anxious to talk with John 
 Davis, whom he had only seen since his arrival, and 
 had found it impossible to exchange a syllable. When 
 order was restored, therefore, he went up to him and 
 begged him to enter the jacal. 
 
 " Permit me," the American said, " to bring with me 
 three of my comrades whom I am convinced you will 
 be delighted to meet." 
 
 " Do so," the Jaguar answered ; " who are they :" 
 
 " I will not deprive you," Davis said, with a smile, 
 " of the pleasure of recognizing them yourself." 
 
284 THE WHITE SCALPEK/ 
 
 The young Chief did not press the matter, for he 
 knew the ex slave-dealer too well not to place the most 
 perfect confidence in him. A. few minutes later, ac- 
 cording to his promise, Davis entered the jacal with his 
 comrades ; the Jaguar gave a start of joy at seeing them, 
 and quickly walked up to offer his hand. These three 
 men were Lanzi, Quoniam, and Black-deer. 
 
 "Oh, oh!" he exclaimed, "here you are, then. 
 Heaven be praised ! I did not dare hope for your re- 
 turn." 
 
 " Why not :" Lanzi asked ; " as we are still alive, 
 thanks to GOD ! you ought to have expected us.'* 
 
 " So many things have happened since our parting, 
 so many misfortunes have assailed us, so many of our 
 friends have fallen not to rise again, that, on receiving 
 no news of you, I trembled at the thought that you 
 might also be dead." 
 
 "You know, my friend," the American said, "that 
 we have been absent a very long time, and are conse- 
 quently quite ignorant of what has happened since our 
 departure." 
 
 " Well, I will tell you all. But first one word." ] 
 
 " Speak." 
 
 "Where is Tranquil?" 
 
 " Only a few leagues from here, and you will soon 
 see him ; he sent me forward, indeed, to warn you of 
 his speedy arrival." 
 
 " Thanks," the young man replied, pensively. 
 
 " Is that all you desire to know ?" 
 
 " Nearly so, for of course you have received no news 
 of r" 
 
 " News of whom ?" the American asked, seeing that 
 the Jaguar hesitated. 
 
THE BIVOUAC. 285 
 
 "Of Carmela?" he at length said, with a tremendous 
 effort. 
 
 " Of Carmela ?" John Davis exclaimed, in surprize : 
 " how could we have received any news ? Tranquil, 
 on the contrary, hopes to hear some from you." 
 
 "From me?" 
 
 " Hang it ! you must know better than any of us 
 how the dear child is." 
 
 "I do not understand you." 
 
 " And yet it is very clear. I will not remind you in 
 what way we succeeded, after the capture of the Larch- 
 tree, in saving the poor girl from that villain who car- 
 ried her off ; I will merely remind you that on the very 
 day when Tranquil and I, by your express orders, 
 started to join Loyal Heart, the maiden was confided 
 in your presence to Captain Johnson, who would convey 
 her to the house of a respectable lady at Galveston, who 
 was willing to offer her a shelter." 
 
 "Well?" 
 
 " What do you mean by, well ?" 
 
 "Yes, I knew all that, so it was useless to tell it me. 
 What I ask you is, whether, since Carmela went to, 
 Galveston, you have received any news of her ?" 
 
 " Why, it is impossible, my friend ; how could we 
 have received any ? Eemember that we proceeded to 
 the desert." 
 
 ".That is true," the young man replied, disconso- 
 lately; "I am mad. Forgive me." 
 
 "What is the matter? why this pallor, my friend, 
 this restlessness I see in your eyes ?" 
 
 " Ah !" he said, with a sigh, " it is because I have 
 received news of Carmela, if you have not." 
 
 "You, mv friend?" 
 
286 THE WHITE SCALPEB. 
 
 "Yes, I." 
 
 "A long time ago, I presume?" 
 
 "Xo yesterday evening," he said, with a bitter 
 smile. 
 
 " I do not at all understand you." 
 
 " Well, listen to me. What I am going to tell you 
 is not long, but it is important, I promise you." 
 
 " I am listening." 
 
 " We form, as you are doubtless aware, the extreme 
 rear guard of the Army of Liberation." 
 
 " Yes, I know that, and it helped me in finding your 
 trail." 
 
 "Very good; hence hardly a day passes in which we 
 do not exchange musket-shots and sabre-cuts with the 
 Mexicans." 
 
 " Go on." 
 
 (t Yesterday you see it is not stale we were sud- 
 denly charged by forty Mexican Horse; it was about three 
 in the afternoon, when General Houston was crossing 
 the river with the main body. We had orders to offer 
 a desperate resistance, in order to protect the retreat. 
 This order was needless ; at the sight of the Mexicans 
 we rushed madly upon them, and the action at once 
 commenced. After a few minutes' fighting the Mexicans 
 gave way, and finally fled, leaving three or four dead on 
 the battle-field. Too weak to pursue the enemy, I had 
 given my soldiers orders to return, and was myself pre- 
 paring to do the same, when two flying Mexicans, in- 
 stead of continuing their flight, stopped, and fastening 
 their handkerchiefs to their sabre-blades, made me a 
 signal that they desired to parley. I approached the 
 two men, who bore a greater likeness to bandits than to 
 soldiers ; and one of them, a man of tall stature and 
 
* THE BIVOUAC. 287 
 
 furious looks, said to me at once, when I asked them 
 what they wanted 
 
 " ( To do you a service, if you are, as I suppose, the 
 Jaguar/ 
 
 "'Yes, I am he/ I answered, 'but what is your 
 name ? who are you ?' 
 
 '" It is of little consequence who I am, provided that 
 my intentions are good.' 
 
 " ' Still, I must know them/ 
 
 " ' Hum ! he said, ' you are very distrustful, Comi- 
 rado/ 
 
 " ' Come, Sandoval, 5 the other horseman said, in a 
 voice gentle as a woman's, as he suddenly joined in the 
 conversation, ' do not beat about thus, but finish your 
 business/ 
 
 " ' I ask nothing better than to finish/ he replied, 
 coarsely ; 'it is this gentleman who compels me to 
 swerve, when I wished to go straight a-head/ 
 
 "The second rider, shrugged his shoulders with a 
 disdainful smile, and turned to me. 
 
 '"In a word, Caballero, here is a paper, which a 
 person, in whom you take great interest, requested us to 
 deliver to you/ 
 
 "I eagerly seized the paper, and prepared to open it, 
 for a secret foreboding warned me of misfortune. 
 
 " ' No/ the Mexican continued eagerly arresting my 
 hand, ' wait till you have joined your men again, to 
 read that letter/ 
 
 " ' I consent/ I said, s but I presume you do not in- 
 tend to do me a gratuitous service, whatever its nature 
 may be ?' 
 "'Why so?' 
 
 " ' Because you do not know me, and the interest 
 you take in me must be very slight/ 
 
288 THE "WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 " ' Perhaps so,' the rider answered ; ' still, pledge 
 yourself to nothing, I warn you, till you know the 
 contents of that letter.' 
 
 " Then he made a signal to his comrade, and after 
 bowing slightly, they started at a gallop, and left me 
 considerably embarrassed at the way in which this sin- 
 gular interview had ended, and twisting in my fingers 
 the letter I did not dare open." 
 
 "Well," the American muttered, " what did you, so 
 soon as the men left you alone ?" 
 
 " I looked after them a long time, and then, suddenly 
 recalled to my duty by several carbine shots whose bul- 
 lets whizzed past my ears, I bent down over my horse's 
 neck and regained the bivouac at full gallop. On arriv- 
 ing, I opened theletter, for I was burning with impatience 
 and curiosity." 
 
 "And it was?" 
 
 "From Carmela." 
 
 " Ey Heavens !" the American said, as he slapped his 
 thigh; " I would have wagered it." 
 
 CHAPTER XXL 
 
 SANDOVAL. 
 
 "YES," the Jaguar continued presently in a broken 
 voice ; " this letter was entirely in Carmela's handwrit- 
 ing. "Would you like to know the contents ?" 
 
 The American looked around him. 
 
 " Well, what matter ?" the Jaguar exclaimed with 
 some violence ; "are not these brave lads our friends, 
 faithful and devoted friends ? why keep secret from 
 them a thing I should be forced to tell them, perhaps 
 to-morrow ?" 
 
SANDOVAL. 289 
 
 John Davis bowed. 
 
 " You did not understand my thought," he said. " I 
 am not afraid about them, but of those who may be 
 possibly listening outside." 
 
 The young man shook his head. 
 
 "No, no," he said, "fear nothing, John Davis, my 
 old friend; no one is listening to us." 
 
 " Eead the letter in that case, for I am anxious to 
 know its contents." 
 
 Although the dawn was beginning to tinge the horizon 
 with all the prismatic colours, the light was not sufficient 
 yet for it to be possible to read by it. Lanzi, therefore, 
 seized the candil, whose smoky wick smouldered without 
 spreading any great light, snuffed it intrepidly with his 
 fingers, and held it in a line with the Jaguar's face. 
 The latter, after a moment's hesitation, drew from the 
 pocket of his velvet jacket a dirty and crumpled piece 
 of paper, unfolded it, and read : 
 
 " To the Chief of the Texan Freebooters, surnamed the 
 Jaguar. 
 
 " If you really take that interest in me you have so 
 often offered to prove to me, save me, save the daughter 
 of your friend ! Having left Galveston to go in search 
 of my father, I have fallen into the hands of my most 
 cruel enemy. I have only hope in two men in this 
 world, yourself and Colonel Melendez. My father is 
 too far for me to be allowed to hope effectual assistance 
 from him. And besides, his life is too precious to me 
 for me to consent to him risking it. Whatever may 
 happen, I trust in you as in GOD ; will you fail me ? 
 The disconsolate CAEMELA." 
 
 " Hum !" the American muttered ; " is that all ?" 
 
 u 
 
290 THE WHITE SCALPEK. 
 
 "Xo," the young man answered, " there is a second 
 note written below the first." 
 
 "Ah, ah! by Carmela?" 
 
 "So." 
 
 "By whom, then?" 
 
 " I do not know, for it is not signed." 
 
 " And do you suspect nobody ?" 
 
 " Perhaps I do but before telling you whom I sus- 
 pect, I had better read you the second letter." 
 
 " For what reason ?" 
 
 " In order to know whether you share in my sus- 
 picions, and if they corroborate mine." 
 
 " Good, I understand you. Read !" 
 
 The Jaguar took up the paper again and read : 
 
 " This letter, written in duplicate, is addressed by 
 Dona Carmela to two persons, Senor El Jaguar and Co- 
 lonel Melendez ; but the second copy has not yet been 
 delivered, as I am awaiting the Jaguar's answer ere 
 doing so. It depends on him not only to save a young 
 lady, interesting in every respect, but also, if he will, 
 to secure the triumph of the cause for which he is com- 
 bating so valiantly. For this purpose, he has only an 
 easy thing to do : he will proceed, between eight and 
 nine o'clock in the morning, to the Cueva del Yenado : 
 a man will issue from the grotto, and tell him on what 
 conditions he consents to aid him in this double enter- 
 prize." 
 
 The Jaguar folded up the paper, and placed it in his 
 jacket pocket. 
 
 " Is that all ?" the American asked a second 
 time. 
 
 " This time, yes, it is all," the young man answered ; 
 " now what do you think of this epistle:'* 
 
SANDOVAL. 291 
 
 "Why, I think -that the man who wrote it is the 
 same who handed you the letter." 
 
 " We are agreed, for I think so too. And what, in 
 your opinion, ought I to do ?" 
 
 " Ah, that is a more difficult question than the first J 
 the case is serious." 
 
 " Eemember that it concerns Carmela." 
 
 " I am well aware of it. Eut reflect that this ren- 
 dezvous may conceal a snare." 
 
 " .For what object ?" 
 
 " Why, to seize you." 
 
 "Well, and what then?" 
 
 " What do you mean ?" 
 
 " Why, supposing that it is a trap, what will be the 
 result of it ?" 
 
 " In the first place that you will be a prisoner, and 
 Texas be deprived of one of her most devoted defenders. 
 In short, in your place I would not go , that is my brief 
 and candid opinion. And," turning to his auditors, who 
 had remained silent and motionless since their entrance, 
 he asked them, " and you, Senores, what do you think 
 of it?" 
 
 " It would be madness for the Jaguar to trust a man 
 he does not know, and whose intentions may be bad," 
 said Lanzi. 
 
 " He must remain here/' Quoniarn backed his friend 
 up. 
 
 " The antelope is the wildest of animals, and yet its 
 instinct makes it escape the hunters," the Comanche 
 Chief said sententiously ; " my brother will remain with 
 his friends." 
 
 The Jaguar walked up and down the jacal with visi- 
 
 u 2 
 
292 THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 ble annoyance and febrile impatience, while each thus 
 gave his opinion. 
 
 " No," he said, with some violence, as he suddenly 
 stopped ; "no, I will not abandon Dona Carmela when 
 she claims my assistance, for it would be an act of 
 cowardice, which I will not commit, whatever the con- 
 sequences may be : I will go to the Cueva del Venado." 
 
 "You will reflect, my friend," John Davis remarked. 
 
 " My reflections are all made ; I will save Dona Car- 
 mela, even at the risk of my life/' 
 
 " You will not do that, my friend," the American 
 continued gently. 
 
 " Why shall I not ?" 
 
 "Because honour forbids you; because, besides the 
 heart, there is duty ; besides private feelings, public in- 
 terests. Stationed at the rear-guard, you are responsible 
 for the safety of the army ; and if you are killed or made 
 prisoner, the army is perhaps lost, or, at any rate, in dan- 
 ger; tbat is why you will not do so, my friend." 
 
 The Jaguar let his head droop and sank quite crushed 
 into an equipal. 
 
 " "What is to be done ; my God ! what is to be done r" 
 he murmured in despair. 
 
 " Hope !" John Davis answered. And, making a 
 signal to his friends which the latter understood, for they 
 immediately rose and left the hut, he continued : 
 
 " Jaguar, my friend, my brother, is il for me to re- 
 store your courage you, a man with a lion's heart, and 
 so strong in battle ; whom adversity has never forced to 
 bow his head ? Do you dare to place your love for a 
 woman and your devotion to the country on the same 
 level ? Do you dare to lament your lost love, Carmela, 
 a prisoner, or even dead, when your native land is sue- 
 
SANDOVAL. 293 
 
 cumbing beneath the repeated blows of its oppressors ? 
 Do you forget that if you grow weak, or even hesitate 
 to accomplish your glorious sacrifice, to-morrow, per- 
 haps, that country, which is so dear to you for so 
 many reasons which has shed its best and most 
 precious blood in a hopeless struggle, will be buried 
 eternally, by your fault, beneath the corpses of the last 
 of its children ? Brother, brother, the hour is supreme ; 
 we must conquer or die for the salvation of all. The 
 general welfare must put down all paltry or selfish pas- 
 sions. To hesitate is to act as a traitor. Up, brother, 
 and do not dishonour yourself by a cowardly weak- 
 ness !" 
 
 The young man started up as if a serpent had stung 
 him on hearing these harsh words ; but he suddenly 
 subdued the wild flash of his eye, while a sad smile 
 covered his handsome face like a winding sheet. 
 
 " Thanks, brother/* he replied, as he seized John 
 Davis's hand, and pressed it convulsively; "thanks 
 for having reminded me of my duty. I will die at my 
 post." 
 
 (i Ah, I find you again at length," the American ex- 
 claimed joyfully. " I felt certain that your heart would 
 not remain deaf to the call of duty, and that you would 
 carry out your glorious sacrifice to the end." 
 
 The young man heaved a deep sigh ; but he did not 
 feel within him the strength to respond to the praise 
 which in his heart he knew he did not deserve. At 
 this moment the clang of arms and the sound of horses 
 was audible without. 
 
 " What is the matter now r" the Jaguar asked. 
 
 "I do not know," the American answered; "but I 
 fancy that we shall soon be informed." 
 
294 THE WHITE SCALPEK. 
 
 In fact, the sentry had challenged ; and, after an ap- 
 parently satisfactorj 1 - reply, a horseman entered the 
 camp. 
 
 " A nag of truce," Lanzi said, appearing in the door- 
 way of the jacal. 
 
 " A flag of truce !" the Jaguar repeated, giving John 
 Davis a glance of surprise. 
 
 " Perhaps it is the help you expect from heaven, and 
 which has been sent you," the American answered. 
 
 The young man smiled incredulously, but turned to 
 Lanzi and said, 
 
 "Let him enter." 
 
 " Come, senor," said the half-breed, addressing a per- 
 son who was still invisible ; " the Commandant is ready 
 to receive you." 
 
 Lanzi fell back, and made room for an individual who 
 at once entered. The Jaguar started on recognising him. 
 It was Sandoval, who had delivered him the letter on 
 the previous day. The Pirate Chief bowed politely ta 
 the two persons in whose presence he found himself. 
 
 " You are surprised to see me, I think, Caballeros," 
 he said, with a smile to the Jaguar. 
 
 "I confess it," the latter said, with a bow no less 
 polite than the one made to him. 
 
 "The matter is clear enough, however. I like a 
 plain and distinct understanding. In the letter I de- 
 livered to you myself yesterday, I gave you the meeting 
 at the Cueva del Yen ado, to discuss grave matters, as 
 you will remember." 
 
 " I allow it." 
 
 " But," Sandoval continued, with the calmness and 
 intrepid coolness that characterised him, " we had hardly 
 separated ere I made a reflection." 
 
SANDOVAL. 295 
 
 " Ah ! and would it be indiscreet to ask its nature ?" 
 
 " Not at all. I reflected that, under the circum- 
 stances, regarding the position in which we stand to 
 each other, and as I had not the honour of your acquaint- 
 ance, it might possibly happen that you would place in 
 me all the confidence I deserve, and that you might leave 
 me to kick my heels in the grotto." 
 
 The two insurgents exchanged a smiling glance, which 
 Sandoval intercepted. 
 
 " Ah, ah !" he said, with a laugh ; "it appears that I 
 guessed right. In short, as I repeat that we have 
 serious matters to discuss, I resolved to come direct to 
 you, and so cut this difficulty." 
 
 " You did well, and I thank you for it." 
 
 "It is not worth while, for I am working as much 
 for myself as for you in this business." 
 
 "Be it so; but that does not render your conduct 
 less honourable. Then you are not a flag of truce ?" 
 
 " I ; not a bit in the world. It was merely a title I 
 thought it better to assume, in order to find my way to 
 you more easily." 
 
 "No matter; so long as you remain with us you 
 shall be treated as such, so do not feel alarmed." 
 
 "I alarmed! about what, pray? Am I not under 
 the safeguard of your honour?" 
 
 " Thanks for the good opinion you are kind enough 
 to have of me, and I will justify it. Now, if you think 
 proper, we will come to the point.'' 
 
 " I ask nothing better," Sandoval answered, with 
 some hesitation, and looking dubiously at the American. 
 
 " This caballero is my intimate friend," the Jaguar 
 said, understanding his meaning ; " you can. speak 
 frankly before him." 
 
296 THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 " Hum !" said Sandoval, with a toss of the head. 
 " My mother, who was a holy woman, repeated to me 
 frequently, that when two are enough to settle a matter, 
 it is useless to call in a third." 
 
 " Your mother was right, my fine fellow," John 
 Davis said, with a laugh ; " and since you are so un- 
 willing to have me as an auditor, I will retire." 
 
 " It is perfectly indifferent to me whether you hear 
 me or not," Sandoval said, carelessly; "I only said so 
 for the sake of the Senor, who may not wish a third 
 party to hear what I have to say." 
 
 " If that be really your sole motive," the Jaguar con- 
 tinued, " you can speak, for I repeat to you I have no 
 secrets from this Caballero." 
 
 " All right then," said Sandoval. 
 
 He seated himself on an equipal, rolled a husk cigar- 
 ette, lit it by the candil, whose light had become quite 
 unnecessary, owing to the daylight becoming each mo- 
 ment brighter, and then turned easily to his two hearers. 
 
 " Senores," he said, puffing out a large quantity of 
 smoke from his mouth and his nostrils, "it is as well 
 for you to know that I am the recognised Chief of a 
 numerous and brave band of banished men, or prescripts, 
 whichever you may call them, whom the so-called 
 honest townsfolk fancied they branded by calling them 
 skimmers of the Savannah, or pirates of the prairies, 
 both of which titles are equally false." 
 
 At this strange revelation, made with such cool 
 cynicism, the two men gave a start and regarded each 
 other with considerable surprise. The pirate watched 
 this double movement, and probably satisfied mentally 
 by the effect he had produced, he continued : 
 
 " I have reasons that you should know my social posi- 
 
SANDOVAL. 297 
 
 tion," he said, " for you to understand what is going to 
 follow." 
 
 " Good/' John Davis interrupted; " but what motive 
 urged you to take the present step ?" 
 
 " Two important reasons," Sandoval answered, dis- 
 tinctly ; " the first is, that I wish to avenge myself; the 
 second, the desire of gaining a large sum of money by 
 selling you in the first battle, for the highest price I can 
 obtain, the co-operation of the cuadrilla I have the 
 honour to command, a cuadrilla composed of thirty well 
 armed and famously mounted men." 
 
 " ISTow go on, but be brief, for time presses." 
 
 "Do not be frightened, I am not fond of chattering; 
 how much do you offer me for my cuadrilla ?" 
 
 " I cannot personally make a bargain with you," the 
 Jaguar said ; " I must refer the matter to the General 
 in Chief." 
 
 " That is perfectly true." 
 
 " Still, you can tell me the price you ask ; I will sub- 
 mit it to the General and he will decide." 
 
 " Yery good ; you will give me fifty thousand piastres,* 
 half down, the rest after the battle is won. You see that 
 I am not exorbitant in my demands." 
 
 "Your price is reasonable; but how can we com- 
 municate ?" 
 
 " Nothing is easier ; when you desire to speak to me 
 you will fasten red pendants to the lances of your cavalry, 
 and I will do the same when I have any important com- 
 munication to make to you." 
 
 " That is settled ; now for the other matter." 
 
 " It is this : one day a monk of the name of Eray 
 Antonio sent me a wounded man." 
 * About 10,000. 
 
298 THE WHITE SCALPEK- 
 
 " The White Scalper ?" John Davis exclaimed. 
 
 " Do you know him ?" the pirate asked. 
 
 "Yes, but go on." 
 
 " He is a pretty scamp, I think ?" 
 
 " I am quite of your opinion." 
 
 " Well, I greeted him as a brother and gave him the 
 best I had ; do you know what he did ?" 
 
 " On my word, I do not." 
 
 " He tried to debauch my comrades and supplant me." 
 
 " Oh, oh ! that was rather strong." 
 
 "Was it not? Fortunately I was watching, and 
 managed to parry the blow ; about this time General 
 Santa Anna offered to engage us as a Free Corps." 
 
 " Oh !" the Jaguar uttered, in disgust. 
 
 "It was not very tempting," the pirate continued, 
 being mistaken in the young man's exclamation, " but 
 I had an idea." 
 
 "What was it?" 
 
 " The one I had the honour of explaining to you a 
 moment back." 
 
 " Ah ! very good." 
 
 "Hence, I selected thirty resolute men from my band 
 and started to join the Mexican army ; of course, you 
 understand, I was paid." 
 
 " Of course, nothing could be more fair." 
 
 " I was careful to bring this demon of a man with me, 
 for you can understand that I did not care to leave him 
 behind." 
 
 " I should think so." 
 
 " We went on very quietly till a day or two back, 
 when, in beating up the country, I captured a girl, who, 
 only escorted by three men, who fled like cowards at 
 the first shot, was trying to join the Texan army." 
 
SAKDOYAL. 299 
 
 "Poor Carmela !" the Jaguar murmured. 
 
 " Do not pity her, but rejoice, on the contrary, that 
 she fell into my hands ; who knows what might have 
 happened with any one else ?" 
 
 " That is true, go on." 
 
 " I was willing enough to let the poor girl continue 
 her journey, but the Scalper opposed it. It seemed 
 that he knew her, for on seeing her he exclaimed ' Oh, 
 oh ! this time she shall not escape me ;' is that clear, 
 eh ?" 
 
 The two men bowed their assent. 
 
 " However, the prisoner was mine, as I had captured 
 her. 7 ' 
 
 " Ah !" said the Jaguar, with a sigh of relief. 
 
 " Yes, and I would not consent to surrender her to 
 the Scalper at any price." 
 
 " Good, very good ! you are a worthy man." 
 
 The pirate smiled modestly. 
 
 " Yes," he said, "I am all right, but my comrade, 
 seeing that I would not give up the girl to him, offered 
 me a bargain." 
 
 "What was its nature ?" 
 
 "To give me twenty-five gold onzas, on condition 
 that I never restored my prisoner to liberty." 
 
 " And did you accept ?" the Jaguar asked, eagerly. 
 
 "Hacgit! business is business, and twenty ounces 
 are a tidy sum." 
 
 " Yillain !" the young man exclaimed, as he rose 
 furiously. 
 
 John Davis restrained him, and made him sit down 
 again. 
 
 " Patience," he said. 
 
 " Hum !" Sandoval muttered, " you are deucedly 
 
300 THE WHITE SCALPEE. 
 
 quick ; I allow that I promised not to set her at liberty, 
 hut not to prevent her flight ; did I not tell you that I 
 was a man of ideas ?" 
 
 " That is true." 
 
 " The girl interested me, she wept. It is very 
 foolish, hut I do not like to see women cry since the 
 
 day when hut that is not the point," he caught 
 
 himself up " she told me her name and story ; I was 
 affected in spite of myself, and the more so, as I saw a 
 prospect of taking my revenge." 
 
 " Then you propose to me to carry her off?" 
 
 " That's the very thing." 
 
 " How much do you want for that ?" 
 
 " Nothing," the Pirate answered with a magnificent 
 gesture of disinterestedness. 
 
 " How, nothing ?" 
 
 " Dear me, no." 
 
 " That is impossible." 
 
 "It is so, however, though I will propose two con- 
 ditions." . 
 
 " Ah ! ah ! there we have it." 
 
 The pirate smiled in reply. 
 
 "Let us hear them," the young man continued. 
 
 " In order not to compromise myself unnecessarily, 
 you will carry off the girl during the first battle, when 
 I come over to your side. Do not be frightened, it will 
 not be long first, if I may believe certain forebodings." 
 
 " Good, that is granted. Now for the second." 
 
 "The second is, that you swear to free me from the 
 White Scalper, and kill him, no matter in what way." 
 
 "Done again I swear it. But now permit me one 
 question." 
 
 "Out with it." 
 
LOYAL HEART'S HISTORY. 301 
 
 " How is it that as you hate this man so deeply, you 
 have not killed him yourself, as there could have been 
 no lack of opportunity ?" 
 
 " Certainly not, I could have done it a hundred 
 times." 
 
 " Well, why did you not do it ?" 
 
 " Are you desirous of knowing ? v 
 
 "Yes." 
 
 " Well, it was because the man has been my guest 
 and slept under my roof by my side, eaten and drank at 
 my table ; but what it is not permitted me to do, others 
 can do in my place. But now good bye, Senores, when 
 will you give me a definite answer ?" 
 
 " This very evening ; I shall have seen the General 
 in a few hours." 
 
 "This evening, then*" 
 
 And bowing politely to the two men, he quietly left 
 the jacal, mounted his horse, and set out at a gallop ? 
 leaviDg the two men terrified at his imperturbable 
 effrontery and profound perversity. 
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 LOYAL HEART'S HISTORY. 
 
 AFTER the scene of torture we described a few chapters 
 back, Loyal Heart returned to his rancho with his 
 friends, Tranquil, Lanzi, and the faithful Quoniam. 
 Eray Antonio had left the village the same morning to 
 convey to the Jaguar the news of the good reception 
 given his companions by the Comanches. The Whites 
 sat down sorrowfully on equipals, and remained silent 
 
302 THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 for some minutes. The horrible tortures inflicted on 
 Eunning Elk had affected them more than they liked to 
 say. In fact, it was a frightful and repulsive spectacle 
 for men accustomed to fight their enemies bravely, and, 
 when the battle was over, help the wounded without 
 distinction of victors or vanquished. 
 
 " Hum !" Quoniam muttered, " the Red race is a 
 brutal race." 
 
 " All races are the same," Tranquil answered > " when 
 abandoned without restraint to the violence of their 
 passions." 
 
 "The Whites are men more cruel than the Red- 
 skins," Loyal Heart observed, " because they act with 
 discernment." 
 
 "That is true," John Davis struck in, "but that 
 does not prevent the scene we have just witnessed being 
 a horrible one." 
 
 "Yes," said Tranquil, "horrible is the word." 
 
 " Come," Loyal Heart remarked, for the purpose of 
 changing the conversation, " did you not tell me, my 
 friend, that you were entrusted with a message for me ? 
 I fancy tbe moment has arrived for an explanation." 
 
 "In truth, I have delayed too long in delivering it; 
 besides, if my presentiments do not greatly deceive me, 
 my return must be anxiously expected." 
 
 "Good! speak, nobody will disturb you; we have 
 all the time necessary before us." 
 
 " Oh, what I have to say to you will not take long; 
 I only wish to ask you to lay a final hand to a work for 
 which you have already striven ?" 
 
 " What is it ?" 
 
 " I wish to claim your help in the war of Texas 
 against Mexico." 
 
LOYAL HEART'S HISTOEY. 303 
 
 The young hunter frowned, and for some minutes 
 remained silent. 
 
 " Will you refuse r" Tranquil asked, anxiously. 
 
 Loyal Heart shook his head. 
 
 "No," he said; "I merely feel a repugnance to 
 mingle again with white men, and shall I confess it ? 
 to fight against my countrymen.' ' 
 
 " Your countrymen ?" 
 
 "Yes, I am a Mexican, a native of Sonora." 
 
 " Oh !" the hunter said with an air of disappointment. 
 
 " Listen to me," Loyal Heart said, resolutely, " after 
 all, it is better I should speak frankly to you ; when 
 you have heard me, you will judge and tell me what 
 I ought to do." 
 
 " Good ! speak, my friend." 
 
 " You have, I think, been several times surprised at 
 seeing a white man, like myself, dwelling with his mo- 
 ther and an old servant among an Indian tribe ; you 
 have asked yourself what reason could be powerful 
 enough, or what crime was sufficiently great, to compel 
 a man like myself, of gentle manners, gifted with a 
 pleasan t exterior, and possessing some degree of educa- 
 tion, to seek a refuge among savages ? This appeared 
 to you extraordinary. Well, my friend, the cause of 
 my exile to these remote regions was a crime I com- 
 mitted : on the self-same day I became an incendiary 
 and an assassin." 
 
 " Oh !" Tranquil exclaimed, while the other hearers 
 gave an incredulous glance ; " you an incendiary and 
 assassin, Loyal Heart ! it is simply impossible." 
 
 " I was not Loyal Heart then," the hunter continued 
 with a melancholy smile ; " but it is true that I was 
 only a lad, just fourteen years of age, My father was a 
 
304 THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 Spaniard of the old race, with whom honour was a 
 sacred inheritance, which he ever kept intact. He 
 succeeded in saving me from the hands of the Juez de 
 Letras, who had come to arrest me ; and when the 
 magistrate had left the house, my father assembled his 
 tenants, formed a court, of which he constituted himself 
 president, and tried me. My crime was evident, the 
 proofs overwhelming, and my father himself uttered my 
 sentence in a firm voice : I was condemned to death." 
 
 "To death?" his hearers exclaimed, with a start of 
 horror. 
 
 " To death !" Loyal Heart repeated. " The sentence 
 was a just one. Neither the supplications of his ser- 
 vants, nor the tears nor entreaties of my mother, suc- 
 ceeded in obtaining a commutation of my punishment. 
 My father was inexorable, his resolution was formed, 
 and he immediately proceeded to execute the sentence. 
 The death my father reserved for me was not that vulgar 
 death, whose sufferings endure a few seconds; no, he 
 had said that he had determined to punish me, and 
 designed a long and cruel agony for me. Tearing me 
 from the arms of mother, who was half fainting with 
 grief, he threw me across his saddle-bow, and started at 
 a gallop in the direction of the desert. 
 
 It was a long journey, for it lasted many hours ere 
 my father checked the speed of his horse or uttered a 
 syllable. I felt the trembling sinews of the wearied 
 horse give way under me ; but still it went on at the 
 same rapid and dizzy speed. At length it stopped ; my 
 father dismounted, took me in his arms, and threw me on 
 the ground. Within a moment, he removed the bandage 
 that covered my eyes ; I looked anxiously around me, 
 but it was night, and so dark that I could see nothing. 
 
LOYAL HEABT'S HISTORY. 305 
 
 My father regarded me for a moment with an indefinable 
 expression, and then spoke. Although many long years 
 have elapsed since that terrible night, all the words of 
 that address are still imprinted on my mind. 
 
 " ' See,' he said to me in a quick voice, c you are here 
 more than twenty leagues from my hacienda, in which 
 you will never set foot again, under penalty of death. 
 Prom this moment you are alone you have neither 
 father, mother, nor family. As you are a wild beast, 
 I condemn you to live with the wild beasts. My reso- 
 lution is irrevocable, your entreaties cannot alter it, so 
 spare me them. 5 
 
 Perhaps in the last sentence a hope was concealed ; 
 but I was no longer in a condition to see the road left- 
 open for me, for irritation and suffering had exasperated 
 me. 
 
 " 'I do not implore you,' I replied ; ' we do not offer 
 entreaties to a hangman.' 
 
 " At this insulting outrage, my father started ; but al- 
 most immediately after every trace of emotion disap- 
 peared from his face, and he continued : 
 
 " ' In this bag/ he said, to a rather large pouch thrown 
 down by my side, ' are provisions for two days ; I leave 
 you this rifle, which in my hands never missed its mark ; 
 I give you also these pistols, this machete, knife, and 
 axe, and gunpowder and bullets in these buffalo horns. 
 You will find in the provision bag a flint and steel, and 
 everything necessary for lighting a fire; I have also 
 placed in it a Bible that belonged to your mother. You 
 are dead to society, where you must never return ; the 
 desert is before, and it belongs to you : for my part, I 
 have no longer a son farewell ! May the Lord have 
 mercy on you ! all is finished between us on this earth j 
 
 x 
 
306' THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 you are left alone and without family; you have a 
 s-rcond existence to begin, and to provide for your wants. 
 Providence never abandons^ those who place their trust 
 in it : henceforth it will watch over you.' 
 
 " After uttering these words coldly and distinctly, to 
 which I listened with deep attention, my father cut 
 with Ms knife the bonds that held my limbs captive, 
 and leaping into the saddle, started at a gallop without 
 once turning his head. I was alone, abandoned in the 
 desert in the midst of the darkness, without hope or 
 help from anywhere. A strange revolution then took 
 place in me, and I felt the full extent of the crime I had 
 committed ; my heart broke at the thought of the 
 solitude to which I was condemned ; I got up on my 
 knees, watching the fatal outline that was constantly get- 
 ting further from me, and listening to the hurried gallop 
 of the horse with feverish anxiety. And then, when I 
 could hear no more, when all noise had died out in the 
 distance, I felt a furious grief wither my heart ; my 
 courage i all at once abandoned me, and I was afraid ; 
 then, clasping my hands with an effort, I exclaimed 
 twice in a choking voice : 
 
 " ' Oh, my mother my mother !' 
 
 <l Succumbing to terror and despair, I fell back on the 
 sand and fainted." 
 
 There was a moment's silence. These men, though 
 accustomed to the affecting incidents of their rough life, 
 felt moved to pity at this simple and yet so striking 
 recital. The hunter's mother and his old servant had 
 silently joined the hearers, while the dogs, lying at his 
 feet licked his hands. The young man had let his head 
 sink on his chest, and hid his face in his hands, for he 
 was suffering from terrible emotion. !N"o one dared to 
 
LOYAL HEABT'S HISTORY. 307 
 
 risk a word of consolation, and a mournful silence pre- 
 vailed in the rancho ; at length Loyal Heart raised his 
 head again. 
 
 " How long I thus remained unconscious," he con- 
 tinued in a broken voice, ' I never knew ; a feeling of 
 coolness I suddenly experienced, made me open my 
 eyes ; the abundant morning dew, by inundating my 
 face, had recalled me to life. As I was frozen, my first 
 care was to collect some dry branches, and light a fire 
 to warm me ; then I began reflecting. 
 
 " When a great suffering does not kill on the spot, a 
 reaction immediately takes place ; courage and will re- 
 sume their empire, and the heart is strengthened. In 
 a few moments I regarded my position as less desperate. 
 I was alone in the desert, it was true ; but though still 
 very young, as I was hardly fourteen, I was tall and 
 strong, gifted with a firm character like my father, ex- 
 tremely tenacious in my ideas and will ; I had weapons, 
 ammunition, and provisions, and my position was, 
 therefore, far from being desperate ; frequently when I 
 had been still living at my father's hacienda, I had gone 
 hunting with the tigrero and vaqueros of the house, and 
 during these hunts had slept under the open air in the 
 woods ; I was now about to begin a fresh hunt, though 
 this time it would be much longer, and last for life. Eor 
 a moment I had the thought of returning to the hacienda, 
 and throwing myself at my father's knees ; but I knew 
 his inflexible character, and feared being ignominiously 
 expelled a second time. My pride revolted, and I re- 
 pulsed this thought, which was, perhaps, a divine in- 
 spiration. 
 
 " Still, being slightly comforted by the reflections I 
 L just made, and crushed by the poignant emotions of 
 
308 THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 the last few hours, I at length yielded to sleep, that im- 
 perious need of lads of my age, and fell off, after throw- 
 ing wood on. the fire to make it last as long as possible. 
 The night passed without any incident, and at day- 
 break I awoke. It was the first time I saw the sun rise 
 in the desert, and the majestic and grand spectacle I 
 now had before me filled me with admiration. 
 
 "This desert, which seemed to me so gloomy and 
 desolate in the darkness, assumed an enchanting aspect 
 in the dazzling sunbeams : the night had taken with it 
 all its gloomy fancies. The morning breeze, and the 
 sharp odours exhaled from the ground inflated my chest, 
 and made me feel wondrously comforted ; I fell on my 
 knees, and with eyes and hands raised to heaven, offered 
 up an ardent prayer. 
 
 " This duty accomplished, I felt stronger, and rose 
 with an infinite sense of confidence and hope in the 
 future. I was young and strong ; around me the birds 
 twittered gaily, the deer and the antelopes bounded 
 carelessly across the savannah : that GOD, who protected 
 these innocent and weak creatures, would not abandon 
 me, I felt, if by a sincere repentance I rendered my- 
 self worthy of His protection, whose goodness is infinite . 
 After making a light meal, I put my weapons in my 
 belt, threw my bag on one shoulder, my rifle on the 
 other, and after looking back for the last time with a 
 sigh of regret, I set out, murmuring the name of my 
 mother that name which would henceforth be my sole 
 talisman, and serve me in good as in evil fortune. 
 
 " My first march was long ; for I proceeded toward a 
 forest which I saw glistening in the horizon, and wished 
 to reach before sunset. Nothing hurried me, but I 
 wished at once to discover my strength, and know c ' 
 
LOYAL HEART'S HISTORY. 309 
 
 what I was capable. Two hours before nightfall I 
 reached the spurs of the forest, and was soon lost in the 
 ocean of the verdure. My father's tigrero, an old wood- 
 ranger, who had left his footmarks in every American 
 desert, had told me during the long hunting nights we 
 have spent together, many of his adventures on the 
 prairies, thus giving me, though neither of us suspected 
 it at the time, lessons which the moment had now 
 arrived for me to profit by. 
 
 " I -formed my bivouac on the top of a hill, lit a large 
 fire, and after supping with good appetite, said my 
 prayer, and fell asleep. All at once I woke up with a 
 start : two rastreros were licking my hands with whines 
 f jy> while my mother and my old Eusebio were 
 bending over and carefully examining me, not knowing 
 whether I were asleep or in a fainting fit. 
 
 "' Heaven be praised!' my mother exclaimed, 'he 
 is not dead.' 
 
 "I could not express the happiness that suddenly 
 flooded my soul at the sight of my mother, whom I 
 never hoped to see again in this world, at my press- 
 ing to her heart, and hanging round her neck, as if 
 afraid she would escape me again. I gave way to a 
 feeling of immense joy ; when our transports were 
 somewhat calmed, my mother said to me * 
 
 ' '"* ' And now, what do you intend doing ? We shall 
 return to the hacienda, shall we not ? Oh ! if you but 
 knew how I suffered through your absence!' 
 
 " * Return to the hacienda ?' I repeated. 
 
 " 'Yes ; your father, I am certain, will pardon you, 
 if he has not done so already in his heart.' And while 
 saying- this, my mother looked at me anxiously, and re- 
 doubled her caresses. 
 
310 THE WHITE SCALPEE. 
 
 " I remained silent. 
 
 " ' Why do you not answer me, my child ?' she said 
 to me. 
 
 "I made a violent effort over myself. 'Mother,' I 
 at length answered, ' the mere thought of a separation 
 fills my heart with sorrow and bitterness. But before 
 I inform you of my resolution, answer me frankly one 
 thing.' 
 
 "< Speak, my child.' 
 
 " ' Has my father sent you to me ?' 
 
 " ' No/ she answered, sorrowfully. 
 
 <l ' But, at any rate, you believe that he approves the 
 step you are now taking ?' 
 
 " ' I do not believe ' she said, with even greater 
 sorrow than before, for she foresaw what was about to 
 happen. 
 
 " ' Well, my mother/ I answered, ' GOD will judge 
 me. My father has denied me, he has abandoned me 
 in the desert. I no longer exist for him, as he himself 
 told me and I am dead to all the world. I will never 
 set foot in the hacienda again, unless GOD and my father 
 forgive my crime and I am able to forgive myself. A 
 new existence commences for me from to-day. Who 
 can say whether the Deity, in permitting this great ex- 
 piation, may not have secret designs with me ? His 
 will be done, my resolution is immoveable.' 
 
 *' My mother looked at me fixedly for a moment ; she 
 knew that once I had categorically expressed my will, 
 I never recalled my words. Two tears silently coursed 
 down her pale cheeks. ' The will of GOD be done,' she 
 said ; ' we will remain, then, in the desert.' 
 
 " ' What !' I exclaimed, with joyous surprize, ' do you 
 consent to remain with me ?' 
 
THE EXPIATION. 311 
 
 " ' Am I not thy mother?' she said, with an accent 
 of ineffable kindness, as she pressed me madly to her 
 heart." 
 
 CHAPTEE XXIIL 
 
 THE EXPIATION. 
 
 OUTSIDE the rancho the yells of the Comanches still 
 went on. After a momentary silence, Loyal Heart con- 
 tinued his narrative, which emotion had compelled Jrim. 
 to interrupt. 
 
 " It was in vain," he said, " that I implored my mo- 
 ther to leave me to the care of Heaven, and return to 
 the hacienda with No Eusebio. Her resolution was 
 formed she was inflexible, 
 
 " ' Ever since I married your father/ she said to me, 
 4 however unjust or extraordinary his demands might 
 be, he found in me rather a submissive and devoted 
 slave that a wife, whose rights were equal to his. A 
 complaint has never passed my lips ; I have never at- 
 tempted to oppose one of his wishes. But to-day the 
 measure is full ; by exiling you as he has done, coldly 
 repulsing my prayers, and despising my tears, he has 
 at length allowed me to read his heart, and the little 
 egotism and cruel pride by which he allows himself to 
 be governed. This man, who coldly and deliberately 
 had the barbarity to do what he has done to the first- 
 born of his children, possesses not a spark of ; good 
 feeling. The condemnation he pronounced against you 
 I pronounce, in my turn, against him. It is the law of 
 retaliation, the law of the desert in which we are going 
 henceforth to live. Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' 
 
 "Like all timid natures, accustomed to bow their 
 
312 THE "WHITE SCALPEE. 
 
 heads timidly beneath the yoke, my mother, when the 
 spirit of revolt entered her heart, assumed an obstinacy 
 at the least equal to her ordinary docility. The way in 
 which she uttered those words proved to me that all my 
 prayers would be useless, and that it was better to yield 
 to her determination. I therefore turned to No Euse- 
 bio ; but at the first word I addressed to him the worthy 
 man laughed in my face, saying distinctly and peremp- 
 torily that he had seen me born, and meant to see me 
 die. 
 
 " As there was nothing to be gained on this side, I 
 gave up the contest. I merely observed to my mother 
 that, so soon as my father noticed her departure, he would 
 probably start, at the head of all his tenants, in pursuit 
 of her, and that we should be inevitably discovered, if 
 we did not start at once. My mother and JSTo Eusebio had 
 come on horseback, but unhappily one of the animals 
 had foundered, and was incapable of following us; 
 saddle and bridle were removed, and we lejt it to its 
 fate ; my mother mounted the other horse, No Eusebio 
 and myself following on foot, while the rastreros cleared 
 the way. 
 
 " "We knew not whither we were going, and did not 
 trouble ourselves at all about it; plains succeeded 
 forests, streams rivers, and we continued our forward 
 march, hunting to support life, and camping wherever 
 night surprized us, without regret for the past or anxiety 
 for the future. "We advanced thus straight ahead for 
 nearly a month, avoiding, as far as possible, any en- 
 counter with the wild beasts, or the savages, whom we 
 believed to be as ferocious as them. 
 
 "One day a Sunday the march was interrupted, 
 and we spent it in pious conversation, and my mother 
 
THE EXPIATION. 313 
 
 read the Bible and explained it to No Eusebio and my- 
 self. About three in the afternoon, when the great 
 heat of the day was beginning to yield, I rose and took 
 my gun, with the intention of killing a little game, as 
 our provisions were nearly exhausted, and I was abso- 
 lutely compelled to renew them. My mother made no 
 objection, though, as I have stated, Sundays were gene- 
 rally consecrated to rest : and I went off with the two 
 rastreros. I went on for a long distance without seeing 
 anything deserving powder and shot, and was thinking 
 of turning back, when my two dogs, which were run- 
 ning on ahead, according to their wont, came to halt, 
 while evidencing unusual signs of terror and restlessness. 
 
 " Although I was still a novice in the woodranger's 
 art, I judged it necessary to act with prudence, as I did 
 not know what enemy I might find before me. I there- 
 fore advanced step by step, v/atching the neighbour- 
 hood closely, and listening to the slightest noise. My 
 uncertainty did not last long, for terrible cries soon 
 reached my ear. My first impulse was flight, but my 
 curiosity restrained me, and, cocking my rifle, so as to 
 be ready for all events, I continued to advance in the 
 direction whence the cries came, now louder and more 
 desperate than before. 
 
 " Ere long all was revealed to me ; I perceived through 
 the trees, in a rather spacious clearing, five or six In- 
 dian warriors, fighting with the fury of despair, against 
 a threefold number of enemies. These Indians had 
 doubtless been surprised in their camp, for their horses 
 were hobbled, their fire was just going out, and several 
 corpses, already robbed of their scalps, lay on the 
 ground. These warriors, in spite of the numerical supe- 
 riority of their foes, fought with desperate courage, not 
 
314 THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 yielding an inch, and boldly replying with their war- 
 yell to that of their opponents. 
 
 " The Indian who appeared the Chief of the weaker 
 party, was a tall young man, of twenty . at the most, 
 powerfully built, with a leonine face, and who, while 
 dealing terrible blows, did not cease exciting his men 
 to resist to the death. Neither of the parties had lire- 
 arms, they were fighting with axes and long barbed 
 lances. All at once, several men rushed simultaneously 
 on the young Chief, and, despite his desperate efforts, 
 succeeded in throwing him down, then a hand seized his 
 long scalp-lock, and I saw a knife raised above his head. 
 
 " I know not what I felt on seeing this, or what dizzi- 
 ness seized upon me, but, by a mechanical movement, I 
 raised my rifle and fired ; then, rushing into the clearing 
 with loud cries, I discharged my pistols at the men 
 nearest me. An extraordinary thing occurred, which I 
 was far from expecting, and certainly had not foreseen. 
 The Indians, terrified by my three shots, followed by 
 my sudden apparition, believed that help was arriving 
 to their adversaries, and without dreaming of resisting, 
 they began flying with that intuitive rapidity peculiar 
 to Indians, at the first repulse they meet with. 
 
 " I thus found myself alone with those I came to 
 deliver. It was the first time I had been engaged in a 
 fight, if such a name can be given to the share I took 
 in the struggle, hence I felt that emotion inseparable 
 from a first event of this nature; I neither saw nor 
 heard anything. I was standing in the centre of the 
 clearing, like a statue, not knowing whether to advance 
 or retire, flanked by my two bloodhounds, which had 
 not left me, but showed their teeth with hoarse growls 
 of anger. 
 
THE EXPIATION. 315 
 
 " I know not who was the first to say that ingrati- 
 tude was a white vice, and gratitude an Indian virtue ; 
 but, whoever he was, he spoke the truth. The Chief I 
 had so miraculously saved, and his comrades, pressed 
 around me, and began overwhelming me with marks of 
 respect and gratitude. I let them do so, mechanically 
 replying as well as I could, in Spanish, to the compli- 
 ments the Indians lavished on me in their sonorous lan- 
 guage, of which I did not understand a syllable. When 
 a little while had elapsed, and their joy was beginning 
 to grow more sedate, the Chief, who had been slightly 
 wounded in the fight, made me sit down by the fire, 
 while his comrades conscientiously raised the scalps of 
 their enemy who had fallen, and he began questioning 
 me in Spanish, which language he spoke clearly. 
 
 " After warmly thanking me, and repeating several 
 times that I was a great brave, he told me that his name 
 was jNocobotha, that is to say, the Tempest; that he 
 belonged to the great and powerful nation of the Co- 
 manches, surnamed the Queen of the Prairies, and was 
 related to a renowned Sachem called Black-deer. 
 Having set out with a few warriors to chase antelopes, 
 he had been surprised by a detachment of Apaches, the 
 sworn enemies of his nation, and if the Master of Life 
 had not brought me to their help, he and his comrades 
 would infallibly have succumbed, an opinion the justice 
 of which I was compelled to recognise. The Chief 
 then asked me who I was, saying to me that he should 
 henceforth regard me as his brother, that he wished to 
 conduct me to his tribe, and that he would never con- 
 sent to separate from the man who had saved his life. 
 
 " Noeobotha's words suggested an idea to me ; I was 
 greatly alarmed about the existence I led, not for my 
 
316 THE WHITE SCALPEH. 
 
 self, for this free and unrestrained life charmed me to 
 the highest degree, hut for my poor mother, who, accus- 
 tomed to all the comforts of civilization, would not, I 
 feared, endure for long the fatigues she undertook 
 through her affection for me. I immediately resolved to 
 profit hy the gratitude and good-will of my new ac- 
 quaintance, to obtain my mother an asylum, where, if 
 she did not find the comfort she had lost, she would 
 run no risk of dying of want. I therefore frankly told 
 Nocobotha the situation I was placed in, and by what 
 accident I had providentially arrived just in time to 
 save his scalp. The Chief listened to me with the 
 most earnest attention. 
 
 " ' Good,' he said with a smile, when I had ended, 
 and squeezed my hand. ' Nocobotha is the brother of 
 Loyal Heart. (Such was the name he gave me, and I 
 have retained ever since.) Loyal Heart's mother will 
 have two sons.' 
 
 " I thanked the Chief, as I was bound to do, and re- 
 marked to him that, as I had now left my mother for 
 some time, I was afraid she might feel alarmed at my 
 lengthened absence, and that, if he permitted me, I 
 would return to her side to reassure her, and tell her all 
 that had happened ; but the Comanche shook his head. 
 
 " c Nocobotha will accompany his brother/ he said ; 
 ' he does not wish to leave him.' 
 
 " I accepted the proposition, and we at once started to 
 return to my encampment. We did not take long in 
 going, for we were mounted ; but on seeing me arrive 
 with six or seven Indians, my poor mother was terribly 
 alarmed, for she fancied me a prisoner, and menaced 
 with the most frightful punishment. I soon succeeded, 
 however, in reassuring her, and her terror was converted 
 
THE EXPIATION. 317 
 
 into joy on hearing the good tidings I brought her. 
 Moreover, Nocobotha, with that graceful politeness in- 
 nate in Indians, soon entirely comforted, and managed 
 to gain her good graces. Such, my dear Tranquil, is 
 the manner in which I became a wood-ranger, trapper, 
 and hunter. 
 
 " On reaching the tribe, the Indians received me as a 
 friend, a brother. These simple and kind men knew 
 not how to prove their friendship. For my part, on 
 growing to know them better, I began to love them as 
 if they had been my brothers. I was adopted by the 
 Sachems collected round the council fire, and from that 
 moment regarded as a child of the nation. From this 
 time I did not leave the Comanches again. All longed 
 to instal me into the secrets of desert life. My progress 
 was rapid, and I was soon renowned as one of the best 
 and bravest hunters of the tribes. In several meetings 
 with the enemy, I had opportunities to render them 
 signal service. My influence increased ; and now I am 
 not only a warrior but a Sachem, respected and beloved 
 by all. JSTocobotha, that noble lad, whom his courage 
 ever bore to the front, at length fell in an ambuscade 
 formed by the Apaches. After an obstinate struggle, I 
 managed to bear him home, though covered with wounds. 
 I was myself dangerously wounded. On reaching the 
 village, I fell senseless with my precious burden. In 
 spite of the most devoted and assiduous care my mother 
 lavished on my poor brother, she was unable to save 
 him, and he died thanking me for not having left him 
 in the hands of his foes, and having kept his scalp from 
 being raised, which is the greatest disgrace for a 
 Comanche warrior. 
 
 "In spite of the marks of friendship and sympathy 
 
318 THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 the Sachems did not cease to bestow on me for the 
 manner in which I had defended my brother, I was for 
 a long time inconsolable at his loss; and even now, 
 though so long a period has elapsed since that frightful 
 catastrophe, I cannot speak of him without tears coming 
 into my eyes. Poor Nocobotha ! kind and simple soul ! 
 noble and devoted heart ! Shall I ever find again a friend 
 so certain and so devoted r 
 
 "Now, my dear Tranquil, you know my life as well 
 as I do myself. My kind and revered mother, honoured 
 by the Indians, to whom she is a visible Providence, is 
 happy, or at least seems to be so. I have completely 
 forgotten my colour, to live the life of the Red-skins, 
 who, when my brethren spurned me, received me as a 
 son, and their friendship has never failed me. I only 
 remember my origin when I have to assist any unhappy 
 man of my own complexion. The white trappers and 
 hunters of these regions affect, I know not why, to re- 
 gard me as their Chief, and eagerly seize the opportunity 
 to show me their respect, whenever it offers. I am 
 therefore in a position relatively enviable ; and yet, the 
 more years slip away, the more lively does the memory 
 of the events that brought me to the desert recur to my 
 mind, and the more I fear never to obtain the pardon of 
 my crimes." 
 
 He was silent. The hunters looked at each other 
 with a mingled feeling of admiration and respect for 
 this man, who confessed so simply a crime which so 
 many others would have regarded at the utmost as a 
 peccadillo, and who repented of it so sincerely, 
 
 " By Jove !" Tranquil exclaimed all at once, " Heaven 
 will be careful not to pardon you if it has not been done 
 so long ago. Men like you are somewhat rare in the de- 
 sert, comrade I" 
 
THE EXPIATION. 319 
 
 Loyal Heart smiled gently at this simple outburst of 
 the hunter. 
 
 " Come, my friend, now that you know me thoroughly, 
 give me your advice frankly ; whatever it may be, I 
 promise you to follow it.' 7 
 
 "Well, my advice is very simple; it is that you 
 should come with us." 
 
 " But I tell you I am a Mexican." 
 
 The Canadian burst into a laugh. 
 
 "Eh, eh,' 7 he said; "I fancied you stronger than 
 that, on my honour." 
 
 " What do you mean ?" 
 
 " Hang it, it is as clear as day." 
 
 " I am convinced, my friend, that you can only offer 
 me honourable advice, so I am listening to you with the 
 most serious attention.' 7 
 
 " Well, you shall judge ; I shall not take long to con- 
 vince you. 7 * 
 
 " I ask nothing better." 
 
 " Well, let us proceed regularly. What is Mexico ?" 
 
 " What do you mean ?" 
 
 " Well ; is it a kingdom or an empire ?" 
 
 " It is a Confederation. 7 ' 
 
 " Very good ; that is to say, Mexico is a republic, 
 formed of several Confederated States. 7 ' 
 
 " Yes," Loyal Heart said, with a smile. 
 
 " Better still ; then Sonora and Texas, for instance, are 
 free States, and able to separate from the Confederation, 
 if they think proper ?" 
 
 " Ah, ah," said Loyal Heart, " I did not expect that." 
 
 " I thought you did not. Well, you see, my friend, 
 that the Mexico of to-day, which is neither that of Moc- 
 tecuzoma nor that of the Spaniards, since the first merely 
 
320 THE WHITE SCALPEE. 
 
 comprised the plateau of Mexico, and the second, under 
 the name of New Spain, a part of central America, is 
 only indirectly your country, since you were born 
 neither in Mexico nor Yera Cruz, but in Sonora. You 
 said so yourself. Hence, if you, a Sonorian, assist the 
 Texans, you only follow the general example, and are 
 no traitor to your country. "What have you to answer 
 to that?" 
 
 " Nothing; save that your reasoning, though spe- 
 cious, is not without a certain amount of logic." 
 
 " Which means that you are convinced ?" 
 
 "Not the least in the world. Still, I accept your pro- 
 position, and will do what you wish." 
 
 "That is a conclusion I was far from expecting, after 
 the beginning of your sentence." 
 
 "Because, under the Texan idea, there is another, 
 and it is that I wish to help you in carrying out." 
 
 " Ah !" the Canadian remarked, in surprise. 
 
 Loyal Heart bent over to him. 
 
 " Have you not a certain affair to settle with the 
 White Scalper, or have you forgotten it ?" 
 
 The hunter started, and warmly pressed the young 
 man's hand. 
 
 " Thanks," he said. 
 
 At this moment Black-deer entered the rancho. 
 
 "I wish to speak with my brother," he said to Loyal 
 Heart. 
 
 " Is my brother willing to speak before my friends the 
 pale hunters?" 
 
 " The pale hunters are the guests of the Comanches ; 
 Black-deer will speak before them," the Chief answered. 
 
11* THE DESBET. 32 1 
 
 CHAPTER XXIY. 
 
 IN THE DESERT. 
 
 THE news Black- deer brought must be very important, 
 for, in spite of that stoicism which the Indians regard as 
 a law, the Chief's face was imprinted with the most 
 lively anxiety. After sitting down at an equipal to 
 which Loyal Heart pointed, instead of speaking, as he 
 had been invited to do, he remained gloomy and silent. 
 The hunters looked at him curiously, waiting with im- 
 patience till he thought proper to explain. At length 
 Loyal Heart, seeing that he obstinately remained silent, 
 resolved to address him. 
 
 " What is the matter, Chief ?" he asked him. " Whence 
 comes the anxiety I see on your features ? What new 
 misfortune have you to announce ?" 
 
 " An enormous misfortune," he answered, in a hollow 
 voice ; "the prisoner has escaped." 
 
 " What prisoner ?" 
 
 "The son of Blue-fox." 
 
 The hunters gave a start of surprise. 
 
 " It is impossible," Loyal Heart said ; " did he not 
 surrender himself as an hostage ? did he not pledge his 
 word ? and an Indian warrior never breaks that ; only 
 white men do so," he added, bitterly. 
 
 Black-deer looked down in embarrassment. 
 
 " Come," Loyal Heart went on, " let us be frank, 
 Chief; tell us clearly what things happened. 5 ' 
 
 " The prisoner was bound and placed in the great 
 medicine lodge." 
 
 " What !" Loyal Heart exclaimed, in indignation ; 
 " an hostage bound and imprisoned ! you are mistaken, 
 
 Y 
 
322 THE WHITE SCALPEK. 
 
 Chief, the Sachems have not done such a thing, or thus 
 insulted a young man protected by the law of nations." 
 "I relate things exactly as they happened, Loyal 
 Heart." % 
 
 "And who gave the order?" 
 " I," the Chief muttered. 
 
 " The hatred you feel for Blue-fox led you astray, 
 Black-deer ; you committed a great fault in despising 
 the word pledged by this young man ; by treating him 
 as a prisoner you gave him the right to escape ; the 
 opportunity offered itself, he profited by it, and acted 
 rightly." 
 
 " My young men are on his trail," the Chief said, 
 with a hateful smile. 
 
 " Your young men will not capture him, for he has 
 fled with the feet of the gazelle." 
 
 " Is the misfortune irreparable, then ?" 
 " Perhaps not. Listen to me : one way is left us of 
 capturing our enemy again. The Pale hunters, my 
 brothers, have asked my help in the war the Whites are 
 carrying on at this moment against each other ; ask of 
 the council of the Chiefs one hundred picked warriors, 
 whom I will command, and you can accompany me ; 
 to-morrow at sunset we will set out ; the Apaches are 
 burning to take their revenge for the defeat we inflicted 
 on them, so be assured that ere we join our brothers the 
 Pale- faces, we shall see our read barred by Blue-fox 
 and his warriors. This is the only chance left us to 
 finish with this implacable enemy do you accept it r" 
 
 " I do accept it, Loyal Heart; your medicine is good, 
 it has never deceived you, the words your chest utters 
 are inspired by the Wacondah !" the Chief said, eagerly, 
 as he rose. " I am going to the council of the Chiefs, 
 will you accompany me ?" 
 
IN THE DE8EET. 323 
 
 " What to do ? it is better that the proposition should 
 come from you, Black-deer, for I am only an adopted 
 son of the tribe." 
 
 " Good, I will do what my brother desires ; I will 
 return shortly." 
 
 " You see, my friend," Loyal Heart said to Tranquil, 
 when the Chief had left, " that I have not delayed in 
 fulfilling my promises ; perhaps, of the hundred warriors 
 we take with us one half will remain on the way, but 
 the survivors will not be the less of great assistance to 
 you." 
 
 "Thanks, my friend," Tranquil answered; " you 
 know that I have faith in you." 
 
 As Loyal Heart had foreseen, the Indian warriors 
 sent in pursuit of the prisoner returned to the village 
 without him ; they had beaten up the country in vaio, 
 the whole night through, without discovering any trace 
 of his passage. The young man had disappeared from 
 the medicine lodge, and it was impossible to find out 
 what means he had employed to effect his escape. The 
 only remark the Comanches made but it had consider- 
 able importance was that, at a spot in the forest exactly 
 opposite to that where the battle with the Apaches had 
 taken place, the soil was trampled and the bark of the 
 trees nibbled, as if several horses had been standing 
 there for some time, but there was no mark of human 
 feet. 
 
 The warriors, consequently, returned completely dis- 
 appointed, and thus augmented the anger of their 
 countrymen. The moment was well selected for the 
 request Black- deer wished to make of the Council of 
 Sachems. He requested the expedition projected by 
 Loyal Heart, not as an intervention in favour of the 
 * am Yiificm T 2 
 
324 THE WHITE SCALPEK. 
 
 Whites, for that was only secondary, but as an experi- 
 ment he desired to attempt, not merely to recapture the 
 fugitive, but his father, who, doubtless, would be posted 
 in ambush at a little distance from the village. As the 
 question thus brought before them was acceptable, the 
 Sachems authorised Black- deer to select one hundred of 
 the most renowned warriors of the nation, who would 
 make the expedition under his orders and those of Loyal 
 Heart. 
 
 Black-deer spoke to the hachesto, who mounted on 
 the roof of a calli and immediately convened the members 
 of the tribe. When the braves knew that an expedition 
 was meditated, under the command of two such re- 
 nowned Chiefs, they eagerly offered to join the war- 
 party, so that the Chief really had a difficulty in selec- 
 tion. Shortly before sunset one hundred horsemen, 
 armed with lances, guns, axes, and knives, wearing 
 their war mocassins, from the heel of which hung 
 numerous coyote tails, and having round their neck their 
 long ilchochetas, or war-whistles, made of a human 
 thigh-bone, formed one imposing squadron, drawn up in 
 the finest order on the village square, in front of the ark 
 of the first man. These savage warriors, with their 
 symbolic paint and quaint dresses, offered a strange 
 and terrific appearance. 
 
 When the white hunters ranged themselves by their 
 side they were greeted with shouts of joy and unanimous 
 applause. Loyal Heart and Black-deer placed them- 
 selves at the head of the band, the oldest Sachems 
 advanced and saluted the departing warriors, and at a 
 signal from Loyal Heart the troop defiled at a walking 
 pace before the members of the council and quitted the 
 village. 
 
IN THE DESERT. 325 
 
 At the moment when they entered the plain the sun 
 was setting in a mass of purple and golden clouds. 
 Once on the war-trail the detachment fell into Indian 
 file, the deepest silence prevailed in the ranks, and they 
 advanced rapidly in the direction of the forest. The 
 Indians, when they start on a dangerous expedition, 
 always throw out as flankers intelligent men, ordered 
 to discover the enemy and protect the detachment from 
 any surprise. These spies are changed every day, and, 
 though afoot, they always keep a great distance ahead 
 and on the flanks of the body they have undertaken to 
 lead. Indian warfare in no way resembles ours ; it is 
 composed of a series of tricks and surprises, and Indians 
 must be forced by imperious circumstances to fight in 
 the open; attacking or resisting without a complete 
 certainty of victory is considered by them an act of mad- 
 ness. War, in their sight, being only an opportunity 
 for acquiring plunder, they see no dishonour in flight 
 when they have only blows to gain by resisting, reserv- 
 ing to themselves the right of taking a brilliant revenge 
 whenever the chance may offer. 
 
 During the first fortnight the march of the Comanches 
 was in no way disquieted, and the scouts, since they left 
 the village, had discovered no human trail. The only 
 individuals they met were peaceful hunters, travelling 
 with their squaws, dogs, and children, and returning to 
 their village ; all agreed with the statement that they 
 had seen no suspicious trail. Two days after, the Co- 
 manches entered on Texan territory. 
 
 This apparent tranquillity greatly perturbed the two 
 Chiefs of the detachment ; they fancied themselves too 
 well acquainted with the vindictive character of the 
 Apaches to suppose that they would let them travel 
 
326 THE WHITE SCALPEK. 
 
 thus peacefully without attempting to check them. 
 Tranquil, too, who had long known Blue-fox, completely 
 shared their opinion. One evening the Comanches, 
 after making a long day's march, bivouacked on the 
 banks of a small stream upon the top of a wooded hill 
 which commanded the course of the river and the sur- 
 rounding country. As usual, the scouts had returned 
 with the assertion that they had discovered no sign ; 
 when supper was over, Loyal Heart himself stationed 
 the sentries, and each prepared to enjoy, during a few 
 hours, a repose which the fatigues of the day rendered 
 not only agreeable, but necessary. 
 
 Still, Tranquil, agitated by a secret presentiment, felt 
 a feverish and apparently causeless anxiety which robbed 
 him of sleep ; in vain did he close his eyes with the firm 
 intention of sleeping, they opened again in spite of his 
 will ; wearied with this sleeplessness, for which he could 
 find no plausible reason, the hunter rose, resolved to 
 keep awake and take a turn in the neighbourhood. The 
 movement he made in picking up his rifle woke Loyal 
 Heart. 
 
 " What is the matter r" he asked at once. 
 
 "Nothing, nothing," the hunter answered, "goto 
 sleep." 
 
 " Then why do you get up :" 
 
 " Because I cannot sleep, that's all, and intend to 
 profit by my wakefulness to take a walk round the 
 camp." 
 
 These words completely aroused Loyal Heart, for 
 Tranquil was not the man to do anything without 
 powerful reasons. 
 
 " Come my friend," he said to him, " there is some, 
 thing, tell me." 
 
US THE DESERT. 327 
 
 u I know nothing," the hunter answered, ''but I am 
 sad and restless ; in a word, I know not what I fancy, 
 but I cannot help thinking an approaching danger me- 
 naces us ; what it is I cannot say, but I noticed to-day 
 two flocks of flamingoes flying against the wind, seve- 
 ral antelopes, deers, and other animals running madly 
 in the same direction ; the whole day through I have 
 not heard a single bird sing, and as all that is not na- 
 tural, I am alarmed." 
 
 " Alarmed ?" Loyal Heart said with a laugh. 
 
 " Alarmed of a snare, and that is why I wish to make 
 a round ; I suppose I shall discover nothing, I believe 
 and hope it, but no matter, I shall at any rate be cer- 
 tain that we have nothing to fear." 
 
 Loyal Heart, without saying a word, wrapped him- 
 self in his zarape and seized his rifle. 
 
 " Let us go," he said. 
 
 " What do you mean ?" the hunter asked. 
 
 " I am going with you." 
 
 " What nonsense, my undertaking is only the fancy 
 of a sick brain ; do you remain here and rest yourself." 
 
 " No, no," Loyal Heart answered with a shake of his 
 head, " I think exactly the same as you have just told 
 me ; I also feel anxious, I know not why, and wish to 
 be certain.' ' 
 
 " In that case come along ; perhaps, after all, it will be 
 the better course." 
 
 The two men quitted the bivouac. The night was 
 fresh and light, the atmosphere extremely transparent, 
 the sky studded with stars, the moon seemed floating in 
 aether, and its light, combined with that of the stars, 
 was so great, that objects were as visible as in open day. 
 A profound calm brooded over the landscape, which the 
 
328 THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 hunters could perfectly survey from the elevation on 
 which they were standing ; at times a mysterious breath 
 passed over the leafy tops of the trees, which it bent 
 with a hoarse murmur. Tranquil and Loyal Heart 
 carefully examined the plain which stretched an enor- 
 mous distance before them. Suddenly the Canadian 
 seized his friend's arms, and by a sharp and irresistible 
 movement, drew him behind the trunk of an enormous 
 larch tree. 
 
 " What is it ?" the hunter asked eagerly. 
 
 " Look P' his comrade answered laconically, as he 
 stretched out his arm in the direction of the plain. 
 
 " Oh, oh, what does that mean ?" the young man 
 muttered a moment later. 
 
 " It means that I was not mistaken, and that we 
 shall have a fight, but fortunately this time again it will 
 be diamond cut diamond; warn John Davis, and let 
 him take the villains in the rear, while we face them." 
 
 " There is not a moment to be lost," Loyal Heart 
 muttered, and he bounded toward the camp. 
 
 The two experienced hunters had noticed a thing 
 which would certainly have been passed over by the 
 eyes of men less habituated to Indian customs. We 
 have said that at intervals a capricious breeze passed over 
 the tops of the trees ; this breeze blew from the South 
 West over the plain for a distance of some few hundred 
 yards, and yet the same breeze ran along the tall grass, 
 incessantly approaching the hill where the Comanches 
 were encamped, but, extraordinary to say, it blew from 
 the North East, or a direction diametrically opposed to 
 the former. Tbis was all the hunters had perceived, 
 and yet it sufficed them to guess the stratagem of their 
 foes, and foil it. 
 
IN THE DESERT. 329 
 
 Fire minutes later, sixty Comanches, commanded by 
 Tranquil and Loyal Heart, crawled like serpents down 
 the sides of the hill, and on reaching the plain stood 
 motionless, as if converted into statues. John Davis, 
 with the rest of the band, turned the hill. All at once 
 a terrible cry was heard the Comanches rose like a 
 legion of demons, and rushed headlong on their enemies. 
 The latter, once again surprised when they hoped to sur- 
 prise, hesitated for a moment, and then, terrified by 
 this sudden attack, they were seized by a panic terror, 
 and turned to fly, but behind them rose suddenly the 
 American's band. 
 
 They must fight, or surrender to the mercy of an im- 
 placable foe ; hence the Apaches closed up shoulder to 
 shoulder, and the butchery commenced. It was horrible, 
 and lasted till day. These deadly enemies fought with, 
 out uttering a cry, and fell without giving way to a sigh. 
 As the Apaches fell, their comrades drew closer together, 
 while the Comanches contracted the circle of steel in 
 which they were enclosed. 
 
 The sun, on rising, illuminated a horrible scene of 
 carnage; forty Comanches had fallen, while of the 
 Apaches ten men, all more or less severely wounded, 
 alone stood upright. Loyal Heart turned away in sor- 
 row from this fearful sight, for it would have been use- 
 less for him to interfere to save the last victims. The 
 Comanches, intoxicated by the smell of blood and pow- 
 der, furious at the resistance their enemies had offered, 
 did not listen to his orders, and the remaining Apaches 
 were killed and scalped. 
 
 " Ah I" Black-deer exclaimed, pointing with a ges- 
 ture of triumph to a mutilated and almost unrecogniza- 
 ble corpse, " the Sachems will be pleased, for Blue-fox 
 is dead at last." 
 
330 THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 In truth, the formidable Chief lay on a pile of 
 . Comanche corpses ; his body was literally covered with 
 wounds, and his son, a poor lad scarce adolescent yet, 
 was lying at his feet. Curiously enough, for the Indians 
 only take the scalps of their enemies usually, a fresh 
 cut-off head was fastened to the Chiefs girdle it was 
 that of Fray Antonio. The poor Monk, who had quitted 
 the village a few days before Tranquil, had doubtless 
 been surprised and massacred by the Apaches. 
 
 So soon as the carnage, for we cannot call it a battle, 
 was over, the Indians prepared to pay the last rites to 
 those of their friends who had found death in this san- 
 guinary struggle. Deep graves were dug, and the 
 bodies were thrown in without the usual funeral cere- 
 monies, which circumstances prevented, still they were 
 careful to bury their arms with them, and then stones 
 were piled on the graves to defend them from wild 
 beasts. As for the Apaches, they were left at the spot 
 where they had fallen. After this, the war-party, 
 diminished by nearly one-half, started again sadly for 
 Texas. 
 
 The victory of the Comanches was complete, it is 
 true, but too dearly bought for the Indians to think of 
 rejoicing at it. The massacre of the Apaches was far 
 from compensating them for the death of forty Co- 
 manche warriors, without counting those who, in all 
 probability, would perish on the journey from the 
 wounds they had received. 
 
 
THE LAST HALT. 331 
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 THE LAST HALT. 
 
 that \ve are approaching the last pages of our 
 book, we cannot repress a feeling of regret on thinking 
 of the scenes of blood and murder which, in order to be 
 truthful, we were compelled to unfold before our readers- 
 If this narrative had been a fable, and we had been 
 able to arrange our subject at our pleasure, most as- 
 suredly many scenes would have been cut down and 
 altered. Unhappily, we have been obliged to narrate 
 facts just as they happened, although we have frequently 
 been careful to tone down certain details whose naked 
 truth would have scandalized the reader. 
 
 Were we to be reproached with the continual com- 
 bats in which our heroes are engaged, we should reply ; 
 we describe the manners of a race which is daily dimi- 
 nishing in the convulsive grasp of the civilization against 
 which it struggles in vain ; this race is called upon by the 
 fatal decree of fate to disappear ere long eternally from 
 the face of the globe ; its manners and customs will 
 then pass into the condition of a legen * and being pre- 
 served by tradition, will not fail to be falsified and be- 
 come incomprehensible. It is therefore our duty, who 
 have become the unworthy historian of this unhappy 
 race, to make it known as it was, as it is still, for acting 
 otherwise would have been a felonious deed on our part, 
 of which our readers would have been j ustified in com- 
 plaining. 
 
 Finishing this parenthesis, which is already too long, 
 but which we believe to be not merely necessary but 
 
332 THE WHITE SCALPER. ' 
 
 indispensable, we will resume our narrative at the point 
 where we left it. 
 
 We will now lead the reader to the extreme outposts 
 of the Mexican army. This army, six thousand strong 
 on its entrance into Texas, now amounted to no more 
 than fifteen hundred, including a reinforcement of five 
 hundred men, which General Cos had just brought up. 
 The successive victories gained by Santa Anna over the 
 Texans had therefore cost him just five thousand men. 
 This negative triumph caused the President of the 
 Mexican Republic considerable reflection. He began 
 to understand the extraordinary difficulties of this war 
 against an exasperated people, and he speculated with 
 terror on the terrible consequences a defeat would have 
 for him, if those intractable enemies he had been pur- 
 suing so long resolved at last to wait for him and suc- 
 ceeded in defeating him. Unluckily, whatever Santa 
 Anna's apprehensions might be, it was too late to with- 
 draw, and he must try his fortune to the end. 
 
 A space of five leagues at the most separated the two 
 belligerent armies, and that space was diminished nearly 
 one-half by the position of their videttes. The van. 
 guard of the M^iican army, composed of two hundred 
 regulars, was commanded by Colonel Melendez, but a 
 league further a- head was encamped a forlorn hope, 
 which had to clear the way for the movements of the 
 army. These were simply the pirates of the prairies, 
 commanded by our old acquaintance Sandoval, whom 
 we saw a short time back introduce himself to the 
 Jaguar, and make so singular a bargain with him. 
 
 In spite of the extremely slight esteem in which the 
 Mexican army held the honesty of the said Sandoval 
 and his myrmidons, General Santa Anna found himself 
 
THE LAST HALT. 333 
 
 constrained to place a certain amount of confidence in 
 these thorough-paced scoundrels, owing to their incon- 
 testable capability as guides, and above all, as flankers. 
 The General, consequently, found himself obliged almost 
 to close his eyes to the crimes they committed nearly 
 daily, and to let them act as they pleased. Let us add, 
 that the pirates conscientiously abused the liberty con- 
 ceded them, and did not hesitate to indulge in the most 
 extraordinary caprices, which we had better pass over 
 in silence. 
 
 These worthy men, then, were bivouacked, as we 
 have said, about a league in advance of the Mexican 
 army, and as they liked to take their ease whenever the 
 opportunity offered, they had found nothing better than 
 quartering themselves in a pueblo, whose inhabitants 
 had naturally fled at their approach, and the houses of 
 which the pirates pulled down, in order to procure wood 
 for their camp fires. Still, either by accident or some 
 other reason, one house, or rather hut, had escaped the 
 general ruin, and alone remained standing. It was not 
 only untouched, but shut up, and a sentry was stationed 
 before the door. This sentry, however, did not appear 
 to trouble himself much about the orders given him ; for 
 being probably annoyed by the sun, whose beams fell 
 vertically on his head, he was lying cozily in the shade 
 of a stall luckily standing opposite the house, and with 
 his musket within reach, was smoking, sleeping, and 
 dreaming, while waiting till his term of duty was over, 
 and a comrade came to take his place. 
 
 As this house served at this moment as the abode of 
 Dona Carmela, we will ask the reader to enter it with 
 us. The maiden, sad and pensive, was reclining ia a 
 hammock suspended before a window, open, in spite of 
 
334 THE WHITE SCALPER, 
 
 the heat of the day, and her eyes, red with weeping, 
 were invariably fixed on the desolate plain, which the 
 sun parched, and whose sand flashed like diamonds. Of 
 what was the poor girl thinking, while the tears she 
 did not dream of wiping away, coursed down her pallid 
 cheeks, where they traced a furrow ? 
 
 Perhaps at this age, when recollections do not go back 
 beyond yesterday, she remembered in bitterness of spirit 
 the happy days of the Yenta del Potrero, where with 
 Tranquil and Lanzi, those two devoted hearts to protect 
 her, all smiled upon her, and the future appeared to her 
 so gentle and calm. Perhaps, too, she thought of the 
 Jaguar, for whom she felt such friendship, or of Colonel 
 Melendez, whose respectful and profound love had made 
 her so often dream involuntarily, in the way maidens 
 dream. 
 
 But, alas ! all this had now faded away ; farewell to 
 the exquisite dreams ! where were Tranquil and Lanzi, 
 the Jaguar and Colonel Melendez ? She was alone, un- 
 friended, and defenceless, in the power of a man the 
 mere sight of whom filled her with terror. And yet, let 
 us add, the man whom we have represented under such 
 gloomy colours, this White Scalper, seemed to have be- 
 come completely metamorphosed. The tiger had become 
 a lamb in the presence of the maiden, he offered her the 
 most delicate attentions, and did everything she wished 
 not that she ever expressed a desire, for the poor girl 
 would not have dared to have done so, but he strove to 
 divine what might please her, and then did it with un- 
 exampled eagerness. At times he would stand for 
 hours before her, leaning against a wally with his eyes 
 fixed on her with an undefinable expression, without 
 uttering a word. Then he would withdraw with a 
 
THE LAST HALT. 335 
 
 shake of the head, stifle a sigh, and murmur " Good 
 GOD ! if it were she !" There was something touching 
 in the timid and humble grief of this terrible man, who 
 made all tremble around him, and yet himself trembled 
 before a girl ; although Dona Carmela, unaffected by 
 the egotism of suffering persons, did not seem to per- 
 ceive the influence she exercised over this powerful and 
 stern nature. 
 
 The door opened, and White Scalper entered. He 
 was still dressed in the same garb, he was still as up- 
 right, but his face no longer wore that expression of 
 haughty and implacable ferocity which we have seen on 
 it. A cloud of sorrow was spread over his features, and 
 his deep sunken eyes had lost that fire which had given 
 his glance so strange and magnetic a fixity. The 
 maiden did not turn at the sound of the Scalper's foot- 
 steps : the latter halted, and for a long time remained 
 motionless, waiting, doubtless, till she would notice his 
 presence. But the girl did not stir, and hence he re- 
 solved to speak. 
 
 " Dona Carmela !" he said in a voice whose roughness 
 he tried to smooth. 
 
 She made no reply, but continued to gaze out on the 
 plain. The Scalper sighed, and then said in a louder 
 key : 
 
 "Dona Carmela!" 
 
 This time the maiden heard him, for a nervous 
 tremor agitated her, and she turned quickly round. 
 
 "What do you want with me?" she asked. 
 
 " Oh !" he exclaimed, on perceiving her face bathed 
 in tears, "you are weeping." 
 
 The maiden blushed and passsed her handkerchief over 
 her face with a feverish gesture. 
 
336 THE WHITE SCALPEB. 
 
 ""What matter r" she muttered, and then, striving to 
 recover herself, she asked, " What do you want with 
 me, senor ? Heavens, since I am condemned to be your 
 slave, could you not at any rate allow me the free en- 
 joyment of this room r" 
 
 " I thought I should cause you pleasure/' he said, 
 "by announcing to you the visit of an acquaintance." 
 A bitter smile contracted the maiden's lips. 
 " Who cares for me r" she said with a sigh. 
 " Pardon me, Senorita, my intention was kind. Fre- 
 quently, while you sit pensively as you are doing to-day, 
 unconnected words and names have passed your lips." 
 
 " Ah ! that is true," she answered ; " not only is my 
 person captive, but you will also like to enchain my 
 thoughts." 
 
 This sentence was uttered with such an accent of 
 concentrated anger and bitterness, that the old man 
 started, and a livid pallor suddenly covered his face. 
 
 " It is well, Senor," the girl continued, "for the fu- 
 ture I will be on my guard." 
 
 " I believed, I repeat," he replied with an accent of 
 concentrated scorn, " that I should render you happy 
 by bringing to you Colonel Melendez ; but since I am 
 mistaken, you shall not see. him, Senorita." 
 
 " What !" she exclaimed, bounding up like a lioness; 
 " what did you say, Senor ? what name did you pro- 
 nounce ?" 
 
 "That of Colonel Melendez." 
 " Have you summoned him ?" 
 "Yes." 
 
 "Is he here?" 
 
 "He is awaiting your permission to enter." 
 The maiden gazed at him for a moment with an in- 
 describable expression of amazement. 
 
THE LAST HALT. 337 
 
 " Why, you must love me !" she at length burst forth. 
 
 " She asks that question!" the old man murmured 
 sadly. " Will you see the Colonel?" 
 
 " One moment, oh, one moment; I want to know you, 
 to understand you, and learn what I ought to think of 
 you." 
 
 " Alas, I repeat to you, senorita, that I love you, 
 love you to adoration ; oh ! do not feel alarmed ; that 
 love has nothing of an insulting nature : what I love in 
 you is an extraordinary, supernatural likeness to a wo- 
 man who died, alas ! on the same day that when my 
 daughter was torn from me by the Indians. The 
 daughter I lost, whom I shall never see again, would 
 be your age, senorita : such is the secret of my love for 
 you, of my repeated attempts to seize your person. Oh, 
 let me love you, and deceive myself; in looking tit you 
 I fancy I see my poor dear child, and that error readers 
 me so happy. Oh senorita ! if you only knew what I 
 have suffered, what I still suffer, from this miserable 
 wound which burns my heart oh ! you would have pity 
 on me." 
 
 While the old man spoke with an impassioned accent, 
 his face was almost transfigured ; it had assumed such 
 an expression of tenderness and sorrow, that the maiden 
 felt affected, and by an involuntary impulse offered him 
 her Kand. 
 
 " Poor father !" she said to him in a gentle and piti- 
 ful voice. 
 
 " Thanks for that word," he replied in a voice chok- 
 ing with emotion, while his face was inundated with 
 tears ; " thanks, senorita, I feel less unhappy now." 
 
 Then, after a moment's silence, he wiped away his tears. 
 
 " Do you wish him to come in ?" he asked softly. 
 
 z 
 
338 THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 She smiled : the old man rushed to the door and 
 threw it wide open. The Colonel entered and ran up 
 to the maiden. White Scalper went out and closed the 
 door after him. 
 
 " At last," the Colonel exclaimed joyously, " I have 
 found you again, dear Carmela !" 
 
 " Alas !" she said. 
 
 " Yes," he exclaimed with animation, " I understand 
 you, but now you have nothing more to fear ; I will 
 free you from the odious yoke that oppresses you, and 
 tear you from your ravisher." 
 
 The maiden softly laid her hand on his arm, and shook 
 her head with an admirable expression of melancholy. 
 
 " I am not a prisoner," she said. 
 
 "What?" he exclaimed with the utmost surprize, 
 " did not this man carry you off?" 
 
 " I do not say that, my friend. I merely say that I 
 am not a prisoner." 
 
 " I do not understand you," he remarked. 
 
 " Alas, I do not understand myself." 
 
 "Then, you think that if you wished to leave this 
 house and follow me to the camp, this man would not 
 attempt to prevent you ?" 
 
 " I am convinced of it." 
 
 " Then we will start at once, Dona Carmela; I will 
 manage to obtain you respectable shelter till your 
 father is restored to you." 
 
 " No, my friend, I shall not go, I cannot follow you." 
 
 " Why, what prevents you ?" 
 
 "Did I not tell you that I do not understand myself; 
 an hour agone I would have followed you gladly, but 
 now I cannot." 
 
 " What has happened, then, during that period ?" 
 
 " Listen, Don Juan, I will be frank with you. I love 
 
THE LAST HALT. 339 
 
 you, as you know, and shall be happy to be your wife ; 
 but if my happiness depended on my leaving this room, 
 I would not do it." 
 
 "Pardon what I am going to say, Dona Carmela, but 
 this is madness." 
 
 " No it is not, I cannot explain it to you, as I do not 
 understand it myself ; but I feel that if I left this place 
 against the wishes of the man who retains me here, I 
 should commit a bad action." 
 
 The Colonel's amazement at these strange words at- 
 tained such a height that he could not find a word to 
 reply, but he looked wildly at the maiden. The man 
 who loves is never mistaken as to the feelings of the 
 woman he loves. The young man felt instinctively that 
 Carmela was directed by her heart in the resolution she 
 had formed. At this moment the door opened, and White 
 Scalper appeared. His appearance was a great relief to 
 the pair, for they were frightfully embarrassed, and the 
 young man especially understood that this unexpected 
 arrival would be of great help to him. There was in 
 the demeanour and manner of the old man a dignity 
 which Carmela had never before remarked. 
 
 *' Pardon me disturbing you," he said, with a kindly 
 accent, that made his hearers start. 
 
 " Oh," he continued, pretending to be mistaken as to 
 the impression he produced ; " excuse me, Colonel, for 
 speaking in this way, but I love Dona Carmela so dearly 
 that I love all she loves ; though old men are egotistic, 
 as you are aware, I have been busy on your behalf 
 during my absence." 
 
 Carmela and the Colonel looked their amazement. 
 The old man smiled. 
 
 " You shall judge for yourselves," he said, " I have 
 
 z2 
 
340 THE WHITE 8CALPEK. 
 
 just heard, from a scout who has come in, that a rein- 
 forcement of Indians has turned our lines, and joined 
 the enemy, among them being a wood-ranger, called 
 Tranquil." 
 
 "My father !" Carmela exclaimed, in delight. 
 
 " Yes," the Scalper said, suppressing a sigh. 
 
 " Oh, pardon me !" the maiden said, as she offered him 
 her hand. 
 
 li Poor child ! how could I feel angry with you ? Must 
 not your heart fly straight to your father r" 
 
 The Colonel was utterly astounded. 
 
 " This is what I thought," the old man continued. 
 "SenorMelendezwill ask General Santa Anna's authority 
 to go under a flag of truce to the enemy. He will see 
 Dona Car m el a' s father, and, after reassuring him about 
 her safety, if he desire that his daughter should be re- 
 stored to him I will take her to him myself." 
 
 " But that is impossible !" the maiden quickly ex- 
 claimed. 
 
 "Why so?" 
 
 " Are you not my father's enemy ?" 
 
 " I was the enemy of the hunter, dear child, but never 
 your father's enemy." 
 
 " Senor," the Colonel said, walking a step toward 
 the old man, "forgive rne ; up to the present I have 
 misunderstood you, or rather, did not know you ; you 
 are a man of heart." 
 
 " No," he answered; "I am a father who has lost his 
 daughter, and who consoles himself by a sweet error;" 
 and he uttered a deep sigh, and added, " time presses ; 
 " begone, Colonel, so that you may return all the sooner." 
 
 " You are right," the young man said. "Farewell, 
 Carmela, for the present." 
 
 And, without waiting for the maiden's reply, he 
 
SAN JACINTO. 341 
 
 rushed out. Eut when the Colonel joined his men 
 again, he learned that the order for the forward march 
 had arrived. He was obliged to obey, and defer his 
 visit to the General for the present. 
 
 CHAPTER XXYL 
 
 SAN JACINTO. 
 
 THE news told White Scalper by the scout was true ; 
 Tranquil and his comrades, after turning the Mexican 
 lines with that craft characteristic of the Indians, had 
 effected their junction with the Texan army ; that is to 
 say, with the vanguard, commanded by the Jaguar, 
 Unfortunately, they only -found John Davis, who told 
 them that the Jaguar had .gone to make an important 
 communication to General Houston. 
 
 If the American had spoken to Tranquil about his 
 daughter, and given him news of her, he would have 
 been forced to reveal the bargain proposed by the Chief 
 of the Pirates, and he did not feel justified in divulging a 
 secret of that importance which was not his own. The 
 Canadian consequently remained ignorant of what was 
 going on, and was far from suspecting that his daughter 
 was so near him $ besides, the moment was a bad one 
 for questioning ; the march had begun again ; and during 
 a retreat the officers who command the rear-guard have 
 something else to do than talk. 
 
 At sunset the Jaguar rejoined his cuadrilla. He was 
 delighted at the arrival of the Comanches, and warmly 
 pressed Tranquil* s hand ; but as the order had been 
 given to advance by forced marches, and the enemy was 
 at hand, the young man had no time either to tell his 
 old friend anything. 
 
 The General had combined his movement with great 
 
THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 cleverness, in order to draw the enemy after him by con- 
 stantly refusing to fight. The Mexicans, puffed up by 
 their early successes, and burning with the desire to 
 crush what they called a revolt, did not require to b e 
 excited to pursue their unseizable enemy. 
 
 The retreat and pursuit continued thus for three days, 
 when the Texans suddenly wheeled, and advanced reso- 
 lutely to meet the Mexicans. The latter, surprised by 
 this sudden return, which they were far from expecting, 
 halted with some hesitation, and formed their line of 
 battle. 
 
 It was the twenty-first of August, 1836, a day ever 
 memorable in the annals of Texas. The two armies 
 were at length face to face on the plains of San Jacinto, 
 and were commanded in person by the chiefs of their 
 respective republics, Generals Santa Anna and Houston- 
 The Mexicans numbered seventeen hundred well armed, 
 veteran soldiers; the Texans amounted to only seven hun- 
 dred and eighty-three, of whom sixty-one were cavalry. 
 
 General Houston had been compelled, on the previous 
 evening, to detach the Jaguar's cuadrilla, which the 
 Comanches and the hunters had joined ; for, contrary 
 to Sandoval's expectations, his men had refused to ratify 
 the bargain he had made in their names with the Jaguar. 
 JSfot that they were actuated by any patriotic feeling, we 
 are bound to state, but merely because they had come 
 across a hacienda, which seemed to offer them the pros- 
 pect of splendid plunder. Hence, without caring for 
 either party, they had shut themselves up in the 
 hacienda, and refused to quit it, in spite of the en- 
 treaties and threats of the Chief, who, seeing that they 
 had made up their minds, at length followed their ex- 
 ample. The Jaguar was therefore detached by the 
 General to dislodge these dangerous visitors, and the 
 
^ SAST JACINTO. 343 
 
 young man obeyed, though unwillingly, for he foresaw 
 that he should miss the battle. 
 
 General Houston, gave Colonel Lamar, who was at a 
 later date President of Texas, the command of the sixty 
 horsemen left him, and resolutely prepared for action, in 
 spite of the numerical disproportion of his forces. The 
 two armies, whose struggle would decide the fate of a 
 country, were hardly as numerous as a French regiment. 
 At sunrise the battle commenced with extreme fury. 
 The Texans, formed in square, advanced silently, within 
 musket shot of the enemy. 
 
 "Boys!" General Houston suddenly shouted, as he 
 drew his sword, "boys! REMEMBER THE ALAMO!*' 
 
 A terrible fire answered him, and the Texans rushed 
 on the enemy, who were already wavering. The battle 
 lasted eighteen minutes 1 at the expiration of that time, 
 the Mexicans were broken, and in full flight ; their 
 flags, their camp, with arms, baggage, provisions, and 
 equipage, fell into the hands of the victors. Consider- 
 ing the limited number of combatants, the carnage was 
 immense, for six hundred Mexicans, including a Gene- 
 ral and four Colonels, were killed, two hundred and 
 eighty-three wounded, and seven hundred made pri- 
 soners ; only sixty men, among them being Santa Anna, 
 succeeded in effecting their escape. 
 
 As for the Texans, owing to the impetuosity of their 
 attack, they had only two men killed and twenty-three 
 wounded, though six of these died afterwards an in- 
 significant loss, which proves once again, the superiority 
 of resolution over hesitation, for most of the Mexicans 
 were killed during the rout. 
 
 The Texans slept in the field of ^battle. General 
 Houston, when sending off the Jaguar against the 
 pirates, had said to him : 
 
344 THE WHITE 8CALPEB. 
 
 "Finish with those villains speedily, and perhaps 
 you will return in time for the battle." 
 
 These words were sufficient to give the Chief of the 
 partizans wings ; still, however great his speed might be, 
 night surprised him, when still ten leagues from the 
 hacienda, and he was compelled to halt, for both men 
 and horses were utterly worn out. On the morrow, at 
 the moment when he was about to start again, he re- 
 ceived news of the battle of the previous day, in a very 
 singular manner. 
 
 John Davis, while prowling among the chapparal 
 according to his wont, discovered a man hidden in the 
 tall grass, who was trembling all over. The American, 
 taking him naturally enough for a Mexican spy, ordered 
 him to get up. The man then fell on his knees, kissed 
 Ms hands, and implored him to let him go, offering him 
 all the gold and jewels he had about him. These suppli- 
 cations and intreaties produced no other effect on the 
 American than converting his suspicions into certainty. 
 
 " Come, come," he said roughly to his prisoner, as he 
 cocked a pistol, " enough of this folly ; go on before me, 
 or I will blow out your brains." 
 
 The sight of the weapon produced all the effect de- 
 sired on the stranger, he bowed his head piteously, and 
 followed his captor to the bivouac, with no further 
 attempts to seduce him. 
 
 " Who the deuce have you brought us ?" the Jaguar 
 asked sharply. 
 
 " On my word," the American answered, " I do not 
 know. He's a scamp I found in the tall grass, who 
 looks to me precious like a spy." 
 
 " Ah, ah !" the Jaguar said with an ugly smile, "his 
 business will soon be settled : have him shot." 
 
 The prisoner started, and his face assumed an earthy hue. 
 
SAN JACINTO. 
 
 "One moment, Caballeros," he exclaimed, while 
 struggling in the utmost terror with the men who had 
 already seized him " one moment ; I am not what yon 
 suppose." 
 
 "Nonsense," the Jaguar said with a grin, "you are 
 a Mexican, and that is sufficient." 
 
 " I am," the prisoner exclaimed, " Don Antonio 
 Lopez de Santa Anna, President of the Mexican Ee- 
 public." 
 
 " What ?" the Jaguar exclaimed in amazement, " you 
 are Santa Anna." 
 
 "Alas! yes," the President answered, piteously, 
 for it was really he. 
 
 " What were you doing concealed in the grass?" '; 
 
 " I was trying to fly." 
 
 " Then you have heen defeated r" 
 
 " Oh, yes ! my army is destroyed. Oh, your General 
 is not born for common things, for he has had the glory 
 of conquering the Napoleon of the West"* 
 
 At this absurd claim, especially in the mouth of such 
 a man, his hearers, in spite of the respect due to mis- 
 fortune, could not refrain from bursting into a loud and 
 contemptuous laugh. To this manifestation the haughty 
 Mexican was completely insensible ; for, now that he 
 was recognized, he felt sure of not being shot he cared 
 little for all else. The Jaguar wrote to General Hous- 
 ton, describing the facts, and sent off the prisoner to 
 him, under the escort of twenty men, commanded by 
 John Davis, io whom this honour belonged by right, as 
 he had been the first to discover the prisoner. 
 
 " Well," the Jaguar muttered, as he looked after the 
 
 * The sentence is literally true, but was said by Santa Anna to 
 Houston himself. 
 
346 THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 escort along the winding road, "fortune does not favour 
 me I succeed in nothing." 
 
 " Ingrate that you are !" Loyal Heart said to him ; 
 "to complain when the most glorious trophy of the 
 victory was reserved to you ; through the capture of that 
 prisoner, the war is over, and the Independence of Texas 
 assured for ever." 
 
 "That is true," the Jaguar shouted, as he leapt with 
 joy; "I did not think of that. Viva Dios ! you are 
 right, my friend, and I thank you for having put me 
 on the track. By Jove ! I should not have thought of 
 that without you. Come, come," he gently exclaimed, 
 "let us be off to the hacienda, comrades ! we shall deal 
 the last blow !" 
 
 The cuadrilla started under the guidance of its Chief ; 
 we will leave the adventurers to follow their road, and 
 preceding them for a few moments, enter the hacienda. 
 
 The pirates, according to the custom of people of that 
 stamp, had immediately made themselves at home in 
 the hacienda, whose owner had fled on seeing the ap- 
 proach of war, and from which Sandoval and his men 
 expelled the peons and servants. The pillage was 
 immediately organized on a great scale, and they had 
 naturally begun with the cellars, that is to say, with 
 the French and Spanish wines and strong liquors, so 
 that two hours after their arrival, all the villains were 
 as full as butts, and yells and songs rose from all sides* 
 
 Naturally the White Scalper had been compelled to 
 follow the pirates, and carry Carmela with him. In 
 spite of the precautions taken by the old man, the 
 maiden heard from the chambers in which she sought 
 shelter the cries of these raging fellows which reached 
 her, threatening and sinister as the rolling of thunder 
 in a tempest. Sandoval had not renounced his plan of 
 
SAX JACINTO; 
 
 347 
 
 revenging himself on the man he regarded as his enemy, 
 and the intoxication of his men seemed to him an ex- 
 cellent opportunity for getting rid of him. 
 
 White Scalper tried by all the means in his power to 
 oppose this gigantic orgie, for he knew that these rough 
 and rebellious men, very difficult to govern when sober, 
 became utterly undisciplined so soon ,as intoxication got 
 hold of them. But the pirates had already tasted the 
 wines and spirits, and, excited by Sandoval, they only an- 
 swered the Scalper's representations with murmurs and 
 insults. The latter, despairing of making them listen to 
 reason, and wishing to spare the maiden the odious and 
 disgusting spectacle of an orgie, hastened to return to 
 her, and after trying to calm her, he stationed himself 
 before the door of the room that served as her refuge, 
 resolved to smash the first pirate who attempted to 
 approach her. 
 
 Several hours passed, and no one thought about dis- 
 turbing the old man. He was beginning to hope that 
 all would pass over quietly, when he suddenly heard a 
 great noise, followed by yells and oaths, and a dozen 
 pirates appeared at the entrance of the long corridor at 
 the end of which he was standing sentry, brandishing 
 their weapons and uttering threats. At the sight of 
 these furious men, whom intoxication rendered deaf to 
 all remonstrances, the old man understood that a ter- 
 rible and deadly struggle was about to begin between 
 them and him. He was alone against all, but yet he 
 did not despair ; a sinister light gleamed in his eye, his 
 eyebrows met under the might of an implacable will ; 
 he drew himself up to his full height before the door he 
 had sworn to defend, and in an instant became once 
 more the ferocious and terrible demon who had so long 
 been the terror of the Western countries. 
 
348 THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 However, the Scalper's position was not so desperate 
 as it might appear. Foreseeing all that occurred at this 
 moment, he had taken all the precautions in his power 
 to save the maiden ; the window of the room in which 
 she was was only a couple of feet from the ground, and 
 opened on the yard of the hacienda, where a ready- 
 saddled horse was standing, in the event of flight becom- 
 ing necessary. After giving Carmela, who was kneeling 
 in the middle of the room and praying fervently, a final 
 hint, the old man prepared to resist his aggressors. 
 
 The pirates, at the sight of this man who was await- 
 ing them so menacingly, stopped involuntarily ; the front 
 men even took a timid glance back, as if to see whether 
 a chance of retreat were left them ; but the passage was 
 interrupted by those who came behind them and thrust 
 them on. Sandoval, who was well aware with what 
 sort of a man his comrades would have to deal, had 
 prudently abstained from showing himself, and re- 
 mained with some of his friends in the banqueting- 
 hall, drinking and singing. 
 
 The delay in the pirates' advance had suggested to the 
 Scalper the idea of setting the door ajar, so that he might 
 escape with greater facility when the moment arrived. 
 Eat the period of hesitation did not last a second ; the 
 yells burst forth again louder than before, and the bandits 
 prepared to rush on the old man. , The latter was still 
 calm, and cold as a marble statue ; he had placed his 
 rifle against the wall, within reach, and stood with his 
 pistols in his hands awaiting the opportunity to deal a 
 decisive blow. 
 
 " Stop, or I fire !" he shouted, in a thundering voice. 
 
 The yells were doubled, and the bandits drew nearer. 
 Two shots were fired, and two men fell ; the Scalper 
 discharged his rifle at the mob, then taking it by the 
 
SAN JACINTO. 349 
 
 barrel and using it like a club, lie rushed on the bandits, 
 who were startled by this sudden attack, and ere they 
 could dream of resistance he drove them, to the end of 
 the corridor and down the stairs. Oat of ten pirates 
 six were killed, and four, dangerously wounded, fled 
 with shrieks of terror. 
 
 The Scalper lost no time ; bounding like a wild beast, 
 he rushed into the room, the door of which he closed 
 after him, took in his arms Carmela, who was lying 
 senseless on the floor, leaped out of window, threw the 
 girl across his saddle bow, and darting on the horse's 
 back he started across country with headlong speed. 
 All this took place in less time than we have required 
 to describe it, and the pirates had not recovered from 
 their terror ere the Scalper had disappeared. 
 
 "YivaDios!" Sandoval shouted, striking the table 
 with his fist; " shall we let him escape ? to horse, com- 
 rades, to horse !" 
 
 " To horse !" the bandits yelled, as they rushed to 
 the corrals, where their horses were put up. Ten minutes 
 later the pirates dashed off in pursuit of White Scalper, 
 and the hacienda was thus freed of its unwelcome guests. 
 
 In the meanwhile White Scalper was flying at full 
 speed, without following any settled direction ; he had 
 only one object, thought, or desire to save Carmela. 
 The maiden, revived by the fresh air, was setting up in 
 the saddle, and, with her arms clasped round the old 
 man's body, constantly repeated, in a voice choking 
 with emotion, while looking with terror round her : 
 
 " Ply, fly ! quicker, oh quicker !" 
 
 And the horse redoubled its speed, and thus ran with 
 the rapidity of the stag pursued by a pack of hounds. 
 All at once the old man perceived a band of horsemen 
 debouching from a hollow way just ahead of him. 
 
350 THE WHITE SCALPEB. 
 
 " Courage, Carmela !" he shouted ; "we are saved." 
 
 '* Go on, go on," the maiden replied. 
 
 This band was the Jaguar's ; the young Chief, in his 
 impatience to reach the hacienda, was galloping a long 
 distance ahead of his men. All at once he perceived the 
 horseman coming towards him. 
 
 " Oh !" he exclaimed, with a feeling of deep hatred ; 
 "White Scalper." 
 
 He at once stopped his horse, so suddenly that the 
 noble animal all but fell, and raised his rifle. 
 
 " Stop, stop, do not fire ! in Heaven's name do not 
 fire !" the Canadian shouted, who was spurring his 
 horse and coming up at full speed, followed by Loyal 
 Heart and the main body. 
 
 Eut, before the hunter could reach the Jaguar, the 
 latter, who had not heard, or, probably, had not under- 
 stood him, pulled the trigger. White Scalper, struck 
 in the middle of the chest, rolled in the sand, dragging 
 Carmela down with him in his fall. 
 
 " Ah !" Tranquil said, in despair, addressing Loyal 
 Heart, " the unhappy man has killed his father !" 
 
 " Silence !" the latter exclaimed, placing his hand on 
 his mouth ; " silence, in Heaven's name !" 
 
 The Scalper was not dead, however ; the Jaguar ap- 
 proached him, probably to finish him, but Carmela, who 
 was inspecting his wound, drew herself up like a lioness 
 and repulsed him with horror. 
 
 " Back, assassin !" she shrieked. 
 
 In spite of himself the young man recoiled, astonished 
 and confounded. Tranquil rushed toward the wounded 
 man, while Loyal Heart took hold of the Jaguar, and 
 speaking gently to him, led him from the spot where 
 White Scalper was writhing in agony. The old man 
 
BAN JACINTO. 351 
 
 held the maiden's hands in his own, which were already 
 hathed in a death-sweat. 
 
 " Carmela, poor Carmela !" he said to her, in a broken 
 voice; " oh, Heaven, what will become of you now 
 that I am dying." 
 
 " ISTo, no, it is not possible, you will not die/' the 
 girl exclaimed, stifling her sobs. 
 
 The old man smiled sadly. 
 
 " Alas, poor child !" he had said, " I have but a few 
 moments to live; who will protect you when I am 
 gone ?" 
 
 "I !" said the hunter, who had come up. 
 
 "You!" the wounded man replied; " you, her father?" 
 
 " No, her friend," the hunter remarked, with a 
 melancholy accent, and drawing from his bosom the ' 
 necklace Quoniam had torn from the Scalper during the 
 fight in Galveston Bay, he said with supreme majesty, 
 "James Watt,* embrace your daughter; Carmela, 
 embrace your father." 
 
 " Oh ! the wounded man exclaimed, " my heart did 
 not deceive me, then ?" 
 
 "My father, my father, bless me !" the maiden mur- 
 mured, falling on her knees. 
 
 White Scalper, or Major Watt, drew himself up as if 
 he had received an electric shock, and laid his hands on 
 the head of the kneeling girl. 
 
 "Bless you, my child !" he said ; then after a mo- 
 ment of silence, he muttered in an almost indistinct 
 voice, "I had a son too." 
 
 "He is dead," the hunter answered, as he looked 
 sorrowfully at the Jaguar. 
 
 "May Heaven pardon him !" the old man muttered. 
 And falling back, he breathed his last sigh. 
 * See Border Rifles, same publishers. 
 
352 THE WHITE SCALPER. 
 
 " My friend," Carmela said to the hunter, " you, 
 whom I no longer dare to call my father, what do you 
 order me to do in the presence of this corpse r" 
 
 " Live !" the Canadian answered hoarsely, as he 
 pointed to a horseman who was coming up at full speed, 
 " for you love and are beloved ; life is scarce beginning 
 for you, and you -may still be happy." 
 
 The rider was Colonel Melendez. 
 
 Carmela let her head fall in her hands, and burst 
 into tears. 
 
 During my last visit to Texas, I had the honour of 
 being presented to Dona Carmela, then married to Co- 
 lonel Melendez, who retired from the service after the 
 battle of San Jacinto. 
 
 Tranquil lived with them, but Loyal Heart had re- 
 turned to the desert. The Jaguar, after the events we 
 have described, resumed his adventurous life, and a 
 year had scarce elapsed ere his death was heard of. 
 Surprised by Apache Indians, from whom he might 
 easily have escaped, he insisted on fighting them, and 
 was massacred by these pitiless enemies of the white 
 race. 
 
 Did the Jaguar know that he had killed his father, 
 or was it his despair at seeing his love despised by 
 Carmela, that determined him. to seek death ? 
 
 That remained a mystery which no one was ever 
 able to solve. Let us hope that a merciful and just GOD 
 pardoned this son his involuntary parricide ! 
 
 THE END. 
 BILLING, PRINTER AND STEREOTYPES, GUILDFORD, SURREY. 
 
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