A glance of surprise told that he was understood. The bandit let go the hold of one of his hands and made a convulsive grasp at his rescuer. Their fingers touched, but at the same moment the branch gave way, and, with a cry of wild despair, the wretched man went headlong down.
Not, however, to destruction. The effort he had made threw him slightly to one side of the line which his horse had taken in its fall. The difference was very slight indeed, yet it sufficed to send him towards another bush lower down the cliff. Still, the height he had to fall would have ensured the breaking of all his bones if the bush had not hurled him off with a violent rebound.
Lawrence almost felt giddy with horror. Next moment a heavy plunge was heard. The man had fallen into a deep dark pool in the river, which was scarce distinguishable from the cliffs above. Being fringed with bushes, it was impossible to note whether he rose again. Lawrence was still gazing anxiously at the pool, when something touched his cheek. It was a lasso which Pedro had quietly dropped over his shoulders.
Hold fast to it, senhor, youll never get up without it, he said, in tones so earnest that the youth became suddenly alive to the great danger of his position. In the haste and anxiety of his descent he had failed to note that one or two of the slight projections on which he had placed his feet had broken away, and that therefore a return to the top of the almost perpendicular precipice by the same route was impracticable. Even the slight ledge on which he stood, and from which the little shrub grew, seemed to be crumbling away beneath his great weight. With that feeling of alarm which the sudden and unexpected prospect of instant death brings, we presume, even to the stoutest hearts, Lawrence clutched the line convulsively. He was ignorant at that time of the great strength of the South American lasso, and hesitated to trust his life entirely to it. Pedro guessed his feelings.
Dont fear to trust it, he said, many a wild bull it has held, four times your size; but wait till Quashy and I get our feet well fixedwell haul you up easily.
Have you made the end fast? cried Lawrence, looking up and encountering the anxious gaze of the Indian maiden.
Yes, massa, all fast, answered Quashy, whose look of horror can be more easily imagined than described.
Hold on, then, and dont haul.
The two men obeyed, and the active youth pulled himself up hand over hand, making good use in passing of any hollow or projection that afforded the slightest hold for his toes. At the top he was roughly grasped by his rescuers and dragged into safety.
Poor fellow! he exclaimed, on reaching the top.
Well, massa, said Quashy, with a broad grin, das jist wat Is agwine to say, but yous too quick for me.
I meant the bandit, not myself, said Lawrence, looking over the cliff at the pool with an expression of great pity.
Ha! dont be uneasy about him, said Pedro, with a short laugh, as he resumed the binding of the stunned robber. If hes killed or drowned hes well out o the way. If he has escaped hell be sure to recover and make himself a pest to the neighbourhood for many a day to come.No, no, my good man, its of no use, you neednt try it.
The latter part of this speech was in Spanish, and addressed to the robber, who, having recovered consciousness, had made a sudden struggle to shake off his captor. As suddenly he ceased the effort on finding that the strength of the guide was greatly superior to his own.
In another minute Pedro stood up, having bound the bandits hands in front of him in a manner that rendered any effort at self-liberation impossibleat least in a short space of time.
There, said Pedro to Lawrence, Ill warrant him to lead a harmless life until to-morrow at any rate.
As he spoke he drew the mans pistols, knife, and carbine, and handed them to Quashy.
There, he said, you may find these useful.
Meanwhile the robber lay quietly on his back, glancing from one to another of the party with looks of hatred that told clearly enough how he would have acted had he been free.
Turning to him as he was about to remount and quit the scene, Pedro said very sternly in Spanish
You and I have met before, friend, and you know my powers with the rifle at long-range. If you offer to rise from the spot where you now lie until we have disappeared round that rocky point half a mile along the road, you are a dead man. After we have turned the point, you may go where you will and do what you please. I might point out that in refraining from cutting your throat I am showing mercy which you dont deservebut it is useless to throw pearls to swine.
The man spoke no word of reply, though he did look a little surprised as the party left him and rode away.
Would it not have been safer to have bound his hands behind his back? asked Lawrence.
No doubt it would, but he is secure enough for our purpose as he is. If I had bound him as you suggest, he would have been almost certain to perish, being quite unable to help himself. As it is, he can use his tied hands to some extent, and, by perseverance in sawing the lines against sharp rocks, he will set himself free at last. By that time, however, we shall be beyond his reach.
From time to time they all glanced over their shoulders as they rode along, but the bound man did not stir. After they had passed beyond the point of rock before referred to, Lawrences curiosity prompted him to turn back and peep round.
The bandit had already risen from the ground, and could be seen walking, as quickly as circumstances permitted, up the track by which they had just descended.
In a few minutes his tall figure was seen to pause for a brief space at the summit of the pass. Then it disappeared on the other side into the gloomy recesses of the mountains.
Chapter Four.
In which Quashy is Communicative and an Enemy is Turned into a Friend
The pass which our travellers had just crossed merely led them over a mountain chain which may be described as the Peruvian Cordillera. Beyond it lay a fruitful valley of considerable extent, which terminated at the base of the great range, or backbone, of the Andes. Beyond this again lay another valley of greater extent than the first, which was bounded by a third range or cordillera of inferior height, the eastern slopes of which descended on one hand in varying undulations to the dense forests of equatorial Brazil, on the other, by easy gradations to the level Pampas or plains which extend for hundreds of miles through the lands of the Argentine Confederation to the Atlantic.
Two mountain passes, therefore, were still to be crossed, and Lawrence Armstrong began to think that if things went on as they had begun a pretty lively experience probably lay before them.
But in this he was mistaken, at least as regarded banditti, though in some other respects the journey was not quite devoid of stirring incidentsas we shall see.
We have said that the good-nature of the young Englishman induced him to attempt conversation with the Indian girl, and at first Manuela appeared to be amused, if not interested, by his unsuccessful efforts; but after one of these futile attempts Pedro made some remarks to the girl in the Indian tongue, and in a tone of remonstrance, which had the effect of rendering her more silent and grave than before. Lawrence, therefore, finally ceased to address her, though his natural gallantry prompted him to offer assistance when it seemed necessary, and to accost her with a hearty good-night and good-morning each day.
As Pedro, in his capacity of guide, usually rode a few paces in advance, and was frequently in a silent, abstracted mood, Lawrence was thus thrown almost entirely on the negro for companionship. Although the young Englishman may not have estimated his company very highly, nothing could have been more satisfactory to Quashy, who, with delight expressed in every wrinkle and lineament of his black visage, fully availed himself of his opportunities.
O Massa Lawrie! he exclaimed, at the close of one of their conversations, how I does lub to talk ob de ole times when me an you was play togidder!
Yes, its very nice to recall old times, answered Lawrence, with a half-suppressed yawn, for they had by that time gone over the old times so often that the novelty had rather worn off.
Yes, bery nice, repeated Quashy, with gleaming eyes, when I tink ob de ole fadder an de ole mill an de ole fun what me an you carried onoh! my heart goes like to bust.
Dont let it bust here, whatever you do, Quashy, for youll need all the heart you possess to carry you safely over these mountain passes.
Quashy opened his huge mouth, shut his eyes, and went off in a high falsettohis usual mode of laughing. He always laughed at Lawrences little jokes, whether good or bad, insomuch that the youth finally abstained from jesting as much as possible.
I did not know, continued Lawrence, that there were so many robbers about. Pedro tells me that the mountains are swarming with them just now.
Ho yis, massa, plenty ob rubbers eberywhar, said Quashy, with a nod, more nor nuff ob dem. You see, massa, Chili an Proos a-fightin wid each oder jus now. What deys fightin about no mortial knows; an, whats more, nobody cares. I spose one say de oders wrong an de oder say de ones say not right. Bof say das a big lie so at it dey goes hammer an tongs to proveha! ha! to prove deys bof right. Oh my!
Here the negro opened his cavernous jaws and gave vent to another explosion of shrill laughter.
What fools dey is!
Then you think it is only fools who fight, Quashy?
Ob coorse, massa. Don you see, if dey wasnt fools dey wouldnt fight; cause fightin cant prove nuffin, an it cant do nuffin, cep waste life an money. No doubt, added the negro, with a meditative gaze at the ground, when rubbers come at a feller hes boun to fight, for why? he cant help it; or when Red Injin savages
Have a care, Quashy, what you say about Indians. Ive warned you once already.
O massa! said the poor black, with a look of almost superhuman penitence, I beg your pardn. Is quite forgit to remimber. I was just agwine to say that there is times when you mus fight. But isnt Chili Christn, an isnt Proo Christn? I don bleeve in Christns what cut each oders troats to prove deys right. Howsever, das noting. What Is agwine to say isdars a lot o white livers on bof sides, an dese dey runs away, takes to de mountains and becomes rubbers. But deys not all bad alike, dough none of ems good. Yous heerd ob Conrad ob de Mountains, massa?
Yes, Pedro mentioned his name. He seems to be a celebrated bandit.
Well, Is not sure. Some peepil say hes not a rubber at all, but a good sort o feller as goes mad sometimes. Hes bery kind to women an childn, but hes bery awrful.
Thats a strange character. How do you know hes so very awful, Quashy?
Because I seed im, massa.
Indeed, where?
On de plains ob Proo, massa, replied the negro, with that self-satisfied clearing of the throat which was usually the prelude to a long story.
Come now, Quashy, said Lawrence, with a laugh, dont be too long-winded, and dont exaggerate.
Dont ex-what-gerate, massa?
Exaggerate.
Whats dat, massa?
Never mind, Quashygo on.
With a genial and highly exaggerated smile, the negro proceeded:
Well, as I was agwine to say, I see dis man, Conrad ob de Mountains, on de plains ob Proo. Is in de Proo camp at de time, attendin on yous fadder, an de army ob Chili was in front ob us on de slopes ob de hills, agwine to go in for a fight wid us. De sojers of Proo wasnt bery keen for fightin. I could see dat, but their ginral screwed em up to de pint, an dey was all ready, when all of a sudden, we sees a prisner brought in by four sojers. Dey seem so fraid ob him dey darnt touch him, tho he was unarmed. Two walked behind him, an two walked in front ob im, all wid dere baynets pintin at im, ready to skewer im all round if he was try to run. But, poor chap, he walk wid his head down, bery sad-likenebber tinkin ob runnin. So dey druv im up to our ginral. I was in a crowd o tall fellers, an de prisner had his back to me, so I not seed his face well. Das Conrad ob de Mountains deyve cotched, says a feller near me. Listen! We all listend so quiet you could hear a skito sneeze. Whats you name? asks de ginral, ridin close up to Conrad on his splendid war-hossa child ob one ob de war-hosses as come ober wid Pizarro from Spain. My names Pumpkin, answers de prisner. Das a lie! says de ginral. Nos not, says Conrad, lookin up, as I could see by de back ob his head. What side you blongs to, raskil? To no side, ginral. Whar you come fro? Fro de mountains, ginrl. Whar you go to? Ober de mountains, ginral. I could see by de way de fedders in de ginrals hat shake dat hes gittin in a wax at de cool imprence ob de prisner, but he strain hisself, an spoke sarkmustic. Senhor Pumpkin, says he, you are Conrad ob de Mountains,(cause he guess who he was by dat time); how you prepose to go ober de mountains? Dis way! says Conrad, an, nixt momint, up goes de ginrals leg, down goes his head an fedders on de ground, and Conrad sits in de saddle afore you can wink. All round de baynets was charge, but dey haul up jist in time not to skewer one anoder, for de horse shotted out fro between dem all, an away straight to de Chili lines, whar dere was a great cheerin, for dey tought it was a deserter. When Conrad came up, he trotted quietly troo de ranks, till he got near to whar de Chili commander stood wid his hofficers, wonderin who he was. As he couldnt spec to git no furder, he rides quietly up to a hofficer, takes de sword out ob his hand afore he understand what he wants, den, diggin de spurs into de big war-hoss, off he goes wid a yell like a Red Injoh! Is mean like aa bufflo bull. Out comes de swords. Dey close all round im. I no see him by dat time. He too fur off; but a friend ob mine was near, an he say dat Conrad swing de long sword so quick, an de sun was shinin so clar, dat it look like a circle ob fire all round him. Down dey hoed on ebery side. Off goed a head here, an arm dere. One trooper cut troo at de waist, an falld off, but de legs stick on. Anoder splitted right down fro de helmet, so as one half fall on one side, an de odour half fall
Come now, Quashy, interrupted Lawrence, with a laugh, you exaggerate.
What! you call dat exaggerate, massa? Den Conrad exaggerate about ten more afore he cut his way troo an scaped to de hills. Oh, hes an awrful man!
Truly he must be very awful, if all you relate of him be true, said Lawrence; and I sincerely trust that if we fall in with him we may find him friendly. Now, I shall ride forward, and ask Pedro if we are far from our halting-place.