Yes, said the guide in conclusion, the Incas were, and some of their descendants still are, a very fine race. Many of the men are what I call natures gentlemen, having thoughtsay, and manners too, that would grace any society. Some of their women, also, are worthy to
Pedro! interrupted Lawrence eagerly, laying his hand on the guides arm, for a sudden idea had flashed into his mind. (He was rather subject to the flashing of sudden ideas!) Pedro! she is a daughter of a chief of the Incasis she not? a princess of the Incas! Have I not guessed rightly?
He said this in a half whisper, and pointed as he spoke to the screen behind which Manuela lay.
Pedro smiled slightly and tipped the ash from the end of his cigarette, but made no answer.
Nay, I will not pry into other peoples affairs, said Lawrence, in his usual tone, but you once told me she is the daughter of a chief, and assuredly no lady in this land could equal her in grace or dignity of carriage and manner, to say nothing of modesty, which is the invariable evidence.
Not of high rank? interrupted the guide, with a quick and slightly sarcastic glance.
No, but of nobility of mind and heart, replied the youth, with much enthusiasm. In which feeling he was earnestly backed up by Quashy, who, with eyes that absolutely glowed, said
Yous right, massasure an sartin! Modesty am de grandest ting I knows. Once I knowed a young nigger gal what libbed near your fadders millSoozn dey calls eran shes so modest, sooh! I not kin splain rightlybut I say to er one day, when Id got my courage screwed up, Soozn, ses I. Well, ses she. II lub you, ses I, more nor myself, cause I tink so well ob you. Eberybody tinks well ob you, Soozn. Whatwhat (I was gitten out o bref by dis time from citement, and not knowin what more to say, so I ses) whatwhat you tink ob youself Soozn?
Nuffin, ses she! Now, wasnt dat modest?
It certainly was, Quashy. Couldnt have been more so, said Pedro. And after that we couldnt, I think, do better than turn in.
The fire had by that time burned low, and the gale was still raging around them, driving the snowdrift wildly against the hut, and sometimes giving the door so violent a shake as to startle poor Quashy out of sweet memories of Soozn into awful thoughts of the ghost that had not yet been laid.
Each man appropriated a vacant corner of the hut in which to spread his simple couch, the negro taking care to secure that furthest from the door.
Lawrence Armstrong thought much over his supposed discovery before falling asleep that night, and the more he thought the more he felt convinced that the Indian girl was indeed a princess, and owed her good looks, sweet disposition, graceful form and noble carriage to her descent from a race which had at one period been highly civilised when all around them were savage. It was a curious subject of contemplation. The colour of his waking thoughts naturally projected itself into the young mans dreams. He was engaged in an interesting anthropological study. He found himself in the ancient capital of the Incas. He beheld a princess of great beauty surrounded by courtiers, but she was brown! He thought what an overwhelming pity it was that she was not white! Then he experienced a feeling of intense disappointment that he himself had not been born brown. By degrees his thoughts became more confused and less decided in colourwhitey-brown, in fact,and presented a series of complicated regrets and perplexing impossibilities, in a vain effort to disentangle which he dropped asleep.
Chapter Seven.
Things begin to look BrighterThe Guides Story
It was bright day when our travellers awoke, but only a dim light penetrated into their dungeon-like dormitory, for, besides being very small, the three windows, or loop-holes, had been so filled up with snow as to shut out much of the light that would naturally have entered.
That the gale still raged outside was evident enough to the sense of hearing, and sometimes the gusts were so sudden and strong that the little building trembled, stout though it was. Indeed, Lawrence at first thought they must be experiencing the shocks of an earthquake, a mistake not unnatural in one who, besides having had but little experience in regard to such catastrophes, knew well that he was at the time almost in the centre of a region celebrated for earthquakes.
It was with mingled feelings of interest, anxiety, and solemnity that he surveyed the scene outside through a hole in the door. It seemed as if an Arctic winter had suddenly descended on them. Snow completely covered hill and gorge as far as the vision could range but they could not see far, for at every fresh burst of the furious wind the restless wreaths were gathered up and whirled madly to the sky, or swept wildly down the valleys, or dashed with fury against black precipices and beetling cliffs, to which they would sometimes cling for a few seconds, then, falling away, would be caught up again by the tormenting gale, and driven along in some new direction with intensified violence.
No prospect of quitting the hut to-day, observed Lawrence, turning away from the bewildering scene.
None, said Pedro, stretching himself, and rising sleepily on one elbow, as men are wont to do when unwilling to get up.
Nebber mind, massa; lots o grub! cried Quashy, awaking at that moment, leaping up like an acrobat, and instantly setting about the kindling of the fire.
Having, as Quashy truly said, lots of grub, possessing a superabundance of animal vigour, and being gifted with untried as well as unknown depths of intellectual power, also with inexhaustible stores of youthful hope, our travellers had no difficulty in passing that day in considerable enjoyment, despite adverse circumstances; but when they awoke on the second morning and found the gale still howling, and the snow still madly whirling, all except Pedro began to express in word and countenance feelings of despondency. Manuela did not speak much, it is true, but she naturally looked somewhat anxious. Lawrence began to recall the fate of previous travellers in that very hut, and his countenance became unusually grave, whereupon Quashywhose nature it was to conform to the lead of those whom he loved, and, in conforming, outrageously to overdo his partlooked in his young masters face and assumed such an aspect of woeful depression that his visage became distinctly oval, though naturally round.
Observing this, Lawrence could not restrain a short laugh, whereupon, true as the compass to the Pole, the facile Quashy went right round; his chin came up, his cheeks went out, his eyes opened with hopeful sheen, and his thick lips expanded into a placid grin.
There is no cause for alarm, observed Pedro, who had risen to assist in preparing breakfast. No doubt it is the worst storm I ever met with, or even heard of, at this season of the year, but it cannot last much longer; and whatever happens, it cant run into winter just now.
As if to justify the guides words, the hurricane began to diminish in violence, and the pauses between blasts were more frequent and prolonged. When breakfast was over, appearances became much more hopeful, and before noon the storm had ceased to rage.
Taking advantage of the change, without delay they loaded the pack-mules, saddled, mounted, and set forth.
To many travellers it would have been death to have ventured out on such a trackless waste, but Pedro knew the road and the landmarks so thoroughly that he advanced with his wonted confidence. At first the snow was very deep, and, despite their utmost care, they once or twice strayed from the road, and were not far from destruction. As they descended, however, the intense cold abated; and when they came out upon occasional table-lands, they found that the snow-fall there had been much less than in the higher regions, also that it had drifted off the road so much that travelling became more easy.
Taking advantage of the change, without delay they loaded the pack-mules, saddled, mounted, and set forth.
To many travellers it would have been death to have ventured out on such a trackless waste, but Pedro knew the road and the landmarks so thoroughly that he advanced with his wonted confidence. At first the snow was very deep, and, despite their utmost care, they once or twice strayed from the road, and were not far from destruction. As they descended, however, the intense cold abated; and when they came out upon occasional table-lands, they found that the snow-fall there had been much less than in the higher regions, also that it had drifted off the road so much that travelling became more easy.
That night they came to a second hut-of-refuge, and next day had descended into a distinctly warmer region on the eastern slopes of the great range, over which they travelled from day to day with ever increasing comfort. Sometimes they put up at outlying mountain farms, and were always hospitably received; sometimes at small hamlets or villages, where they could exchange or purchase mules, and, not unfrequently, they encamped on the wild mountain slopes, with the green trees or an overhanging cliff, or the open sky to curtain them, and the voices of the puma and the jaguar for their lullaby.
Strange to say, in crossing the higher parts of the Andes not one of the party suffered from the rarity of the air. Many travellers experience sickness, giddiness, and extreme exhaustion from this cause in those regions. Some have even died of the effects experienced at the greater heights, yet neither Manuela, nor Lawrence, nor Quashy was affected in the slightest degree. We can assign no reason for their exemptioncan only state the fact. As for the guide, he was in this matteras, indeed, he seemed to be in everythinginvulnerable.
One afternoon, as they rode along a mountain track enjoying the sunshine, which at that hour was not too warm, Lawrence pushed up alongside of the guide.
It seems to me, he said, that we are wandering wonderfully far out of our way just now. We have been going due north for several days; at least so my pocket compass tells me, and if my geography is not greatly at fault, our backs instead of our faces are turned at present towards Buenos Ayres. I do not wish to pry into your secrets, Senhor Pedro, but if it is not presuming too much I should like to know when we shall begin to move in the direction of our journeys end.
There is neither presumption nor impropriety in your wish, returned the guide. I told you at starting that we should pursue a devious route, for reasons which are immaterial to you, but there is no reason why I should not explain that at present I am diverging for only a few miles from our track to visit a localitya cottagewhich is sacred to me. After that we will turn eastward until we reach the head-waters of streams that will conduct us towards our journeys end.
With this explanation he was obliged to rest content, for Pedro spoke like one who did not care to be questioned. Indeed there was an unusually absent air about him, seeing which Lawrence drew rein and fell back until he found himself alongside of Quashy.
Always readynay, eagerfor sympathetic discourse, the negro received his young master with a bland, expansive, we might almost say effusive, smile.
Well, massa, hows you gittin along now?
Pretty well, Quashy. How do you?
Oh! fuss-rate, massaonly considrable obercome wid surprise.
What surprises you?
De way wes agwine, to be sure. Look dar. He pointed towards the towering mountain peaks and wild precipices that closed in the narrow glen or gorge up which they were slowly proceeding.
In all our trabels wes nebber come to a place like dat. It looks like de fag end ob creation. You couldnt git ober de mountain-tops cept you had wings, an you couldnt climb ober de prespisses cep you was a monkey or a skirlthough it am bery lubly, no doubt.
The negros comments were strictly correct, though somewhat uncouthly expressed. The valley was apparently surrounded in all directions by inaccessible precipices, and the white peaks of the Andes towered into the skies at its head. Within rugged setting lay a fine stretch of undulating land, diversified by crag and hillock, lake and rivulet, with clustering shrubs and trees clinging to the cliffs, and clothing the mountain slopes in rich, and, in many places, soft luxuriance. It was one of those scenes of grandeur and loveliness in profound solitude which tend to raise in the thoughtful mind the perplexing but not irreverent question, Why did the good and bountiful Creator form such places of surpassing beauty to remain for thousands of years almost, if not quite, unknown to man?
For, as far as could be seen, no human habitation graced the mountain-sides, no sign of cultivation appeared in the valley, though myriads of the lower animals sported on and in the waters, among the trees and on the ground.
Perchance man over-estimates his own importanceat least underrates that of the animal kingdom below himand is too apt to deem everything in nature wasted that cannot be directly or indirectly connected with himself! Is all that glows in beauty in the wilderness doomed to blush unseen? Is all the sweetness expended on the desert air wasted?
As the guide rode slowly forward, he glanced from side to side with thoughtful yet mournful looks, as if his mind were engaged in meditating on some such insoluble problems. As he neared the head of the valley, however, he seemed to awake from a trance, suddenly put spurs to his mule, and went off at a canter. The rest of the party followed at some distance behind, but at so slow a pace, compared with that of the guide, that the latter was soon lost to sight among the trees.
Somewhat surprised at his unusual state of mind Lawrence pushed on and soon reached an open glade which showed some signs of having been cultivated. At the end of it stood a pretty little cottage, in front of which Pedro was standing motionless, with clasped hands and drooping head.
Lawrence hesitated to disturb him, but as Quashy had no such hesitations, and rode smartly forward, his companions followed.
Pedro turned with a grave look as they came up, and said
My home. I bid you welcome.
Your home! echoed Lawrence, in surprise.
Ay, a happy home it once wasbutdesolate enough now. Come, we will sleep here to-night. Unload the mules, Quashy, and kindle a fire. Go into the room on the right, Manuela. You will find a couch and other civilised comforts there. Senhor Armstrong, will you come with me?
Without even awaiting a reply, the guide walked smartly into the bushes in rear of his lonely dwelling, followed by our hero. In a few minutes they reached a mound or hillock, which had been cleared of trees and underwood, and from the summit of which one could see over the tree-tops and the cottage roof away down the valley to the horizon of the table-lands beyond. It was a lovely spot, and, as Lawrence saw it that quiet sunny afternoon, was suggestive only of peace and happiness.
There was a rustic bower on the mound, in which a roughly-constructed seat was fixed firmly to the ground. In front of the bower was a grave with a headstone, on which was carved the single word Mariquita.
Lawrence looked at his companion, but refrained from speech on observing that he seemed to be struggling with strong emotion. In a few seconds Pedro, having mastered his feelings, turned and said, in a tone that betrayed nothing save profound sadness
The body of my wife lies there. Her pure spirit, thank God, is with its Maker.