and hence they acquire a fineness of perception almost equal to that of the Indians, and their practised eyes recognize the slightest trace on the lightly trodden grass or sand. Solitude has developed in them a marvellous sagacity, and a rare talent for observation.
The four bomberos collected in the toldo were the most renowned in Patagonia. These poor fellows were supping gaily while warming themselves at a good fire, a rare pleasure for men surrounded by dangers, and who hate a surprise to fear at any hour. But the bomberos did not appear to trouble themselves about anything, although aware that the Indians never give them any quarter.
The character of these men is singular: courageous to cruelty, they care not for the life of other persons or their own. If one of their comrades die, victim of an Indian or a wild beast, they content themselves with saying he has a mala suerte (ill luck). True savages, living without any affection or faith, they are a peculiar type in humanity.
These scouts were brothers, and their names were Lopez, Pepe, Juan, and Pedrito. Their home, twice plundered by the Aucas Indians, had been utterly destroyed by fire in the last invasion. Their father and mother had succumbed under atrocious torture; two of their sisters had been outraged and killed by the chiefs, and the youngest, Mercedes, a child scarce seven years of age, was carried off into slavery, and since then they had received no news of her, and were ignorant were she dead or alive.
The four brothers from this moment became bomberos, through hatred of the Indians and desire of vengeance, and had only one head and one heart. Their prodigies of courage, intelligence, and craft during the last seven years would take us too long to record, and, moreover, we shall find specimens in the course of this narrative.
So soon as Pedrito, who was the eldest, had finished his meal, Lopez put out the fire, and Juan mounted his horse to go the rounds; then the two brothers, curious about the news Pedrito brought them, drew closer to him.
"What news, brother?" Pepe asked.
"Before anything else," the eldest asked, "what have you been doing during the last week?"
"That will not take long," Lopez answered; "nothing."
"Nonsense."
"On my word it is true. The Aucas and Pehuenches are becoming absurdly timid; if this goes on, we shall have to send them petticoats like squaws."
"Oh! Set your minds at rest," Pedrito said, "they have not come to that yet."
"What do you know?" Lopez asked.
"What next?" Pedrito asked, instead of answering.
"That is all; we have seen nothing, heard nothing suspicious."
"Are you sure?"
"Hang it! Do you take us for asses?"
"No, but you are mistaken."
"What?"
"Search your memory carefully."
"No one has passed, I tell you," Pepe remarked confidently.
"No one."
"Unless you count as somebody the old Pehuenche squaw who crossed the plain this evening on a sorry horse, and asked us the road to El Carmen."
"That old squaw," Pedrito said, with a smile, "knows the road as well as I do. Canarios, your innocence amuses me."
"Our innocence!" Lopez exclaimed with a frown; "We are asses, then."
"You look very like it to me."
"Explain yourself."
"You shall understand."
"We shall be only too glad."
"May be so. The old Pehuenche squaw who crossed the plain this evening on a sorry horse, and asked you the road to El Carmen," Pedrito said, repeating Pepe's words, maliciously, "Do you know who she was?"
"Hang it all! A frightful old witch, whose face would terrify the fiend."
"Ah, you think so. Well, you are altogether wrong."
"Speak out, and do not play with us like a congonas with a mouse."
"My boy, this Pehuenche witch was – "
"Who?"
"Nocobotha!"
Nocobotha (the Hurricane) was the principal Ulmen of the Aucas. Pedrito might have gone on talking for a long time without his brothers noticing it, so greatly had the news startled them.
"Malediction!" Pepe at length shouted.
"But how do you know it?" Lopez asked.
"Do you suppose I have been amusing myself with sleeping away the last eight days, brothers? The Indians, to whom you want to send petticoats, are preparing, with the greatest secrecy, to deal you a furious blow. We must distrust silent waters and the calm that conceals a tempest. All the nations of Upper and Lower Patagonia, and even Araucania, have leagued together to attempt an invasion – massacre the whites, and destroy El Carmen. Two men have done it all – two men with whom you and I have been long acquainted – Nocobotha, and Pincheira, the chief of the Araucanos. This evening there will be a grand meeting of the delegates of the free nations, at which the day and hour for the attack will be definitely settled, and the final measures taken to insure the success of the expedition."
"¡Caray!" Pepe exclaimed, "There is not a moment to lose. One of us must go at full gallop to El Carmen to inform the governor of the danger menacing the colony."
"No, not yet; we must not be in such a hurry, but try to discover the intentions of the chiefs. The quipu has been sent round, and the chiefs who will be present at the meeting are twenty in number. You see that I am well informed."
"Where will they meet?"
"At the tree of Gualichu."
"¡Demonio! it will not be an easy thing to surprise them at such a place."
"Hang it, it is impossible," Lopez said.
"Where force fails, try cunning. Here is Juan returned. Well, have you any news?"
"All is quiet," he said, as he dismounted.
"All the better. In that case we can act," Pedrito continued. "Listen to me, brothers. I believe that you have confidence in me – "
"Oh!" the three men exclaimed.
"In that case you will follow me?"
"Anywhere."
"Quick to horse, for I too wish to be present at this Indian gathering."
"And you are going to take us – "
"To the tree of Gualichu."
The four bold comrades mounted their horses, and started at a gallop. Pedrito possessed a superiority over his brothers, which the latter recognized; nothing he did astonished them, so accustomed were they to see him perform marvels.
"Do you intend to mingle with the chiefs also?" Pepe asked.
"Yes, Pepe; instead of twenty there will be twenty-one,
