of an isolated hut, began to munch the ground with his claws, uttering furious cries.
The two men ran hastily towards the hut, and Cæsar continued his howlings.
CHAPTER XII.
INFORMATION
When Valentine and Trangoil-Lanec gained the front of the hut, the door was opened, and a woman presented herself.
This woman had in her countenance a marked expression of mildness, mixed with a melancholy cast; she appeared to be suffering pain. Her dress, entirely composed of blue cloth, consisted of a tunic which fell to her feet, but was very narrow, which makes the women of that country take short steps; a short mantle, called an ichcha, covered her shoulders and was crossed upon her breast, where it was drawn together by means of a silver buckle.
As soon as this woman opened the door, Cæsar rushed so violently into the interior of the hut that he almost knocked her down in his passage. She staggered, and was obliged to hold herself up by the wall.
"I know what troubles the animal thus," the woman said mildly; "my brothers are travellers; let them enter this poor hut, which belongs to them; their slave will serve them."
So saying, the mistress of the hut stood on one side to allow the strangers to enter. They found Cæsar crouching in the middle of the cuarto, with his nose close to the ground, sniffing, snatching, and growling.
"Good God!" Valentine muttered anxiously, "what has been done here?"
Without saying a word Trangoil-Lanec placed himself close to the dog; stretched along upon the ground, with his eyes intently fixed upon it, he examined it as closely as if he thought his glance could penetrate it. At the end of a minute he arose, and seated himself by Valentine, who seeing his companion had got a fit of Indian silence, found it necessary to speak first.
"Well, chief," he asked, "what is there fresh?"
"Nothing," the Ulmen replied; "these traces are at least four days old."
"What traces are you speaking of, chief?"
"Traces of blood."
"Of blood!" the young man cried. "Can Doña Rosario have been assassinated?"
"No," the chief replied, "if this blood belonged to her, she has only been wounded; her wound has been dressed."
"Dressed! come, that is too strong, chief!"
"My brother is quick – he does not reflect. Let him look here."
And he opened his right hand, and displayed an object enclosed in it.
"Caramba!" Valentine replied, quite out of humour, "an old dried leaf! What on earth can that teach?"
"Everything," said the Indian.
"Pardieu? If you can prove that, chief, I shall consider you the greatest machi in all Araucania."
"It is very simple. This leaf is the oregano leaf; the oregano so valuable for stopping the effusion of blood."
"Here are traces of blood; a person has been wounded; and on the same spot I find an oregano leaf: that leaf did not come there of itself, consequently that person's wounds have been dressed."
The woman now entered, bearing two ox horns full of harina tostada; they ate their horn of meal heartily, and drank more than one cup of chicha each. As soon as they had ended this light repast, the Indian presented the maté to them, which they tossed off with great pleasure, and then they lit their cigars.
"My sister is kind," Trangoil-Lanec said; "will she talk a minute with us!"
"I will do as my brothers please."
Valentine took two piastres from his pocket, and presented them to the woman, saying, "Will my sister permit me to offer her this trifle to make earrings?"
"I thank my brother," said the poor woman; "my brother is a muruche; perhaps he is the relation of the young paleface girl who was here?"
"I am not her relation," he said, "I am her friend. I confess that if my sister can give me any intelligence of her, she will render me happy."
"Some days ago," said the woman, "a great woman of the palefaces arrived here towards evening, followed by half a score of mosotones; I am not well, and that is why, for a month past, I have remained in the village. This woman asked me to allow her to pass the night in my hut. Towards the middle of the night there was a great noise of horses in the village, and several horsemen arrived, bringing with them a young palefaced maiden of a mild and sad countenance; she was a prisoner to the other, as I afterwards learnt. I do not know how the young girl managed it, but she succeeded in escaping. This woman and the Toqui went in search of the young girl, whom they soon brought back across a horse, with her head cut. The poor child had fainted; her blood flowed in abundance; she was in a pitiable state. I do not know what passed, but the woman suddenly changed her manner of acting towards the young girl; she dressed her wound, and took the most affectionate care at her. After that, Antinahuel and the woman departed, leaving the young girl in my hut, with ten mosotones to guard her. One of these mosotones told me that the girl belonged to the Toqui, who intended to make her his wife."
"Yesterday the paleface squaw was much better, and the mosotones set off with her, about three o'clock."
"And the young girl," Trangoil-Lanec asked, "did she say nothing to my sister before she departed?"
"Nothing," the woman answered; "the poor child wept; she was unwilling to go, but they made her get on horseback by threatening to tie her on."
"Which way did they go?" said Trangoil-Lanec.
"The mosotones talked among themselves of the tribe of the Red Vulture."
"Thanks to my sister," the Ulmen replied; "she may retire, the men are going to hold a council."
The woman arose and left the cuarto.
"Now," the chief asked, "what is my brother's intention?"
"Pardieu! we must follow the track of the ravishers."
"Good! that is also my advice; only, two men are not enough to accomplish such a project."
"True; but what else are we to do?"
"Not to set out till this evening."
"Why so?"
"Because Curumilla will have rejoined us by that time."
Valentine, knowing that he had several hours to pass in this place, resolved to take advantage of the opportunity; he stretched himself upon the ground, placed a stone under his head, closed his eyes, and fell asleep. Trangoil-Lanec did not sleep, but, with a piece of cord which he picked up in a corner of the hut, he measured all the footprints left upon the ground of the hut.
After carefully tying the end of the cord to his belt, he, in his turn, lay down upon the ground close to Valentine.
CHAPTER XIII.
THE AMBUSCADE
Curumilla and his two companions descended the steep sides of the Corcovado; if the ascent had been difficult, the descent was not less so. Everywhere escaped thousands of hideous creatures; and not
