in search of the castaways-第34章

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et　the　Caciques；　in　whose　hands；　he　had　no　doubt；　Harry　Grant　and　his　men　were　prisoners。　From　the　time　of　leaving　the　Guamini；　there　was　marked　change　in　the　temperature；　to　the　great　relief　of　the　travelers。　It　was　much　cooler；　thanks　to　the　violent　and　cold　winds　from　Patagonia；　which　constantly　agitate　the　atmospheric　waves。　Horses　and　men　were　glad　enough　of　this；　after　what　they　had　suffered　from　the　heat　and　drought；　and　they　felt　animated　with　fresh　ardor　and　confidence。　　But　contrary　to　what　Thalcave　had　said；　the　whole　district　appeared　uninhabited；　or　rather　abandoned。　Their　route　often　led　past　or　went　right　through　small　lagoons；　sometimes　of　fresh　water；　sometimes　of　brackish。　　On　the　banks　and　bushes　about　these；　king…wrens　were　hopping　about　and　larks　singing　joyously　in　concert　with　the　tangaras；　the　rivals　in　color　of　the　brilliant　humming　birds。　　On　the　thorny　bushes　the　nests　of　the　ANNUBIS　swung　to　and　fro　in　the　breeze　like　an　Indian　hammock；　and　on　the　shore　magnificent　flamingos　stalked　in　regular　order　like　soldiers　marching；　and　spread　out　their　flaming　red　wings。　Their　nests　were　seen　in　groups　of　thousands；　forming　a　complete　town；　about　a　foot　high；　and　resembling　a　truncated　cone　in　shape。　The　flamingos　did　not　disturb　themselves　in　the　least　at　the　approach　of　the　travelers；　but　this　did　not　suit　Paganel。　〃I　have　been　very　desirous　a　long　time；〃　he　said　to　the　Major；　〃to　see　a　flamingo　flying。〃　〃All　right；〃　replied　McNabbs。　〃Now　while　I　have　the　opportunity；　I　should　like　to　make　the　most　of　it；〃　continued　Paganel。　〃Very　well；　do　it；　Paganel。〃　〃Come　with　me；　then；　Major；　and　you　too　Robert。　　I　want　witnesses。〃　And　all　three　went　off　towards　the　flamingos；　leaving　the　others　to　go　on　in　advance。　As　soon　as　they　were　near　enough；　Paganel　fired；　only　loading　his　gun；　however；　with　powder；　for　he　would　not　shed　even　the　blood　of　a　bird　uselessly。　　The　shot　made　the　whole　assemblage　fly　away　_en　masse_；　while　Paganel　watched　them　attentively　through　his　spectacles。　〃Well；　did　you　see　them　fly？〃　he　asked　the　Major。　〃Certainly　I　did；〃　was　the　reply。　　〃I　could　not　help　seeing　them；　unless　I　had　been　blind。〃　〃Well　and　did　you　think　they　resembled　feathered　arrows　when　they　were　flying？〃　〃Not　in　the　least。〃　〃Not　a　bit；〃　added　Robert。　〃I　was　sure　of　it；〃　said　the　geographer；　with　a　satisfied　air；　〃and　yet　the　very　proudest　of　modest　men；　my　illustrious　countryman；　Chateaubriand；　made　the　inaccurate　comparison。　Oh；　Robert；　comparison　is　the　most　dangerous　figure　in　rhetoric　that　I　know。　　Mind　you　avoid　it　all　your　life；　and　only　employ　it　in　a　last　extremity。〃　〃Are　you　satisfied　with　your　experiment？〃　asked　McNabbs。　〃Delighted。〃　〃And　so　am　I。　But　we　had　better　push　on　now；　for　your　illustrious　Chateaubriand　has　put　us　more　than　a　mile　behind。〃　On　rejoining　their　companions；　they　found　Glenarvan　busily　engaged　in　conversation　with　the　Indian；　though　apparently　unable　to　make　him　understand。　　Thalcave's　gaze　was　fixed　intently　on　the　horizon；　and　his　face　wore　a　puzzled　expression。　The　moment　Paganel　came　in　sight；　Glenarvan　called　out：　〃Come　along；　friend　Paganel。　　Thalcave　and　I　can't　understand　each　other　at　all。〃　After　a　few　minute's　talk　with　the　Patagonian；　the　interpreter　turned　to　Glenarvan　and　said：　〃Thalcave　is　quite　astonished　at　the　fact；　and　certainly　it　is　very　strange　that　there　are　no　Indians；　nor　even　traces　of　any　to　be　seen　in　these　plains；　for　they　are　generally　thick　with　companies　of　them；　either　driving　along　cattle　stolen　from　the　ESTANCIAS；　or　going　to　the　Andes　to　sell　their　zorillo　cloths　and　plaited　leather　whips。〃　〃And　what　does　Thalcave　think　is　the　reason？〃　〃He　does　not　know；　he　is　amazed　and　that's　all。〃　〃But　what　description　of　Indians　did　he　reckon　on　meeting　in　this　part　of　the　Pampas？〃　〃Just　the　very　ones　who　had　the　foreign　prisoners　in　their　hands；　the　natives　under　the　rule　of　the　Caciques　Calfoucoura；　Catriel；　or　Yanchetruz。〃　〃Who　are　these　Caciques？〃　〃Chiefs　that　were　all　powerful　thirty　years　ago；　before　they　were　driven　beyond　the　sierras。　　Since　then　they　have　been　reduced　to　subjection　as　much　as　Indians　can　be；　and　they　scour　the　plains　of　the　Pampas　and　the　province　of　Buenos　Ayres。　　I　quite　share　Thalcave's　surprise　at　not　discovering　any　traces　of　them　in　regions　which　they　usually　infest　as　SALTEADORES；　or　bandits。〃　〃And　what　must　we　do　then？〃　〃I'll　go　and　ask　him；〃　replied　Paganel。　After　a　brief　colloquy　he　returned　and　said：　〃This　is　his　advice；　and　very　sensible　it　is；　I　think。　He　says　we　had　better　continue　our　route　to　the　east　as　far　as　Fort　Independence；　and　if　we　don't　get　news　of　Captain　Grant　there　we　shall　hear；　at　any　rate；　what　has　become　of　the　Indians　of　the　Argentine　plains。〃　〃Is　Fort　Independence　far　away？〃　asked　Glenarvan。　〃No；　it　is　in　the　Sierra　Tandil；　a　distance　of　about　sixty　miles。〃　〃And　when　shall　we　arrive？〃　〃The　day　after　to…morrow；　in　the　evening。〃　Glenarvan　was　considerably　disconcerted　by　this　circumstance。　Not　to　find　an　Indian　where　in　general　there　were　only　too　many；　was　so　unusual　that　there　must　be　some　grave　cause　for　it；　but　worse　still　if　Harry　Grant　were　a　prisoner　in　the　hands　of　any　of　those　tribes；　had　be　been　dragged　away　with　them　to　the　north　or　south？　Glenarvan　felt　that；　cost　what　it　might；　they　must　not　lose　his　track；　and　therefore　decided　to　follow　the　advice　of　Thalcave；　and　go　to　the　village　of　Tandil。　　They　would　find　some　one　there　to　speak　to；　at　all　events。　About　four　o'clock　in　the　evening　a　hill；　which　seemed　a　mountain　in　so　flat　a　country；　was　sighted　in　the　distance。　This　was　Sierra　Tapalquem；　at　the　foot　of　which　the　travelers　camped　that　night。　The　passage　in　the　morning　over　this　sierra；　was　accomplished　without　the　slightest　difficulty；　after　having　crossed　the　Cordillera　of　the　Andes；　it　was　easy　work　to　ascend　the　gentle　heights　of　such　a　sierra　as　this。　　The　horses　scarcely　slackened　their　speed。　At　noon　they　passed　the　deserted　fort　of　Tapalquem；　the　first　of　the　chain　of　forts　which　defend　the　southern　frontiers　from　Indian　marauders。　But　to　the　increasing　surprise　of　Thalcave；　they　did　not　come　across　even　the　shadow　of　an　Indian。　　About　the　middle　of　the　day；　however；　three　flying　horsemen；　well　mounted　and　well　armed　came　in　sight；　gazed　at　them　for　an　instant；　and　then　sped　away　with　inconceivable　rapidity。　Glenarvan　was　furious。　〃Gauchos；〃　said　the　Patagonian；　designating　them　by　the　name　which　had　caused　such　a　fiery　discussion　between　the　Major　and　Paganel。　〃Ah！　the　Gauchos；〃　replied　McNabbs。　　〃Well；　Paganel；　the　north　wind　is　not　blowing　to…day。　What　do　you　think　of　those　fellows　yonder？〃　〃I　think　they　look　like　regular　bandits。〃　〃And　how　far　is　it　from　looking　to　being；　my　good　geographer？〃　〃Only　just　a　step；　my　dear　Major。〃　Paganel's　admission　was　received　with　a　general　laugh；　which　did　not　in　the　least　disconcert　him。　　He　went　on　talking　about　the　Indians　however；　and　made　this　curious　observation：　〃I　have　read　somewhere；〃　he　said；　〃that　about　the　Arabs　there　is　a　peculiar　expression　of　ferocity　in　the　mouth；　while　the　eyes　have　a　kindly　look。　　Now；　in　these　American　savages　it　is　quite　the　reverse；　for　the　eye　has　a　particularly　villainous　aspect。〃　No　physiognomist　by　profession　cou