in search of the castaways-第35章

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e　the　reverse；　for　the　eye　has　a　particularly　villainous　aspect。〃　No　physiognomist　by　profession　could　have　better　characterized　the　Indian　race。　But　desolate　as　the　country　appeared；　Thalcave　was　on　his　guard　against　surprises；　and　gave　orders　to　his　party　to　form　themselves　in　a　close　platoon。　　It　was　a　useless　precaution；　however；　for　that　same　evening；　they　camped　for　the　night　in　an　immense　TOLDERIA；　which　they　not　only　found　perfectly　empty；　but　which　the　Patagonian　declared；　after　he　had　examined　it　all　round；　must　have　been　uninhabited　for　a　long　time。　Next　day；　the　first　ESTANCIAS　of　the　Sierra　Tandil　came　in　sight。　The　ESTANCIAS　are　large　cattle　stations　for　breeding　cattle；　but　Thalcave　resolved　not　to　stop　at　any　of　them；　but　to　go　straight　on　to　Fort　Independence。　　They　passed　several　farms　fortified　by　battlements　and　surrounded　by　a　deep　moat；　the　principal　building　being　encircled　by　a　terrace；　from　which　the　inhabitants　could　fire　down　on　the　marauders　in　the　plain。　Glenarvan　might；　perhaps；　have　got　some　information　at　these　houses；　but　it　was　the　surest　plan　to　go　straight　on　to　the　village　of　Tandil。　　Accordingly　they　went　on　without　stopping；　fording　the　RIO　of　Los　Huasos　and　also　the　Chapaleofu；　a　few　miles　further　on。　Soon　they　were　treading　the　grassy　slopes　of　the　first　ridges　of　the　Sierra　Tandil；　and　an　hour　afterward　the　village　appeared　in　the　depths　of　a　narrow　gorge；　and　above　it　towered　the　lofty　battlements　of　Fort　Independence。

CHAPTER　XXI　A　FALSE　TRAIL

THE　Sierra　Tandil　rises　a　thousand　feet　above　the　level　of　the　sea。　It　is　a　primordial　chainthat　is　to　say；　anterior　to　all　organic　and　metamorphic　creation。　　It　is　formed　of　a　semi…circular　ridge　of　gneiss　hills；　covered　with　fine　short　grass。　The　district　of　Tandil；　to　which　it　has　given　its　name；　includes　all　the　south　of　the　Province　of　Buenos　Ayres；　and　terminates　in　a　river　which　conveys　north　all　the　RIOS　that　take　their　rise　on　its　slopes。　After　making　a　short　ascent　up　the　sierra；　they　reached　the　postern　gate；　so　carelessly　guarded　by　an　Argentine　sentinel；　that　they　passed　through　without　difficulty；　a　circumstance　which　betokened　extreme　negligence　or　extreme　security。　A　few　minutes　afterward　the　Commandant　appeared　in　person。　He　was　a　vigorous　man　about　fifty　years　of　age；　of　military　aspect；　with　grayish　hair；　and　an　imperious　eye；　as　far　as　one　could　see　through　the　clouds　of　tobacco　smoke　which　escaped　from　his　short　pipe。　His　walk　reminded　Paganel　instantly　of　the　old　subalterns　in　his　own　country。　Thalcave　was　spokesman；　and　addressing　the　officer；　presented　Lord　Glenarvan　and　his　companions。　　While　he　was　speaking；　the　Commandant　kept　staring　fixedly　at　Paganel　in　rather　an　embarrassing　manner。　The　geographer　could　not　understand　what　he　meant　by　it；　and　was　just　about　to　interrogate　him；　when　the　Commandant　came　forward；　and　seizing　both　his　hands　in　the　most　free…and…easy　fashion；　said　in　a　joyous　voice；　in　the　mother　tongue　of　the　geographer：　〃A　Frenchman！〃　〃Yes；　a　Frenchman；〃　replied　Paganel。　〃Ah！　delightful！　　Welcome；　welcome。　　I　am　a　Frenchman　too；〃　he　added；　shaking　Paganel's　hand　with　such　vigor　as　to　be　almost　alarming。　〃Is　he　a　friend　of　yours；　Paganel？〃　asked　the　Major。　〃Yes；〃　said　Paganel；　somewhat　proudly。　　〃One　has　friends　in　every　division　of　the　globe。〃　After　he　had　succeeded　in　disengaging　his　hand；　though　not　without　difficulty；　from　the　living　vise　in　which　it　was　held；　a　lively　conversation　ensued。　　Glenarvan　would　fain　have　put　in　a　word　about　the　business　on　hand；　but　the　Commandant　related　his　entire　history；　and　was　not　in　a　mood　to　stop　till　he　had　done。　It　was　evident　that　the　worthy　man　must　have　left　his　native　country　many　years　back；　for　his　mother　tongue　had　grown　unfamiliar；　and　if　he　had　not　forgotten　the　words　he　certainly　did　not　remember　how　to　put　them　together。　　He　spoke　more　like　a　negro　belonging　to　a　French　colony。　The　fact　was　that　the　Governor　of　Fort　Independence　was　a　French　sergeant；　an　old　comrade　of　Parachapee。　　He　had　never　left　the　fort　since　it　had　been　built　in　1828；　and；　strange　to　say；　he　commanded　it　with　the　consent　of　the　Argentine　Government。　　He　was　a　man　about　fifty　years　of　age；　a　Basque　by　birth；　and　his　name　was　Manuel　Ipharaguerre；　so　that　he　was　almost　a　Spaniard。　　A　year　after　his　arrival　in　the　country　he　was　naturalized；　took　service　in　the　Argentine　army；　and　married　an　Indian　girl；　who　was　then　nursing　twin　babies　six　months　old　two　boys；　be　it　understood；　for　the　good　wife　of　the　Commandant　would　have　never　thought　of　presenting　her　husband　with　girls。　Manuel　could　not　conceive　of　any　state　but　a　military　one；　and　he　hoped　in　due　time；　with　the　help　of　God；　to　offer　the　republic　a　whole　company　of　young　soldiers。　〃You　saw　them。　　Charming！　good　soldiers　are　Jose；　Juan；　and　Miquele！　　Pepe；　seven　year　old；　Pepe　can　handle　a　gun。〃　Pepe；　hearing　himself　complimented；　brought　his　two　little　feet　together；　and　presented　arms　with　perfect　grace。　〃He'll　get　on！〃　added　the　sergeant。　　〃He'll　be　colonel…major　or　brigadier…general　some　day。〃　Sergeant　Manuel　seemed　so　enchanted　that　it　would　have　been　useless　to　express　a　contrary　opinion；　either　to　the　profession　of　arms　or　the　probable　future　of　his　children。　　He　was　happy；　and　as　Goethe　says；　〃Nothing　that　makes　us　happy　is　an　illusion。〃　All　this　talk　took　up　a　quarter　of　an　hour；　to　the　great　astonishment　of　Thalcave。　　The　Indian　could　not　understand　how　so　many　words　could　come　out　of　one　throat。　　No　one　interrupted　the　Sergeant；　but　all　things　come　to　an　end；　and　at　last　he　was　silent；　but　not　till　he　had　made　his　guests　enter　his　dwelling；　and　be　presented　to　Madame　Ipharaguerre。　　Then；　and　not　till　then；　did　he　ask　his　guests　what　had　procured　him　the　honor　of　their　visit。　Now　or　never　was　the　moment　to　explain；　and　Paganel；　seizing　the　chance　at　once；　began　an　account　of　their　journey　across　the　Pampas；　and　ended　by　inquiring　the　reason　of　the　Indians　having　deserted　the　country。　〃Ah！　there　was　no　one！〃　replied　the　Sergeant；　shrugging　his　shoulders〃really　no　one；　and　us；　too；　our　arms　crossed！　Nothing　to　do！〃　〃But　why？〃　〃War。〃　〃War？〃　〃Yes；　civil　war　between　the　Paraguayans　and　Buenos　Ayriens；〃　replied　the　Sergeant。　〃Well？〃　〃Well；　Indians　all　in　the　north；　in　the　rear　of　General　Flores。　Indian　pillagers　find　pillage　there。〃　〃But　where　are　the　Caciques？〃　〃Caciques　are　with　them。〃　〃What！　　Catriel？〃　〃There　is　no　Catriel。〃　〃And　Calfoucoura？〃　〃There　is　no　Calfoucoura。〃　〃And　is　there　no　Yanchetruz？〃　〃No；　no　Yanchetruz。〃　The　reply　was　interpreted　by　Thalcave；　who　shook　his　head　and　gave　an　approving　look。　　The　Patagonian　was　either　unaware　of；　or　had　forgotten　that　civil　war　was　decimating　the　two　parts　of　the　republica　war　which　ultimately　required　the　intervention　of　Brazil。　　The　Indians　have　everything　to　gain　by　these　intestine　strifes；　and　can　not　lose　such　fine　opportunities　of　plunder。　There　was　no　doubt　the　Sergeant　was　right　in　assigning　war　then　as　the　cause　of　the　forsaken　appearance　of　the　plains。　But　this　circumstance　upset　all　Glenarvan's　projects；　for　if　Harry　Grant　was　a　prisoner　in　the　hands　of　the　Caciques；　he　must　have　been　dragged　north　with　them。　How　and　where　should　they　ever　find　him　if　that　we