The Brazilian Portuguese, rendered stronger by the weakness of their enemies, had, almost without striking a blow, occupied the principal strategic points of the Banda Oriental. The gaining of two battles would render them masters of the remainder, and make this province fall into their hands.
Such was the situation of the country at the moment when we resume our narrative, which we have been obliged to interrupt, to put the reader in possession of these facts, indispensable to the understanding of those which follow.
The night was dark; the moon, veiled with clouds, only shed at intervals a pale and trembling light, which impressed a stamp of sadness on the features of the landscape; the wind sighed gloomily through the branches of the trees. The two chiefs, seated side by side, were talking in a low voice, as if they feared that their companions, stretched near them, might hear their conversation. At the moment we place them on the scene, Gueyma was speaking with some animation, while his companion, listening attentively to what was said, only heard it with an ironical smile, which raised the corers of his slender lips, and gave an expression of sarcasm to his fine and intelligent countenance.
"I repeat it, Cougar," said the young man, "affairs cannot go on like this; we must return, and that not later than tomorrow, on the day after at furthest. Do you know that we are now more than 150 leagues from Rio Bermejo, and from the Llano de Manso?"
"I know it," coldly answered the old chief.
"Look you, my friend," pursued the young man, with impatience, "you will finish by putting me in a rage, with your provoking impassibility."
"What would you like me to answer you?"
"How should I know? Give me an opinion—advice; tell me something, in fact. The situation is grave, even critical, for us and our warriors. We have set out on an adventure, like a herd of wild bulls, destroying and scattering everything on our passage, and now, here we are, after a devious and aimless journey, brought to a stand at the foot of the mountains, in a country that we do not know, separated from friends and allies that might have aided us, and surrounded by enemies who, on the first opportunity, will, no doubt, assail us on all sides at once."
"That is true," observed the Cougar, bowing his head affirmatively.
"Observe," pursued Gueyma, with increasing animation, "that I do not address to you any reproach, my friend; but several times I have wished to retreat, but each time you have opposed yourself to it, and have induced me to continue to go forward. Is not that true?"