“Ha, priest! you reproach me with this day’s work! Am I a god to control the volcano? Come with me a few steps, and you shall see from what you have been saved.” He grasped Olmedo’s arm, and led him to the group of the dead. “You and the maiden you love, chaste monk,” continued he with artful sarcasm, “have escaped this. Had I not borne you off, these soldiers would have seized you, and if they had spared Beatriz outrage, it would have been for you all either to have died together, like dogs, poisoned by the gases of the volcano, or they would have carried you as prisoners to their chief, who awaits your arrival even now, to offer you in solemn sacrifice to Pele. He has sworn to exterminate you Spaniards, and Kiana’s power will be but smoke before the wind in contact with his. All of you I could not save! Have I reason to love a Spaniard?”
Pointing to the corpses of the three seamen, he added in a seemingly friendly tone, “They have been spared such torture as even we Mexicans, skilled as we are in tormenting our enemies, never learned; for Pele’s worshippers are fiends. Reproach me not with their deaths, for it was given to them in mercy. You and the maiden are my benefactors; for your sakes I will save Juan also, if it be possible. You must go with me. Follow my directions, and you will be safe. No more words now. If you would keep Beatriz from further harm, cease to chafe me.”
Returning to where she sat, they again slowly pursued their journey. As Tolta hurried on in advance, Olmedo whispered to Beatriz, “I much fear the Mexican intends evil. I would not wrong him, but I do not like his words, and his eye often gleams as if the evil spirit of his race were aroused within him.”
He did not tell her what he had seen, but merely added, “Watch, and beware of him. He can do us much good or ill. Now we can do but little for ourselves. The blessed mother of God will not desert you, rest assured, my beloved daughter.” Even with his arm about her waist she walked with difficulty, while her head frequently drooped heavily upon his shoulder.
“I have no fear, Olmedo, for myself,” she faintly replied. “We have together too often looked upon death to shrink from it now as a stranger. To leave you, would make me indeed sad, but with you,—God forgive me if my heart sins in saying so,—it would be most welcome? But look, who comes here?”
As she spoke, a crowd of natives, of both sexes, drew nigh from a cross path. They did not see the party until they were close upon them. Tolta was at once recognized, and giving him the customary “Aloha kealii” ‘love to you chief,’ they turned in surprise towards the white strangers. They had heard of the Spaniards, but knowing nothing of Tolta’s expedition, were amazed to find these strange beings in their midst. Forming a circle around them, they gazed curiously and timidly at Olmedo and Beatriz, now and then venturing to touch their clothes and feel of their persons, but evidently with no unfriendly intent.
The party was composed chiefly of women and children, who had been enjoying themselves in wild dances. A few young men, hardly beyond boyhood, were with them, but no warriors.
Tolta ordered some to lead the way to their village, while others were sent on in advance to prepare food and lodging for the strangers, who he said would be their guests for the night. As they began with alacrity to fulfil his orders, a maiden of not above fourteen years, accompanied by a train of her own sex, of more mature age, and who showed her great deference, came up. As soon as the crowd saw her, they made way submissively for her to approach the whites.
No fawn could tread lighter than she trod. Every motion was lithe and elastic. Her limbs were full and tapering, beautifully proportioned, and her flesh soft yet springy. With so few summers she was mature in person, having in this climate attained thus early that perfection of physical development, which marks the most seductive period of woman. The fineness of her hands; the tapering fingers and nicely adjusted wrists; the velvet softness of her clear olive skin, and through which the blood could be distinctly seen underlying it with richer color; and her proud, yet graceful carriage, showed that she belonged to the highest rank.