CHAPTER XV.
Gloom reigned over the camp of the Araucanians. The gay and happy scenes of a few days back had disappeared, and all looked lonely and deserted. Here and there a few old crones sat and howled their lamentations, but there was no one to heed them, save children and beasts. Every man and woman whom Inacayal had left in camp, were away searching for the young Cacique.
In this state Aniwee found it, when she rode into it as night was falling, in the company of our white friends, Cuastral, Piñone, Graviel, and her followers, who guarded in their midst the still bound form of Kai Chileno. It was a dismal homecoming, a sad reception indeed for the two chiefs, after their captivity amongst the Traucos.
When Kai Chileno confessed the fate of the baby Queen, we have seen how Graviel sprang upon him, and youth though he was, had borne the big powerful Indian to the ground. Over and over they had rolled, fought, struggled, and hit, until the former had been forcibly torn away, and a safe distance been placed between himself and the captive. Then a council of war had been held, and the position anxiously discussed, and Sir Francis Vane had spoken as follows:—
“If Aniwee the Queen, the Caciques Cuastral and Piñone will believe me, I tell them that we are the true friends of the Araucanians, and wish them well. We have heard with deep concern of the wicked plot whereby the young Cacique has been stolen, and made over to the hairy tribe, and we unhesitatingly declare that every effort must be made to trace and release her. But it would be rash to embark on such an expedition unprepared, and my counsel is, that we return to the camp, lay in a stock of ammunition, and secure volunteers to take part in the search which must be instituted. I and the white Caciques with me, place our services at the disposal of Aniwee and Piñone. Have I spoken well?”
“Yes, well,” they had answered with one voice, and then as the sun sunk low, the whole party had mounted and turned their horses’ heads towards the Araucanian camp. Both Cuastral and Piñone had sought to cheer the young Queen with the assurance that the child would receive no ill-treatment at Trauco hands, their experience having established the fact very clearly, that amongst these strange, wild people, gentleness and kindness to the weak were pronounced characteristics, and that both male and females evinced great tenderness for the young.
But while they howled their lamentations, the old crones had not forgotten to keep alight the sacred fires which burned within and without the chief tolderia of the Queen, so that when the party arrived, the members thereof, at least, had the comfort of a warm blaze. The horses were unsaddled and turned loose, a huge tripod and iron bowl, with meat in the latter, were set over the fire, and the grateful maté cup soon went round to cheer the weary travellers.
Poor Aniwee strove hard to suppress her feelings, as she looked at the couch whereon she had last seen her chubby baby, kicking its little fat legs and clapping its tiny hands. Some one had tidied up the tolderia, and removed the other baby which had been introduced as a substitute—a fortunate act, as the sight of it would have overcome the young mother altogether.
After sharing the contents of the iron bowl, and indulging in various sucks at the maté bowl, our white friends retired to their tolderias, thoroughly worn out, and greatly in need of a night’s rest and refreshing sleep. But for more than an hour Aniwee busied herself in clipping, combing, and dressing the long, unkempt, and matted hair of Piñone and Cuastral, and in looking out and arranging for the morrow suitable warrior attires, befitting the rank and position of those for whom they were intended. She did not forget that the rightful lord of the great Warrior tribe, over whom she had been lately reigning, on behalf of her child, was once more represented in the person of Cuastral, who, previous to his captivity amongst the Trauco people, had ruled over it for fifteen years, doing more than any other chief before him, to make the tribe great, united, and powerful.