“Thou speakest like the son of a coward, as thou art, Kai Chileno,” burst out the Cacique angrily. “Thy life was not promised on the conditions named; only I said that thou shouldst die by slow torture unless thou didst confess. And now I tell thee, and Guaitu likewise, that on the discovery and rescue of La Guardia Chica depends both your lives. If she be not recovered, you die. Guards, remove the prisoners, and see well they do not escape.”
Loud shouts of approval greeted the great Cacique’s decision, which was regarded by the assembled Warriors as both wise and just. Then Aniwee stepped forward and raised her hand to command attention, silence being at once restored.
“Warriors,” she exclaimed, “though I am no longer your Queen, am I not the wife of Piñone, and therefore the daughter of Cuastral? The child of our heart has been taken from us, and we fly to its search and rescue. The great white Caciques have promised to accompany and aid us, but we should have quite twenty more to make the party strong. Who amongst you will cast aside the dread of the Trauco-haunted forest, and aid Piñone and Aniwee to recover their child?”
For a moment there was silence after she ceased speaking. The superstitious dread of the Indian is hard to overcome. Suddenly two beautiful girls pushed their way through the crowd and stood before the ex-Queen.
“If the men fear, the women do not,” they exclaimed eagerly. “We two will follow you to the death.”
At this there arose a shout, and forty Warriors or more sprang forward, indignant at being thus gibed by two mere girls.
But as Aniwee and Piñone made their selections from the volunteers who had presented themselves, they took care to include therein the two Indian girls, whose upright example had overcome the fears of superstition.
