Aniwee; or, the Warrior Queen / A tale of the Araucanian Indians and the mythical Trauco people

by Lady Florence Dixie

As such they were viewed again by Harry and Topsie, who never seemed tired of showing them to their cousins; and they had an especial interest, too, for Sir Francis and Lady Vane, sacred to the memory as they were of their old relative, who, having died to this world as every one thought, had been discovered nearly eighty years later on by his young descendants—alas! only to be discovered, to die.

Then there was his grave to be visited, and those of the loved dead ones who lay beside him, and finally the wonderful cave all teeming with gold, in which so many strange events had come to pass.

Aniwee, too, had quite recovered her spirits, and bubbled over with laughter and happiness. Had not Piñone been lost to her, and had he not been restored? Had not her child been stolen and recovered?

She went about a great deal with the young folks—for was she not a mere child herself?—and La Guardia Chica was again made over to the arms of Blancha, and guarded jealously by Graviel.

It was arranged that our white friends, together with Piñone, Aniwee, the child, its nurse, and attendant, should embark on the raft, and that Chorlo, Coquet, and the other Indians should follow the left heights, which overlooked the river. This was considered a wise precaution in case of attack and renewed pursuit from the Traucos, in the event of which the raft party could be drawn up by the foot party above, by means of their strong lassos, and thus place the wide gulf between themselves and their pursuers. Piñone, however, was of opinion that no further pursuit would be engaged in, though of course it was wise to take every possible precaution.

Previous to starting, a hunt expedition had been organised, to provide the party with meat, fruit having for some time been their sole sustenance. This class of food, though it agreed well enough with the white travellers, told sadly on the constitutions of the Indians, who had always been accustomed to plenty of meat. Now Harry and Topsie knew that any number of deer and vicuña abounded on the higher plateaux, and that a good supply of meat could be obtained if a hunt expedition were organised. When, therefore, they proposed to spend a few days in hunting, their proposal was at once agreed to, and as they were the only members of the party who were not strangers to the locality, the arrangements for the hunt were put into their hands.

The two young people, therefore, began by selecting those who should take part in the expedition. Of course they chose first of all their uncle, aunt, and cousins, and as Piñone professed his willingness to remain and guard the raft in the company of eleven of the Indians, they were able to induce Aniwee to join them. Chorlo and Coquet were allowed to go with them, five of the Indians likewise, while Blancha and Graviel were left in charge of the baby Cacique.

The youthful leaders of this hunt party remembered how, in their former wanderings, they had passed through a portion of the forest teeming with game, and they were in hopes that these parts were still as thickly populated as they had formerly been. They therefore led the way up the steep jungle hillside, and directed their footsteps for these old haunts. The climb was both stiff and tiring, but the hunters were all in good condition, and so full of keenness and expectation, that they really paid little attention to the difficulties which at first confronted them. The old path cut by the hermit had become greatly overgrown, but the axes of the party soon opened a way again.

At length, after several hours of hard work, a beautiful grassy plateau was reached, covered all over with long rich grass, branching off in different directions in shady avenues, and bounded on the far side by a mass of thick jungle and almost impenetrable forest. Here Harry and Topsie called a halt, and gave it as their opinion that the party must break up at this point, and take different routes. They suggested that it should consist of three sections, namely, of Harry, Topsie, Aniwee, Chorlo, and an Indian in one, Sir Francis, Willie, Mary, Coquet, and an Indian brave in the second, while Lady Vane, Freddy, and the three remaining Indians it was thought would make up a suitable third. After refreshing the inner man on a few piñones and araucarias, which they had brought with them, the party having divided into its respective sections, separated with many a laughing challenge as to which of them should get the best bag.

Each section selected one of the spacious glades that seemed to open a path in each instance through the otherwise dark and gloomy jungle, and they soon disappeared from each other’s view.