The Guide of the Desert

inhabited by numerous Indian tribes, spread over the somb

t place in the history of the aboriginal races of

particularly occ

o advanced alone, and without arms, towards the Indian, who was boldly stationed acros

ginal race, and from the first owners of the soil which they trod, offered, n

ain played upon his lips, would have well represented in the eyes of an observer the type of that powerful race, confident in its right and in its power, which, since the first day of its discovery, has sworn an

acing haughtiness by effrontery, and only fixing by stealth a saturnine look on his adversary-represented the bastard type of that race to which he had ceased to belong, and the costumes of which he had repudiated, to ad

arshly, casting on him a look of contempt

the captain, in a morose tone, "only more happ

own praises. It ill becomes you to me," answered t

e?" said the captain, with an ill-suppressed accen

made a gestu

tter himself to fright

on for your courage in combat and your wisdom in co

epartee; "what you say is just. Let us come, then, to the

the palefaces the message with

e slave of the w

at warning, they contin

ee it

men a

n. More sensible than you, without

ult they can offer us, to d

invade your

ngue. The palefaces have no occ

der the passage of peaceable c

ake it. The Guaycurus are the on

go, "that the truth may

not here to l

rating any further into your c

the country to which you ar

ry of the

not suffer this violation. Go and rejoin him who has sent you, and tell him that Tarou Niom consent

in remain

violence; "On that condition alone can you hope to e

chief will not consent to return before having def

duces this man to

w; that is no

all that I may say to him,

onvince

ll, he s

n, war that

tes are not our enemies; they

truggle between us will

g time since my sons have met an

now useless; allow me

er, that it is the obstinacy of your master that calls d

chief, I will profit by it, be sur

urying his spurs in the flanks of his horse, d

s, who was waiting with impatie

soon as Don Diogo had

as happened," ans

ich

under any pretext, allow us to p

dee

ur steps; they are resolved

es by passing over their corpse

individually is capable of successf

, think them

is not ten, but a hundred

o frighten

t nothing I could say to you would succeed in pers

ho are afraid," c

of his race; that is to say, his countenance assumed a tint of dull white; h

ut is inappropriate at this moment. Why insult a man who for the last hou

ce, "our position is intolerable. We cannot remain here thus

what concerns me at the present moment. I know their manner of fighting; they must have at the

s you supp

try to persuade us to return, i

you inten

my lord, and, if God gives me aid I shall su

s, and in escaping from our enemies, the recompense I shal

d to a dead man, and I consider

hought!" said

cannot escape the fate which threatens me, I will try all that is humanly p

id the marquis

, I repeat, I want all

you my word, a

to make in Europe. We have in face of us enemies whose principal weapon is trickery; it is only then by showing ourselves more keen and

fect liberty, strange and singular as appear to m

n; courage! Who knows? Perhaps G

hope, Diogo," said the marquis, "as it is

our guard, my lord, and not timid children, whom it is necessary to deceive

ready!" cried

nd so badly! I could have given you some lessons, my lord, which would have

ich he was, the marquis could not forbear la

not deprive me of your lesson

lord; listen to me, then.

ll atte

rmation as to the movement of our enemies. This information I alone can obtain, by mixi

alone in what you have t

t is

urself to go a

such is my

ill be very imprudent? Y

other means of acting. However perilous such an expedition may be, it is not so much so as you may suppose, for

continued to advance slowly through the inextricable meanderings of

ert, which the foot of man appeared never to

Guaycurus chief, put themselves on their guard; they only advanced according to the Spanish expression, "with the bear

erience gives, and which is possessed only by men inured by years of life in the desert, so varied and so full of unforeseen dang

dure, its summit alone was covered with a thick wood. On the side next to the river the hill, which was almo

Diogo on the sagacity with whi

whether it is necessary for a single night to esta

uld not have given myself the trouble of choosing this place, but the informati

days here!" cr

That will depend upon circumstances. Although our position may no

," answered the young man; "let

marquis, and proceeded to

then, this care taken, they installed the camp on the edge of the platform of the hill. They then formed a rampart of trunks of tr

he others remaining standing were not only to give shade to the Brazilians, but also to serve for defence in case of assa