The Valiant Runaways [19]
to
escape you carry poisoned arrows in your backs."
"Ay, Roldan!" exclaimed Adan, when their formidable host was out of
hearing. "But this was more than we bargained for. I don't know whether
I like it or not."
"I must say I don't like the idea of being in the power of savages--
Indians," said Roldan, contemptuously. "But as we started out for
adventure we must take black bread with white. I think I do rather like
this, but I shall not if we have to stay here too long and nothing
happens."
"Isn't anything likely to happen?" asked Adan, anxiously.
"How can one tell? And who could find this place? But if worst comes to
worst we'll run away--and not with poisoned arrows in our backs,
either."
"That we will," said Adan, emphatically. "We've done that before."
The boys were given a good supper of meat roasted over coals, and a
slice of Mission cake, then were escorted by Anastacio to the largest of
the huts.
"Enter and sleep," he said. "It is my hut. I shall sleep beside you."
VIII
The boys slept soundly between two excellent Mission blankets in a
corner of the hut, whose walls and floors had been well swept with
Mission brooms. Anastacio, despite his contempt for the trammels of
civilisation, had developed an aristocratic taste or two. He slept by
the door, but when the boys awoke he was not there. The pueblo, but for
two sentinels standing before the door, was apparently deserted. The sun
was looking over the highest peak, suffusing the black aisles of the
forest with a rosy glow, reddening the snow on hut and level and rocky
heights. There was not a sound except the faint murmur of the treetops.
"Where is the world?" asked Roldan. "Are there ranches, with cavalcades
and bull-fights, lazy caballeros lying in hammocks smoking cigarritos,
or dancing the night through with silly girls? Dios de mi alma! I feel
as if I did not care."
"Caramba!" exclaimed Adan, "I am famished. Do you suppose they have left
us anything to eat?"
"I suppose there is nothing to do but ask one of these dogs to be good
enough to give us breakfast--no, not ask. I could starve, but not beg of
an Indian."
He beckoned haughtily to one of the sentinels, who approached and
saluted respectfully.
"Breakfast," said the young don, curtly. "We wish to eat at once."
The Indian went over to a large stone oven and took out four meal cakes,
which he carried to the boys, then fetched them fruit and wine.
"Where is Anastacio and the others?" asked Roldan, breakfast over.
"In the temascal."
Roldan sprang to his feet. "Do you hear that, Adan?" he cried. "We have
always wanted to see Indians in temascal." To the sentinel, "Take us
there at once."
The Indian scowled. "But for you, senor, we, too, are in the temascal."
"Take us to the temascal," said Roldan, peremptorily, and the savage, in
whom servility had been planted by civilisation, yielded to the will of
the aristocrat. He bent his shoulders and said: "Bueno; come!"
The boys followed him through the brush, the sweet-scented chaparral on
which the honey-dew still lingered, to another and smaller clearing.
Here were several long rows of earthen huts, three or four feet high,
out of which smoke poured through an aperture in the roof of each. Near
by was a broad creek to which the bank sloped gently from the clearing.
The creek, some three feet deep, murmured over coloured stones and
sprouting trees. The long fine strands of the ice grass trailed far over
the water, motionless. Huge bunches of maidenhair, delicate as green
lace, clung to the steep bluffs on the opposite side. Forests of ferns
grew close to the water's edge. Down through a rift in the cliffs
tumbled a mountain stream over its rocky bed.
"Are they stewing in those things?" asked Roldan.
The Indian nodded. Roldan, followed closely by Adan, approached one of
the temascals and opened the door cautiously. At first they could see
nothing, so dense was the smoke; but when much had rushed out through
the new opening, they saw two prostrate figures,
escape you carry poisoned arrows in your backs."
"Ay, Roldan!" exclaimed Adan, when their formidable host was out of
hearing. "But this was more than we bargained for. I don't know whether
I like it or not."
"I must say I don't like the idea of being in the power of savages--
Indians," said Roldan, contemptuously. "But as we started out for
adventure we must take black bread with white. I think I do rather like
this, but I shall not if we have to stay here too long and nothing
happens."
"Isn't anything likely to happen?" asked Adan, anxiously.
"How can one tell? And who could find this place? But if worst comes to
worst we'll run away--and not with poisoned arrows in our backs,
either."
"That we will," said Adan, emphatically. "We've done that before."
The boys were given a good supper of meat roasted over coals, and a
slice of Mission cake, then were escorted by Anastacio to the largest of
the huts.
"Enter and sleep," he said. "It is my hut. I shall sleep beside you."
VIII
The boys slept soundly between two excellent Mission blankets in a
corner of the hut, whose walls and floors had been well swept with
Mission brooms. Anastacio, despite his contempt for the trammels of
civilisation, had developed an aristocratic taste or two. He slept by
the door, but when the boys awoke he was not there. The pueblo, but for
two sentinels standing before the door, was apparently deserted. The sun
was looking over the highest peak, suffusing the black aisles of the
forest with a rosy glow, reddening the snow on hut and level and rocky
heights. There was not a sound except the faint murmur of the treetops.
"Where is the world?" asked Roldan. "Are there ranches, with cavalcades
and bull-fights, lazy caballeros lying in hammocks smoking cigarritos,
or dancing the night through with silly girls? Dios de mi alma! I feel
as if I did not care."
"Caramba!" exclaimed Adan, "I am famished. Do you suppose they have left
us anything to eat?"
"I suppose there is nothing to do but ask one of these dogs to be good
enough to give us breakfast--no, not ask. I could starve, but not beg of
an Indian."
He beckoned haughtily to one of the sentinels, who approached and
saluted respectfully.
"Breakfast," said the young don, curtly. "We wish to eat at once."
The Indian went over to a large stone oven and took out four meal cakes,
which he carried to the boys, then fetched them fruit and wine.
"Where is Anastacio and the others?" asked Roldan, breakfast over.
"In the temascal."
Roldan sprang to his feet. "Do you hear that, Adan?" he cried. "We have
always wanted to see Indians in temascal." To the sentinel, "Take us
there at once."
The Indian scowled. "But for you, senor, we, too, are in the temascal."
"Take us to the temascal," said Roldan, peremptorily, and the savage, in
whom servility had been planted by civilisation, yielded to the will of
the aristocrat. He bent his shoulders and said: "Bueno; come!"
The boys followed him through the brush, the sweet-scented chaparral on
which the honey-dew still lingered, to another and smaller clearing.
Here were several long rows of earthen huts, three or four feet high,
out of which smoke poured through an aperture in the roof of each. Near
by was a broad creek to which the bank sloped gently from the clearing.
The creek, some three feet deep, murmured over coloured stones and
sprouting trees. The long fine strands of the ice grass trailed far over
the water, motionless. Huge bunches of maidenhair, delicate as green
lace, clung to the steep bluffs on the opposite side. Forests of ferns
grew close to the water's edge. Down through a rift in the cliffs
tumbled a mountain stream over its rocky bed.
"Are they stewing in those things?" asked Roldan.
The Indian nodded. Roldan, followed closely by Adan, approached one of
the temascals and opened the door cautiously. At first they could see
nothing, so dense was the smoke; but when much had rushed out through
the new opening, they saw two prostrate figures,