Part 25 (2/2)
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.
PEDRO BECOMES COMMUNICATIVE; MANUELA VOCAL; LAWRENCE PREPOSTEROUS; QUASHY AND TIGER VIOLENT--THE WHOLE ENDING IN A GRAND CATASTROPHE.
”Senhor Armstrong,” said Pedro, the evening after that on which the capture of turtles took place, ”I have received some bad news--at least unsatisfactory news--which will necessitate a change in our style of travelling, and a more rapid progress towards our journey's end.”
”I'm sorry for that,” Lawrence answered, ”for, to my mind, our style of travelling is very agreeable, and the rate quite fast enough, especially for one who has no definite purpose in view.”
”That may be so, senhor,” returned Pedro, with a grim smile, ”but as _I_ have something of a definite purpose in view, the case is different.”
”True, Pedro,--true. I do not object to any change in your plans; I merely comment on the very pleasant time we are having, and shall be ready to act as you desire; so, you see, I am as I promised to be--an obedient follower. But where got you this news from? I have seen no one arrive in the camp since we came. What may the nature of the news be, if I may venture to ask of one who is so--so very reticent?”
The guide pondered some time before replying to these questions. Then, with the air of one who has made up his mind on an uncertain point, said--
”I had no intention of rousing your curiosity by needless secrecy. I have not very many or very profound secrets. Only, in a disturbed country it behoves a man to hold his tongue in regard to his affairs.
But I feel that you are a friend, Senhor Armstrong, who may be trusted; not that I have much to trust to you,--and yet, my doings are so mixed up with the affairs of other people that to some extent I am tongue-tied. I may tell you, however, that I am a secret agent of the government, to which I have volunteered my services solely because I love peace and hate war, and am desirous of doing all I can to promote the first and abate the last. The idea may appear to you Quixotic, but--”
”Pardon me, Senhor Pedro,” interrupted Lawrence, promptly. ”I think you the reverse of Quixotic. I honour you for your sentiments, and sympathise with you most heartily. Do I not remember that it is written, `Blessed are the peacemakers,' and also, `Scatter thou the people that delight in war?'”
”Yes, I have gathered from your conversation that such are your sentiments, but do not misunderstand me. I am not of those who would have peace at any price. I believe in the right of self-defence. I recognise the right of oppressed nations to rise up and draw the sword in order to free themselves from tyrants; in short, I believe that there are some things that are worse even than war; but while I concede so much, I hold that most of the wars recorded in history have been undertaken without just cause, many of them without any real or obvious cause at all, too many of them with a distinctly bad cause. Even in the present day, and among Christian nations, there is far too little tendency to appeal to arbitration, which is the only legitimate way for _reasonable_ men to settle any dispute or quarrel. Does your sympathy go with me thus far?”
Lawrence, with a glow of enthusiasm on his face, extended his hand, and, grasping that of his companion, shook it warmly.
”I go with you in every word, Pedro. You are a man after my own heart; and I say, G.o.d prosper you in your good work wherever you go!”
Manuela, who was standing near at the time, looked up at the enthusiastic youth quickly. Her knowledge of English must have been improving, despite the badness of her p.r.o.nunciation, for she seemed to understand the conversation, and to regard Lawrence with profound interest.
The youth was so carried away with his feelings, however, that he did not observe the girl's look or expression.
”That is well,” Pedro said, with a pleased look, as he returned his friend's grasp; ”but I fear you won't find many of our way of thinking in this unhappy country. You are aware, no doubt, that it is frequently--I might almost say every three or four years--disturbed by factious quarrels which too often end in riot and bloodshed, though these are not often on so large a scale as to be styled civil war.
Well, there is a party of peace-lovers even here, who do their best to bring about a better state of things, and a more settled and powerful government. Some of the men of influence at Buenos Ayres, and some even of the military men, are of this party. I am, as I have said, their secret agent--secret, because if I were to attempt the thing openly, or as a government agent, I should be treated with ridicule by some, or be murdered perhaps by others, in either of which cases my influence would be gone. Of course, as you have seen, I run considerable risk in travelling through the land on my mission, for I have been several times taken for a spy, but I don't object to run risk, the cause being a good one.
”As to the news, which I have received by mere chance from a pa.s.sing Indian, it is another outbreak in the San Juan district which makes a change in the disposition of troops necessary; and as I have particular business with one of the officers, I must change my route and make for Buenos Ayres as straight as possible. That is all the mystery about it; so you see, as I said, it is not very profound.”
”It is very interesting, however,” returned Lawrence, ”and you may depend on my falling in with your plans, whatever they are.”
”Well, then,” returned the guide, ”the first part of my plan is simple enough--merely to start off to-morrow by the first peep of day. Will you go, therefore, and tell Quashy to get ready, while I have a talk with Manuela?”
We do not intend to inflict on the reader the whole of the conversation that took place in the Indian tongue between the little brown maiden and the guide. A small portion of it will suffice.
”I repeat, Manuela,” said the latter, in a remonstrative tone, ”that you are not wise.”
”My kind protector forgets,” replied the girl, with a modest look, ”that I have never set up any claim to wisdom.”
”But what will your father say?”
”I really cannot guess what he will say,” she answered, with one of her prettiest little smiles.
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