Part 61 (1/2)
CHAPTER SEVENTY FIVE.
THE G.o.dDESS OF THE WATERS.
For the first hour the sleep of Don Cornelio was undisturbed, even by dreams. With the second it was very different; for, scarcely had he entered upon it, when a noise sounded in his ears, singular as it was terrible. He awoke with a start, on hearing what appeared to be the loud clanging of a bell rung at no great distance off.
At first he fancied he was dreaming, and that what he heard in his dreams was the bell of his native village; but a moment's reflection sufficed to convince him that he was awake, and couched in the fork of a tall tree.
The sounds that had ceased for a while, now recommenced; and Don Cornelio was able to count twelve strokes, clear and distinctly measured, as if some large clock was tolling the hour of midnight!
It was, in fact, just about that hour--as Don Cornelio could tell by the moon; but the observation did not hinder him from shuddering afresh at the mysterious sounds. From his elevated position he could see afar over both land and water; but no spire of village church or hacienda was visible--nothing but the sombre surface of the lake, the spray of the far-stretching forest, and the desert plains in the distance.
The tolling again vibrated upon the air; and Don Cornelio was now convinced that it was from the lake itself, or the enchanted mountain in its midst, that the sounds proceeded. It seemed as if it was a signal, to awaken the Indian divinities from their sleep of ages!
The moon was still rising higher in the heavens, and her brilliant beams broadly illumined the lake, even penetrating through the thickly-set stems of the reeds that bordered it.
Certain vague noises that had from time to time fallen upon the ear of Don Cornelio, while half slumbering, now that he was awake, were heard more distinctly; and after a little while these sounds became converted into prolonged and dismal howlings, such as he had never before heard in his life.
Upon just such another night he had been sorely frightened by the howling of jaguars; but all the tigers in the world could not have produced such a frightful noise as that with which his ears were now a.s.sailed. It was a chorus of voices entirely new to him, and that seemed to proceed from the powerful lungs of some gigantic creature hitherto unknown.
As thoughts of the supernatural came into his mind, the Captain s.h.i.+vered through his whole frame; and had he not been tied to its branches, he would certainly have fallen from the tree.
His horse, standing below, appeared fully to partake of his terror; for after dancing about, and causing the branches to crackle, the animal at length broke away from its fastenings, and, galloping off, joined company with the horses of Costal and Clara that stood nearer the edge of the water.
The terrible howlings, combined with the mysterious tolling of the bell, produced upon the mind of Don Cornelio other impressions besides those of mere dread. He began to believe in a supernatural presence; and that the sounds he heard were the voices of those pagan divinities whom Costal had the boldness to invoke.
Captain Lantejas was not the only person whom these strange noises had inspired with fear. At little more than gunshot distance from him, and hidden behind the trees, could be seen a number of men closely grouped together, and whispering their fears to one another. It need scarcely be said that they were the domestics of Don Mariano, who had counted with equal terror and astonishment the twelve strokes of the mysterious midnight bell.
Their master, too, had heard the tolling, and was vainly endeavouring to account for the singular phenomenon.
Just then the frightful howlings came pealing from the woods behind, awaking Gertrudis, and causing her to raise her head with a cry of terror. The seven sleepers themselves would have been awakened by such a terrible fracas of noises.
At this moment one of the domestics--Castrillo--appeared by the _litera_, his face blanched with affright.
”What misfortune have you to announce?” inquired Don Mariano, struck with the expression upon the servant's countenance.
”Not any, Senor Don Mariano,” replied the domestic, ”unless to say that we are here in some accursed place, and the sooner we get out of it the better.”
”Get your arms ready,” rejoined Don Mariano, ”it must be the jaguars that are howling near us.”
”Ah! Senor master,” replied the domestic, with a shake of his head, ”never did jaguar howl after that fas.h.i.+on; and all our weapons will be useless where the spirit of darkness is against us. Listen, there-- again!”
Once more a series of prolonged vociferations came echoing through the forest, which certainly had but little resemblance to the voices either of jaguars or any other known animals.
”There have been many strange things during this night,” gravely continued Castrillo. ”Everything in nature seems to be turned upside down. Dead men have been seen by us wandering about; bells have been heard tolling where there is neither church nor dwelling, and now the devil himself is howling in the depths of the forest. Oh, master, let us fly from this place while we may!”
”But where to? where can we go?” rejoined Don Mariano, casting an anxious glance towards the _litera_. ”My poor child--she can scarce endure the fatigues of the journey.”
”Oh, father,” said Gertrudis, ”do not think of me. I shall be able to go on; and I would rather go afoot, than remain longer in this frightful place.”