| | 332

CHAPTER XXVIII.
Plans for Rebuilding Esperanza. The Coracles of the Indians. The Breach in the Caves. The Battle of Jack and the Condor. The Spectre in the Cave. The Happy Meeting. Old Friends assembled in the Cave of Refuge.

THE Weather continued uncertain; showers of sleet and rain during the day were often followed by frosts at night; but the family were all happily occupied. Tom was in a fair way of recovery, though still kept in a recumbent position; but under his father and Dr. Lewis he made great progress in improving his mind. He applied himself diligently to mathematics, and acquired a taste for higher studios than those he had been formerly engaged in.

The sun had now more power; the snow melted, the little stream was swollen, and the rich mud washed from the rocks above spread itself over the tiny glade to fertilize it. Then the grass began to spring, and the cattle were released to enjoy the fresh herbage. Tom was carried out on his mattress to breathe the pure air, and the young workmen produced their plans, and proposed to commence their building immediately.

"My plan is," said Tom, "that we should carry a brick wall, nine feet high, round a space of ground sufficiently extensive to contain our fields, gardens, corrals, and dwellings. Esperanza must be, in fact, a fortified town."

"Might we not leave the side to the river open?" said Matilda. "It is usually impassable to the Indians and we might have a drawbridge for ourselves."

"No, my dear," replied Mr. Merton; "I would rather have a wall. Remember the lions and tigers that have visited us. Moreover, some of the South American Indians do cross rivers in coracles, which vessels, if it could be effected with safety, I would gladly see. I have an idea that they must be of classical form."

| | 333

"Not a bit of it, sir," said Charles. "They are no more like the coracles described by Herodotus, as in use in Babylonia, than they are to a Roman galley. The ancient coracle was of wicker work, circular in form, with no distinction between prow and stern, lined with reeds, and covered with leather, and 2,000 years have not effected much improvement in the construction of this vessel. The basket coracles are still used on the Euphrates, precisely the same in form and manufacture, except that instead of the covering of leather, they have now a coating of pitch, within and without."

"These coracles, then," said Matilda, "must resemble the Egyptian ark of bulrushes, in which the infant Moses was placed, and which was 'pitched within and without.'"

"Precisely so, my cousin," replied Charles. "But the coracles of our neighbors, the Indians, are merely hides, stretched out by rods within, and are neither classical in form nor in association."

"However curious we may be," said Lewis, "to observe the form of the Indian coracle or canoe, I think the less opportunity we may have for the observation the better. I agree with Mr. Merton that it is expedient to wall our settlement, certainly a formidable undertaking; but we are expert brick-makers, have abundance of material, and are not limited to time, for we can still retain possession of this tolerably convenient lodging for an indefinite period; therefore I propose that we no longer delay our commencement."

All joyfully agreed to become laborers, and the next question was the extent of ground to be inclosed. Mr. Merton thought the old boundaries contained as much land as they had a right to appropriate, that was, as much as sufficed for their wants. The younger party took a larger view of the future, and contended that when they were building they aught as well secure an ample portion of ground, for the settlement might ultimately become a colony.

"And remember, papa," said Jack, "we are actually conferring a benefit on posterity, by bringing waste lands into cultivation, clearing the forests, slaying wild beasts, and civilizing savages. Indeed, I consider we are great philanthropists."

| | 334

"I doubt it, my son," replied Mr. Merton. "I fear that we are merely actuated by the selfishness of fallen human nature; we seek our own profit, our own safety, and our own case of mind; and the benefit of posterity is but a secondary consideration with us. Nevertheless, it may be prudent to our domain, for God may please again to send to us strangers in distress. Even the dear friends whose absence we so much regret may return to us, and it will be well to have accommodation for hospitality."

These preliminaries settled, Lewis, Almagro, Charles and Jack, the working men, set out next morning, leaving Wallace as guard to the weakened garrison. They found all in the same state they had left it at Esperanza, except the garden-beds which were somewhat scratched by the fowls, which still roosted on the old spot; and the footsteps of the hare were also to be traced; but vegetation was springing, and the hand of the gardener and husbandman was needed; yet they agreed that they must have many thousands of bricks made before they could till and sow.

A number of moulds had been made during the winter, and the banks of the river now afforded them a plentiful supply of clay. They labored diligently during the day, and returned at night laden with a basket of eggs, collected in the old poultry-yard, happy to report their progress, and enjoy the repose of the evening. After a week of hard labor they piled the bricks, already hardened, to be thoroughly dried by the sun, and turned to the garden. They sowed all their seeds, and put everything in order, hoping before the seeds sprung up to have a wall raised which would protect the plants from the devastations of the hare or the peccary.

Every day the spring progressed, and Lewis collected the first flowers one bright evening to present to the fair sisters. But they found a little agitation in the household, and had to put, down the flowers till they heard the cause.

"About an hour ago," said Matilda, "as we were sitting quietly at work, we were startled by a tremendous noise. I fancied I felt the cave shake beneath us, and I concluded it must be an earthquake, and that we might be overwhelmed by the next shock. I considered for a moment, and then got Nanny and papa to assist us in rolling away the great stone from the entrance. I thought if we got mamma and Tom | | 335 out as far as the slope opposite the rock, we might be in less danger. We removed the barrier and left the cave; then Tom said: 'it is no earthquake; the sky is clear and bright; the birds are singing, and all Nature is in repose. Depend on it, Matilda, the noise has risen from some animal in the interior caves, or the fall of some piece of rock.' I thought it impossible that any animal should have caused such a sound; but it might be a fallen rock and as mamma was very uneasy, I proposed that we should examine the inner caverns. She was very unwilling that we should venture but seeing her actually tremble with agitation, we left papa and Tom with her, and set out with rifles and spears like heroines, with lighted candles which were of much more use, and walked forward boldly, though I own my heart palpitated as we got farther and farther from our own home. At length we saw daylight--"

"Daylight! Matilda, are you dreaming?" cried Jack.

"No, indeed, Jack," continued she. "We actually saw broad, bright daylight, through an opening at the side of the rock, at no very great height above us, while in the cave lay a large mass of rock and earth, fallen from the chasm above. No doubt, the melting of the snow had loosened the earth, an probably the immediate cause of the accident had been a poor guanaco which had lost its life by the fall; but most wonderfully, a young one, which lay licking the dead mother, did not seem much injured. Maria took up the young guanaco, and we hastened to retreat lest there should be another fall. On our return I picked up some glittering ore, which Tom says contains much silver; and papa says is best left in obscurity."

"I perfectly agree with our good father," said Lewis, "we have more important objects to demand our attention just now than smelting silver, which, after all, we could make very little use of."

"Unless we cast it into bullets," said Charles. " I have heard of a tribe of Indians in the north who use golden bullets, gold being more easily attained than lead; and silver is much better. Nanny could tell you a silver bullet never fails to do its duty."

Nanny pledged herself for the efficacy of a silver bullet against "an uncanny body," and thought they might be good | | 336 against "them heathen Indians," for they were "surelie uncanny."

But the silver was left unnoticed; the accident in the cave made the whole family still more anxious to return to Esperanza, and it required every moment of time to complete their great labors there.

Next morning a large piece of rock was rolled before the opening into the cave where the rock had fallen, and the workmen returned to their brick-making for a few days more. They found the corn sown in the autumn already sprung up, and the fences of the fields being still secure, they had no anxiety on that account.

"How much," said Lewis, "do I now wish for the sound, practical head of our good friend Douglas, to aid us in laying out and fortifying our little domain. I have no hesitation in reclaiming any extent of land from the puma and the jaguar; but to build so many hundred yards of wall, with only four workmen, would require much time now, when we ought to begin the dwellings. We cannot do both. Shall we build the house or the wall first?"

"I know," said Jack, "that dear papa and mamma would never consent to return to an unprotected house, they would rather remain in the cave, even during the hot summer. We must try either a wall or a moat; which would be best?"

"Let us have both," said Charles. "A wall, six feet high at present, which we can raise three feet higher when we have more time; a deep ditch outside, and within a terraces formed of the earth thrown from the ditch This terrace will form a pleasant walk for the ladies, and an immense advantage to us in case of a siege."

"Very well, my boys," said Lewis, "but this would be at least four months' work for four unpractised workmen."

"The girls will hand us the bricks," said Jack; "we may reckon on good assistance from Maria and Mary who can work nearly as well as I can."

"The dear girls have occupations more suitable to them than building," answered Lewis. "I could not bear see their hands plastered with mud. But what are you grubbing among the ruins for, Jack?"

| | 337

"I promised Tom that the bee-tree should be included in the inclosure," replied Jack. "Now, in his confinement, he is been making a new kind of hive, into which he designs to lure a swarm of bees, and he wished me to try and find some fragments of glass in the ruins of the dear old hall, that he might insert them into his hive."

They carefully removed the charred wood and scattered leaves from the interior of the melancholy walls, which still remained standing, and found the frame of the window, which, being partly burnt, had fallen inside. Two or three panes of glass were still entire--a valuable contribution for their intended mansion. The fragments were collected and placed in a basket to be carried home, where they immediately proceeded, determined that very evening to settle the question of the fortification.

They found Maria with her little nursling, the guanaco, which she had brought out to crop the fresh grass on the green, and Jack remained with her, admiring the little creature, while the rest entered the cave. "Look at that huge condor perched on the high cliff," said Maria; "how he watches us with his cunning eye! I have no doubt, if we were lying as still as my little guanaco is just now, it would have a peck at us."

She had scarcely spoken, when the bird spread its immense wings, and hovering over them for a moment, pounced on the pretty guanaco, and began to peek at its head. Maria shrieked, and Jack, who was without bolas or lasso, threw his cap at the bird; but it merely lifted its head for a moment, with a look of disdain, and continued its attack. Maria's distress affected Jack much, and with his usual impetuosity he sprung forward and seized the huge neck of the creature with both hands. It struggled, flapped its powerful wings against the brave lad, and twisted its head that it might reach him with its strong beak.

"A lasso! Maria! call Charles to bring a lasso!" cried Jack; and Maria rushed into the cave, and returned followed by the whole family. The animal had succeeded in flinging Jack down on his back and was beating him with his wings; but he still held it manfully by the throat.

Almagro flung his bolas, which wound round its huge body, and restrained its wings for a moment; then the thick thongs | | 338 of hide burst asunder with its efforts, and the wings were released. But Charles and Lewis, one on each side, pierced it with their lances; the dark blood gushed out, the wings flapped slowly and feebly, and Jack, rising, dragged his ferocious antagonist from its poor victim, and then relinquished his iron grasp, and left the bird to die.

"A pretty thrashing I have had," said he, rubbing his arms, "and a narrow escape from that two-legged tiger, which would, I verily believe, if you had not come up at the right moment, have peeked out my eyes, as it has done those of Maria's poor pet; for my strength was about done."

In that short time the condor had not only blinded the guanaco, but with its strong beak had penetrated the brain, and the animal died in a few minutes, to the great grief of its mistress. Tom measured the condor, which, with the wings extended, was twelve feet across.

"It is said," he remarked, "that the condor, Sarcoramphus gryphus, sometimes measures fourteen feet across, and from three to four feet from the back to the extremity of the tail. It is a hideous bird, especially when gorged with food, for then the bare, wrinkled, red skin of the neck is displayed in a most disgusting manner. It is bold as the eagle, and voracious as the vulture; yet its talons are not formed to carry off its prey like the noble eagle; but it pursues, secures, and then tears it to pieces, and feasts on it with a cruelty and voracity unparalleled among the feathered race; and doubtless this creature itself will soon be devoured by its cannibal kindred."

This was actually the case; before morning the bones of the destroyer were picked by his own friends, and Mrs. Merton shuddered as she hoped she should soon have a shelter at Esperanza, unmolested by pumas and condors. That evening they agreed that ten acres of ground should be inclosed--a large extent, but Lewis hoped, in a month, they should be able to raise round it a wall of six feet, and then proceed to the house building. All this was measured and marked next day; the area included not only the "bee-tree," but several other trees, some of which were to be cut down and usefully employed, the rest to be left, as equally useful either for their produce or shade; and these preliminaries arranged, they re- | | 339 turned to the cave with the confidence that they had made a beginning.

"And we will have a supper of fresh eggs to celebrate the commencement of the great work," said Matilda. "The hens have selected the very extremity of the caverns for their roosting-place; but as I have no dread of the genii of the caves, if Nanny will spare me a candle, I will bring the eggs," and taking a candle in one hand and her basket in the other, the intrepid girl tripped lightly through the gloomy windings of the rocks.

Matilda was perhaps less gentle and obliging in temper than her sister; but as Lewis watched her disappear, he could not help thinking the foibles of his favorite, her impatience of weakness, and love of sway, were atoned for by her firmness and fearlessness of character. As these thoughts were passing in his mind, he was astonished to see Matilda reappear, pale and trembling with agitation, and he sprung forward to assist her, and learn the cause of her alarm.

"There is a man in the caves," she articulated with difficulty, bursting into tears. "I saw his face above the large piece of rock you had placed before the cave where the opening was made."

Jack and Charles had seized their rifles, and were rushing towards the back caves, but the entreaties of the females, and the commands of Lewis, arrested them. "Do not be rash," said he; "we will go together, prepared, but calm. I have no doubt the intruder is some animal, and no man. There is no cause for alarm, we will, if necessary, destroy the visitor, and then effectually close the communication with these remote caves.

Leaving the family tolerably tranquilized, the four able men marched first, followed by Tom, leaning on a short lance. As they drew near the spot, the countenance of each was marked by intense anxiety. The piece of rock which had been placed to defend the inhabited eaves from the intrusion of animals, was about five feet in height; but above it, the evening light from the aperture in the cave beyond. There was certainly no face over the rock now, and they stopped to consult on the prudence of removing the stone in order to examine the suspected retreat of the intruder, when | | 340 they were electrified by the loud braying of a mule beyond the barrier. They burst into a loud laugh.

"To think," said Jack, "that the keen-eyed Matilda should actually take the face of a mule for that of a man. It has certainly fallen through the opening, and we must release it."

They removed the stone, and their lights flashing into the caves beyond, revealed the trembling form and pale face of a man, who, in a voice hoarse with agitation, exclaimed, in imperfect Spanish, "Spare me, noble Indians, I am only a harmless traveler; an accident brought me into the mine, and I have stolen no silver."

Lewis assured the panic-struck man that he was in no danger, and inquired if he was alone.

"Lewis," said Jack, "the man is neither Spaniard nor Indian; his Spanish is worse than mine."

"Oh! God bless you, young gentlemen," cried the man; "for them's the words of dear ould England for sartain."

"Then you are English?" inquired Lewis, gravely; but Jack disdained all dignity, and immediately shook hands with a man who certainly did not speak English much better than Spanish.

"Yes, sir," said the man. "I'se a poor Yorkshire lead miner fra' the Dales; glad to hear my own tongue. It's all along of this sappy mule, that knew no better than to tumble down t'shaft. Then t'mistress was sorely put about, for all her boxes had gone down too, and Jem Alderson, he cam' down, he's used to gan' down shafts and up he conies, and swears he saw a spirit all dressed iv' white, wi' a lamp iv' one band, and a coffin iv' t'other. And what s'uld sarve me, but I s'uld brag, that I'd come down, and send up t'mule wi' rapes. Master was fain to come his se', but mistress has a bit of her own way, and she says, says she, 'Joe's a brave lad, Joe s'all gang;' so down I cam, and a bonny fright I've getten," and he looked round him with terror.

While Joe was telling his tale, Jack had, unobserved, climbed up the inclined plane formed by the fallen earth, an disappeared through the opening above; and just at this moment they heard him utter a loud "hurrah!" Lewis and Charles were not long in following him, and emerging through the opening, they saw themselves in a hollow, surrounded by | | 341 and in the midst of men, women, and laden mules. Jack was locked in the embrace of a fur-clad lady, in whom they soon recognized Mrs. Douglas, while good portly Mr. Douglas stood laughing; and even the pale and pensive Mr. Carruthers seemed to enjoy the scene.

"What! my dear, dear friends!" cried Mrs. Douglas, "are you all here? Who could have expected you, one after another, to rise out of the earth, like gnomes, to help us in this Valley of Despair, in which we have wandered about for two days, without discovering any means of escaping from it. And now, Dr. Lewis, how are you all? Why are you not at Esperanza? And where is Esperanza? How can we get to it? Extricate us, my dear friends, from this huge trap, which we have all concluded was to be our graveyard."

"I cannot answer all your questions yet, my dear Mrs. Douglas," replied Lewis, "nor can I expect you to answer mine; though I am curious to know how you could possibly reach this inaccessible valley, unless, like Sindbad, you had each been tied to the leg of a roe, a bird which Matilda declares must certainly have been the condor. Our first consideration must be to introduce you to our hospitable halls; and I can see no other mode to accomplish this introduction than by your descending, like your mule, into the bowels of the earth!"

"I am here with the long ladder," cried Almagro, putting his head through the opening; "I have tranquilized all the ladies, but have not told them a word of the good news."

The reunited friends, accompanied by the two strange women, descended the ladder, John, their old servant, with Almagro and the two miners, remained to unload the mules and let down the baggage into the cave, and to leave the mules in their secure retreat, unless they could be induced to descend.

Loudly did Mrs. Douglas express her wonder, as they wound through mazy rocks, till they reached the wooden door that inclosed the family residence; then the laughing Charles cried out,--

| | 342

The door flew open, and disclosed a lofty, gothic-looking hail, lighted up with a blazing fire, on each side of which, in leather-covered easy-chairs, reclined Mr. and Mrs. Merton; Nanny was spinning near them, and at a long table Matilda was reading, Maria drawing, and Mary, seated on a low stool, was teaching the little kneeling Cecilia an infantine prayer. This was a pretty and strange spectacle; but the repose that invested it was soon dispersed. All were in motion; laughing, weeping, and inquiries followed.

Mr. Carruthers lifted up the kneeling infant, and kissing her fondly, said: "This is my treasure, dear Mary; I see again, in her features, my lost Eliza;" and he covered his face when he recalled her sad fate. The pretty child, thinking he was playing with her, tried to pull way his fingers from before his face; then playing with his hair, she turned to Mary, and said: "More papa;" for Mr. Merton and Dr. Lewis were both called "papa."

"Bless us all!" said Nanny. "How many more on you is there to come? and ye'll want your suppers I reckon; so I must just set by my wheel."

"Indeed you must, Nanny," answered Jack; "for there is your friend John and two more hungry fellows to come. So bring out the ham, and cold round of beef you meant to give us to Esperanza to-morrow."

"That's not a bad thought, Master Jack," said she; "but you'll have to fast for it. And where the beds are to come from for all of you I can't see."

Nanny was really glad to see her valued friends again; but grumbled as usual about folks frightening you by coming in at back ways, as she sat out her large table with beef, ham, butter, and biscuits; but her murmurs died away in quiet enjoyment, when she saw the table filled with happy faces, enjoying the plentiful repast.

"You must not think," said Mrs. Douglas, "that we have fallen short of provision on our journey, when you see our mighty appetite now. But the truth is that for the last few days we have been too anxious and vexed to eat. And now, Dr. Lewis, as you are eating nothing, pray give us an explanation of the cause of your quitting Esperanza, to shut yourselves up in this magnificent dungeon."

| | 343

Lewis gave a brief recital of all that had passed since they parted, and added the present project of restoring Esperanza, rather than selecting another locality for their settlement.

"Then we have just arrived at the right moment," said Mrs. Douglas; "for you must give us and our followers portions in the new Esperanza, and in the mean time put us into some of these branch dungeons," following Nanny into some of the interior divisions, where she was already busy laying down skins and mattresses to accommodate the new guests.

The two men, with John and Almagro, now entered, rather amazed at the strange reception-room; but the sight of the viands dispelled all doubts, and after a warm greeting between Nanny and her friend John, they sat down to supper; informing Mr. Douglas that they had unloaded the mules, slung them down the shaft with ropes, and left them, with some fresh-cut grass in the back part of the caves.