CHAPTER XXIX.

THE PERPETUAL DISTURBANCES OF THE TOWN OF CONCEPCION.

After an absence of five months spent at St. Iago, and in my journeys thither and back, I was received by the people with great demonstrations of affection; and their joy was increased by the liberal presents which I made them of scissors, glass-beads, and other things of that description. But the affairs of the town remained in the same state as before: and there seemed to be no hope of procuring tranquillity. The Mocobios and their allies were always full of menace, often committed actual mischief. The elder Abipones, though they refrained from molesting the Spaniards, pertinaciously indulged in their usual drinking-bouts; but the younger part could not be induced to remain quietly at home, delighting to wander up and down, and commit depredations. The old women, obstinately adhering to their ancient superstitions, were not only averse to our religion themselves, but endeavoured to inspire others with the same dislike of it. No one would enter the church unless induced by the hope of reward, and very few would attend to the sacred instructions at mid-day. Almost all were engaged in pursuits and studies of a different nature. Military expeditions were undertaken one after another.

Alaykin, to testify his fidelity to the Spaniards, and to clear himself from some suspicions that were entertained against him, went out against Oaherkaikin, and by threats or promises obliged him to give up the captives taken in the woods where Lisondo and the other St. Iagans had been lately slain. After a sort of friendship had been simulated, rather than contracted between Ychoalay and Alaykin, our townsmen went to assist the Abipones of St. Jeronymo in two expeditions against Debayakaikin, from which, however, they derived more loss than advantage. A warlike alliance did indeed subsist for a short time between the inhabitants of the two towns, but never any concord in their hearts; for our Abipones, extremely well disposed towards the Nakaiketergehes, never thought of desiring that victory might declare in favour of Ychoalay, whom they hated, because he endeavoured to prevent them from taking the horses of the Spaniards, and often restored them, when taken, to their owners by force; enraged at which, they employed double craft and industry in their depredations, not so much to indemnify themselves for their former loss, as to signify how little heed they took of Ychoalay. This was a source of altercations, and subject of anxiety which pressed upon us day and night. Captain Miguel Ziburro, Piedra Buena, and other owners of estates from Sta. Fè, came to St. Jeronymo with a small troop of horse, to claim Ychoalay's assistance in recovering some horses stolen from them by the Indians. Ychoalay knew the pastures where the recently plundered horses had been concealed, and thither he came by night to recover them with a troop of Spaniards and Riikahés; but he was disappointed in his hopes. For our Abipones, receiving timely intelligence of Ychoalay's intentions, concealed all the horses they possessed in remote lurking-holes across the river, except some lean, old, and lame creatures, covered with worms and ulcers, which they left in the market-place, to make game of Ychoalay, who, not finding the horses he sought, resolved to attack the plunderers of them. A little before day-break, spying a crowd of our Abipones swiftly bearing down upon his party, he screened himself behind some cottages, and cunningly affirmed that the Spaniards were not come to slay the inhabitants of the town, but to confer with them. On hearing this, our Abipones bent their spears to the ground, and quietly granted a truce. A Spanish captain, of advanced age and intrepid spirit, spoke for some time with Alaykin, by means of an interpreter, in our apartment. "Have you, then, chosen this situation for your colony," said he, "that you may plunder herds of horses from our estates at your pleasure?" "No accusation of this nature can be preferred against me," replied the Cacique; "when we were at war with each other I returned like for like, and repelled force by force; but since the establishment of the peace, I have carefully spared both yourselves and your properties." "We allow that _you_ have never done us any injury," rejoined the Captain, "but your son Pachieke is the head of the plunderers." "That is your own faults," replied Alaykin; "the sanctioned peace was religiously observed by my countrymen till it was violated by a soldier of yours, who robbed them of an excellent horse. Incited by his example, my people began to think of taking horses from you, which they knew to be badly guarded." To this the Captain answered, "But it was your business to have restrained the rapacity of your hordesmen." "In truth," replied the Cacique, smiling, "that is easier said than done. These young men tell me they are going to hunt wild horses, instead of which they carry off the tame ones from your estates, without my knowledge or consent. You ought to have guarded your estates to prevent thieves from approaching them; for it is not in my power to keep watch over plains of such vast extent, and to have an eye upon the feet and hands of my countrymen in all their journeys. Let soldiers be hired to scour the roads; and if they find any countryman of mine guilty of plundering horses, let them, with my free leave, commit him to prison, and punish him with plenty of stripes. Alarmed at such vigilance and severity on the part of the Spaniards, our youths will abandon their practice of stealing." "It is well," replied the Spaniard, "your advice shall be followed; but, in the mean time, let all the horses that have been taken from us be immediately restored." "For my particular," said Alaykin, "I have not a single horse of yours in my possession; as for the rest, do you yourself command them to make restitution, and let them do so if they will, for I have not sufficient authority to insist upon its being done. Were I to use commands or force towards my people, they would immediately desert me. Go, therefore, and endeavour to regain your horses by arms, which you will hardly do by words; my hordesmen are standing in the market-place, prepared for a battle." The Captain heard Alaykin make this declaration without alarm, and would have joined battle forthwith, had not two noble Spaniards, neither of whom belonged to the army, and who were terrified at the appearance of the Abipones, persuaded him to silence, peace, and speedy departure. Refusing an invitation to dinner, the whole party returned without delay to St. Jeronymo, along with Ychoalay, who afterwards told me he should never have brought the Spaniards, had he been aware that Alaykin's soldiers were so numerous. Our Abipones, emboldened by the hurried return of the Spaniards, made no hesitation in sending one of their people to watch them, and exhort them to hasten their journey, lest, if they tarried on the way, they should be pursued by the rest of the townsmen. Whilst the Spaniards were still on their road, a tempest arose, with rain, thunder, and lightning; meantime, our Abipones were celebrating this bloodless victory with songs and drinking, highly elated at the idea of having baffled Ychoalay, and caused him to come labour in vain.

This unseasonable visit of the Spaniards had well nigh proved the destruction of my companion and myself; the Indians, persuaded that we had acted in collusion with them, cruelly persecuting us as traitors and enemies. Not one of them would enter our house or the church; not one would deign to hold any conversation with us: so that we doubted not but that our lives were in danger; yet the suspicion entertained by the Indians was totally groundless, as the journey, and the machinations of the Spaniards had never been revealed to us even in a dream. On the night that succeeded their departure, as I was mending my torn shoes, the only pair I possessed, to defend my feet from the rain which was plainly portended by the appearance of the sky, a sudden noise induced me to leave my hut, when I saw a great number of our Abipones riding about the market-place, with their faces painted, and with spears in their hands; at which I was much surprized, not knowing who or where the enemy was. But looking round on all sides, I at length espied the Spaniards, with Ychoalay's Abipones, approaching the town, and immediately awakened Father Sanchez, who was dreaming of no such matter.

It was openly reported that Ychoalay, enraged that the event of this expedition had proved so contrary to his desires and expectations, was directing his whole attention, in conjunction with the Spaniards, towards totally destroying our colony; on hearing which, our Abipones withdrew from the town, and hastened by crowds to their known retreats. What were our feelings on perceiving this? We wrote to inform Barreda of the matter, and in the mean time awaited a remedy for our affliction, which might, after all, prove too late; for conscious of that general's lenity towards his soldiers, and of their tardiness in undertaking a journey, we justly feared that Saguntum would be lost while Rome deliberated.