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"Because," answered the llanero, "my conscience forbade me to despatch a Capuchin friar." "He is no friar, but a regular soldier. Bring me no more Capuchin friars," said the general. On this occasion, too, he spared the prisoner's life, and the man entering his service, became much attached to him. Paez ever proved himself a most indefatigable enemy to the Spaniards.
The unspeakable thought, the unformulated prayer, the poignant sense of individual littleness, of atomic unimportance, in the midst of the vast scheme of the universe, inform every eye, throb in every breast, whether it be of the savant, with all the appliances of invention to bring to his cheated senses the illusion of a slightly nearer approach, or of the half-civilized llanero of the tropic solitudes, whose knowledge suffices only to note the hour by the bending of the great Southern Cross.
The greatest dexterity is required in this manoeuvre by all practising it, as the slacking of either lasso enables the bull to turn upon his caudal persecutor, who is certain to be gored to death. This, indeed, not unfrequently happens. But a Llanero cares little for death.
He was obliged to have his horse's tail cut short, for on several occasions a Llanero was known to have galloped up to the rear of a trooper, dismounted in an instant, and seizing the horse by its long tail, by a sudden jerk contrived to throw it on the ground, and then despatched the rider.
The lad of eighteen, scarcely two years a denizen of the Plains, possessed all the influence and authority of the hoariest Llanero; and now the predictions ran that this daring José Antonio would one day be the most successful cattle-farmer in Venezuela!
Guido, recognizing his master's voice, galloped forward and greeted us warmly, for though he acted as Carmen's servant he was a free llanero, and expected to be treated as a gentleman and a friend. "Gracias a Dios!" he said; "I was beginning to fear that we had passed you. Gahra and I have been looking for you all day!"
In truth, the instances of attacks on persons in hammocks are extremely rare; and during a long residence in South America, I can only call to mind one instance of a Llanero, who was found torn in pieces in his hammock opposite the island of Uhagua.
General Calzada, the commandant, with all his officers, and four hundred men, was shortly afterwards shipped for Spain. Here the career of the Llanero closes. A new and still more brilliant avenue to distinction opens before Paez. At this, however, we can scarcely glance.
We accordingly rode forth, with our llanero, Pablo, as guide the servants having set out some time before. We overtook them just as they had arrived at a large pond or lake, rather surrounded by reeds, with a few trees scattered here and there in the neighbourhood.
Let us glance somewhat more nearly at the Llanero in his home.
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