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The thought of resisting had more than once crossed my mind, and, by dint of struggling and fighting, I might have made the nandu so restive that I could not have been fastened on his back.
I was bound on the nandu by order of the Queen of the Pachatupec Indians." "The Pachatupec Indians! I have heard of them. But they are a long way off; more than a hundred leagues of desert lies between us and the Pachatupec country. Are you quite sure, monsieur?" "Quite.
But now the nandu, seeing that he will soon be treading the air, makes a desperate effort to stop short, in which failing he wheels half round, barely in time to save his life and mine, and then courses madly along the brink for miles, as if unable to tear himself away, keeping me in a state of continual fear, for a single slip, or an accidental swerve to the right, and we should have fallen headlong down the rocks, against which the waves are beating.
I was thanking her, perhaps more warmly than the occasion required, when she stopped the flow of my eloquence by reminding me that I had not yet told them why the Indian queen caused me to be fastened on the back of the nandu.
"Nigel Fortescue, formerly an officer in the British Army, at present a fugitive and a wanderer, tenders you his warmest thanks, and gratefully accepts your hospitality And now that we know each other, Monsieur l'Abbé, might I ask the favor of an introduction to the young lady to whom I owe my deliverance from the nandu?" "She is Angela, monsieur. My people call her Señorita Angela.
The hardships and perils I had lately undergone, my weary wanderings in the wilderness, the dull monotony of the Happy Valley, the passage of the Andes, my terrible ride on the nandu, all were forgotten. The contrast between my by-gone miseries and present surroundings added zest to my enjoyment.
Then, the ground being covered with sand and comparatively level, the nandu slacked his speed somewhat, though he still went at a great pace. The desert was a vast expanse of white sand, the glare of which, in the bright sunshine, almost blinded me, interspersed with stretches of rock, swept bare by the wind, and loose stones.
The nandu, led by his keeper and another man, of course went with us. My conductors, albeit they made no secret of their joy over my downfall, did their mistress's bidding, and treated me with respect. They loosed my bonds, taking care, however, so to guard me as to render escape impossible, and, when we halted, gave me to eat and drink. But their talk was not encouraging.
But whence come you, and who bound you on the nandu?" "I will tell you a little more water, I pray you, mademoiselle." "Let him drink again, Angela and dash some water in his face; he is faint." "Le pauvre homme! See how his lips are swollen! Do you feel better, monsieur?" she asked compassionately, again putting the cup to my lips. "Much. A thousand thanks.
And then Mamcuna, sinking back into her chinchura, covered her face with her hands; but she showed no sign of relenting, and I was bound with ropes and hurried from the room. The man-killer was a nandu belonging to the queen, and had gained his name by killing one man and maiming several others who unwisely approached him when he was in an evil temper.
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