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Updated: May 10, 2025
On other occasions there had been intervals of absence as long, and even longer, when the men of the tribe were away from their tolderia, on some foraging or hunting expedition. Nor would Halberger have thought anything of it; but for the understanding between him and the Tovas chief, in regard to the transport of his collections. Naraguana had never before failed in any promise made to him.
Not only is it steep, but its sides are thickly overgrown with trees, and between their trunks a dense tangle of underwood. "It must be on its summit, they have their burying-ground," observes Gaspar, gazing upward. "Yes; Naraguana spoke of its being on the top of a hill, and there's no other hill near.
But," he adds, turning to descend from the scaffold, "it won't help us any on the road my remaining up here. If the old cacique's body still had the breath in it, may be it might. But as it hasn't the sooner I bid good-bye to it the better. Adios, Naraguana! Pasa V. buena noche!"
And we must step silently," he adds, pointing to the cacique's scaffold tomb, "lest we disturb the sleep of old Naraguana, up yonder."
"Naraguana dead!" exclaims the gaucho, as standing upon the scaffold he gazes upon the form at his feet. "Santissima! this is strange!" "But is it certainly the old cacique?" he adds, again stooping down and raising the selvedge of feather cloth, which had fallen back over the face.
Even had the hunter-naturalist been aware of these events, he might not have seen in them any danger to himself. For surely the death of Naraguana would not affect his relations with the Tovas tribe; at least so far as to losing their friendship, or bringing about an estrangement.
I've heard say that Naraguana, just before his death, in his last words, left a command we should all stand by the palefaced stranger, her father, and protect him and his against every enemy, as long as they remained in the Chaco. Strange protection we've given him! Instead, help to the man who has been his murderer! And now returning home, with his daughter a captive!
On one of these occasions the head chief of the Tovas tribe, by name Naraguana, having imbibed too freely of guarape, and in some way got separated from his people, became the butt of some Paraguayan boys, who were behaving towards him just as the idle lads of London or the gamins of Paris would to one appearing intoxicated in the streets.
Safely landed in any European port, it would be worth many thousands of dollars; and thither he wishes to have it shipped as soon as possible. He has already warned Naraguana of his wish, and that the freight is ready; the chief, on his part, promising to make immediate preparations for its transport overland.
Once inside the copse, and for the time feeling secure against observation, they hold a hasty counsel as to which step they ought next to take. From the sight of that oddly-shaped hill, and what Caspar remembers Naraguana to have said, they have no doubt of its being the same referred to by the old chief, and that the sacred town of the Tovas is somewhere beside it.
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