The Crimson Conquest: A Romance of Pizarro and PeruHudson, Charles B. (Charles Bradford)
History
The Crimson Conquest: A Romance of Pizarro and Peru
Hudson, Charles B. (Charles Bradford)
Peru -- History -- Conquest, 1522-1548 -- Fiction
But at last came reënforcements from Francisco, and Manco withdrew to
Ollantaytambo to rest and recruit his battle-worn warriors, leaving
Cristoval with his riders and a small command of Antis to watch. Not
many days later, it was learned from a captured Cañare that the
Spaniards were planning an attack in force on Ollantaytambo. Assured of
the information, Cristoval joined the Inca for its defence. They had
not long to wait. With a strong body of cavalry and infantry, Hernando
made a stealthy detour through the mountains in the valley of the
Urubamba. He approached the fortress under cover of darkness and
attacked at dawn, confident of taking it by surprise. Before midday his
column was flying for Cuzco, defeated, demoralized, and in utter rout,
with the Inca in hot pursuit.
Once more Cristoval’s band of horsemen and Mocho’s Antis were scouring
the valley of Cuzco, lurking in the hills and passes, striking now here,
now there; and intercepting, scattering, or destroying, the parties
which need of food or greed of plunder led from the city. Informed by
vigilant scouts of every move of the enemy, and guided by men familiar
with every ravine and mountain trail, he struck often and with terrible
unexpectedness. Repeatedly the Pizarros sent, and even led, in chase,
always fruitlessly, or with disaster. If the swift-moving band was
encountered, it was in some position of its leader’s own choosing which
more than offset the Spaniards’ advantage of numbers. The cry, "_El
Renegado!_"—for so Cristoval became known—grew to be one of terror; and
raised suddenly in a party of marauders, it carried panic. Impelled by
the wrongs of his adopted people—those suffered in the past, and blacker
ones which he knew were to follow—he fought with reckless fury.
One night, while in bivouac a few leagues from Cuzco, a _chasqui_
brought Cristoval a summons to Ollantaytambo with his command. The
first thought of the cavalier was of the joy of seeing Rava. The next,
an undefined disquiet. Before dawn he was on the march.
It was late when he entered the fortress, to be taken immediately to
Manco’s chamber. Paullo was with the Inca, and both embraced the
cavalier with affection, the Inca adding a warm appreciation of his zeal
and intrepidity. Paullo retired to apprise Rava. Manco regarded the
march-stained soldier in rusty armor and said with less than his usual
calm, but without the former gloom:—
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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