CHAPTER XIX

THE BROWN MEN OF THE JUNGLE

When daylight came, the two men cowering on the bare rock around which the turbulent water raged, were more appalled than ever at the realization of how narrowly they had escaped a terrible fate. The soft moonlight had concealed much that the bright sunlight revealed.

All about them were roaring cascades, whirlpools and rapids of a formidable character. Above, the stretch of water through which they had swum was nearly as bad. It was well that the mellow light had been deceptive, for it had hidden the real nature of the river and had made it appear much calmer than it really was; if David and Miguel had been able to see what was before them it is doubtful if they could have reached the rock.

Below, and not more than fifty yards distant, the stream seemed to end in a long, even line; it was the edge of the fall. They could not tell how far the sheet of water dropped, but the roar that came up from below sounded like booming thunder and the clouds of swirling mist rising high into the sky indicated that the distance of the plunge must be great.

The rock upon which the men were stranded was only fifty feet from the bank. Both were splendid swimmers. But one look at the narrow channel separating them from the land was enough to convince them that they could not cross to safety before being swept over the fall. To swim against the current in an effort to head up-stream was impossible. Their only hope had been to go with the water at the same time striking obliquely toward the shore; but that, too, was plainly out of the question.

They discussed their predicament in serious voices; but there was no way out of the difficulty, so far as they could see.

“We might as well be in the middle of the Amazon as right here,” Miguel said.

“I’d rather be in the middle of the ocean,” David replied. “Then a ship would be liable to come along to pick us up. Here nobody will find us.”

“No, because no one would be foolish enough to try to navigate this river as we did.”

“Suppose the Indians should come down this far?” David asked suddenly. “What easy marks we would be!”

“Let them come,” Miguel returned gloomily. “It would be quicker than drowning or starving.”

“Maybe so. But I’d like to have something to fight back with. We have nothing. Even the revolver is gone.”

The thought of the Indians may have come to them as a premonition, for the Indians did arrive not many hours after, and apparently they were the same ones who had been following and attempting to capture them.

As they were gazing with longing at the green walls of forest that grew down to the rocks bordering the water the thick curtain of foliage parted revealing the brown form of a savage.

“My heavens,” Miguel moaned, “they _did_ find us. It’s all over now.”

“I’ve changed my mind,” David panted at about the same moment. “If they start shooting at us I’ll jump in and go over the fall; they might not be so high as we think and anyway, it’s a fighting chance. I won’t be shot like a trapped animal.”

“I’ll go, too,” Miguel said quickly. “I won’t let them shoot me either.”

They perched on the very edge of the rock, ready to make the plunge.

“Before we go,” said Miguel, as a peculiar look came over his face, “I want to tell you something; I tried to tell you before, but----”

“Not now,” David interrupted him. “There isn’t time and there’s too much noise. And I don’t feel that our end is in sight. I think I suspect, too, what you want to say.”

Miguel looked puzzled, but said no more.

Other savages joined the first on the bank, bows and arrows in their hands, but still there was no show of hostility. They only stared and chattered excitedly among themselves.

Then the group was joined by one who was apparently their chief. He pushed boldly to the front and came out into full view on the rocks. The newcomer towered a full head above the others and his powerful body looked like a bronze statue against the green background. In one hand he held a long bow, in the other, an arrow.

For a moment he stood motionless, looking steadily at the helpless men on the rock. Then he glanced up and down the river as if assuring himself that they could not escape.

David and Miguel, ready to jump, did not remove their eyes from him for a moment. Their hearts were pounding wildly and their breath came in gasps.

After surveying the situation a short time longer, the chief turned to the savages in back of him and asked a question to which they replied with shouts and many gestures. Then he turned and did a most surprising thing.

Again facing toward the two white men, he looked at them intently for a long time, then stooped and deliberately placed his bow on the rock on which he stood. Next, he grasped the arrow in both hands, snapped the shaft in two with a quick movement of his wrists and threw the pieces into the river. After that he extended his arms at full length toward David and Miguel.

This action startled the two so they nearly fell off the rock. They sat down, limp and helpless after the terrific ordeal to which they had been subjected.

“Does he mean it?” David asked weakly. “Isn’t it a scheme to capture us alive?”

“No!” Miguel, too, could barely make himself heard. “An Indian never goes back on his word. We are

[Illustration:

Again facing toward the ... white men ... he grasped the arrow in both hands, snapped the shaft in two ... and threw the pieces into the river. ]

safe so long as we do nothing to take advantage of him. I can hardly believe what’s happened.”

The Indian was still waiting with outstretched arms. Noting this, Miguel rose to his feet and held out his arms to the savage. Then David followed his example. All the other Indians now came out of the forest and held out their hands. Thus they stood a few seconds and the promise of friendship was sealed on both sides.

The brown men now drew together for a consultation which lasted for some time. When it was over their leader again turned and motioned to David and Miguel to sit down; they complied with his request, after which the Indians disappeared into the forest.

Several hours passed; they seemed like days to the two on the rock.

“I wonder what they are going to do!” David said over and over.

“I don’t know,” Miguel replied each time. “They have some scheme for getting us off this place and have gone to see about it.”

At last the chief returned. He was excited and pointed up the river. Looking in that direction they saw a group of Indians in the act of pushing a heavy log far out into the stream with the aid of long poles. Caught by the swift current, the log began to race down toward them and in a short time it had sped past them on the far side of the rock. Suddenly it wavered, swung around and then stopped beside their footing. It was not until then that they discovered that there was a strong rope of braided palm fiber attached to the log, the other end of which was on shore and held by a large number of Indians. The latter made their way down along the rocks, slowly and cautiously, until they were directly opposite the rock.

The leader, now in deliberate pantomime, showed the plan that had been worked out for the rescue of the white men. One of them was to tie the rope around his body just below the arms and then jump into the river as far as possible. The Indians would pull him ashore.

The question now came up as to who was to go first, each offering to make the attempt that would test the feasibility of the scheme and the strength of the rope; but the matter was quickly settled when David tore one of the few remaining buttons off his clothes and flipped it as he would a coin. He was the winner.

Miguel carefully adjusted the end of the rope around his companion’s body and tied the knot securely across his chest. Then, at a signal from the chief, David jumped as far as he could; at the same instant the Indians holding the other end raced into the forest.

The moment the man struck the water he felt himself dragged against the frightful current that whirled him over and over, drew him down into the boiling depths and again tossed him up to the surface. The pull was so great that it seemed he must be torn in two. The ordeal, however, lasted but a short time. Before he was fully aware of what had happened strong arms pulled him out of the water and placed him on his feet where he stood sputtering and gasping but none the worse for his experience.

The rescuers immediately went upstream, sent out another log and rescued Miguel in the same manner.

The two followed the Indians into the forest, where the latter started a fire and proceeded to roast some game that they had apparently shot earlier in the day. The brown men now paid no attention to their guests, for such they were, and David and Miguel remained quietly on one side, watching their actions.

Before long the meat was roasted and one of the Indians brought two large, forest partridges to the strangers. Then they all sat down and ate in silence.

Miguel knew a good deal of the customs of the Indians. He was sure that there would be questionings and explanations later on. But first, the law of hospitality required the providing of food.

After they had eaten the chief arose and motioned to the two to join his group of warriors. He was of such splendid build and appearance that David and Miguel could not suppress their look of admiration. The tops of their own heads scarcely reached to the level of his shoulders. Powerful muscles bulged under his brown skin. His head was round, with a not unpleasant face. His eyes were large and black and straight hair that had been cut evenly, hung in a thick mass to just below his ears. They judged that his age was but a few years above their own.

“White men,” he said in an even, though deep voice, “why do you keep on coming farther and farther into my country?”

The surprise of David and Miguel at hearing these words was second only to that experienced when they had discovered they were not to be attacked, for the man was addressing them in broken Portuguese they could readily understand.

“We are lost,” David said when he had recovered sufficiently to speak, “and were trying to get back to our camp when you found us.”

The Indian grunted, and there was a brief pause.

“Then go,” he said. “Your stomachs are full.”

“But,” Miguel explained, “we are still lost. We don’t know which way to go.”

At this their rescuer gave them a look of contempt.

“Then you can stay here,” he said, with a shrug of his broad shoulders.

“You saved our lives,” David said, suddenly changing the subject, “and we shall not forget that. Why did you do it? We were at your mercy.”

“You still are. But we savages, as you call us, never kill an unarmed enemy except in revenge. But more than that, I respect the courage of men who dare venture on the river. I saw you start and followed you down to see what was left of you at the bottom of the fall.”

David then told the chief their experiences after boarding the raft; how they had suddenly realized their danger and how, abandoning the lurching craft, they had succeeded in swimming to the rock. As the Indian listened, his eyes brightened with admiration.

“The white men do not know the ways of the forest,” he said, “therefore they should keep out of it, because it belongs to us. You are lost! That proves that we belong here and you do not. We never lose our way. You come and you drive us farther and farther away from our homes and plantations into the country of other tribes who kill us unless we kill them. We fight you every step of the way and we win, too--but in the end you win through your superior weapons and greater savagery. But we do not stop fighting until the last man is dead.”

“Why don’t you make friends with the white men?” David asked. He was feeling decidedly uncomfortable.

“They will not let us,” came the prompt response. “Pretending to be our friends, they are our worst enemies. I know. I lived among them at the rubber camps, long, long ago. When the white men come, no matter under what excuse, the Indian loses and finally disappears. They praise us and give us things of no value for which we always pay in hard labor, in suffering and even with our lives. White men are savages; they know better, but still they are most merciless of all.”

“You may be right,” David said thoughtfully. “I don’t know. We ought to teach you things and help you----”

“No,” the Indian snapped angrily. “You should let us live our lives and leave us alone.”

David thought it best not to press his point. “But we are your friends and always will be,” he said calmly. “Come with us to our camp.”

“No, no!” the Indian exclaimed in horror. “They would kill us.”

“I assure you you will be as safe in our camp as we are with you; and there are several things I want to give you to show our appreciation of your friendship.”

This pleased the stalwart chief.

“We will go,” he said. “Tonight the remainder of my tribe will be here. Then we will eat and sing and dance; tomorrow we will start on the journey.”

“How far is it?” Miguel asked.

“Five settings of the sun, as we will walk slowly. There are many women and children coming tonight and they cannot go fast.”

When the others arrived that night the white men were surprised at their number. There were now over two hundred in the party. The women brought food in baskets as well as deer, peccaries, monkeys and birds that had been killed by the men and the feast that followed lasted far into the night.

There was no delay, however, in getting under way the following morning. Soon after the sun rose the encampment was astir. There was a hasty meal and then the party formed for the march.

The chief started first, accompanied by David and Miguel, and carrying only his bow and a number of arrows. At a distance of twenty paces in back of him walked a woman with a heavy basket strapped to her back and carrying two small children, while several larger ones trudged by her side. At a distance of twenty paces behind her was another warrior bearing only his weapons; then another heavily burdened woman followed by another man; and so they alternated to the end of the line.

David thought the men were getting the best of the deal, but after asking a few questions of the leader he was able to account for the arrangement of the column on the march.

The men were the fighters and the hunters. Surrounded by enemies as each tribe was at all times, the warrior must be instantly ready to repulse an attack or to dispatch his opponent at first sight. As the hunters, the men must be prepared to shoot any animal they encountered before it could escape. Therefore, they must of necessity be free to use the bow without the slightest delay.

In either case, quick action would be impossible if the men were encumbered with burdens of any kind, for they would be unable to shoot with any degree of accuracy until the impedimenta had been placed on the ground. While doing this, the enemy would have ample time for the first shots, or the animal would escape. That might mean disaster in the form of death or starvation, so the arrangement was a wise one after all.

They tramped along at an easy gait, stopping at noon for a short rest. No fires were built, but food from the baskets was distributed to the children. During this interval most of the men strayed away a short distance to hunt and before long their excited cries told that the chase was on.

The shouts came nearer rapidly and just before the hunters came into view the branches in the trees ahead of them began to sway and rustle.

David looked up and saw a troop of large, black monkeys fleeing for their lives. He had never seen so many of the animals together at one time. As they raced along and made flying leaps across the spaces that separated the trees, shower after shower of arrows were sent after them by their pursuers. There were the constant twanging of bows and the whining of arrows in flight and now and then came a dull thud, after which one of the frightened animals always leaped high into the air, screamed, then fell to the ground with a crash. But the Indians did not stop to recover it. They continued after the survivors in the treetops and soon the chase had passed the resting place and the shouts grew fainter in the distance.

It was fully an hour before the last of the hunters returned and the victims had been collected. There were forty-three monkeys spread on the ground and the chief assured the white men that not one had escaped; he beamed with satisfaction, for he alone had accounted for five of the animals.

“Tonight there will be meat for all and more,” he said. “Not in many changes of the moon has there been such an abundance of this, the best of all food.”

There was now a further delay while the women dressed the monkeys, after which they packed them into their baskets. After that the column again formed and got under way.

In this manner the party moved leisurely through the heavy forest, led unerringly and without hesitation by their fearless leader. It was on the fifth day that they had the first intimation that the end of the trail was in sight.

“This looks familiar, somehow,” David said suddenly, as they reached a large body of water in the heart of the forest. “I wonder if it could be the----“. He checked his words abruptly.

“Yes,” Miguel continued for him. “It’s the lagoon. Right over there is where the crocodile nearly got me. I wouldn’t be here if it hadn’t been for you.”

“And but for you, I wouldn’t be here. So we’re even. Let’s not mention the subject again.”

Not long after that the men about the rubber camp had an unusual and unforgettable experience. It was their first glimpse of the two wanderers, long given up for lost, marching into camp on either side of the giant Indian. They thought for a moment that the savage was their captive, but when others appeared in the wake of the three they were more mystified than ever.

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