CHAPTER TWENTY.
A CANOPY OF JAGUARS.
Considering the circumstances in which he has been left, it is time toreturn to the poor student of theology--Don Cornelio Lantejas. We lefthim sleeping in a hammock, between two great tamarind trees; andcertainly it must have been his good star that had conducted him intothat comfortable situation.
All at once he awoke with a start--his slumber having been interruptedby a chilly sensation that had suddenly crept upon him. On opening hiseyes, he perceived that he was suspended over a vast sea that rolled itsyellow waves beneath the hammock, and within six inches of his body! Atthis unexpected sight, a cry of terror escaped him, which was instantlyresponded to by a growling, sniffing noise, that appeared to proceedfrom the tops of the tamarinds over his head!
As yet he saw nothing there; but casting his eyes around, he perceivedthat the whole country was under water sweeping onward in a frothy,turbulent current!
A moment's reflection sufficed to explain to him this singularphenomenon. He now remembered having heard of the great annualinundation to which the plains of Oajaca are subject, and which occuralmost at a fixed day and hour; and this also explained thecircumstances which had been mystifying him--the abandoned dwellings,and the boats suspended from the trees. He had arrived in the midst ofone of these great floods, which he might have shunned but for the slowand gentle gait at which his _cavallo de picador_ had carried him alongthe route.
What was he to do? He scarce knew how to swim. But even had he been asaccomplished in the art of natation as a pearl-diver himself, it wouldnot have availed him in the midst of that immense sheet of water, on allsides apparently stretching to the limits of the horizon!
His situation, sufficiently unpleasant on account of the danger of therising inundation, soon became absolutely frightful from another and avery different reason.
Some shining objects, which appeared to him among the leaves of thetamarinds, and that looked like burning coals, just then caught hisglance; and a closer scrutiny convinced him that these could be no otherthan the eyes of some fierce animals that had taken refuge upon thetrees--jaguars, no doubt: since he could think of no other creaturesthat could have climbed up the smooth trunks of the tamarinds!
His terror was now complete. Beneath rushed the surging waters. Heknew not how soon they might mount higher and engulf him--for the floodmight still be far from its maximum height! On the other hand, he darenot climb upwards. The fierce animals in the tree would be certain todispute his ascent, even should they feel disposed to leave himunassailed where he was!
In this horrid state of uncertainty--dreading the double danger--he wascompelled to pass the remainder of the night.
We need not detail the unpleasant reflections to which his situationgave rise: for a volume would scarce contain the thousand alternationsfrom hope to fear that passed through his spirit before the light of themorning broke upon his longing eyes.
Though he had longed for morning to come, the daylight did not add muchto the joyfulness of his situation. The animals, whose glancing orbshad kept him all night in a state of apprehension, were now plainly seenamong the branches of the trees. They _were_ jaguars--four of them--twolarge ones, and two others of smaller size, or _cachorras_. This wasnot all that Don Cornelio saw to alarm him. In addition to the fiercequadrupeds, the tops of the tamarinds were occupied by other livingcreatures of equally frightful aspect. These were reptiles: largeserpents of hideous appearance twined spirally round the branches, withtheir heads projected outwards, and their forked tongues glisteningbeyond their teeth!
The terrified student cast an inquiring glance over the waters, to seeif there was no means of escape from his perilous position. He saw onlythe bubbling surface, here and there mottled with huge uprooted trees,upon which appeared wolves and other wild animals half dead withaffright. High overhead, eagles, vultures, and other birds of preywheeled in circles through the air, uttering their piercing cries--fitaccompaniment to this scene of desolation and death.
Don Cornelio again turned his eyes towards the fierce jaguars crouchingamong the branches of the trees. These brutes appeared to struggleagainst the ferocious instincts of their nature, which prompted them toseize hold of a prey almost within reach of their claws. Fear for theirown lives alone prevented them from taking that of the student; and atintervals they closed their eyes, as if to escape the temptation causedby his presence!
At the same time the serpents, not far above his face, kept continuallycoiling their long viscous bodies round the branches, and rapidlyuncoiling them again--equally uneasy at the presence of the man and thetigers.
Mechanically closing the folds of the hammock over him, and thus holdingthem with both hands, the student lay perfectly still. He feared eitherto speak or make a motion, lest his voice or movement might tempt eitherthe reptiles or quadrupeds to make an attack upon him.
In this way more than an hour had passed, when over the surface of thewaters, which now flowed in a more tranquil current, Don Corneliofancied he heard a singular sound. It resembled the notes of a bugle,but at times the intonation was hoarser and more grave, not unlike acertain utterance of his two formidable neighbours, which from time totime the student heard swelling from the tops of the tamarinds.
It was neither more nor less than the conch of Costal; who, making hisway towards the spot in his canoe, was employing the time to advantagein endeavouring to invoke the goddess of the waters.
Presently the student was able to make out in the distance the littlecanoe gliding over the water, with the two adventurers seated in thestem and stern. At intervals, the Indian, accustomed to this sort ofnavigation, was seen to drop his oars and hold the shell to his mouth.Lantejas then saw that it was from this instrument the sounds that hadso puzzled him were proceeding.
Absorbed in their odd occupation, neither Costal nor Clara had as yetperceived the student of theology--hidden as he was by the thick networkof the hammock, and almost afraid to make the slightest movement. Justthen, however, a muffled voice, as of some one speaking from under amask, reached their ears.
"Did you hear anything, Costal?" inquired the negro.
"Yes, I heard a sort of cry," replied Costal; "like enough it's the poordevil of a student who is calling us. _Carrambo_! where can he be? Isee only a hammock hung between two trees. Eh! as I live, he is insideit. _Carrai_!"
As Costal finished speaking, a loud peal of laughter burst from hislips, which to him in the hammock appeared like heavenly music. It toldhim that the two men had discovered his situation; and the student atonce fervently returned thanks to God for this interposition of Hismercy.
Clara was sharing the mirth of the Indian, when music of a verydifferent sort stifled the laugh upon his lips. It was the cry of thejaguars, that, suddenly excited by the voice of the student, had allfour of them sent forth a simultaneous scream.
"_Carrambo_!" exclaimed Clara, with a fresh terror depicted upon hisface; "the tigers again."
"Rather strange!" said the Indian. "Certainly their howls appeared tocome from the same place as the voice of the man. Hola! Senorstudent," he continued, raising his voice, so as to be heard by him inthe hammock, "are you making your siesta alone, or have you companyunder the shade of those tamarinds?"
Don Cornelio attempted to reply, but his speech was unintelligible bothto the Indian and the negro. In fact, terror had so paralysed histongue, as to render him incapable of pronouncing his words distinctly!
For a moment his arm was seen elevated above the folds of the hammock,as if to point out his terrible neighbours upon the tree. But the thickfoliage still concealing the jaguars from the eye of Costal, renderedthe gesture of the student as unintelligible as his cry.
"For the love of God, hold your oar!" cried Clara; "perhaps the tigershave taken refuge on the top of the tamarinds!"
"All the more reason why we should get up to them," replied the Indian."Would you leave this young man to smother in his hammock ti
ll thewaters had subsided?"
In saying this, Costal plied his oars more vigorously than ever; and, inspite of the remonstrances of his companion, headed the canoe in adirect line towards the hammock.
"If these be the same tigers we encountered yesterday," said Clara, inan anxious tone of voice, "and I am almost sure they are, by the mewingof their whelps, think for a moment, Costal, how desperately spitefulthey will be against us."
"And do you think I am not equally spiteful against them?" repliedCostal, urging his canoe onwards with more rapidity than ever.
A few strokes of the paddle brought the light craft within gunshotdistance of the tamarinds; and now for the first time did Costal obtaina good view of the theological student couched within the hammock--wherehe appeared to be indolently reposing, like some Oriental satrap, undera dais of tigers and serpents!