CHAPTER XVIII
DISCOVERY OF A NEW ISLAND, AND A SAVAGE TRIBE
Nothing could describe the uproar that the second volley created in theranks of the besiegers. Yell after yell came from the hundreds ofthroats that were about them. It was now war to the end. There could beno compromise.
While the boys had been in many difficult and trying experiences before,this was the first time that they grew pale, and had strong misgivings.They knew, however, that the object of the shrieks and yells of savageswere for the purpose of driving terror into the hearts of their foes.
In this respect it might not thus affect them, but when they consideredthe overwhelming numbers around them, we cannot blame them for feelingalarmed.
They were coming forward, and on all sides. "Remember, what John used totell us: it is the shots that hit which count. Fire deliberately, andkeep together. Do not use your revolvers until they are close, and youcannot use the guns."
Closer and closer they came, and Muro and the men were silent. "Now, getready! Shoot deliberately!"
The first salvo was fired. It was a staggering blow. They reloaded,while the enemy was trying to recover, and the second volley belchedforth.
Then, when the execution was noticed, and they saw their people fall allabout them, they charged forward in one mass, and the boys looked ateach other, for a moment, and George reached over and gave Harry's handone pressure, and then turned away and began to fire as fast as he couldaim the weapon.
They were still coming on. The demons were nearly up to the log. Forsome reason the savages did not heed those who fell. It had not struckterror into their hearts, as the boys hoped. How would this end? Theenemy was now too close to make their guns of any use. The revolverswere drawn, and the cracks from them became almost a continuous roar.
They were still coming. Soon the ammunition would be gone. The boysrealized this. They were determined to die fighting, and they began tofeel for their knives which must be the final act in the great tragedy.
Then they heard something louder than the cracks of their own weaponsand the shrieks of the devils around them. Some one was shooting. Theycould see the startled faces of the savages, as they turned and swungaround. The attack ceased, and Muro sprang up on the log, with a yell.
Could he be mad? The boys were stupefied. "Come on!" cried Muro. "Hereis John!"
This announcement, coming at an unexpected moment, was such a reactionto the poor boys, that they could hardly raise themselves. Anothervolley; they could hear it now. There was another yell from the savages,and then they could be seen rushing through the brush.
The men with John ran up, and John struggled forward through the weeds."Are you hurt?" asked John, as he sprang to the side of the boys.
"No! no!" cried George, and he fell down, overcome with the excitement,while Harry could not speak for a moment.
"That was a close call," said John. "We heard the first shots an hourago, and we turned to take this direction. Then we heard nothing for along time, and as we were coming over the hill beyond the firingcommenced but we could see nothing, so we hurried forward and soon sawthe smoke, and then the savages coming from the bush, and directly tothe east we noticed fifty or more coming this way, but they are not hereyet."
"I wonder how many attacked us?" asked George.
"It is difficult to tell, but it is safe to say that there were at leasttwo hundred in the fight. Oh, no; the boys will not follow them up veryfar," said John, as Harry looked apprehensively toward the directionthat John's men were going.
He blew the whistle, and gradually the men straggled in, reporting thatthe savages appeared terror-stricken, as they had had no idea that therewas another force in the neighborhood, and they did not stop to considerthe possible number.
"I am sorry for these poor people," remarked John. "We must hunt up thewounded."
Searchers were set to work, and the wounded, when found, were carried toan open place beyond, and their hurts examined and bandaged. At firstterror showed itself on their faces, but as John and Muro, together withthe boys, washed their wounds, and wrapped bandages around the limbs,they lay there and marveled at the actions of their enemies.
More than two dozen had been killed, and forty-two wounded, nearly allin the legs or bodies, those having arm wounds being enabled to getaway.
On Muro's orders a watch was set on the movements of the savages, andfrom time to time reports were brought in concerning them. They hadretreated eastwardly, and were now off less than a half mile, where theywere assembled, and evidently debating the situation.
John and Muro well knew that their present force, now numberingforty-one, and all well armed, would be more than a match for the savageforce, still, it would not be advisable to prolong the explorations forthe day, as it was desirable to report the situation of affairs to theProfessor.
After making the sufferers comfortable they started on the march back tothe ship. During the period while caring for the wounded, John and Murotried to engage the savages in conversation but all attempts to learntheir language failed, and, as they were about to leave, John said toMuro:
"Do you think that man is a chief?"
"I know he is; I spotted him from the first, and saw from his actions,and the fact of his being obeyed, that he was a man of some authority."
"I agree with you," said Uraso, "that he is the one we must take withus."
A litter was quickly improvised and the savage gently laid on, and withthis, as their only encumbrance, they started for the return march. Fiveof the men had been wounded, all in the arms and body, and none of themdangerously, so that there was no trouble in the march.
They filed out to the west, avoiding as much exposure as possible.Muro's men had been on the observing line, and at Muro's suggestion theyoccasionally showed themselves, so as to assure the natives that theywere still holding their ground.
As the two forces were starting for the ship, Muro prepared a decoy, sothat the savages could see what appeared to be two figures. Then hehurriedly told John what he had done, and the march began, as rapidly aspossible, at first, and a rear guard was provided to watch the movementsof their enemies.
Two miles beyond the scene of the fight the party halted, and George wasassisted to climb a tree, from which point they might be seen.
"I can see them plainly," he called down. "They are now around thewounded. I cannot see what they are doing, but there is a big crowd."
He waited for some time, and then cried out: "I believe they are comingthis way. I think it is time for us to be moving." And George slippeddown, as John gave the order to go on.
The rear guard, with John and Uraso, were now following up behind themarchers. "Go on, without stopping," he said, as they took up theirpositions.
The boys begged to be permitted to remain with the rear guard, but Johnrefused to have them exposed. In an hour and a half they ascended anelevation from which the ship could be seen in the bay to the southwest.
During that time only once had the runner returned from John to notifythem of the progress of the natives. The last information, therefore,was about a half hour before, and it was now obvious that the savageswere determined to follow them up, and this would bring them within viewof the vessel.
Before descending the last declivity that led to the beach, John and theChief appeared, and told the boys that all of the tribe was behind them,and that the cause of the pursuit was, unquestionably, to recover theChief who had been taken along.
At the suggestion of John three shots were fired to attract theattention of those on the boat, while several of the fleetest runnersspeeded down the beach and quickly advised the Professor of thesituation.
Two boat loads of warriors were quickly sent to shore, and when John andthe party with him came up to the beach, the savages had reached thecrest of the hill, and ranged up in line, but halted to witness thespectacle before them.
The wounded chief was taken to the vessel, and the Professor immediatelygave him the best care
, but he remarked: "This man is desperatelywounded, and will require the best of attention to enable him to pullthrough."
All the men were finally placed on board, and their experiences related.An immediate consultation was held. John and the boys insisted onremaining with a sufficient force to enable them to carry out theirexplorations, but the Professor seemed to oppose it.
"I quite agree with you that, from what John has said, there are reasonsaside from the cannibals over there, why we should explore it from oneend to the other."
The boys cast a side glance at John. Did John find something that madehim so insistent to remain? They repressed their curiosity, however, forthe time. To their minds they thought the natives were the incentive,notwithstanding the terrible fight they had just engaged in, althoughthey were willing to take the risk.
But it was finally settled. John was to have the force now on board, andhe, with the boys, was to explore, and, if need be, to conquer thenatives on the island. The _Pioneer_ would, in the meantime, sail toWonder Island, and return with food and ammunition, and reinforcements.
There was thus left at their disposal fifty-five men, with a fair supplyof ammunition. Uraso and Muro were to be of the party, as events justrelated showed that there was serious work to do before they might beable to return.
That night, while making the final arrangements on the vessel, the boyssought John, and asked him more particularly concerning his trip.
"We have had no opportunity to speak to you, but the Professor said youhad learned enough about the island to determine you to explore itfully," said George.
"That is true. I have found what I believe to be the identical spotdescribed in the charts, and I have found the solution, I think, ofWalter's note and of the skull."
This was, indeed, something of importance to them, but John informedthem that for certain reasons it might be better to defer theexplanation until they had made the final explorations.
The boys knew he must have some pretty good reason for thus explainingand laying the matter before them, and they forebore furtherquestionings.
The next morning, when all the supplies and ammunition had been takenoff, and the final good-byes were said, the party stood on the shorewhile the _Pioneer_ slowly moved out, and was soon racing before thewind on its way to Wonder Island.
A council was held before they attempted to march into the interior. "Ihave every reason to believe that the band which we met yesterday is inthe immediate vicinity, and that they have been watching our movements,"remarked John.
"In that case," remarked Uraso, "I favor the route to the east, which,while it may offer us still greater obstacles, in view of ourobservations there, still it might enable us the more quickly toovercome the tribe we have just met."
The boys looked at each other significantly. "I wonder what Uraso can betalking about? There must be something very much out of the usual, inthe eastern part of the island."
"I am interested in knowing what he means by 'the observation' they madethere," responded Harry.