Nedra

  CHAPTER XXI

  GODS FROM THE SEA

  Drawn up to the beach were three long canoes, near which were nearly ascore of brown-skinned, almost wholly naked savages, with spears,shields and war clubs. They were excitedly inspecting the footprints inthe sand. Hugh and Lady Tennys looked down upon this startling picturein speechless concern.

  "Where did they come from?" whispered he.

  "I did not see them until they were beaching the boats," replied hiswhite-faced companion. "Do you think they have seen us?"

  "Hardly, but they will begin a search at once. See, they are nowstarting to follow those tracks. By Heaven, they'll find us, and whatchance have we against them? Good Lord, this pocket knife is worse thannothing. We must hide,--and quickly, too."

  "Where can we go, Hugh? Where can we go?" she cried, panic-stricken.

  "We must climb up among the crags and lie down. They can't see us there,and they certainly can't track us over that stone plateau. Quick! Wehave no time to lose."

  He fairly pushed her ahead of him, up to the row, of sharp, juttingstones. In an instant they were completely obscured from view.

  "I'd rather leap off this rock into the sea than be captured by thosehorrible things," she half sobbed. "Hugh, do you think they wouldeat us?"

  "The Lord knows. I can see them down there holding a consultation. Moveover here and you can see the whole valley. Don't be afraid; they can'tsee us." She moved over timidly. Crouching side by side they watched theoperations below. The visitors, evidently mystified by the footprints,were huddled together, gesticulating wildly. They ran hither and thitherlike so many ants, minutely examining the mysterious tracks. After along time Hugh gave vent to an exclamation.

  "By George! I know what's the matter. They can't understand the printsof our shoes. Our naked footprints are clear enough to them, but I'llbet my soul they've never seen an impression made by a shoe. They areyour and my footprints, you know, with and without shoes."

  "Mine? Why, Hugh Ridgeway, I--never--oh, I never thought!" sheexclaimed, deeply embarrassed after her first expression of wonder andincredulity. Then she leaned forward and strained her eyes as ifexpecting to see the slender little bottoms of her feet in the tell-talesand. At that moment the brown band divided into squads, a half dozencoming toward the mountain, the others remaining with the boats.

  "They are after us, Tennys. I have no weapon but this club, but I willuse it as long as I can stand. I'll protect you to the last. If theykill me, the only thing left for you to do is to crawl to the ledge overthere and jump off. We must not be taken."

  She felt a strange sense of confidence and security in the broad back ofthe man beside her. His jaw was set. His cheeks pale, his eyes burningwith the intensity that thrilled his whole being. The strong white handclutched the club fiercely. He was no longer the light-hearted,inconsequent youth she had known on board the ship.

  The brown figures came into sight again, flitting here and there,pausing in wonder beside the stone table, inspecting the cracked nutscritically, and closely examining the ground on all sides. At last fouror five of them sped up the ledge to the cave.

  "They have found our hotel," said Hugh grimly. She gulped and could dono more than nod.

  A tall fellow with a long spear and a huge shield, stripped to theloins, about which was a white cloth, ventured up the slope. Suddenly hehalted and called his companions to his side. He had found a footprintin a bit of sand on the rocky surface. Without more ado the squadscattered and began the ascent, each man eyeing the ground eagerly.Occasionally those nearest the centre would pause and point to a track."The good Lord help us!" murmured Ridgeway.

  Both were fascinated by the approach of the savages. It was not untilthey were within a hundred feet of them that Hugh bethought himself anddrew her back, entirely out of sight. At least, he thought she could notbe seen, but he was mistaken. A portion of her white dress protruded,and a triumphant yell announced the fact that it had met the eyes of asearcher. Wondering what had caused the sudden yell, Hugh peered aroundthe corner of the rock, and to his dismay found the whole band staringat their hiding place.

  "They have seen us," he cried. "Remember, Tennys, what I told you. It'sprobably a case of fight on my part. Let 'em come, spears and all!" Hestood erect, his eyes flashing with excitement and eagerness. Taking afew steps to one side, he stood in full view of the searchers, glaringdown upon them defiantly, his club in his rigid right hand. He expecteda shower of spears. To his utter amazement, however, the fierce-lookingwarriors, open mouthed and apparently terror-stricken, slunk backward,huddling together, all the time staring at him with bulging eyes. Hisfirst thought was that they were surprised to find him so bold, but thenext act on their part caused him to gasp with wonder.

  With one accord the entire band cast weapons aside and fell facedownward, beating their heads against the rock, just as he had seenArabians and Nubians perform in saluting some mighty potentate. Thebrown backs remained in that position for a full minute before he couldcall his trembling companion to his side.

  "What does it mean?" whispered she at last. "Are they dead?"

  "They are really there, then? By George, I thought I was dreaming.Tennys, they are actually doing us homage."

  "Then they are harmless," she cried joyously.

  "I believe I could go down and cut off their ears without hearing aprotest."

  "But you won't, will you?"

  "It would be barbarous, totally uncalled for, I'm sure. I can'tunderstand their warlike appearance, though. Those fellows look as ifthey were out for blood."

  "Perhaps they are at war with some other tribe and not with the whitepeople. My hus--Lord Huntingford says they fight among themselvesincessantly."

  "That's it. It is a band of foragers, no doubt. But what are we going todo about it?" Hugh was nonplussed. The brown backs and bobbing headsstill stretched before them in almost comical humbleness.

  "It may be a trick."

  "It stands us in hand to remain where we are until we know what theyintend to do next."

  "I hope they'll get up and go away."

  "I guess I'll yell down and ask them what they want."

  "I wouldn't, Hugh," she entreated. "If we leave them alone, they may goaway presently." He looked at her and laughed, for he was growing lessuneasy with each passing moment.

  "Hey, there!" he yelled. "How are you?"

  Slowly the head-bobbing ceased and dark faces were lifted toward theelevation. For the first time the newcomers saw the beautiful face ofLady Tennyson. They struggled to their feet, the tall chief steppingforward with outstretched arms. Then in some wild gibberish he began tospeak, half to the white witnesses, half to the sky and sun.

  "What the dickens is he talking about?" murmured the mystified American."Perhaps he's asking us to surrender."

  "He is either appealing to the sun or praying to the sky," said hiscompanion.

  "I have it!" cried Hugh. "He thinks we are angels." Despite the gravityof the moment she giggled delightedly.

  "Then we may as well sit down and await developments," she said a momentlater, as they observed the whole band go face downward on the sandagain--all save the chief. The white people seated themselves on theledge and watched the impassioned jabberer. Presently the prostratefigures arose and in mute submission spread forth their arms and benttheir heads, standing like bronze statues in the glaring sunlight, allto the increased astonishment of those who had expected to becomevictims of their torture.

  "This beats all I ever knew," exclaimed Ridgeway. "It begins to look asthough they are either friendly or afraid of us. What shall we do?"

  "I will follow you, Hugh, if you think it best to go down to them. I donot believe they will harm us."

  "We will go down to them, but we must not let them think we are in theleast afraid of them."

  With some anxiety and a decided feeling of insecurity they arose to takethe risk. Putting into use all the composure he could command, hedeliberately began the descent, turni
ng to assist her Ladyship.

  "They are on the ground again, bobbing worse than ever," she whispered,for his back was toward them. In a few minutes, after a descent mademore tortuous by the uncertainty of its ending, they found themselves ona level with the huddled natives. Taking her hand in his left andclutching his club nervously in his right, Hugh advanced slowly towardthe band. Every nerve in his body was quivering under the strain whichhis apparent coolness cost. When within fifteen feet of the prostratefigures they halted and Hugh cried out boldly:

  "Get up!"

  Instead of obeying the command instantly, the little band peeped slylyat the strangers. Then they struggled to their feet, crowding into abunch, the picture of bewilderment.

  "By George, they look at us as if they never had seen white peoplebefore," said Hugh. With stately tread he approached the now trembling,shrinking natives, holding his left hand aloft to signify graciousness.Lady Tennys walked beside him, a smile playing on her exceedingly paleface. "My good friends, be not afraid," said he. The brown men looked ateach other in deeper wonder than before.

  The leader, a perfect giant, stepped forward hesitatingly, fairlypushed on by his comrades. In an awed voice he gave utterance to a mostoutlandish rattle of sound, the like of which his hearers never hadheard. In conclusion he touched his mouth and ears and shook his headsolemnly. Hugh, taking the cue, repeated the performance.

  "That signifies that we don't understand each other. He sha'n't beat meon the sign language," he said. "I believe this is a great time to workin something dramatic. We can make a hit by simply going among them andlaying our hands on their heads. It will be graceful and fetching, I'msure. First, I am going to see if they are afraid of us." He suddenlythrew up both hands and cried "Boo!" in a loud tone. The eyes of thewatchers hung out and they jumped like so many mice at the sound. It wasso laughable that she was compelled to place her handkerchief over hermouth and turn her head away. "I guess we've got 'em pretty wellparalyzed," grinned Hugh. Then he went among them, placing his handsgently upon their woolly heads, Lady Tennys doing likewise. The flesh ofthe savages fairly quivered at the touch, yet all seemed delighted thatthe visitors had condescended to lay hands of kindness upon them. Theybegan to chatter and chant softly, all the time eyeing Hugh and hiscompanion with reverence.

  "They don't seem to thaw out or show any signs of friendship," saidHugh, very much puzzled. He and his companion walked over to the shadeof the rock and calmly sat down to await the next move. They now had nofear of harm at the hands of the simple though savage-looking men, whowatched them from a distance jabbering excitedly.

  "Hugh, I am firmly convinced that they have never seen white peoplebefore. They don't know what we are."

  For five minutes they sat and discussed possibilities and probabilities,fully realizing that they were objects of awe to the savages. Finallythe tall one left the group and drew near the couple, approaching infine humility. When he was a dozen feet from them, they arose, extendingfriendly hands toward him. He dropped to his knees and fairly ground hishead upon the rock. Then he arose and came directly to them. Hughmarvelled at his size. Tremendous muscles, cords, knots and ridgesstood, out all over his symmetrical body. He peered intently at thewhite man's flesh and then dubiously at his own. When he turned hisinspection to Tennys, his eyes riveted themselves upon her clear whiteface, the most gorgeously beautiful flower he ever had seen. He couldnot grasp the full glory of that dazzling flower; he was stupefied,helpless before the blue eyes and dazzling smile. In mute idolatry he atlast lifted his puzzled gaze to the sun and then, extending his greatarms upward, uttered a few low, guttural appeals to the King of the sky.

  "He thinks we are from the sun," said she, keenly ingenious.

  "This fellow really seems quite willing to worship us. The best we cando for the present is to set ourselves up as idols. I think I can be avery clever idol with precious little practice. You can be one withoutan effort. Shall we set up a worship shop among these decidedly willingsubjects?"

  "But, Hugh, if we go away from the coast we cannot hope to see a whiteman again; these poor fellows are now, for the first time, looking uponone. Should we not stay here?" she asked, full of fear and perplexity.

  "If a white man ever finds this land he will discover us. Besides, wecannot live on this rock forever. It would only be a question of timeuntil we should starve or be killed by wild beasts. I am in favor ofretaining the very evident monopoly we have established in this landof nowhere."

  "But if they should prove treacherous?"

  "There's no mistaking the honesty of their wonder. We are realcuriosities, and we have only to follow up the advantage to becomeregular despots." He was enthused by the possibilities that thronged hisimagination.

  "I will leave it all to you, Hugh. Do what you think best," she saidsoftly and resumed her seat on the rock.

  With his heart quickened by the inspiration in that trusting face, Hughboldly stepped to the side of the brown giant, deliberately taking hishand to lead him to the edge of the precipice.

  There, by signs and gesticulations, he endeavored to tell him that theycame from over the sea. From the awed expression on the face of thesavage he guessed that he had increased the mystery. It was quiteevident that his auditor now believed them to be from the bottom of thesea instead of from the sun. To Hugh it mattered little as long as hecould have the wand of power over their heads. He delighted the chief bymaking him understand that he and his companion would accompany them inthe boats. The word was conveyed to his warriors, and a wild chatter ofjoy went up from among them. They fell upon their faces and groaned inmighty discord.

  Within a quarter of an hour the light bark canoes were speeding towardthe harbor mouth, big brown arms manning the paddles vigorously.Ridgeway and Tennys sat facing each other in the foremost boat, thechief steering. Their turtle shell was in another boat, and Hugh did notforget the good old spar that lay on the beach below. Hour after hourpassed, the oarsmen paddling the same stroke, never tiring, neverfaltering. The passengers at last began to lose interest in the gorgeousscenery along the coast they were skirting. Where would this startlingjourney end? When would the indefatigable oarsmen lay down their paddlesto rest? When would they be able to procure food and drink?

  The sun was sinking toward the water line, the forest along the unevencoast was merging into one vast green shadow, the waters were growingblacker and blacker, and yet the row of canoes continued its wearisomeglide toward a seemingly unattainable end. Lady Tennys became so tiredand sleepy that her long lashes could not be restrained from caressingher cheeks, nor could her dreamy eyes bear the strain of wakefulness.Hugh, observing her fatigue, persuaded her to turn about in the boat andlie back against his shoulder. Soon she was sleeping soundly, her faceprotected from the dying sun by a readjustment of her palm-leaf bonnet.

  Ridgeway was beginning to fight against the effects of an ungovernabledrowsiness when the boat in which they sat suddenly turned toward thebeach. Long, powerful strokes sent the little craft whizzing in the newdirection. Just as the sun's last rays lost themselves in the night, theprow glided upon the sand and the oarsmen sprang out to carry him andthe fair sleeper ashore.