The Land of Mystery

  CHAPTER VI.

  ALONG THE FOREST PATH.

  If any further proof were needed of the delicacy and danger of thesituation of the white men, it came the next minute, when, as they werein the act of stepping back into the trail, the sailor caught the armof his friend and checked him.

  No need of speaking, for Ashman had detected the peril at the sameinstant.

  Two natives were stealing like phantoms along the path, from thedirection of the river and going toward the village.

  Had they been ten seconds later, the foremost would have collided withthe young explorer.

  The latter held his breath, and placed his hand on his revolver,believing a fight was inevitable.

  So it would have been, had not the attention of the savages beenabsorbed by the scene in the square, of which they caught sight a paceor two before coming opposite the watchers.

  They strode directly onward, and swung across the open space, swervingenough to one side to avoid the struggling lines, and moving on untilthey reached the fringe of spectators beyond. There they could nolonger be identified, and probably took their places among those whowere enjoying the cruel spectacle.

  Ashman waited a brief while beside the path, fearful that other nativesmight be coming; but, when the minutes passed without their appearance,he resumed picking his way back, and quickly stood erect in the narrowopening, which he felt had been followed too far from the Xingu.

  There was no reason to suspect that any of the natives knew of thepresence of the mysterious strangers so near them, but since theyseemed to have a remarkable disposition to be on the move, our friendsfelt it would not be safe to relax their caution for a single instant.

  While they did not apprehend a direct pursuit, there was a probabilitythat some parties might be moving along the trail behind them, whilethey had seen enough to convince them of the danger from the front.Ashman, therefore, whispered to his companion to keep special guardagainst an approach from the rear, while he would be equally alert inguarding the front.

  The two kept so near that they could have reached each other by simplyextending the hand.

  They had no more than fairly started on their withdrawal from the spot,when Johnston touched the arm of his friend, who instantly halted tolearn the cause.

  "I believe some of 'em are following us," said Johnston.

  Fred listened, but his straining ear could detect nothing to warrantsuch an alarming conclusion, and he so stated.

  The sailor became convinced that possibly he was mistaken. There is nolaw governing noises at night, and it might be that he had misjudgedthe rustling of a branch or possibly the stealthy footsteps of somewild animal.

  Not entirely convinced, however, that his companion was mistaken, Fredonce more resumed the advance, trying to perform the difficult task ofgiving as much attention to the rear as the front.

  If the savages suspected the presence of others, they would be likelyto tread so lightly that their footfalls could not be heard; butinasmuch as neither of the whites could believe they had even the mostshadowy knowledge of them, they relied more on hearing than sight.

  Suddenly Fred started and almost uttered an exclamation. In hisnervous, apprehensive state, he was sure that one of their dusky foeshad leaped from the side of the path and was crouching in front.

  He drew his pistol and waited for the assault, which he was confidentwould come the next moment; but the seconds passed and all remainedprofoundly still.

  With his weapon ready for instant use, he advanced a pace or two,touching the sailor as a command for him to remain motionless; but thechivalrous fellow would not obey, and was close behind him, when hestooped down and placed his hand on a piece of decayed limb that hadfallen into the path.

  "What a mistake," muttered Fred, with a sigh, as he shoved it asidewith his foot, explaining its nature to the wondering Johnston.

  But it was only simple prudence to maintain unceasing vigilance, and hedid not permit the error to lessen his watchfulness. It was rather thereverse.

  But the explorers were threading their way through a labyrinth ofperil, the like of which they had never encountered before.

  Fred had not gone a hundred yards further, when his companion once morecaught his arm, and he turned about as before to learn the cause.

  "What have you heard?" he asked, with his mouth almost against the earof the other.

  "There are some of 'em behind us, certain sure!"

  "How do you know there are more than one?"

  "By the sound--there!"

  The amazement of the two may be understood, when they not only detectedthe sound of footfalls, but discovered that instead of being at therear as both thought, they were in front!

  A party of natives were approaching from the Xingu, and the keenerhearing of Johnston first discovered them.

  The whites had stopped near a spot where a few rays of moonlight fellupon the trail, giving them a faint but needed view of the directionfrom which the danger threatened.

  Neither spoke again, but with the utmost care and noiselessness, theystepped aside from the path and crouched among the undergrowth.

  They had barely time to ensconce themselves in their new position, whenthe footfalls sounded more distinctly than before, and something in thenature of an exclamation was heard from one of the approaching savages.

  It sounded more like the grunt of a pig than anything the listenerscould call to mind, and Ashman feared it was notice of one warrior tohis companions that he had discovered something amiss.

  But if such were the fact, the natives would have stopped, while thecat-like steps were more audible than before, though the wonder to thewatchers was that the parties continued invisible.

  The eyes of both remained fixed on the faintly illuminated space, wherethey expected to catch sight of them, but the straining gaze failed todetect the most shadowy form.

  Ashman was just beginning to suspect some strange mistake had beenmade, when he suddenly saw the form of a tall savage with bushy headand a javelin in his hand, glide like a shadow into the darkness infront. A moment after, a second followed, then a third, fourth andfifth, the last carrying a long-bow, and all plainly seen by the whitesat the side of the trail.

  A few minutes later, Fred once more took the advance, reflecting thatthey were as likely to meet more of the natives as to have themovertake them.

  The mystery was where they had come from in the first place. Theycould not have entered the trail at the camp where Ashman and Johnstonhad started on their little exploring enterprise. It looked as thoughthey were hiding among the trees at the time the canoe approached theland, and may have followed the explorers soon after they started alongthe path with the purpose of cutting off their retreat. If such shouldprove to be the case, Fred felt that not only he and his companion werein danger, but all the rest were liable to be attacked by thesenatives, who, as has been stated, were the most athletic that had beenencountered since leaving the Amazon.

  "Fred," whispered the sailor a little later, "they've turned back andare following us again."

  "Are you sure of it?"

  "There's no mistake about it."

  Fred was debating whether they should not turn again from the path, buthe reflected that the natives having discovered the trick played onthem, would be likely to defeat such a piece of strategy.

  Before he could decide upon the best course, Johnston whispered:

  "Run! it's the only chance we've got!"