CHAPTER IX.
A NATIVE HERCULES.
The savages that had shown such pluck in the instances described, nowgave another striking proof of their courage.
At the moment the mystified explorers were discussing the strangeappearance and actions of the white men, more than twenty of theathletic barbarians issued as stealthily as phantoms from the trailleading from the forest and crouched along the edge of the timber.
Their silence added impressiveness to the singular scene and preventedtheir movements being observed except by Bippo, who was so terrifiedthat he could only tremble and point at them.
They were partly hidden by the shadow which put out a short distancefrom the fringe of the wood, but there could be no doubt of theirhostile intentions. They assumed the form of a line, somewhat afterthe manner of the combatants in the square of the native village. Thiswas to give free play to their arms in flinging their javelins.
The occasion was one in which the fate of the explorers depended upontheir promptness and bravery. Anything like timidity or hesitationmeant sure destruction, and the whites knew it.
"Into the boat!" commanded Ashman, addressing Bippo and his friends.
The words were like an electric shock to the helpers, who instantlyclambered into the canoe and lay flat behind the luggage, where theywere safe from the poisoned missiles that would soon be flying throughthe air.
Those natives, with their crude weapons, were only incumbrances in acrisis like the present.
The whites exchanged but a word or two and then opened the ball.
A savage, evidently the leader, and one who probably now saw the whitesfor the first time, had the audacity to step forward a couple of paces,and with a yell of defiance, raised his spear over his head.
Before he could launch the missile Jared Long sent a bullet throughhim, and then, shifting the muzzle of his Winchester toward the line ofdusky figures, he blazed away as fast as he could sight the weapon andpull the trigger.
At the same instant the Professor and Ashman opened, and thebombardment which followed was enough to strike terror to the hearts ofa hundred men.
It was more than the savages could stand, but, great as was theirpanic, most of them hurled one or two javelins apiece at the white menwho stood fearlessly erect and combated them. They had come from theirvillage prepared for a fight, and each warrior was provided withseveral of the poisoned missiles.
Before the explorers had emptied the magazines of their Winchesters nota live foe was left. The affrighted survivors, shrieking with terror,scrambled hastily back among the trees, some of them dragging the deadbodies, so that the spot was freed of the dusky miscreants with as muchsuddenness as it had been occupied by them.
There were plenty of shots left, and, after the disappearance of thesavages, the whites fired into the woods, where they had vanished, notwith the expectation of accomplishing anything more than adding to thepanic.
When it was sure the wretches were gone, our friends made theirpreparations for leaving the spot, for nothing was clearer than thatsuch was the wisest step to take.
It will be borne in mind that all the trouble had taken place on theleft bank of the Xingu, no savages having been observed on the westernbank. The daring of the savages could not be questioned. They hadfaced death repeatedly, and now, that they had the strongest of allmotives--revenge--to prompt them, they were sure to use every meanspossible to bring about the ruin of the whites and their three nativecompanions.
The forest, extending so close to the river, was a constant menace, forit afforded the best kind of shelter. Indeed, had the savages beenless courageous and kept among the trees, taking a stealthy shot as thechance offered, they would have had a much better chance of doing whatthey wished and with less risk to themselves.
The javelins flung in blind desperation went wide of their mark, withthe exception of one which whizzed over the canoe within a few inchesof Bippo's head. The fellow was peeping furtively above the luggage,and heard the whizz of the missile passing fearfully close. Heinstantly ducked with such emphasis that he almost broke his noseagainst the bottom of the craft.
Striking the water beyond, the spear sank as abruptly as if it were acannon ball.
The belief of our friends was that the troublesome natives wereentirely confined to the left bank, though it was not likely theyrefrained from crossing so narrow a stream as the Xingu at its upperportion.
If the savages had been slow to learn from their first experience withthe white men, there could be no doubt that the valuable lesson of thelast encounter would not be lost upon them. The space between the edgeof the wood and the margin of the river was so slight that it was theeasiest thing in the world for one of them to launch his javelin withterrific force across it, and they would do so before morning, if thechance were given them.
If the other bank were reached, the savages would be easily detected inthe bright moonlight, if they attempted to swim across or used some oftheir own boats. The only way in which they could avoid detectionwould be by crossing above or below this point.
They would hardly ascend the Xingu for this purpose, since the rapidswould oblige them to travel a long way, and the place of ferryage,therefore, was likely to be below the campfire.
Such were the views of the whites, as they shoved the canoe into thestream, and stepping within, seized the paddles, which the helpers weretoo frightened to use effectively, while so near the dreaded shore.
Fred Ashman had taken but a few strokes when he handed the implement toBippo and ordered him to use it. Then, resuming his Winchester, hefaced the land, half suspecting they would not be allowed to reach theother side without some demonstration on the part of their fierceantagonists.
Time was of the first importance, and all the paddles in the craft wereplied with the utmost possible vigor, each yard passed adding to thehope that hostilities were over for the time.
Probably three-fourths of the distance was accomplished, when a lowexclamation from Ashman caused all to cease paddling and gaze at theshore which he was watching with such interest.
The most gigantic savage yet seen had emerged from the forest trail,but instead of advancing to the river's edge, he halted just far enoughfrom the wood to allow the moonlight to inclose him. He was thus inalmost as plain-sight as if it were mid-day.
He stood in silent contemplation of the strangers that had invaded hisdominions and given his people such a dear lesson. Confident that hecould accomplish no harm, even if he wished to try it, Ashman refrainedfrom firing, while the company surveyed him with a feeling akin toadmiration.
He was over six feet in height and of massive proportions. He wouldhave been an ugly customer in a tussle where the conditions were equal,and Ashman could not forbear the thought that he was one of thecontestants in the frightful sport he had witnessed near the village.If so, there was little doubt that he was hailed the champion. It mayhave been that he had hastened along the forest path, burning with adesire to assail the mysterious beings who had used his countrymen soill, and he was filled with chagrin and disappointment that he hadarrived too late.
But there was no end to the fancies that might be formed concerninghim. That there was little imagination about Bippo was shown by histimid request to his masters to shoot the savage. To Bippo theelimination of a single enemy of such formidable mien was aconsummation devoutly to be prayed for. But the Professor reminded thenative that they only slew in self-defense.
All at once, the herculean savage was seen to make a motion of his arm,and before the act could be understood, the terrified Bippo called outthat he was about to throw his javelin. At the same instant he and histwo companions cowered in the bottom of the boat, where they wereabundantly protected.
"The poor fellow is disappointed," laughed Ashman, "and he must showhis anger, even if it requires the loss of one of his----"
Something like the flitting of a bird's wing whisked so close to thespeaker's face that he involuntarily threw back
his head. At the sameinstant, a heavy javelin crashed through the side of the boat, as if itwere cardboard, and splashed out of sight in the water beyond.
The missile of the gigantic savage had passed between Ashman and theProfessor, missing both by a few inches.
The young man, like a flash, brought his rifle to his shoulder andsighted at the savage who was still in plain sight, as if defying thewhites to do their worst.
But Ashman did not pull the trigger. Lowering his weapon, he said:
"You have earned your life."