CHAPTER XVII
A FIGHT
"We are, in South America, all right."
Thus spoke Captain Glenn as he, Jack and Williams proceeded inlandafter leaving Frank and the two sailors near the shore.
"What makes you think so, Captain?" asked Jack.
"Look at the trees. You find trees like these in no other placebesides the tropics. And feel the heat."
"It gets hot other places, sir."
"Not like it does in the tropics. Once you have felt the tropical heatyou can't mistake it."
The land in which they now found themselves was thickly covered withbig trees. Their foliage was so dense that progress was difficult.
"Good place for snakes, sir," said Williams.
"Fine," agreed Captain Glenn.
"Don't talk about snakes," said Jack with a shudder. "If there is onething from which I will run a mile it's a snake."
"You won't run a mile from any snake you find around here," saidWilliams.
"Don't you believe it," declared Jack. "I don't care how small thesnake may be, nor how harmless."
"Snakes hereabouts," said Williams, "are neither small nor harmless.That's why I say you won't run a mile from them."
"Surely they won't attack a man," said Jack.
"Ordinarily, no. But when you come upon one unexpectedly he naturallythinks you mean him harm and he acts promptly."
"If a snake ever bit me, that would settle me forever," said Jack.
"Most of these," said Williams, "don't bite. They wrap around a manand crush him to death."
"Look here," said Jack, "are you trying to scare me or what? I don'teven like to talk about snakes. Let's drop the subject."
"All right," said Williams, with a smile. "I'm just warning you,that's all."
"Thanks," said Jack dryly.
At this moment there came a sudden exclamation from Captain Glenn, whowas slightly ahead. He had just disappeared beyond a clump of treeslarger than the rest. Jack stopped stock still. Visions of a snake ofmonstrous size rose before his eyes.
"Come on," said Williams.
Jack forced himself to follow the other. They darted along the pathtaken by Captain Glenn and there they came upon the cause of hisexclamation. Directly ahead of them lay a broad expanse of water.
"The ocean again," said Captain Glenn. "I should say that we are on anisland."
"By Jove!" said Jack, for the moment forgetting all about snakes, "Ibelieve you are right. That means that we are marooned, sir."
"Not necessarily," said Captain Glenn. "We'll head north. We maystrike a settlement there."
Accordingly they turned their steps in that direction.
For perhaps two hours they walked without finding signs of humanhabitation.
"Guess we've gone the wrong way," said Captain Glenn. "We should haveturned south." He glanced at his watch. "We'd better be getting backto the others," he said, "or they will think something has happened tous."
They turned and retraced their steps. For perhaps an hour they walkedalong and then Jack, who was slightly in advance, stopped suddenly andheld up his hand in a warning gesture.
"Someone coming," he whispered.
"Maybe it's a snake," said Williams.
Again Jack shuddered a trifle, but he held his ground. His handsrested on his revolvers.
The sound of creaking twigs reached the ears of the three who stoodsilently there in the forest. At a sign from Jack, each man got behinda tree and each drew his revolvers. Hardly had they thus screenedthemselves when half a dozen men burst into view, walking along slowlyand laughing.
The men, although they carried rifles, appeared peaceable enough, soCaptain Glenn, thinking to bring their long search to an end, steppedforward after they had passed and raised his voice in hello.
Instantly the strangers wheeled about. The man nearest Captain Glennraised his rifle to his shoulder and his hand pressed the trigger. Atthat distance a miss would have been impossible. Captain Glenn broughtup his own gun, but before he could fire Jack's gun spoke. The man whohad covered Captain Glenn dropped to the ground with a wild cry.
Jack's promptness undoubtedly had saved his commander's life.
Saved thus from almost certain death, Captain Glenn quickly sprangbehind a tree. Jack and Williams were also sheltered and now held thestrangers at a disadvantage. Apparently believing, however, that thehidden men would shoot them down where they stood, one who appeared tobe in command of the others raised his voice in a shout. He spoke inEnglish.
"To shelter, men!" he cried.
At the word each man sprang for the nearest tree. Neither Jack,Williams nor Captain Glenn felt impelled to shoot them down in coldblood so all reached shelter safely enough. Jack peered from behindhis tree a moment later. As he did so a bullet whizzed by his ear.
"It's a fight," the lad called to Captain Glenn.
"Apparently they don't want us to explain."
Jack sank to the ground and again peered forth. Some distance away hesaw a shoulder protruding from behind a tree, Jack raised his rifle andfired.
The man pitched forward into the open with a cry. His cry was echoedby the others, and Jack felt a second bullet whiz overhead.
"Pretty close," the lad muttered, "but it's only four to three now."
For a time all was silent in the forest. Then one of the enemy, moreventuresome than the others, darted across the open in an effort to getcloser to Jack and his friends.
This time it was the revolver of Williams that spoke and the mandropped in his tracks.
For some time now the enemy showed no disposition to expose himself tothe fire of Jack and the others. The forest was as still as death.Jack began to fidget.
"By Jove! This is getting tiresome," he said.
"Must be some way of getting rid of those fellows." He raised hisvoice and called Captain Glenn. "Cover me," he said. "I'm going toshift my position."
He did not wait for an answer. There were two sharp crashes as hedashed from behind the tree. Jack felt a sting in his left arm andknew that he was not badly hurt. As he jumped behind another tree, heheard Captain Glenn's voice:
"I got him!"
Jack was now so close to the tree behind which Captain Glenn stood thathe found he was able to converse with his commander without raising hisvoice.
"This thing is getting monotonous," he said.
"Exactly," agreed Captain Glenn; "besides which, it is altogetherfoolish. We haven't anything against these fellows and they surelycan't have anything against us."
"You are forgetting the men we have shot, sir," said Jack.
"No, I'm not. That was their own fault. I vote we hold a parley withthe remaining two."
"Whatever you say, sir," said Jack.
Captain Glenn raised his voice. "Hello, there!" he cried. "We want totalk to you."
"Talk ahead," said a voice so close that Captain Glenn started.
Apparently one of the enemy had shifted his position. He now wasconcealed behind the tree next to the captain. Apparently he had beenbiding his time until the latter should show himself. However, CaptainGlenn showed no alarm.
"Then listen," he said. "We have nothing against you fellows. Youdon't even know us. Therefore why should we fight?"
"Well," said the man behind the next tree, "that's good enoughreasoning. I'm willing to call it off any time you say."
"Very good. Drop your gun and step out in the open."'
"And let you shoot me down? I guess not."
"Come, man, don't be a fool," said Captain Glenn. "We mean you noharm."
"Then you fellows drop your guns and step into the open," was thereply.
"Not much," said Captain Glenn.
The conference was at a deadlock.
"Look here," said Jack, taking a hand in the conversation. "I have aplan that will possibly meet your favor."
"Let's hear it," was the rejoinder.
"We'll throw our rifles into t
he open and toss out our revolvers. Thenyou do the same. We'll all step out then."
"Very good," said the hidden man. "Throw yours out first."
Jack hurled his rifle from him and tossed one revolver into the open.Captain Glenn tossed away his revolvers and rifle, and Williams,acquainted with the plan by a shout, followed suit. The unseen men didlikewise. Captain Glenn and Williams stepped out. Their adversariesalso left their hiding places. Then Jack saw that one of them coveredCaptain Glenn and Williams with a revolver. Jack smiled, and takingdeliberate aim fired. The man's weapon dropped from his hand.