CHAPTER XIII
THE HUNTING WOLVES
They advanced more cautiously now, with every sense alert to detect thefirst sign of any lurking savage. They had not proceeded far in thismanner when Bert, who was slightly in the lead, motioned with his handin back of him for them to stop. This they did, almost holding theirbreath the while, trying to make out what Bert had seen or heard.For several seconds he stood the very picture of attention andconcentration, and then turned to them.
"What is it, Bert, do you see anything?" inquired Dick, in a subdued buttense whisper.
"Not a thing as yet," answered Bert, in the same tone, "but I thought Ismelled smoke, and if I did, there must be a camp-fire of some kind notvery far away. Don't you fellows smell it?"
Both sniffed the air, and as a slight breeze suddenly blew against theirfaces, Tom said, "Gee, Bert, I smell it now!"
"So do I!" said Dick, almost at the same instant, and the hearts of allthree began to beat hard. They had evidently trailed the party ofsavages to their camp, and now they had something of the feeling of thelion hunter who suddenly comes unexpectedly upon his quarry and is notquite certain what to do with it when cornered. Needless to say, theyhad never faced any situation like this before, and it is not to bewondered at if they felt a little nervous over attempting to take aprisoner out from the midst of a savage camp, not even knowing whatmight be the force or numbers of the enemy they would have to cope with.
This feeling was but momentary, however, and almost immediately gaveplace to a fierce excitement and a wild exultation at the prospect ofdanger and conflict against odds. Each knew the others to be true andstaunch to their heart's core, and as much to be relied on as himself.They felt sure that at least they were capable of doing as much or morethan anybody else under the circumstances, and so the blood poundedthrough their veins and their eyes sparkled and danced as they drewtogether to hold a "council of war."
There was little to be discussed, however, as they all three felt thatthe only thing to do was to "face the music and see the thing through tothe finish," as Bert put it.
Accordingly they shook hands, and drew their revolvers, so as to beready for any emergency at a moment's notice. Then, with Bert once morein the lead, they took up their interrupted march. For all the noisethey made, they might have been the savages themselves. Their earlytraining in camp and field now proved invaluable, and not a twig crackedor a leaf rustled at their cautious approach. Soon a patch of light infront of them indicated a break in the jungle, and they crouched doubleas they advanced. Suddenly Bert made a quick motion with his hand, anddarted like a streak into the underbrush at the side of the trail. Theothers did likewise, and not a moment too soon. A crackling of theundergrowth cluttering the path announced the approach of a considerablebody of men, and in a few moments the boys, from their place ofconcealment, where they could look out from the leafy underbrush withlittle chance of being seen, saw a party of eight or ten dusky warriorspass by, apparently bent on foraging, for each carried a large bag slungover his shoulder.
They were big, splendidly built men, but their faces indicated a verylow order of intelligence. Their features were large, coarse, andbrutish, and the boys were conscious of a shudder passing over them asthey thought of being at the mercy of such creatures.
The savages seemed in a good humor just then, however, for every once ina while they laughed among themselves, evidently at something humorousone of them was reciting. It was well for our heroes that they were so,for otherwise they could hardly have failed to notice signs of theirrecent presence on the trail. Fortunately this did not happen, however,and soon they were swallowed up in the dense jungle.
Shortly afterward the boys emerged from their places of concealment, andresumed their slow advance. They were soon at the edge of the clearing,and then halted to reconnoitre before venturing further.
The savages were encamped in a natural hollow, and had apparently madearrangements for quite a protracted visit. They had constructed rudehuts or lean-tos of branches and leaves, scattered at any place thatseemed convenient. Naked children shouted noisily as they played androlled on the green turf, and made such a noise that the parrots in thewoods were frightened, and flew away with disgusted squawks.
In the center of the encampment were two huts evidently constructed withmore care than the others, and around both were squatted sentries withjavelins lying on the ground within easy reach.
"I'll bet any money they are keeping their prisoner in one of thoseshacks, fellows," said Bert, "but what do you suppose the other one isfor? It looks bigger than the others."
"Oh, that's probably the king's palace," said Dick. "Compared to therest of those hovels it almost looks like one, at that."
"That's what it is, all right," agreed Tom, "but how are we going totell which one is the prisoner's, and which the king's? We don't want togo and rescue the wrong one, you know."
"No danger of that," said Bert. "All we've got to do is to lie low alittle while and see what's going on down there. We'll find out howmatters stand soon enough."
Accordingly, the trio concealed themselves as best they could, and inwhispers took council on the best means of bringing about the release ofthe captive.
This proved a knotty problem, however, and for a long while they seemedno nearer its solution. It was Bert who finally proposed the plan thatthey eventually followed.
"I think," he said, "that we'd better get the lay of the land securelyin our eye, and then wait till dark and make our attempt. We haven't gotany chance otherwise, as far as I can see. It would be nonsense to rushthem in the broad light of day, for we'd simply be killed or capturedourselves, and that wouldn't improve matters much. There will be a fullmoon, almost, to-night, and this clearing isn't so big but what we mightbe able to sneak from the shadow of the trees up close to the two centerhuts. Then we could overpower the sentries, if we have luck, andsmuggle the prisoner into the woods. Once there, we'll have to take ourchance of keeping them off with our revolvers, if they pursue andovertake us. Can either of you think of a better plan than that?"
It seemed that neither could, and so they resolved to carry out Bert's.Accordingly, they kept their positions till the sun gradually sank, andthe shadows began to creep over the little clearing. The night descendedvery quickly, however, as it always does in tropical latitudes, but itseemed an age to the impatient boys before the jungle was finallyenshrouded in inky shadows, and it became time for them to make theirdesperate attempt. Stealthy rustlings and noises occasionally approachedthem as they lay, and more than once they thought their hiding-place hadbeen discovered. At last, Bert decided that the time had come to puttheir plan into action, and they rose stealthily from their crampedposition. The prospect of immediate action was like a strong stimulantto these three tried comrades, and all thought of danger and possible,nay, even probable, death, or what might be infinitely worse, capture,was banished from their minds. They had often craved adventure, and nowthey seemed in a fair way to get their fill of it.
Quietly as cats they stole around the edge of the clearing, plantingeach footstep with infinite care to avoid any possible sound. Once aloud shouting arose from the camp, and they made sure that they werediscovered, and grasped their revolvers tightly, resolved to sell theirlives dearly. It proved to be merely some disturbance among the savages,however, and they ventured to breathe again.
Foot by foot they skirted the clearing, guided by the fitful andflickering light of the camp-fire, and finally gained a position in whatthey judged was about the rear of the two central huts.
Now there was nothing to do but wait until the majority of the campshould fall asleep, and this proved the most trying ordeal they had yetexperienced. At first groups of boisterous children approached theirplace of concealment, and more than once their hearts leapt into theirmouths as it seemed inevitable that they would be discovered by them. Asluck would have it, however, the children decided to return to the fire,and so they escaped at least one peril.
Gradually the noises of the camp diminished, and the fire flickered andburnt low. It was now the turn of the jungle insects, and they struck upa chorus that seemed deafening. Also, the mosquitoes issued forth inswarms, and drove the three boys almost frantic, for they did not dareto change their positions or make any effort to ward off the hummingpests, as the noise entailed in doing so would have been almost certainto betray them.
There is an end to the longest wait, however, and at Bert's low whisperthey crept toward the two huts they had marked in the center of thevillage. The moon was not yet high over the trees, and threw thickpatches of inky blackness, that served our three adventurers well.
At times they could hardly make out each other's forms, so deep were theshadows, and they breathed a prayer of thankfulness for this aid.
The shadows fell at least ten feet short of the huts, however, andacross this open space it was evident they would have to dash and taketheir chances of being seen.
As they had watched from the woods earlier in the evening, they had seenthat the guard around the huts consisted of two men for each. The hutswere perhaps forty feet apart, and this made it possible for them toattack the sentries guarding the one in which the prisoner was confinedwithout necessarily giving the alarm to those about the other shack.
The boys were near enough to the dusky sentries now to hear their voicesas they exchanged an occasional guttural remark. Bert touched the othertwo lightly, and they stopped. "I'll take the fellow nearest thefire," he breathed, "you two land on the other one. Club him with yourrevolvers, but whatever you do, don't let him make a sound, or we'regone for sure. Understand?"
"Sure," they whispered, and all prepared to do their parts. At awhispered word from Bert, they dashed with lightning speed across thepatch of moonlight, and before the astonished sentries could utter a crywere upon them like so many whirlwinds. Bert grasped the man he hadselected by the throat, and dealt him a stunning blow on the head withthe butt of his revolver. The blow would have crushed the skull of anywhite man, but it seemed hardly to stun the thickheaded savage. Hewriggled and squirmed, and Bert felt his arm go back toward the sashround his waist, feeling for the wicked knife that these savages alwayswore.
Bert dared not let go of his opponent's throat, as he knew that one crywould probably ring their death knell. He retained his grasp on hisenemy's windpipe, therefore, but dropped his revolver and grasped thefellow's wrist. They wrestled and swayed, writhing this way and that,but fortunately the soft moss and turf under them deadened the sound oftheir struggles.
Bert had met his match that night, however, and, strain as he might, hefelt his opponent's hand creeping nearer and nearer the deadly knife.He realized that his strength could not long withstand the terrificstrain put upon it, and he resolved to make one last effort to beat thesavage at his own game. Releasing the fellow's sinewy wrist, he made alightning-like grasp for the hilt of the knife, and his fingers closedover it a fraction of a second ahead of those of the black man. Eludingthe latter's frantic grasp at his wrist, he plunged the keen and heavyknife into the shoulder of his opponent. Something thick and warm gushedover his hand, and he felt the muscles of his enemy go weak. Whetherdead or unconscious only, he was for the time being harmless. Berthimself was so exhausted that for a few moments he lay stretched at fulllength on the earth, unable to move or think.
In a few moments his strong vitality asserted itself, however, and hegathered strength enough to go to the assistance of his comrades. It wasnot needed, though, for they had already choked the remaining guard intounconsciousness.
They waited a few moments breathlessly, to see if the noise, little asit had been, had aroused the rest of the camp. Apparently it had not,and they resolved to enter the hut without further loss of time.
This was accomplished with little difficulty, and they were soonstanding in the interior of the shack, which was black as any cave. Theboys had feared that there would be another guard in the place, whomight give the alarm before he could be overpowered, but they now sawthat this fear had been groundless.
A torch, stuck in a chink in the wall, smoked and flared, and by itsuncertain light they could make out the form of a man bound securely toone of the corner posts. He gazed at them without saying a word, andseemed unable to believe the evidence of his senses.
"What--what--how--" he stammered, but Bert cut him short.
"Never mind talking now, old man," he said. "It's a long story, and we'dbetter not wait to talk now. We're here, but it remains to be seen if weever get away, or become candidates for a cannibal feast ourselves."
"How did you get past the sentries?" asked the prisoner.
"Well, we didn't wait to get their consent, you can bet on that,"returned Bert, "and I don't think, now that we _are_ here, that they'lloffer any objections to our leaving, either. But now, it's up to us toget you untied, and make a quick sneak. Somebody's liable to comesnooping around here almost any time, I suppose."
"You may be sure we can't leave any too soon to suit me," said thecaptive. "I believe, from all that I have been able to gather fromtheir actions, that I was to furnish the material for a meal for thetribe to-morrow. They're head hunters and cannibals, and the more spaceI put between them and me the better I shall be pleased."
While he had been speaking, the boys had been busily engaged in cuttingthe cords that bound him, and now they assisted him to his feet. He hadbeen bound in one position so long, however, that he could hardly standat first, and Bert began to fear that he would not be able to move.After a few moments, however, his powers began to come back to him, andin a few minutes he seemed able to walk.
"All right, fellows, I guess we won't wait to pay our respects to theking," said Bert. "Let's get started. Do you feel able to make a dashnow?" he inquired, addressing the erstwhile prisoner.
The latter signified that he was, and they prepared to leave withoutfurther discussion. When they got outside, they found that they werefavored by a great piece of good fortune. The moon was now in such aposition that it threw the shadow of a particularly tall tree almost tothe hut, and they quickly made for the welcome security it offered. Theymade as little noise as possible, but their companion was less expert inthe ways of the woods than they, and more than once slipped and fell,making a disturbance that the boys felt sure would be heard by someonein the camp.
Fate was kind to them, however, and at last they reached the shelter ofthe woods without apparently having given the savages any cause forsuspicion. Once well in the jungle, they felt justified in making morespeed without bothering so much about the noise. After a little troublethey found the trail that they had followed to the camp, and startedback toward the coast with the best speed they could muster.
In the dense shadows cast by the arching trees they could hardly see afoot ahead of them, and continually stumbled, tripped, and fell over theroots and creepers in their path.
Their progress became like a horrible nightmare, in which one is unableto make any headway in fleeing from a pursuing danger, no matter howhard one tries. They were haunted by the fear of hearing the yell of thesavages in pursuit, for they knew that if they were overtaken, here inthe narrow path, in pitch darkness, they would be slaughtered by anunseen enemy without the chance to fight. The experienced savages couldcome at them from all sides through the forest, and have them at aterrible disadvantage.
"If we can only make that rocky little hill we passed coming to thisinfernal place, fellows," panted Bert, "we can stay there till daylight,and at least make a fight for our lives. If they should catch us herenow, they could butcher us like rats in a trap."
In compliance with these words, they made desperate efforts to hurrytheir pace, and were beginning to pluck up hope. Suddenly their heartsstood still, and then began to beat furiously.
Far behind them in the mysterious, deadly jungle, they heard a weird,eerie shrill cry.
"What was it? What was it?" whispered Tom, in a low, horror-struckvoice.
The man whom they had freed
made one or two efforts to speak, but hiswords refused to come at first. Then he said, in a dry, hard voice, "Iknow what it is. That was the cry their hunting wolves give when theyare on the trail of their quarry. May heaven help us now, for we aredead men."
"Hunting wolves?" said Bert, in a strained voice, "what do you mean?"
"They're three big wolves the savages captured at some time, and theyhave trained them to help run down game in the hunt, the same as we havetrained dogs. Only these brutes are far worse than any dog, and athousand times more savage. If they get us--" but here his voice traileddown into silence, for again they heard that fierce cry, but this timemuch nearer.
The little party broke into a desperate run, and blundered blindly,frantically forward. The mysterious, danger-breathing jungle surroundingthem on every side, the horrible pursuit closing in on them from behind,caused their hair to rise with an awful terror that lent wings to theirfeet. They stumbled, fell, picked themselves and each other up again,and hastened madly forward in their wild race.
"If we can only make it, if we can only make it," Bert repeated overand over to himself, while the breath came in great sobbing gaspsfrom between his lips. He was thinking of their one last chance ofsafety--the little knoll that he had marked as they followed thesavages' trail the previous day as a possible retreat if they werepursued.
Loud and weird came the baying of the beasts on their trail, but Bert,straining his eyes ahead, could make out a little patch of moonlightthrough the trees.
"Faster, fellows, faster," he gasped. "A little further, and we'll bethere. Faster, faster!"
With a last despairing effort they dashed into the clearing, which wasflooded with silvery moonlight. Now, at least, they would be able to seeand fight, and their natural courage came back to them.
"Get up on that big rock in the center!" yelled Bert, "for your lives,do you hear me? for your lives!"
They scrambled madly up the huge boulder, Bert helping them and beingpulled up last by Dick and Tom. Dropping on the flat top of the rock,perhaps seven or eight feet from the ground, they drew their revolversand faced toward the opening in the trees from which they had dashed afew moments before.
Nor had they long to wait. From the jungle rushed three huge wolves,forming such a spectacle as none of the little party ever forgot tohis dying day. The hair bristled on their necks and backs, and foamdropped from their jaws. As they broke from the line of trees they gaveutterance once more to their blood-curdling bay, but then caught sightof the men grouped on the big boulder, and in terrible silence madestraight for them.
Without stopping they made a leap up the steep sides of the rock. Almostat the same instant the three revolvers barked viciously, and one bigbrute dropped back, biting horribly at his ribs, and then running aroundthe little glade in circles. The other two scrambled madly at the rock,trying to get a foothold, and one grasped Dick's shoe in his teeth. Asecond later, however, and before his jaws even had a chance to close,the three guns spoke at once, and the animal dropped quivering backupon the ground. The third beast seemed somewhat daunted by the fate ofhis comrades, and was moreover wounded slightly himself. He dropped backand took up a position about ten feet from the boys' place of refuge,and throwing back his head, gave utterance to a dismal howl. Faintly, asthough answering him, the boys heard a yell, that they knew could becaused by none but the savages themselves.
It seemed hopeless to fight against such odds, but these young fellowswere not made of the stuff that gives up easily. Where the spirit ofothers might have sunk under such repeated trials, theirs only becamemore stubborn and more determined to overcome the heavy odds fate hadmeted out to them.
Taking careful aim Bert fired at the remaining wolf, and his bulletfulfilled its mission. The brute dropped without a quiver, and Bert slidto the ground.
"Come on, fellows," he yelled, "get busy here and help me build a fort.We've got to roll some of these rocks into position in a little lessthan no time, so we can give them an argument when they arrive."
"Oh, what's the use?" said the man whom they had rescued, in a hopelessvoice. "We haven't got any chance against them. We might as wellsurrender first as last, and take our chances of escaping afterward."
"Why, man, what are you talking about?" said Dick, scornfully. "Youdon't think we're going to give in without a struggle, do you, when wehave some shelter here and guns in our hands? Not on your life, wewon't, and don't you forget it."
"Well, I was just giving you my opinion, that's all," said the man, who,it must be confessed, spoke in a rather shamefaced manner. "We're sureto be butchered if we follow out your plan, though, mark my words."
"Well, we'll at least send some of them to their last accounting beforethey do get to us," said Bert. "Step lively, now, and help us, insteadof talking in that fool way."
While this talk had been going on the boys had rolled several bigboulders up against the one that had already offered them such timelyaid, in such a manner as to form a little enclosed space or fort. Intheir excitement and pressing need they accomplished feats of strengththat under ordinary circumstances they would not even have attempted orbelieved possible.
Soon they had made every preparation they could think of, and with setteeth and a resolve to fight to the last gasp waited the coming of thepursuing cannibals.
Soon they could hear them rushing through the forest, exchangingdeep-throated cries, and a few moments later they burst into theclearing. When they saw the preparations that had been made for theirreception, however, they paused, and some pointed excitedly toward thethree dead wolves. It was evident that they had been more prepared tosee the mangled bodies of their erstwhile prisoner and his rescuers,rather than what they actually did find.
Bert, seeing that they were disconcerted, decided to open hostilities.With a wild yell, he started firing his revolver toward theclosely-grouped savages, taking careful aim with each shot. A muchpoorer shot than Bert would have had difficulty in missing such a mark,and every bullet took deadly effect.
All at once panic seemed to seize on the savages, and they rushed madlyback into the jungle. Of course, Bert wasted no more valuable ammunitionfiring at an unseen enemy, and a breathless hush fell over the scene.
At first the little party expected the savages to renew the conflict,but the time wore slowly on and nothing of the kind happened. They kepta keen lookout to guard against a surprise, but none was attempted.
At length dawn broke, and the sun had never been so welcome to the boysas it was then. In the light of day their experience seemed like anawful dream, or would have seemed so, had it not been for the bodies ofthe three wolves.
The besieged party held a "pow-wow," and as it was clear that they couldnot stay where they were indefinitely, they decided to make a break forthe ship without further delay.
After a careful reconnoitering of the path, they ventured into it withmany misgivings, but could see no sign of the head hunters. They madethe best possible speed, and it was not very long before they reachedthe beach.
Needless to say, the whole ship's company had been greatly worried overtheir absence, but their relief was correspondingly great at their safereturn. The captain had reinforced Mr. Miller's complement of men withorders to go in search of the three boys as soon as morning broke. Hewas prepared to hold them strictly to account for what he thought theirrashness, but repressed his censure when he heard their story. The boatwas swung inboard, the _Fearless_ gathered way, and the island recedingto a point was soon lost to sight in the distance.