CHAPTER XXI--THE FOREST IS SHEETED IN FLAMES
For just a few moments Roland was taken aback. Then, in a steady manlyvoice that could be heard all over the camp, he gave the order.
"All men down! The Indians are approaching from the west. Fire low,lads--between you and the light.
"Don't waste a shot!" he added.
"FIRE LOW, LADS.... DON'T WASTE A SHOT!"]
Three Indians bit the dust at the first volley, and though the reststruggled on to the attack, it was only to be quickly repulsed.
In ten minutes' time all had fled, and the great forest and woodland wasas silent as before.
It was Roland's voice that again broke the stillness.
"Rally round, boys," he shouted, "and let me know the worst."
The sacrifice of life, however, was confined to three poor fellows, onewhite man and two peons; and no one was wounded.
Nobody thought of going to sleep again on this sad night, and when redclouds were at last seen over the green-wooded horizon, heralding theapproach of day, a general sense of relief was felt by all in the littlecamp.
Soon after sunrise breakfast was served, and eaten with avidity by allhands now in camp, for scouts were out, and Dick and Roland awaited thenews they would bring with some degree of impatience.
The scouting was really a sort of reconnaisance in force, by pickedIndians and whites under the command of the redoubtable Burly Bill.
Suddenly Brawn raised his head and gave vent to an angry "wouff!" andalmost at the same time the sound of distant rifle-firing fell on theears of the little army.
Half an hour after this, Bill and two men stepped out from the bush andadvanced.
His brow was bound with a blood-stained handkerchief.
It was a spear wound, but he would not hear of it being dressed atpresent.
"What cheer then, Bill?"
"Not much of that," he answered, throwing himself down and lighting thatmarvellous meerschaum, from which he appeared to get so muchconsolation.
"Not a vast deal of cheer. Yes, I'll eat after I gets a bit coolerlike."
"Ay, we'll have to fight the Dun-skins. They swarm in the forestbetween us and the Madeira, and they are about as far from bein' angelsas any durned nigger could be."
"And what do you advise, Bill?"
"Well," was the reply, "as soon as your boys get their nose-bags off, myadvice is to set to work with spade and shovel and transform this 'erecamp into a fortress.
"Ay, and it is one we won't be able to abandon for days and days tocome," he added.
The men were now speedily told off to duty, and in a very short time hadmade the camp all but impregnable, and quite strong enough to give anexcellent account of any number of Dun-skins.
The Paynee Indians are a semi-nomadic tribe of most implacable savages,who roam over hill and dell and upland, hunting or fighting as the casemay be, but who have nevertheless a home in the dark mountain fastnessesof the far interior.
They are cannibals, though once, long, long ago, a band of Jesuitsattempted their reclamation.
These brave missionaries numbered in all but one hundred and twenty men,and they went among the terrible natives with, figuratively speaking,their prayer-books in one hand, their lives in the other.
All went well for a time. They succeeded in winning the affections ofthe savages. They erected rude churches, and even to this day crossesof stone are to be found in this wild land, half-buried among the rankvegetation.
But there came a day, and a sad one it was, when the cannibals wereattacked by a wild hill-tribe. These highlanders had heard that, owingto the new religion, their ancient enemies had degenerated into oldwives and squaws.
A terrible battle ensued, during which the men from the uplands foundout their mistake, for they were repulsed with fearful slaughter.
All might have gone well with the Jesuits even yet but for one_contretemps_.
At the very moment when the savages returned wildly exultant from thehills, bearing, horrible to relate, joints of human flesh on theirspears, there came from the east a party of men who had been down to thebanks of the Madeira, and had attacked and looted a small steamer thatamong other things had much fire-water on board.
Oh, that accursed fire-water, how terrible its results wherever on earthit gains ascendancy!
All the fearful passions of these savages were soon let loose. Thescene was like pandemonium.
The poor Jesuits hid themselves in their little church, barricading thedoor, and devoting the first part of the night to prayer and song. Butat midnight the awful howling of the cannibals coming nearer and nearertold them that they had been missed, and that their doom was now sealed.
Only one man escaped to tell the terrible tale.
And these, or rather their descendants, were the very cannibals thatRoland's little army had now to do battle with.
Both he and Dick, however, kept up a good heart.
There was ammunition enough to last for months of desultory firing, ifnecessary, and when the attack was made at last, after Bill's scouts hadbeen driven in, the savages learned a lesson they were never likely toforget.
Brave indeed they were, and over and over again they charged, spear inhand, almost into the trenches. But only to be thrust back wounded, orto die where they stood, beneath a steady revolver fire.
But they retreated almost as quickly as they had come, and once moresought the shelter of bush and jungle.
Not for very long, however. They were evidently determined that thelittle garrison should enjoy no peace.
They had changed their tactics now, and instead of making wild rushestowards the ramparts, they commenced to bombard the fort with largestones.
With their slings the Bolivian Indians can aim with great precision, forthey learn the art when they are mere infants.
As no one showed above the ramparts, there was in this case no humantarget for the missiles, but use was made of larger stones, and thesekept falling into the trenches in all directions, so that much mischiefwas done and many men were hurt.
A terrible rifle fire was now opened upon that part of the bush in whichthe cannibal savages were supposed to be in force, and from the howlingand shrieking that immediately followed, it was evident that manybullets were finding their billets.
But soon even these sounds died away, and it was evident enough that theenemy had retired, no doubt with the intention of inventing some newform of attack. There was peace now for many hours, and Roland tookadvantage of this to order dinner to be got ready. No men, unless it bethe Scotch, can fight well on empty stomachs.
The wounded were attended to and made as comfortable as possible, andafter this there was apparently very little to do except to wait andwatch.
Burly Bill brought out his consolatory meerschaum. But while he puffedaway, he was not idle. He was thinking.
Now thinking was not very much in this honest fellow's line. Action wasmore his _forte_. But the present occasion demanded thought.
The afternoon was already far spent. The sentries--lynx-eyed Indians,rifles in hand--were watching the bush, and longing for a shot. Rolandand Dick, with Bill and big Brawn, were seated in the shade of a greenand spreading tree, and all had been silent for some considerable time.
"I say, young fellows!" said Bill at last, "this kind of loungingdoesn't suit me. What say you to a council of war?"
"Well, you've been thinking, Bill?"
"Ay, I've been doin' a smart bit o' that. Let us consult Charlie."
Charlie the ex-cannibal was now brought forward and seated on the grass.
There was a deal of practical knowledge in this Indian's head. His hadbeen a very long experience of savage warfare and wandering in forestsand wilds; and he was proud now to be consulted.
"Charlie," said Bill, "what do you think of the situation?"
"De sit-uation?" was the reply. "Me not likee he. Me tinkee we siteetoo much. Byme by, de cannibal he come much quick. Ah! dere will soonbe m
uchee much too much sabage cannibal! Fust de killee you and den deeatee you, and make fine bobbery. Ha! ha!"
"Well, Charlie, I don't think that there is a deal to laugh at.Howsomever, we've got to do something soon."
"So, so," said Charlie, "notwidstanding."
"Well, I've been thinking that we should make tracks for the other sideof the river. You see these savage rapscallions have no canoes, andthey seem to have no food. They are not herons or storks, and can'twade through deep water."
"Foh true, sah. Dey am not stohks and dey am not herons notwidstanding,but see, sah, ebery man he am his own canoe! No stohks, but all sameone frog, notwidstanding foh true!"
"And you think they would follow us?"
"All same's one eel--two hundred eel. Dey swim wid spears in mouf, andbow and arrow held high. Ha! ha! good soldier, ebery modder's son!"
"I'll tell you my plan," said Dick Temple. "Just loose off the boats,and make one bold dash for liberty."
"Ha! ha! sah!" cried Charlie. "I takes de liberty to laughnotwidstanding, foh true. You plenty much all dead men 'fore you getinto de big ribber!"
"Well, hang it!" said Dick, "we're not going to stay here with thepretty prospect before us of being all scuppered and eaten. What sayyou, Roll?"
"I think," said Roland quietly, "that Charlie there has come prepared tospeak, for his face is just beaming."
"See, sah," cried Charlie, evidently pleased, "you trust all to Charlie.He makee you free after dark. Down in de fo'est yondah dere am mebbetwo, mebbee free hunder' sabages. Now dey not want to fight till dedark. Dey will fight all de same when de moon rise, and de rifle notmuchee good. No hit in de dark, on'y jes' puff, puff.
"See," he continued, "de wind begin to blow a leetle. De wind get highbyme by, den de sun go out, and Charlie he fiah de forest."
"Fire the forest, Charlie?"
"Notwidstanding," said Charlie grimly.
"When," he added, "you see de flame curl up, be all ready. Soon deflame he bus' highah and highah, and all by de ribber bank one bigblaze."
"Charlie," cried Bill, "you're a brick! Give us a shake of your yellowhand. Hurrah! boys, Charlie's going to do it!"
Never perhaps was sunset waited for with more impatience.
The great and unanswerable question was this: Would these savages attackimmediately after darkness fell, or would they take some time todeliberate?
But behind the rugged mountains down sank the sun at last, and after abrief twilight the stars shone out.
Charlie was not going alone. He had asked for the assistance of manyIndians, and in a whisper he gave them their orders.
Our heroes did not interfere in any way, for fear of confusing the goodfellow's plans. But they soon noted that while Charlie himself and twoIndians left in one of the smallest canoes, the others disappeared likesnakes in the grass, creeping northwards over the plain.
And now there was silence, for the wind was hushed; silence everywhere,that deep, indescribable silence which nightfall ever brings to a wildand savage land, in which even the beasts are still and listening inforest and dell, not knowing from which direction danger may spring.
Within the little camp nothing could be done but lie still, every manholding his breath with suspense. Nothing could be done save watch,wait, count the weary minutes, and marvel at their length.
Suddenly, however, the deep silence was broken by a mournful cry thatcame from riverwards. It was apparently that of an owl seeking for itsmate, but it was taken up and repeated northwards all over the plaintwixt camp and forest, and almost at the same time tiny tongues of firesprang up here and there and everywhere.
Higher and higher they leapt, along the ground they ran, meeting in alldirections down the dark river and across the wild moor by the edge ofthe woodland. The undergrowth was dry, the grass was withered, and inan amazingly short time the whole forest by the banks of the Madeira wassheeted in devastating flames.
The savages had been massed in the centre of the jungle, and justpreparing to issue forth and carry death into the camp of our heroes,when suddenly the crackling of the flames fell on their ears, and theyknew they were caught in a fire-trap, with scarcely any means of escape.
Charlie had been terribly in earnest, and, hurrying on in his canoetowards the Madeira, he lit the bank all along, and even down the sideof the great stream itself.
It was evidently his savage intention to roast these poor cannibalsalive.
As it was, the only outlet towards salvation that remained for them wasthe Madeira's dark brink.
"Now, boys, now!" shouted Roland, when he saw that the fire had gainedentire mastery, and, making its own wind, was sweeping onwards, lickingup everything in its way.
"Now, lads, on board! Let us get off down stream in all haste.Hurrah!"