CHAPTER TWELVE.
THICK WOODS, HEAT, CHANGE OF SCENE, AND SAVAGES.
We must change the scene now, and transport our reader to one of thosenumerous streams which convey the surplus waters of the Andes to thewarmer regions of Bolivia, and thence, through many a wild, luxuriantwilderness and jungle, to the Parana river, by which they ultimatelyfind their way to the sea.
It was approaching the afternoon of a very sultry day when Lawrenceawoke from his midday siesta under an algaroba-tree, and slowly openedhis eyes. The first object they rested upon was the brown little faceof Manuela, reposing on a pillow formed of leopard skin. In thoseregions it was the practice, when convenient, to sling a network hammockbetween two trees, and enjoy one's siesta in that. The Indian girl layin her hammock, with her eyes shut, and her little mouth open,--notundignifiedly open, but just sufficiently so to permit of one seeingsomething of the teeth and tongue inside.
Fascinated apparently by the sight, a mite of a blue-bird with a goldenhead sat on the edge of the hammock close to the little mouth, andlooked in. Evidently it was a bird of an inquiring disposition, for,having gazed for a considerable time with one eye, it turned its head,and gazed a longer time with the other. Quashy lay close to Lawrence,with his back towards him. The latter, observing that the cheek of theformer was more lumpy and prominent than usual, raised himself on oneelbow to look at him, and found that the lump was the result of anexpansion of the mouth from ear to ear. He was wide awake, gloatingover the proceedings of that little blue-bird, but he heard Lawrencemove, and turning his head slightly round, whispered--
"Dat am berry funny--i'n't it?"
The whisper slightly roused Manuela. She drew a long breath, vented adeep sigh, and effectually blew the blue-bird away.
At the same moment the whole party was roused by a wild andindescribable scream, followed by a magnificent flash of what seemed tobe coloured fire.
In his half-sleeping condition, Lawrence, believing it to be thewar-whoop of wild Indians, leaped up and grasped his cudgel, but nothingwas to be seen save the grinning face of Quashy and the amused looks ofManuela and Pedro.
"Purrits," remarked the negro, by way of explanation.
"What do you mean by purrits?" demanded Lawrence, half ashamed of hisalarm.
"I mean what I says, massa,--purrits."
"He means parrots," said Pedro, with a grave smile, as he rose, andproceeded to fold up the poncho on which he had lain. "We've had many asong from these screamers, but I don't remember ever seeing such a bigflock come so near us, or scream so loud, before. They must have beenattracted by your pretty face, Manuela, and could not help shouting withsurprise at finding you asleep."
Manuela laughed lightly as she stepped out of her hammock.
"They've just roused us in good time," continued Pedro, looking upbetween the tree-tops at the sky, "for the hut of the tiger-hunter is along way off, and I'm anxious to reach it before dark."
In a few minutes the hammock and other camp equipage was conveyed to oneof the native canoes, which lay close to the river's bank, ourtravellers embarked, and ere long were far from the spot where thesiesta had been taken.
In the afternoon they stopped for a little to refresh themselves withroasted parrot, chocolate, and biscuit.
Parrots are found everywhere and in great numbers in those regionsbetween the Atlantic and Pacific. They live and travel in large flocks,and, as every one knows, they are remarkably fond of using theirdiscordant voices, much to the annoyance of sensitive travellers.Fortunately such travellers do not often go to the wild regions of SouthAmerica,--when they do, they soon become un-sensitive. When parrotsassemble in a flock on the trees, they keep fluttering their wings witha tremulous motion, bending down their heads and chattering, young andold, without regard to each other or to harmony. Each seems bent ongiving his own opinion in the loudest key, and pays no regard whateverto the opinions of others. There is something almost human in this!
It is a curious fact that, while the plumage of the parrots' breasts isalways gaudy and brilliant in the extreme, that of their backs isusually the colour of the general tone of the region they inhabit. Inwoods, where the bark of trees is chiefly bright yellow and green, theirbacks are of these colours. In the plains they are a mixture of greenand brown, so that when skimming over a country they are not easilydistinguished, but if they chance to come unexpectedly on travellers,they sheer off with a shriek, and expose their gaudy breasts to view.
The large flock that had so suddenly come on our friends while takingtheir siesta had turned off thus with a horrible scream, and revealedtheir gay breasts, on which the sun chanced to shine at the moment withgreat power, thus producing, as we have said, a splendid flash ofcolour.
"Massa," inquired Quashy, as they sat in the canoe enjoying the coldmeal and floating slowly with the stream, "which you likes best,--ros'purrit or ros' monkey?"
"Really, I'm not quite sure," replied Lawrence; "it depends very much onappetite. If I'm very hungry, I prefer the one that comes first tohand. Which do _you_ like best?"
"Well, I's not kite sure needer. I t'ink sometimes dat monkey is best,but I can't easy git ober de face."
"How so, Quashy?"
"'Cause it am so like eatin' a bit o' my great-gran'moder."
"Indeed!"
"Yes. You's no notion how like dey all is to dat ole lady. You see,she was uncommon old. She come ob a long-lib race. Das whar' it is.My moder was eighty-two, an' my gran'moder was ninety-siven, an' mygreat-gran'moder was a hun'r'd an' sixteen, an' dey was all alivetogidder, an' at fuss you couldn' tell which was de oldest. Dey runneck an' neck for a long time, but arter de great-gran' one pass dehunr' milestone--oh! she hoed ahead like a rattlesnake. De wrinkles an'de crows' foots, an' de--de colour--jes' like bu'nt leather! She lef'de oders far behind, an' looked like nuffin so much as dat poor littleblear-eyed monkey you shot de oder day, what Senhorina Manuela say was_so_ nice to eat. What! you un'erstan' Ingliss?" added the negro,looking at the Indian girl, who had given vent to a half-suppressedgiggle.
"Yes--leetil," replied Manuela, without attempting further to restrainher mirth.
Quite pleased that his remarks should afford amusement, Quashy was aboutto launch out extensively on the "great-gran'moder" theme, when anexclamation from the guide checked him.
"Look, Senhor Armstrong," he said, arresting the progress of the canoeby a slight turn of his paddle. "Yonder is a mode of fishing which nodoubt is new to you."
Pedro pointed as he spoke to a canoe which a sharp bend of the streamhad just revealed to them. Its occupants were Indians. They werealmost naked, and so intent on their occupation that the arrival of ourtravellers had not been observed. One of the Indians, a splendidspecimen of muscular strength, stood up in the canoe with a bow andarrow in his hands and one foot on the gunwale, quite motionless.Suddenly he drew the bow, the arrow pierced the water without causing aripple, and next moment a transfixed fish was struggling on the surface.
The fish was barely secured when the presence of strangers wasdiscovered. An exclamation followed. Instantly the dark savage benthis bow, with the arrow pointed this time full at the breast of Pedro.
That worthy did not, however, seem much alarmed. He at once pushed outinto the stream, and gave a shout which induced the savage not only tolower his bow, but to fling it into his canoe and throw up his arms withexclamations of surprise and joy.
"He knows you?" said Lawrence, looking back at Pedro, who sat in thestern of their canoe.
"Yes, he knows me. I am pretty well-known to most people in theseregions. This is the tiger-hunter of whom I have spoken. His dwellingis not far-off."
The meeting of the two friends was remarkably cordial, and it wasevident to both Lawrence and Quashy that the white man and the brownwere not only old friends, but more than usually fond of each other.
After the first salutations, both canoes were run to the bank of thestream, and when they had all landed, Pedro pres
ented his friend toLawrence, who shook hands with him in the English fashion.
"You have not mentioned your friend's name," said Lawrence.
"His name!" replied Pedro, with a laugh, "well, it is almostunpronounceable. Perhaps you had better call him by the name he goes byamong his friends--Spotted Tiger, or, more briefly--Tiger."
"Tell Spotted Tiger, then," said Lawrence, "that I am happy to make hisacquaintance."
When the guide had translated this, and the Indian had returned acomplimentary rejoinder, they continued to converse in the Indian tonguewith much animation, and, on the part of Spotted Tiger, with someexcitement. Of course Lawrence understood nothing, but he continued towatch the expressive features of the savage with interest, and observed,when their glances showed they were talking of Manuela, that Tiger firstraised his eyebrows in surprise, and then smiled peculiarly.
"Strange," thought Lawrence, "what can he mean by that? Perhaps heknows the chief, her father, but why look surprised and smile on thataccount? I wish Pedro was not so secretive. However, it's hisbusiness, not mine!"
Consoling himself with this philosophic thought, Lawrence re-embarkedwith his friends, and, accompanied by Tiger, proceeded down stream tillthey came to a beautiful spot where the banks widened out into a smalllake or pond. On its shores, under the cool shade of many trees, stoodthe hut of the savage.
The scenery here was more than usually beautiful, being diversified notonly in form, but in its wealth and variety of trees, and twiningparasites and graceful ferns, with, in one place, groves of tall treescovered with balls of wild cotton, as large as an orange, and,elsewhere, inextricable entanglements of gorgeously flowering creepers,such as the most vivid imagination would fail to invent or conceive.Behind one part of the scene the setting sun shone with intense light,turning all into dark forms, while in other parts the slanting rays fellupon masses of rich foliage, and intensified its colour.
In front of the hut a handsome Indian woman stood awaiting the arrivalof her husband. She held in her arms a naked little ball ofwhitey-brown fat, which represented the youngest Tiger-cub of thefamily. Other cubs, less whitey, and more brown, romped around,while up in the trees several remembrancers of Quashy'sgreat-great-grandmother sat grinning with delight, if not indignation,at the human beings below.
After being hospitably entertained by the Indian with fish, alligatorsoup, roast parrot, and young monkey, the party assembled round a fire,kindled outside the hut more for the purpose of scaring away wild beaststhan cooking, though the little Tiger-cubs used it for the latterpurpose.
Then Pedro said to Lawrence--
"Now, Senhor Armstrong, I am going to ask you to exercise a littlepatience at this point in our journey. The business I have in handrequires that I should leave you for two or three days. I fully expectto be back by the end of that time, and meanwhile I leave you and Quashyand Manuela in good company, for my friend Spotted Tiger is true assteel, though he _is_ an Indian, and will perhaps show you a littlesport to prevent your wearying."
"Very good, Pedro. I am quite willing to wait," said Lawrence. "Youknow I am not pressed for time at present. I shall be very glad toremain and see what is to be seen here, and learn Spanish from Manuela."
"Or teach her Angleesh," suggested the girl, bashfully.
"Certainly. Whichever pleases you best, Manuela," returned Lawrence.
"But s'pose," said Quashy, with a look of awful solemnity atPedro--"s'pose you nebber comes back at all! S'pose you gits drownded,or killed by a tiger, or shot by a Injin. What den?"
"Suppose," retorted the guide, "that an earthquake should swallow upSouth America, or that the world should catch fire--what then?"
"Why den, we no care a buttin for not'ing arter _dat_," replied thenegro, promptly, "but if you don' return, we nebber reach Buenos Ayres."
"Never fear, Quashy. If I don't return, Spotted Tiger will guide yousafely there."
That night Pedro and his friend left the hut in a canoe, lighted by abrilliant moon. Before morning the latter returned alone.
Meanwhile Lawrence had slung Manuela's hammock between two trees, with afire on either side, yet screened from the chief camp-fire by a thickbush, so that though close at hand, and under his protection, sheoccupied, as it were, a separate chamber of her own. His own hammockand that of Quashy--for they all used hammocks--were hung side by side alittle nearer to the large fire.
Mr and Mrs Tiger, with all the little Tigers, finding their hut ratherwarm, came outside, and also made their beds beside their visitors.