CHAPTER FOURTEEN.
THE HUNT CONTINUED; ONE OF THE HUNTERS ALMOST CONCLUDED. EXPLORATIONSINDULGED IN, AND A CAPTURE EFFECTED.
"Dar, massa, dar he is," exclaimed Quashy, in a hoarse whisper, pointinginto the bushes.
"Nonsense, man," replied Lawrence, in a low voice, "it's only anant-hill."
Even in that moment of excitement, Lawrence could scarce refrain fromlaughter at the face of his humble follower, for Quashy's business inlife had not accustomed him to much sport at any time; and the prospectof actually assisting at the slaughter of a jaguar or a puma had stirredevery nerve and fibre of his black being into intense excitation, sothat his eyes and nostrils were dilated to the utmost, and he pantedvehemently--with hope, of course, not fear!
Tiger, on the contrary, was cool and calm, though watchful. He paid noattention whatever to his companions, being too well acquainted with hiswork to stand in need of either advice or assistance from them.
As guide, the savage occupied the bow of the canoe; Lawrence sat in themiddle, and Quashy in the stern, for he understood how to steer. Havingbeen admonished to hold his tongue, he crouched so as, if possible, todiminish his size. He also pursed his lips,--and what a tight roundingand projecting of superfluous flesh that pursing was no tongue canadequately tell. He also glared, and this "talking with the eyes" was amute sermon in itself.
Yet no jaguar could be seen. Silently, with dip of paddle that made nosound, and glide of craft through the water that produced only an oilyripple, they slowly ascended the stream.
At first Lawrence had seized his fowling-piece, which was charged withball for the occasion; but as time passed, and the Indian showed nointention of landing, he laid the gun down, and again took up hispaddle.
After a time, through some inadvertence of Quashy, the canoe was sentrather close in among the reeds and giant leaves of the bank.
"That was stupid of you, Quash," said Lawrence, as he stood up to assistTiger in backing out.
"Das true, massa," said the negro, in profoundest humility ofself-condemnation, "I's a black idjit."
As the fore part of the canoe had touched on a mudbank, Lawrence seizedone of the Indian's lances, and used the butt end as a pole with whichto push off. Under this impulse the canoe was gradually sliding intodeep water, when a rustling of the leaves was heard, and next instant afull-sized jaguar sprang upon the Indian with cat-like agility. Whetherthe brute had slipped on the muddy bank we cannot say, but it missed itsaim, and, instead of alighting on the shoulders of the man, it merelystruck him on the head with one of its paws in passing, and went with atremendous splash into the water.
Tiger fell forward insensible from the severe scalp-wound inflicted.Next instant the jaguar rose, grasped the edge of the canoe, and almostoverturned it as it strove to climb in; and there is no doubt that inanother moment it would have succeeded, for the attack was so suddenthat Quashy sat paralysed, while Lawrence forgot his pistols, and hisgun lay in the bottom of the canoe! Happily, however, he recoveredenough of presence of mind to use the lance in his hands. Turning thepoint of the weapon to the jaguar's mouth, he thrust it in with suchtremendous force that it passed right down its throat and into its veryvitals. With a gasping snarl the monster fell back into the stream, andwas quickly drowned as well as impaled.
"Help me to haul him on board," cried Lawrence.
Thus awakened, the negro, relieving his feelings by giving vent to aroar which partook somewhat of a cheer, seized the jaguar's tail. Hismaster grasped its ears, and in another moment it lay in the bottom ofthe canoe.
"Now, help to lay the poor fellow beside it," said Lawrence.
"O massa!--he not dead, eh?" groaned the negro, as he assisted in thework.
"No; nor likely to die yet a while," replied Lawrence, with muchsatisfaction, as he examined and bound up the scalp-wound. "It is notdeep; he'll soon come round; but we must get him home without delay.Out with your paddle, Quashy, and use it well. I'll take the bow."
The canoe, which, during these proceedings, had been floating slowlydown stream, was now turned in the right direction, and in a short timewas out upon the larger river.
Here, however, they had to labour with energy against the stream, and itwas far on in the afternoon before they came in sight of the Indian'shut. By that time Spotted Tiger had partially recovered, as Lawrenceobserved during a pause made for rest. On reaching an eddy, whichcarried the canoe in the right direction, they rested again. Thecessation of paddling appeared to rouse the wounded man, for he sat up,and, with a half-dazed look, stared at the head of the dead jaguar, onthe haunch of which his elbow leaned. Then he cast an inquiring look atLawrence, who replied to him with a nod and a smile, and went on toindicate, by means of pantomime, what had occurred.
He pointed to the animal's claws, and to Tiger's head; then to thebloody spear which lay at his side, and to the jaguar's blood-stainedthroat, after which he pointed to his own breast and nodded again.
The Indian evidently understood him, for an expression of gratitudeoverspread his countenance as he extended his right hand--Englishfashion--for a shake. Our hero was not slow to grasp it, and the twoexchanged a squeeze which told of lasting friendship and good-will.
A few minutes later, and the canoe was run upon the bank in front of thehut, where all the children were assembled to receive them.
It did not seem as if any of the family were deeply affected by theshaky appearance of the father as he stepped on shore, but the youngermembers evinced feelings of intense delight when the jaguar was liftedout; and two of them, seizing the tail as a tow-rope, passed it overtheir shoulders, and dragged the carcass up to the hut to show it totheir mother.
O mothers! loving repositories of childhood's joys and woes, ye areunquestionably the same in substance and in spirit all the world over!
Tiger's wife was more affected than Lawrence expected she would havebeen by her husband's accident, and tended him with anxious care. Bytaking hold of him, and laying him gently down in a corner opposite tothat of his sick child, Lawrence gave him to understand that it was hisduty to take rest. To say truth, he did not require much persuasion,but at once laid his head on his pillow, and quietly went to sleep.
"The hospital is filling rather quickly, Manuela," said Lawrence, whenhe had finished tending his new patient, "and your duties areincreasing, I fear."
"No fear. Me likes to nuss," replied the girl, with a look that puzzledthe young doctor.
It was Manuela's fascinating smile that came hardest on our poor hero.When she looked grave or sad, he could regard her as a mere statue, anunusually classical-looking bronze savage; but when she smiled, therewas something so bewitchingly sweet in the lines of her little face thathe felt constrained to shut his eyes, turn away, and groan in spirit, tothink that she was brown, and a savage!
"Was there _ever_ a case," he thought, "so mysteriously miserable, sosingularly sad, as mine! If she were only white, I would marry her atonce, (if she would have me), for the sake of her gentle spirit alone,--ay, even though she were the child of a costermonger; but I cannot, I_do_ not, love a savage, the daughter of a savage chief, with a skin thecolour of shoe leather! No, it is impossible! and yet, I am in lovewith her spirit. I know it. I feel it. I never heard of such astrange thing before,--a man in love with a portion of a woman, and thatthe immaterial portion!"
The last word changed the current of his thoughts, for it suggested theidea of another "portion" belonging to some girls with which men are tooapt to fall in love!
"Massa, de grub's ready," said Quashy, entering the hut at that moment.
"Go to work then, Quash. Don't wait. I'll be with you directly."
But Quashy did wait. He was much too unselfish a son of ebony to thinkof beginning before his master.
When they had seated themselves on the grass outside the hut, along withManuela, who left her post of duty in order to dine, and had made aconsiderable impression on the alligator-ragout and tiger-steaks andothe
r delicacies, Quashy heaved a deep sigh of partial satisfaction, andasked if Tiger would be well enough to go out hunting next day.
"I think not," said Lawrence; "no doubt he may _feel_ able for it, butif he shows any disposition to do so, I shall forbid him."
"How you forbid him, when you not can speak hims tongue?" asked Manuela,in a mild little voice, but with an arch look to which her arched blackeyebrows gave intense expression.
"Well," replied Lawrence, laughing, "I must try signs, I suppose, asusual."
"No use, massa," said Quashy; "nebber make him understan'. I gib you aplan. See here. You tie him up hand an' foot; den we go off huntin' byour lone, an' let him lie till we comes back."
Lawrence shook his head. "I fear he would kill us on our return. No,we must just go off early in the morning before he wakes, and getManuela to try her hand at sign-language. She can prevail on him, nodoubt, to remain at home."
"I vill try," said Manuela, with a laugh.
In pursuance of this plan, Lawrence and Quashy rose before broaddaylight the following morning, launched the little canoe they had usedthe day before, put gun, spears, etcetera, on board, and were about topush off, when one of the boys of the family ran down, and seemed towish to accompany them.
"We'd better take him," said Lawrence; "he's not very big or old, but heseems intelligent enough, and no doubt knows something of his father'shaunts and sporting customs."
"You's right, massa," assented the negro.
Lawrence made a sign to the lad to embark, and Quashy backed theinvitation with--
"Jump aboord, Leetle Cub."
Instead of obeying, Leetle Cub ran up into the bush, but presentlyreturned with a long stick like a headless lance, a bow and arrows, andan instrument resembling a large grappling anchor, made of wood.Placing these softly in the canoe, the little fellow, who seemed to beabout ten years of age, stepped in, and they all pushed off into theriver--getting out of sight of the hut without having roused any one.Turning into the same stream which they had visited the day before, theypushed past the place where the jaguar had been killed, and entered onan exploration, as Lawrence called it.
"I'm very fond of an exploration, Quashy," he said, dipping his paddlesoftly, and working gently, for there was so little current that itseemed more like the narrows of a lake than a stream.
"Yes, I's bery fond ob 'sploration too, massa," replied the negro, witha self-satisfied nod. "It am so nice not to know whar you's gwine to,or whar you's comin' to, or who's dar, or who's not dar, or what fish'llturn up, or what beast'll turn down, or what nixt--oh! it _am_ so jolly!what you sniggerin' at, you dirty leetle cub?"
The question was put to the Indian boy, who seemed much amused bysomething he saw up among the trees.
Looking up they saw at least a dozen red monkeys grinning at them, andone of these--a small one--was hanging on by its father's tail.
"Oh! shoot! shoot!" cried Quashy to Lawrence, opening his great eyeseagerly. "Dey's _so_ good to eat!"
"No, Quash, I won't shoot. We have shot enough of fat ducks to feed usall for one or two days at least. Besides, I can't bear to killmonkeys. It feels so like committing murder."
While he was yet speaking, Leetle Cub had taken up the long lance-likestick before mentioned and pointed it at the monkeys. It was ablow-pipe. Before Lawrence could interfere, the short arrow with whichit was charged had sped on its mission with deadly aim, and the smallestmonkey, relaxing its hold of the paternal tail, fell without even a cryinto the water--shot through the heart.
Lawrence said nothing, but, resolving that if the boy should attemptsuch another shot, he would disturb his aim, he dipped his paddlevigorously, and pushed up the river.
Coming at last to an open space where the stream widened into somethinglike a little pond, they observed an erection of timber on the bankwhich aroused their curiosity. It also seemed to arouse the Cub'sinterest, for he made somewhat excited signs that he wished to landthere. Willing to humour him, they ran the canoe on the beach. LeetleCub jumped out at once, and, taking up the anchor-like piece of woodbefore mentioned, went with it towards the timber erection.
"I do believe it is an alligator-hook," said Lawrence.
"Das a fact," said Quashy, "we'll washum," (by which he meant, "we'llwatch him!")
It was indeed interesting to watch that little fellow--who was evidentlyin all respects a thorough chip of the old block--as he went about hiswork, quietly, yet with an undercurrent of excitement which he was notentirely able to conceal. He took his bow and arrows, as well as theblow-pipe, on shore, and laid them at his side, so as to be ready athand in case of emergency, while he baited the alligator-hook with thedead monkey.
The hook was simple. It consisted of four pieces of tough hard wood,about a foot long, and the thickness of a man's thumb. These were tiedto the end of a stout rope made of raw hide, and so arranged that theirpoints were directed backwards, and curved somewhat outwards--thusforming as it were four huge barbs. The dead monkey was placed on andaround this horrible hook--if we may so term it. The delicate morselwas then attached to the end of a pole which stretched over the stream,so that the bait, when fixed, remained suspended just above the water.The slack of the rope was then made fast to a tree. Thus thearrangement was such as to compel the alligator to raise himself wellout of the water to obtain his mouthful.
While Leetle Cub was engaged in erecting this cumbrous machine, a youngalligator, about a foot long, crawled out from under some leaves on thebank close to him. The urchin saw it instantly, seized his bow, and ina moment transfixed it with an arrow. The fury of the little creature,infant though it was, seemed tremendous. It turned round, snappingviciously at the arrow, and would probably have escaped with it into thewater if another shot from the same unerring hand had not terminated itscareer.
After setting his line, the Cub carried the little alligator to thecanoe, and put it carefully therein.
"Das what dey make de soup ob," said Quashy.
"The ragout, you mean."
"Dun' know what's a ragoo, massa. We calls it soup. Anyhow, it's berygood."
"Yes, Quash, it's not bad. But look there, our daring and expert younghunter evidently wants us to land, for he is pointing to the bush.Shall we go?"
"P'r'aps it's as well, massa. Ob course no alligator's sitch a fool asswaller dat little mout'ful when we's a-lookin' at it. I s'pose LeetleCub wants us to go away, an' gib 'em a chance."
Having made up their minds to gratify the little fellow, they landed andaccompanied him into the woods. He seemed quite to expect that theywould do so and follow his lead. He set off at a smart pace in advanceof them, carrying his bow on his shoulder. Lawrence was well repaid bythis walk, because it led him into and through scenery of a morestriking and beautiful character than he had yet seen of its kind. Inmany places the trees formed long aisles and vaulted colonnades andarches so regular that it seemed as though they had been planted by thehand of man. Elsewhere the chaos of tree and shrub, flower and fern andtwining root was so indescribable, that it seemed as if chance andhaphazard had originated it all; but the mind of our hero was cast, ifwe may say so, in too logical a mould to accept such an absurd originfor anything.
"My Father made it all," he said, mentally, with a glow of enthusiasm;"and although, like a little child gazing at an intricate machine, I seenot the order or arrangement, certain am I that both _must_ be there."
Between the tree-stems they saw ant-hills fully five or six feet high.From the trees hung thousands of orchids of various colours, and soattractive was the aspect of things overhead, that Lawrence was morethan once tripped up by the long tangled grasses through which, in someparts, they had to push their way. Of course, there were plenty ofparrots and monkeys and other creatures to make the forest lively.Indeed, in some parts there seemed a prospect of its becoming still morelively, for their little guide pointed out in soft places the footprintsof tapirs and jaguars, which seemed to be quite fresh. Lizardsinnumerable
crossed their path at every point; snakes were seen glidingout of their way--a fortunate tendency on the part of most snakes!--andthe woods resounded with the singing of the yapu, a bird something likea blackbird, with yellow tips to its wings, and somewhat like themocking-bird in that it imitated every other bird in the forest.Whether there is jealousy between the yapu and the parrot we have notbeen able to ascertain, but if birds are like men in their sentiments,we fear it is more than probable. Unlike man, however, the yapu prefersto sing upside-down, swinging the while from the branch of a tree, andruffling its plumage.
"Hallo! massa. Look dar!" said Quashy, pointing with intense surpriseat a neighbouring tree-stem. "Did you ebber see a crab climbin' up atree?"
"I certainly never did," replied Lawrence, as he looked in the directionindicated, where he saw, not a crab indeed, but a monstrous hairy spideras large as a goodly-sized crab. Stepping forward to examine thecreature, he was surprised to have his hat twitched off his head, andfound that it was the web of the said spider which had done it!Afterwards he learned that the spider in question subsists by catchinglittle birds, and that its bite is not so venomous as that of a smallerkind which abounds in the woods there. Not being desirous of testingthe creature's power in that way at the time, he contented himself withinspecting it, and listening to a learned dissertation on spiders ingeneral from Quashy, as he afterwards walked on.
Good fortune seemed to smile on them that day, for they had not advanceda hundred yards further when two large jaguars crossed their path. Itis probable that they did not see the hunters, for they did not look up,but, gliding cat-like into the jungle, quickly disappeared.
Perhaps it was fortunate that Lawrence and his man recovered theirpresence of mind when too late, for if they had fired hastily and onlywounded the creatures, it might have brought to an abrupt end theirterrestrial career. As it was. Quashy recovered with a gasp, drew histwo double-barrelled pistols, which in his eagerness he neglected tocock, and, with one in each hand, rushed yelling after the jaguars.Lawrence cocked his gun and followed at a smart, though more sedate,pace. Leetle Cub, who probably thought them both fools, ran after themwith a broad grin on his dingy countenance.
We need scarcely say that the pursuit was useless. Quashy returned in afew minutes with labouring breath, and streaming at every pore.Lawrence, scarcely less blown, sat down on a fallen tree and laughedwhen his lungs permitted. Of course he was joined by the sympatheticblack, echoed by the small boy, and imitated--not badly--by a number ofparrots which wisely availed themselves of the rare opportunity to learna lesson from man!
As they advanced the path became more encumbered and difficult totraverse, so they determined to return. Their little guide, however,seemed to object very strongly, and made wonderful gesticulations in hisefforts to induce them to go on. Lawrence, however, remained firm.Seeing at last that his followers had determined to rebel, the Cub gaveup trying to influence them, scooped a quantity of wild honey out of ahole in a tree, and, sitting down in a half-sulky mood, sought toconsole himself by eating the same.
"Come, we'll follow you in that, at all events," said Lawrence, seatinghimself beside the child and regaling himself with the sweet food.Quashy followed his example with right good-will.
When their modest meal was over they returned to the river. The littleboy, on nearing it, ran anxiously forward in advance, and soon theyperceived by his frantic gesticulations and shouts that something ofinterest awaited them there.
"He's cotched!" cried Quashy, and darted off as if shot from a catapult.
Lawrence followed, using his long legs to such advantage that he was notfar behind his man; for although gifted with greater powers ofself-restraint than Quashy, our hero was not a whit behind him in strongenthusiasm.
They found that an alligator--not, indeed, of the largest size, butnevertheless about six or seven feet long--had swallowed the monkey, andwas tugging at the rope like a mad thing--turning round and round in itsrage, and smacking the water with its resounding tail.
Instantly they all laid hold of the rope, and began to drag it towardsthe bank.
"How shall we manage to kill it?" said Lawrence, as the monster cameclose in.
"Stick 'im! shot 'im! hang 'im. Nebber mind dat. Git 'im fust,--kill'im arter," gasped the negro, as he strained at the rope, ably secondedby his comrades.
It was a hard tussle, and might have been unsuccessful if Lawrence andQuashy had not possessed more than average physical strength. As itwas, they pulled the monstrous animal just near enough to get his headclear of the water, and then, putting several balls into him, killed himoutright.
"Plenty ragoo now, massa!" exclaimed the negro, with a broad grin, afterthey had stowed the carcass in the canoe.
"Yes, Quash, more than enough."
Leetle Cub seemed to have his mind running in the same direction, for heeyed the alligator with longing looks, and licked his lips expressivelyas they re-entered the canoe, shoved off, and directed the bow homeward.