CHAPTER VIII.
JAGUAR CLAWS.
Jack Greenland made no reply to the remark of Ronie. In fact, theredid not seem anything for him to say by way of answer. They saw thatthe country which lay back of them appeared barren and desolate. A fewsickly shrubs pushed their crabbed heads above the sand dunes, but asfar as they could see in the night the country was nearly level, andnothing more inviting than a sandy plain. The only cheerful sight thatgreeted their gaze was the crimson streak marking the eastern horizon,and which announced the breaking of a new day.
"I would give a good deal to know where Harrie is at this moment," saidRonie.
"We can only hope that he is able to look after himself," replied Jack."And we can only make the most of our situation. As for me, I feelbetter on this sand bar than I have felt on board such ships as we haveknown since leaving Colon."
"If this is a sample of Venezuela," said Ronie, "I am heartily sick ofit already."
"It is not. From what Captain Hawkins said, I judge we are on or nearthe shore, where the narrow tongue of water connects Lake Maracaibowith the sea. If this is the case we are twenty miles from the city.The lake is about one hundred and twenty miles long and ninety mileswide."
"But there must be some town nearer than the city you mention," saidRonie.
"Quite likely. As we can do no good by remaining here we might as welldo a little prospecting. It may be well for us to move cautiously, asit is uncertain how we shall be treated. It is unfortunate that ourletters of credit and other papers were lost with our chest."
"And all of our instruments and charts. Truly, Jack, it would seem asif we had been prompted to undertake this trip under the influence ofan unlucky star."
Jack made no reply to this, but led the way from the shore, closelyfollowed by Ronie. It was getting light enough for them to move withease, as well as to get a good idea of their surroundings, which werenot very inviting so far. But in the distance could be seen the dimoutlines of the mountains and the borders of one of those luxuriantforests for which South America is noted.
Something like half a mile was passed in silence, when Jack paused,saying:
"If I am not mistaken, there is a small settlement off to our right.Perhaps we had better get a little nearer, though I hardly believe itwill be good policy for us to be seen until we get a betterunderstanding of our situation. We certainly cannot boast of beingable to present a very attractive appearance," he added, ruefully,while he looked over his companion and himself.
In their bedraggled garments, not yet fully dry, it was small wonder ifthey did present a decidedly disheveled appearance.
"Do you think we are liable to an attack from the inhabitants in casewe should be seen?"
"I do not know what to think. If this rebellion is general then we arein constant danger. I know of no better way than for us to push aheadand find out."
Suiting action to his words, Jack resumed the advance, with Ronie stillbeside him. It was now rapidly growing lighter, which was a source ofsatisfaction to them, as the cover of the growth they were enteringpromised to prove as effective a shield as the darkness had been whenupon the sand plain.
Contrary to the expectations of Jack, they had not found the settlementlooked for. In fact, as far as they could see, there were no signs ofhabitation anywhere in that vicinity. Thus, as they advanced, afeeling of loneliness came upon them that they could not throw off.
"I would give a good sum, if I had it, just to hear some one speak,"declared Jack, thrusting his hands into his pockets, to pull them outthe next moment with a prolonged whistle, which caused Ronie to startwith fear at the unexpected sound.
"What is it, Jack?"
"By the horn of rock--Gibraltar, if you please! talk of being pennilesswhen one pulls out of his pockets a whole handful of Spanish coin."
"It must be what you took in exchange at Colon," said Ronie, appearingrelieved to find that nothing worse than a happy discovery had for amoment seemed to upset his companion. "I may have a little, too,"beginning to search his pockets. "If I have not got money, then I havesomething here that may prove of use to us," producing a small pocketcompass.
"Right, lad," said Jack. "Zounds! here's something that pleases mequite as much as the Spanish silver pieces. Here is the old knife Ihave carried with me on so many jaunts that it seems a part of myself.It had slipped down between the lining and the outside cloth of myjacket. In this jungle one feels better to have something with whichto defend himself, even if it is nothing more than a good, stout knife,with a blade that has been tried and tested in some tough scrimmages.I think more of the old knife than ever."
The revival of Jack's usual good spirits served to encourage Ronie tosomewhat forget their perils and uncertainty.
"Let's see," said Jack, dropping the coin back into his pocket, butholding the knife firmly in his hand, "if I'm not mistaken, by goingdue west we shall eventually reach the shore of Lake Maracaibo. Weshall not have much difficulty then in reaching the city, from which wecan go by rail to Caracas; if not all of the way, nearly so."
"In that case the compass will come in handy," said Ronie, and havingselected their course, they now pushed forward with better courage thanat any period since they had come to land.
It must have been half an hour later, and the sun was now sending itsbright bars of light down through the umbrageous branches of the foresttrees, one kind of which was laden with a profusion of bright andbeautiful flowers, making the largest and most magnificent bouquets offloral offerings Ronie had ever seen, even in the Philippines, wherethe vegetation abounds on the grandest scale, when they were attractedby the sound of a human voice.
"There we get what a few minutes ago I was willing to give a big silverpiece to hear," declared Jack. "By my faith, the fellow has lustylungs. He must be getting excited, too."
"His tone shows he is in great fear," said Ronie. "Whoever he be, heis in some great danger or critical situation."
"Perhaps we had better push ahead, so as to lend him a helping hand incase he needs one."
Quickening their pace they tore through the tropical vegetation, theundergrowth of which stood high over their shoulders, in the directionof the appeals for help. These grew rapidly louder and more fraughtwith terror.
"He is close at hand," panted Jack, and the next moment they came upona startling sight, which, for a brief while, held them spellbound. Theunderbrush had here been beaten down, and bruised into fragments by thefurious trampling back and forth of a huge specimen of that king of theSouth American forest, the jaguar. The cause of the anger of thisterrible brute, equal in size and ferocity to the tiger of the junglesof Asia, was the sight of a human being--a man--suspended in midair,almost over the head of the maddened creature. It was this person whohad given forth his frantic cries for help, and who, unconscious of thearrival of strangers upon the scene, was continuing to utter hispiteous appeals. His situation was as singular as it was startling.Somehow his feet had become caught in the topmost branches of a tall,slender sapling, which, bowed by his weight, held him head downward inthe air, swaying to and fro like the pendulum of a clock. Fortunately,the tree was too small for the jaguar to climb so as to reach him inthat way, while he hung just above the clutch of the brute as it sprangupward time and again in its furious attempt to seize its prey.
At that moment the infuriated creature was crouching to the earthpreparatory to making another vault into the air in order to pounceupon its victim. Then the scent of newcomers reached its nostrils, andits small, piercing eyes quickly became fixed upon its prey withinreach. The long tail lashed the air with renewed fury, the lissom formhugged closer to the ground, as it made swift preparation to springupon the couple who had dared to enter its domain at this critical time.
To Jack and Ronie it was a moment not to be forgotten. The firstclutched his knife savagely, but what could he hope to do against sucha foe with so simple a weapon? In the brief interval between thediscovery of the brute and
its attack upon them, Ronie's gaze fell upona thrice-welcome sight. This was nothing less than a short,serviceable-looking firearm, lying scarcely a yard distant from hisfeet. It was doubtless the property of the man hanging from thependant tree, and who had somehow dropped it at the outset of hismeeting with the jaguar.
He had no time to think of this, or even to question whether the gunwas loaded or empty before the dark form of the jaguar shot into theair, and the maddened creature came like a cannon ball toward the twain.
"Jump for your life!" cried Jack, and so closely followed the animalupon his words that, as the couple separated, Ronie springing to theright and he to the left, an outstretched paw of the creature brushed ashoulder of each as it sped past them!
The jaguar had not struck the ground a few feet away, flinging up acloud of dirt where he landed in a heap, before Ronie had seized thefirearm. It was the work of but another instant for him to cock thegun and bring its stock to his shoulder.
As quickly as this was done, the jaguar had as quickly recovered fromthe effect of its disastrous jump, had wheeled about, and now crouchedfor a second leap, his maddening rage increased twofold by his recentfailure. The muzzle of Ronie's firearm now caught its attention, andour hero was now its object.
So hurriedly had this all taken place that Ronie was still in ignoranceas to the condition of his weapon, and knowing that his life hung uponthe result, he took hasty aim and pulled the trigger.
A quick, sharp report sent a thrill of joy through his frame, while itwas so swiftly followed by a cry of rage that the latter seemed an echoof the first, and then the jaguar again sprang upward and forward,fully ten feet into the air before it descended at Ronie's feet,snarling, twisting, struggling, in an outbreak of fury frightful tobehold.
Trembling lest his shot had only served to add to the volcano offerocity burning in the brute's form, Ronie would have failed toretreat quickly enough to escape its claws had not Jack's ringing voicewarned him of his danger. The next moment his companion was beside him.
"You fixed the creature," declared Jack, "but it dies hard. Give itplenty of room, lad, we can afford to."
Then, in silence they watched the dying struggles of the brute, as itbeat earth and space with its lacerated body, now groveling in thedust, now bounding upward in blind endeavor to reach an enemy it couldnot see, each moment growing weaker, until it lay at last quite still,scarcely less terrible to look upon in death than it had been in life.
"Your shot saved us," said Jack, frankly. "It was well done, lad,exceedingly well done, and it alone has saved us from the claws of thejaguar."