JAGUAR CLAWS.
Jack Greenland made no reply to the remark of Ronie. In fact, there
did not seem anything for him to say by way of answer. They saw that
the country which lay back of them appeared barren and desolate. A few
sickly shrubs pushed their crabbed heads above the sand dunes, but as
far as they could see in the night the country was nearly level, and
nothing more inviting than a sandy plain. The only cheerful sight that
greeted 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," said
Ronie.
"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 feel
better on this sand bar than I have felt on board such ships as we have
known since leaving Colon."
"If this is a sample of Venezuela," said Ronie, "I am heartily sick of
it already."
"It is not. From what Captain Hawkins said, I judge we are on or near
the shore, where the narrow tongue of water connects Lake Maracaibo
with 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 miles
wide."
"But there must be some town nearer than the city you mention," said
Ronie.
"Quite likely. As we can do no good by remaining here we might as well
do a little prospecting. It may be well for us to move cautiously, as
it is uncertain how we shall be treated. It is unfortunate that our
letters of credit and other papers were lost with our chest."
"And all of our instruments and charts. Truly, Jack, it would seem as
if we had been prompted to undertake this trip under the influence of
an unlucky star."
Jack made no reply to this, but led the way from the shore, closely
followed by Ronie. It was getting light enough for them to move with
ease, as well as to get a good idea of their surroundings, which were
not very inviting so far. But in the distance could be seen the dim
outlines of the mountains and the borders of one of those luxuriant
forests 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 it
will be good policy for us to be seen until we get a better
understanding of our situation. We certainly cannot boast of being
able 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 if
they did present a decidedly disheveled appearance.
"Do you think we are liable to an attack from the inhabitants in case
we should be seen?"
"I do not know what to think. If this rebellion is general then we are
in constant danger. I know of no better way than for us to push ahead
and find out."
Suiting action to his words, Jack resumed the advance, with Ronie still
beside him. It was now rapidly growing lighter, which was a source of
satisfaction to them, as the cover of the growth they were entering
promised to prove as effective a shield as the darkness had been when
upon the sand plain.
Contrary to the expectations of Jack, they had not found the settlement
looked for. In fact, as far as they could see, there were no signs of
habitation anywhere in that vicinity. Thus, as they advanced, a
feeling 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 out
the next moment with a prolonged whistle, which caused Ronie to start
with fear at the unexpected sound.
"What is it, Jack?"
"By the horn of rock--Gibraltar, if you please! talk of being penniless
when one pulls out of his pockets a whole handful of Spanish coin."
"It must be what you took in exchange at Colon," said Ronie, appearing
relieved to find that nothing worse than a happy discovery had for a
moment seemed to upset his companion. "I may have a little, too,"
beginning to search his pockets. "If I have not got money, then I have
something here that may prove of use to us," producing a small pocket
compass.
"Right, lad," said Jack. "Zounds! here's something that pleases me
quite as much as the Spanish silver pieces. Here is the old knife I
have 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 my
jacket. In this jungle one feels better to have something with which
to 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 to
somewhat forget their perils and uncertainty.
"Let's see," said Jack, dropping the coin back into his pocket, but
holding the knife firmly in his hand, "if I'm not mistaken, by going
due west we shall eventually reach the shore of Lake Maracaibo. We
shall not have much difficulty then in reaching the city, from which we
can 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 having
selected their course, they now pushed forward with better courage than
at any period since they had come to land.
It must have been half an hour later, and the sun was now sending its
bright bars of light down through the umbrageous branches of the forest
trees, one kind of which was laden with a profusion of bright and
beautiful flowers, making the largest and most magnificent bouquets of
floral offerings Ronie had ever seen, even in the Philippines, where
the vegetation abounds on the grandest scale, when they were attracted
by the sound of a human voice.
"There we get what a few minutes ago I was willing to give a big silver
piece to hear," declared Jack. "By my faith, the fellow has lusty
lungs. He must be getting excited, too."
"His tone shows he is in great fear," said Ronie. "Whoever he be, he
is in some great danger or critical situation."
"Perhaps we had better push ahead, so as to lend him a helping hand in
case he needs one."
Quickening their pace they tore through the tropical vegetation, the
undergrowth of which stood high over their shoulders, in the direction
of the appeals for help. These grew rapidly louder and more fraught
with terror.
"He is close at hand," panted Jack, and the next moment they came upon
a startling sight, which, for a brief while, held them spellbound. The
underbrush had here been beaten down, and bruised into fragments by the
furious trampling back and forth of a huge specimen of that king of the
South American forest, the jaguar. The cause of the anger of this
terrible brute, equal in size and ferocity to the tiger of the jungles
of 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 who
had given forth his frantic cries for help, and who, unconscious of the
arrival of strangers upon the scene, was continuing to utter his
piteous 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 in
the 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 in
that way, while he hung just above the clutch of the brute as it sprang
upward time and again in its furious attempt to seize its prey.
At that moment the infuriated creature was crouching to the earth
preparatory to making another vault into the air in order to pounce
upon its victim. Then the scent of newcomers reached its nostrils, and
its small, piercing eyes quickly became fixed upon its prey within
reach. The long tail lashed the air with renewed fury, the lissom form
hugged closer to the ground, as it made swift preparation to spring
upon 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 first
clutched his knife savagely, but what could he hope to do against such
a foe with so simple a weapon? In the brief interval between the
discovery of the brute and its attack upon them, Ronie's gaze fell upon
a thrice-welcome sight. This was nothing less than a short,
serviceable-looking firearm, lying scarcely a yard distant from his
feet. It was doubtless the property of the man hanging from the
pendant tree, and who had somehow dropped it at the outset of his
meeting with the jaguar.
He had no time to think of this, or even to question whether the gun
was loaded or empty before the dark form of the jaguar shot into the
air, and the maddened creature came like a cannon ball toward the twain.
"Jump for your life!" cried Jack, and so closely followed the animal
upon his words that, as the couple separated, Ronie springing to the
right and he to the left, an outstretched paw of the creature brushed a
shoulder of each as it sped past them!
The jaguar had not struck the ground a few feet away, flinging up a
cloud of dirt where he landed in a heap, before Ronie had seized the
firearm. It was the work of but another instant for him to cock the
gun and bring its stock to his shoulder.
As quickly as this was done, the jaguar had as quickly recovered from
the effect of its disastrous jump, had wheeled about, and now crouched
for a second leap, his maddening rage increased twofold by his recent
failure. The muzzle of Ronie's firearm now caught its attention, and
our hero was now its object.
So hurriedly had this all taken place that Ronie was still in ignorance
as to the condition of his weapon, and knowing that his life hung upon
the result, he took hasty aim and pulled the trigger.
A quick, sharp report sent a thrill of joy through his frame, while it
was so swiftly followed by a cry of rage that the latter seemed an echo
of 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 to
behold.
Trembling lest his shot had only served to add to the volcano of
ferocity burning in the brute's form, Ronie would have failed to
retreat quickly enough to escape its claws had not Jack's ringing voice
warned him of his danger. The next moment his companion was beside him.
"You fixed the creature," declared Jack, "but it dies hard. Give it
plenty of room, lad, we can afford to."
Then, in silence they watched the dying struggles of the brute, as it
beat earth and space with its lacerated body, now groveling in the
dust, now bounding upward in blind endeavor to reach an enemy it could
not 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 the
jaguar."