AS swiftly as they dared, the two boys ran back in the cave, which
proved to be about fifty yards deep; and when they reached the other
end they discovered, to their dismay, that it was not as gloomy as they
had at first supposed on looking into it after gazing out into the
bright sunlight.
Besides the light which came in at the entrance, more was admitted
through an opening in the roof, so that, when they stood at the back
and looked fearfully around them, they could see everything quite
distinctly. The cave was far more like a hall cut in the rock than
like a natural cave. It was fully fifty yards in height, but was
comparatively narrow, and the walls were covered with figures carved in
the stone, and images, like idols, were set in niches.
Part of this the boys saw at the time, and part afterwards. At that
moment they only noted such things as seemed to have some bearing on
their situation, and were too anxious to look about them with any idle
curiosity.
“It must be a temple,” said Diego, “and the savages have come to
worship. If we could only hide somewhere.”
But look as they would they could see no place where they could conceal
themselves, and there was nothing for them to do but to stand quite
still, flattened against the wall, as much in the shadow as possible.
It was so hopeless, however, that both drew their sheath knives, and
waited with such terror as neither had ever known before.
There was more delay than they had anticipated in the entrance of
the men, but it was explained when, in a few minutes, they entered
the cavern holding lighted torches. The tattooed men came first, and
immediately upon entering set up such a howling as made the echoes of
the place beat against each other until the din was little less than
deafening.
After the tattooed men came the young girls with the baskets,
delivering the latter to the howling men, and then going in procession
towards the end where the terrified boys stood. It was inevitable that
discovery of them should ensue, and it did.
The girls came on whispering to each other, and unconscious of the boys
until they were almost upon them, when they stared full into the white
faces that were so unlike anything they had ever seen before. The
frightened girls stopped, pressed back, and then turned and fled with
loud screams.
“The men will come now,” said Juan, huskily.
“They shall never take me alive,” said Diego.
It was not for some time that the tattooed men could be made to
comprehend that something had frightened the girls that was worthy
of their attention; but after hearing such explanations as the girls
could make, they caught up some of the torches and advanced in a body,
holding the torches over their heads and peering before them.
Their astonishment, their fright perhaps, was hardly less than that
of the girls, for they could see not merely the strange, white faces,
but the singular clothing and the glittering knife-blades. They spoke
to each other in quick, jerky sentences, and advanced with the utmost
caution until they were within ten yards of the boys.
They stared in silence, as they stood there, and the boys stared back.
Then one of the men, seeming to pluck up courage to speak, addressed a
question to the boys.
“What does he say?” whispered Juan.
“I don’t understand all the words,” answered Diego, “but I think he
wants to know who we are. From the way he asks he seems to think we are
gods.”
[Illustration: “CAUGHT UP SOME OF THE TORCHES AND ADVANCED IN A
BODY.”]
“Perhaps,” said Juan, “if we can make them think so they
won’t--won’t--” he was going to say “eat us,” but changed it to “hurt
us.”
Diego had thought of the same thing. The other Indians had readily
believed, without any suggestion from the voyagers, that they were from
the skies. Why should not these? He spoke to them in the tongue he knew.
“We are from the skies. We will not do you any harm if you do not
molest us.”
The men listened attentively, and the boys could see the cave beyond
them crowded full to the very entrance. When Diego had ceased to speak,
the men consulted among themselves in a puzzled way, as if trying to
make out the full sense of what they had heard.
Then they drew nearer and approached until they were within
arm’s-length of the boys, who watched them uneasily, but without
knowing how to act; for the actions of the men were not merely pacific,
but even conciliatory. Diego drew a long breath and whispered to Juan:
“I think we’d better act as if we were not afraid.”
It was more easily suggested than accomplished, but it was so plainly
the only thing to do, and the men were so mild in their manner, that
Diego gained courage to act upon a sudden inspiration. He took a hawk’s
bell from his pocket and, jingling it, gave it to the man nearest him.
The effect upon him and upon all those who heard the tinkling sound was
magical. They stared with wonder and delight, not unmixed with awe, and
crowded about the man who had taken it, and listened enraptured while
he shook it to produce the noise.
From that it was but a short step to getting closer to the boys and
touching their faces with gentle hands, feeling of their clothing, and
exclaiming with wonder. And Diego could make out that the tattooed men
were explaining to the girls that the bell was from the skies, and that
the boys had come down to do them good.
Meanwhile the news of what had happened, no doubt with extraordinary
exaggerations, had travelled back through the hall, and had found its
way to the cacique outside. He became impatient, and voices were heard
shouting something from the entrance, which had the effect of clearing
the hall.
The tattooed men thereupon made unmistakable signs, accompanied by
words which Diego could understand, inviting them to go into the open
air with them. As there was nothing to do but to accept the invitation,
the boys did it with what grace they could, and were presently in the
centre of a wondering crowd of men and women, who were staring at them
with even greater surprise than had been accorded them in the hall,
where the fairness of their skins had not been so apparent.
The cacique, as in fact he turned out to be, questioned the boys, and
Diego answered as well as he could; though neither more than half
understood the other. The chief thing to the boys, however, was that,
in spite of the hideous faces of the men, there was not evinced the
slightest disposition to do them any harm; but, on the contrary, these
supposed cannibals were as mild and friendly as any of the natives they
had yet seen.
Indeed, the cacique was the very reverse of fierce; and when the bell
was handed him for his examination, he immediately began shaking
it, and presently was dancing with great activity to its music, to
the evident admiration of his subjects. This seemed to Diego a good
opportunity to present another bell, so he took one from his pocket and
thrust it into the empty hand of the cacique as he jumped about, and
the savage was so stimulated by the gift that he whirled faster and
faster, singing all the time, until he sank exhausted on the ground.
This was very edifying to the cacique’s subjects, and equally pleasant
to the boys, for they had had enough experience with the Indians to
know that they intended no harm to them.