THE BARK-HUNTERS.
In a few minutes the work began--that work which was to occupy them,
perhaps, for several years. The first blow of Guapo's axe was the signal
to begin the making of a fortune. It was followed by many others, until
one of the cinchonas lay along the sward. Then Guapo attacked another,
as near the root as was convenient for chopping.
Don Pablo's part of the work now began. Armed with a sharp knife, he
made circular incisions round the trunk, at the distance of several
feet from each other, and a single longitudinal one intersecting all the
others. The branches were also served in a similar way, and then the
tree was left as it lay. In three or four days they would return to
strip off the bark both from trunk and branches, and this would be
spread out under the sun to dry. When light and dry it would be carried
to the storehouse. So the work went merrily on. The trees were taken as
they stood--the very young ones alone being left, as the bark of these
is useless for commerce.
The Doña Isidora sat upon a fallen trunk, and, conversing with her
husband, watched the proceedings with interest. A new and happy future
seemed at no great distance off. Little Leona stood beside Guapo,
watching the yellow chips as they flew, and listening to some very fine
stories with which Guapo was regaling her. Guapo loved little Leona. He
would have risked his life for her, would Guapo, and Leona knew it.
Leon was not particularly engaged on that day. When the bark was ready
for peeling he intended to take a hand with the rest. He could then
employ himself in spreading it, or could lead the mule in carrying it to
the storehouse. Leon did not intend to be idle, but there happened to be
no work for him just then; and after watching the bark-cutters for
awhile, he sauntered back along the path, in order to have a little fun
with the aïs. Leon had no very great confidence that he would find them
in the place where they had been left, and yet he believed in Guapo. But
it was hard to understand that two animals, each endowed with a full set
of legs and feet, should not be able to make their way for a distance of
twenty paces, and escape! After the rough handling they had had, too! He
would have a peep at them, anyhow, to see how they were coming on. So
back he went.
On getting near the glade their voices reached him. They were there,
after all! He could hear them utter their pitiful "ay-ee--ay-ee!" and,
as he thought, in a louder and more distressing tone than ever. What
could be the matter? They had been silent for some time, he was sure,
for such cries as they now uttered could have been heard easily where
the rest were. What could be the meaning of this fresh outburst? Had
some new enemy attacked them? It seemed like enough.
Leon stole forward, and peeped into the glade. No--there was nothing
near them! But what was the matter with the creatures? Instead of lying
quietly, as they had done when left behind, they were now rolling and
tumbling backward and forward, and pitching about, and dancing first on
their feet and then on their heads, and cutting all sorts of strange
capers! Could it be for their own amusement? No; their lamentable cries
precluded that supposition; besides, their odd attitudes and contortions
bespoke terror and pain!
"Carrambo!" muttered Leon. "What's the matter with them?"
They seemed inclined to escape towards the trees; but, after making a
few lengths, they would fall to the ground, tumble about, and then,
getting up again, head in the opposite direction!
Leon was puzzled,--no wonder. He looked around for a solution of this
queer conduct on the part of the aïs. No explanation appeared. At length
he bethought himself of going up to them. Perhaps, when nearer, he might
learn what set them a-dancing.
"Ha!" he ejaculated, struck with some sudden thought. "I know now;
there's a snake at them."
This conjecture--for it was only a conjecture--caused him to stop short.
It might be some venomous snake, thought he. The grass was not long, and
he could have seen a very large snake; but still a small coral snake, or
the little poisonous viper, might have been there. He fancied he saw
something moving; but to get a better view he passed slowly around the
edge of the glade, until he was nearly on the opposite side to that
where he had entered. He still kept at a good distance from the aïs, but
as yet discovered no snake.
To his great surprise, the aïs now lay stretched along the grass, their
struggles appeared each moment to grow less violent, and their
melancholy cries became weaker and weaker. Their contortions at length
came to an end. A feeble effort to raise themselves alone could be
perceived,--then a spasmodic motion of their long crooked limbs,--their
cries became indistinct; and, after a while, both lay motionless and
silent! Were they dead? Surely so, thought Leon.
He stood gazing at them for some minutes. Not a motion of their bodies
could be perceived. Surely they had no longer lived! But, then, what
could have killed them? There was no snake to be seen; no animal of any
kind except themselves! Had they been taken with some sudden
disease,--some kind of convulsions that had ended fatally? This seemed
the most probable thing, judging from the odd manner in which they had
acted. Maybe they had eaten some sort of plant that had poisoned them!
These conjectures passed rapidly through the mind of Leon. Of course, he
resolved to satisfy himself as to the cause of their death, if dead they
actually were. He began to draw nearer, making his advances with stealth
and caution--as he was still apprehensive about the snake.
After he had made a few paces in a forward direction, he began to
perceive something moving around the bodies of the animals. Snakes? No.
What then? A few paces nearer. See! the whole ground is in motion. The
bodies of the aïs, though dead, are covered with living, moving objects!
Ha! _it is a "chacu" of the white ants_.
Leon now comprehended the whole affair. The ground was literally alive
with the terrible _termites_. They had made their foray, or "chacu," as
it is called, from the neighbouring cones; they had attacked the
helpless aïs, and put them to death, with their poisonous stings!
Already they were tearing them to pieces, and bearing them off to their
dark caves! So thick were they on the bodies of the animals, that the
latter had suddenly changed their colour, and now appeared to be nothing
more than living heaps of crawling insects!
It was a hideous sight to behold, and Leon felt his flesh creep as he
looked upon it. Still he felt a curiosity to witness the result, and he
stood watching the busy crowd that had gathered about the aïs. He had
heard strange accounts of these white ants; how that, in a few minutes,
they will tear the carcasses of large animals to pieces, and carry them
away to their dens; and he was determined to prove the truth of this by
observation. He did not go any nearer, for he was not without some dread
of these ugly creatures; but, happening to find himself beside a small
tree, with low horizontal branches, he climbed up, and sat down upon one
of the branches, resting his feet upon another. He was inclined to take
the thing as easily as possible.
His perch commanded a full view of the operations of the termites, and
for a long time he sat watching them with interest. He could see that it
was not the same set that were always on the carcasses of the aïs. On
the contrary, one host were always leaving the spot, while another took
their places, and from the great conical houses fresh bands appeared to
issue. In fact, two great parallel belts of them, like army columns,
stretched from the "hills" to the aïs, going in opposite directions.
Those which travelled towards the cells presented a very different
appearance to the others. These were loaded with pieces of torn flesh,
or skin with tufts of hair adhering to it; and each ant carried a piece
by far larger than its own body. Their bodies, in fact, were quite
hidden under their disproportionate burdens. The others--those which
were coming from the conical hills--were empty-handed, and presented the
appearance of a whittish stream flowing along the surface of the ground!
It was a most singular sight; and Leon sat watching the creatures until
his head was giddy, and he felt as though the ground itself was in
motion.