"You must have been anxious about me at the camp," he observed. "But
the honest truth is, I lost my way, and at this moment scarcely know
where I have got to. I had, however, few fears about myself; but have
been very sorry for poor dear Ellen, while I could not tell whether you
were safe or not. However, we must drive away these savage little
brutes."
Saying this, he knocked over another. I followed his example. Arthur
and Duppo were meantime shooting their arrows at the herd. Undaunted,
however, the animals stood collected below us. It was evident that they
were influenced rather by dull obstinacy or ignorance of their danger
than by courage. At length their obtuse senses showed them that they
were getting the worst of it. The survivors began to turn their fierce
little eyes towards their dead companions, and it seemed to strike them
that something was the matter.
"Shout!" cried out John--"shout! and perhaps we may frighten them away."
We raised our voices, Duppo joining in with his shrill pipe. The
peccaries looked at each other; and then one moved to a little distance,
then another, and at last the whole herd set off scampering away through
the forest. We sent reiterated shouts after them, fearing that they
might otherwise stop, and perhaps come back again; but they at last
discovered that discretion is the better part of valour, and the
trampling of their feet became less and less distinct, till it was lost
in the distance.
We now descended from our perches. I handed down True into Arthur's
arms. True had been very dissatisfied with his position, and, to
revenge himself, at once flew at one of the hogs which was struggling at
a little distance, and quickly put it out of its pain. We shook hands
with John; and, congratulating him on his escape, introduced Duppo to
him, and told him how we had become acquainted.
"Here," he said, "look at these creatures, and you will see that I had
good reason to be afraid of them."
On examining their long and apparently harmless snouts, we found that
they were armed with short tusks, scarcely seen beyond the lips; but
being acutely pointed and double-edged, and as sharp as lancets, they
are capable of inflicting the most terrible wounds. Peccaries are the
most formidable enemies, when met with in numbers, to be found in the
forests of the Amazon. The creatures were not more than three feet
long, and a whole one was but an easy load to carry. The bodies were
short and compact, and thickly covered with strong, dark-coloured
bristles. Round the neck was a whitish band, while the under part of
the body was nearly naked. Instead of a tail, there was merely a fleshy
protuberance.
"What a horrible odour!" exclaimed Arthur, as we were examining one of
them.
We found that it proceeded from a glandular orifice at the lower part of
the back. Duppo immediately took this out with his knife, and then
began scientifically to cut up the animal. Following his example, we
prepared others to carry with us, and thus each made up a load of about
thirty pounds.
The learned name of the animal is _Dicotyles tajacu_. It eats anything
that comes in its way,--fruits, roots, reptiles, or eggs; and it is of
great service in killing snakes. It will attack the rattlesnake without
fear, and easily kills it. The meat appeared perfectly destitute of
fat, but we hoped to find it none the worse on that account.
John, as may be supposed, was very hungry, and thankful for some of the
food we brought with us. After he had breakfasted we commenced our
return to the camp, loaded with the peccary meat. Duppo carried a
portion in addition to the scarlet-faced monkey. The little creature
sat on his shoulder, looking far from at ease in its novel position.
"Oh, we will tame you before long, and make you perfectly contented and
happy," said Arthur, going behind Duppo and addressing the monkey.
"What will you like to be called, old fellow? You must have a name, you
know. I have thought of one just suited to your red nose--Toby; Toby
Fill-pot, eh!--only we will call you Toby. I say, Harry, don't you
think that will be a capital name?"
I agreed that Toby was a very suitable name, and so we settled, with
Ellen's approval, that Toby should be the name of our scarlet-faced
friend.
John walked on in silence for some time. "I am very much ashamed of
losing my way," he said at length when I joined him. "Setting off
through the forest to meet you, I went on and on, expecting every
instant to see you. I fancied that I was close to the igarape, but
somehow or other had wandered from it. The gloom increasing, I had
still greater difficulty in finding my way. At last I determined to go
back to the camp, but instead of doing so I must have wandered further
and further from it. It then grew so dark that I was afraid of
proceeding, and so looked out for a tree where I could rest for the
night. I saw one with wide-spreading branches at no great distance from
the ground. Having cut a number of sipos, I climbed into my intended
resting-place, dragging them after me. I there fastened them to the
surrounding branches, making a tolerably secure nest for myself, I
cannot say that I was very comfortable, for I could not help thinking
that a prowling jaguar might find me out, or a boa or some other snake
might climb up, and pay me a visit. I shouted several times, hoping
that you might hear me, but the only answers I got were cries from
howling monkeys, who seemed to be mocking me. The whole night long the
creatures kept up their hideous howls. The moment one grew tired
another began. So far they were of service, that they assisted to keep
me awake. I can tell you I heartily wished for the return of day. As
soon as it dawned I descended from my roosting-place, intending to make
my way back as fast as possible. However, as the sun had not appeared,
I had nothing to guide me. I tried to find the water, but must have
gone directly away from it. I was walking on, when I saw the snout of
an animal projecting from the hollow trunk of a large tree. Taking it
for a pig of some sort, I fired, when it ran out and dropped dead, its
place being immediately supplied by another. I killed that in the same
way, when out came a third, and looked about it; and presently I
discovered several other heads poked out from the surrounding trees. I
was on the point of cutting some pork steaks out of the first I had
killed, when I caught sight of the sharp little tusks projecting from
its mouth. Suddenly the accounts I had heard of the dangerous character
of peccaries flashed across my mind, and at the same instant I saw a
number of the animals coming out of their holes. Prudence urged me to
beat a quick retreat. I was making my way through the forest, and had
already got to some distance from where I had first seen the creatures,
when a large herd, which had apparently collected from all quarters,
came scampering after me. I at once began to clamber up into a tree,
where you found me. On they came at a great rate; and, as I told you, I
narrowly escaped being caught by one of the savage little brutes. I
must have spent a couple of hours or more besieged by them before you
came up."
As we neared the camp we uttered as cheerful a shout as we could raise
to give notice of our approach, and Domingos soon appeared, followed by
Ellen and Maria. Ellen ran forward, and throwing her arms round John's
neck, burst into tears. It showed us how anxious she had been on his
account, although she had done her best, as she always did, to restrain
her own feelings and keep up our spirits.
We were all of us glad, after our exertions, to get into our hammocks
and rest. We found on waking that Domingos and Maria had exerted
themselves to prepare a plentiful repast. While eating it we discussed
our future plans.
"We must either recover our canoe or build another, that is certain,"
said John, "before we can continue our voyage. However, if we could be
sure that this is a secure and healthy place for you to remain in, I
should like to arrange with some of these Indians to make an excursion
along the shores in search of our parents. Perhaps they are all this
time encamped or at some village, on this or the opposite bank, not far
off. It would, I think, be unwise to go further down without staying to
ascertain this. What is your opinion, Harry?"
I agreed with him, but said that I would rather run the risk of the
adventure, and let him remain at the camp. "Or perhaps Arthur might
like to come with me," I added. "Two people might succeed better than
one; and we could even manage a canoe by ourselves independently of the
natives."
"Oh yes," said Arthur, "do let me go with Harry. We can take Duppo to
assist us. He seems so intelligent that we should easily make him
understand what we want."
"Then I propose that early to-morrow morning we set off to the village
to search further for our canoe, or to purchase one, as John suggests,"
I said. "I am afraid we shall not be able to get up there on our raft,
and we shall therefore have to make a journey round by land. With
Duppo, however, as a guide, we shall have less difficulty than before in
making our way to it."
It was finally settled that John, Arthur, and I should set off early the
following morning to the village, guided by Duppo, while Domingos
remained at the camp to take care of Ellen and Maria.