DISCOVERED
Bomba edged himself still further between the bowlders until he found a
place where he could look through without himself being seen.
At once he saw the reason of the excitement.
A dead jaguar lay stretched out on the ground. One arrow protruded from
its side. Another was imbedded in its throat.
Two natives were inspecting it and gloating over their kill. They were
vigorous and stalwart specimens, somewhat above the usual size of
jungle dwellers. Their faces were savage, but not so brutish as those
of the headhunters of Nascanora. They were unclothed, save for the
customary breech clout. On their broad breasts was painted a tribal
emblem that Bomba had never seen, and a band about the forehead of each
held a cluster of nodding plumes.
While the language in which they spoke had some words that were
unfamiliar to Bomba, he was so well versed in most of the dialects
of the jungle, which differ little, that he had no trouble in
understanding what they were saying.
“The aim of Sunka is true,” boasted one, as he bent over the dead beast
and proceeded, with the aid of his knife to get the arrow from its
throat.
“No truer than that of Boshot,” retorted the other, as he sought to
reclaim his arrow from the body. “See how it went through from side to
side!”
“The jaguar is brave, but he is not so brave as the fighting men of
Japazy,” went on Sunka, as he examined his arrow, dried it and returned
it to his quiver.
“His leap is as the lightning, but when the arrow sings he falls,”
added Boshot. “I see Olura, Tama and Abino coming,” he went on, as he
looked toward a trail at his right.
“They have heard the jaguar roar and they come to help,” declared
Sunka. “But there is no need of help when Sunka and Boshot have fitted
their arrows to the string.”
It was in this self-congratulatory mood that the victors welcomed the
three newcomers whom Bomba could now see issuing from the jungle path.
There were loud cries of satisfaction as the trio discovered the dead
body of the jaguar.
“Japazy will be glad when he sees its head!” exclaimed Olura, as he
surveyed the animal.
“Whose arrow killed it?” asked Tama.
“Mine,” declared Sunka proudly.
“Mine,” stated Boshot with equal conviction.
They glared at each other in defiance, and their hands involuntarily
gripped more tightly the spears that they carried in addition to their
bows and arrows.
“There is no need of bad blood and hot words between Sunka and Boshot,”
intervened Abino, who seemed to be much older than the others and
something of a diplomat. “All Japazy’s people know how brave they
are. What matter which arrow did the killing? Neither might have done
so without the other. Japazy will be pleased with Sunka and Boshot.
But his eyes will shoot lightning at either one, if he fight with the
other.”
“That is true,” put in Tama. “There are too few of our people now since
the plague came some moons ago. That plague carried many to the place
of the dead. The tribe needs all its fighting men to kill jaguars and
not to kill each other.”
The hands of the would-be combatants loosened from their spears and
their anger disappeared. Bomba guessed that the most potent argument
had been the mention of the lightning that would flash from Japazy’s
eyes. It was evident from the reverence with which they pronounced the
name of the chief that they held him in awe.
“The jaguar is dead, and that is good,” said Abino. “But there are
still many left. We kill many, but more come. And there are cubs in
the caves that will soon be big enough to carry off the children of the
tribe.”
“Yes,” agreed Olura, with despondency in his tone. “Two more were
carried off last week. The medicine men make prayers, but still the
jaguars come.”
“They come from the other shore,” observed Abino. “They swim the river
in the night when the caymans are asleep. There are herbs on the island
that they like, that make them laugh when they are sad, that make them
well when they are sick.”
Bomba guessed that they referred to a kind of catnip that he had
already noted growing on the island in great profusion. He wondered
that the natives had not torn these up by the roots, so as to make the
place less alluring to the unwelcome visitors. Then, realizing the rank
and rapid growth of the vegetation, he knew that nothing less than an
army could accomplish the colossal task.
“It would be well if Japazy would take his people to the other side of
the river where the jaguars are not so many and where the tribe could
dwell in peace,” remarked Boshot.
“Beware, Boshot,” warned Abino, looking fearfully about him. “Remember
you not Manasta, he of the bold and forward tongue? He said one day to
Japazy the words that just now came from Boshot’s mouth. Japazy looked
at him and his frown was terrible. And Manasta has not been seen since
that day.”
“That is true,” put in Tama, in an awed voice. “It is said that Japazy
had him tied and put in a bag and thrown into the river to the caymans.
So beware, Boshot. They are good words that Abino has spoken to Boshot.”
The doughty warrior, who had not quailed before the charge of the
jaguar, seemed to shrink into himself, and Bomba had a new glimpse into
the ruthless character with whom he was soon to deal.
“Now let us skin the jaguar and get his meat,” suggested Olura. “There
is but little food in the huts of our people, and they will be glad and
make a feast when they see us bringing them the meat of the jaguar.”
They were preparing to carry out the suggestion when there was a sharp
report. A burst of flame sprang out of the mountain’s top, and the
earth shook so violently that all of the natives measured their length
upon the ground. Bomba would have been thrown also, had it not been for
the rocks on either side. As it was, he was knocked about until he was
bruised and sore.
The natives scrambled to their knees and bowed their heads to the
ground, making cabalistic signs and uttering entreaties either to the
mountain or their gods.
The trembling of the earth persisted for several minutes and then
subsided. But it was some time before the natives had so far recovered
from their fright as to set about resuming the skinning and cutting up
of the dead jaguar.
“Tamura is angry,” murmured Abino, looking up fearfully at the mountain
peak, from which smoke and flame were still issuing. “We must make him
gifts, many gifts, so that he may smile again upon our people.”
“We will give some of this meat to the medicine man so that he may make
a burnt offering,” suggested Tama. “Else the lava floods may come and
roll over the dwelling place of the tribe.”
As though to accentuate this possibility, there came another shock more
violent than the one before.
The rocks between which Bomba was standing were pulled apart as though
by giant hands, and to the startled eyes of the Indians Bomba stood
revealed!