A FIGHT
"We are, in South America, all right."
Thus spoke Captain Glenn as he, Jack and Williams proceeded inland
after leaving Frank and the two sailors near the shore.
"What makes you think so, Captain?" asked Jack.
"Look at the trees. You find trees like these in no other place
besides the tropics. And feel the heat."
"It gets hot other places, sir."
"Not like it does in the tropics. Once you have felt the tropical heat
you can't mistake it."
The land in which they now found themselves was thickly covered with
big trees. Their foliage was so dense that progress was difficult.
"Good place for snakes, sir," said Williams.
"Fine," agreed Captain Glenn.
"Don't talk about snakes," said Jack with a shudder. "If there is one
thing from which I will run a mile it's a snake."
"You won't run a mile from any snake you find around here," said
Williams.
"Don't you believe it," declared Jack. "I don't care how small the
snake may be, nor how harmless."
"Snakes hereabouts," said Williams, "are neither small nor harmless.
That's why I say you won't run a mile from them."
"Surely they won't attack a man," said Jack.
"Ordinarily, no. But when you come upon one unexpectedly he naturally
thinks you mean him harm and he acts promptly."
"If a snake ever bit me, that would settle me forever," said Jack.
"Most of these," said Williams, "don't bite. They wrap around a man
and crush him to death."
"Look here," said Jack, "are you trying to scare me or what? I don't
even like to talk about snakes. Let's drop the subject."
"All right," said Williams, with a smile. "I'm just warning you,
that's all."
"Thanks," said Jack dryly.
At this moment there came a sudden exclamation from Captain Glenn, who
was slightly ahead. He had just disappeared beyond a clump of trees
larger than the rest. Jack stopped stock still. Visions of a snake of
monstrous size rose before his eyes.
"Come on," said Williams.
Jack forced himself to follow the other. They darted along the path
taken by Captain Glenn and there they came upon the cause of his
exclamation. Directly ahead of them lay a broad expanse of water.
"The ocean again," said Captain Glenn. "I should say that we are on an
island."
"By Jove!" said Jack, for the moment forgetting all about snakes, "I
believe you are right. That means that we are marooned, sir."
"Not necessarily," said Captain Glenn. "We'll head north. We may
strike a settlement there."
Accordingly they turned their steps in that direction.
For perhaps two hours they walked without finding signs of human
habitation.
"Guess we've gone the wrong way," said Captain Glenn. "We should have
turned south." He glanced at his watch. "We'd better be getting back
to the others," he said, "or they will think something has happened to
us."
They turned and retraced their steps. For perhaps an hour they walked
along and then Jack, who was slightly in advance, stopped suddenly and
held up his hand in a warning gesture.
"Someone coming," he whispered.
"Maybe it's a snake," said Williams.
Again Jack shuddered a trifle, but he held his ground. His hands
rested on his revolvers.
The sound of creaking twigs reached the ears of the three who stood
silently there in the forest. At a sign from Jack, each man got behind
a tree and each drew his revolvers. Hardly had they thus screened
themselves when half a dozen men burst into view, walking along slowly
and laughing.
The men, although they carried rifles, appeared peaceable enough, so
Captain Glenn, thinking to bring their long search to an end, stepped
forward after they had passed and raised his voice in hello.
Instantly the strangers wheeled about. The man nearest Captain Glenn
raised his rifle to his shoulder and his hand pressed the trigger. At
that distance a miss would have been impossible. Captain Glenn brought
up his own gun, but before he could fire Jack's gun spoke. The man who
had covered Captain Glenn dropped to the ground with a wild cry.
Jack's promptness undoubtedly had saved his commander's life.
Saved thus from almost certain death, Captain Glenn quickly sprang
behind a tree. Jack and Williams were also sheltered and now held the
strangers at a disadvantage. Apparently believing, however, that the
hidden men would shoot them down where they stood, one who appeared to
be in command of the others raised his voice in a shout. He spoke in
English.
"To shelter, men!" he cried.
At the word each man sprang for the nearest tree. Neither Jack,
Williams nor Captain Glenn felt impelled to shoot them down in cold
blood so all reached shelter safely enough. Jack peered from behind
his tree a moment later. As he did so a bullet whizzed by his ear.
"It's a fight," the lad called to Captain Glenn.
"Apparently they don't want us to explain."
Jack sank to the ground and again peered forth. Some distance away he
saw a shoulder protruding from behind a tree, Jack raised his rifle and
fired.
The man pitched forward into the open with a cry. His cry was echoed
by the others, and Jack felt a second bullet whiz overhead.
"Pretty close," the lad muttered, "but it's only four to three now."
For a time all was silent in the forest. Then one of the enemy, more
venturesome than the others, darted across the open in an effort to get
closer to Jack and his friends.
This time it was the revolver of Williams that spoke and the man
dropped in his tracks.
For some time now the enemy showed no disposition to expose himself to
the fire of Jack and the others. The forest was as still as death.
Jack began to fidget.
"By Jove! This is getting tiresome," he said.
"Must be some way of getting rid of those fellows." He raised his
voice and called Captain Glenn. "Cover me," he said. "I'm going to
shift my position."
He did not wait for an answer. There were two sharp crashes as he
dashed from behind the tree. Jack felt a sting in his left arm and
knew that he was not badly hurt. As he jumped behind another tree, he
heard Captain Glenn's voice:
"I got him!"
Jack was now so close to the tree behind which Captain Glenn stood that
he found he was able to converse with his commander without raising his
voice.
"This thing is getting monotonous," he said.
"Exactly," agreed Captain Glenn; "besides which, it is altogether
foolish. We haven't anything against these fellows and they surely
can't have anything against us."
"You are forgetting the men we have shot, sir," said Jack.
"No, I'm not. That was their own fault. I vote we hold a parley with
the remaining two."
"Whatever you say, sir," said Jack.
Captain Glenn raised his voice. "Hello, there!" he cried. "We want to
talk to you."
"Talk ahead," said a voice so close that Captain Glenn started.
Apparently one of the enemy had shifted his position. He now was
concealed behind the tree next to the captain. Apparently he had been
biding his time until the latter should show himself. However, Captain
Glenn showed no alarm.
"Then listen," he said. "We have nothing against you fellows. You
don't even know us. Therefore why should we fight?"
"Well," said the man behind the next tree, "that's good enough
reasoning. I'm willing to call it off any time you say."
"Very good. Drop your gun and step out in the open."'
"And let you shoot me down? I guess not."
"Come, man, don't be a fool," said Captain Glenn. "We mean you no
harm."
"Then you fellows drop your guns and step into the open," was the
reply.
"Not much," said Captain Glenn.
The conference was at a deadlock.
"Look here," said Jack, taking a hand in the conversation. "I have a
plan that will possibly meet your favor."
"Let's hear it," was the rejoinder.
"We'll throw our rifles into the open and toss out our revolvers. Then
you do the same. We'll all step out then."
"Very good," said the hidden man. "Throw yours out first."
Jack hurled his rifle from him and tossed one revolver into the open.
Captain Glenn tossed away his revolvers and rifle, and Williams,
acquainted with the plan by a shout, followed suit. The unseen men did
likewise. Captain Glenn and Williams stepped out. Their adversaries
also left their hiding places. Then Jack saw that one of them covered
Captain Glenn and Williams with a revolver. Jack smiled, and taking
deliberate aim fired. The man's weapon dropped from his hand.