ALONG THE FOREST PATH.
If any further proof were needed of the delicacy and danger of the
situation of the white men, it came the next minute, when, as they were
in the act of stepping back into the trail, the sailor caught the arm
of his friend and checked him.
No need of speaking, for Ashman had detected the peril at the same
instant.
Two natives were stealing like phantoms along the path, from the
direction of the river and going toward the village.
Had they been ten seconds later, the foremost would have collided with
the young explorer.
The latter held his breath, and placed his hand on his revolver,
believing a fight was inevitable.
So it would have been, had not the attention of the savages been
absorbed by the scene in the square, of which they caught sight a pace
or two before coming opposite the watchers.
They strode directly onward, and swung across the open space, swerving
enough to one side to avoid the struggling lines, and moving on until
they reached the fringe of spectators beyond. There they could no
longer be identified, and probably took their places among those who
were enjoying the cruel spectacle.
Ashman waited a brief while beside the path, fearful that other natives
might be coming; but, when the minutes passed without their appearance,
he resumed picking his way back, and quickly stood erect in the narrow
opening, which he felt had been followed too far from the Xingu.
There was no reason to suspect that any of the natives knew of the
presence of the mysterious strangers so near them, but since they
seemed to have a remarkable disposition to be on the move, our friends
felt it would not be safe to relax their caution for a single instant.
While they did not apprehend a direct pursuit, there was a probability
that some parties might be moving along the trail behind them, while
they had seen enough to convince them of the danger from the front.
Ashman, therefore, whispered to his companion to keep special guard
against an approach from the rear, while he would be equally alert in
guarding the front.
The two kept so near that they could have reached each other by simply
extending the hand.
They had no more than fairly started on their withdrawal from the spot,
when Johnston touched the arm of his friend, who instantly halted to
learn the cause.
"I believe some of 'em are following us," said Johnston.
Fred listened, but his straining ear could detect nothing to warrant
such an alarming conclusion, and he so stated.
The sailor became convinced that possibly he was mistaken. There is no
law governing noises at night, and it might be that he had misjudged
the rustling of a branch or possibly the stealthy footsteps of some
wild animal.
Not entirely convinced, however, that his companion was mistaken, Fred
once more resumed the advance, trying to perform the difficult task of
giving as much attention to the rear as the front.
If the savages suspected the presence of others, they would be likely
to tread so lightly that their footfalls could not be heard; but
inasmuch as neither of the whites could believe they had even the most
shadowy knowledge of them, they relied more on hearing than sight.
Suddenly Fred started and almost uttered an exclamation. In his
nervous, apprehensive state, he was sure that one of their dusky foes
had leaped from the side of the path and was crouching in front.
He drew his pistol and waited for the assault, which he was confident
would come the next moment; but the seconds passed and all remained
profoundly still.
With his weapon ready for instant use, he advanced a pace or two,
touching the sailor as a command for him to remain motionless; but the
chivalrous fellow would not obey, and was close behind him, when he
stooped down and placed his hand on a piece of decayed limb that had
fallen into the path.
"What a mistake," muttered Fred, with a sigh, as he shoved it aside
with his foot, explaining its nature to the wondering Johnston.
But it was only simple prudence to maintain unceasing vigilance, and he
did not permit the error to lessen his watchfulness. It was rather the
reverse.
But the explorers were threading their way through a labyrinth of
peril, the like of which they had never encountered before.
Fred had not gone a hundred yards further, when his companion once more
caught his arm, and he turned about as before to learn the cause.
"What have you heard?" he asked, with his mouth almost against the ear
of the other.
"There are some of 'em behind us, certain sure!"
"How do you know there are more than one?"
"By the sound--there!"
The amazement of the two may be understood, when they not only detected
the sound of footfalls, but discovered that instead of being at the
rear as both thought, they were in front!
A party of natives were approaching from the Xingu, and the keener
hearing of Johnston first discovered them.
The whites had stopped near a spot where a few rays of moonlight fell
upon the trail, giving them a faint but needed view of the direction
from which the danger threatened.
Neither spoke again, but with the utmost care and noiselessness, they
stepped aside from the path and crouched among the undergrowth.
They had barely time to ensconce themselves in their new position, when
the footfalls sounded more distinctly than before, and something in the
nature of an exclamation was heard from one of the approaching savages.
It sounded more like the grunt of a pig than anything the listeners
could call to mind, and Ashman feared it was notice of one warrior to
his companions that he had discovered something amiss.
But if such were the fact, the natives would have stopped, while the
cat-like steps were more audible than before, though the wonder to the
watchers was that the parties continued invisible.
The eyes of both remained fixed on the faintly illuminated space, where
they expected to catch sight of them, but the straining gaze failed to
detect the most shadowy form.
Ashman was just beginning to suspect some strange mistake had been
made, when he suddenly saw the form of a tall savage with bushy head
and a javelin in his hand, glide like a shadow into the darkness in
front. A moment after, a second followed, then a third, fourth and
fifth, the last carrying a long-bow, and all plainly seen by the whites
at the side of the trail.
A few minutes later, Fred once more took the advance, reflecting that
they were as likely to meet more of the natives as to have them
overtake them.
The mystery was where they had come from in the first place. They
could not have entered the trail at the camp where Ashman and Johnston
had started on their little exploring enterprise. It looked as though
they were hiding among the trees at the time the canoe approached the
land, and may have followed the explorers soon after they started along
the path with the purpose of cutting off their retreat. If such should
prove to be the case, Fred felt that not only he and his companion were
in danger, but all the rest were liable to be attacked by these
natives, who, as has been stated, were the most athletic that had been
encountered since leaving the Amazon.
"Fred," whispered the sailor a little later, "they've turned back and
are following us again."
"Are you sure of it?"
"There's no mistake about it."
Fred was debating whether they should not turn again from the path, but
he reflected that the natives having discovered the trick played on
them, would be likely to defeat such a piece of strategy.
Before he could decide upon the best course, Johnston whispered:
"Run! it's the only chance we've got!"