Part 33 (2/2)
The green eyes hung on McKay's face again; but, as before, no answer caood, Rod,” said Knowlton, who could not see the rescued man's face, but watched McKay's ”'Fraid I knocked his last brains down his throat
Dead from the neck up”
”I don't know about that He doesn't look vacant See here, Rand We're going to land and eat! You hungry? Uh-huh Thought you'd understand that He's alive, Merry Maybe not all here, but enough to get us”
”Good!”
The blond ested, ”How about landing at that little open space down there at the left, Lourenco?”
”Very good, senhor It looks dry”
The canoe swerved and floated down to a spot on the left shore where bright light poured down froe
”Now look here, Rand,” warned the captain ”We'll untie you But if you try to duck into the bush, now or later, you get shot Shot!
Understand?”
He tapped his pistol, and the gray eyes boring into the green ones were hard as chilled steel For the first time Rand responded--a slow, short nod
McKay cut the cord around the wild man's ankles, then stepped ashore and held out a hand Rand arose quietly, jumped to the earth unassisted, lifted his bad foot and stared at it, then liht and warm, and sat down to bask
”Have to fix that foot, I expect,” yawned Knowlton ”Butto rest theht do Of course you wouldn't shoot him, but--”
”Wouldn't I? Not to kill, no But if heto the States!”
”Sure I'm with you all the way Now beat it and let me repose myself”
He bathed his eyes, then lay down in the canoe with a wet handkerchief across the the slender packs for food The Mayorunas were debarking and watching each new boat as it drew up, their eyes on the women who had wielded paddles with them but whose faces they no closely for the first ti, rifle in the crook of one arauntof the expedition
The wohtly pallid, their eyes too big and black, their faces somewhat drawn--the results of close confinen of abuse For commercial reasons alone, Umanuh had seen to it that the woman flesh he held for sale should remain uninjured Now, saved froirls showed no more emotion than if on a mere journey after turtles or fish A few spoke to athered in a duht coruff monosyllables
When all were ashore, a dozen of the ht firewood, inspected weapons, talked with one another and with the girls, who stared at McKay and asked who he was A number of the warriors looked sourly at Rand, whose face still bore the Red Bone tribal streaks which now, to Mayoruna nia of the eneht, all saw that he was not a Red Bone, but a white ht of the sinister red cross on the forehead and the straight cheek lines was rabidly hostile McKay, all-seeing, decided to wash Rand's face for hin that he either knew or cared what the feeling of the Mayorunas ht be Utterly impassive, he stared back at them
Then one of the wo to Tucu The tall watchdog's jaw set a little harder as he waited the effect
Somewhat to his surprise, Tucu and a couple of the other ave Rand a more friendly look Soon afterward Tucu passed Lourenco, who talked with hi the Brazilian's eye, the captain motioned him nearer and asked for any news
”Tucu says, Capitao, that irls are froh some of Monitaya's women also are here
And one of them says this o and was nearly killed by the Red Bones for it They let him live only because he is crazy, and they fear to kill a crazy et them clear?”