Part 12 (1/2)
In a short time they were hidden by the overhanging boughs and ma.s.s of creepers, which descended to the surface of the water. I expressed my fears to Sambo.
”Don't trouble yourself about the matter, Ma.s.sa Guy,” he answered.
”They will get on very well, and there are plenty of places to rest on; besides, we shall soon overtake them, and before long get safe on board the raft.”
Still I felt anxious, and asked Sambo if he would consent to accompany me, when he had rested sufficiently, should Uncle Paul not object to our starting.
”With all my heart,” he answered; ”but I hope before long that Kallolo and Maco will come back, and then we may all set off together.”
We waited and waited, however, and still neither of the Indians appeared. Uncle Paul was himself beginning to grow anxious about them, still he felt very unwilling to start until they returned. At length I asked him if he would allow me to go on with Sambo, telling him my anxiety about Marian, my father, and Arthur.
”It is very natural,” he observed. ”At the same time, I believe that they are as safe as they would be if we were all with them. However, if you still wish to go, I will not object to your doing so; and Tim and I will follow with the two Indians as soon as they return.”
Thanking him for the permission he had given me, I got my floats ready, and asked Sambo if he was prepared to start.
”Yes,” he said, ”all ready, Ma.s.sa Guy;” and raising himself from his nest among the sepos, he lowered his floats into the water, and slipped down after them. Wis.h.i.+ng my uncle and Tim goodbye, though, as I observed, it would only be for an hour or two, I followed Sambo's example.
Just then Uncle Paul cried out to me,--”Stop! stop! I hear the Indians coming, and we will all go together.”
”We will go slowly ahead, then,” I answered, ”and wait for you.”
Directly afterwards I heard Kallolo's voice crying out,--”Go on!--go on!
No time to wait! The savages are coming!” and looking back, I caught sight of him through the gloom, springing along over the fallen logs and roots by the side of the channel. The same instant, Uncle Paul and Tim slipped into the water, and placed themselves on their floats, ready to strike out.
”Where is Maco?” asked Uncle Paul.
”He coming, close behind,” answered Kallolo, who had thrown himself into the water. As he did so, Quacko, who had been forgotten, leaped off the branch and sprang on to his shoulder; while Ara, though her wings were clipped, managed to reach Tim's head.
Shouting to Maco, who was, we believed, close behind, to follow, we struck out; but we had not gone many fathoms when we saw him, having pa.s.sed the branch on which we had been seated, trying to make his way along a ma.s.s of logs and roots by the side of the channel, though greatly impeded in his progress. He would, we saw, have to take to the water without his floats, though, being a good swimmer, if the distance he had to go was not great that would be of little consequence to him.
He was just about to spring into the channel, when a dozen dark-skinned savages, armed with clubs and spears, appeared, some bursting through the brushwood, others dropping down from the boughs above, through which they had apparently made their way. Several of them seized poor Maco before he could spring into the water; and I saw one of them lift a heavy club as if about to dash out his brains. It would have been hopeless to have attempted his rescue. Urged on by Kallolo, we rushed forward up the bed of the stream, where, fortunately, the water being shallow, we were able to wade at a pretty good rate. The Indians, catching sight of us, sprang into the stream, uttering loud shrieks and yells--in order, we supposed, to intimidate us.
On we went, now wading, now swimming where the water was too deep to allow us to wade, and continuing to make good progress. Looking back, we could still see the dark forms of the savages moving about. It was a question now whether they were about to follow us, as they had approached among the boughs along the channel; and if so, whether they could make more rapid progress than we could by keeping in the stream, and swimming, or wading whenever the depth of water would allow us to do so. Although we had lost sight of them, we were not free from anxiety, as they might possibly at any time again burst out upon us. All we could do, therefore, was to continue going ahead as fast as possible.
How thankful we felt that Marian had been sent on before us; for had we been compelled to tow or push the raft, our progress must of necessity have been much slower. We, of course, kept anxiously looking out for her and our father and Arthur, expecting every moment to come upon them; but we had not calculated sufficiently the time we had remained on the branch after they had left it, and consequently the distance they had probably got ahead.
On and on we swam, or waded. The denseness of the vegetation on either side would have prevented us making our way along the bank, even had there been dry ground. We could only hope that this would effectually put a stop to the progress of our pursuers.
At last, so great and continuous had been our exertions, we all began to feel tired. I should have been more so, had not Tim and Kallolo helped me along. Thankful we felt, I repeat, that Marian and our father had not been compelled to make the violent efforts we were doing. Marian could not possibly have kept up, and we must all have been delayed on her account. We now stopped to listen; and hearing no sounds, agreed that we might venture to rest on the projecting trunk of a tree till our strength had been somewhat restored. Going on a little way further, we found one which would accommodate us all, and from which we could obtain a view both up and down the channel. We climbed on it; and for the first time I felt my limbs trembling all over,--the result of the efforts I had made. Uncle Paul observed me, and taking my hand, said, ”I am afraid, Guy, that these exertions will be too much for you.”
”Oh no, Uncle Paul; I shall soon be better,” I answered. ”I am more anxious about Marian and my father than about myself. If I knew that they were in safety, I could go through the same again without complaining.”
”As for them, I have no fear,” he observed. ”They had so long a start, that by this time they must be close to the raft, if they are not safe on it; and, depend upon it, we shall reach them soon after daylight.”
We sat for some time, when Uncle Paul suggested that we should take some refreshment before again starting; for, notwithstanding our hurry, we had kept our provision-raft and clothes attached to our floats; indeed, they were of too much value to admit of our abandoning them, unless in the last extremity. We got out some dried fish and fruit, of which we each of us partook, more from necessity than from feeling any inclination to eat.
We had just again done up the packages, and were preparing to start, when Kallolo exclaimed, ”I hear some one coming!” We listened; and in a few seconds we could distinguish the sound of a rustling of boughs, as if a person were making his way through them.
”Stay a moment,” said Kallolo. ”There are but two people; and if they were foes, they would not approach in that manner.--Who is there?” he asked, in his native tongue.
”Friends,” answered a voice.
”It is Maco!” he exclaimed, shouting a welcome to him; and in another minute Maco himself, working his way through some brushwood which had concealed him, climbed round the trunk of the tree, and joined us. He was closely followed by another native, whom he introduced to us. ”He is more than a friend,” he said; ”he is my own brother, who had been taken prisoner by our foes, the Guaranis. They had compelled him to accompany them on their expedition; but he managed to escape when they retired to hold a war-council after their attack on you. On returning to the spot, he found me unconscious from loss of blood; but after he had bathed and bound up my wounds, my senses returned, and with his a.s.sistance I set out to overtake you. Fortunately, he had discovered a much shorter cut through the forest than that made by the channel of the river, and we were thus able to come up with you, though we scarcely expected it.”