Part 6 (1/2)

The Chief was bewildered, no less than those around him. No effort was made to prevent Tarra from escaping. The other Korinos did not even go forward to the relief of their slain comrade. He lay there motionless.

”I am sorry,” said John. ”I must have made a miscalculation, but I am afraid he is dead.”

Then one of the Korinos moved toward the fallen man. ”Stop!” cried John.

”It will be death for any one to touch him now!”

Uraso hurriedly informed the Chief of this new piece of information, which, in reality, caused more terror than the shot itself. What species of sorcery was this that they dared not even touch the victim who disobeyed the white Korino?

CHAPTER IV

RESCUING A WHITE CAPTIVE

”Did you deliver the message at the landing place?” asked George, after Tarra was freed.

”No; they captured me late last night. I tried for hours to get through, but they were within a mile of the landing,” answered Tarra.

”But where have you been all this time?”

”They took me north to another village.”

But more interesting things were now happening. The witch doctor who was about to go to his fallen companion, hesitated. He turned to the Chief.

The latter merely stretched out his hand, and with an impatient gesture appeared to order him on.

”I warn you!” said Uraso. ”It will be death to touch him.”

If there is one thing, more than another, that is liable to add terror to a low order of human beings, it is noise. It may be said that the most intelligent are not entirely devoid of the feeling of fear at inexplainable noises.

As an example, take the sensations produced by thunder and lightning, one which affects the ear, and the other the eye. During a thunderstorm, the feeling of fear becomes acute only when the roar is heard.

In this case we know what it is that produces the reverberations; but even under those circ.u.mstances many people are seriously affected by it.

A terrific explosion, of which we do not know the cause, is often the source of great terror.

This is particularly true with all savage people. The drums referred to, evidence this particular feeling of awe, and the louder and more violent, the more intense is it to the untutored mind. It is with this idea in their minds that they exercise the bad spirits by driving them away by making great noises, a practice true of most savage tribes.

When John returned to Wonder Island from the United States he had taken with him several of the well-known Silencers, which, when attached to the muzzle of a gun, will so deaden the sound that no explosion is heard.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Fig. 4. Silencer. Convolute Blades._]

For general use, John knew that the unm.u.f.fled gun would be far more effective than those equipped with the new invention. Smokeless powder was also used in the guns which John and his company carried. The absence of smoke thus centers the mind of the native on the sound alone, and he sees the effect on the victim.

To the savage the sound and the effect of the shot produce the sensation that there is something more than human in the discharge. It is hard for them to form an idea of the connection between the report and the mission of the bullet. It is some monster which speaks in a loud voice.

But it was more than that to the islanders when they saw the witch doctor fall. There was a white Korino who spoke with a voice of thunder.

They were not aware that he held something in his hand like a weapon, and the noise and the result of that noise stunned them.

John also carried a revolver with one of the silencers. When the Korino turned to the Chief, and the latter, determined not to be swayed by the power of the white man, there was but one thing for him to do. He must obey. He knew that if he shrunk from the task it would be a confession that his power was gone.

The man approached the prostrate form. ”Stop!” again cried Uraso. ”The white Korino will not again speak, but if he touches the body you will die!”