In Far Bolivia: A Story of a Strange Wild Land

CHAPTER XX-THE PAGAN PAYNEES WERE THIRSTING FOR BLOOD

A glance at any good map will show the readerthe bearings and flow of this romantic andbeautiful river, the Madeira. It will show him somethingelse-the suggestive names of some of the cataractsor rapids that have to be negotiated by the enterprisingsportsman or traveller in this wild land.

The Misericordia Rapids and the Calderano deInferno speak for themselves. The latter signifiesHell's Cauldron, and the former speaks to us of manya terrible accident that has occurred here-boatsupset, bodies washed away in the torrent, or menseized and dragged below by voracious alligatorsbefore the very eyes of despairing friends.

The Cauldron of Hell is a terrible place, and consistsof a whole series of rapids each more fierce than theother. To attempt to stem currents like these wouldof course be madness. There is nothing for it butportage for a whole mile and more, and it can easilybe guessed that this is slow and toilsome work indeed.Nor was the weather always propitious. Sometimesstorms raged through the woods, with thunder, lightning, and drenching rain; or even on the brightest ofdays, down might sweep a whirlwind, utterly wreckingacres and acres of forest, tearing gigantic trees up bythe roots, twisting them as if they were ropes, ortossing them high in air, and after cutting immense gapsthrough the jungle, retire, as if satisfied with thechaos and devastation worked, to the far-off mountainlands.

Once when, with their rifles in hand, Roland andDick were watching a small flock of tapirs at a pondof water, which formed the centre of a green oasis inthe dark forest, they noticed a balloon-shaped cloudin the south. It got larger and larger as it advancedtowards them, its great twisted tail seeming to trailalong the earth.

Lightning played incessantly around it, and as itgot nearer loud peals of thunder were heard.

This startled the tapirs. They held their heads aloftand snorted with terror, running a little this way andthat, but huddling together at last in a timid crowd.

Down came the awful whirlwind and dashed upon them.

Roland and Dick threw themselves on the ground, face downwards, expecting death every moment.

The din, the dust, the crashing and roaring, wereterrific!

When the storm had passed not a bush or leaf ofthe wood in which our heroes lay had been stirred.But the glade was now a strange sight.

The waters of the pool had been taken up. Thepond was dry. Only half-dead alligators lay there, writhing in agony, but every tapir had been not onlykilled but broken up, and mingled with twisted trees, pieces of rock, and hillocks of sand.

Truly, although Nature in these regions may veryoften be seen in her most beautiful aspects, fearfulindeed is she when in wrath and rage she comesriding in storms and whirlwinds from off the greattable-lands, bent on ravaging the country beneath.

"What a merciful escape!" said Roland, as he satby Dick gazing on the destruction but a few yardsfarther off.

"I could not have believed it," returned Dick."Fancy a whirlwind like that sweeping over our camp,Roland?"

"Yes, Dick, or over our boats on the river; but wemust trust in Providence."

Roland now blew his whistle, and a party of hisown Indians soon appeared, headed by a few white men.

"Boys," said Roland smiling, "my friend and Icame out to shoot young tapir for you. Behold!Dame Nature has saved us the trouble, and flesh isscattered about in all directions."

The Indians soon selected the choicest, and departed, singing their strange, monotonous chant.

Presently Burly Bill himself appeared.

He stood there amazed and astonished for fully halfa minute before he could speak, and when he did itwas to revert to his good old-fashioned Berkshiredialect.

"My eye and Elizabeth Martin!" he exclaimed."What be all that? Well, I never! 'Ad an 'urricane, then?"

"It looks a trifle like it, Bill; but sit you down.Got your meerschaum?"

"I've got him right enough."

And it was not long before he began to blow a kindof hurricane cloud. For when Bill smoked furnacesweren't in it.

"Do you think we have many more rapids to getpast, Bill?"

"A main lot on 'em, Master Roland. But we've gotto do 'em. We haven't got to funk, has we?"

"Oh no, Bill! but don't you think that we mighthave done better to have kept to the land altogether?"

"No," said Bill bluntly, "I do not. We never couldhave got along, lad. Rivers to cross by fords that wemight have had to travel leagues and leagues to find, lakes to bend round, marshes and swamps, wherelurks a worse foe than your respectable and gentlemanly'gators."

"What, snakes?"

"Oh, plenty of them! But I was a-loodin' to fever, what the doctors calls malarial fever, boys.

"No, no," he added, "we'll go on now until we meetpoor Benee, if he is still alive. If anything hashappened to him-"

"Or if he is false," interrupted Dick; "false as Peterwould have us believe-"

"Never mind wot Mr. Bloomin' Peter says! Iswears by Benee, and nothing less than death canprevent his meeting us somewhere about the mouth ofthe Maya-tata River. You can bet your bottom dollaron that, lads."

"Well, that is the rendezvous anyhow."

"Oh," cried Dick, "sha'n't we be all rejoiced to seeBenee once more!"

"God grant," said Roland, "he may bring us goodnews."

"He is a good man and will bring good tidings,"ventured Burly Bill.

Then he went on blowing his cloud, and the boysrelapsed into silence.

Each was thinking his own thoughts. But theystarted up at last.

"I've managed to secure a grand healthy appetite!"cried Roland.

"And so has this pale-faced boy," said Bill, shovinghis great thumb as usual into the bowl of his meerschaum.

So back to camp they started.

Brawn had been on duty not far from Mr. Peter'stent, but he bounded up now with a joyful bark, andrushed forward to meet them.

He displayed as much love and joy as if he had notseen them for a whole month.

For ten days longer the expedition struggled onwards.

The work was hard enough, but it really strengthenedtheir hearts and increased the size of their muscles, till both their calves and biceps were as hard andtough as the stays of a battle-ship.

Some people might think it strange, but it is a factnevertheless, that the stronger they grew the happierand more hopeful were they. We may try to accountfor this physiologically or psychologically as we choose, but the great truth remains.

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One or two of the men were struck down withague-fever, but Roland made them rest while on shoreand lie down while on board.

Meanwhile he doctored them with soup made fromthe choicest morsels of young tapir, with green freshvegetable mixed therein, and for medicine they hadrum and quinine, or rather, quinine in rum.

The men liked their soup, but they liked theirphysic better.

Between the rapids of Arara and the falls ofMadeira was a beautiful sheet of water, and, beingafraid of snags or submerged rocks, the canoes werekept well out into the stream.

They made great progress here. The day was unusuallyfine. Hot the sun was certainly, but the menwore broad straw sombreros, and, seated in the shadowof their bamboo cabin, our heroes were cool and happyenough.

The luscious acid fruits and fruit-drinks theypartook of contributed largely to their comfort.

Dick started a song, a river song he had learned onhis uncle's plantation, and as Burly Bill's great canoewas not far off, he got a splendid bass.

The scenery on each bank was very beautiful; rocks, and hills covered with great trees, the branches ofwhich near to the stream with their wealth of foliageand climbing flowers, bent low to kiss the placidwaters that went gliding, lapping, and purling onwards.

Who could have believed that aught of danger toour heroes and their people could lurk anywherebeneath these sun-gilt trees?

But even as they sang, fierce eyes were jealouslywatching them from the western bank.

Presently first one arrow, and anon a whole showerof these deadly missiles, whizzed over them.

One struck the cabin roof right above Dick's head, and another tore through the hat of the captain himself.

But rifles were carried loaded, and Roland was ready.

"Lay in your oars, men! Up, guns! Let themhave a volley! Straight at yonder bush! Fire low, lads! See, yonder is a savage!"

Dick took aim at a dark-skinned native who stoodwell out from the wood, and fired. He was close tothe stream and had been about to shoot, but Dick'srifle took away his breath, and with an agonizedscream he threw up his arms and fell headlong intothe water.

Volley after volley rang out now on the still air, and soon it was evident that the woods were cleared.

"Those are the Paynee Indians without a doubt,"said Dick; "the same sable devils that the skipperof that steamer warned us about."

They saw no more of the enemy then, however, andthe afternoon passed in peace.

An hour and a half before sunset they landed atthe mouth of a small but clear river, about ten milesto the north of the Falls of Woe.

Close to the Madeira itself this lovely stream wasthickly banked by forest, but the boats were takenhigher up, and here excellent camping-ground wasfound in a country sparsely wooded.

Far away to the west rose the everlasting hills, andour heroes thought they could perceive snow in thechasms between the rocks.

Roland had not forgotten the adventure with theIndians, so scouts were sent out at once to scour thewoods. They returned shortly before sunset, havingseen no one.

Both Roland and Dick were somewhat uneasy intheir minds, nevertheless, and after dinner, in the wanand uncertain light of a half-moon, a double row ofsentries was posted, and orders were given that theyshould be relieved every two hours, for the night wasclose and sultry, just such a night as causes restlesssomnolence. At such times a sentry may drop tosleep leaning on his gun or against a tree. He mayslumber for an hour and not be aware he has evenclosed an eye.

The boys themselves felt a strange drowsinessstealing away their senses. They would have rolledthemselves up in their rugs and sought repose at once, butthis would have made the night irksomely long.

So they chatted, and even sang, till their usual hour.

When they turned in, instead of dressing in a pyjamasuit, they retained the clothes they had worn all day.

Dick noticed that Roland was doing so, and followedhis example. No reason was given by his friend, butDick could guess it. Guess also what he meant byplacing a rifle close beside him and looking to hisrevolvers before he lay down.

Everyone in camp, except those on duty, was bythis time sound asleep. Lights and fires were out, andthe stillness was almost painful.

Roland would have preferred hearing the windsighing among the forest trees, the murmur of theriver, or even the mournful wailing of the great blueowl.

But never a leaf stirred, and as the moon sanklower and lower towards those strangely rugged andserrated mountains of the west, the boys themselvesjoined the sleepers, and all their care and anxiety wasfor the time being forgotten.

The night waned and waned. The sentries hadbeen changed, and it was now nearly one o'clock.

There was a lake about a mile above the camp, thatis, a mile farther westwards. It was surrounded bytall waving reeds, at least an acre wide all round.

The home par excellence of the dreaded 'gator wasthis dark and sombre sheet of water, for to it almostnightly came the tapirs to quench their thirst andto bathe.

Silently a troop of these wonderful creatures cameup out of the forest to-night, all in a string, with thelargest and oldest a little way in front.

Every now and then these pioneers would pauseto listen. They knew the wiliness of the enemy thatmight be lying in wait for them. So acute in hearingare they said to be that they can distinguish thesound of a snake gliding over withered leaves at adistance of a hundred yards. But their sight alsois a great protection to them. No 'gator can moveamong the reeds without bending them, move he neverso warily. Above all this, the tapir's sense of smellis truly marvellous.

To-night the old tapirs that led the van seemedparticularly suspicious and cautious. Their signal forsilence was a kind of snort or cough, and this wasnow ofttimes repeated.

Suddenly the foremost tapir stamped his foot, andat once the whole drove turned or wheeled and glidedback as silently as they had come, until the shadowsof the great forest swallowed them up.

What had they seen or heard? They had seen tall, dark human figures-one, two, three-a score and over, suddenly raise their heads and shoulders above thereeds, and after standing for a moment so still thatthey seemed part and parcel of the solemn scene, moveout from the jungle and take their way towards theslumbering camp.

Savages all, and on a mission of death.

Nobody's dreams could have been a bit more happythan those of Dick Temple just at this moment.

He was sitting once more on the deck of the greatraft, which was slowly gliding down the sunlitsea-like Amazon. The near bank was tree-clad, and everybranch was garlanded with flowers of rainbow hues.

But Dick looked not on the trees nor the flowers, nor the waving undulating forest itself-looked noton the sun-kissed river. His eyes were fixed on abrightly-beautiful and happy face. It was Peggywho sat beside him, Peggy to whom he was breathingwords of affection and love, Peggy with shy, half-flushed face and slightly averted head.

But suddenly this scene was changed, and he awokewith a start to grasp his rifle. A shrill quaveringyell rang through the camp, and awakened everyecho in the forest.

The Indians-the dreaded Paynee tribe of cannibals-wereon them. That yell was a war-cry. Thesepagan Paynees were thirsting for blood.

CHAPTER XXI-THE FOREST IS SHEETED IN FLAMES

For just a few moments Roland was taken aback.Then, in a steady manly voice that could beheard all over the camp, he gave the order.

"All men down! The Indians are approachingfrom the west. Fire low, lads-between you and thelight.

"Don't waste a shot!" he added.

Three Indians bit the dust at the first volley, andthough the rest struggled on to the attack, it was onlyto be quickly repulsed.

In ten minutes' time all had fled, and the greatforest and woodland was as silent as before.

It was Roland's voice that again broke the stillness.

"Rally round, boys," he shouted, "and let me knowthe worst."

The sacrifice of life, however, was confined to threepoor fellows, one white man and two peons; and noone was wounded.

Nobody thought of going to sleep again on thissad night, and when red clouds were at last seen overthe green-wooded horizon, heralding the approach ofday, a general sense of relief was felt by all in thelittle camp.

Soon after sunrise breakfast was served, and eatenwith avidity by all hands now in camp, for scoutswere out, and Dick and Roland awaited the news theywould bring with some degree of impatience.

The scouting was really a sort of reconnaisancein force, by picked Indians and whites under thecommand of the redoubtable Burly Bill.

Suddenly Brawn raised his head and gave vent toan angry "wouff!" and almost at the same time thesound of distant rifle-firing fell on the ears of thelittle army.

Half an hour after this, Bill and two men steppedout from the bush and advanced.

His brow was bound with a blood-stained handkerchief.

It was a spear wound, but he would not hear of itbeing dressed at present.

"What cheer then, Bill?"

"Not much of that," he answered, throwing himselfdown and lighting that marvellous meerschaum, fromwhich he appeared to get so much consolation.

"Not a vast deal of cheer. Yes, I'll eat after I getsa bit cooler like."

"Ay, we'll have to fight the Dun-skins. Theyswarm in the forest between us and the Madeira, andthey are about as far from bein' angels as any durnednigger could be."

"And what do you advise, Bill?"

"Well," was the reply, "as soon as your boys gettheir nose-bags off, my advice is to set to work withspade and shovel and transform this 'ere camp into afortress.

"Ay, and it is one we won't be able to abandon fordays and days to come," he added.

The men were now speedily told off to duty, and ina very short time had made the camp all butimpregnable, and quite strong enough to give anexcellent account of any number of Dun-skins.

The Paynee Indians are a semi-nomadic tribeof most implacable savages, who roam over hill anddell and upland, hunting or fighting as the case maybe, but who have nevertheless a home in the darkmountain fastnesses of the far interior.

They are cannibals, though once, long, long ago, aband of Jesuits attempted their reclamation.

These brave missionaries numbered in all but onehundred and twenty men, and they went among theterrible natives with, figuratively speaking, theirprayer-books in one hand, their lives in the other.

All went well for a time. They succeeded in winningthe affections of the savages. They erected rudechurches, and even to this day crosses of stone are tobe found in this wild land, half-buried among the rankvegetation.

But there came a day, and a sad one it was, whenthe cannibals were attacked by a wild hill-tribe.These highlanders had heard that, owing to the newreligion, their ancient enemies had degenerated intoold wives and squaws.

A terrible battle ensued, during which the menfrom the uplands found out their mistake, for theywere repulsed with fearful slaughter.

All might have gone well with the Jesuits even yetbut for one contretemps.

At the very moment when the savages returnedwildly exultant from the hills, bearing, horrible torelate, joints of human flesh on their spears, therecame from the east a party of men who had beendown to the banks of the Madeira, and had attackedand looted a small steamer that among other thingshad much fire-water on board.

Oh, that accursed fire-water, how terrible its resultswherever on earth it gains ascendancy!

All the fearful passions of these savages were soonlet loose. The scene was like pandemonium.

The poor Jesuits hid themselves in their little church, barricading the door, and devoting the first part of thenight to prayer and song. But at midnight the awfulhowling of the cannibals coming nearer and nearertold them that they had been missed, and that theirdoom was now sealed.

Only one man escaped to tell the terrible tale.

And these, or rather their descendants, were thevery cannibals that Roland's little army had now todo battle with.

Both he and Dick, however, kept up a good heart.

There was ammunition enough to last for monthsof desultory firing, if necessary, and when the attackwas made at last, after Bill's scouts had been drivenin, the savages learned a lesson they were never likelyto forget.

Brave indeed they were, and over and over againthey charged, spear in hand, almost into the trenches.But only to be thrust back wounded, or to die wherethey stood, beneath a steady revolver fire.

But they retreated almost as quickly as they hadcome, and once more sought the shelter of bush and jungle.

Not for very long, however. They were evidentlydetermined that the little garrison should enjoy no peace.

They had changed their tactics now, and insteadof making wild rushes towards the ramparts, theycommenced to bombard the fort with large stones.

With their slings the Bolivian Indians can aimwith great precision, for they learn the art whenthey are mere infants.

As no one showed above the ramparts, there was inthis case no human target for the missiles, but use wasmade of larger stones, and these kept falling into thetrenches in all directions, so that much mischief wasdone and many men were hurt.

A terrible rifle fire was now opened upon that partof the bush in which the cannibal savages weresupposed to be in force, and from the howling andshrieking that immediately followed, it was evidentthat many bullets were finding their billets.

But soon even these sounds died away, and it wasevident enough that the enemy had retired, no doubtwith the intention of inventing some new form of attack.There was peace now for many hours, and Rolandtook advantage of this to order dinner to be got ready.No men, unless it be the Scotch, can fight well onempty stomachs.

The wounded were attended to and made ascomfortable as possible, and after this there wasapparently very little to do except to wait and watch.

Burly Bill brought out his consolatory meerschaum.But while he puffed away, he was not idle. He wasthinking.

Now thinking was not very much in this honestfellow's line. Action was more his forte. But thepresent occasion demanded thought.

The afternoon was already far spent. Thesentries-lynx-eyed Indians, rifles in hand-were watchingthe bush, and longing for a shot. Roland and Dick, with Bill and big Brawn, were seated in the shade ofa green and spreading tree, and all had been silent forsome considerable time.

"I say, young fellows!" said Bill at last, "this kindof lounging doesn't suit me. What say you to a councilof war?"

"Well, you've been thinking, Bill?"

"Ay, I've been doin' a smart bit o' that. Let usconsult Charlie."

Charlie the ex-cannibal was now brought forwardand seated on the grass.

There was a deal of practical knowledge in thisIndian's head. His had been a very long experienceof savage warfare and wandering in forests and wilds; and he was proud now to be consulted.

"Charlie," said Bill, "what do you think of thesituation?"

"De sit-uation?" was the reply. "Me not likee he.Me tinkee we sitee too much. Byme by, de cannibalhe come much quick. Ah! dere will soon be mucheemuch too much sabage cannibal! Fust de killee youand den de eatee you, and make fine bobbery. Ha! ha!"

"Well, Charlie, I don't think that there is a deal tolaugh at. Howsomever, we've got to do something soon."

"So, so," said Charlie, "notwidstanding."

"Well, I've been thinking that we should maketracks for the other side of the river. You see thesesavage rapscallions have no canoes, and they seem tohave no food. They are not herons or storks, andcan't wade through deep water."

"Foh true, sah. Dey am not stohks and dey amnot herons notwidstanding, but see, sah, ebery manhe am his own canoe! No stohks, but all same onefrog, notwidstanding foh true!"

"And you think they would follow us?"

"All same's one eel-two hundred eel. Dey swimwid spears in mouf, and bow and arrow held high.Ha! ha! good soldier, ebery modder's son!"

"I'll tell you my plan," said Dick Temple. "Justloose off the boats, and make one bold dash forliberty."

"Ha! ha! sah!" cried Charlie. "I takes de libertyto laugh notwidstanding, foh true. You plenty muchall dead men 'fore you get into de big ribber!"

"Well, hang it!" said Dick, "we're not going to stayhere with the pretty prospect before us of being allscuppered and eaten. What say you, Roll?"

"I think," said Roland quietly, "that Charlie there hascome prepared to speak, for his face is just beaming."

"See, sah," cried Charlie, evidently pleased, "youtrust all to Charlie. He makee you free after dark.Down in de fo'est yondah dere am mebbe two, mebbeefree hunder' sabages. Now dey not want to fight tillde dark. Dey will fight all de same when de moonrise, and de rifle not muchee good. No hit in de dark,on'y jes' puff, puff.

"See," he continued, "de wind begin to blow a leetle.De wind get high byme by, den de sun go out, andCharlie he fiah de forest."

"Fire the forest, Charlie?"

"Notwidstanding," said Charlie grimly.

"When," he added, "you see de flame curl up, be allready. Soon de flame he bus' highah and highah, andall by de ribber bank one big blaze."

"Charlie," cried Bill, "you're a brick! Give us ashake of your yellow hand. Hurrah! boys, Charlie'sgoing to do it!"

Never perhaps was sunset waited for with moreimpatience.

The great and unanswerable question was this: Would these savages attack immediately after darknessfell, or would they take some time to deliberate?

But behind the rugged mountains down sank thesun at last, and after a brief twilight the stars shoneout.

Charlie was not going alone. He had asked for theassistance of many Indians, and in a whisper he gavethem their orders.

Our heroes did not interfere in any way, for fearof confusing the good fellow's plans. But they soonnoted that while Charlie himself and two Indians leftin one of the smallest canoes, the others disappearedlike snakes in the grass, creeping northwards over theplain.

And now there was silence, for the wind was hushed; silence everywhere, that deep, indescribable silencewhich nightfall ever brings to a wild and savage land,in which even the beasts are still and listening in forestand dell, not knowing from which direction dangermay spring.

Within the little camp nothing could be done butlie still, every man holding his breath with suspense.Nothing could be done save watch, wait, count theweary minutes, and marvel at their length.

Suddenly, however, the deep silence was broken bya mournful cry that came from riverwards. It wasapparently that of an owl seeking for its mate, but itwas taken up and repeated northwards all over theplain twixt camp and forest, and almost at the sametime tiny tongues of fire sprang up here and there andeverywhere.

Higher and higher they leapt, along the ground theyran, meeting in all directions down the dark riverand across the wild moor by the edge of thewoodland. The undergrowth was dry, the grass waswithered, and in an amazingly short time the wholeforest by the banks of the Madeira was sheeted indevastating flames.

The savages had been massed in the centre of thejungle, and just preparing to issue forth and carrydeath into the camp of our heroes, when suddenlythe crackling of the flames fell on their ears, and theyknew they were caught in a fire-trap, with scarcelyany means of escape.

Charlie had been terribly in earnest, and, hurryingon in his canoe towards the Madeira, he lit the bankall along, and even down the side of the great streamitself.

It was evidently his savage intention to roast thesepoor cannibals alive.

As it was, the only outlet towards salvation thatremained for them was the Madeira's dark brink.

"Now, boys, now!" shouted Roland, when he sawthat the fire had gained entire mastery, and, makingits own wind, was sweeping onwards, licking upeverything in its way.

"Now, lads, on board! Let us get off down streamin all haste. Hurrah!"