CHAPTER XVIIIDISCOVERED
Bombaedged himself still further between the bowlders until he found a place where he could look through without himself being seen.
At once he saw the reason of the excitement.
A dead jaguar lay stretched out on the ground. One arrow protruded from its side. Another was imbedded in its throat.
Two natives were inspecting it and gloating over their kill. They were vigorous and stalwart specimens, somewhat above the usual size of jungle dwellers. Their faces were savage, but not so brutish as those of the headhunters of Nascanora. They were unclothed, save for the customary breech clout. On their broad breasts was painted a tribal emblem that Bomba had never seen, and a band about the forehead of each held a cluster of nodding plumes.
While the language in which they spoke had some words that were unfamiliar to Bomba, he was so well versed in most of the dialects of the jungle, which differ little, that he had no trouble in understanding what they were saying.
“The aim of Sunka is true,” boasted one, as he bent over the dead beast and proceeded, with the aid of his knife to get the arrow from its throat.
“No truer than that of Boshot,” retorted the other, as he sought to reclaim his arrow from the body. “See how it went through from side to side!”
“The jaguar is brave, but he is not so brave as the fighting men of Japazy,” went on Sunka, as he examined his arrow, dried it and returned it to his quiver.
“His leap is as the lightning, but when the arrow sings he falls,” added Boshot. “I see Olura, Tama and Abino coming,” he went on, as he looked toward a trail at his right.
“They have heard the jaguar roar and they come to help,” declared Sunka. “But there is no need of help when Sunka and Boshot have fitted their arrows to the string.”
It was in this self-congratulatory mood that the victors welcomed the three newcomers whom Bomba could now see issuing from the jungle path.
There were loud cries of satisfaction as the trio discovered the dead body of the jaguar.
“Japazy will be glad when he sees its head!” exclaimed Olura, as he surveyed the animal.
“Whose arrow killed it?” asked Tama.
“Mine,” declared Sunka proudly.
“Mine,” stated Boshot with equal conviction.
They glared at each other in defiance, and their hands involuntarily gripped more tightly the spears that they carried in addition to their bows and arrows.
“There is no need of bad blood and hot words between Sunka and Boshot,” intervened Abino, who seemed to be much older than the others and something of a diplomat. “All Japazy’s people know how brave they are. What matter which arrow did the killing? Neither might have done so without the other. Japazy will be pleased with Sunka and Boshot. But his eyes will shoot lightning at either one, if he fight with the other.”
“That is true,” put in Tama. “There are too few of our people now since the plague came some moons ago. That plague carried many to the place of the dead. The tribe needs all its fighting men to kill jaguars and not to kill each other.”
The hands of the would-be combatants loosened from their spears and their anger disappeared. Bomba guessed that the most potent argument had been the mention of the lightning that would flash from Japazy’s eyes. It was evident from the reverence with which they pronounced the name of the chief that they held him in awe.
“The jaguar is dead, and that is good,” said Abino. “But there are still many left. We killmany, but more come. And there are cubs in the caves that will soon be big enough to carry off the children of the tribe.”
“Yes,” agreed Olura, with despondency in his tone. “Two more were carried off last week. The medicine men make prayers, but still the jaguars come.”
“They come from the other shore,” observed Abino. “They swim the river in the night when the caymans are asleep. There are herbs on the island that they like, that make them laugh when they are sad, that make them well when they are sick.”
Bomba guessed that they referred to a kind of catnip that he had already noted growing on the island in great profusion. He wondered that the natives had not torn these up by the roots, so as to make the place less alluring to the unwelcome visitors. Then, realizing the rank and rapid growth of the vegetation, he knew that nothing less than an army could accomplish the colossal task.
“It would be well if Japazy would take his people to the other side of the river where the jaguars are not so many and where the tribe could dwell in peace,” remarked Boshot.
“Beware, Boshot,” warned Abino, looking fearfully about him. “Remember you not Manasta, he of the bold and forward tongue? Hesaid one day to Japazy the words that just now came from Boshot’s mouth. Japazy looked at him and his frown was terrible. And Manasta has not been seen since that day.”
“That is true,” put in Tama, in an awed voice. “It is said that Japazy had him tied and put in a bag and thrown into the river to the caymans. So beware, Boshot. They are good words that Abino has spoken to Boshot.”
The doughty warrior, who had not quailed before the charge of the jaguar, seemed to shrink into himself, and Bomba had a new glimpse into the ruthless character with whom he was soon to deal.
“Now let us skin the jaguar and get his meat,” suggested Olura. “There is but little food in the huts of our people, and they will be glad and make a feast when they see us bringing them the meat of the jaguar.”
They were preparing to carry out the suggestion when there was a sharp report. A burst of flame sprang out of the mountain’s top, and the earth shook so violently that all of the natives measured their length upon the ground. Bomba would have been thrown also, had it not been for the rocks on either side. As it was, he was knocked about until he was bruised and sore.
The natives scrambled to their knees and bowed their heads to the ground, making cabalisticsigns and uttering entreaties either to the mountain or their gods.
The trembling of the earth persisted for several minutes and then subsided. But it was some time before the natives had so far recovered from their fright as to set about resuming the skinning and cutting up of the dead jaguar.
“Tamura is angry,” murmured Abino, looking up fearfully at the mountain peak, from which smoke and flame were still issuing. “We must make him gifts, many gifts, so that he may smile again upon our people.”
“We will give some of this meat to the medicine man so that he may make a burnt offering,” suggested Tama. “Else the lava floods may come and roll over the dwelling place of the tribe.”
As though to accentuate this possibility, there came another shock more violent than the one before.
The rocks between which Bomba was standing were pulled apart as though by giant hands, and to the startled eyes of the Indians Bomba stood revealed!