“Not escape without their aid? Why do you want them to help us?”
“Some of your friends will be here before long, and when we escape we want to take the whole tribe with us,” said the Professor, smiling.
The boys did not smile at this statement. They were quiet for a time.
“But take your bath, boys, and don’t hurry it up. We have plenty of time.”
“Gee, I wish we had some soap.”
“Soap, why certainly; I think we can find plenty of it around here, and so saying the Professor began a search along the stream, and as his eyes lighted on a shrub with long dagger-shaped leaves, broke off a number of the branches which carried at the top of each stem a large cluster of reddish brown berries.
“We ate some of those on one occasion and were poisoned.”
“They are poisonous, but not dangerously so.”
“What do you do with them?”
“Simply mash them up; see how easily they saponify, and make suds.”
“And here we have been all this time without knowing anything about them.”
“Of course water is always necessary in using them,” and the Professor laughed, as did the boys also, at the recollection that they had no water for bathing purposes for six months.
“Why it grows all over the island wherever we have been.”
“Yes; it grows extensively in Florida, Cuba and Mexico, and it is found in many varieties throughout China and in India, in which latter country it is called The Pride of India. In China it is called the China Tree.”
When the boys had bathed and clothed themselves they were transformed into new beings.
“Oh, tell us about the boys, and how you happened to come down here, and who are they!”
The Professor told them the names of the boys, and continued: “I want the boys themselves to tell you all about what they have been doing, and where we live, and what a fine time we have had ever since we were shipwrecked.”
The Professor’s predictions were true. The chief had an elaborate meal prepared, and the boys and the Professor sat down with the chief. He remarked to the boys: “The meal looks most inviting, and it is a trial not to partake, but I can stand it a few days more.”
The Professor showed the greatest deference to the chief, and at every proffer of food which the chief made to the boys he acknowledged it in the most courtly manner.
The finest woven and matted leaves were provided by the chief in a spacious hut adjoining the chief’s home. Through the boys he began a conversation with the chief, and learned many interesting things, which will be detailed later. His first desire now was, in the quiet of their new home, to learn something of the rudiments of the language.
The boys knew most of the things commonly used by name, and some of the verbs, and these the Professor quickly acquired. He had a most wonderful memory, and could memorize pages without much effort, so that before morning he knew all that the boys had learned of the jargon, for it was but little else.
In the morning when he approached the chief, he greeted him in his own tongue, not with great fluency, it is true, but he used the little he did acquire to good advantage. The chief marveled at this, because heretofore he had not uttered a word to indicate that he understood the tongue, and the chief could not for a moment comprehend that it was possible for him to learn the language in a night.
After this first interview, the boys were no less amazed at the memory displayed.
“From the talk I had with the chief it does not seem that the language contains more than two or three hundred words.”
“But do we use any more in talking?”
“There are millions of our own people, fairly well educated, who have never used more than two hundred words in their whole lives. It is not the number of words, but the order of arrangement selected that is of value. Many noted authors have written whole books by the use of less than two thousand words. Under the circumstances, the hundred words you taught me were not much of a feat to memorize. As it was, I learned probably twenty words more that you did not have in your vocabulary.”
The Professor was out with the boys every moment of the time, gathering information, and investigating the nature of the country around the villages. While on one of these excursions Jim plucked a branch from a thick stem, and said:
“There are many of these nuts in this part of the island, and we have often wondered if they were good to eat.”
“By all means; you have eaten ice cream with these nuts in many times. Why, we had them on shipboard, if you remember.”
“I don’t recall it.”
“This is the Pistachio nut. Go back to the stalk where you broke off this stem and you will see the sap coming out. That is a resin or gum, and valuable in commerce. This nut is historical. It formed part of the present which Joseph’s brethren took with them from Canaan to Egypt, and in the latter country, even to this day, they are placed among the sweetmeats in all presents of courtesy.”
“But are they eaten raw?”
“No; they are usually boiled with a small amount of salt, and sweetened afterwards.”
“What is the salt put in for?”
“To destroy the acid in them; and that is done with most vegetables, and for the same reason.”
The situation was a most exasperating one to John and the boys. They were actually prevented from ascertaining which of the tribes had the Professor, and their way to the south was blocked.
In desperation John suggested that come whatever might, they would ascertain where he was held, even though they had to enter the camps. Muro was consulted and John’s determined attitude was sufficient to enlist his services and co-operation.
During the night the two carefully approached the scene of the battlefield, and secured the various headdresses of the slain and wounded, the object being to effect their entrance to the rival camps by means of the disguises.
The Berees were to their right, and not far from what appeared to be the West River. The Osagas were to the left, and encamped on a small stream which flowed into the West. Beyond the position of the latter stream, and less than three miles distant, was the elevation which John had pointed out as the destination of the team.
Morning came before the headdresses could be obtained, and it was therefore impossible to invade the Berees’ camp that night.
Five days had now elapsed since Stut had been sent off on the mission to his people. There was no news from him, nor did the Kurabus appear on the scene, and Muro began to wonder at this silence from his brother. He felt sure that some word should have reached them during the day, but in this all were disappointed.
Several attacks and counter charges were made during the day, but the positions of the parties were maintained, and night came on none too soon for John. Muro insisted that he and his companion should undertake the investigation alone, and Blakely insisted that John should comply with their request, as he felt that the same object would be accomplished without the risk that might be attended in case John should expose himself to capture.
He reluctantly consented, but insisted on accompanying them close up to the lines, and Blakely and Harry also went forward to assist. The Saboros waited until late in the night, and then made their way to the Berees’ camp, followed by the whites.
At a safe distance John halted, and Muro and Nomo, rigged out as Berees, kept on, and shortly thereafter entered the camp, having made their way through the line without discovery. The Berees had no pickets along their western line, facing the river, as they did not expect an attack from that quarter.
They were gone for a full hour, and returned as silently as they went. There were no captives in camp. If any had been taken the probabilities were that they would have been guarded within the limits of the camp.
A wide detour was now made by Muro and Nomo, in order to gain the southern side of the Osagas. John and Blakely concluded it would be unwise to separate themselves from the wagon to accompany them around the camp, and remained on the north side.
Everything was quiet for fully an hour and a half, when they were startled by a gunshot. This could have come only from Muro and Nomo. John moved up closer, in order to get a better view of the situation, but the darkness prevented him from learning what it meant. There was great excitement in the camp, and the Berees became active at the noise of the gun.
Voices were heard at the right, as well as in the immediate front. It was evident that the Berees were concentrating and moving toward the Osagas.
It was an intense moment for the watchers, and they could do nothing to aid, as they had no idea what caused the continued uproar. It was obvious that Muro and Nomo had been discovered, and that the shot was in self-defense.
To prevent discovery John and his party moved back several hundred feet, nearer the wagon, and Muro immediately reappeared, with the news that Nomo had been captured. Muro’s gun had been accidentally discharged, as they were leaving the camp, and the possession by them of the guns was the very thing which attracted the attention of the warriors to them.
Muro was sure, however, that there were no white captives among the Osagas, and this information added another mystery to the situation.
“My knowledge of Chief’s attitude toward us is sufficient to justify us in going boldly into the camp of the Osagas. I do not believe he will harm us, and it may be the quickest way to solve the whole matter.”
Blakely and the boys questioned the wisdom of such a course, but as John insisted on going himself, and his judgment had in the past proven correct, in all matters of this kind, his views prevailed.
“I will undertake this mission myself, and will give you some instruction to follow in certain emergencies. My mission must be to them during the daytime, so that as soon as possible in the morning I will enter their camp. I intend to carry with me a gun, and one of the pistols will be concealed. They will, without doubt, disarm me, and I shall have to depend on my ingenuity to keep the pistol for the purpose of warning you.”
“If you hear the pistol shot, it will be the signal for you to attack; but do not attempt that under any circumstances, unless you get that warning from me. Each one must be provided with two of the guns, for this purpose, and the six of you can, no doubt, strike terror into them.”
“There is one thing we must consider,” said Blakely, “and that is the attitude, and probable action, on the part of the Berees.”
“I was coming to that. The Osagas will know that the attack is on the part of my people, and the onslaught by you will be more of a mystery to the Berees than anything else. I am counting on the commotion caused by the firing, to effect my escape, and I can do this, if at all, before the Berees have time to collect their wits, and determine on a course of action.”
A hurried breakfast was prepared, and John made all his arrangements for the projected visit. Angel was in a tree, which was at the rear of the wagon, and as John was about to start, he came down and began the telltale chatter which betokened an alarm.
George was at his side the moment he reached the ground, and Angel again ascended and pointed to the north.
“Who are those coming in from the north?” cried out George, in excitement.
Muro saw the commotion, and sprang to the tree. “Kurabus,” was all he said.
This startling announcement was received in astonishment. Had Stut’s mission failed? It was now the sixth day of his departure. It is true that they might easily have trailed the route the wagon had made, but why should they openly and boldly march down into a country belonging to another tribe?
“Either this is debatable ground, and the Kurabus are at war with the two tribes in our front, or they are after us.”
“What course would you advise?” asked Blakely.
“It is entirely out of the question for me to visit the Osagas now. I see no other remedy but to fight, and we might as well give them the lesson of their lives. This is the time to be the aggressors. I do not mean that we shall needlessly expose ourselves, but we must shoot to kill, and not hesitate in the slightest.”
The boys knew what that meant, and it pleased them. The Kurabus came in sight so the tree was not needed to distinguish their movements. The wagon had been put in such a position that it was shielded from their foes on the south, but to the north it was exposed.
“Here, quick, boys, cut down branches of trees and put them up on the north side of the wagon to hide the light-colored top,” was John’s first order.
The nearest bushes were selected, and a fairly good imitation of a bush was prepared in haste, and they awaited the attack. To their surprise they saw several warriors in the lead, as scouts.
“They are getting very wise, in employing the scouting tactics, and this shows they are after some game, whether it is the other tribe’s or some one else.” John cautioned silence, and then continued:
“Their scouts will, of course, discover us before the main body comes up. We must not fire on the advance parties. Wait until they attempt a rush, so we can get enough of them in reach to make it count.”
The advance warriors did not discover the presence of the wagon until within a hundred feet of it, and the scramble to the rear, and the falling and crawling tactics displayed in their eagerness to protect themselves and get away, was too amusing to prevent the boys from laughing.
When the scouts reported the presence of the wagon in front, there was a hurried consultation, and instead of moving forwardly to the wagon, they circled around to the right, keeping away a sufficient distance to keep outside of the range of the guns. They had learned to respect them at the last meeting.
“What a magnificent surprise they will get if they go far enough in that direction,” said John, with a broad smile.
“See, the Osagas and the Berees are at it again,” and the movements of the two parties were plainly evident. Within fifteen minutes the battle began, and the noise of the conflict reached the ears of the Kurabus.
“The information we shall get within the next half hour will be sufficient to decide our course,” murmured John, as he gazed at them.
“Do you think,” responded Harry, “that they will join forces with either of the parties?”
“That is the point exactly. From the manner in which they are acting the Kurabus are after us and not either of the tribes before us. But see what they are doing? Why are they going back?”
They doubled back on their tracks and made a circling movement around the wagon to the right, and in that manner came up behind the Berees.
John quickly communicated his views to the party. “Now is our time to act. Take in the fort at once, and move to the east.”
This looked like a hazardous thing to do, to the boys, but Muro saw the situation at once, and he assisted in the work, and it did not take ten minutes to set the wagon in motion, Blakely leading the way, and John and Muro serving as a rear guard.
The singular thing about this whole proceeding was, that the Kurabus did not even send out scouts to watch the movements of the parties in the wagon. This was one of the reasons why John adopted this apparently rash movement.
Afterwards, when George questioned him as to the reason for taking that hazardous course, he replied: “In war you must never do that which the enemy thinks you are going to do. The more hazardous the movement, the more likely it is to succeed. The history of stratagems is full of such instances. This is the way I diagnosed the situation: The Kurabus marched to the position behind the Berees, either for the purpose of attacking or to assist.
“Now, it is perfectly obvious that in either event, we were at their mercy, as soon as the fight was over. If they assisted the Berees, they would doubtless win over the Osagas. If they attacked to assist the Osagas, they would also be the winners, beyond question, and in either event the two tribes which were successful would, according to their way of thinking, put us at their mercy.”
“The theory then was, that the Kurabus would have considered our leaving a most hazardous thing to undertake, and that was just the risk you considered safest?” asked Blakely.
“That states the position exactly.”
“As subsequent events showed, you were right.”
Directing the course of the wagon down the slight incline, and veering to the left, Blakely soon got the wagon behind the crest of the hill. Ralph came back to assist, and when John saw him he hurriedly whispered to him: “Run to the wagon and tell Harry that as soon as the wagon gets over the crest, to drive forwardly at all speed directly to the east.”
“Have you any objective point to go to?”
“No, no, never mind that. Go to the east; we will know how to follow.”
John and Muro remained on the crest of the hill for a full half hour before they began to retreat. During this time there was no attack by the Kurabus, and another puzzling thing was presented.
Muro did not know that any enmity existed between the tribes, although such might be the case since he had been away. But this half hour was a precious period, and the wagon was now at least two miles away. It is true they were now bound for the Kurabus’ territory, and if the movement could be concealed until night, they might break through the line somewhere during the darkness, and thus get into touch with Muro’s people.
The character of the country now grew rougher and rougher, and the wagon’s movements slower and slower. In some places it was so cut up with ravines that they could not go a half mile an hour. In one respect this was an advantage, as the trails were more or less concealed at various places.
“I am sure they will trail us the moment the issue between the parties is decided,” said John, “and we must, therefore, conceal our track by making a plain one.”
Harry laughed at the contradictory nature of the suggestion.
“Certainly; I mean that, exactly. Did you ever hear the story of Robert Bruce in the Scottish wars, how he deceived his pursuers by reversing the shoes of his horse? The same thing was done by the noted highwayman, Dick Turpin.”
“But the yaks haven’t any shoes to turn around.”
“Then we shall have to adopt another plan.”
“Tell us what to do at once.”
“Get a quantity of the ramie cloth; better still, take off the top and cut it up into eight pieces, and fold it so as to make a boot for the feet of the yaks.”
“I have plenty of cord,” exclaimed George.
“Now hold; don’t be too fast. Some of you go ahead of the team, after it is turned around, and carefully obliterate the tracks made by the animals coming this way. Then drive the animals back along the path before we put on the boots, until we reach the place where we came into this little valley. You see we entered it at about right angles. We must put the boots on at the place where we entered the valley, or a few hundred feet beyond.”
“But how can we hide the tracks made by the wheels?”
“I don’t want to hide them. This will take some careful driving, Harry, as I want you to follow along in the exact tracks made by the wagon in coming this way. The animals’ tracks will now plainly show that the wagon is going to the north.”
The wagon was driven back carefully to the north, and beyond the point where they had entered the valley.
“Now, boys, put on the boots. This seems to be a good place to make the change, as the ground is firmer, and the grass grows closer and thicker. Leave one foot on each animal unshod.”
“This is a new wrinkle, isn’t it?” asked Tom, laughingly.
“I suppose it is,” he answered, “but you will see the point in a moment. Now drive forward for a hundred feet or so. That is right. Take out all the traces of the wagon you can.”
“But we can still see the prints of the unshod feet.”
“That is good. Now put the boot on the foot of the other yak, so only one foot will show in the tracks.”
“How far shall we drive with this one foot showing?”
“About fifty to a hundred feet. Are you getting out of the wheel tracks?”
“Yes. What shall we do now?”
“Put on the remaining boot.”
“Oh, I see; you didn’t want the tracks to disappear all at the same time?”
“That is the idea. You see, this is pretty firm ground. Now, Harry, can we turn the team around at right angles and go up over that steepest part?”
“I am afraid it will be a big pull.”
“All right, then; there are plenty here to help the yaks over. This is a capital place to leave the trail. I imagine they will follow it up along the valley, and not suspect that we have hauled the wagon across the hill.”
The object of this maneuver was now fully comprehended. The most infinite pains were taken to eliminate all traces of the wagon, and Muro was on hand at every point, and was most expert in the art of concealing.
The proceeding amused him exceedingly, as was shown by the constant smile that manifested itself in a chuckle, to the delight of the boys. This was real fun, and surely the boys needed it; but with all that they could not keep their minds from the Professor, and the constant speculations as to his fate.
“But you boys have not told me your names. I know yours is William, and you are James. Why, yes; I should not have forgotten James Redfield and William Rudel.”
“But we are only Will and Jim, you know,” and the Professor smiled at the earnestness of Will to be sure and give them the right designations.
Early that morning there was more or less commotion in the village and as Jim went out to investigate, several warriors appeared, but he was not able to get much information. They could be heard in the chief’s house, and soon enough was learned to assure them that the warriors in the field were having a bitter fight.
This was on the sixth day after the Professor had been brought to the village. “Can you learn with whom they are fighting?” asked the Professor.
Will went out and mingled with the crowd that now gathered about the chief’s quarters. On his return, he said: “It is a tribe to the east, called the Osagas.”
This news stirred the Professor into activity. “The Osagas! We must take a hand in this,” and he rushed out of the hut, and made his way to the chief. Calling him aside he stated that if he was at war with the Osagas, he might be able to effect a reconciliation, as he had befriended one of their chiefs, and then inquired if he knew Uraso, the chief.
At the mention of that name the chief started, and looked at the Professor keenly, before replying. This is what he replied, in substance:
“Uraso was the chief of the Osagas, but he was captured by some white people like yourselves, and offered up as a sacrifice by them. A new chief, his brother, called Krami, was now at the head of the tribe. If Uraso were still chief we would not have this trouble. They took the two white men away from us, and when we took the boys they determined to be revenged, and we have now been fighting for six weeks.”
“Did you take the boys from the Osagas?”
“No.”
This information tallied exactly with the news given Uraso when he was their captive, as to the men, and also explained that another tribe had the boys. Things were beginning to clear up.
During the evening of the sixth day, the warriors began to come in rapidly, with news of their defeat. In the hurried conversations and animated snatches of information which the boys could gather, the names of the Kurabus figured most prominently, and this led the Professor to inquire the facts more particularly from the chief.
The Professor gave the chief this information:
“We were on our way to see you, when we found ourselves opposed to the Kurabus and the Saboros, who attacked us. We tried to inform them of our peaceful intent, but they refused to listen to any proposals. We resisted them and during the night the two tribes attacked each other.
“We captured two of their wounded, and took them back with us to our home at the eastern end of the island, and on this trip brought them with us. We learned that one of them was the brother of the Saboro chief, whom we rescued from the Kurabus, nearly two weeks ago. The chief and another of his tribe are now with my friends, where your warriors captured me.”
“Was Muro the chief?” he inquired.
“Yes.”
“And he is my friend.”
Without making explanations of any sort, the chief summoned his warriors, and stated to them that the Professor was their friend, and had beaten the Kurabus, and that the act of taking the Professor from his friends was a wrongful act. He commanded them to follow the Professor, and be guided by his directions. Preparations were now made for the departure.
The Professor now plainly exhibited his delight, which, had it been shown in the presence of his boys, would have made them view him with wonder. The evening meal was brought in, and the boys, as well as the Professor on this occasion, sat at the ring around which the food was spread, and the first act of the Professor was to partake sparingly of the different things offered.
This was extremely gratifying to the chief, who showed that he appreciated it. During the meal the Professor said: “What do you know about the winds and the lightning and the thunder?”
The chief studied for a moment. “There is a great spirit that does those things. He is way up in that direction,” pointing to the north.
“But is it a good spirit?” asked the Professor.
“We do not know whether he is good or bad. Sometimes he will be bad to us and sometimes good.”
“Do you ever pray to him?”
“I do not understand what that means.”
“Don’t you ever ask him to help you?”
“That would not do any good. He is too big and too far away.”
“Did the Great Spirit make you?”
The chief opened his eyes, with the suggestion of a smile, as he replied: “No; how could he make beings like us? He is a spirit, and spirits do not make men.”
“Then how did you come on the island? Somebody must have made the first man.”
“No; man always was, and always will be.”
“But somebody must have made the first bow and arrow.”
“Yes; man made that.”
“If man made the first bow, then somebody must also have made man.”
“No; I do not understand it that way. Man did not make the trees. They grow from seeds or roots, and if there had been no seeds or roots there would have been no trees. Bows do not grow, they are made.”
Here was the savage philosophy.
“But if there is a great spirit, and you know that he makes the terrible winds and the lightnings and thunder, don’t you think he would help you if you should ask him?”
He mused for a while, and then answered slowly: “It would do no good, because if the Kurabus should pray to him at the same time we are praying to him, how would we know which side he would fight for? Sometimes we win, and sometimes they win, and the Great Spirit acts the same to everybody all the time.”
The boys could not help but smile at the character of this argument.
The Professor was not yet satisfied with the information as to his beliefs.
“Do not some of the tribes offer up sacrifices to the captives?”
“Yes; some do. But we do not believe in it.”
“Do the other tribes here believe about the great spirit the same as you do?”
“Yes; about the same.”
“Well, when they offer up sacrifices, what is that done for, or to whom are the sacrifices made?”
“Ah! there; you do not understand why, nor do we know. In each tribe are wise men, and they tell us that sometimes the Great Spirit asks for some sacrifice, and that when we have sickness it will make us well, and that we will be successful in battle, and we carry out the sayings of the wise men.”
“Isn’t that a kind of prayer to the Great Spirit?”
“Oh, no! In a prayer you only ask. In a sacrifice, you give. When you give something to a man it is different from asking him for something.”
The above conversation is given, not in the exact language of the chief, because that would have been impossible, and it is therefore translated and arranged so as to make it more readable.
In the morning the warriors were lined up, and the brother of the chief, whom he called Ralsea, was in the immediate charge of them. The chief gave explicit instructions as to their behavior, and that the good will of the white chief would be of the greatest service to them and their people.
The chief on this occasion showed the wonderful power over his tribe. He was advanced in years, and unable to take active part in their struggles, but his address impressed all of them, and when he finished all held up the right hand, and bowed to the earth, and the boys seeing the Professor do likewise they also made a like obeisance, an act they had witnessed many times before.
In the meantime, what were John and his party doing? They left the deceptive trail, and crossing the ridge, hurried rapidly along the uneven ground toward the east. If it had been an open plain this attempt at concealment would not have availed them.
Traveling along in the narrow gulches and contracted valleys, which trended, in a general way, to the east, their movements were concealed, and at midday they estimated that the distance from the battle-ground was fully eight miles.
Stopping only long enough to allow the cattle to feed, and taking their luncheon in the meantime, the yaks were turned to the south, in the effort to reach the border line of the territory occupied by the Saboros.
They were now compelled to go across the ridges, instead of following along the more easy route with the streams. This made exceedingly slow going, but it was far safer, as Muro advised them, and night came all too soon for them.
The utmost vigilance was exercised during the night, as stray bands might be upon them at any moment. Once out of the Kurabus’ territory, and they would be safe from attack.
“Isn’t it singular,” exclaimed Ralph, as they sat within the wagon that night, “what a small portion of the island is really inhabited by these people?”
“There is a very good reason for that,” answered John. “The continual warfare among the tribes prevents the spread of the population. Another thing also tends to keep it down. The people have no ambition; nothing to work for. The only thing is the primal one of self-preservation.”
“What a magnificent place this would be to promote,” suggested Blakely.
“What, promote it with all the savages here?” and Tom laughed at the idea.
“Yes, indeed; they would be just the fellows to use in the promotion.”
“What is there here to promote?” asked Ralph.
“What is there here? The finest wood in the world; and besides that the island is full of mineral, or I am much mistaken. But that isn’t all. This soil is as rich as any upon the Nile or the Amazon, and it is well watered. Why, this could be made a paradise.”
“Do you mean to raise things?”
“Why, certainly. Almost everything which grows in the tropics could be cultivated here.”
“But where would the natives come in?”
“To do the work, and in the doing of it, there would be a means to work out their own salvation.”
“What would they want to work for, anyhow?” asked Tom.
John laughed at the question. “I can understand your view-point. As it is, they have absolutely no need of work. They exist, and that is the whole philosophy of life with them.”
“Then how can you change it?”
“By making them want something else.”
“How can you do that?”
“Show them something they want, and you have started them on the right road.”
“Well, as it now is, they want something and go out with their bows and arrows and spears, and try to take it.”
“Quite true; they haven’t learned the first principle in the white man’s philosophy.”
“What is it?”
“The law of least resistance.”
“What does that mean?”
“Another way of expressing it is to say that we try to get things by the easiest and quickest methods. But there is another law which must also be instilled.”
“And what is that?”
“That property is sacred; and it necessarily follows that to acquire what is mine, requires something from you in return.”
“But I do not see how you are going to put any ideas of that kind in the minds of these devils.”
“I will answer that in this way: You have brought with you a number of little mirrors, and various trinkets. The savages value things of that kind immensely. In their present condition, the plan on which they work, is to take them by force. Suppose I should say to them: ‘Bring fifty pounds of ramie fiber, or twenty pounds of barley, or some game, and I will give you a mirror.’ Such a proposal would show him the easiest route, unless he was too infernally lazy, to get the coveted article.”
“But suppose he should say that he doesn’t want to buy it, and purposes to take it in his own way?”
“Then he must be made to understand, by forcible means, that there is only one way to get it, and that is by barter.”
On the following day the course did not improve; they were still on the ridge that separated the two rivers, one flowing to the north, and the other to the south. Before nine o’clock Muro came back with the intelligence that some band could be discerned directly ahead of them, and in the line of their travel.
To go southwest would bring them right into the heart of the Kurabus’ territory, and southwesterly of their position would bring them within range of the two hostile tribes. The band was still too far away to distinguish them. Muro hoped it was his own people, but this was not considered likely, since they had not sent any runners to inform Muro of the course they were taking.
Muro knew that this would be done in any event. Blakely asked: “May it not be possible that the messengers were sent in the direction of our wagon in the north?”
“I told him where we were going, and they would follow the wagon trail.”
Stut would know how to do this, and it was therefore likely that the band in sight was either the Kurabus or the Osagas. A strong position was selected for the erection of the portable fort, and this was concealed as well as possible by shrubbery, so that unless they came too close in their march it would be unnoticed.
Muro was far in advance when they came up, but having discovered the identity of the tribe, hurried back with the startling intelligence that they were the Brabos.
“Well, they have gone through the Kurabus country. What does all this mean?”
“I infer that they are making a raid on account of the absence of the Kurabus to the southwest,” answered John.
Fortunately, it was not a large party, but that was the more singular, and it was the perplexing part of the whole matter.
“It does not seem conceivable that less than two dozen of the Brabos should venture down here,
unless they had some larger party somewhere near.”
John conferred with Muro, and he seemed to be puzzled at the new situation.
“We must fight these fellows, if they discover us, and overwhelm them. They must be scattered to the wind. It is our only alternative. Get the guns and ammunition ready, and give them volley after volley if they attempt to attack us in any way.” John was determined now.
Despite their efforts at concealment, the Brabos discovered the wagon, and without waiting for argument commenced the fight with bows and arrows.
“Now let them have it.”
The first volley was a fearful one in its effect. They halted in the rush, and turned to the east.
“Out, boys, and after them; take the extra guns, and follow them up.” With a shout the boys ran forward, ahead of Blakely and John, but Muro was, nevertheless, in the lead. Two who had been wounded at the fire, fell, and were soon overtaken.
“Don’t go over a half mile,” shouted John. It was useless to follow the fleet warriors. As they passed the fallen Brabos, both were found to be wounded in the legs, and to their surprise, begged to be taken to the wagon.
Muro spoke to them. John interpreted their appeal to mean that they were really at war with the Kurabus, and did not want to be left in the enemy’s country in their disabled condition. This was the fact as Muro gathered it from the captives.
The four lying on the battle line were dead. Muro was told to inform the captives of their peaceful intention, and that they were on a trip through the island on a mission, and not to secure captives. They were further informed that friendship on their part would be advantageous to them, and providing them with food, and a sheltered spot, the fort was replaced, and the wagon proceeded.