He went to his men again, for they were rowing along a smooth-gliding reach, at the end of which rough water appeared, and all hands were called into requisition to help the boat up the long stretch of rapids, at the end of which, as they glided into smooth water again, Shaddy declared that they had mounted a good twenty feet.
Day after day was spent in this steady journeying onward. The weather was glorious, and the forest on either side looked as if it had never been trod by man. So full of wonders, too, was it for Brazier, that again and again as night closed in, and they moored on their right to some tree for the men to land and light their fire and cook, he thanked their guide for bringing him, as the first botanist, to a region where every hour he collected treasures.
"And some folk would sneer at the pretty things, and turn away because they weren"t gold, or silver, or precious stones," muttered Shaddy.
All this time almost imperceptibly they were rising and climbing Shaddy"s water steps, as he had called them. They fished and had success enough to keep their larder well stocked. Birds were shot such as were excellent eating, and twice over Shaddy brought down iguanas, which, though looked upon with distrust by the travellers, were welcomed by the boatmen, who were loud in their praise.
It was a dream-like existence, and wonderfully restful to the lads who had pa.s.sed through so many troubles, while the boat presented an appearance, with its load of drying specimens, strongly suggestive of there being very little room for more.
CHAPTER THIRTY SIX.
WAR.
They had literally climbed a long rapid one morning, and entered a broad reach of the river which resembled a lake in its extent. The water here was smooth, and had a current that was barely perceptible, hence their progress was swift, and as they were rowing round a bend the question arose where they should halt for the midday rest, when suddenly an e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.i.o.n escaped from their guide"s lips, and the men ceased pulling, leaving the boat to drift slowly on over the glowing mirror-like surface, which was as if of polished steel.
"What is it, Shaddy?" cried Rob quickly. "Are we going wrong?" But as he spoke he caught sight of the reason for the sudden stoppage, for there right in front, ash.o.r.e and in canoes, were about twenty Indians, standing up and apparently watching them in speechless astonishment.
"Indians!" cried Rob.
"Yes, my lad, and we"ve done pretty well to come all these hundreds of miles without hitting upon them before. Don"t hurry, Mr Brazier, sir, and don"t let them think that we mind "em, but lay the guns ready, and the ammunition, so that we can give them as good as they send, and mind, if it comes to fighting, every one"s to lie down in the boat and keep under cover."
"Perhaps there will be no trouble," said Brazier quietly. "They seem to be peaceable enough."
"Yes, sir, seem to be; but you can"t trust "em."
Just then the Indians ceased staring at the party in the boat, and went on with the pursuit in which they were engaged as the boat swept round the bend. This was shooting at some object in the water, apparently for practice, but in a peculiar way, for the lads saw the men take aim high up in the air, so that their arrows turned far on high and fell with lightning-like rapidity upon certain shiny spots just flush with the surface of the water; and while Rob was wondering the guide whispered,--
"Shooting turtles! They"re wonderful clever at it. If they fired straight, the arrows would start off. This way they come down, go through the rough hide, and kill the turtle."
Of this they had proof again and again as they rowed slowly on, their course taking them close to one canoe whose owner had gone off from near the sh.o.r.e to recover a turtle that he had shot.
This Shaddy tried to obtain, offering something by way of barter, but the man bent down to his paddle with a face full of mistrust, and forced his light vessel toward where his companions had gathered to watch the strangers.
"I don"t like that," muttered Shaddy in Rob"s hearing, and at the same moment Joe whispered,--
"They don"t mean to be friends, and we shall have to look out."
As he spoke he stretched out his hand for his gun, and began to examine it carefully, a proceeding that was imitated by the others, but in a quiet unostentatious way, so as not to take the attention of the Indians.
A few moments" counsel ended in a determination not to try again to make advances, by no means to halt for the midday rest, but to keep steadily on without paying any heed to the Indians, who followed slowly as the oars were plied, and at a respectful distance.
"How far does this smooth water go, Naylor?" asked Brazier.
"Six or seven miles, sir."
"And is there a long rapid at the end?"
"Yes, sir, as long as any we have pa.s.sed."
"Where they could take us at a disadvantage?"
"Yes, sir," said Shaddy, grimly indeed. "If it"s to come to a fight, we had better have it out here in the open, where we can shelter ourselves in the boat."
"Then you think it will come to an encounter?"
"I"m afraid so, sir, if you must have the truth."
"What about your men?"
"Oh, they"ll fight for their lives if they"re driven to it, sir; but the worst of it is, these sort of fellows fight in a cowardly way, either with poisoned arrows or by shooting their arrows up straight in the air so that they come down upon you when you least expect it and can"t shelter against them."
"A false alarm!" cried Rob joyously, for the Indians had all ceased paddling, and after a minute or two, as if by one consent, turned the heads of their canoes to the sh.o.r.e and went straight away, disappearing at last amongst the trees which overhung the river bank.
Shaddy made no reply to the speaker, but, the way being clear, bade his men to row steadily on for another half-hour, when a halt was called, and refreshments served round in the boat, but with orders for them to be hastily eaten.
After this the rowing was resumed till the afternoon was far advanced, and the end of the lake-like reach was still apparently far-away. The broad expanse had for a long time past been entirely free from all signs of the Indians, and Rob was congratulating himself upon their escape, when Joe pointed straight back along the broad river-lake to where a canoe suddenly shot round a corner; then another came into view, and another, and another, till there were between thirty and forty visible, each bearing four or five men, and a chill of horror shot through Rob as he felt that this must mean war, and that they would be helpless in the extreme if so large a body of men made a determined attack.
"I was afraid of that," said Shaddy quietly, "Strange as they can"t leave us alone."
"What do you propose doing, Naylor?" said Mr Brazier eagerly.
"There ain"t no proposing, sir. It"s all driving to do what is for the best. We must face "em."
"Why not land and try and find shelter in the woods?"
"Because, sir, they"d destroy our boat and follow us and shoot us down like so many wild beasts. Our only hope is to keep on as long as we can, and if the chance comes take to the rapid and get on it. They mightn"t care about venturing in their light boats. But we shall see."
There was a very stern look in Brazier"s countenance, a look that seemed to have been reflected from that of the old sailor, as weapons were once more examined.
"I don"t like fighting, boys," he said, "but if we are driven to it, we must defend our lives."
Then turning to Shaddy, "Can"t you depend upon your men to help us, Naylor?" he said.
"I"m going to depend upon "em to row, sir," said the old sailor sternly.
"We can kill quite enough people without their help. They"re the engines, sir, to take us out of danger, while we keep the enemy at a distance."
Meanwhile the boat was being steadily propelled toward the end of the lake-like enlargement of the river, where a few low hills rose, showing where the rapids would be which they had to surmount; but it soon became evident that the light canoes would be alongside before the exit from the lake could be reached, and Rob said so.
"Yes, sir, you"re quite right, unless we can scare them off," said the guide, who had been busy making a rough barricade in the stern by piling boxes and barrels one upon another, leaving openings through which they could fire, saying, "It isn"t strength we want so much as shelter to baulk their aim, for they"re terribly clever with their bows and arrows, Mr Rob, sir."
But very little was said in those anxious minutes, with the little party, after their many struggles with nature, now called upon to prepare to face man in his savage form.
"Feel frightened, Joe?" whispered Rob as the two boys lay together by a couple of loopholes, well sheltered beneath the awning.
"Shall you laugh at me if I say yes?"