"Does he make a great light and a great noise up there?" and John pointed up to the heavens.
"Yes."
"Then why did you lie to me when you said that he speaks to you in the cave?"
"We can understand it only in the cave."
While they were thus speaking John held the stone cross in his hand, and the Krishnos eyed him curiously. He finally saw the movement, and, quick as a flash, he reached down in his pocket, un.o.bserved by them, and drew forth one of the wooden matches, which they had made at the Cataract.
"What is this?" he asked sternly, pointing to the cross.
They raised their hands and rolled their eyes upwardly, as though about to p.r.o.nounce a malediction on John. He deftly drew the match along the rear side of the stone, and as it blazed forth into light, he thrust it forward into their faces.
The act was such a startling one that they threw themselves on the ground in terror.
"The Great Spirit told me that you lied, and he is about to come out of the stone and consume you. He will follow you everywhere unless you go to the Tuolos at once and tell them that the Great Spirit has told you to give up the captives, and to never again kill any of them. You must tell them we have been sent to make them our friends, and that if they do not follow this advice we will punish them."
The Krishnos cringed before John. It was obvious to the surrounding warriors that the words they had heard had an ominous import, and they saw how feeble were the devices of the so-called wise men when pitted against the knowledge of John.
John a.s.sumed a most tragic att.i.tude, as he slowly raised his arm and pointed with his finger to the savage village. "Go," he said, "and bring back to me the answer before the morning sun comes up."
They hesitated. "Do you fear to go? Are the wise men cowards? Did the Great Spirit tell you to fear the Tuolos? Shall we go and sacrifice all your people?"
"They will not believe us; they will kill us."
"Then they, too, know you have lied to them. If you remain here you will not be safe, because the great light might destroy you."
Then turning to Muro he said: "Take these men to their village, and see that they are forced to meet their chiefs," and with an imperious air he turned from them.
Muro"s warriors were not too gentle with them. The spell of savage witchcraft had been broken. John and all of them knew it. They were hustled forward in the darkness, and as they approached the village Muro told them to advise the chiefs in his presence what John had said.
Muro and the warriors, with the loaded guns, remained at a safe distance, and the Krishnos entered the village. They waited in silence for more than an hour, and then a commotion was noticed, which grew more intense as the voices increased in volume.
In the meantime John with the rest of the warriors came up quietly in the rear, and, after consulting with Blakely and Muro, the village was surrounded.
The boys saw the large hut where they were confined, after being captured, and from which they were rescued. Calling John"s attention to it, Ralph said: "That big house is the place they kept us, and that is where you found us."
John looked at them in surprise. He did not know this, as at the time the boys were rescued he was in mental darkness, and did not recall the incident.
It was obvious that some tragedy was being enacted. While awaiting the result of the conference Muro was away instructing the pickets who were around the village. He soon appeared, bringing with him two Tuolos whose dress betokened them as belonging to the same order as the individuals who had been sent into the village.
Calling John aside he said:
"The Tuolos have two rival sets of medicine men. These belong to the other set, and are the ones who perform the religious rites."
"Where did you find them?"
"Directly east of the village."
"Were they going to the village?"
"Yes."
"Did they come from the hill on the east side?"
John mused for a while, and then said quietly to Muro: "They came from a cave on the hill, where they perform their rites, and it is a place I want to see. It is one of the reasons I insisted on coming to settle matters first with the Tuolos."
Muro was astounded at the information, as he asked: "How do you know there is a cave in the hill?"
"Because I have been in it, and I know what it contains. They are having trouble in the village with the Krishnos we sent there."
"Yes," responded Muro; "and they have sent for the others, as they do not believe what they have told the chiefs."
"I will question the ones you have brought in."
The two captured were brought before John. They stood before him in defiant att.i.tude, and some of the Brabo warriors cringed at their frowning mien.
"Why were you going to the village?" he asked with a severe frown.
At this question they scarcely deigned to move their heads, and were silent. The question was repeated, but they refused to answer. This was carrying out the very line of conduct which Muro had advised John would be the case, and in concert they had mapped out a course of action.
"Tell me, Muro, have any of your people the same fear of these Krishnos as the others possess in the various tribes?"
"It is the universal belief in the various tribes that to offend them means death. The only ones who are supreme are the chiefs, who often imprison them, but even the chiefs dare not kill them."
"Will your people carry out our command if we do not order them killed?"
"My people will do whatever I say, even though it be to kill them. They saw how the other Krishnos quaked when you made the fire come out of the stone."
"Then, if they refuse to answer me, I will order them to be beaten. You will understand."
"That will be done with pleasure," he answered.
It was obvious to all that the Krishnos considered themselves immune from the threats of John, as they stood there and seemed to breathe imprecations on the heads of their captors.
CHAPTER VIII
THE SUBMISSION OF THE TUOLOS
The situation was a tense one to the entire party, and John moved forward, placing himself directly in front of them.
"Do you think the Great Spirit can prevent us from punishing you? If you do not answer immediately I will call on him to lay stripes on you. Do you answer?"
He stepped back slowly, and then suddenly spoke out the warning signal that he had arranged with Muro, and instantly six of the most powerful Saboros sprang upon them and bound them together face to face. John stood there with arms folded. He raised a hand, and two of the warriors raised the supple and toughened twigs, and brought them down on their bare backs.