"Hark!" cried Tom.
An instant later there arose, off in the woods, a chorus of wild yells. It was followed by the weird sound of tom-toms and the gourd and skin drums of the natives. The shouting noise increased, and the sound of the war drums also.
"Look!" cried Mr. Damon, pointing to a distant hill, and there the boys saw two large bodies of natives rushing toward one another, brandishing spears, clubs and the deadly blow guns.
They were not more than half a mile away, and in plain view of Tom and his party, though the two forces had not yet seen our friends.
"They"re going to fight!" cried Tom.
And the next moment the two bodies of natives came together in a ma.s.s, the enemies hurling themselves at each other with the eagerness and ferocity of wild beasts. It was a deadly battle.
CHAPTER XIII
THE DESERTION
"Say, look at those fellows pitch into one another!" gasped Ned.
"It"s fighting at close range all right," commented Mr. Damon.
"If they had rifles they wouldn"t be at it hand to hand," spoke Tom.
"Maybe it"s just as well they haven"t, for there won"t be so many killed. But say, we"d better be thinking of ourselves. They may make up their quarrel and turn against us any minute."
"No--never--no danger of them being friends--they are rival tribes,"
said San Pedro. "But either one may attack us--the one that is the victor. It is better that we keep away."
"I guess you"re right," agreed Tom. "Lead the way, San Pedro, and we"ll get out of sight."
But there was a fascination in watching the distant battle that was hard to resist. It was like looking at a moving picture, for at that distance none of the horrors of war were visible. True, natives went down by scores, and it was not to be doubted but what they were killed or injured, but it seemed more like a big football scrimmage than a fight.
"This is great!" cried Tom. "I like to watch it, but I"m sorry for the poor chaps that get hurt or killed. I hope they"re only stunned as we stunned the wild horses."
"I"m afraid it is more serious than that," spoke San Pedro. "These natives are very bloodthirsty. It would not be well for us to incur their anger."
"We won"t run any chances," decided Tom. "We"ll just travel on. Come on, Ned--Mr. Damon."
As he spoke there was a sudden victorious shout from the scene of the battle. One body of natives was seen to turn and flee, while the others pursued them.
"Now"s our time to make tracks!" called Tom. "We"ll have to push on to the next village before we can ask where the gi--" he caught himself just in time, for San Pedro was looking curiously at him.
"The senor wishes to find something?" asked the head mule driver with an insinuating smile.
"Yes," broke in Eradicate. "We all is lookin" fo" some monstrous giant orchards flowers."
"Ah, yes, orchids," spoke San Pedro. "Well, there may be some in the jungle ahead of us, but the senors have come the wrong trail for flowers," and he looked curiously at Tom, while, from afar, come the sound of the native battle though the combatants could no longer be seen.
"Never mind," said our hero quickly. "I guess I"ll find what I want.
Now come on."
They started off, skirting the burned village to get on the trail beyond it. But hardly had they made a detour of the burned huts than one of the native drivers, who was in the rear, came riding up with a shout.
"Now what"s the matter?" cried Tom, looking back.
There was a voluble chattering in Spanish between the driver and San Pedro.
"He says the natives that lived in this village have driven their enemies away, and are coming back--after us," translated the head mule driver.
"After us!" gasped Ned.
"Yes," replied San Pedro simply. "They are coming even now. They will fight too, for all their wild nature is aroused."
It needed but a moment"s listening to prove this. From the rear came wild yells and the beating of drums and tom-toms.
"Bless my fountain pen!" cried Mr. Damon. "What are we going to do?"
"Stop them if we can," answered Tom coolly. "Ned, you and I and Mr.
Damon will form a rear guard. San Pedro, take the mules and the men, and make as good time as you can in advance. We"ll take three of the fastest mules, and hold these fellows back with the electric rifles, and when we"ve done that we"ll ride on and catch up to you."
"Very good," said San Pedro, who seemed relieved to know that he did not have to do any of the fighting.
Three of the lighter weight mules, who carried small burdens, were quickly relieved of them, and mounting these steeds in preference to the ones they had been riding since they took the trail, Tom, Ned and Mr. Damon dropped back to try and hold off the enemy.
They had not far to ride nor long to wait. They could hear the fierce yells of the victorious tribesmen as they came back to their ruined village, and though there were doubtless sad hearts among them, they rejoiced that they had defeated their enemies. They knew they could soon rebuild the simple gra.s.s huts.
"Small charges, just to stun them!" ordered Tom, and the electric rifles were so adjusted.
"Here"s a good place to meet them," suggested Ned, as they came to a narrow turn in the trail. "They can"t come against us but a few at a time, and we can pump them full of electricity from here."
"The very thing!" cried Tom, as he dismounted, an example followed by the others. Then, in another moment, they saw the blacks rushing toward them. They were clad in nondescript garments, evidently of their own make, and they carried clubs, spears, bows and arrows and blow guns. There was not a firearm among them, as they pa.s.sed on after the party of our friends whom they had seen from the battle-hill.
They gave wild yells as they saw the young inventor"s friends.
"Let "em have it!" called Tom in a low voice, and the electric rifles sent out their stunning charges. Several natives in the front rank dropped, and there was a cry of fear and wonder from the others. Then, after a moment"s hesitation they pressed on again.
"Once more!" cried Tom.
Again the electric rifles spoke, and half a score went down unconscious, but not seriously hurt. In a few hours they would be as well as ever, such was the merciful charge that Tom Swift and the others used in the rifles.
The third time they fired, and this was too much for the natives.
They could not battle against an unseen and silent enemy who mowed them down like a field of grain. With wild yells they fled back along the trail they had come.
"I guess that does it!" cried Tom. "We"d better join the others now."
Mounting their mules, they galloped back to where San Pedro and his natives were pressing forward.
"Did you have the honor of defeating them," the head mule driver asked.