Biff Brewster - Brazilian Gold Mine Mystery Part 4

From the way the ants had chopped the leaves they carried, Biff took Kamuka at his word. He played hopscotch with the insects until they veered off the trail. The going became easy again, except that the atmosphere of the jungle was growing more humid. Even the chatter of the birds and monkeys was silenced in the sultry calm.

Then came a sudden rain as torrential as the big

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downpour that they had encountered on the Rio Negro. With the jungle steam rising about them, it was a case of groping along the trail, which soon became ankle deep with water. As he sloshed through the muck, Biff told Kamuka: "Those ants are smarter than we are. They must have known this was coming and carried their own umbrellas."

Kamuka interpreted that to Jacome, who laughed and pa.s.sed it along to the bearers. The rain stopped suddenly at last, but although the heat returned again, the path remained soggy underfoot. Luiz, it seemed, had lost the trail during the rain and was marching the safari into a jungle swamp.

Mr. Brewster called a halt. It was not just a matter of getting back on the trail; he wanted the best trail. For the first time, Biff heard his father mention "Piedra Del Cucuy" to Luiz, who nodded that he understood.

"We go to Piedra Del Cucuy," a.s.sured Luiz. "That is easy, now I know. I show you the best way."

Biff's clothes were dry by now except for his shoes and socks, which felt as if they were filled with lead weights as the march was resumed. Luiz soon took the safari out of the swampy land to a dry path, but at times, he showed hesitancy at places where the trail divided. Always, he came finally to a definite decision, but Jacome began to eye him suspiciously.

"We all hear Senhor Brewster say we go to Piedra Del Cucuy," Jacome confided to Biff and Kamuka.

INTO THE QUICKSAND 55.

"Now we know we go there, Luiz is afraid to take us on wrong trail. Some of us go to Piedra Del Cucuy before this. We may remember way if Luiz 'forget' it."

A little later, Biff fell in stride alongside his dad and told him what Jacome had said.

"I think there's no question but that Luiz is trying to delay us," declared Mr. Brewster. "The only puzzle is his purpose. He may simply be hoping to make more money by keeping us longer on the hike. Or he may have deliberately stalled us in order to learn our exact destination. That is why I told him. Now, I am forcing him to show his hand."

Mr. Brewster's tactics paid off by mid-afternoon. The ringing cry of the bellbird had begun again in the deep jungle, and Biff was still hoping for a sight of the elusive campanero, when Luiz led the safari on a short side trail that terminated in a clearing. There Luiz announced, "We camp here tonight."

"We could still go on a few miles farther," objected Mr. Brewster. "In fact, we might stop almost anywhere on the trail."

"Plenty of water here," argued Luiz. "Maybe not in other places."

Jacome overheard that. The big man supplied a grim but knowing grin as he muttered his own opinion to the boys.

"Maybe and maybe not," said Jacome. "In wet season, we find water everywhere; in dry season, no. But we came through big rain today, like wet season."

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After brief deliberation, Mr. Brewster gave Luiz the nod.

"We need water," he agreed, "and perhaps we are too tired to go on much farther today. We will make camp here."

Hardly had they unloaded their packs before Kamuka suggested to Biff, "Come with me. Maybe we find bellbird."

They started along a twisty jungle path in the general direction of the distant metallic sound. Kamuka was moving so hurriedly that they were out of sight of camp before Biff caught up with him and reminded him, "They may want to send us for water, back at camp-"

"That can wait," put in Kamuka. "We find bird first."

"But you told me before that there was no use looking for the bellbird, that the sound might be far away."

"I know. But this is not real bellbird. Listen."

Biff listened. The sharp note came clear again, from exactly the same direction. Biff could detect no difference between it and the anvil chorus of earlier in the day. But Kamuka could.

"Somebody is. .h.i.tting metal with hammer," the Indian boy insisted. "We look for them. We find them -if we hurry."

Kamuka waved his arm for Biff to follow, as he started a quick jog along the jungle path, hoping to reach the source of the well-faked bird call before the INTO THE QUICKSAND 57.

sounds ceased. Straight ahead, low tree branches formed a thick green arch, darkening the path between two low banks that were vivid with colorful flowers.

Mostly, they were magnificent orchids that thrived on dampness as well as heat, but Biff was unaware of that. Kamuka, though schooled in jungle knowledge, ignored the flowers in his haste. He had turned his head to see if Biff had responded to his call, when suddenly, the green carpeting of the path gave way beneath his weight.

A moment later, Kamuka was waist deep in slimy ooze, squirming, twisting about to grab at bushes on the solid ground that he had left. The tufts of gra.s.s that he clutched simply pulled loose from the soft earth. With each quickly repeated s.n.a.t.c.h, he had still less chance of gaining a hold, for he was sinking to his armpits as he panted: "Look out, Biff! Don't come close! Quicksand!"

CHAPTER VII.

The Deadly Coils BIFF stopped a dozen feet short of the spot where Kamuka, arms emerging from the mire, was frantically waving him back. Biff felt the soft bank giving way beneath him, and he immediately sprang back to solid ground, knowing that only from there could he hope to save his friend.

Kamuka was still sinking in the quicksand, though more slowly now. That gave Biff a few more minutes in which to help him; but how to help was still a question. There was no use throwing a liana vine to Kamuka; it would be too flimsy. A tree branch would be better, but the only boughs strong enough to support a person's weight were those that overhung the mire itself.

Biff couldn't wrench those branches loose from their trunks in time to save Kamuka. In fact, to push anything out from the bank looked like a hopeless plan. The best way to help would be by a pull straight

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up. Biff realized that, when he saw Kamuka look up toward the lowest bough, six feet or more above his head.

If only Kamuka could reach that far!

That thought gave Biff the answer. Skirting the quicksand, he climbed one of the trees and started working out on its lowest thick branch, hand over hand, toward the spot where Kamuka, now nearly shoulder-deep in the muck, still looked up hopefully.

So far, Biff had been worrying whether the bough would prove strong enough. Now he was wishing that it would bend more. Biff was dangling near Kamuka, but not quite above him; and it was impossible for the Indian boy to shift his position in the quicksand. But Biff was able to do the next best thing.

Locking his hands over the thick branch, Biff began a pendulum swing, out and back-out and back- bringing his ankles closer to Kamuka's reach. Kamuka made one clutch and missed, but on the next swing Biff practically placed his ankle in the Indian boy's grasp.

Kamuka caught Biff's other ankle in the same fashion, and Biff, slanting a glance downward, saw the other boy's face smiling grimly from between those upstretched arms. Kamuka's voice came calmly. "Hold tight, Biff. I will pull up slowly."

Now Biff was glad that the bough was a stout one, for he could feel it give under Kamuka's added weight. Biff tried to work himself higher by bending his arms and turning them along the branch, so that THE DEADLY COILS 61.

he could use his hands to grip his opposite wrists.

That helped at first, but Kamuka's weight kept increasing as he emerged gradually from the ooze, and the strain made Biff's shoulders feel as if they would pull from their sockets. But by then, Kamuka had worked clear of the quicksand's suction. He caught Biff's belt with one hand; then the other. Next, he was clamping Biff's shoulder and finally the tree branch.

The strain lessened then, with both boys dangling from the bough. Practically side by side, they made a hand-over-hand trip toward the tree trunk and dropped to solid ground. There they sat a moment, panting and rubbing their shoulders as they looked at each other, a bit bewildered by their short but strenuous adventure.

From the distance came that clear metallic note that they had heard before. Kamuka looked at Biff.

"We still go find it-maybe?"

"All right, Kamuka. Let's go find it."

They skirted the quicksand and took the path that Kamuka had missed in his hurry. It divided into lesser paths, but they continued to pick a course in the general direction of the clanging sound.

"Somebody use that for a signal," declared Kamuka. "When we find it, you will see that I am right-"

"You are right," Biff whispered. "Look there!"

A figure had cut into the path well ahead of them and was continuing on. Softly, Kamuka whispered the name: "Luiz!"

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The boys were fortunate. Luiz hadn't spotted them. Evidently, the guide had left the camp by another path and had followed a roundabout course to reach his present goal. Luiz, judging by the eager expression on his scheming face, was also following the call of the false bellbird. Cautiously, the boys took up Luiz's trail until he reached a clearing. There, they sidled into a patch of jungle and spread the foliage just enough to view the open s.p.a.ce in front of them.

A big man was sitting on a camp stool beside a tent. In front of him was a small anvil, and he gave it a ringing stroke with a hammer as the boys watched. Kamuka was the first to recognize the hawkish face that turned in Luiz's direction as the guide approached.

Kamuka whispered, "Urubu!"

Biff had scarcely noticed Urubu. Instead, he was staring in total amazement at two other men who had come from the tent.

"One of those men is Nicholas Serbot," he told Kamuka. "The other is his sidekick, Big Pepito. But they were in Manaus, the night we left there. How did they get here?"

"Airplane come upriver ahead of you," replied Kamuka. "Stop at maloca near rubber camp."

By maloca Kamuka meant a native village some distance back from the Rio Negro. Quickly, Biff exclaimed: "That's where they met Urubu! They must have paid him to make trouble for us!"

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Kamuka gave a chuckle. "Look like they pay Luiz, too."

Urubu was introducing Luiz to Serbot and Pepito. In the background were several native bearers, apparently under orders to keep their distance. Serbot and Pepito were watching them to make sure they did. Biff took advantage of that.

"We can move up closer," he told Kamuka. "Maybe close enough to hear what they are saying."

Kamuka silently agreed, for he crawled along with Biff until they reached the very fringe of the thinner brush, only a dozen yards from where the four men stood. There, Kamuka whispered, "This far enough."

The gra.s.s here was tall and studded with brilliant flowers and shrubs that had cropped up since the brush was thinned. By keeping almost flat on their stomachs, the boys remained completely hidden. Most of the discussion was in Portuguese, with a sprinkling of dialect, so between them Biff and Kamuka were able to understand most of what was said.

"I come for money, Senhor," Luiz told Serbot. "Like Urubu said you would give me if I delay safari."

"You will get your money later," promised Serbot. "You can't spend it here in the jungle anyway. If you even showed it, Brewster and Whitman would wonder where it came from."

Luiz started to babble an objection, only to have Urubu interrupt him.

"You have only done half your job, Luiz," Urubu 64 .

reminded him. "You gave our safari time to catch up with yours. Now you must see that we have time to get ahead."

"For that," injected Luiz, "I should be paid double."

"You will be," agreed Serbot, "if you can tell us where Brewster intends to go, so we can get there ahead of him."

Biff saw Luiz's teeth gleam in a knowing smile. The small guide spoke in dialect to Urubu, who made a prompt reply. Kamuka understood the talk and whispered to Biff: "Luiz says he can tell them what they want to know. He asks Urubu if he can trust them. Urubu says yes."

By then, Luiz had turned to Serbot. Biff's heart sank as he heard Luiz triumphantly announce: "They go to Piedra Del Cucuy!"

"The big boundary rock!" exclaimed Serbot. "That must have been Nara's boat that took Brewster and the boy up the river. Now, they probably plan to meet Nara there." He turned to Urubu, "Can you get us to Piedra Del Cucuy first?" he demanded.

"Easily," a.s.sured Urubu, "if Luiz takes them the long way."

"Maybe I should leave them," put in Luiz, "and come with you. Then they will have no guide and will not find the way at all."

"That would be all right," decided Serbot, "but THE DEADLY COILS 65.

learn what else you can first. Did Brewster mention the name Nara?"

"Nao, Senhor."

"Did he say anything about a map?"

"Nao, Senhor."

"Find out what you can about both. If you can get word to us, good. If Brewster becomes suspicious, join us. But your big job is to delay their safari. Use whatever way seems best."

That ended the parley, except for parting words from Urubu to Luiz, which greatly interested the listening boys.

"Tomorrow, I signal before we start." Urubu gestured toward the hammer and anvil. "If you do not come to join us, we will know you are staying with the safari-to guide them the long way."

Urubu and Luiz were turning in the direction of the spot where the boys lay hidden. Biff whispered to Kamuka: "Let's crawl out of here fast-"

"Stay still!" Kamuka's interruption came as a warning hiss. "Do not move-not one inch!"

Biff let his eyes turn in the direction of Kamuka's stare. Despite the intense heat of the jungle, Biff could actually feel himself freeze. Coming straight toward them through the tall gra.s.s was the head of a huge snake!

Behind it, the gra.s.s rippled from the slithering coils that followed. Fully twenty feet in length, the gigan- 66 .