The Wonder Island Boys: The Tribesmen Part 2

The first care was to select a camping spot, which was as much in the open as possible, and the utmost care exercised to guard against surprises.

But what had become of the savages in the rear? It was impossible to obliterate the tracks of the wagon, so they might be easily followed.

"I believe the hostile att.i.tude of the two warring parties is, after all, a factor in our favor, because if both try to follow us they are bound to again come into contact with each other, so we may be free from that worry."

"Isn't it likely that one or the other may send messengers to the village, if what we see beyond is any evidence, and thereby bring all of them against us?" Harry ventured to ask.

"That is a probability I have been considering, and our only course is to resist their attacks, and, as I have stated, endeavor to capture one of them, so we can establish communications."

Camp was made for the night, but there was no disturbance, and there was a visible relief in the minds of all as morning approached and no signs of an enemy in either quarter.

The yaks were hitched up shortly after breakfast, and the long, sloping descent began. Angel was ahead swinging from tree to tree, and before they had proceeded a mile began chattering from the tree top, in his peculiar way betokening alarm. George ran up, called him down, and started forward. Angel followed, chattering more vigorously, and when George turned in another direction he ceased, thus showing conclusively the direction of the alarm, and it was well they profited by it, for now within fifteen minutes the savages were plainly seen.

They came forward, fully fifty or more, working their way cautiously along, and, no doubt, fully aware of the location of the wagon and its occupants. The crucial time had come, and George rushed back to the wagon, but before he had fully reached it a scouting party well in advance of the main body came within hailing distance.

The Professor, as before, walked out from the wagon, and held up his hand as a token of peace, but to this they made no response, but continued their cautious forward movement, creeping from one vantage point to the next, and the wagon was then turned so that its rear end was toward the oncoming savages.

Harry was directed to drive the team toward a cl.u.s.ter of bush at the right, and they were urged forward with all haste. The yak is a fast-moving animal, and started forward on a run, soon gaining the shelter selected. It should be stated that when the team, which had been named Jack and Jill, was first broken in, the animals were taught to be driven by means of lines, and this was now of great service to them.

With their bolos they cut out a s.p.a.ce at one side of the undergrowth, into which the yaks were driven and thus afforded protection, and the guns were taken out and arranged in order to enable them to be readily handled.

Before all preparations had been completed the main body came up, and all breathlessly awaited the attack. They halted several hundred feet away, and the Professor sought by means of signs to indicate his peaceful intent, but this did not have the least effect, as arrangement for an a.s.sault was manifested by the preparations which were now plainly perceptible.

The Professor retreated to the wagon, and his cautioning words were: "Do not fire excitedly or wildly, and be careful not to fire at too long range. Furthermore, shoot the leaders, or those who appear to take the lead. Another thing, fire and reload. Do not take the loaded guns which are in reserve, because we may need them later on, at a more critical time. These will be very serviceable if they attempt to rush us. In that event we shall have six guns and two pistols to meet them with."

Contrary to expectations no immediate attempt was made to attack, and the Professor again tried to attract them by signs. For a time no further hostile movement was made, and it began to look as though his efforts would win; but suddenly, with a concerted movement, the bows were swung upward, and arrows began to fall dangerously near.

As no movement was made on the part of the Professor and his party, the savages mistook its meaning, and a charge was made. "Now deliberately pick your man and fire." No sooner had the order been given before all fired, and four fell, two of them being, without doubt, the chiefs, as the howling was beyond all description.

A second volley was not necessary. The two wounded men were surrounded and carried off. The others lay where they fell, and after a short pause another rush was made, this time much nearer to the wagon. It was fortunate that the pause was long enough to enable them to reload. On they came, and when within seventy-five feet, the Professor gave the order for another volley. At this distance there was no excuse for a miss. The leader was a powerful specimen, with a distinctive badge, and the Professor announced that he intended to use him as a mark, and he was the first to fall, together with three more.

Thus, at two shots, one-fifth of their fighting force was disabled. "Now let us charge," said the Professor, and John divining the meaning was the first to leap from the wagon. The main body of the savages broke for cover, but several, more venturesome than the rest, sought to carry away the wounded chief. When one of them turned to discharge his arrow, John raised his gun to his shoulder, as each of them had taken one of the reserve guns, but before he could fire, the native turned and followed his companions, leaving the chief to his fate.

[Ill.u.s.tration: "_The main body of the savages broke for cover, but several, more venturesome than the rest, sought to carry away the chief_" [See p. 32]]

The rush with the newly loaded guns was accompanied by shouts on the part of the boys, who were instructed to do so by the Professor. "Don't go far beyond the chief," was his order; "we need him, and you must not venture into an ambush."

The boys did not dare to go far beyond the wounded man, and the Professor, with the aid of John, had now come up to him, and together forced him to accompany him back to the wagon. He was wounded in both legs, the shot having pa.s.sed through the kneecap of one leg and through the tendon of the other, thus completely putting him out of action.

When the boys returned from the charge they a.s.sisted in conveying him to the wagon, and the Professor at once applied bandages to his limbs. This was getting an opportunity, at close range, to view one of their enemies.

The shot proved to be a glancing one, so that the bullet was still in the tendon of the right leg. When the Professor applied the bandages the savage was surprised at the proceeding. He evidently expected different treatment, and glanced at his captors in amazement. During the first few minutes of these interesting details, the boys had entirely forgotten the savages, and the Professor called out a warning not to rest too securely.

When the natives saw that the pursuit was not kept up they halted and slowly and cautiously, returned. It was evident that they were preparing for another fight. The wagon top was removed at one side, and the chief hoisted up and seated in plain view of his fellows, while the Professor directed the boys how to secure him in that position.

The entire band now appeared at the edge of the wood, not two hundred feet away, evidently with the view to another attack. All the guns had now been reloaded, and with the chief with them they had no fear of an attack with arrows.

The Professor placed himself before the chief, and by motions endeavored to inform the chief that if his men made any attack on them he would forfeit his life. The chief understood, and in a peculiar guttural tongue informed his men of the danger he was in.

Without further incident they disappeared, and now began the effort to instil and extract information. He was entirely naked except a distinctive headdress and a breech cloth, of very peculiar workmanship.

The color of his skin was not black, like the negro, but rather copper-colored, like the Indian, thus confirming the impression which was first obtained the night before.

CHAPTER III

A THIRD ATTACKING TRIBE

There was no common ground on which to start the mute conversation, and the only replies volunteered by him were occasional grunts. Not a groan escaped his lips when the Professor sought to remove the bullet, but he sat there stoically, and bore it without a sign. The boys could not help but admire his heroic mien throughout the trying hour, and when the bullet was finally cut out and the wound carefully bound up, it looked as though he tried to thank the Professor for the service.

During the remainder of the afternoon the Professor persisted in the effort to gain some information, but not the slightest glimpse of intelligence was extracted.

Finally George said: "I wonder if he has anything in those pouches? We found some things in the others, you remember." This was a hint not to be overlooked. A search was made, and among numerous trinkets was a photograph of a dozen or more young men, and with a shout George recognized it as one which had been taken on shipboard several weeks before the explosion on board the _Investigator_, and which sent her to the bottom.

George and Harry were both in the picture, and were pointed out. Here was the very thing which was needed as a connecting link in their interview with the chief. With the picture before him the chief was requested to look at George and then at the picture, and so in the case of Harry. The chief saw, and recognized the similarity, and his eyes opened in astonishment. This was a most remarkable discovery.

When the Professor pointed to the others in the picture, and then to the chief, the latter seemed for the first time to comprehend, but he slowly shook his head and grunted, or made use of his own language to indicate that he had no knowledge of them. The boys were fairly wild with delight.

"Why not hunt the pockets of the other fellows?" shouted out Harry, as he scrambled over the tailboard. About a hundred and fifty feet beyond were the two who had fallen at the first fire, and they were searched, but nothing in any way connecting them with their companions was revealed, and later they went over the contents of the chief's pockets with greater care.

An American coin, a matchbox, and several other articles, which were apparently the relics of stickpins, were all that had any appreciable value. There was nothing on any of the articles which had a name or even the initials to give them a clue. As they were returning to the wagon Harry picked up a small silver match safe, and on this were the initials "J L V." "Who is J L V? Did you know of anyone by that name?"

"I don't remember anyone by that name. The name is not an unusual one to begin with a V."

The Professor did not recall anyone by that name. The box was handed around, and when John saw it, he started as though he had been struck.

He reached for it and almost grasped it from the Professor's hand, and turned it over and over, and glanced at the initials, and then looked at the Professor, and then at the boys, and his eyes ceased their wanderings as he gazed at the chief.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Fig. 2. The match safe._]

Could it be possible that his name was John L. V.? Was that his match safe? What a wonderful possibility lay in these two happenings which came so close together!

The chief, too, looked at the match safe, and when the Professor pointed to John and then directed the captive's attention to the match safe, he did it with the view of ascertaining whether or not he had ever seen John. But to all these questionings the savage shook his head and grunted a plain negative.

A careful watch had been kept during the entire day, in the hope that the savages would reappear, and that the treatment of the chief would be such as to predispose him in their favor, and thus open the way to obtain such information as would be of service in aiding their companions.

As night approached preparations were made to guard against any night attack, and the prisoner was securely bound to prevent him from obtaining any of the weapons. One singular thing about all of the headgear and other articles of wear was the profusion of human hair, which was worked into many of the garments or formed a prominent decorative feature.

George was the first to notice this peculiarity. "Why is it that most savage tribes take human hair or scalp their victims?"

"The North American Indian was noted for the custom of taking the scalp of his enemies. It probably grew out of the desire to use the locks for the purpose of decorations, just as you see in the case before you. In olden times it was the custom of the vanquished to indicate submission by plucking out a handful of hair and offering it to the victim as a token of submission, but whether this grew out of the custom of scalping, or whether the latter was an outgrowth of the hair token, is not known."

"What interests me is, why they should take a portion of the skin if they wanted the hair simply for decoration?"

"Princ.i.p.ally because that was the easiest way to keep the lock intact.

Spencer, in his 'Evolution of Ceremonial Forms of Government,' relates some curious things growing out of this custom of taking tribute of hair. Thus, the habit of stroking the mustache, a custom prevalent among Spanish courtiers, arose from this habit. The stroking was done in the presence of ladies and superiors to indicate submission, or as an evidence of inferiority."