Chapter III: The Midnight Return to Defend Cataract

This little incident afforded only momentary relaxation to the tension caused by their surroundings.

“What can you see?” asked John.

“I can see them all,” he answered, “and they know it. I imagine Angel and his gun was a big surprise to them.”

Some months previous to the start on this trip, Angel was seen practicing with an imaginary gun, darting to and fro, as though sighting and eluding enemies, as he had seen the boys do, and his antics were so amusing, that George made a gun, which was presented to him.

Its possession was an infinite source of delight to him, and he was never without it in his hands, and the surprising thing was, it did not in any way interfere with his climbing of trees. To show how highly developed were his imitative qualities, it will be remembered that a number of extra guns were made, and when either went on a trip which was hazardous two guns were always taken along, one of which was strapped to the back.

This was noticed by him, and he tried in several ways, which were perceived by George, to supply this deficiency in his gun equipment; so that a strap was given him, and fitted to the gun, and with the new arrangement of his weapon, he would take off the gun and put it back again, and chuckle while doing it.

When George climbed the tree his gun was strapped on, and Angel strapped on his, and as soon as the new seat was made, and George was ready to view the surroundings, he took the gun from his back, and Angel did likewise.

This act, as afterwards learned from the savages, had the most remarkable impression on them. They knew the orang, and all his ways, but here was one of them, possessed of a gun, and to all intents as able to use it as the white man beside him in the tree. Of course, they had no means of knowing that Angel’s gun was merely an imitation of the real article.

“Count them, if you can. It will be interesting to know how many we are up against,” said Harry.

George scanned the field to the southeast, so as to take in all those on the same side of the river on which they were encamped. “I can see forty-two. Now let us see how many are on the other side.” In a few moments he continued: “There are only thirty.”

“Can you distinguish,” asked John, “whether all of the same tribe are on this side, or are the two peoples mixed up, some on one side, and some on the other?”

“I shall have to study that for a little. They are hiding now, so it is difficult to get a good look. I have seen only three, so far, with distinctive clearness, to be able to judge, but I think the Kurabus are on our side of the stream.”

“I am glad to know that,” continued John. “It is a good indication that they are not any too friendly with each other.” Then, calling up to George, he added: “Be very particular to look up and down stream, and tell me if you see any crossing and recrossing.”

The boys did not question John’s motives in giving George those injunctions.

“Would there by any objection if I should go up the tree and stay with George?” asked Ralph.

“Not in the least,” answered the Professor, and John gave a smiling assent to the question.

“While I am about it, I might as well take a rope along, so we can have a more easy way to get up.”

“Splendid idea,” responded John, “and before you go let me make a sailor’s ladder, which you can loop over the first limb, and thus make an easy route for our scouts.” So saying, he neatly tied and knotted the rope, and Ralph leaped over the fort, and had no trouble in making his way to the first limb, and after he had secured the rope ladder, ascended to the limb which George and Angel occupied.

The arrival of Ralph was another occasion for the peculiar chuckle on the part of Angel, and before Ralph arrived, Angel was off his seat, and began the weaving act for an additional seat, and he worked so rapidly that by the time Ralph came up the seat was ready.

George heartily welcomed Ralph. They were chums, just as Harry and Tom had grown to be particularly fond of each other.

It was now an easy matter to gain access to the tree; but John still facilitated this, when he suggested that the wagon be drawn over to the tree, and as the low top of the wagon was over eight feet high, there was no more trouble to ascend the tree than to get over the fort.

As the day passed the watchers in the top kept a sharp lookout for signs of communication between the tribes on the opposite sides of the river.

One of the savages first wounded began to show alarming symptoms and, as the Professor stated, there was every indication of blood poisoning, which was indicated by the high fever. Before evening the symptoms became more pronounced.

The bullet wound was near the hip, and in making the examination was found to be very much inflamed. George was present, and inquired: “What is it that causes the inflammation?”

“The local inflammation near the wound is produced by the tissues absorbing blood in excess, and the result is that the vessels containing the blood are so modified as to permit an unusually large amount of the watery portion of the blood to pass through the walls of the veins and arteries. This entirely disorganizes the orderly manner of carrying out the function of the blood, and it is shown by the high fever and redness exhibited.”

“Is that the same as blood poisoning?”

“That is quite a different matter. This man has what is called septic fever, which is produced by an infection of the system from bacterial germs, which were produced by the wound, so that the blood carried the germs throughout the body, and produced what is called a toxic condition. Toxic means poison, or poisoned state. When the blood is thus affected it is unable to do its proper duty, and a high heat is produced within.”

“But why is it that he has chills and then a fever?”

“During the time that the fever is rising the heat produced exceeds the heat lost. If the rise is very rapid, as in this case, the blood is withdrawn from the skin, and this withdrawal diminishes the loss of heat, which gives rise to a cold sensation or chill, and is combined, very frequently, with an attack of shivering.”

It was not considered advisable for either of the boys to remain in the tree during the night, and as soon as it was dark Tom and Harry, who were then on watch, descended, and preparations were made for the night watch.

Shortly after midnight, John took only one of the guns, and also selecting one of the bows, and several arrows, from those which were taken from the wounded captives, started out on a tour of investigation.

In an hour a series of shouts and cries disturbed the silent night. It was the cry of the warriors on the north side of the stream.

Harry, who was one of the watchers with Tom, called to his companion: “Did you hear that? I wonder if John is in trouble?” The sounds were repeated, and finally reechoed by those on the south side of the river. Everything seemed to be confusion, and the sound of tramping feet in the distance became plain.

The Professor was wakened, and the situation explained. “Hasn’t John returned? How long has he been away? Which direction did he take?” The questions were hurriedly asked, and when the boys stated that he had disappeared in the direction that the sounds came from, the matter took on a very much more serious aspect.

All crowded around the Professor, and one suggestion after the other was made, first as to the cause of the uproar, and then as to the condition of John.

“It is evident that the cause of the alarm comes through John, but how he has caused the difficulty, or what his motive is, I do not know. I cannot advise any of you to put yourselves in danger at this time.”

The tumult increased, and it appeared that the sounds moved near to the stream north of their position. While thus speculating Harry noticed a movement close to the clearing and near the fringe, along the stream. It was someone stealthily crawling along, and coming toward the wagon.

“Shall I fire?” asked Tom. The Professor held up a restraining hand. “Wait until we see what the object is.”

Coming nearer, a savage was plainly seen with his distinctive headdress, and he was now within thirty feet of the wagon. The boys were shocked to see John’s gun strapped on the warrior’s shoulder, as he carried a bow in one hand. A few feet farther and he stood up, and held up an outstretched hand, and uttered the words: “Keep quiet.”

It was John.

The relief almost caused a shout; but they remembered the injunction, and restrained themselves. In a moment more he was in the wagon; and the inevitable questions began.

“Where had he gone? What was the trouble in the camps?” and many others of like import were hurled at him.

“Let me tell the story in my own way,” he finally replied. “I had my reasons for believing that not the best fellowship, existed between our besiegers, and that was the reason I asked George to keep a sharp lookout to see whether they intermingled during the day.

“When I left the wagon I took with me the headdress of the savage on the other side of the wagon, one of the Saboros, and also the bow and arrows. I approached the Kurabus on the other side, and after stalking one of their sentries, I shot him with the arrow, which also belonged to the same tribe--the Saboros; the shot merely disabled him temporarily, and he gave the alarm, as I knew he would.

“I purposely dropped my headdress near his body, and seized his--the one I now have, together with his bow and arrows, and stole away. I remained in the near vicinity until the cries of the wounded man brought his friends, and there were the telltale Saboro arrow and headdress, and believing that the work was one of their confederates on the other side of the river, the general alarm was given, which resulted in the first cries you heard.

“I had just crossed the stream, when the first of the Saboros came up, and he was no doubt one of the scouts of their party. Taking the first advantage, and before the main portion of the warriors came up, I shot the one nearest me with the arrow I had taken from the Kurabus, and stunned him into insensibility as he fell, and I dragged his body up to within seventy-five feet of the wagon.”

The boys looked admiringly at John.

“They will have some time in explaining the mystery. One of the tribe on the other side was shot, and one of the savages on this side is missing. Each will blame the other, and we may expect some lively times in the morning.”

John was right, for when morning broke, and before either of the boys could make his way to the treetop, there was an unusual commotion among the savages. Harry and Tom were up in the tree without a moment’s loss of time, and the uproar was apparent to them at once.

“They are after each other. The Kurabus are about to attack the Saboros. Shall we take a hand?” cried Tom.

“By no means,” responded the Professor. “Let us know just what they are doing.”

Those in the wagon could now see the Kurabus cross the stream. They were numerically stronger than the Saboros, and there was now an opportunity to witness the tactics of the savages.

John could not resist the opportunity of going up into the tree to witness the combat. The attacking party skulked forward, after crossing, and dodged from tree to tree, and as fast as an advance was made the smaller party retreated, and took up position in a strong line of bush, well within sight of the tree.

A volley of arrows was the first signal for attack, and this was answered, the parties now being close enough to enable them to do some execution. The attacking party first scattered out in a line, and the Saboros immediately advanced with a rush, for the center of the position held by their enemies.

“That was a shrewd move on the part of the Saboros. See the scattered fellows trying to get away.” They were plainly being driven toward the direction of the wagon, but before reaching the stream near the wagon, crossed, and the Saboros now rushed after, attacking with their spears as they ran.

The Kurabus retreated to the northeast, as they were now cut off from going southwest along the line of the stream, and part of their force was plainly visible to the left and in the rear of the victorious party. Within an hour they saw the last of the pursuers disappearing to the northeast.

This unexpected turn to the affairs, was received with jubilant shouts from those in the treetop, when they announced the result of the fight.

Just as they were descending, Ralph, who was the last to go down, cried out: “Wait, look to the south. More of them, and they are coming directly toward us.”

John saw them, and returned to his position, calling out to those below: “Keep quiet, and do not respond to the attack. They belong to the defeated party. Undoubtedly, a part of their band.”

The shouts of the boys, so incautiously given, startled the oncoming savages, and they stopped. From their position it was impossible to see the wagon, and they did not notice the watchers in the trees.

After a moment’s halt they again came forward, and as they appeared at the clearing, caught sight of the peculiar fort structure in their way, and also saw the captives on the ground. For a moment there was consternation among them.

“I can see thirty of them, and if they go around us they will come on the trail of the party to the north, and probably will discover what has happened to them,” said John.

They were now close enough to be within range of the guns. In fact, they were near enough to use their arrows effectively, if the whites had exposed themselves. The Professor raised himself above the fort, and motioned to them, in the hope that it would cause them to desist from any further attack.

At the same time he pointed to the north, and at this motion, they drew back, and John reported that the band was making a circle around to the left. They had understood the motion, as it appeared, and, in accordance with the expectations of John and the Professor, the battle on the brink of the stream, and the discovery of the wounded, was sufficient to give them the information that their friends were being driven to the north by their late allies.

The Kurabus quickly learned from their wounded friend, the status of the quarrel, and there was a long consultation, before any action was taken.

“We do not seem to be making much headway in getting intimately acquainted with our friends on the island. We have only two things open to us. One is to proceed to the southwest, and meet the tribes living there, or to follow up the warring parties, and endeavor to establish relations with them in some manner,” was the Professor’s view of the situation.

At this juncture John descended from the tree. “I am of the opinion that the newly arrived band will follow up and try to aid their friends. The serious thing to my mind is, the thought that as they now know our location at the Cataract, one or the other party will go there and destroy everything.”

“Can you make out enough from the fellows’ answers outside to assure yourself that they were on their way to attack us there?”

“I am convinced of that,” answered John.

“I think it is our duty to return there at once,” was the Professor’s reply.

There was a unanimous assent to this proposal. It was now about ten o’clock, and George, in the treetop, called down: “They are going to the northeast.”

“Just as I expected. Keep a watch on them until they disappear, and in the meantime let us get the wagon ready.”

Tom descended to aid in the work, and the fort sections were put into place on the wagon, the yaks yoked on, and the two savages put aboard.

“They have gone, and are after their friends as fast as they can travel,” said George, as he descended, and took the rope off the last limb.

The team was directed due north, and it was a gratifying surprise to find that they were less than a quarter of a mile from the South River. The fort sections were applied at once, and without mishap the wagon was floated across, so that temporarily, at least, they were free from the savages.