The Rover of the Andes by Robert Michael Ballantyne (8 ebook reader .TXT) 📖

heard, and next instant a full-sized jaguar sprang upon the Indian with cat-like agility. Whether the brute had slipped on the muddy bank we cannot say, but it missed its aim, and, instead of alighting on the shoulders of the man, it merely struck him on the head with one of its paws in passing, and went with a tremendous splash into the water.

Tiger fell forward insensible from the severe scalp-wound inflicted. Next instant the jaguar rose, grasped the edge of the canoe, and almost overturned it as it strove to climb in; and there is no doubt that in another moment it would have succeeded, for the attack was so sudden that Quashy sat paralysed, while Lawrence forgot his pistols, and his gun lay in the bottom of the canoe! Happily, however, he recovered enough of presence of mind to use the lance in his hands. Turning the point of the weapon to the jaguar's mouth, he thrust it in with such tremendous force that it passed right down its throat and into its very vitals. With a gasping snarl the monster fell back into the stream, and was quickly drowned as well as impaled.

"Help me to haul him on board," cried Lawrence.

Thus awakened, the negro, relieving his feelings by giving vent to a roar which partook somewhat of a cheer, seized the jaguar's tail. His master grasped its ears, and in another moment it lay in the bottom of the canoe.

"Now, help to lay the poor fellow beside it," said Lawrence.

"O massa!--he not dead, eh?" groaned the negro, as he assisted in the work.

"No; nor likely to die yet a while," replied Lawrence, with much satisfaction, as he examined and bound up the scalp-wound. "It is not deep; he'll soon come round; but we must get him home without delay. Out with your paddle, Quashy, and use it well. I'll take the bow."

The canoe, which, during these proceedings, had been floating slowly down stream, was now turned in the right direction, and in a short time was out upon the larger river.

Here, however, they had to labour with energy against the stream, and it was far on in the afternoon before they came in sight of the Indian's hut. By that time Spotted Tiger had partially recovered, as Lawrence observed during a pause made for rest. On reaching an eddy, which carried the canoe in the right direction, they rested again. The cessation of paddling appeared to rouse the wounded man, for he sat up, and, with a half-dazed look, stared at the head of the dead jaguar, on the haunch of which his elbow leaned. Then he cast an inquiring look at Lawrence, who replied to him with a nod and a smile, and went on to indicate, by means of pantomime, what had occurred.

He pointed to the animal's claws, and to Tiger's head; then to the bloody spear which lay at his side, and to the jaguar's blood-stained throat, after which he pointed to his own breast and nodded again.

The Indian evidently understood him, for an expression of gratitude overspread his countenance as he extended his right hand--English fashion--for a shake. Our hero was not slow to grasp it, and the two exchanged a squeeze which told of lasting friendship and good-will.

A few minutes later, and the canoe was run upon the bank in front of the hut, where all the children were assembled to receive them.

It did not seem as if any of the family were deeply affected by the shaky appearance of the father as he stepped on shore, but the younger members evinced feelings of intense delight when the jaguar was lifted out; and two of them, seizing the tail as a tow-rope, passed it over their shoulders, and dragged the carcass up to the hut to show it to their mother.

O mothers! loving repositories of childhood's joys and woes, ye are unquestionably the same in substance and in spirit all the world over!

Tiger's wife was more affected than Lawrence expected she would have been by her husband's accident, and tended him with anxious care. By taking hold of him, and laying him gently down in a corner opposite to that of his sick child, Lawrence gave him to understand that it was his duty to take rest. To say truth, he did not require much persuasion, but at once laid his head on his pillow, and quietly went to sleep.

"The hospital is filling rather quickly, Manuela," said Lawrence, when he had finished tending his new patient, "and your duties are increasing, I fear."

"No fear. Me likes to nuss," replied the girl, with a look that puzzled the young doctor.

It was Manuela's fascinating smile that came hardest on our poor hero. When she looked grave or sad, he could regard her as a mere statue, an unusually classical-looking bronze savage; but when she smiled, there was something so bewitchingly sweet in the lines of her little face that he felt constrained to shut his eyes, turn away, and groan in spirit, to think that she was brown, and a savage!

"Was there _ever_ a case," he thought, "so mysteriously miserable, so singularly sad, as mine! If she were only white, I would marry her at once, (if she would have me), for the sake of her gentle spirit alone,-- ay, even though she were the child of a costermonger; but I cannot, I _do_ not, love a savage, the daughter of a savage chief, with a skin the colour of shoe leather! No, it is impossible! and yet, I am in love with her spirit. I know it. I feel it. I never heard of such a strange thing before,--a man in love with a portion of a woman, and that the immaterial portion!"

The last word changed the current of his thoughts, for it suggested the idea of another "portion" belonging to some girls with which men are too apt to fall in love!

"Massa, de grub's ready," said Quashy, entering the hut at that moment.

"Go to work then, Quash. Don't wait. I'll be with you directly."

But Quashy did wait. He was much too unselfish a son of ebony to think of beginning before his master.

When they had seated themselves on the grass outside the hut, along with Manuela, who left her post of duty in order to dine, and had made a considerable impression on the alligator-ragout and tiger-steaks and other delicacies, Quashy heaved a deep sigh of partial satisfaction, and asked if Tiger would be well enough to go out hunting next day.

"I think not," said Lawrence; "no doubt he may _feel_ able for it, but if he shows any disposition to do so, I shall forbid him."

"How you forbid him, when you not can speak hims tongue?" asked Manuela, in a mild little voice, but with an arch look to which her arched black eyebrows gave intense expression.

"Well," replied Lawrence, laughing, "I must try signs, I suppose, as usual."

"No use, massa," said Quashy; "nebber make him understan'. I gib you a plan. See here. You tie him up hand an' foot; den we go off huntin' by our lone, an' let him lie till we comes back."

Lawrence shook his head. "I fear he would kill us on our return. No, we must just go off early in the morning before he wakes, and get Manuela to try her hand at sign-language. She can prevail on him, no doubt, to remain at home."

"I vill try," said Manuela, with a laugh.

In pursuance of this plan, Lawrence and Quashy rose before broad daylight the following morning, launched the little canoe they had used the day before, put gun, spears, etcetera, on board, and were about to push off, when one of the boys of the family ran down, and seemed to wish to accompany them.

"We'd better take him," said Lawrence; "he's not very big or old, but he seems intelligent enough, and no doubt knows something of his father's haunts and sporting customs."

"You's right, massa," assented the negro.

Lawrence made a sign to the lad to embark, and Quashy backed the invitation with--

"Jump aboord, Leetle Cub."

Instead of obeying, Leetle Cub ran up into the bush, but presently returned with a long stick like a headless lance, a bow and arrows, and an instrument resembling a large grappling anchor, made of wood. Placing these softly in the canoe, the little fellow, who seemed to be about ten years of age, stepped in, and they all pushed off into the river--getting out of sight of the hut without having roused any one. Turning into the same stream which they had visited the day before, they pushed past the place where the jaguar had been killed, and entered on an exploration, as Lawrence called it.

"I'm very fond of an exploration, Quashy," he said, dipping his paddle softly, and working gently, for there was so little current that it seemed more like the narrows of a lake than a stream.

"Yes, I's bery fond ob 'sploration too, massa," replied the negro, with a self-satisfied nod. "It am so nice not to know whar you's gwine to, or whar you's comin' to, or who's dar, or who's not dar, or what fish'll turn up, or what beast'll turn down, or what nixt--oh! it _am_ so jolly! what you sniggerin' at, you dirty leetle cub?"

The question was put to the Indian boy, who seemed much amused by something he saw up among the trees.

Looking up they saw at least a dozen red monkeys grinning at them, and one of these--a small one--was hanging on by its father's tail.

"Oh! shoot! shoot!" cried Quashy to Lawrence, opening his great eyes eagerly. "Dey's _so_ good to eat!"

"No, Quash, I won't shoot. We have shot enough of fat ducks to feed us all for one or two days at least. Besides, I can't bear to kill monkeys. It feels so like committing murder."

While he was yet speaking, Leetle Cub had taken up the long lance-like stick before mentioned and pointed it at the monkeys. It was a blow-pipe. Before Lawrence could interfere, the short arrow with which it was charged had sped on its mission with deadly aim, and the smallest monkey, relaxing its hold of the paternal tail, fell without even a cry into the water--shot through the heart.

Lawrence said nothing, but, resolving that if the boy should attempt such another shot, he would disturb his aim, he dipped his paddle vigorously, and pushed up the river.

Coming at last to an open space where the stream widened into something like a little pond, they observed an erection of timber on the bank which aroused their curiosity. It also seemed to arouse the Cub's interest, for he made somewhat excited signs that he wished to land there. Willing to humour him, they ran the canoe on the beach. Leetle Cub jumped out at once, and, taking up the anchor-like piece of wood before mentioned, went with it towards the timber erection.

"I do believe it is an alligator-hook," said Lawrence.

"Das a fact," said Quashy, "we'll washum," (by which he meant, "we'll watch him!")

It was indeed interesting to watch that little fellow--who was evidently in all respects a thorough chip of the old block--as he went