Afloat in the Forest Part 7

A BATTLE WITH BIRDS.

Scarce had the Paraense succeeded in establis.h.i.+ng himself on the tree, when an exclamation from his companion, higher up among the branches, caused him to look aloft. "Hoo-hoo!" was the cry that came from the lips of the Mundurucu, in a tone of gratification.

"What is it, Munday?"

"Something good to eat, master?"

"I'm glad to hear it. I feel hungry enough in all conscience; and these sapucaya nuts don't quite satisfy me. I'd like a little fish or flesh meat along with them."

"It's neither," rejoined the Indian. "Something as good, though. It's fowl! I've found an arara's nest."

"O, a macaw! But where is the bird? You haven't caught it yet?"

"Haven't I?" responded the Mundurucu, plunging his arm elbow-deep into a cavity in the tree-trunk; and dragging forth a half-fledged bird, nearly as big as a chicken. "Ah, a nest! young ones! Fat as b.u.t.ter too!"

"All right. We must take them back with us. Our friends in the sapucaya are hungry as we, and will be right glad to see such an addition to the larder."

But Richard's reply was unheard; for, from the moment that the Mundurucu had pulled the young macaw out of its nest, the creature set up such a screaming and flopping of its half-fledged wings, as to fill all the woods around. The discordant ululation was taken up and repeated by a companion within the cavity; and then, to the astonishment of the twain, half a score of similar screaming voices were heard issuing from different places higher up in the tree, where it was evident there were several other cavities, each containing a nest full of young araras.

"A regular breeding-place, a macaw-cot," cried Richard, laughing as he spoke. "We'll get squabs enough to keep us all for a week!"

The words had scarce pa.s.sed his lips, when a loud clangour reverberated upon the air. It was a confused mixture of noises,--a screaming and chattering,--that bore some resemblance to the human voice; as if half a score of Punches were quarrelling with as many Judys at the same time.

The sounds, when first heard, were at some distance; but before twenty could have been counted, they were uttered close to the ears of the Mundurucu, who was highest up, while the sun became partially obscured by the outspread wings of a score of great birds, hovering in hurried flight around the top of the seringa. There was no mystery about the matter. The new-comers were the parents of the young macaws--the owners of the nests--returning from a search for provender for their pets, whose piercing cries had summoned them in all haste to their home. As yet, neither the Indian nor his young companion conceived any cause for alarm. Foolish indeed to be frightened by a flock of birds! They were not allowed to indulge long in this comfortable equanimity; for, almost on the moment of their arrival above the tree, the united parentage of araras plunged down among the branches, and, with wing, beak, and talons, began an instant and simultaneous attack upon the intruders.

The Indian was the first to receive their onset. Made in such a united and irresistible manner, it had the effect of causing him to let go the chick, which fell with a plunge into the water below. In its descent it was accompanied by half a dozen of the other birds,--its own parents, perhaps, and their more immediate friends,--and these, for the first time espying a second enemy farther down, directed their attack upon him. The force of the a.s.sailants was thus divided; the larger number continued their onslaught upon the Indian, though the young Paraense at the same time found his hands quite full enough in defending himself, considering that he carried nothing in the shape of a weapon, and that his body, like that of his comrade, was altogether unprotected by vestments. To be sure, the Mundurucu was armed with a sharp knife, which he had brought along with him in his girdle; but this was of very little use against his winged enemies; and although he succeeded in striking down one or two of them, it was done rather by a blow of the fist than by the blade.

In a dozen seconds both had received almost as many scratches from the beaks and talons of the birds, which still continued the combat with a fury that showed no signs of relaxation or abatement. The Paraense did not stay either to take counsel or imitate the example of his more sage companion, but, hastily bending down upon the limb whereon he had been maintaining the unequal contest, he plunged headforemost into the water.

Of course a "header" from such a height carried him under the surface; and his a.s.sailants, for the moment missing him, flew back into the tree-top, and joined in the a.s.sault on Munday. The latter, who had by this become rather sick of the contest, thinking of no better plan, followed his comrade's example. Hastily he flung himself into the flood, and, first diving below the surface, came up beside the Paraense, and the two swam away side by side in silence, each leaving behind him a tiny string of red; for the blood was flowing freely from the scratches received in their strange encounter.

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE.

A CONTEST WITH CUDGELS.

Our discomfited adventurers did not swim far from the seringa, for the birds did not follow them. Satisfied with seeing the burglars fairly beyond the boundaries of their domicile, the tenants of the tree returned to their nests, as if to ascertain what amount of damage had been done. In a short time the commotion had almost subsided, though there was heard an occasional scream,--the wail of the bereaved parents; for the helpless squab, after struggling a while on the surface of the water, had gone suddenly out of sight. There was no danger, therefore, of further molestation from their late a.s.sailants, so long as they should be left in quiet possession of the seringa, and therefore there was no further necessity for the two swimmers to retreat. A new intention had shaped itself in Munday's mind by this time, and he expressed his determination to return, to the surprise of the youth, who asked his purpose.

"Partly the purpose for which we first climbed it, and partly," added he, with an angry roll of his almond-shaped eyes, "to obtain revenge. A Mundurucu is not to be bled in this fas.h.i.+on, even by birds, without drawing blood in return. I don't go out from this _igarape_ till I've killed every arara, old as well as young, in that accursed tree, or chased the last of them out of it. Follow, and I'll show you how."

The Indian turned his face towards the thicket of tree-tops forming one side of the water arcade, and with a stroke or two brought himself within reach of some hanging parasites, and climbed up, bidding Richard follow. Once more they were shut in among the tops of what appeared to be a gigantic mimosa. "It will do," muttered the Mundurucu drawing his knife and cutting a stout branch, which he soon converted into a cudgel of about two feet in length. This he handed to his companion, and then, selecting a second branch of still stouter proportions, fas.h.i.+oned a similar club for himself.

"Now," said he, after having pruned the sticks to his satisfaction, "we're both armed, and ready to give battle to the araras, with a better chance of coming off victorious. Let us lose no time. We have other work to occupy us, and your friends will be impatient for our return."

Saying this, he let himself down into the water, and turned towards the seringa. His _protege_ made no protest, but followed instantly after.

Tightly clutching their cudgels, both reascended the seringa, and renewed the battle with the birds. The numbers were even more unequal than before; but this time the advantage was on the side of the intruders.

Striking with their clubs of heavy acacia-wood, the birds fell at every blow, until not one arara fluttered among the foliage. Most of these had fallen wounded upon the water; a few only, seeing certain destruction before them, took flight into the far recesses of the flooded forest. The Mundurucu, true to his promise, did not leave a living bird upon the tree.

One after another, he hauled the half-fledged chicks from their nests; one after another, twisted their necks; and then, tying their legs together with a sipo, he separated the bunch into two equally-balanced parts, hanging it over a limb of the tree. "They can stay there till ee come back, which will be soon. And now let us accomplish the purpose for which we came here!" Laying aside the club that had made such havoc among the macaws, he drew the knife from his girdle. Selecting a spot on one of the larger limbs of the seringa, he made an incision in the bark, from which the milky juice immediately flowed.

He had made provision against any loss of the precious fluid in the shape of a pair of huge monkey-pots, taken from a sapucaya while on the way, and which had been all the while lying in their place of deposit in a network of parasites. One of these he gave Richard, to hold under the tap while he made a second incision upon a longer limb of the seringa.

Both nutsh.e.l.ls were quickly filled with the glutinous juice, which soon began to thicken and coagulate like rich cream. The lids were restored to their places, and tied on with sipos, and then a large quant.i.ty of this natural cordage was collected and made up into a portable shape.

This accomplished, the Mundurucu signified his intention of returning to the castaways; and, after apportioning part of the spoil to his companion, set out on the way they had come. The young Paraense swam close in his wake, and in ten minutes they had re-traversed the igarape, and saw before them the bright sun gilding the Gapo at its embouchure, that appeared like the mouth of some subterraneous cavern.

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR.

CHASED BY A JACARe.

A few more strokes would have carried the swimmers clear of the water arcade. Richard was already congratulating himself on the prospect of escaping from the gloomy shadow, when all at once his companion started, raised his head high above the surface, and gazed backward along the dark arcade. As he did so, an exclamation escaped him, which only could be one of alarm. "A monster!" cried the Mundurucu.

"A monster! What sort? where?"

"Yonder,--just by the edge of the igarape,--close in to the trees,--his body half hid under the hanging branches."

"I see something like the trunk of a dead tree, afloat upon the water.

A monster you say, Munday? What do you make it out to be?"

"The body of a big reptile,--big enough to swallow us both. It's the _Jacare-ua.s.su_. I heard its plunge. Did not you?"

"I heard nothing like a plunge, except that made by ourselves in swimming."

"No matter. There was such a noise but a moment ago. See! the monster is again in motion. He is after us!"

The dark body Richard had taken for the drifting trunk of a tree was now in motion, and evidently making direct for himself and his companion.

The waves, undulating horizontally behind it, proclaimed the strokes of its strong, vertically flattened tail, by which it was propelled through the water.

"The jacare-ua.s.su!" once more exclaimed the Mundurucu, signifying that the reptile was the great alligator of the Amazon.

It was one of the largest size, its body showing full seven yards above the water, while its projecting jaws, occasionally opened in menace or for breath, appeared of sufficient extent to swallow either of the swimmers.

It was idle for them to think of escaping through the water. At ease as they both were in this element, they would have proved but clumsy compet.i.tors with a cayman, especially one of such strength and natatory skill as belong to the huge reptile in pursuit of them. Such a swimming-match was not to be thought of, and neither entertained the idea of it.

"We must take to the trees!" cried the Indian, convinced that the alligator was after them. "The Great Spirit is good to make them grow so near. It's the only chance we have for saving our lives. To the trees, young master,--to the trees!"

As he spoke, the Mundurucu faced towards the forest; and, with quick, energetic strokes, they glided under the hanging branches. Most nimbly they climbed the nearest, and, once lodged upon a limb, were safe; and on one of the lowest they "squatted," to await the approach of the jacare. In about three seconds the huge saurian came up, pausing as it approached the spot where the two intended victims had ascended out of its reach. It seemed more than surprised,--in fact, supremely astonished; and for some moments lay tranquil, as if paralysed by its disappointment. This quietude, however, was of short duration; for soon after, as if conscious of having been tricked, it commenced quartering the water in short diagonal lines, which every instant was lashed into foam by a stroke of its powerful tail.

"Let us be grateful to the Great Spirit!" said the Indian, looking down from his perch upon the tree. "We may well thank him for affording us a safe refuge here. It's the jacare-ua.s.su, as I said. The monster is hungry, because it's the time of flood, and he can't get food so easily.

The fish upon which he feeds are scattered through the Gapo, and he can only catch them by a rare chance. Besides, he has tasted our blood.

Did you not see him sup at it as he came up the igarape? He's mad now, and won't be satisfied till he obtains a victim,--a man if he can, for I can tell by his looks he's a man-eater."

"A man-eater! What mean you by that?"

"Only that this jacare has eaten men, or women as likely."

"But how can you tell that?"

"Thus, young master. His bigness tells me of his great age. He has lived long, and in his time visited many places. But what makes me suspect him to be a man-eater is the eagerness with which he pursued us, and the disappointment he shows at not getting hold of us. Look at him now!"