Chapter 31. A Forest Feud

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_ CHAPTER THIRTY ONE. A FOREST FEUD

The little party sat there waiting patiently for the next event, their eyes being mostly directed across the waste of water toward the well-marked course of the stream, with its rush, swirl and eddy; and before long there was another heaving up, as if a liquid bank descended the river, spread across the opening, and directly after struck the tree with a blow which made it quiver from root to summit.

"Will it hold fast, Naylor?" said Brazier, rather excitedly.

"Hope so, sir. I think it's safe, but it's growing in such soft soil, all river mud, sand, and rotten wood, that the roots are loose, and it feels as if it would give way at last. I daresay this was a bend of the river once."

"But if it does give way, what are we to do?" cried Rob excitedly.

"Swim for the next tree, sir."

"But that has a great snake in it."

"Can't help that, Mr Rob. Rather have a snake for a mate than be drowned. He's too much frightened to meddle with us. Look out, every one, and try to keep clear of the boughs, so as not to be beaten under."

This was consequent upon the rushing up in succession of three great waves, which struck the tree at intervals of a few seconds, the last sending the water splashing up to where they sat, and at the same time deluging the serpent in the next tree, making it begin to climb higher, and exciting the puma so that Rob could hardly keep it from leaping off.

"The roots must be undermined," cried Brazier. "Look--look!"

He pointed at the effect of the waves on the forest, for from where they sat the whole side was a ridge of foam, while the tree-tops were waving to and fro and undulating like a verdant sea as the water rushed on among their trunks.

"Can't get much worse than this, I think," said Shaddy, when the water calmed down again to its steady swift flow; "only it's spoiling our estate, which will be a bed of mud when the flood goes down."

"But will it go down?" asked Rob excitedly.

"Some time, certain," replied Shaddy. "The rivers have a way in this country of wetting it all over, and I daresay it does good. At all events, it makes the trees grow."

"Yes, but will it sweep them away?" said Rob, looking round nervously.

"It does some, Mr Rob, sir, as you've seen to-day, but I think we're all right here."

Rob glanced at Brazier, whose face was very stern and pale; and, consequent upon his weakness, he looked ghastly as another wave came down the river, and swept over the deeply inundated clearing, washing right up to the fork of the tree, and hissing onward through the closely-packed forest.

Another followed, and then another, each apparently caused by the bursting of some dam of trees and _debris_ of the shores; but they were less than those which had preceded them, and an hour later the water was perfectly calm and motionless, save in the course of the river, where it rushed onward at a rapid rate.

"We've passed the worst," said Shaddy; and after glancing at him quickly, to see if he meant it or was only speaking to give him encouragement, Rob sat looking round at the watery waste, for as far as his eyes could penetrate there was no sight of dry land. Everywhere the trees stood deep in water, that was still as the surface of a lake through which a swift river ran, with its course tracked by rapid and eddy, and dotted still with the vegetation torn out from the banks.

As the boy turned to the great tree beside him he could not keep back a shudder, for the monstrous serpent was in restless motion, seeking for some means of escape; and though there was no probability of its reaching their resting-place, the idea would come that if the writhing creature did drop from the tree, overbalancing itself in its efforts to escape, it might make a frantic struggle and reach theirs.

As he thought this he caught sight of the guide watching him.

"What is it, my lad?" he whispered; and the lad, after a little hesitation, confided in the old sailor, who chuckled softly. "You needn't be alarmed about that," he said. "If such a thing did happen your lion would be upon his head in a moment, and in a few minutes there'd be no lion and no snake, only the mud stirred up in the water to show which way they'd gone."

"The water is sinking, Naylor," cried Brazier just then, in an excited tone.

"Yes, sir, but very slowly."

"How long will it take to go down?"

"Days, sir. This place will not be dry for a week."

"Then what about food and a place to rest?"

"We've got enough to last us two days with great care," said the man slowly, "and we shan't want for water nor shelter from the sun. Rest we must get as we can up here, and thankfully too, sir, for our lives are safe. As to what's to come after two days I don't know. There is, I say, no knowing what may happen out here in two days."

"No," said Brazier sadly. "In one hour we lost our young companion and my first collection; in one minute I was hopelessly lost; and now this morning all my second collection has been swept away. As you say, Naylor, we do not know what a couple of days may bring forth."

"No, sir," replied the old sailor; "and there's plenty of time yet. Every day brings its own trouble."

"Yes," said Brazier solemnly; "and every morning brings with it fresh hope."

"Hope!" thought Rob; "hope, shut up here in the middle of this waste of water--in this tree, with a little food, a wild beast, and that horrible serpent looking as if it is waiting to snatch us all away one by one. How can a fellow hope?"

It was a time to think about home and the chances of ever getting back in safety, and Rob found it impossible to help wishing himself on board the great river boat as the evening drew near. At last, after standing up to talk to the puma, which accepted his caresses as if they were comforting in such a time of peril, the question arose as to how they would settle themselves for the night.

"I needn't say one of us must keep watch," said Brazier sadly, "for I suppose that no one will wish to sleep."

"Couldn't if we wanted to," said Rob, in rather an ill-used tone; and Shaddy chuckled.

"Oh, I don't know, Mr Rob, sir. Nice elevated sort o' bedroom, with a good view. Plenty o' room for swinging hammocks if we'd got any to swing. There, cheer up, my lad,--there's worse disasters at sea; and our worst troubles have come right at last."

Rob looked at him reproachfully, for he was thinking of Giovanni being snatched away from them, and then of the loss of the boat.

Brazier read his face, and held out his hand, which Rob eagerly grasped.

"Cheer up, my lad," said Shaddy, following suit. "One never knows what's going to happen; so let's look at the best side of things. There, gen'lemen, it's going to be a fine warm time, and we know it might have been a drowning storm like it was last night; so that's better for us. It will be very tiring, but we must change our position now and then, and spend the night listening to the calls in the forest and trying to make out what they are."

So as not to be left longer than they could help without food, they partook of a very small portion that night, and then settled themselves down; the puma became more watchful as the darkness approached, and whined and snuffled and grew uneasy. Now it was making its way from one bough to another, and staring hard at the tops of the trees away from the river; now its attention was fixed upon the great coiled-up serpent, which lay with fold heaped over fold and its head invisible, perfectly still, and apparently sleeping till the flood had subsided.

But Rob thought with horror of the darkness, and the possibility of the great reptile rousing up and making an effort to reach them, though he was fain to confess that unless the creature swam it was impossible.

Then the stars began to appear and the noises of the forest commenced; and, as far as Rob could make out, they were as loud as ever.

"One would have thought that nearly everything had been drowned," he said in an awe-stricken whisper to his companions.

Brazier was silent, so after waiting for a few moments Shaddy replied:

"We're used to floods out here, Mr Rob, sir; and the things which make noises live in the water as well as in the trees. I don't suppose many of 'em get drowned in a flood like this. Deer and things of that sort make for higher ground when there's a chance of the water rising; the cats get on the trees, and the monkeys are already there, with the insects and birds sheltered under the big leaves; and the snakes crawl up too, so that there isn't much left to drown, is there?"

Rob made no reply, but changed his position, for he was stiff and weary from sitting so long.

"Take care, Mr Rob, sir, or you may slip down. No fear of your being swept away, but it's as well not to get a wetting. Warm as it is, you might feel cold, and that would bring on fever."

"I'll take care," said Rob quietly; and in spite of hunger only half appeased, weariness, and doubt as to their future and the length of their imprisonment, he could not help enjoying the beauty of the scene. For the water around was now one smooth mirror-like lake, save where the river rushed along with a peculiar hissing, rushing sound, augmented by a crash as some tree was dashed down and struck against those at the edge of the forest which rose above the water. In the smooth surface the stars were reflected, forming a second hemisphere; but every now and then the lad saw something which raised his hopes, and he was after a silence about to speak, when Brazier began.

"What is it keeps making little splashes in the water, Naylor?"

His voice sounded strange in the midst of the croaking, chirping, and crying going on, but it started conversation directly.

"I was just going to speak about it, sir, to Mr Rob here. Fish--that's what it is. They're come up out of the deep holes and eddies where they lie when the river's in flood, and spread all about to feed on the worms and insects which have been driven out by the water. If we only had the fishing-line there'd be no fear of getting a meal. Oh, there is no fear of that. We shall be all right till the water goes down, and be able to provide for the cupboard somehow."

"Hush! what's that?" whispered Rob, as a terrible and mournful cry rang out from somewhere among the trees--a cry which made the puma move uneasily.

"Monkey," said Shaddy. "One of those long spider-like howlers. I daresay it was very pleasant to its friends--yes, hark: there's another answering him."

"And another, and another," whispered Rob, as cries came from a distance. "But it does not sound so horrible, now that you know what it is."

Then came the peculiar trumpet-like cry of a kind of crane, dominating the chirping, whistling, and croaking, while the shrieking sounds over the open lake-like flood and beneath the trees grew more frequent.

There was plenty to take their attention and help to counteract the tedium of the night; but it was a terribly weary time, and not passed without startling episodes. Once there was the loud snorting of some animal swimming from the river over the clearing toward the forest. It was too dark to make it out, but Shaddy pronounced it to be a hog-like tapir. At another time their attention was drawn to something else swimming, by the peculiar sound made by the puma, which suddenly grew uneasy; but the creature, whatever it was, passed on toward the trees.

Several times over Rob listened to and spoke of the splashings and heavy plunges about the surface.

"'Gators," said Shaddy, without waiting to be questioned. "Fish ain't allowed to have it all their own way. They came over the flooded land to feed, and the 'gators came after them."

It was with a wonderful feeling of relief that Rob heard Brazier say, "Morning can't be far distant," and the guide's reply:

"Daylight in less than an hour, sir. Croakers and squeakers are all going to sleep fast till darkness comes again."

"Hist! listen!" whispered Rob excitedly.

"Yes, I hear it, sir. Something moving towards us."

"What is it?"

"Don't know, sir. May be a deer. If it is, so much the better for us, even if it has to be eaten raw. But it's more likely some kind of cat making for the trees. Hark at your lion there; he's getting uneasy. Mate coming to keep him company, perhaps."

They could see the reflections of the stars blurred by the movements of the swimming animal, and that it was going on past them; but it was too dark for them to distinguish the creature, which apparently was making for the forest, but altered its course and began to swim for the tree where the party had taken refuge.

"Oh, come: that will not do," cried Shaddy; "we're full here. That's right: drive him away."

This last was to the puma, which suddenly sprang up with an angry snarl, and stood, dimly seen against the stars, with its back arched, tail curved, and teeth bared, uttering fiercely savage sounds at the swimming creature approaching.

"Some kind of cat," said Shaddy in a low voice. "Can't be a mate, or it would be more friendly. Hi! look out," he said sharply, his voice full of the excitement he felt. "It's a tiger as sure as I'm here. Out with your knives: we mustn't let him get into the tree. No, no, Mr Brazier; you're too weak yet. I'll tackle him. There's plenty of room in the other trees. We can't have the savage brute here."

As the man spoke, he whipped out and opened his keen-bladed Spanish knife, and, getting flat down on his chest to have his arms at liberty, he reached out the point of his knife like a bayonet.

"Take care, Shaddy," cried Rob hoarsely, as, knife in hand and holding on by the nearest bough, he peered forward too.

"Trust me, sir. Perhaps if I can get first dig at him before he claws me, he may sheer off. Ah, mind, sir! you'll have me off. Oh! it's you, is it?"

The first was a fierce shout of warning, but the second was in a tone of satisfaction.

"I thought it was you come down on my back," growled Shaddy; "but this is as it should be. You never know who's going to help you at a pinch."

For without warning the puma had silently made one bound from its perch, and alighted upon the flattish surface presented by the old sailor's back. Then planting itself with outstretched paws firmly on his shoulders, and lowering its head, it opened its jaws and uttered a savage yell, which was answered from the golden-spangled water where the new-comer was swimming.

"It is a tiger, and no mistake," said Shaddy in a low voice; "and we'd better let our lion do the fighting, so long as they don't claw me. Mind, old fellow! That's right. I've got fast hold now."

As he was speaking he took a firm grip of a bough by his side, and with breathless suspense Rob and Brazier waited for the next phase in the exciting episode, for they were in momentary expectation of the jaguar, if such it was, reaching the tree, climbing up, and a fierce battle between the two savage creatures ensuing, with a result fatal to their companion, unless in the darkness, while they were engaged in a deadly struggle, he could contrive to direct a fatal blow at the bigger and fiercer beast.

They could now dimly make out its shape as it swam to and fro, hesitating about coming up; for the puma, generally so quiet, gentle and docile, had now suddenly become a furious snarling and hissing creature, with its ears flat to its head and paw raised ready to strike.

"I don't know what's going to happen next," said Shaddy in a low voice, "for this is something new to me. I did think I'd gone through pretty well everything; but being made into a platform for a lion and a tiger to fight out a battle's quite fresh. Suppose you gentlemen get your knives out over my head, so as to try and guard it a bit. Never mind the lion; he won't touch you while that thing's in front of him. He can't think of anything else. I can't do anything but hold on. That's right, messmate," he cried, as the puma made a stroke downward with one paw. "You'll do the business better than I shall."

"It will be light soon," whispered Brazier, as he leaned forward as far as he could, knife in hand.

"Look out, gentlemen; he's going to land now!"

For the jaguar made a dash forward, after drawing back a bit, and came close up, so that they could see the gleaming of its eyes in its flattened, cruel-looking head.

The puma struck at it again with a savage yell, but it was beyond the reach of its powerful paw, and the jaguar swam to and fro again in front of their defender, evidently feeling itself at a disadvantage and warily waiting for an opportunity to climb up the tree.

This, however, it could not find, and it continued its tactics, swimming as easily and well as an eastern tiger of the Straits, while the puma shifted its position from time to time on Shaddy's back, making that gentleman grunt softly:

"That's right: never mind me, messmate. Glad you've got so much confidence in me. Keep him off, and give him one of those licks on the side of the head if he does come within reach. You'll be too much for him, of course. Steady!"

By this time Rob had shifted his position, and was crawling down on the other side of the puma, ready to make a thrust with his knife.

Still the jaguar did not come on, but swam warily to and fro, as a faint light began to dawn upon the strange scene; and the change came rapidly, till there before them was the fierce creature, which paused at last and seemed to float out slowly, raising its paws, while its long tail waved softly behind it on the surface of the water like a snake.

"Now," cried Rob, "he's going to spring."

He was quite right, for the jaguar gathered itself together, and made a dash which shot it forward; but there was water beneath its powerful hindquarters instead of solid earth, and instead of its alighting from its bound right upon the puma it only forced itself within reach of the tawny animal's claws, which struck at it right and left with the rapidity of lightning on either side of its neck, and drove it under water.

It rose to the surface to utter a deafening roar, which was answered with savage defiance by the puma from its post of vantage upon Shaddy; but the jaguar was satisfied of its powerless position, and turned and slowly swam toward the huge tree upon their left.

"Why, it's going to climb up there by the serpent!" cried Rob, in a voice husky with excitement.

At that moment the puma leaped from Shaddy's back up one of the great branches nearest to the next tree, whence he poured down a fierce torrent of feline defiance upon his more powerful enemy; while Shaddy rose and shook himself just as the rising sun sent a glow of light in the heavens, and illuminated the savage drama commencing in the neighbouring tree. _

Read next: Chapter 32. "Out Of The Frying-Pan Into The Fire"

Read previous: Chapter 30. An Unexpected Enemy

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