Arthur O. Friel

“ When you're dealing with Tucunas, even if they're friendly, it doesn't pay to look weak.
With that we stopped our muttering and walked out into the open.
Shoulder to shoulder we strode across the open space, steering the explorer's steps by slight touches on the arms, but never looking at him. With heads up and eyes straight ahead, we came to the narrow door of the tribal house, swung so that I was ahead of Senhor Tom and Pedro was behind him, and stepped boldly inside. ”

“ But there was only one thing for us to do—to take the trail as Senhor Tom had said. And we could waste no more time in talking about it.
Yet, with the path plain before us, we found ourselves facing a new problem. Up to this point our blind companion had been no hindrance to us; but now, with stealthy bush-work ahead, a sightless man was likely to be the worst possible obstacle to either speed or silence. ”

“ While waiting for Pedro and Senhor Tom, I studied the shelter. I had seen the malocas of wild men farther south, but not until recently had I been in the Tucuna country, and this type of shelter was new to me. Instead of being circular in shape and walled with logs, it was oblong, with walls of palm-leaves; a place not built for defense, but the sort of house in which peaceable people ought to live. If those flimsy walls meant anything, these Indians were not warriors. ”