Roy Rockwood

“ At any moment a boa constrictor might drop like a flash from a tree above and seek to enfold him in its crushing coils. A turn of the trail might bring him face to face with a crouching jaguar. Or a cooanaradi, deadliest of all venomous snakes, might launch itself from the underbrush and inject its poison into his veins.
There were human foes, too, against whom Bomba had to be on his guard. With the natives who dwelt in that part of the jungle he was on comparatively friendly terms, though he never mingled with them on a footing of intimacy. ”

“ Chilled to the bone, shivering, he went to work again. More branches and still more were pushed aside and dropped into the pool. The lapping of the water sounded in his ears as though death were crooning its awful lullaby.
Wearied of holding up his head, his arm one agonizing ache from the effort of using it in that strained position, Bomba let himself relax for a moment and lay back gasping for breath.
Lying there, the water was over his ears, filling them with a drumming sound. It climbed still higher, as steady and implacable as fate. ”

“ Until now, this phase of his terrible danger had not struck Bomba. The painful freeing of his right hand, the fear that in the fall he might have sustained an injury that would cripple him and leave him a prey to the first beast of the jungle that might roam that way, the dread that he might never be able to free himself from those ruthless, imprisoning branches had blinded him to another and more imminent peril that threatened. ”

“ By this time, superstitious terror had taken complete possession of Ashati and Neram, and Bomba himself could feel the hair rising on his head. The swift-falling darkness, the knowledge that danger was all about them, that insane enemies were skulking perhaps behind a tree, leering at them from branches overhead, crouching in ambush behind a concealing bush or shrub, at any moment to reach out a hairy arm—all these things combined to fill them with terror. ”

“ Dear Casson! Good old Casson! There were tears in Bomba’s eyes as he rushed forward and folded the old man in his embrace.
The two were roused by a shriek from Pipina, who had gone to the doorway and now came rushing back in terror.
“There is another puma there!” she cried. “He is bigger that the others! Quick! Let us get behind the door again.”
Bomba spoke to her soothingly and with a smile.
“He is not like the others,” he said. “He is Bomba’s friend. I killed one puma but he killed the other. ”

“ There before him, grazing placidly beneath the heat of the tropical sun, was a great drove of peccaries, the fierce wild pigs of the jungle.
Ordinarily, Bomba would have been able to circle that grazing drove so silently and swiftly that before they had caught the scent of human presence he would have been far beyond their reach.
And that was the most intense desire in Bomba’s mind at that moment! He had seen natives after the peccaries had finished with them, and shuddered at the sight. If they should get at him in the open, his life would not be worth a moment’s purchase. ”

“ At this name of ominous import a shudder ran through Bomba’s companions.
“The island of the witch woman!” exclaimed Ashati, making cabalistic signs to ward off evil.
“The woman with the evil eye which brings death to everyone on whom it falls!” said Neram with a shiver.
“Listen!” said Bomba. “You talk like foolish men. Is Bomba dead? Yet Sobrinini’s look fell upon Bomba. She is a wise woman. Did she not say that I would come back to Snake Island? And is Bomba not going back? I do not like her snakes. But she has done no evil to Bomba, and she will do no hurt to Bomba’s friends. ”

“ Like an echo of the words came the memory of Jojasta’s cry as Bomba had bent above him when he was pinned beneath the fallen column. Jojasta had called him Bartow and thought he was a ghost.
He took a step toward Sobrinini, who was still staring at him fearfully.
“What mean you?” he cried.
Seeing the terror into which their priestess had been thrown, a strange wild singing rose from the native women as they wove in and out in fantastic mazes, evidently designed to ward off the evil portent. ”

“ It was Bomba who first broke the silence, and in the deep stillness of the shadow-filled jungle his voice sounded hollow in his own ears.
“The mad monkey! If he is alone, all will be well. But if there are others——”
“There are others,” interrupted Ashati. “One mad monkey needs but bite another, and that one too will become mad. It is in that way the evil [111] spirits get possession of a flock of monkeys and set loose a thousand demons upon the jungle.”
“And the bite of one sets loose an evil spirit within ourselves, and we become even as the mad monkeys,” said Neram, his teeth chattering. ”

“ Bomba called Hondura and Pipina to his side.
“The gods have been good to us,” he cried. “We must go now and go quickly. They will not think of us until their fright is over. Hondura, get your people and lead them out. Pipina, take care of Casson. I will take Pirah—carry her if necessary—and go in front. Keep close to me.”
In a twinkling his orders were carried out. The prisoners, stirred to new life by this unexpected chance of escape after all hope had been lost, responded to the call of their chief, hurried out of the stockade and mingled with the frantic, fleeing headhunters. ”

“ The others scattered like magic as the formidable beast came up to Bomba, purring and rubbing his head against him.
“Good old Polulu!” exclaimed Bomba, as he caressed the great head affectionately. “He is one of Bomba’s best friends. Bomba is glad to see him. But Bomba cannot stay with Polulu long. He is going on a long journey. For Bomba’s place is not here. He is not a native of the jungle. He has a soul. He is white. Yes, Bomba is white. And Bomba’s soul cannot be at rest until he dwells among the white people.” ”

“ The fact then that Bomba had killed one of the mad monkeys so easily filled them with surprise and hope. If he had killed one, he might kill many. Their weapons were not as powerless as they had feared.
But their relief was swiftly changed to fear by a strange, weird rustling among the trees that swelled in volume as they listened, as though a [114] great storm had entered the jungle and was sweeping all before it. But there was no storm nor sign of one.
“The mad monkeys!” whispered Bomba. “They have told each other that we are here. They know that we are few and they are many. Come!” ”

“ But it was too late now. The ring of natives surrounded him, and even if he succeeded by a bold dash in forcing his way through them, there was little chance of escape. They would reach him and drag him back before he could get the canoe clear of the bushes and head for the open stream.
The impulse to flee lasted but a moment. The next, Bomba pulled himself together and was his cool, courageous self once more.
Sobrinini had worked herself into a frenzy of fury. She danced about Bomba in a hideous way, shaking her shriveled fists in the air and mouthing horribly. ”

“ Like a beast at bay, Bomba crouched, pulled his bow from his shoulder and plucked an arrow from his pouch.
Before he could fit the arrow to the string a [60] hideous chorus of shouts rent the air, and like magic the jungle was filled with men, men with the ferocious faces of demons, who rushed upon him, shouting and brandishing their sharp, murderous knives above their heads.
Bomba had no time to turn and flee. He dropped his bow, whipped out his machete and backed toward a tree, only to feel himself seized from behind and borne helpless to the ground. ”

“ Like a flash, Bomba dragged him out of the road and threw him into the bushes at the side.
“Better make sure with the point of the knife,” suggested Hondura.
“No,” said Bomba, “I will not kill a man who cannot fight. He will not wake till morning, and then we shall be far from here.”
His hopes were higher now as he pressed on. His one fear had been that Nascanora might rally his people and pursue his former prisoners. That fear now had vanished. Without their chief the headhunters would be confused and bewildered, and, not knowing what to do, would probably do nothing. ”

“ Bomba wondered whether he would ever see that strange and wonderful city or others like it, wondered if he would always have to spend his life in the jungle, with none save Casson and a few natives for his friends, to none of whom he could speak of the longings that obsessed him, of the aspirations that seemed doomed forever to be thwarted.
He spoke to himself half aloud:
“I am not as well off as the beasts and reptiles of the jungle. They live together and have plenty of their own kind. They do not hunt and live alone as I do. The monkeys gather in flocks, the wild peccaries hunt in droves. ”

“ The other bucks patterned their conduct on his and crowded around Bomba, muttering and growling like beasts of the jungle about to close in on a helpless prey.
“You lie!” The point of Lodo’s knife pricked again at Bomba’s shoulder, deeper this time, and a red stream followed it.
Still Bomba did not flinch, giving the sullen Indian look for look without a sign of fear.
“You lie!” again shouted Lodo, working himself into a frenzy of fury. “Braves see Hondura near the hut of Casson, the white medicine man. Hondura not come back to his people. Bomba hide Hondura. Bomba must die!” ”

“ Below he could hear the second jaguar climbing swiftly, breaking off the smaller branches as it came, all stealth having been abandoned in its eagerness to share in the kill.
The branch on which Bomba sat bent suddenly and gave forth an ominous, crackling sound. The first jaguar had moved upward and had put out a tentative paw to test the strength of the branch.
Bomba’s heart pounded as though it would force its way through his ribs. In a few moments now he would know whether he was to live or die. And with those relentless man-eaters on his track, the odds were all in favor of death. ”

“ The most astounded of all was Nascanora himself. He could not believe his ears. To be bearded thus, he, Nascanora, in the presence of his braves and by a boy! His eyes glowed with fury and his face grew dark with menace.
“Such idle words will make your death still harder,” he threatened. “It is not well to mock Nascanora.”
“I do not mock,” returned Bomba quietly. “I would make a compact with Nascanora. ”

“ Tugging at his heart was the knowledge that he was white, and he was possessed with a great desire to come in contact with his own people, to learn of their ways and dwell among them.
He knew that he was out of place where he was. The call of the blood was strong within him. He had a great longing to know of his parentage. He had questioned Casson repeatedly on this point, and the old man had striven in vain to tell him. But his memory had failed at the critical moment, and all that he could do was to mention the names “Bartow” and “Laura,” which Bomba concluded must refer to his parents. ”

“ The ring of natives, male and female, closed in upon Bomba and the old witch woman as the sound died on the lips of Sobrinini. Several of the group carried flaring torches, and by this flickering light the scene seemed as unreal and fantastic as a dream.
As Sobrinini saw Bomba before her, she turned upon him with a look so fierce and malignant that the lad involuntarily drew away from her.
“You scared my snakes!” she cried accusingly. “For that you should be burned by fire and flung into the river for the alligators to feast on your flesh. ”

“ You came to the Giant Cataract. You see plenty water. Bomba shall have water. We will fill his body with it till he bursts.”
Still Bomba disdained to answer.
“Bomba is strong,” mocked Ruspak. “Very strong. That is good. He can stand torture for a long time before he dies. His eyes can be plucked out, and still he will live. He can be burned with torches in a hundred places and still he will live. His fingers can be cut off one by one, and still he will live. Death will seem very sweet to Bomba. He will pray for it, but it will be a long time before it comes. Nascanora will see to that.” ”

“ So, seeing that he was in earnest and thinking that if the lad were under the protection of the Spirit of the Jungle they would be also, Neram and Ashati said nothing more and helped Bomba roll the great stone from the entrance to the cave.
“Where you go we will go,” said Ashati gently, as the welcome sunlight streamed in. “Though you will not have us for your slaves, you are our master. Let Bomba start and we will follow.” ”

“ The veins stood out on his neck, the great muscles in his shoulders were ridged like whipcords as he strained to throw the last of the imprisoning branches from his chest.
If it had not been for his awful desperation, even his great strength would not have been equal to the task. As it was, there was a ripping, tearing sound, and slowly the grip of the branches relaxed, slowly Bomba forced himself upward, his face suffused with blood, his breath coming in short gasps of agony. ”

“ To-night Frank would be sleeping safely in a soft bed. He would have abundance of good food. He would be laughing and talking with others of his kind. And his mother, the woman with the golden hair, would print a good-night kiss upon his lips.
But Bomba had no mother near him to kiss him good-night. He had no friends to talk to, to clap on the shoulder in jovial fashion, as Gillis had done to Dorn. Monkeys and parrots were his only intimates, except poor demented Casson and the squaw, Pipina. ”

“ Bomba lived far back in the jungles of the Amazon with a half-demented naturalist who told the lad nothing of his past. The jungle boy was a lover of birds, and hunted animals with a bow and arrow and his trusty machete. He had only a primitive education, and his daring adventures will be followed with breathless interest by thousands. ”

“ The native looked at him with curiosity dawning in his reddened eyes.
[128] “You will not go there?” he cried in horror. “I tell you it would be better for you to go to the giant anaconda and let him wind his coils about your body than to seek out Sobrinini on her island that lies under the curse of the gods. I tell you again that to go there is to die.”
“That is for me to say,” replied Bomba. “I do not fear Sobrinini. I do not fear her snakes. I have come a far way to see her and I will see her. Tell me what I want to know. Bomba does not like to ask a thing twice.” ”