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Chapter 9
As I stood looking down upon that sad and lonely mound, wrapped in the most
dismal of reflections and premonitions, I was suddenly seized from behind and
thrown to earth. As I fell, a warm body fell on top of me, and hands grasped my
arms and legs. When I could look up, I saw a number of giant fingers pinioning
me down, while others stood about surveying me. Here again was a new type of
man--a higher type than the primitive tribe I had just quitted. They were a taller
people, too, with better-shaped skulls and more intelligent faces. There were less
of the ape characteristics about their features, and less of the negroid, too. They
carried weapons, stone-shod spears, stone knives, and hatchets--and they wore
ornaments and breech-cloths--the former of feathers worn in their hair and the
latter made of a single snake-skin cured with the head on, the head depending to
their knees.
Of course I did not take in all these details upon the instant of my capture, for I
was busy with other matters. Three of the warriors were sitting upon me, trying
to hold me down by main strength and awkwardness, and they were having their
hands full in the doing, I can tell you. I don't like to appear conceited, but I may
as well admit that I am proud of my strength and the science that I have acquired
and developed in the directing of it--that and my horsemanship I always have
been proud of. And now, that day, all the long hours that I had put into careful
study, practice and training brought me in two or three minutes a full return
upon my investment. Californians, as a rule, are familiar with ju-jutsu, and I
especially had made a study of it for several years, both at school and in the gym
of the Los Angeles Athletic Club, while recently I had had, in my employ, a Jap
who was a wonder at the art.
It took me just about thirty seconds to break the elbow of one of my assailants,
trip another and send him stumbling backward among his fellows, and throw the
third completely over my head in such a way that when he fell his neck was
broken. In the instant that the others of the party stood in mute and inactive
surprise, I unslung my rifle--which, carelessly, I had been carrying across my
back; and when they charged, as I felt they would, I put a bullet in the forehead
of one of them. This stopped them all temporarily--not the death of their fellow,
but the report of the rifle, the first they had ever heard. Before they were ready to
attack me again, one of them spoke in a commanding tone to his fellows, and in a
language similar but still more comprehensive than that of the tribe to the south,
as theirs was more complete than Ahm's. He commanded them to stand back
and then he advanced and addressed me.
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