| 91 | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 |
| 1 | 35 | 70 | 104 | 139 |
|
www.freeclassicebooks.com
stream, but a few miles from it. At times it wound in wide detours close to the
path of the lost creatures, and again it circled far away from them.
As they travelled they subsisted upon the fruits with which they had become
familiar upon the island of their creation. They suffered greatly for lack of water,
but finally stumbled upon a small stream at which they filled their parched
stomachs. Here it occurred to Bulan that it would be wise to follow the little
river, since they could be no more completely lost than they now were no matter
where it should lead them, and it would at least insure them plenty of fresh
water.
As they proceeded down the bank of the stream it grew in size until presently it
became a fair sized river, and Bulan had hopes that it might indeed prove the
stream that they had ascended from the ocean and that soon he would meet with
the prahus and possibly find Virginia Maxon herself. The strenuous march of the
six through the jungle had torn their light cotton garments into shreds so that
they were all practically naked, while their bodies were scratched and bleeding
from countless wounds inflicted by sharp thorns and tangled brambles through
which they had forced their way.
Bulan still carried his heavy bull whip while his five companions were armed with
the parangs they had taken from the Dyaks they had overpowered upon the
island at the mouth of the river. It was upon this strange and remarkable
company that the sharp eyes of a score of river Dyaks peered through the foliage.
The head hunters had been engaged in collecting camphor crystals when their
quick ears caught the noisy passage of the six while yet at a considerable
distance, and with ready parangs the savages crept stealthily toward the sound of
the advancing party.
At first they were terror stricken at the hideous visages of five of the creatures
they beheld, but when they saw how few their numbers, and how poorly armed
they were, as well as the awkwardness with which they carried their parangs,
denoting their unfamiliarity with the weapons, they took heart and prepared to
ambush them.
What prizes those terrible heads would be when properly dried and decorated!
The savages fairly trembled in anticipation of the commotion they would cause in
the precincts of their long-house when they returned with six such magnificent
trophies.
Their victims came blundering on through the dense jungle to where the twenty
sleek brown warriors lay in wait for them. Bulan was in the lead, and close
behind him in single file lumbered his awkward crew. Suddenly there was a
9
3
Page
Quick Jump
|