adventure-第41章

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here　was　only　one　thing　that　happened　to　any　one　who　ventured　into　the　bushmen's　territory；　and　that　was　that　he　was　eaten。　　And　he　would　further　say；　without　being　asked；　that　if　Sheldon　went　up　into　the　bush　he　would　be　eaten　too。

Sheldon　sent　for　a　gang…boss　and　told　him　to　bring　ten　of　the　biggest；　best；　and　strongest　Poonga…Poonga　men。

〃Not　salt…water　boys；〃　Sheldon　cautioned；　〃but　bush　boysleg　belong　him　strong　fella　leg。　　Boy　no　savvee　musket；　no　good。　　You　bring　'm　boy　shoot　musket　strong　fella。〃

They　were　ten　picked　men　that　filed　up　on　the　veranda　and　stood　in　the　glare　of　the　lanterns。　　Their　heavy；　muscular　legs　advertised　that　they　were　bushmen。　　Each　claimed　long　experience　in　bush…　fighting；　most　of　them　showed　scars　of　bullet　or　spear…thrust　in　proof；　and　all　were　wild　for　a　chance　to　break　the　humdrum　monotony　of　plantation　labour　by　going　on　a　killing　expedition。　　Killing　was　their　natural　vocation；　not　wood…cutting；　and　while　they　would　not　have　ventured　the　Guadalcanar　bush　alone；　with　a　white　man　like　Sheldon　behind　them；　and　a　white　Mary　such　as　they　knew　Joan　to　be；　they　could　expect　a　safe　and　delightful　time。　　Besides；　the　great

master　had　told　them　that　the　eight　gigantic　Tahitians　were　going　along。

The　Poonga…Poonga　volunteers　stood　with　glistening　eyes　and　grinning　faces；　naked　save　for　their　loin…cloths；　and　barbarously　ornamented。　　Each　wore　a　flat；　turtle…shell　ring　suspended　through　his　nose；　and　each　carried　a　clay　pipe　in　an　ear…hole　or　thrust　inside　a　beaded　biceps　armlet。　　A　pair　of　magnificent　boar　tusks　graced　the　chest　of　one。　　On　the　chest　of　another　hung　a　huge　disc　of　polished　fossil　clam…shell。

〃Plenty　strong　fella　fight；〃　Sheldon　warned　them　in　conclusion。

They　grinned　and　shifted　delightedly。

〃S'pose　bushmen　kai…kai　along　you？〃　he　queried。

〃No　fear；〃　answered　their　spokesman；　one　Koogoo；　a　strapping；　thick…lipped　Ethiopian…looking　man。　　〃S'pose　Poonga…Poonga　boy　kai…　kai　bush…boy？〃

Sheldon　shook　his　head；　laughing；　and　dismissed　them；　and　went　to　overhaul　the　dunnage…room　for　a　small　shelter　tent　for　Joan's　use。



CHAPTER　XXIVIN　THE　BUSH



It　was　quite　a　formidable　expedition　that　departed　from　Berande　at　break　of　day　next　morning　in　a　fleet　of　canoes　and　dinghies。　　There　were　Joan　and　Sheldon；　with　Binu　Charley　and　Lalaperu；　the　eight　Tahitians；　and　the　ten　Poonga…Poonga　men；　each　proud　in　the　possession　of　a　bright　and　shining　modern　rifle。　　In　addition；　there　were　two　of　the　plantation　boat's…crews　of　six　men　each。　These；　however；　were　to　go　no　farther　than　Carli；　where　water　transportation　ceased　and　where　they　were　to　wait　with　the　boats。　Boucher　remained　behind　in　charge　of　Berande。

By　eleven　in　the　morning　the　expedition　arrived　at　Binu；　a　cluster　of　twenty　houses　on　the　river　bank。　　And　from　here　thirty　odd　Binu　men　accompanied　them；　armed　with　spears　and　arrows；　chattering　and　grimacing　with　delight　at　the　warlike　array。　　The　long　quiet　stretches　of　river　gave　way　to　swifter　water；　and　progress　was　slower　and　more　dogged。　　The　Balesuna　grew　shallow　as　well；　and　oftener　were　the　loaded　boats　bumped　along　and　half…lifted　over　the　bottom。　　In　places　timber…falls　blocked　the　passage　of　the　narrow　stream；　and　the　boats　and　canoes　were　portaged　around。　　Night　brought　them　to　Carli；　and　they　had　the　satisfaction　of　knowing　that　they　had　accomplished　in　one　day　what　had　required　two　days　for　Tudor's　expedition。

Here　at　Carli；　next　morning；　half…way　through　the　grass…lands；　the　boat's…crews　were　left；　and　with　them　the　horde　of　Binu　men；　the　boldest　of　which　held　on　for　a　bare　mile　and　then　ran　scampering　back。　　Binu　Charley；　however；　was　at　the　fore；　and　led　the　way　onward　into　the　rolling　foot…hills；　following　the　trail　made　by　Tudor　and　his　men　weeks　before。　　That　night　they　camped　well　into　the　hills　and　deep　in　the　tropic　jungle。　　The　third　day　found　them　on　the　run…ways　of　the　bushmennarrow　paths　that　compelled　single　file　and　that　turned　and　twisted　with　endless　convolutions　through　the　dense　undergrowth。　　For　the　most　part　it　was　a　silent　forest；　lush　and　dank；　where　only　occasionally　a　wood…pigeon　cooed　or　snow…　white　cockatoos　laughed　harshly　in　laborious　flight。

Here；　in　the　mid…morning；　the　first　casualty　occurred。　　Binu　Charley　had　dropped　behind　for　a　time；　and　Koogoo；　the　Poonga…　Poonga　man　who　had　boasted　that　he　would　eat　the　bushmen；　was　in　the　lead。　　Joan　and　Sheldon　heard　the　twanging　thrum　and　saw　Koogoo　throw　out　his　arms；　at　the　same　time　dropping　his　rifle；　stumble　forward；　and　sink　down　on　his　hands　and　knees。　　Between　his　naked　shoulders；　low　down　and　to　the　left；　appeared　the　bone…barbed　head　of　an　arrow。　　He　had　been　shot　through　and　through。　　Cocked　rifles　swept　the　bush　with　nervous　apprehension。　　But　there　was　no　rustle；　no　movement；　nothing　but　the　humid　oppressive　silence。

〃Bushmen　he　no　stop；〃　Binu　Charley　called　out；　the　sound　of　his　voice　startling　more　than　one　of　them。　　〃Allee　same　damn　funny　business。　　That　fella　Koogoo　no　look　'm　eye　belong　him。　　He　no　savvee　little　bit。〃

Koogoo's　arms　had　crumpled　under　him；　and　he　lay　quivering　where　he　had　fallen。　　Even　as　Binu　Charley　came　to　the　front　the　stricken　black's　breath　passed　from　him；　and　with　a　final　convulsive　stir　he　lay　still。

〃Right　through　the　heart；〃　Sheldon　said；　straightening　up　from　the　stooping　examination。　　〃It　must　have　been　a　trap　of　some　sort。〃

He　noticed　Joan's　white；　tense　face；　and　the　wide　eyes　with　which　she　stared　at　the　wreck　of　what　had　been　a　man　the　minute　before。

〃I　recruited　that　boy　myself；〃　she　said　in　a　whisper。　　〃He　came　down　out　of　the　bush　at　Poonga…Poonga　and　right　on　board　the　Martha　and　offered　himself。　　And　I　was　proud。　　He　was　my　very　first　recruit〃

〃My　word！　　Look　'm　that　fella；〃　Binu　Charley　interrupted；　brushing　aside　the　leafy　wall　of　the　run…way　and　exposing　a　bow　so　massive　that　no　one　bushman　could　have　bent　it。

The　Binu　man　traced　out　the　mechanics　of　the　trap；　and　exposed　the　hidden　fibre　in　the　tangled　undergrowth　that　at　contact　with　Koogoo's　foot　had　released　the　taut　bow。

They　were　deep　in　the　primeval　forest。　　A　dim　twilight　prevailed；　for　no　random　shaft　of　sunlight　broke　through　the　thick　roof　of　leaves　and　creepers　overhead。　　The　Tahitians　were　plainly　awed　by　the　silence　and　gloom　and　mystery　of　the　place　and　happening；　but　they　showed　themselves　doggedly　unafraid；　and　were　for　pushing　on。　The　Poonga…Poonga　men；　on　the　contrary；　were　not　awed。　　They　were　bushmen　themselves；　and　they　were　used　to　this　silent　warfare；　though　the　devices　were　different　from　those　employed　by　them　in　their　own　bush。　　Most　awed　of　all　were　Joan　and　Sheldon；　but；　being　whites；　they　were　not　supposed　to　be　subject　to　such　commonplace　emotions；　and　their　task　was　to　carry　the　situation　off　with　careless　bravado　as　befitted　〃big　fella　marsters〃　of　the　dominant　breed。

Binu　Charley　took　the　lead　as　they　pushed　on；　and　trap　after　trap　yielded　its　secret　lurking…place　to　his　keen　scrutiny。　　The　way　was　beset　with　a　thousand　annoyances；　chiefest　among　which　were　thorns；　cunningly　concealed；　that　penetrated　the　bare　feet　of　the　invaders。　Once；　during　the　afternoon；　Binu　Charley　barely　missed　being　impaled　in　a　staked　pit　that　undermined　the　trail。　　There　were　times　when　all　stood　still　and　waited　for　half　an　hour　or　more　while　Binu　Charley　prospected　suspicious　parts　of　the　trail。　Sometimes　he　was　compelled　to　leave　the　trail　and　creep　and　climb　through　the　jungle　so　as　to　approach　the　man…traps　from　behind；　and　on　one　occasion；　in　spite　of　his　precaution；　a　spring…bow　was　discharged；　the　flying　arrow　barely　clipping　the　shoulder　of　one　of　the　waiting　Poonga…Poonga　boys。

Where　a　slight　run…way　entered　the　main　one；　Sheldon　paused　and　asked　Binu　Charley　if　he　knew　where　it　led。

〃Plenty　bush　fella　garden　he　stop　along　there　short　way　little　bit；〃　was　the　answer。　　〃All　right　you　like　'm　go　look　'm　along。〃

〃'Walk　'm　easy；〃　he　cautioned；　a　few　minutes　later。　　〃Close　up；　that　fella　garden。　　S'pose　some　bush　fella　he　stop；　we　catch　'm。〃

Creeping　ahead　and　peering　into　the　clearing　for　a　moment；　Binu　Charley　beckoned　Sheldon　to　come　on　cautiously。　　Joan　crouched　beside　him；　and　together　they　peeped　o