When they carried the limp, lacerated body of Piang to his hut,there was lamenting and weeping in the barrio. Piang, their belovedcharm boy was dead. A mournful _tilick_ (death signal) was soundedon the tom-toms, and the wail soon gathered volume until the jungleand river seemed to take up the plaint.
Dead? Could Piang, the invincible, be killed? Papita crouched in thedoorway. Kali Pandapatan bent over the still little form. Anxiouslyhe watched the eyelids quiver, the lips part. A sigh of relief brokefrom the chief, and he murmured softly:
"Little brother, you have the strength of a packda; the cunning ofthe civet-cat, and the wisdom of the mina-bird. May your days be long."
A knowing smile flitted across Kali's face as he caught the irrelevantreply:
"Papita--is she safe?"
Adventures of Piang the Moro Jungle Boy Page 16
