Afloat in the Forest; Or, A Voyage among the Tree-Tops

by Mayne Reid

  The reptile meanwhile exhibited itself in a hideous attitude; yet a deepinterest enchained the spectators. Its head had broadened, or flattenedout to twice the natural dimensions; the eyes seemed to shoot forth twinjets of fire, while the extensile tongue, projected from a double row ofwhite, angular teeth, appeared to shine with phosphorescent flame. Thebird was being _charmed_, and was already under the serpent'sfascination.

  How could the pretty pet be saved? Young Ralph, noticing the despairupon his sister's face, was half inclined to rush down the tree, andgive battle to the jararaca; and Tipperary Tom--whose general hostilityto snakes and reptiles had a national and hereditary origin--purposeddoing something to avert the paroquet's fast-approaching fate.Trevannion, however, was too prudent to permit any interference, whilethe negro appeared only anxious that the magic spectacle should reachits termination. It was not cruelty on his part. Mozey had hismotives, which were soon after revealed, proving that the brain of theAfrican is at times capable of conception equal, if not superior, to hisboasted Caucasian brother. There was no interruption. The end was notfar off. By slow degrees, the bird appeared to grow exhausted, untilits wings could no longer sustain it. Then, as if paralysed by a finaldespair, it pitched itself right into the mouth of the reptile, whosejaws had been suddenly extended to receive it! There was a slightflutter of the wings, a tremulous motion of the body, and theself-immolated creature appeared to be dead. The serpent, halfuncoiling itself, turned its head towards the tree, and, once moreopening its jaws, permitted the now lifeless paroquet to escape fromtheir clasp, and drop quietly into the crotch formed by the forking ofthe stem.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.

  THE LLIANA UNLOOSED.

  The spectators of this little tragedy of animal life had hithertoprudently refrained from taking part in it. Curiosity now exerted anequal effect in preventing their interference; and without speech ormotion they sat on their respective perches to observe the _finale_ ofthe drama, which evidently had not ended with the death of the paroquet.That was but the beginning of the end, for the prey was yet to bedevoured. Though provided with a double row of teeth, it is well-knownthat animals of the reptile kind do not masticate their food. Theseteeth, set trenchantly, as is commonly the case, are intended only tocapture the living prey, which enters the stomach afterwards by aprocess termed deglutition. At the spectacle of just such a process,with all its preliminary preparations, were the group in the sapucayanow to be present,--the principal performer being apparently unconsciousof, or at all events unconcerned at, their presence.

  Having deposited the dead bird in the fork of the tree, the serpentchanged its coiled attitude into one that would give it a chance offilling its belly with less inconvenience. There was not room for it toextend itself fully; and, in default of this, the tail was allowed todrop down along the stem of the tree, at least two thirds of the bodyremaining in a horizontal position. Having arranged itself apparentlyto its satisfaction, it now directed its attention to the paroquet.Once more taking the dead bird between its teeth, it turned it over andover until the head lay opposite to its own, the body aligned in alongitudinal direction. The jaws of the snake were now widely extended,while the tongue, loaded with saliva, was protruded and retracted withgreat rapidity. The serpent continued this licking process until theshort feathers covering the head of the bird, as also its neck andshoulders, seemed to be saturated with a substance resembling soap orstarch. When a sufficient coating had been laid on to satisfy theinstincts of the serpent, the creature once more opened its jaws, and,making a sudden gulp, took in the head of the paroquet, with the neckand shoulders. For a time no further action was perceptible. Yet amovement was going on: and it was to assure himself of this that theMozambique was so attentive.

  We have said that he had a motive for permitting the pet to besacrificed, which was now on the eve of being revealed to hiscompanions. They all saw that there was something upon his mind, andeagerly anticipated the revelation. Just as the jararaca had succeededin bolting the anterior portion of the paroquet,--that is, the head,neck, and shoulders,--Mozey rose from his seat, stole towards the stemof the tree, and let himself down toward the fork, without saying aword. His purpose, however, was manifest the moment after, for hestretched out his right hand, clutched the jararaca around the small ofthe neck, and flung the serpent--no longer capable of defending itself--far out into the waters of the Gapo! The monster, with its featheredmorsel still in its mouth, sank instantly, to be seen no more; sothought Mozey and his associates in the sapucaya.

  But, as the event proved, they had hastened to an erroneous conclusion.Scarce had their triumphant cheer echoed across the silent bosom of theGapo, when the paroquet was observed floating upon the water; and thesnake, having ejected the half-swallowed pill, was once more upon thesurface, swimming with sinuous but brisk rendings of its body in rapidreturn to the tree. The situation seemed more alarming than ever. Thefiend himself could hardly have shown a more implacable determination.

  To all appearance the jararaca was now returning to take revenge for theinsult and disappointment to which it had been subjected. Mozey, losingconfidence in his own cunning, retreated up the tree. He perceived, nowthat it was too late, the imprudence of which he had been guilty. Heshould have permitted the snake to proceed a step further in the processof deglutition, until the disgorging of the paroquet, against the grainof its feathers, should have become impossible. He had been too hasty,and must now answer the consequences. Sure enough, the serpent returnedto the sapucaya and commenced reascending, availing itself of thelliana, by which all of its enemies had effected their ascent. In a fewseconds it had mounted into the fork, and, still adhering to theparasite, was continuing its upward way.

  "O heavens!" ejaculated Trevannion, "one of us must become the prey ofthis pitiless monster! What can be done to destroy it?"

  "Dar's a chance yet, Mass'r," cried Mozey, who had suddenly conceived asplendid thought. "Dar's a chance yet. All ob you lay hold on decreepin' vine, an' pull um out from de tree. We chuck de varmint backinto the water. Now den,--all togedder! Pull like good uns!"

  As the negro spoke, he seized the lliana, by which the serpent wasmaking its spiral ascent, and put out all his strength to detach it fromthe trunk of the sapucaya. The others instantly understood his design,and grasping the parasite, with a simultaneous effort tried to tear itoff. A quick jerk broke the lliana loose; and the jararaca, shaken fromits hold, was sent whirling and writhing through the air, till it fellwith a plunging noise upon the water below. Once more a triumphantcheer went up through the sapucaya branches, once more to be stifled ereit had received the answer of its own echoes; for the jararaca was againseen upon the surface, as before, determinedly approaching the tree.

  It was a sight for despair. There was something supernatural in thebehaviour of the snake. It was a monster not to be conquered by humanstrength, nor circumvented by human cunning. Was there any use incontinuing the attempt to subdue it? Mozey, a fatalist, felt halfdisposed to submit to a destiny that could not be averted; and evenTipperary Tom began to despair of the power of his prayers to SaintPatrick. The ex-miner, however, as well acquainted with thesubterraneous regions as with upper earth, had no superstition to hinderhim from action, and, instead of desponding he at once adopted theproper course. Catching hold of the creeper, that had already beenloosened from the trunk, and calling upon the others to assist him, hetore the creeper entirely from the tree, flinging its severed stem farout upon the water. In a moment after, the snake came up, intending toclimb into the sapucaya, as no doubt it had often done before. Wewonder what were its feelings on finding that the ladder had beenremoved, and that an ascent of the smooth trunk of the sapucaya was nolonger possible, even to a tree snake! After swimming round and round,and trying a variety of places, the discomfited jararaca turned away inapparent disgust; and, launching out on the bosom of the Gapo, swam offin the direction of the thicket,--on the identical track that had beentaken
by Richard and the Mundurucu.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN.

  SERPENT FASCINATION.

  It was some time before Trevannion and his companions in misfortunecould recover from the excitement and awe of their adventure. Theybegan to believe that the strange tales told them of the Gapo and itsdenizens had more than a substratum of truth; for the protracted andimplacable hostility shown by the snake, and its mysterious power overthe bird, seemed surely supernatural. Trevannion reflected on thesingular behaviour of the jararaca. That a reptile of such contemptibledimensions should exhibit so much cunning and courage as to return tothe attack after being repeatedly foiled, and by an enemy so far itssuperior in strength and numbers, together with its hideous aspect,could not fail to impress him with a feeling akin to horror, in whichall those around him shared. The very monkeys and birds must have feltit; for when in the presence of snakes, they had never before exhibitedsuch trepidation and excitement. Long after the serpent had beenpitched for the second time into the water, the coaita kept up itsterrified gibbering, the macaw screamed, and the tiny ouistiti,returning to Rosa's protection,--no longer to be shared with its laterival,--sat trembling in her lap, as if the dreaded reptile were stillwithin dangerous proximity.

  This feeling was but temporary, however. Trevannion was a man of strongintellect, trained and cultivated by experience and education; and aftera rational review of the circumstances, he became convinced that therewas nothing very extraordinary, certainly nothing supernatural, in whattranspired. The jararaca--as he had heard, and as everybody living onthe Amazon knew--was one of the most venomous of serpents, if not themost venomous of all. Even the birds and beasts were acquainted withthis common fact, and dreaded the reptile accordingly, not from mere_instinct_, but from actual knowledge possessed and communicated in somemysterious way to one another. This would account for the wild terrorjust exhibited, which in the case of the paroquet had come to a fatalend. There was a mystery about this for which Trevannion could notaccount. The power which the serpent appeared to have obtained over thebird, controlling its movements without any apparent action of its own,was beyond comprehension. Whether or not it be entitled to the namegiven it,--_fascination_, certainly it is a fact,--one that has beenrepeatedly observed, and to which not only birds, but quadrupeds, havebeen the victims; and not only by ordinary observers, but by men skilledin the knowledge of nature, who have been equally at a loss to accountfor it by natural causes. But this link in the chain of incidents,though mysterious, was not new nor peculiar to this situation. It hadbeen known to occur in all countries and climes, and so soon ceased toexcite any weird influence on the mind of Trevannion.

  For the other circumstances that had occurred there was an explanationstill more natural. The jararaca, peculiarly an inhabitant of the Gapolands, had simply been sunning itself upon the sapucaya. It may havebeen prowling about in the water when overtaken by the tornado; and, notwishing to be carried away from its haunt, had sought a temporaryshelter in the tree, to which an unlucky chance had guided the galatea.Its descent was due to the behaviour of the birds, which, after havingfor a time tantalised it,--provoking its spite, and in all likelihoodits hungry appetite,--had temporarily suspended their attack, returningdown the tree with Ralph and the negro. It was in pursuit of them,therefore, it had forsaken its original perch. The commotion caused byits descent, but more especially the ducking it had received, and thepresence of the two human forms in the water below, had induced it tohalt in the forking of the tree, where shortly after its natural preyagain presented itself,--ending in an episode that was to it an ordinaryoccurrence. The choking it had received in the hands of the negro, andits unexpected immersion, had caused the involuntary rejection of thehalf-swallowed morsel. In the opaque water it had lost sight of thebird, and was returning to the sapucaya either in search of its food, orto reoccupy its resting-place.

  It is well-known that the jararaca has no fear of man, but will attackhim whenever he intrudes upon its domain. The Indians assert that itwill even go out of its way for this purpose, unlike the rattlesnake andother venomous reptiles, which rarely exert their dangerous power exceptin self-defence. So this jararaca reascended the sapucaya undismayed bythe human enemies it saw there, one or more of whom might have becomeits victims but for the timely removal of the lliana ladder.

  On this review of facts and fancies, the equanimity of our adventurerswas nearly restored. At all events, they were relieved from thehorrible thoughts of the supernatural, that for a time held ascendancyover them. Their hunger and thirst again manifested themselves, thoughlittle Rosa and her preserver no longer suffered from the last. Intheir short excursion both had been repeatedly under water, and hadswallowed enough to last them for that day at least. Yet they were inwant of food, and Ralph once more climbed the tree to obtain it. Hesoon possessed himself of half a dozen of the huge nut capsules, whichwere tossed into the hands of those below, and, water being drawn up inone of the emptied shells, a meal was made, which if not hearty, wassatisfactory. The group could do no more than await the return of theirabsent companions; and with eyes fixed intently and anxiously upon thedark water, and beneath the close-growing trees, they watched for thefirst ripple that might betoken their coming.

  CHAPTER TWENTY.

  THE WATER ARCADE.

  We must leave for a time the castaways in the tree-top, and follow thefortunes of the two swimmers on their exploring expedition.

  On reaching the edge of the submerged forest, their first thought was toclutch the nearest branch, and rest themselves by clinging to it. Theywere no longer in doubt as to the character of the scene that surroundedthem, for their experience enabled them to comprehend it.

  "The Gapo!" muttered Munday, as they glided in under the shadows. "Nodry land here, young master," he added, clutching hold of a lliana. "Wemay as well look out for a roost, and rest ourselves. It's full tenfathoms deep. The Mundurucu can tell that by the sort of trees risingover it."

  "I didn't expect anything else," rejoined young Trevannion, imitatinghis companion by taking hold of a branch and climbing up. "My only hopeis that we may find some float timber to ferry the others across. Notthat there's much in it if we do. How we're to find our way out of thismess is more than either you or I can tell."

  "The Mundurucu never despairs,--not even in the middle of the Gapo," wasthe Indian's proud reply.

  "You have hope, then? You think we shall find timber enough for a raftto carry us clear of the inundation."

  "No!" answered the Indian. "We have got too far from the channel of thebig river. We shall see no floating trees here,--nothing to make a raftthat would carry us."

  "Why then did we come here, if not for the purpose of finding deadtimber for that object?"

  "Dead timber? No! If that was our errand, we might go back as we'vecome,--empty-handed. We shall float all the people over here withoutthat. Follow me, young master. We must go farther into the Gapo. Letold Munday show you how to construct a raft without trees, only makinguse of their fruit."

  "Lead on!" cried the Paraense. "I'm ready to assist you; though Ihaven't the slightest conception of what you mean to do."

  "You shall see presently, young master," rejoined Munday, once morespreading himself to swim. "Come on! follow me! If I'm not mistaken,we'll soon find the materials for a raft,--or something that will answeras well for the present. Come along, there! Come!"--and he launchedhimself into the water.

  Trevannion followed his example, and, once more consigning himself tothe flood, he swam on in the Indian's wake. Through aisles dimmed witha twilight like that of approaching night, along arcades covered withfoliage so luxuriant as to be scarce penetrable by the rays of a tropicsun, the two swimmers, the Indian ever in advance, held their way.

  To Richard Trevannion the Mundurucu was comparatively a stranger, knownonly as a _tapuyo_ employed by his uncle in the management of thegalatea. He knew the tribe by rumours even more than sinister. Theywere reputed in
Para to be the most bloodthirsty of savages, who tookdelight not only in the destruction of their enemies, but in keeping upa ghastly souvenir of hostility by preserving their heads. In thecompany of a Mundurucu, especially in such a place,--swimming under thesombre shadows of a submerged forest,--it can scarce be wondered at thatthe youth felt suspicion, if not actual fear. But Richard Trevannionwas a boy of bold heart, and bravely awaited the _denouement_ of thedismal journey.

  Their swim terminated at length, and the Indian, pointing to a tree,cried out: "Yonder--yonder is the very thing of which I was in search.Hoo-hoo! Covered with sipos too,--another thing we stand in need of,--cord and pitch both growing together. The Great Spirit is kind to us,young master."