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

by Mayne Reid

  "Wasn't it there the tocandeiras had their nest?" inquired Trevannion.

  "No, patron. The hole they had chosen for their hive is different. Itwas a cavity in one of the branches. This is a hollow along the maintrunk. Its entrance will be found somewhere in the butt,--under thewater, I should think, as the log lies now."

  Just then no one was curious enough to crawl up to the thick end andsee. What signified it whether the entrance to the hollow, which hadbeen laid open by the falling in of the fire, was under water or aboveit, so long as the log itself kept afloat? There was no danger to beapprehended, and the circumstance would have been speedily dismissedfrom their minds, but for the behaviour of the coaita, which nowattracted their attention.

  It had been all the time sitting upon the highest point which thedead-wood offered for a perch. Not upon the rudely rigged mast, nor yetthe yard that carried the sail; but on a spar that projected severalfeet beyond the thick end, still recognisable as the remains of a root.Its air and attitude had undergone a sudden change. It stood at fulllength upon all fours, uttering a series of screams, with chatteringsbetween, and shivering throughout its whole frame, as if some dreaddanger was in sight, and threatening it with instant destruction.

  It was immediately after the falling in of the fagots that this began;but there was nothing to show that it was connected with that. Theplace where the fire had been burning was far away from its perch; andit had not even turned its eyes in that direction. On the contrary, itwas looking below; not directly below where it stood, but towards thebutt-end of the ceiba, which could not be seen by those upon the log.Whatever was frightening it should be there. There was something aboutthe excited actions of the animal,--something so heart-rending in itscries,--that it was impossible to believe them inspired by any ordinaryobject of dread; and the spectators were convinced that some startlingterror was under its eyes.

  Tipperary Tom was the first to attempt a solution of the mystery. Thepiteous appeals of his pet could not be resisted. Scrambling along thelog he reached the projecting point, and peeped over. Almost in thesame instant he recoiled with a shriek; and, calling on his patronsaint, retreated to the place where he had left his companions. On hisretreat Munday set out to explore the place whence he had fled, and, onreaching it, craned his neck over the end of the dead-wood, and lookedbelow. A single glance seemed to satisfy him; and, drawing back with asmuch fear as the man who had preceded him, he exclaimed in a terrifiedshriek, "_Santos Dios_! 'tis the Spirit of the Waters!"

  CHAPTER SEVENTY FIVE.

  THE SPIRIT OF THE WATERS.

  "The _Mai d'Agoa_! the Spirit of the Waters!" exclaimed Trevannion,while the rest stood speechless with astonishment, gazing alternatelyupon the Indian and the Irishman, who trembled with affright. "What doyou mean? Is it something to be feared?"

  Munday gave an emphatic nod, but said no word, being partly awed intosilence and partly lost in meditating some plan of escape from this newperil.

  "What did _you_ see, Tom?" continued Trevannion, addressing himself tothe Irishman, in hopes of receiving some explanation from that quarter.

  "Be Sant Pathrick! yer honour, I can't tell yez what it was. It wassomething like a head with a round shinin' neck to it, just peepin' upout av the wather. I saw a pair av eyes,--I didn't stay for any more,for them eyes was enough to scare the sowl out av me. They wereglittherin' like two burnin' coals! Munday calls it the spirit av thewathers. It looks more like the spirit av darkness!"

  "The _Mai d'Agoa_, uncle," interposed the young Paraense, speaking in asuppressed voice. "_The Mother of the Waters_! It's only an Indiansuperstition, founded on the great water serpent,--the anaconda. Nodoubt it's one of these he and Tom have seen swimming about under thebutt-end of the log. If it be still there I shall have a look at itmyself."

  The youth was proceeding towards the spot so hastily vacated by Mundayand Tom, when the former, seizing him by the arm, arrested his progress."For your life, young master, don't go there! Stay where you are. Itmay not come forth, or may not crawl up to this place. I tell you it isthe Spirit of the Waters!"

  "Nonsense, Munday; there's no such thing as a _spirit_ of the waters.If there were, it would be of no use our trying to hide from it. Whatyou've seen is an anaconda. I know these water-boas well enough,--haveseen them scores of times among the islands at the mouth of the Amazon.I have no fear of them. Their bite is not poisonous, and, unless thisis a very large one, there's not much danger. Let me have a look!"

  The Indian, by this time half persuaded that he had made a mistake,--hisconfidence also restored by this courageous behaviour,--permittedRichard to pass on to the end of the log. On reaching it he lookedover; but recoiled with a cry, as did the others, while the ape uttereda shrill scream, sprang down from its perch, and scampered off to theopposite extremity of the dead-wood.

  "It _is_ an anaconda!" muttered the Paraense, as he made his way"amidships," where the rest were awaiting him; "the largest I have everseen. No wonder, Munday, you should mistake it for the _Mai d'Agoa_.'Tis a fearful-looking creature, but I hope we shall be able to destroyit before it can do any of us an injury. But it is very large, and wehave no arms! What's to be done, Munday?"

  "Be quiet,--make no noise!" entreated the Indian, who was now himselfagain. "May be it will keep its place till I can get the spear throughits neck, and then--Too late! The sucuruju is coming upon the log!"

  And now, just rising through a forked projection of the roots, was seenthe horrid creature, causing the most courageous to tremble as theybeheld it. There was no mistaking it for anything else than the head ofa serpent; but such a head as not even the far-travelled tapuyo had everseen before. In size it equalled that of an otter, while the luridlight that gleamed from a pair of scintillating orbs, and still more thelong, forked tongue, at intervals projected like a double jet of flame,gave it an altogether demoniac appearance.

  The water out of which it had just risen, still adhering to its scalycrown, caused it to shine with the brightness of burnished steel; and,as it loomed up between their eyes and the sun, it exhibited thecoruscation of fire. Under any circumstances it would have been fearfulto look at; but as it slowly and silently glided forth, hanging out itsforked red tongue, it was a sight to freeze the blood of the bravest.

  When it had raised its eyes fairly above the log, so that it could seewhat was upon it, it paused as if to reconnoitre. The frightened men,having retreated towards the opposite end of the dead-wood, stood asstill as death, all fearing to make the slightest motion, lest theyshould tempt the monster on.

  They stood about twenty paces from the serpent, Munday nearest, with thepashuba spear in hand ready raised, and standing as guard over theothers. Richard, armed with Munday's knife, was immediately behind him.For more than a minute the hideous head remained motionless. There wasno speech nor sound of any kind. Even the coaita, screened by itsfriends, had for the time ceased to utter its alarm. Only the slightestripple on the water, as it struck against the sides of the ceiba,disturbed the tranquillity of the scene, and any one viewing the tableaumight have supposed it set as for the taking of a photograph.

  But it was only the momentary calm that precedes the tempest. In aninstant a commotion took place among the statue-like figures,--allretreating as they saw the serpent rise higher, and, after vibrating itshead several times, lie flat along, evidently with the design ofadvancing towards them. In another instant the monster was advancing,--not rapidly, but with a slow, regular motion, as if it felt sure of itsvictims, and did not see the necessity for haste in securing them.

  CHAPTER SEVENTY SIX.

  AN UNEXPECTED ESCAPE.

  The great reptile had already displayed more than a third of its hideousbody, that kept constantly thickening as it rose over the butt-end ofthe log; and still the tapuyo appeared irresolute. In a whisper,Trevannion suggested their taking to the water.

  "No, patron; anything but that. It would just be what the sucurujuwould like.
In the water it would be at home, and we should not. Weshould there be entirely at his mercy."

  "But are we not now?"

  "Not yet,--not yet,--stay!" From the fresh confidence with which hespoke, it was evident some plan had suggested itself. "Hand me overthat monkey!" he said; and when he took the ape in his arms, andadvanced some paces along the log, they guessed for what the pet wasdestined,--to distract the attention of the anaconda, by securing for ita meal!

  Under other circumstances, Tom might have interfered to prevent thesacrifice. As it was, he could only regard it with a sigh, knowing itwas necessary to his own salvation.

  As Munday, acting in the capacity of a sort of high-priest, advancedalong the log, the demon to whom the oblation was to be made, and whichhe still fancied might be the _Spirit of the Waters_, paused in itsapproach, and, raising its head, gave out a horrible hiss.

  In another instant the coaita was hurled through the air, and fell rightbefore it. Rapidly drawing back its head, and opening wide its serratedjaws, the serpent struck out with the design of seizing the offering.But the ape, with characteristic quickness, perceived the danger; and,before a tooth could be inserted into its skin, it sprang away, and,scampering up the mast, left Munday face to face with the anaconda, thatnow advanced rapidly upon him who had endeavoured to make use of such asubstitute.

  Chagrined at the failure of his stratagem, and dismayed by thethreatening danger, the tapuyo retreated backwards. In his confusion hetrod upon the still smouldering fire, his scorched feet scattering thefagots as he danced through them, while the serpent, once more inmotion, came resolutely on.

  His companions were now more frightened than ever, for they now saw thathe was, like themselves, a prey to fear. For again had he become abeliever in the Spirit of the Waters. As he stood poising his spear, itwas with the air of a man not likely to use it with effect. The youngParaense, with his knife, was more likely to prove a protector. Butwhat could either do to arrest the progress of such a powerful monsteras that, which, with only two thirds of its length displayed, extendedfull twenty feet along the log? Some one of the party must become avictim, and who was to be the first?

  The young Paraense seemed determined to take precedence, and, with thegenerous design of protecting his friends,--perhaps only little Rosa wasin his thoughts,--he had thrown himself in front of the others, even thespearman standing behind him. It appeared that his time was come. Hehad not confidence that it was not. What could he do with a knife-bladeagainst such an enemy? He stood there but to do his duty, and die.

  And both would quickly have been accomplished,--the duty and thedeath,--but that the Omnipotent Hand that had preserved them through somany perils was still stretched over them, and in its own way extricatedthem from this new danger. To one unacquainted with the cause, it mighthave been a matter of surprise to see the reptile, hitherto determinedupon making an attack, all at once turn away from its intended victims;and, without even showing its tail upon the log, retreat precipitatelyinto the water, and swim off over the lagoa, as if the ceiba wassomething to be shunned beyond everything else that might be encounteredin the Gapo!

  CHAPTER SEVENTY SEVEN.

  HISTORY OF THE ANACONDA.

  Though it may be a mystery to the reader why it had retreated, it wasnone to our adventurers, who had seen it crawl over the scatteredfagots; they had heard the hissing, sputtering sound, as the live coalscame in contact with its wet skin; they had witnessed its dismay andflight at a phenomenon so unexpected. They were therefore well awarethat it was the scorching hot cinders that had caused the sucuruju toforsake the dead-wood in such a sudden and apparently mysterious manner.

  It was some time before they were entirely relieved of their fears.Notwithstanding its precipitate retreat, they could not tell but thatthe anaconda might change its mind and come back again. They could seeit swimming for some time in a tortuous track, its head and part of itsneck erect above the water; then it took a direct course, as ifdetermined upon leaving the lagoa. It was, therefore, with no ordinaryfeeling of relief that they saw it finally disappearing from view in thefar distance.

  The mystery of its presence upon the dead monguba was soon cleared up.The log was hollow inside, the heart-wood being entirely decayed andgone. In the cavity the serpent had perhaps sought a sleeping-placesecure from intrusion during some protracted slumber that had succeededthe swallowing of a gigantic prey,--deer, paca, or capivain. Here ithad lain for days,--perhaps weeks; and the log, carried away by therising of the floods, had done nothing to disturb its repose. Its firstintimation that there was any change in the situation of itssleeping-place was when the fire fell in through the burnt shell, andthe hot cinders came in contact with its tail, causing it to come forthfrom its concealment, and make the observation that resulted in itsattacking the intruders. The hollow that had contained the colony oftocandeiras was altogether a different affair. It was a cavity of asimilar kind, but unconnected with that in the heart of the tree; and itwas evident that the little insects and the great reptile, althoughdwelling in such close proximity,--under the same roof, it may besaid,--were entirely unacquainted with each other.

  When the serpent was quite out of sight, our adventurers once morerecovered their spirits, and conversed gayly about the strange incident.The breeze, having freshened, carried their raft with considerablerapidity through the water, in the right direction, and they began toscan the horizon before them in the hope of seeing, if not land, atleast the tree-tops ahead. These, however, did not show themselves onthat day, and before the sun went down the forest behind them sank outof sight. The night overtook them, surrounded by a smooth surface ofopen water, spotless and apparently as limitless as the great oceanitself.

  They did not "lay to," as on the night before. The breeze continuedfavourable throughout the night; and, as they were also favoured with aclear sky, and had the stars to pilot them, they kept under sail tillthe morning. Before retiring to rest they had supped upon roast charquiand fish broiled over the coals; and, after supper, talk commenced, asusual, the chief topic being the anaconda. On this subject the tapuyohad much to say, for of all the animals that inhabit the waterwilderness of the Amazon there is none that inspires the Indian withgreater interest than the sucuruju. It is the theme of frequentdiscourse, and of scores of legends;--some real and true, while othershave had their origin in the imagination of the ignorant aboriginal;some even having proceeded from the excited fancy of the coloniststhemselves, both Spanish and Portuguese, who could boast of a higherintelligence and better education.

  The fanciful say that there are anacondas in the waters of the Amazonfull thirty yards in length, and of a thickness equalling the dimensionsof a horse! This has been stated repeatedly,--stated and believed in,not only by the ignorant Indian, but by his instructors, the monks ofthe missions. The only fanciful part of the statement is what regardsthe size, which must be merely an exaggeration. What is real and trueis of itself sufficiently surprising. It is true that in the SouthAmerican rivers there are anacondas, or "water-boas," as they aresometimes called, over thirty feet in length and of proportionatethickness; that these monstrous creatures can swallow such quadrupeds ascapivains, deer, and even large-sized animals of the horse and cattlekind; that they are not venomous, but kill their prey by_constriction_,--that is, by coiling themselves around it, and crushingit by a strong muscular pressure; and that, once gorged, they retire tosome safe hiding-place,--of which there is no scarcity in theimpenetrable forests of Amazonia,--go to sleep, and remain for a time ina sort of torpid condition. Hence they are much more rarely seen thanthose animals which require to be all the time on the alert for theirdaily food.

  Of these great snakes of Tropical America there are several species; andthese again are to be classified, according to their habits, into twogroups markedly distinct,--the "boas," properly so called, and the"water-boas," or anacondas. The former are terrestrial in their mode ofliving, and are to be found upon the dry road; the lat
ter, though notstrictly living in the water or under it, are never met with exceptwhere it is abundant; that is to say, on the banks of rivers andlagoons, or in the submerged forests of the Gapo. They swim underwater, or upon the surface, with equal facility; and they are alsoarboreal, their powers of constriction enabling them to make their wayto the tops of the highest trees. It is these that are more properlycalled sucurujus,--a name belonging to the common language spoken uponthe Amazon, a mixture of Portuguese with the ancient tongue of theSupinampas, known as the _lingua geral_. No doubt, also, it is fromsome unusually large specimen of sucuruju, seen occasionally by theIndian hunters and fishermen, that these simple people have been ledinto a belief in the existence of the wonderful _Mai d'Agoa_, or "Motherof the Waters."

  CHAPTER SEVENTY EIGHT.

  A SNAKE "YARN."

  Cheered by the thought that the breeze was bearing them in the rightdirection, our adventurers sat up till a late hour. When they at lengthresolved upon going to sleep, it was arranged that two should sit up,--one to mind the sail, the other to ply a paddle, and keep the craftsteadily to her course, as well as could be done with such a rudder.The old sea-cook still had charge of the sheets and halyards, whileTipperary, notwithstanding that he had already proved himself such anindifferent helmsman, was intrusted with the steering.