Adventure Magazine, April 10, 1924 — page 92: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

go “We are glad.” The Spaniard made a mock bow. “Since we are such good men, your Piatzo should command you to tell us of the quickest way to reach Rana.” A single head-shake betokened her rejec- tion of this argument. “You go to make war on my people,” she asserted. “If it be the will of Piatzo that you succeeed, he will lead you. He does not tell me to speak.”’ “Your Piatzo is a fraud, and you are an- other,’ José rejoined good-humoredly. “We shall find what we seek without the aid of any Piatzo. We shall follow the lead of Chaquicuna.” A surprized look flitted over her face, but she said no more. “Who’s he? One o’ the scouts?” won- dered Tim. “Chaquicuna? No. He is the other god of the Jiveros—the god of the forest, as Yacumama is the god of the waters. One of his feet is that of a man, the other that of a tigre. Quite likely we shall see his tracks near this camp in the morning. If we do I shall show them to her—and you shall see how strong is her faith in Piatzo.” Knowlton and McKay, sprawling in their new hammocks, squinted at him through their cigaret-smoke. “One man foot and one tiger foot?” puz- zied Knowlton. “You’re joking.” “No. It is true. Have you never seen such tracks?” “M-m-m. Seems as if I have. Let’s see. Oh, sure. I get it. A man walks along, and a jaguar or a puma follows his track in the mud. Then the next man to come along Sees man-tracks and cat-tracks together. And those fools believe it’s done by a god?” “Trulv, teniente. Their wizards tell them so, and they believe it. And this girl, for all her prating about Piatzo, learned of the Jivero gods when she was small and still be- lieves in them. You shall see.” “Just how do you expect to find Dave without her help?” queried McKay. “That, also, you shall see,” was the smil- ing answer. And José curled up and went to sleep. If he heard the coughs of near-by jaguars in the night he gave no sign of it. But im- mediately on awaking in the morning he \slipped out of the hut and into the bush as ui he knew where to go. Soon he was back, twinkle in his eyes. : “‘Chaquicuna favors our: march,” he said Adventure solemnly in Spanish. “He was with us in the dark hours, and I have just seen his tracks in the forest. He goes before us. Nuné, you do not believe that the god of the forest leads us against the Huambizas? Then come and see with your own eyes.”’ Without awaiting reply, he led the way. She followed. The Americans, after a mo- ment of indecision, remained where they were. While José was out they had fresh- ened a fire and boiled coffee, and now the aroma of the hot liquid was more tempting than the inspection of marks in the mud. Squatting about the little blaze, they sipped and smoked and banished the dank night chill from their bones. Presently the pair returned: the girl lithe and fair, the man swarthy and satirical; such a contrast that Tim, watching them approach, muttered: “Cripes! They look like an angel and the devil!’ The sober face of the angel, and the sly wink of the devil, showed that she had in- deed looked on a set of tracks which had aroused her early superstitions. She seemed somewhat disturbed, and her gaze swept about the encompassing woods as if she al- most expected to see a weird figure moving somewhere in the shadows. Reaching the hut, she went about the preparation of the frugal breakfast in an absent fashion. José squatted by the fire and accepted a cupful of coffee. 7 “The god left a fine track,”’ he chuckled. “One of my men probably wandered a lit- tle after making camp, and a cat sniffed along his trail in the night. I am glad we have the girl with us; there are few jokes on a war-trail, and I can tease her all the way toherown land. But perhaps that will arouse the anger of Sefor Tim. Hah?” “She ain’t my girl no more,” grumbled Tim. “And kiddin’ don’t hurt her none. Leastways, mine didn’t: I thought I was git- tin’ in good and then she gimme the razz, same as they all do. It’s a tough world for a soft-hearted li’l feller like me. But what’s yer big idea in knockin’ her religion? That don’t git us nothin’.” “Tt know it. I only wanted to prove to myself that her faith in Piatzo was not so strong as to overcome her Huambiza be- liefs. She is Huambiza at heart, and when we enter Huambiza country she must be carefully watched. It is not my plan to let her escape and give warning that we come.” COnmiclboolks G C© 5}