Rob Harlow's Adventures: A Story of the Grand Chaco

by George Manville Fenn

  CHAPTER TWENTY TWO.

  BRAVE EFFORTS.

  That same afternoon after a quiet discussion of their position, theresult of which was to convince Brazier and Rob of the utterhopelessness of any attempt to escape, they joined with Shaddy in themost sensible thing they could do, namely, an attempt to forget theirsorrow and misery in hard work.

  "If we want to be healthy," Shadrach had said, "we must first thing geta shelter over our heads where we can sleep at nights, clear of theheavy dews, and which we can have ready next time it comes on to rain."

  A suitable position was soon found high up where no flood was likely toreach, and presenting several attractions.

  First, it was at the head of the clearing exactly facing the river, sothat a passing boat could be seen. Secondly, it was between two greattrees, apparently twins, whose smooth columnar trunks ran up some twentyfeet without a branch; after that they were one mass of dense foliage,which drooped down nearly to the ground and looked thick enough to throwoff, as the leafage lay bough above bough, any fall of rain short of awaterspout.

  The trees were about twelve feet apart, and from a distance the boughshad so intermingled that they looked like one.

  "That's the spot, sir!" Shaddy exclaimed. "Now then, the first thingis to find a branch that will do for a ridge pole."

  That first thing proved to be the most difficult they could haveundertaken, for a long search showed nothing portable at all likely toanswer the purpose; and though palm after palm was found, all were toosubstantial to be attacked by pocket-knives. They were getting indespair, when Rob hit upon one close down to the river, which the unitedstrength of all three, after Rob had climbed it and by his weightdragged the top down within reach, sufficed to lever out of thesaturated ground.

  As soon as the young palm was down, Shaddy set Brazier and Rob to cutoff the roots and leaves, which latter they were told to stack ready foruse, from where they hung six or eight feet long, while he--Shaddy--knife in hand, busied himself in cutting long lianas and canes to act asropes.

  An hour later they had the young palm bound tightly to the trees aboutsix feet from the ground, after which branches were cut and carried, sothat they could be laid with the thick ends against the ridge pole andthe leaves resting upon the ground from end to end.

  This done, others were laid on in the same way, the leaves and twigsfitting in so accurately that after a busy two hours they had a strongshed of branches ready for stopping up at one end with thorns and moreboughs, while Rob had to climb up the slope and thatch the place withthe palm leaves, forming a roof impervious to any ordinary rain.

  "That will do for sleeping, eh, gen'lemen?" said Shaddy. "We'll finishit another time. We can rest in shelter. Now then for getting ourwages--I mean a decent supper."

  Rob had been conscious for some time past of sundry faint sensations;now he knew that they meant hunger, and as they left the hut they hadmade he did not look forward with any great feelings of appetite to ameal of nuts.

  But it soon became evident that Shaddy had other ideas, for he went tothe fire again to obtain a hardened piece of wood for fashioning into ahook, when an idea struck Rob, and he turned to their guide eagerly.

  "Did you ever sniggle eels?" he said.

  "Did I ever what, sir?"

  "Sniggle eels."

  Shaddy shook his head.

  "No. I've bobbed for 'em, and set night lines, and caught 'em inbaskets and eel traps after storms. Is either of them sniggling?"

  "No," cried Rob eagerly, "and you might catch fish perhaps that way.I'll show you; I mean, I'll tell you. You take a big needle, and tie apiece of strong thin silk to it right in the middle."

  "Ay, I see," said Shaddy.

  "Then you push the needle right into a big worm, and stick the point ofthe needle into a long thin pole, and push the worm into a hole in abank where eels are."

  "Yes, I see."

  "Then one of the eels swallows the worm, and you pull the line."

  "And the worm comes out."

  "No, it does not," said Rob. "As it's tied in the middle, it is pulledright across the eel's throat, and you can catch it without beingobliged to use a hook."

  "That's noo and good," said Shaddy eagerly. "I could fish for doradoesthat way, but I've got no needle."

  "Wouldn't this do, Shaddy?" said the lad, and he took a steelneedle-like toothpick out of the handle of his pocket-knife.

  "The very thing!" cried Shaddy, slapping his leg, and, after tying hisnewly made line to the little steel implement in the way described, hebound over it with a silken thread a portion of the refuse of the fishthey had previously caught. Going to his former place, he cast in hisline, and in five minutes it was fast to a good-sized fish, which aftera struggle was landed safely, while before long another was caught aswell.

  "Man never knows what he can do till he tries," cried Shaddy merrily."Why, we can live like princes, gentlemen. No fear of starving! Fishas often as we like to catch 'em, and then there's birds and otherthings to come. You don't feel dumpy now, Mr Rob, do you?"

  "I don't know, Shaddy. I'm very hungry and tired."

  "Wait till we've had supper, my lad, and then we'll see what we can doabout making a bow and arrows."

  As he spoke he rapidly cleaned the fish, treated them as before, andplaced them in the embers, which were glowing still.

  While the fish cooked Shaddy busied himself in crushing some of the nutsby using one stone as a hammer, another as an anvil, and some of them heset to roast by way of a change.

  By the time the fish were ready the sun was rapidly going down, and whenthe meal was at an end--a meal so delicious, in spite of thesurroundings, that it was eaten with the greatest of enjoyment--it wastoo dark to see about bows and arrows, and the disposition of all threewas for sleep.

  So the boughs collected on the previous night were carried in beneaththe shelter and made into beds, upon which, after well making up thefire, all stretched themselves, and, utterly wearied out by the arduoustoil of the day, fell asleep at once, in spite of the chorus ofnocturnal creatures around, among which a couple of cicadas settled intheir rudely made roof and kept up a harsh chirping loud enough to havekept awake any one who had not gone through as much work as two ordinarymen.

  "But it can't be morning," thought Rob as he was awakened by Shaddytouching him on the shoulder, and then he uttered his thought aloud.

  "Well, if it ain't, my lad, the sun's made a mistake, for he'll be updirectly. Coming out?"

  "Yes; wait till I wake Mr Brazier."

  "Nay; let him be till we've got breakfast ready, my lad. He lookedregularly done up last night. He can't bear it all like young chapssuch as we."

  Rob laughed, and then a cloud came over him as he stepped out into thesoft grey morning, for he had caught sight of the hurrying river, andthis brought up the boat and the loss of his companion and friend.

  "Look here, Mr Rob," said Shaddy, changing the current of the boy'sthoughts directly, "I've been thinking out that bow and arrow business."

  "Yes, Shaddy."

  "And I've found out some splendid tackle for making arrows."

  "What! this morning? Then you have been out and about!"

  "Yes, soon as I could see my way. I found a bed of reeds which willmake capital arrows with a point of hard wood a bit burned, and there'sno end of 'em, so there's our shot all straight as--well, as arrows.Now you and I are going to get a fish and put him to cook, and afterthat we'll try and find a bit of wood good enough for a bow."

  "And where's your string, Shaddy?"

  "Round your neck, sir. You don't think you're going to indulge in suchluxuries as silk han'kerchers at a time like this, do you? Because, ifyou do, I don't; so you'll have to pull out all the threads and wind 'emup, like Mr Brazier did. His han'kercher will do for fishing-lines.Yours shall be bow-strings. Why, who knows but what we may get a deer?Anyhow we may get one of them carpinchos, and not bad eating, either."

  The fish was soon caug
ht in the swift clear water, but all attempts totake another failed. It was, however, ample for their meal, and afterit had been placed in the fire, which had never been allowed to go outsince first lit, Rob's companion pointed out more footprints of a puma,and soon after those of a deer, both animals having evidently been inthe opening within the last few hours, from the freshness of the prints.

  The reeds for the arrows were cut, and proved to be firm, strong, andlight, but the selection of a branch for the bow proved to be more of atask. One was, however, decided upon at last, roughly trimmed, andthrown on the fire for a few minutes to harden, and it was while thepair were busy over this task, watching the tough wood carefully, thatBrazier found them, apologising for his so-called idleness and eagerlyasking what he should do to help.

  "Nothing, sir, at present, but have your breakfast. Would you mindpicking a few plates and a dish, Mr Rob? Let's have the green patternagain."

  Rob smiled as he went to the arum-like plant which had supplied himbefore, and returned to the fire just as Shaddy was apologisingseriously for its being fish again for breakfast and promising a changebefore night.

  The apology was uncalled for, the freshly caught, newly roasted fishproving to be delicious; and roasted nuts, though they were notchestnuts and were often flavoured with burned oil, were anything but abad substitute for bread.

  "There, gen'lemen," said Shaddy as they finished, "next thing seems tobe to go down to the waterside and have a good drink of nature's own teaand coffee. Worse things than water, I can tell you. I always think tomyself when I've nothing else that what was good enough for Adam and Eveought to be good enough for me."

  "Water's delicious," cried Rob as they reached a convenient place andlay down to scoop up the cool clear fluid with their hands and drinkheartily.

  "So it is, Mr Rob, sir, 'llcious," said Shaddy; "but wait a bit, andyou shall have something to put in the water, if it's only fruit juiceto flavour it. But what I want to find is some of those leaves theymake into South American tea."

  Just then Shaddy smiled and rose to his knees, watching Brazier, who hadmoved off thirty or forty yards away.

  "What are you laughing at?" asked Rob.

  "Mr Brazier's want of good manners, sir. Don't seem the thing for agen'leman like him to go washing his face and hands in his tea andcoffee-cup; now do it?"

  "Plenty of room, Shaddy!" said Rob. "I'm going to follow his example."

  He stretched out over the water from the bank, reached down his hands,and began to bathe his face, the water feeling deliciously cool to hisbrow and eyes as he scooped up handsful, and he was just revelling in anextra good quantity, when he uttered an ejaculation of alarm, for hefelt himself seized by the collar as if he were about to be hurled intothe river, but it proved only to be Shaddy snatching him away.

  "Why did you do that?" cried Rob angrily, as he pressed the water out ofhis eyes and darted a resentful look at the big rough fellow, who stoodlooking at him coolly.

  "'Cause we wanted you to be useful, my lad, and because you didn't wantto go below yonder and feed the fishes," replied Shaddy, laughing."Didn't you see that 'gator?"

  "No. Where? Was it near me?"

  "Pretty near, sir. I happened to look, and saw him coming slowly nearerand nearer, ready for making a dash at you, and as I'd neither gun norspear to tackle him, I had to pull you out of the way."

  "Was it big?" said Rob, with a shudder.

  "No, sir, only a little one, about six foot long, but quite strongenough to have hung on and overbalanced you into the water, where therewould have been plenty more to help him. Now I tell you what, sir, MrBrazier had better be told to be careful," continued Shaddy. "Ah, hesees danger; so it's all right."

  For Brazier suddenly shrank away from the edge of the river, rose, andcalled to them.

  "Take care, Rob!" he shouted; "the water here swarms with alligators.One little wretch was coming at me just now."

  "Yes, sir, better mind!" cried Shaddy. "We've just had one here." Thenturning to Rob,--

  "Now, Master Rob, sir, what do you say to our spending the day makingbows and arrows?"

  "I'm ready."

  "And perhaps, Mr Brazier, sir, you wouldn't mind trying for anotherfish for dinner, in case we don't get our shooting tackle ready."

  Brazier nodded, and soon after prepared to fish, but even in theirpeculiar strait he could not refrain from looking longingly at plant,insect, and bird, especially at a great bunch of orchids which werependent from a bough.

  He did not seem likely to have much success in the pool or eddy wherethe other fish had been caught, and soon after moved off to anotherplace, but meanwhile Rob and Shaddy were busy in the extreme, the lattermaking some half-charred pieces of wood from the fire into littlehardened points ready for Rob to fix into the cleft he split in the endof each reed and then binding them tightly in, making a notch for thebow-string at the other end, and laying them down one by one finishedfor the sheaf he had set himself to prepare.

  These done, Rob began upon the silken bow-string, pulling out thethreads from his neckerchief and tying them together till he had woundup what promised to be enough, afterwards doubling and twisting themtightly, while Shaddy was whistling softly and using his pocket-knife asif it were a spoke-shave to fine down the thick end of the piece of woodintended for the bow.

  "Strikes me, Mr Rob," he said, "that we shall have to use this verygingerly, or it will soon break. I know what I wish I had."

  "What?" asked Rob.

  "Rib of an old buffalo or a dead horse."

  "What for?"

  "To make a bow, my lad. It would only be a short one, but wonderfullystrong. You'd have to use short arrows, and it would be hard to pull,but with a bow like that you could send an arrow through a deer. But aswe haven't got one, nor any chance of finding one, we must do the bestwith this."

  Rob watched with the greatest of interest the progress of the bow,busying himself the while with the string, which was finished first; andas it displayed a disposition to unwind and grow slack, it wasthoroughly wetted and stretched between two boughs to dry.

  "Shall you succeed in getting a bow made?" said Brazier, coming up.

  "Oh yes, sir, I think so," said the guide; "better bow than archer, I'mthinking, without Mr Rob here surprises us all by proving himself aclever shot."

  "Don't depend upon me," said Rob mournfully, for his thoughts were uponJoe and his sad end, and when by an effort he got rid of thesedepressing ideas, his mind filled with those of the Indians turningagainst them in so cowardly a way, leaving them to live or die, just asit might happen, while they escaped with the plunder in the boat.

  "What are you thinking about, Rob?" said Brazier, after speaking to himtwice without eliciting an answer.

  "Of the men stealing our boat. It was so cruel."

  "Don't you fret about it, Mr Rob! They'll soon get their doo ofpunishment for it. Worst day's work they ever did in their lives.You'd think that chaps like they would have known better, but they'rejust like children. They see something pretty, and they'll do anythingto get hold of it, and when they've got it they find it's of no use to'em and are tired of it in an hour. I'll be bound to say they'rewishing they hadn't gone and were back along of us."

  "Then they may repent and come?" said Brazier.

  Shaddy uttered a low chuckling sound.

  "And I shall save my collection after all."

  "Don't you think it, sir!" said Shaddy seriously. "They couldn't getback, as I said; and if they could they daren't, on account of you andme. They've got a wholesome kind of respect for an Englishman, and nomore dare face us now than fly."

  Brazier sighed.

  "Oh, never mind, sir!" said Shaddy cheerily. "Things might be worsethan they are. We're alive, and can find means to live. We don't knowbut what we may get away all right after all. If I might give you myadvice--"

  "Give it, by all means," said Brazier.

  "Well then, sir, seeing that you came out to colle
ct your flowers andplants, I should say, `Go on collecting just as you did before, and waitin hopes of a boat coming along.'"

  "But it might be years first."

  "Very well, sir; wait years for it. You'd have made a fine collectionby that time."

  Brazier smiled sadly as he thought of his dried-up specimens.

  "Me and Mr Rob here will find plenty of some sort or another for thekitchen, so as you needn't trouble about that. What do you say?"

  "That you teach good philosophy, and I'll take your advice. Not muchvirtue in it, Rob," he said, smiling, "for we cannot help ourselves.There, I will do as you suggest as soon as we have made a few morearrangements for our stay."

  "You leave them to us, sir," said Shaddy. "Mr Rob and I are quitestrong enough crew for the job, and I saw some wonderful fine plantsright at the edge of the forest yonder. I'd go and try for 'em now,sir."

  "Shaddy's afraid that some one will come along and pick them first,"cried Rob, laughing.

  "No fear, sir, unless it's some big, saucy monkey doing it out ofimitation and mischief. What do you say?"

  "I say yes," replied Brazier. "It would be wrong to despair and foolishto neglect my chance now that I am thrown by accident among the naturalhistory objects I came so many thousand miles to find."

  As he spoke he moved off in the direction pointed out by their guide,while Shaddy chuckled directly they were alone.

  "That's the way, Mr Rob," he said; "give him something to think aboutand make him busy. `A merry heart goes all the day; a sad one tires ina mile,' so the old song says. Mind, I don't mean he's merry, but he'llbe busy, and that's next door to it. Now then, I'm ready. Let's getthe string on and bend our bow."