by Zane Grey
Having decided, Manuel folded a palm leaf and used it to bail out the canoe. In the bottom he found a bunch of dwarfish bananas and some dried fish. Here was good fortune in the way of food. He arranged the palm leaves across the gunwales, making a sun, rain, and dew shield. Then, pushing off, he paddled into the swollen current.
The blazing sun rose; the sand flies wheeled with the drifting canoe; the afternoon rain poured; night came, with its cloud of singing mosquitoes, its poison dews and fogs.
That day passed, and another like it. Every hour the canoe drifted speedy as the current. The Cashibos children lost their fear of Manuel. The boy jabbered and played; the girl smiled at Manuel, which persuaded him not to give them to a Campas tribe, but to take them home and care for them himself.
Three more days and nights the canoe drifted. Manuel’s strength had returned, but it troubled him to think. Something had happened up the river. He had for his pillow a ragged coat that fascinated him, and which he treasured.
Early the next morning he turned the green bend at La Boca to come abruptly upon the Amazonas, lying at the dock. Men shouted from her decks; there was a thudding of bare feet.
“Look! Look!”
“Is it the outlaw?”
“No—no!”
“Yes—yes. Those shoulders and arms—it’s he!”
Manuel’s blotched face, swollen out of all proportions, was unrecognizable.
Captain Valdez leaned hard over the rail. “Manuel, is it you?”
“Yes, captain.”
“Where’s your cowcha?”
“Lost, captain, lost! A great rubber forest, captain—I had tons of cowcha—it’s lost—all lost!”
“I suppose so,” replied Valdez ironically. “That’s a fine cargo to pay you—two half-grown Indian kids. The nerve of you, Manuel, dropping into La Boca with slaves.”
“Slaves!” echoed from Manuel. His gaze traveled from Valdez’s face to the little bronze Cashibos, once more huddling, frightened, in the bow. “Slaves? Ha! Ha! Ha!”
“Manuel, you had your choice,” went on the captain, “and now you must abide by it. I’ve caught some of you slave hunters this trip. There’s Bustos in irons. Your choice Manuel—the chain gang, or the river?”
“The river for me!” said Manuel. “Only up instead of down!”
“Up! But, Manuel, there’s a chance down the Amazon. You—”
The rubber hunter faced up the wide Pachitea. His stentorian cry froze the words upon Captain Valdez’s lips. It rolled out, a strange, trenchant call to something beyond the wild, silent river.
“Fever,” whispered one of the fettered slave dealers.
“Bitten crazy,” said another.
Manuel started the canoe upstream. He did not look back.
Captain and crew and prisoners on the boat thrilled to Bustos’s mocking farewell.
“Adios, Manuel!”
Wildside Press’s MEGAPACK® Ebook Series
If you enjoyed this ebook, check out more volumes in Wildside Press’s great MEGAPACK® series…more than 300 in all!
Key for MEGAPACK® availability:
* Not available in the United States
** Not available in the European Union
***Out of print.
****Only available in Canada and other countries where copyright terms are life + 50 years or less.
THE GOLDEN AGE OF SCIENCE FICTION
1. Winston K. Marks
2. Mark Clifton
3. Poul Anderson
4. Clifford D. Simak
5. Lester del Rey (vol. 1)
6. Charles L. Fontenay
7. H.B. Fyfe (vol. 1)
8. Milton Lesser (Stephen Marlowe)
9. Dave Dryfoos
10. Carl Jacobi
11. F.L. Wallace
12. David H. Keller, M.D.
13. Lester del Rey (vol. 2)
14. Charles De Vet
15. H.B Fyfe (vol. 2)
16. William C. Gault
17. Alan E. Nourse
18. Jerome Bixby
19. Charles De Vet (Vo. 2)
20. Evelyn E. Smith
21. Edward Wellen
22. Robert Moore Williams
23. Richard Wilson
24. H.B. Fyfe (vol. 3)
25. Raymond Z. Gallun
26. Homer Eon Flint
27. Stanley G. Weinbaum
28. Edward Wellen
29. Katherine MacLean
30. Roger Dee
31. Sam Merwin
32. Frederik Pohl
33. Kris Neville
34. C.M. Kornbluth
35. Keith Laumer
36. George O. Smith
37. John W. Campbell, Jr. (Vol. 1)
38 Chester S. Geier (Vol. 1)
39. John W. Campbell, Jr. (Vol. 2)
40. Robert F. Young (Vol. 1)
41. P. Schuyler Miller (Vol. 1)
42. Richard Wilson (Vol. 2)
43. Chester S. Geier (Vol. 2)
44. Chester S. Geier (Vol. 3)
45. P. Schuyler Miller (Vol. 2)
46. Chester S. Geier (Vol. 4)
47. Chester S. Geier (Vol. 5)
ROMANCE
The Nurse Novel MEGAPACK®
THE NOVELLA SERIES
1. The Adventure Novella MEGAPACK®
2. The Mystery & Suspense Novella MEGAPACK®
3. The Noir Crime Novella MEGAPACK®
THE GOLDEN AGE OF WEIRD FICTION SERIES
1. Henry S. Whitehead
2. George T. Wetzel
3. Emil Petaja
4. Nictzin Dyalhis
5. David H. Keller
6. Clark Ashton Smith
7. Manly Banister
8. Frank Belknap Long (Vol. 1)
9. Frank Belknap Long (Vol. 2)
10. Carl Jacobi
11. E. Hoffmann Price
SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY
The First Science Fiction Novel MEGAPACK®
>The Second Science Fiction Novel MEGAPACK®
The First Science Fiction MEGAPACK®
>The Second Science Fiction MEGAPACK®
>The Third Science Fiction MEGAPACK®
>The Fourth Science Fiction MEGAPACK®
>The Fifth Science Fiction MEGAPACK®
>The Sixth Science Fiction MEGAPACK®
>The Seventh Science Fiction MEGAPACK®
>The Eighth Science Fiction MEGAPACK®
>The Ninth Science Fiction MEGAPACK®
>The 10th Science Fiction MEGAPACK®
>The 11th Science Fiction MEGAPACK®
>The 12th Science Fiction MEGAPACK®
>The 13th Science Fiction MEGAPACK®
>The 13th Science Fiction MEGAPACK®
The A. Merritt MEGAPACK®*
The A.R. Morlan MEGAPACK®
The Alien MEGAPACK®
The Ardath Mayhar MEGAPACK®
The Second Ardath Mayhar MEGAPACK®
The Avram Davidson Science Fiction & Fantasy MEGAPACK®
The King Arthur MEGAPACK®
The Andre Norton MEGAPACK®
The Carson of Venus MEGAPACK®, by Edgar Rice Burroughs****
The C.J. Henderson MEGAPACK®
The C.S. Lewis Science Fiction MEGAPACK®****
The Charles Dickens Christmas MEGAPACK®
The Comic Science Fiction Novel MEGAPACK®
The Darrell Schweitzer MEGAPACK®
The Dragon MEGAPACK®
The E.E. “Doc” Smith MEGAPACK®
The E. Nesbit MEGAPACK®
The Edgar Pangborn MEGAPACK®
The Edmond Hamilton MEGAPACK®
The Edward Bellamy MEGAPACK®
The Phyllis Ann Karr Fanciers & Realizers MEGAPACK®
The First Reginald Bretnor MEGAPACK®
The First Theodore Cogswell MEGAPACK®
The First Kothar the Barbarian MEGAPACK®
>The Second Kothar the Barbarian MEGAPACK®
The Frank Belknap Long Science Fiction MEGAPACK®r />
>The Second Frank Belknap Long Science Fiction MEGAPACK®
>The Third Frank Belknap Long Science Fiction MEGAPACK®
The Frank Belknap Long Science Fiction Novel MEGAPACK®
>The Second Frank Belknap Long Science Fiction Novel MEGAPACK®
The Fred M. White Disaster MEGAPACK®
The Fredric Brown MEGAPACK®
>The Second Fredric Brown MEGAPACK®
The Fritz Leiber MEGAPACK®
> The Second Fritz Leiber MEGAPACK®
The Gismo Complete Series MEGAPACK®, by Keo Felker Lazarus
The H. Beam Piper MEGAPACK®
The Jack London Science Fiction MEGAPACK®
The Jack Sharkey MEGAPACK®
The Lawrence Watt-Evans Fantasy MEGAPACK®
The Lloyd Biggle, Jr. MEGAPACK®
The Lost Worlds MEGAPACK®
The Mack Reynolds MEGAPACK®
>The Second Mack Reynolds MEGAPACK®
>The Third Mack Reynolds MEGAPACK®
The Mad Scientist MEGAPACK®
The Marion Zimmer Bradley MEGAPACK®v
The Martian MEGAPACK®
The Milton A. Rothman Science Fiction MEGAPACK®
The Miss Pickerell MEGAPACK®
The First Murray Leinster MEGAPACK®
>The Second Murray Leinster MEGAPACK®
>The Third Murray Leinster MEGAPACK®
>The Fourth Murray Leinster MEGAPACK®
The Narnia MEGAPACK®****
The Olaf Stapledon MEGAPACK®**
The P. Schuyler Miller Science Fiction & Fantasy MEGAPACK®
The Philip K. Dick MEGAPACK®
>The Second Philip K. Dick MEGAPACK®
The Plague, Pestilence, & Apocalypse MEGAPACK®
The Pulp Fiction MEGAPACK®
The Randall Garrett MEGAPACK®
>The Second Randall Garrett MEGAPACK®
The R.A. Lafferty Fantastic MEGAPACK®
The Ray Cummings MEGAPACK®
The Richard M. Elam Science Fiction MEGAPACK®
The First Richard Wilson MEGAPACK®
The Robert Sheckley MEGAPACK®
The Robert Silverberg MEGAPACK®
The Robot MEGAPACK®
The Science-Fantasy MEGAPACK®
The Science-Fantasy Novel MEGAPACK®
The Science Fiction Crime MEGAPACK®
The Sydney J. Van Scyoc Science Fiction MEGAPACK®
The Space Opera MEGAPACK®
The Space Patrol MEGAPACK®, by Eando Binder
>The Second Space Patrol MEGAPACK®, by Eando Binder
The Steampunk MEGAPACK®
The Stephen Vincent Benét MEGAPACK®
Thomas A. Easton’s GMO Future MEGAPACK®
Thomas A. Easton’s Love Songs and UFOs MEGAPACK®
The Time Travel MEGAPACK®
>The Second Time Travel MEGAPACK®
>The Third Time Travel MEGAPACK®
>The Fourth Time Travel MEGAPACK®
Thomas A. Easton’s GMO Future MEGAPACK®
Thomas A. Easton’s Love Songs and UFOs MEGAPACK®
The Utopia MEGAPACK®
The Willam P. McGivern Fantasy MEGAPACK®
The First Willam P. McGivern Science Fiction MEGAPACK®
>The Second Willam P. McGivern Science Fiction MEGAPACK®
The William Hope Hodgson MEGAPACK®
The Wizard of Oz MEGAPACK®
The Zanthodon MEGAPACK®, by Lin Carter
WESTERN
The Andy Adams Western MEGAPACK®
The B.M. Bower MEGAPACK®
The Max Brand MEGAPACK®
The Buffalo Bill MEGAPACK®
The Burt Arthur Western MEGAPACK®
The Charles Alden Seltzer MEGAPACK®
The Cowboy MEGAPACK®
E. Hoffmann Price’s Western & War Action MEGAPACK®
The Edgar Rice Burroughs Western MEGAPACK®*
The George W. Ogden Western MEGAPACK®
The Leslie Ernenwein Western MEGAPACK®
The Lon Williams Weird Western MEGAPACK® The Western MEGAPACK®
> The Second Western MEGAPACK®
> The Third Western MEGAPACK®
The Western Novel MEGAPACK®
> The 2nd Western Novel MEGAPACK®
> The 3rd Western Novel MEGAPACK®
> The 4th Western Novel MEGAPACK®
> The 5th Western Novel MEGAPACK®
> The 6th Western Novel MEGAPACK®
> The 7th Western Novel MEGAPACK®
> The 8th Western Novel MEGAPACK®
> The 9th Western Novel MEGAPACK®
> The 10th Western Novel MEGAPACK®
The Western Romance MEGAPACK®
The William MacLeod Raine Western MEGAPACK®
The Zane Grey MEGAPACK®
The Second Zane Grey MEGAPACK®
CHILDREN & YOUNG ADULT
The Aeroplane Boys MEGAPACK®
The Biff Norris MEGAPACK®
The Bobbsey Twins MEGAPACK®
The Boy Scouts MEGAPACK®
The Boy Detectives MEGAPACK®
The Boys’ Adventure MEGAPACK®
The Bryce Walton Boys’ Adventure MEGAPACK®
The Children’s Christmas Story MEGAPACK®
The Dan Carter, Cub Scout MEGAPACK®
The Dare Boys MEGAPACK®
The Dave Dawson War Adventure MEGAPACK®
The Dick Hamilton Boys’ Adventure MEGAPACK®
The Doll Story MEGAPACK®
The Flash Evans Complete Series MEGAPACK®
The G.A. Henty MEGAPACK®
The Girl Detectives MEGAPACK®
>The Second Girl Detectives MEGAPACK®
>The Third Girl Detectives MEGAPACK®
The Gismo Complete Series MEGAPACK®, by Keo Felker Lazarus
The Horatio Alger MEGAPACK®
The Miss Pickerell MEGAPACK®
The E. Nesbit MEGAPACK®
The Penny Parker MEGAPACK®
The Pinocchio MEGAPACK®
The Richard M. Elam Science Fiction MEGAPACK®
The Rover Boys MEGAPACK®
The Sandy Steele MEGAPACK®
The Carolyn Wells MEGAPACK®
> The Second Carolyn Wells MEGAPACK®
The Sky Detectives MEGAPACK®
The Space Patrol MEGAPACK®
>The Second Space Patrol MEGAPACK®
The Tahara, Boy Adventurer MEGAPACK ®
The Tom Corbett, Space Cadet MEGAPACK®
The Tom Swift MEGAPACK®
The Wizard of Oz MEGAPACK®
The Young Adult Award-Winners MEGAPACK®
The Young Adult Mystery MEGAPACK®
SINGLE-AUTHOR
The A. Merritt MEGAPACK®*
The A.R. Morlan MEGAPACK®
The Achmed Abdullah MEGAPACK®
The Algernon Blackwood MEGAPACK®
>The Second Algernon Blackwood MEGAPACK®
The Anatole France MEGAPACK®
The Andre Norton MEGAPACK®
The Anna Katharine Green MEGAPACK®
The Ardath Mayhar MEGAPACK®
The Arthur Conan Doyle MEGAPACK®: Beyond Sherlock Holmes
The Arthur Conan Doyle Early Novels MEGAPACK®
The Arthur Leo Zagat Science Fiction MEGAPACK®
The Arthur Machen MEGAPACK®**
The Arthur Morrison Mystery MEGAPACK®
The Avram Davidson Science Fiction & Fantasy MEGAPACK®
The B.M. Bower MEGAPACK®
The Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson MEGAPACK®
The Bram Stoker MEGAPACK®
The Burt Arthur Western MEGAPACK®
The C.J. Henderson MEGAPACK®
The Charles Alden Seltzer MEGAPACK®
The Charles Dickens Christmas MEGAPACK®
The D.H. Lawrence Short Story MEGAPACK®
The Darrell Schweitzer MEGAPACK®
The Dashiell Hammett MEGAPACK®
The E. Hoffmann Price Spicy Story MEGAPACK®
The E. Ne
sbit MEGAPACK®
The E.F. Benson MEGAPACK®
>The Second E.F. Benson MEGAPACK®
E. Hoffmann Price’s Exotic Adventures MEGAPACK®
E. Hoffman Price’s Fables of Ismeddin MEGAPACK®
E. Hoffmann Price’s Pierre d’Artois: Occult Detective & Associates MEGAPACK®
E. Hoffmann Price’s Spicy Adventure MEGAPACK®
E. Hoffman Price’s Two-Fisted Detective MEGAPACK®
E. Hoffmann Price’s Western & War Action MEGAPACK®
The Edmond Hamilton MEGAPACK®
The Edgar Pangborn MEGAPACK®
The Edward Bellamy MEGAPACK®
The Erckmann-Chatrian MEGAPACK®
The F. Scott Fitzgerald MEGAPACK®
The First R. Austin Freeman MEGAPACK®
The First Reginald Bretnor MEGAPACK®
The First William P. McGivern Science Fiction MEGAPACK®
The Fred M. White Disaster MEGAPACK®
The Frederick Douglass MEGAPACK®
The Fredric Brown MEGAPACK®
>The Second Fredric Brown MEGAPACK®
The George Barr McCutcheon MEGAPACK®
The Guy de Maupassant MEGAPACK®
The H. Beam Piper MEGAPACK®
The H. Bedford-Jones Pulp Fiction MEGAPACK®
The Harold Lamb MEGAPACK®
The Henri Bergson MEGAPACK®
The Jacques Futrelle MEGAPACK®
The James Michael Ullman Crime Novel MEGAPACK®
The Jane Austen MEGAPACK®
The John Maclay MEGAPACK®
The Johnston McCulley Mystery MEGAPACK®
The Jonas Lie MEGAPACK®
The Katherine Mansfield MEGAPACK®
The Kenneth Grahame MEGAPACK®
The Lloyd Biggle, Jr. MEGAPACK®
The Lon Williams Weird Western MEGAPACK®
The M.R. James MEGAPACK®
The Mack Reynolds MEGAPACK®
The Marion Zimmer Bradley MEGAPACK®
The Mary Fortune Mystery & Suspense MEGAPACK®
The Max Brand MEGAPACK®
The Murray Leinster MEGAPACK®
>The Second Murray Leinster MEGAPACK®
>The Third Murray Leinster MEGAPACK®
>The Fourth Murray Leinster MEGAPACK®
The Philip K. Dick MEGAPACK®
> The Second Philip K. Dick MEGAPACK®
The Rafael Sabatini MEGAPACK®
The Randall Garrett MEGAPACK®
> The Second Randall Garrett MEGAPACK®
The Ray Cummings MEGAPACK®
The R. Austin Freeman MEGAPACK®*
> The Second R. Austin Freeman MEGAPACK®*
> The Third R. Austin Freeman MEGAPACK®*
The Reginald Bretnor MEGAPACK®
> The Second Reginald Bretnor MEGAPACK®
The Robert Sheckley MEGAPACK®
The Robert Silverberg MEGAPACK®