Adventure Magazine, December 10, 1924 — page 129: what you’re looking at

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

The Trail Smellers official position had put him in the happy position of producing it at the minimum cost, for he paid his labor nothing at all. Having gained for himself official authority, all that remained for him to do was to en- force it. For a single man to enforce his authority over a few thousand jungle Indians is easy, provided that the jungles are sufficiently far enough away for no reports to filter out to the government, and provided that the man is not handicapped with the curse of a conscience. All that Gabriel did was to summon the sub-chiefs of the tribes before his throne and tell them that he required so many men to work balata. Ifa sub-chief did not immediately promise to send the required number, Gabriel would suddenly heave himself up into a sitting posture and would roar forth at him in the great bull voice that is the heritage of all these half breed Zambos. If that did not immediately terrify the savage into submission, the fat smile would come back into his face and he would pick up the great pistol that lived ever in the chair with him under his thigh and would shoot at the man. Sometimes he hit him; sometimes he missed. But the result would always be the same. If he missed, the man would be frightened into obedience. If he hit—well, there were other sub-chiefs, and the Indians to work balata would swiftly be forthcoming. A veritable king of the upper Ica became this Angel Gabriel, as do all these far administradores dos Indios. And he was wise in his ways. For, look you, what complaint would ever reach the far govern- ment of Bogota? There is no trade that goes up over the mountains from this last removed corner of Colombia. Trade comes down river through the last removed corner of Peru into the almost last corner of Brazil. And even the boundaries, as I have said, are in dispute; and who is there to,care or in- terfere with what happens in who knows whose country? Toward us—that is to say, toward me; for few traders ever go so far—the Zambo was ever careful to be most affable and hos- pitable. Many a cargo of his balata have I brought down here to Sao Antonio and delivered safely to the down-river steamer; and many a time have I eaten his rice and . his stinking prarucu fish; and have kept 107 my own counsel about the tales that have come to me. Not one, but a hundred Indians have begged me in their helpless way to make report of his doings, refusing to take pay: ment of the mirrors and fish hooks which I gave in trade for their resin and feathers of the egret. But to whom should I repert? Meu Deus, there are worse men than he in the Putumayo. Mcre than once has Joselito spoken with me, conferring upon whether some- thing might not be done for this needless oppression. But to do anything would mean depositions and witnesses and charges made by responsible men at the capital. And I, I am a river man. I do not journey a month over the mountains to Bogota. To Joselito I suggested that he journey to Bogota himself and lay the case before - the Ministerio de la Hacienda. But to travel over the mountains requires, believe me, senhores, an expedition with many men and mules, a costly affair. And Gabriel con- trived, as is the custom, to keep his few paid assistants ever in debt to himself for goods drawn from his store. Nor would he ever permit any one of them to own a pistol. All the need that might arise for the use of pistols in the sz#io Gabriel, he said, he could amply take care of himself. Very cunning had this Zambo been in all his arrangements. ee Entéo, to make matters short, thus the affairs progressed with the usual harmony of these upper rivers until came the woman to make the inevitable discord. I have said, senhores, that the greatest handicap to a jungle man is the curse of conscience. J would amend that by saying that the one yet greater calamity that can befall a man where civilization ends is a woman. One woman. Many do not mat- ter. They are but a temporary nuisance, as I know who have had them. But one. Defende me Deus! May the good God pro- tect me from losing my head. It is suf- ficient that He has cursed me with the conscience that is difficult to train. | This was a woman of the Huitotos, who are well famed for their comeliness and much sought by river men for their qualities of virtue and domesticity. I do not know how she got there; but probably she came with some party of her men folk, who are as famous for their strength and river craft as are the women for their looks. CoMmiclhool< Wh) (© 5}