Adventure Magazine Cover — page 93: what you’re looking at

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

Jungle Business : > our igarape again; this time with a ~ pleasurable anticipation. : BUT, meu Deus, as I traveled I met with a disquiet much greater than on my first trip. For at the first of the palm leaf sheds I found two strange bateldos-tied up to the bank half full of nuts while the shed was empty. Their masters were away in the woods, the crews told me. But I knew their names. Gross fellows both, with a reputa- tion for high handedness and a browbeating of the trader folk and bateleros who congre- gated at Santa Isabel. ‘ The crew man were sullen and would tell me only that their masters had bought the nuts from the Indians who collected at that point and that they were arranging now for more laborers to work for them. “Diabol”’ said I to myself. “What villainy is this? Has the Pelloroxo also been brow- beaten by their evil reputation to permit this robbery? Or is he, perhaps, dead up there in the jungle?” So I passed on with anxiety. But Indians in a new canoe whom I met farther up told me that the white man lived and was well. so I told my paddle men to dip deep and strong so that I might reach the camp by the same evening and receive his explana- tion from himself. His joy to see me was as great as his relief; and he recounted to me immediately how those two had sneaked up our creek; and the first that he had known about it was when he received a machete, the same that he had given the Indian down there as pay- ment for his labor. He did not blame the Indian; for those trader men had told him that if he returned the payment he would be free of his contract, and that they would give him another machete and’ something more besides. But what was he to do about those two men he did not know till I should return; and he had been waiting for me now this full month while they stole our nuts. I looked at him with amazement and considerable disappointment. “Sangue Deus,” I growled... “What do you expect to do in such a case? Call for a policeman to protect you?” “T don’t know,” he answered with a grave face. “‘I waited for your coming to find out what was the proper procedure according to the custom of the upper rivers.” “Proper procedure?” I said with sarcasm. Ot “Carramba, you come into our peaceful cities carrying a pistol, engaging in rioting, and comporting yourself after the manner of your Wild West beyond the borders of | civilization. And now that you are here in pioneer country beyond our borders of law, you became tame and wait to inquire what is the proper procedure of law! Dien- tro, I will show you what is my custom. I shall go down to those two ruffians and shall tell them that I, Theophilo, am interested in this business; ‘and basta, they will apolo- gize and withdraw.” But he bit upon his lip and swallowed my scorn. “No,” he insisted with a set face. “Tf I am to conduct a business in these upper rivers I must attend to this matter miyself, I but wanted to know what might be done without antagonizing the whole of Ama- zonas. Let us say no more, but come in and eat.” So he took me into his stilt house and would say no more on the subject. But he called his peloto and gave orders that the bateldo crew be prepared for an early start the next morning, and he remained in @ silent mood till morning came. With the first screaming of the parrots he was up and shouting for his paddle men to jump and go; and he would have gone alone with silence and his set face. But I insisted on accompanying him, for I know those two men to be cunning as well as treacherous. They were lolling on the bank beside their bateldos when we arrived, for it was tne siesta hour. The one, a heavy set man of the same height as the Pelloroxo, but getting -stout-from easy living; and the other, equally tall, but as lean and stringy as the first was stout: though both their faces were well matched in a furtive sort of truculence. Upon seeing our bateléo come round the bend they sprang to their feet, cursing with surprize; for they had flaunted their inso- lence so long in security that this’ visit was very unexpected indeed. The stout one made as if to run to his batelao; but the other held him by the arm and drew him to him- self, and they stood together whispering. We swung into the bank, and the Pel- loroxo sprang out with alacrity. “Have a care,’ I warned him as I fol lowed. “For both these’ fellows have the reputation of carrying weapons, not in open view like yours, but concealed.” But he, paying no attention to me, stalked ecomicbooks.com