Adventure Magazine Cover — page 98: what you’re looking at

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96 reply to his greeting and referred him to Da Sylvestra. That gentleman lounged in a hammock strung from cabin to deck rail so that all who passed had to stoop under his ropes. He smoked a good cigar and lifted one eyelid at the gringo, who stated civilly enough that the captain had passed him on to talk about the shipment of his goods. But Da Sylvestra threw out his hands, palms uppermost, and smiled as he fired his shot. “T am desolate,” said he. “But I have _ Chartered the entire space for the return trip for my business.” “Sor” said the Pelloroxo, wondering Switly what this move might mean. “You are going into the castanha business?”’ “But no,” said the other, ‘into tagua.”’ Here was the direct challenge. The Pel- loroxo rose to it immediately. “T am not selling my fagua to you,” said he. “And there is no other.” Da Sylvestra shrugged. “There is tagua in the back creeks, and experienced nut gatherers are here in plenty.” So! That was the plan? The Pelloroxo understood now. But he was in a position to grin as he replied. “True Senhor, there is tagua in my water. My water extends back for fifty miles into the jungle. How many Indians live in its back reaches, I do not know; for I have- never had time to explore. But four hun- dred Indians under their chiefs and zpagés who are my friends, work for me. Believe me, then, when I tell you, Senhor Da Sylvestra;. these expert nut gatherers of Santa Isabel will not enter into a war with _ my Indians.” He waited to let the reflection soak in for a few moments, and then added: “You are a business man, Senhor. There- fore, | will make you a business offer: I will buy your charter from you for the half of what you paid for it.” With that he left him and came away to his own batelao. . He spoke his insulting offer boldly; but no sooner was he away than he sent Swift canoes to carry messages; one to the 7pagé at his camp, and one to me. Then he sat down to make such preparations as he might and to wait. Da Sylvestra was left to gnash upon the end of his cigar and to exercise his wits for the saving of his charter money. He sent for such*of the nut padrdos as were there to Adventure ‘consult with them. But they shrugged and threw out their hands. “He is a bad man, that gringo,” they said. “And he has well trained his Indians by some ——’s means of his own. It is true what he says; they will surely fight for him; as ours—curses upon them—will not.” So Da Sylvestra thought angrily some more, and then said cunningly: “Bom, the man is your enemy as well as mine. You know what may be done here and what may not. But I tell you this; and let it be known to all your friends who arrive; that I will pay the Manaos price, two and a half milreis per kilo, for tagua delivered here at Santa Isabel.” That was a cunning trick, and a bribe indeed to urge those fellows to desperate measures. For the best that they could get for their castanha was less than one and a half. Entéo, what would be the inevitable happenigg? The Pelloroxo, sleeping in his bateld@o, was awakened by one of his Indians to listen to a noise up at the rubber shed. © He rolled out of his hammock and stole up to investigate. But silently as he went, as he approached the shed, a pistol was fired out of the dark- ness and a ball coughed out over his head toward the black river. Happily, as I have said, pistol shooting is not so popular a pastime among us as it is with you of the north, and we have no experts. The Pelloroxo fell to the ground and lay waiting in uncertainty; for only a fool will walk into what he doesn’t know in the dark- ness. But those others lacked the courage to defend their position of advantage against that pistol of which they had heard so much. They fled into the night; and the Pelloroxo, when he called for a light, found some dozen or so big sacks filled with his tagua nuts ready to be taken away. Petty thievery was what he had hardly expected. - But that was not a matter to be greatly exercised about. He sent an In- dian to fetch his hammock. He would sleep in the shed and put a stop to that sort of thing. But there were men among the back creek padrdos who were arriving now with every hour of the night, who would risk much for the price that Da Sylvestra offered—provided that the risk were not too great. As the Pelloroxo was tying his hammock ropes, another shot came out of the dark- ness. This time he jerked his own pistol Gomicbooks.com