United States or Cocos Islands ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
"Your arrow went straight to its heart," said Roka. "The spring was its last convulsion of the muscles and now the other beasts are fighting over its body as they eat it." "I don't care how soon this night is over," said Will. "All the meat-eating wild beasts in the mountains must be gathering about us." "It is not a time for sleep," said Roka gravely.
"Despite your skill with the bow and arrow you would be devoured before you had gone a mile. The fierce beasts would be in waiting for you and you would no longer have a ring of fire to protect you." "Then what are we to do, Roka? We can't stay here forever within the ring of fire, living on steaks cut from the bull." "Waditaka has become a great young warrior and he thinks much.
Will's nerves had been attuned so highly during the terrible siege that he collapsed to a certain extent after his return to the village, but he suffered no loss of prestige because of it, as everybody believed that he and his comrades had been besieged by evil spirits, and Pehansan and Roka as well were compelled to take a long rest.
"Beyond the reach of our arrows they will be, but they will not depart wholly." "Someone must go to the village for help," said Will, "help not only for us, but to take away two or three tons of this good meat. Why, the bull looks even bigger this morning than he did last night. One of my snowshoes is broken, but, if Pehansan will lend me his, I'll make the trip." "You will not," said Roka.
"We may need them all before morning," said Roka. "It is so, if the growling be a true sign," said Pehansan. The two warriors partly skinned the body and cut off great chunks of meat, which they broiled over the fires, and all three ate. Meanwhile, Will, bow and arrows ready, watched the bushes beyond the circle of flame.
He came blindly on towards the man he had sought to murder, gasping and groaning. Then he saw Roka, dropped his Winchester, threw up his hands, and tried to speak. Roka walked up to him. "'Tis better for thee to die quickly," he said. The supercargo swayed to and fro, and mutely held out both hands to Harvey as if imploring help or forgiveness.
Roka drew back, and planted his left foot firmly in the sand, as he placed the muzzle of his carbine against Chard's breast, and Chard, grasping the barrel in his left hand to steady himself, bent his dreadful face upon his chest.
When a pair of green eyes came unusually near Will fired an arrow at a point midway between them, and a terrific howling and shrieking followed. "It was one of the great wolves, I think," said Roka, "and your arrow sped true. The others are devouring him now. Listen, you can hear his big bones cracking!" Will shuddered and threw more wood on the fires. What a blessed thing fire was!
"Thou boaster," replied the Savage Islander good-naturedly, as he stepped briskly down the hard, white sand towards the water, his sturdy, reddish-brown body naked to the waist, and his brawny right arm twirling the heavy turtle-spear about his head as if it were a bamboo wand. "I go into the lagoon, whither goest thou?" Roka pointed ahead. "Along the beach towards the islet with the high trees.
Word Of The Day