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Updated: May 27, 2025
Paddy having thus delivered himself, tried to make Pullingo understand that we had seen something extraordinary near the camp; and not without some hesitation did he accompany Paddy and me to where I had left Mudge standing.
We had been curious to know how Pullingo and his family had crossed the river; but we had not got far when we caught sight of a very rough-looking canoe hauled up on the bank.
The smell made us hungry; so cutting off some thin slices, we roasted them in the same manner, but far more thoroughly than the strangers had done. Pullingo, who had been watching us, now stole up, and by his gestures begged for a share, which, of course, we gave him.
With unerring sagacity he led the way through the forest, and not till we had passed over the first range of hills did he stop to allow us to take breath. "Bad! mighty bad, Paddy!" he said, turning round to his friend, and speaking with the accent he had learned from the Irishman. "If get killed, others say Pullingo did it.
On they came in troops, till nearly two hundred must have been collected; then joining hands, they formed a large circle round the whale, while Pullingo mounted along the tail to the top of it, where he stood flourishing his axe, and apparently making a speech to the assembled multitude.
"I don't think he troubles himself about the future," answered Mudge; "he just now feels as much satisfaction at being without his clothes, as you or I would in getting a warm bath and putting on a clean shirt and trousers." We were some time in making our way through the forest, Pullingo not taking any special trouble to pick out the best path.
"But, really, I feel very little inclination to get up." Just as he spoke I saw Pullingo close to us. He had approached so noiselessly, that, had he been an enemy, he might easily have surprised us. "Not good here; too far from camp," he said in a low voice.
We were puzzled also to discover how Quaquagmagu had known where to find his father. It showed us that the blacks had some secret means of communicating with each other of which we were ignorant. We sat by our camp-fire endeavouring to hold a conversation with Pullingo.
We were thankful for our escape, for had we killed one of them in our ignorance of their intentions, the others would have set upon us; and we should either have been compelled to shoot the whole of them, or have been pierced through and through with their lances. It was, at all events, fortunate that Pullingo had come up just at the right moment.
"All, all," answered Pullingo, shaking his head; and he poured forth a torrent of words which we could not understand. At length, however, we made out, chiefly by signs, that something was wrong at home either that his children were ill, or that his wife had run away; at all events, that he wished to return northward.
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