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Updated: June 22, 2025
Yuara, deigning to speak for the first time since leaving the maloca, explained that the absent men had gone hunting for their breakfasts. Before long the hunters came straggling back, bearing monkeys and birds, which were divided among their companions. None of this meat was offered to the prisoners, who ate unconcernedly from their pack rations.
Their chief had intimated that Monitaya would kill these men; and now was their last chance to try to dodge death. But neither the black-bearded McKay nor any of his mates manifested the slightest concern. And at last the canoe of Yuara came back. It came, however, without Yuara himself. The son of Rana had remained at the malocas ahead, whence he sent the command to advance.
At length a number of tall, shapely women, apparently the handsomest of their sex in the tribe, laid a number of small mats in a semicircle on the ground before the chief, and placed thereon a steaming array of edibles. Furs were placed outside the line of mats. From somewhere appeared all four of the subchiefs, accompanied by Yuara.
His eyes rested again on McKay, went to the bandaged arm of Yuara, dropped to his knife the first steel knife ever owned by him or any man of the Suba tribe and rose again to the black-bearded captain. Abruptly then he spoke out. Lourenço stared in blank astonishment. After a puzzled moment he shook his head as if unable to believe he had heard aright. Suba, scowling, repeated what he had said.
And as more minutes passed and the wounded man still breathed, a murmur of wonderment passed among the cannibals and the men of Nunes. Yuara should be dead, yet he was not even paralyzed. Such a thing had never before been known in this bush. Lourenço touched Pedro's arm. "Find a spot where we can make camp," he said. "I must stay here to speak to the wild men if words are needed."
The opening was still vomiting tribesmen when Yuara and the rest reached it. But none made a hostile move when it was seen that the son of the subchief was in command and that the strangers seemed friendly. Yuara spoke, briefly but authoritatively, and the weapons sank. Then, with a word to his three companions, he ducked through the doorway. The other three remained where they were.
Then, in simple symbolism, he reversed the new arrow and stabbed it also into the dirt. Dropping his bow, he lay down on his back. "Yuara will draw bow no more. Yuara goes to join the spirits of the dead," he said, calmly. Mechanically Lourenço translated the words. McKay sprang forward. "No!" he disputed. "Not without a try for life, anyhow! Merry, sling a tourniquet! Quick!"
If Yuara walks on the pits he dies and our trap is revealed. Por amor de Deus, send girls quickly!" Lourenço acted instantly. Seizing two young women, he propelled them doorward, talking swiftly the while. Yuara and his mate were already advancing innocently toward the few girls outside, none of whom had wit enough to warn him.
Yuara himself turned toward the second canoe and talked a minute. A signal to his men, and his boat proceeded. All the others remained where they were. "He goes to Monitaya to speak of us," said Lourenço. "He will return. We have only to wait." "Yeah," grunted Tim, disgustedly. "We'll wait till night if he takes as long to go through his rigmarole as he done yesterday.
Though it was evident that Yuara had given the captain full credit for saving his life, the faces of the head men showed no sign of friendliness. In fact, their expressions were distinctly ominous. At length the chief turned his eyes to Lourenço. The veteran bushman promptly stepped forward and said his say.
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