CHAPTER XXXV.—THE HEART OF NEW GUINEA.
The expedition now found itself advancing through forest that grew sparser as they progressed. The ground was rapidly becoming more rugged. Close to them now towered the range known as the Kini-Balu among the wild recesses of which the tribe of that name made its home. Constant vigilance was the watchword of the hour now. Salloo would permit no fires to be lighted, and he and his followers were constantly scouting in front of the party, while additional watch was kept at the rear and on both flanks.
It was dangerous, thrilling work, but the boys, who loved adventure, relished every moment of it. But Donald Judson lived a life of misery. Every rustle in the bush made him turn pale. He was constantly giving false alarms in the night and the boys heartily wished he had been left behind. One afternoon—they were right in the mountains now—Salloo halted the party with a quick gesture.
“Two men ahead of us. Up the mountain. Salloo go, look, see.”
He glided off with his usual snake-like agility and vanished in a flash, while the party waited behind a mighty rock, for cover of the forest kind was growing scarce now. A wilder region would have been hard to imagine. The cliffs and mountains were of all sorts of extravagant shapes. Some of the larger rocks and peaks took on the outlines of monstrous animals. But they were still following a trail which was undoubtedly the one set down in red ink on Broom’s map.
Through the glasses, which they were able to use without being observed, by crouching down in the coarse grass, they could see Salloo advancing toward the two figures on the mountain side. As he went he was making the peace sign, extending his arms as if inviting the others to attack him at their will. But as far as they could see, the meeting was friendly enough. Salloo conversed with the two men of the mountain for a long time. Then he could be seen retracing his steps.
“Well?” demanded everybody as he returned to the camp.
“Ebblyting good so far,” reported Salloo. “Those two men velly old men. They left behind when tribe go to war in the north.”
“Then the country is free of danger?” cried Donald.
Salloo turned a look of contempt on him and did not answer. Addressing the others, he continued:
“They say they know of cave. But no know if white man is there,” went on the Malay.
“Would they be willing to guide us to it?” inquired Mr. Jukes.
“That me no know yet. Me go see ’em again to-night,” replied Salloo. “They say nobody but old men, women and children left behind now tribe go to war. So maybe they no afraid to show us. You pay ’em good?”
“Anything, any sum at all,” was the response of the millionaire. “No sum is too great to restore my brother to his family.”
When night fell Salloo left the camp again and did not return till midnight. He brought the news that the two old men would guide them for three pieces of gold each. They did not want the coins to spend, explained Salloo, but to pierce and wear round their necks as ornaments.
“I’ll make it six each,” declared Mr. Jukes, “if they lead us aright.”
There was little sleep for anybody that night, and soon after daybreak the two old men appeared in the camp. They were odd-looking old fellows; unclothed except for a breech cloth, and were daubed with red and yellow earth, signifying that their tribe was at war, although their age barred them from taking part.
At Salloo’s suggestion, only himself, Mr. Jukes, Jack and Billy were to accompany the guides. The others were to remain behind and keep as well under cover as they could till the rest returned with success or failure. Final instructions having been given, they set off behind the two old men, who chattered volubly with Salloo as they went. They knew of the cave, it appeared, but nothing more, for they did not come from that part of the mountains.
The next day they were not far from the cave, their aged guides told them, and Salloo enjoined the strictest caution in proceeding. If they met a returning war party, their position would be ticklish in the extreme, he declared, and they readily agreed with him.
It was not long after this that, high up on the mountain side, they became aware of a dark hole. The two old men chattered and pointed, and then Salloo said:
“There him cave. You wait here. Salloo go, look, see.”
He made off up the mountain with the two old tribesmen, while the others waited with what patience they could for his return. The boys had never seen Mr. Jukes so nervous. He could not keep still under the tension, but paced to and fro, regardless of Salloo’s advice to keep under cover.
“He is taking his time,” said Jack after a long interval.
“Perhaps something has happened to him,” said Mr. Jukes, apprehensively. “We’d better have our pistols ready. Hark! what was that?”
There was a rustling in the bushes near at hand and they all sprang to their feet, only to burst into laughter a minute later when a rock coney, or small rabbit, emerged, looked at them for an instant and then vanished.
“That shows how we are keyed up,” said Jack. “We’ve got to keep our nerve or we shall be useless if any emergency did happen.”
As he spoke, something whizzed over their heads and then sank quivering in the ground not far from them. They looked round and saw standing not far off two hideous natives, with frizzed hair and painted faces and bodies. Both were wounded and apparently had been sent back from “the front.” But still there was a chance that they might be the advance guard of a big body of troops.
“We friends,” cried Jack, giving the peace sign as he had seen Salloo give it.
The natives merely stared, and there is no knowing what might have been the outcome, but at that moment there came a hail from high up on the mountain and the old tribesmen and Salloo began coming toward them. The natives awaited their coming with their eyes fixed on the whites. As soon as Salloo and the others arrived there was a long confab and Salloo explained that the two warriors said that the main body of the savage troops was not far off, and that they had been sent back on account of their wounds. They had thrown the spear because they thought the whites were coming to invade their country. When Salloo explained the object of their errand, everything appeared to be satisfactory.
“Now we go to the cave,” said Salloo, at the end of these negotiations. “Him velly big one, me think.”
“Did you—did you see any trace of my brother?” asked Mr. Jukes anxiously.
“Me no see anything yet,” was the reply. “Me only go little way into cave.”
“Then come, let us start at once,” said Mr. Jukes, stepping nimbly over the rough ground, in spite of his cumbersome build.
As Salloo had said, the cave was a large one. It ran back fully a mile under the mountain. But they paid little attention to its natural beauties, so eager were they to find some trace of Jerushah Jukes. To one side was a swiftly flowing stream. They did not doubt that it came from a waterfall, the noise of which they could hear in the distance.
Before long they stood in front of the waterfall, a beautiful ribbon of water falling fully a hundred feet into a clear pool. A sort of mist hung over the pool caused by the spray, which was lighted by a rift in the rocks above. It was a lovely sight and even in their anxiety to get on they could not help standing and admiring it for a few minutes.
“By the way, Salloo,” said Jack abruptly, “how about that ghost that is supposed to haunt the cave?”
“Me no know. Me——”
“Look, look, the ghost!” cried Raynor suddenly. He pointed straight in front of him at the fall.
“Great Scott!” exclaimed Jack as he too perceived an apparition that appeared to rise out of the waters. Salloo fell flat on his face in terror and so did the two old natives, who had been their guides.
“Don’t talk nonsense,” said Mr. Jukes sharply. “I see nothing. I—for heaven’s sake!”
Out of the mist of the pool he had seen advancing toward him as he stepped forward the gigantic form of a man. Then he glanced again.
The ghost was Mr. Jukes himself, who certainly had nothing spiritualistic about him. The explanation of the queer sight struck the boys and the millionaire at the same instant. The sun, shining through the rift, was reflected upon the wet rock which in turn projected their figures against the watery mist that hung above the pool.
“And so that’s the ghost that’s been scaring the natives to death,” said Jack. “Get up, Salloo, and I’ll show you how the trick is done.”
After a brief demonstration the Malay was satisfied, but the two old men were unconvinced. They mumbled and were ill at ease till that part of the cave was left behind.
“Hullo, here’s a path leading up past the waterfall,” cried Jack suddenly.
“So there is. Let’s see where it goes,” cried Billy. They started up the slippery footway very slowly so as to avoid the consequences of a slip. As they went it grew lighter. They were coming to the upper world once more. A minute later and they emerged upon a small plateau in the heart of the mountains. It was surrounded by steep precipices. In the centre stood a group of bamboo huts.
At sight of the white men, several women and children set up a shrill cry. Suddenly above the hub-bub came a voice that brought a thrill to them all:
“Has help come at last?”
“Has help come at last?”
From behind one of the huts had stepped a tall, angular figure, wearing ragged white clothes and a battered sun helmet. Perched on his nose were a pair of huge horn-rimmed spectacles, a ragged, unkempt beard covered his face and his hair hung in matted locks about his shoulders.
At the sight of him, Mr. Jukes gave a gasp and then a glad cry.