“We will!” Jim ran a few yards, and yelled at the top of his lungs. “You fellows want a bomb or two right in the middle of you?” He drew one fist up as if it held something large and deadly, and a few of the men faced him quickly, but the others merely crowded closer to the white women and sneered defiantly.
“No kill own women,” one declared.
“Don’t kid yourself,” Jim reported quickly. “I’ll blow up the lot of you in about a half a minute.” He looked exactly as if he meant every word of it, and he did, but there was nothing more dangerous in his pocket than a small flashlight. Then he saw Donald standing close beside his mother and father, whose arms were bound with thongs. “What’s it all about?” he demanded. The young Indian spoke to the men nearest him; presently there was a silence, and he faced Jim.
“I am glad that you appeared with your bombs, Mr. Austin, you and your brother, but I pray that you will not use them immediately. I am sure the men here will listen to reason,” he said elaborately.
“They won’t have much time to listen to reason. Where I come from we make a practice to shoot or throw our bombs first and apologize afterwards,” Jim snapped, and his eyes blazed furiously. “I heard those women scream. Tell those fellows to take their hands off, or I won’t listen to anything—not a thing!”
“I will,” Donald said quickly. Both boys knew that a good many of the natives understood perfectly what was said, and now those who were nearest to the belligerent-looking young Texans stepped away from their captives. Donald interpreted the speech, and the other women were promptly released.
“That’s better. Now, what’s the trouble,” Jim thundered, and was glad that his voice was a deep one.
“Professor Martin took a party of men, women and children into the woods. They thought they were going to have a party and a feast but he lead them to the Black Woods, into which they will not go until after the last butterfly has passed over to the sea.”
“Yes,” Jim snapped.
“He guided them into a passage he had found which lead them through the thickest part of the forest. Some of the men got suspicious and asked questions, then they all refused to go on, but the professor had herded the women and children ahead of him along with a couple of huge brutes he’d picked up in town. They forced the women to go on, and threatened to shoot the men if, they did not come with him and work where he wished.”