No doubt remained in Harry and Topsie’s minds but that some of their party had been attacked, and their anxiety in consequence was extremely acute and painful. They did not spare themselves in the efforts which they made to reach the scene of action. Very suddenly they came upon it, and then at once realised the terrible danger in which their friends were placed. Standing in a small square, facing all ways, they perceived Sir Francis and Lady Vane, Freddy, Mary, Willie, Coquet, and the four Araucanians firing and loading quickly, while around them danced some fifty or sixty hideous hairy beings, brandishing their clubs and yelling fiercely. Quite a dozen were lying dead or wounded on the ground, while, nothing daunted, the remainder were advancing slowly on the guns.
Now the position was an extremely awkward one, for none of the newly arrived party could fire without endangering their own friends, while they themselves were in imminent peril from the bullets of the others. But Aniwee was equal to the occasion. Some tall fir trees grew near to the place where they were standing, having strong flowery branches sticking out from the stems. Signing to her companions to imitate her, she climbed into one of these trees, an act quickly followed by the others. Topsie, however, had some difficulty in getting Shag up, but with El Toro’s assistance he was at length hoisted aloft and placed on one of the broadest branches, where Chorlo, who was unarmed, promised to hold him safe.
The young Queen and her two white friends were the only three of this little party armed with rifles. But they determined to render what help they could. In effect, when the shots pinged forth from their weapons, three more Andes demons—for such they were—bit the dust, while this sudden and counter attack seemed to take the horrible creatures by surprise.
Knowing little of the arts of warfare, they wheeled round in a semicircle, and turned their attention to this new source of danger. As they did so, Sir Francis shouted to his square to form into line, and pour a broadside into the huddled group of demons. At the same time our friends in the trees fired another volley. The effect was terrible, and raked the demon force from top to bottom, adding many more victims to the ghastly heap already lying low. But the effect was electrical. With wild shrieks and yells the remainder gave way before such fearful punishment, and turning tail, fled from the magic force of the white man and his terrible weapons.
Then our five friends made haste to descend from their perches aloft, and hurried to join the others, who were all more or less shaken by the severe attack to which they had been subjected. Both Mary and Willie were deathly white; and though they had behaved with the greatest pluck and obedience to discipline, it could not be wondered at, that they felt somewhat frightened by such an experience.
“Thank God you arrived in time!” exclaimed Sir Francis in a voice full of earnest feeling. “My dear children, had it not been for your valuable help, I am confident we should have all been killed. But what a fearful demon-haunted place this is. For goodness’ sake, let us quit it without delay!”
“Ah, uncle! let us put those poor creatures out of their misery,” put in Topsie, as her eye fell on the writhing forms of several of the fallen demons. “We cannot leave them like that.”
This most unpleasant task was entrusted to the Indians, who soon made short work of the dying apes, and the whole party without delay made haste to depart from a scene of such horror. Hunting was no longer thought of, every one being desirous of getting back to the raft. It was agreed, however, to make a halt by the dead bull, and to complete the skinning and cutting up of the animal, the meat being too valuable and precious to leave behind.
On reaching the spot where he lay, several vultures rose from the carcase. Huge creatures they were indeed, being condors in very fact; but no one attempted to shoot them, as it was deemed inadvisable to make any unnecessary noise, which might draw upon them a renewed attack from the demons.
While the Indians busied themselves over the bull, Harry and Topsie led Sir Francis and Lady Vane and their cousins to the strawberry bed to refresh and rest themselves, and then Topsie exclaimed: