John also carried a revolver with one of the silencers. When the Korino turned to the Chief, and the latter, determined not to be swayed by the power of the white man, there was but one thing for him to do. He must obey. He knew that if he shrunk from the task it would be a confession that his power was gone.
The man approached the prostrate form. "Stop!" again cried Uraso. "The white Korino will not again speak, but if he touches the body you will die!"
He stood there for a moment, irresolute, and then slowly stooped down, and with hesitation at every motion, finally touched the figure. In the meantime John had leveled the revolver with the silencer, and as the man again rose to an erect position, and glanced at John defiantly, he quickly threw up his hands and fell forward across his former companion with a shot through his arm, as it was not John's intention to kill him if it could by any possibility be avoided.
The white Korino had not spoken, as Uraso predicted, but the results were the same. The savages who were lined up on both sides of the Chief, began[p. 56] to waver. They were moving to the rear. The Korinos around the Chief, finally broke and fled, and when the people saw this evidence of fear on the part of their Wise Men, they could not be restrained.
The Chief followed them hurriedly. "Now, quickly, boys, fire two rounds. No; not at the natives, but up in the air."
The boys could not understand what John could mean by such an order, but they did not have an opportunity to ask the reason for it.
After the volleys John turned to Muro and Uraso, and remarked: "As soon as the men come up you and Muro must contrive in some way to find out the direction that the Korinos have taken."
They now saw the object of the volleys. It would bring up those of their party who had remained at the rocky cove. The watch for the Korinos was equally plain. The experience on Wonder Island showed that the witch doctors inhabited the caves.
In the excitement they had entirely forgotten this part of their enterprise. They thought of the treasure. John had the treasure of the records in his mind. The hills all about; the limestone formations of the elevations were ample assurance to his mind that some caverns would be found; and while they might, eventually, be able to locate the entrances, it would be better to find out where they were by watching and charting the direction they took on their way to the dark places where they hoped to rest in fancied security.
Within fifteen minutes their rear guard came into sight, rushing over the hills, all expectant to find an enemy in their front. Great was their surprise to[p. 57] see the village beyond, and John and his party bending over the two bodies, one of them moving and the other inert. Apparently, he and his force were unconcerned, although many savages were in the village, and in plain sight.