The natives scrambled to their knees and bowed their heads to the ground, making cabalistic signs and uttering entreaties either to the mountain or their gods.
The trembling of the earth persisted for several minutes and then subsided. But it was some time before the natives had so far recovered from their fright as to set about resuming the skinning and cutting up of the dead jaguar.
“Tamura is angry,” murmured Abino, looking up fearfully at the mountain peak, from which smoke and flame were still issuing. “We must make him gifts, many gifts, so that he may smile again upon our people.”
“We will give some of this meat to the medicine man so that he may make a burnt offering,” suggested Tama. “Else the lava floods may come and roll over the dwelling place of the tribe.”
As though to accentuate this possibility, there came another shock more violent than the one before.
The rocks between which Bomba was standing were pulled apart as though by giant hands, and to the startled eyes of the Indians Bomba stood revealed!
CHAPTER XIX
IN THE HANDS OF THE TRIBE
The effect created by the sudden appearance of Bomba was startling.
For a moment the savages gaped at him in stupefaction, eyes bulging, jaws dropped. Then some of them raised their spears and others hastily fitted arrows to their bows.
Bomba had been almost as disconcerted by his sudden betrayal as the natives themselves. But now, as steadily as the tremulous motion of the earth would permit, he stepped boldly out of his former hiding place with hands up and palms extended, as a token that he came in amity and goodwill.