“Bomba would ask Japazy who are the father and mother of Bomba and how he can find them if they are still alive,” the lad stated.
Bomba caught the quick glances that passed between the Indians at this announcement, and he was not unaware of the look that Abino flashed at the picture of the lovely woman on the wall.
“Why does the stranger think that Japazy can tell him who his father and mother are?” asked Abino, after a pause.
“Sobrinini told Bomba that Japazy knew,” returned Bomba.
“Sobrinini!” exclaimed one of his auditors. “She is the witch woman who dwells on the island of snakes. To go to that island is death. How, then, does the stranger say that he has had speech with Sobrinini?”
“Bomba’s tongue is not forked,” replied the lad. “Bomba went to the island of snakes and had speech with the witch woman. Then he took her away from the island and gave her shelter in the hut of Bomba and the good white man, Casson.”
“Why did not Sobrinini tell the stranger of his father and mother?” asked his questioner incredulously.
“Sobrinini tried to tell, but the gods had put clouds on her mind and she could not see through them,” answered Bomba. “But she could see Japazy through the clouds and she said he would know. So Bomba is here.”
The promptness and sincerity of his answers evidently had some effect on his visitors. They looked at each other uncertainly. Then the eldest of them spoke.
“There is much gold on the island of the big cats,” he said slowly. “Strangers have come here before, and their words were as smooth as the skin of the baby and as sweet as honey in the comb. But they said one thing with their tongue and another in their heart. The demons that guard Japazy told him what word was in the stranger’s heart; and that word was gold. The strangers did not go away again from the island of the big cats.”