“Kama-rah!” she cried again, appealing to her father.
But Hondura scowled, and his black face so frightened Pirah that she shrank back against Bomba.
“Da-rah!” again commanded her father, and this time the child obeyed and went back weeping to the group of women.
With his little defender gone, strong hands gripped Bomba and drew him within the ring of savages.
Bomba felt that this was the end.
But again there came an interruption. Peto, the shaman, or medicine man, of the tribe, came up to Bomba in a slow dreamy way, eyes closed, as though he were walking in his sleep.
The braves fell back before this man of mystery.
Peto took hold of Bomba and began to feel all over him, his face, his hands, his chest, his legs.
Then Peto went into a violent spasm, twitching and trembling, showing the whites of his eyes and foaming at the mouth.
Bomba had stood the hauling and mauling without protest, though without much hope of any good coming from it.