We, however, could not help looking anxiously for the return of the recluse. The time went slowly by. “I am afraid the wretches will shoot him before he has time to speak to them,” observed Senhor Pimento. Pedro, who was of a generous, warm-hearted disposition, proposed that some of us should sally out, and try and overtake him before he reached the enemy.
This was overruled by my father. “Our friend does not act without judgment,” he observed. “He knows the character of the people better perhaps than we do. Hark! what is that?” The sound of many voices shouting came faintly through the forest, as from a distance.
“Hurrah! they are coming on to attack us!” cried Tony; “we will give them a warm reception.”
“I hope rather that those sounds betoken that the Indians have recognised our friend,” observed my father.
Still we waited, many of our party looking out, as if they expected to see the rebels approaching in battle array. At length a single figure appeared emerging from the forest. It was the recluse. He hurried forward towards us, and on entering the fort, took my father, John, and I aside.
“I have not been so successful as I should wish,” he said. “They are perfectly ready to let the English, with whom they have no cause of quarrel, go free, but they insist that the Portuguese gentleman and his son should be delivered up to them, though they consent to allow the rest of his family to accompany you if you wish it.”
“We cannot accept such terms,” said my father at once. “We are resolved to defend our friends with our lives!”
“I thought as much,” said Mr Mallet. “I promised, however, to convey their message, in order to gain time. Is there no way by which your friends can escape by the other end of the igarape?”
“There may be, but the Indians know it as well as we do,” observed my father, “and would probably lie in wait to catch them. I must ask you to return and inform them that we cannot give up our friends who have hospitably entertained us, and that if they insist on attacking the fort, they must take the consequences.”
The recluse once more went back to the insurgent Indians. Pedro, on hearing the message, tried to persuade his father to escape with him in one of the small canoes; but the old gentleman declared at once that he would not make the attempt, as he was sure he should thus only fall into the hands of his enemies.