"I owe to you, noble cavaliers, new peace, new labor, I may say, new
life. May God be with you, and teach you to use your gold and your
swords better than I used mine."
The adventurers waved their hands to him.
"Give way, men," cried Amyas; and as he spoke the paddles dashed into
the water, to a right English hurrah! which sent the birds fluttering
from their roosts, and was answered by the yell of a hundred monkeys,
and the distant roar of the jaguar.
About twenty yards below, a wooded rock, some ten feet high, hung over
the stream. The river was not there more than fifteen yards broad; deep
near the rock, shallow on the farther side; and Amyas's canoe led the
way, within ten feet of the stone.
As he passed, a dark figure leapt from the bushes on the edge, and
plunged heavily into the water close to the boat. All started. A jaguar?
No; he would not have missed so short a spring. What, then? A human
being?
A head rose panting to the surface, and with a few strong strokes the
swimmer had clutched the gunwale. It was Ayacanora!
"Go back!" shouted Amyas. "Go back, girl!"
She uttered the same wild cry with which she had fled into the forest.
"I will die, then!" and she threw up her arms. Another moment, and she
had sunk.
To see her perish before his eyes! who could bear that? Her hands
alone were above the surface.
Pages:
743
744
745
746
747
748
749
750
751
752
753
754
755
756
757
758
759
760
761
762
763
764
765
766
767