The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1891-01-01
CUT OFF.

A small steam launch, containing
halt a dozen persons, swept swiftly
along with the muddy current of the
Guajara river. The vessel and party
had left Para, at the mouth of a
branch of the Amazon, nearly a
month before, and had steamed up
as far as the junction of the MADEIRA.
there taking a southerly course as
far as Balsamaco.
After leaving the latter town they
had turned into side stream and
before long were inextricably mixed
up in the network of creeks and small
rivers which cross and recross them
selves in southern Brazil.
The leader of the party and owner
of the launch lay stretched out on
the deck with small rifle in his
hands, occasionally shooting at
some bright plumaged bird flying
overhead or a lazy reptile coiled in
the branches of a tree on shore
"Jack," he said presently, to the
young man who sat in the pilot
house and with rare skill kept the
vessel clear of the innumerable logs
in the river, where are we now"
II don't know" replied Jack.
"Where is Bunco? He's the only
person who has ever been known to
leave these parts alive.''
A shout from the young pilot
brought Bunco into view-a tall,
thin, swarthy man, with counte-
nance that would have made his for
tune as the leading villain in dra-
ma of the lurid type. But in spite of
his looks and chronic indisposition
to work he was good natured and in
telligent, and of valuable service to
the party. Jack. had christened him
Bunco, as the name most closely re-
sembling that which he had given at
their first meeting.
Il dunno whar we u.s." he said in
reply to the pilots question. "Hit's
mighty queer, too, tor.I hat been
yere befo.'"
He looked nervously toward shore
as be continued:
Hit amt fur from Balsamaco to
Inca, reckon, an ef once we git
thar we are sure ter run into ther ma
tives They're thick right aroun'
hyer, an savager'n all tarnation.
The captain of the craft arose and
stood at Bunco's SIDE
'Can you tell us how to reach the
MADEIRA again?" he asked. "This
must be one of the branches to it
possibly the Guajara. -
"Thet's jest whut I'm afeard Of"
said Bunco, shading his eyes with
one hand and peering ahead. can
eff hit is, we're agoin' ter run right in
ther Inca country"
"And the natives there, you say,
are savage?'
The colored man nodded.
''They're wusser than in any 9TH
er part of Brazil"
The conversation was interrupted
by the appearance oftwo young men,
one about the same age as Jack and
the other a few years older.
bill is going to strike," said one
of them, with q laugh. ''He's got
nearly all his clothing off now, but
he says it's hot enough dow in the
engine room to broil a steak. He
wants to know when you are going
back"
"We're going to turn around
presently" replied the p rson ad-
dressed. "We-why, Buncp, there's
a house,
The whole party follow ed with
their eyes the direction of the
captains outstretched arm and saw
through the foliage the thatched
roof of native hut. Jack turned
the vessel towards shore and rang
the signal in the engine room to shut
off steam.
In few minutes they had
reached dry land and were
hurrying in the direction
of the building, leaving Bill TO moor
the launch and follow them later.
The party consisted of an English
gentleman named Robert Etynge,
his two sons, George and Russell;
Jack Campbell, a young American,
and Bill and Bunco, engineer, fireman,
deck hand and steward, in turn.
They were on a six months pleasure
trip through South America.
The house, which they discovered
in the center of a cleared space of
ground near the river side, was a
we'll built structure, containing one
large and one small room, with the
single entrance in the side of the Tor
mer. 1T had evidently been lately in
habited, for a large supply ofgrain,
dried meats and vegetables, was
stored within, and a pile Of wood al
ready cut for fuel lay ready at hand.
The party proceeded at on zee to
j ins1lanti tha &c hin tn son WIN tE sort