Evening star., 1926-08-01
| and are indeed loath to attack without

and are indeed loath to attack without
| doing so.
1t may be that they want a distin-
| gushing sign so that in the excite
ment and confusion of tha fight in
close country glance will suffice TO
! tell friend from foe. / think, how.
ever, that this is very unlikely ex.
| planAtion of the custom. 1t Is more
| probably part OF the usual panoply
Of war in which ell savage tribes i'm
dulge.
| We all readily agreed to paint
up in preparation for the attack on
| the morrow. We determined to do
the thing thoroughly, and each saw
! to It that his companions did not
overlook any odd corners. Even
| Jacks bald spot did not escape atten.
| tion.
The effect of the application of this
| dye is not Immediately apparent. So
1t was not till morning that we no.
ticed any change in our appearance.
| The rising sun, however, revealed to
us the full possibilities of huito. Not
only our skin, but even our hair and
eyes seemed to have changed color
| overnight.
we laughed till we were nearly
sick. The Jivaros, hearing the up.
roar, thought we were having war
dance of our own. Tuhuimpui came
| over and inspected us, surveying
with face unmoved scene the abb
surdity of which no white man could
have resisted.
But to return to the nights vigil
| A moment after Tuhuimpui left us
| he returned to tell us of the safe ar
rival Of the scouting party. The en-
emy had been located The scouts
| had approached to within a few
yards of a small settlement and had
actually counted the warriors.
| Having painted themselves from
head to foot, the Indians began tC
bprepare themselves for the war dance
Each camp built huge fire and sup
plies Of fuel for the long night were
stacked beside the shelters. AT a
| given signal every man leapt to his
| feet, grabbed his spear. and all Joined
in a great. capering throng about the
blazing fires; with raucous yells they
| danced and danced and danced, two
bounding, swaying circles careerfng
round the blaze, spears shaken In
| grim emphasis OF the threats they
| hurled at their unsuspecting enemies
Now the whole crowd would be
scampering around the flames, now
few tireless warriors who had out
classed their fellows. Sometimes a
| solitary enthusiast would prance and
| yell to the delight of the sQuatting on
lockers. uttering curses and vowing
vengeance on the Huanbizas who had
stolen from him a wife.
4 \ 4
| SUDDENLY with clap of thunder
~ the promised storm broke on the
scene. Here was everything that
Tuhuimpui had predicted--one OF
! those Summer storms of great in
/ tensity but short duration which oc
cur in the tropics alone. Once more
the necromancers spell had worked
| Even as he had said, the wind
ragged and the rain fell in sheets tc
| the accompanim OF the thunder
/ and the vivid lightning. So great was
the fury of the elements that we had
| to post a sentry outside our shelter
to warn us OF falling limbs. AL
around the cave they came crashing
down--any one Of them enough te
obliterate us and our puny cover.
In half an hour the storm ha6
passed, and we were out again, un
covering the fire and restoring 1t tt
life, while the dying wind swept the
last drops of moisture from the forest
roof. Tt had passed, but left behint
In every Jivro heart an undying faitl
In the prowess of their chief.
/ Sure of their victory now, the saw
ages bounded to the dance with re
doubled energy, cavorting and pi
rouetting in mad frenzy OF hatred
and bAttle-lust All night long the.
kept 1t up, a pack of tireless demons
We on our part had no recourse
but to sit with our rifles 1T hand ant
wait for dawn. Sleep had no charm.
for us while that waking deliiiutn pos
sessed the Indians, famed to whit'
heat by the splendid augury of tn
1 storm.
1t is useless for me to attempt al
explanation OF the prodigious success
with which Tuhuin1pui met that day
cannot allow that it was merely
case of coincidence. The CORRECTNESS
in detail of his prognostications ma.
suffice to confound that theory.
No; either he knew by some sixtl
sense which many animals posses
that there was rain somewhere nea
Ia thing almost unbelievable, sine
there was apparently no difference Il
the barometric conditions of that da,
and the preceding day) or else he wa
able to detect the coming or the rail
by q minute observation or the move
'f ments of certain animals, or even IN
sects, signs which would mean moth
: ing to any but the most highly traine'
/. child of the woods.
i With the coming Of dawn, group
of weary savages were to lie seen ly
ing about and preparing leisurely TO
J the fight. Exhausted by the night
revelry, they seemed but poorly f1tte'
for the trials of battle. But our .dea
of battle differ very markedly fron
\ theirs. The long strain of a modern
engagement Is thing undreamed o
by these lovers OF cunning and sur
prise. For us 1t may be matter o
days or weeks. for them It il one Q
minutes.
! Here and there they stroilsd sUunl