Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-31

that 1t is incredible what simple
fools three grown-up white mer
: 1 can be. Yet at the time no one
of US saw anything to suspect
: This is what happened.
Camping places always seemed &c
occur most alluringly on the far left
shore, while we were travelling up or
the right, One Of the bovine Indian
p paddle men even made the fiat state
ment that on that shore there were nc
MOSQUITOES and that the current was
less strong and that it was better in
every way.
:. ''Why, what are you talking about?
You don't know the river" / charged
him.
He pointed with his chin.
"I know that Shore" he said dog
gedly.
That shore was the side we were
: avoiding on account of the Tiquie
River and the hostile Indians against
whom we had been warned.
"I know the Tiquie," the man In
sisted again. I'VE avoid them, too;
for those men are the enemies OF the
sitio Of the crocodile"
All that seemed to be reasonable
enough So one evening. when a
particularly inviting site lured us and
when nothing else was in sight on our
side. we went across, and we found
what the man had said about current
and mosquitoes to be delightfully."- true.
We did ask him from time to time
about the advisability of crossing back
to the right shore again.
. "Plenty Of time" said he. Il kpoW
The Tiquie. Four or five days yet.
One evening the camping place that
the fool expected to find was not there.
We tumbled out. and I had all the
gear dumped out, too.
All unsuspicious, we found spot
some 40 yards away where we could
put I'D the tent. We left the Indians
to prowl about down by the boat.
Suddenly there was wild yelp from
the Indians and a chorus of terrified
chattering And with one rush they
piled into the boat, showed frantically
of and bent to the paddles.
That was the last we ever saw OF
those Indians or Of that boat. AND
that sudden desertion left us In the
most unpleasant situation I have ever
known. What those miserable run
sways had yelped in their panic was:
: Here are footprints! This must be
the place Of the Tucana!"
Consider us, then. There we We're
on a little strip of land, hemmed in
by the Jungle on each side OF US
and by the river behind. Somewhere
in the gloom farther up the slope
was the moloca Of those implacable
people of the Tiquie River whom we
had been warned against at every
stage Of the way ever since we mad
left Manaos.
NFORNING came after what seemed
IL Nothing
had happened. Daylight showed that
there had been no miraculous mis-
take about habitation. A well troo'
den path led from the waters edge
through q thin fringe of scrub.
It was noon before a naked poy
appeared, coming down the path. half
frightened. half sullen. Obviously he
had been sent to scout: to draw our
fire, as It were. He had been sent
to report upon our attitude. Whether
we appeared to be on the aggressive
or otherwise. We, by all the gods,
didn't wish to start anything.
=. On the spur of the moment I called
The boy and told him:
= ''Hey, take my stick UP to your
chief and tell him that visitors waltz
He didn't understand the Geral.
apparently: but he understood the
: meaning Of q carved stick With
some hesitancy he edged near and
took the stick: and then he ran like
q scared monkey. up the path. We
had played our calling-card; apd upon
Its reception now everything depended.
We were left for another couple
of hours to finger rifles and cartridge
belts and ask ourselves conundrums.
It was afternoon before at last the
head and shoulders Of man appeared
shove the scrub.
A strongly built fellow Of middle
age, naked except for a gee.string
and necklace Of jaguar.teeth and
triangular pieces Of silver. which pro-
claimed him a subchief. He carried
my carved stick and another.
=. Solemnly he strobe forward and
planted both sticks in the ground a
foot apart and squatted behind them.
] knew what to do. had carefully
learned all the ceremony OF calling.
I squatted opposite to him with the
sticks between US. They formed a
neutral barrier of immunity. Through
the space he spoke and gave the
prescribed greeting.
d. Hath thea pure. Kariwa (The chief
: sends his stick)."
= That meant, Greeting, White
Man" The proper answer was: