Across the Andes . e canoe was mooredwhere the jungle met the river, but every even-ing at early sunset the camp was made at theedge of some broad, sandy playa as far from theforest as possible. Long before camping theTacanas had kept a shrewd lookout for recentsigns of savages, and after chattering amongthemselves would indicate a playa that seemedproper and secure. The savages, primitive andnomadic, scarcely more than animals, offered nomenace by daylight, but in the darkness lies theiropportunity. With instinctive adroitness theycan crawl through the jungle without a soundand be in the mids
Across the Andes . e canoe was mooredwhere the jungle met the river, but every even-ing at early sunset the camp was made at theedge of some broad, sandy playa as far from theforest as possible. Long before camping theTacanas had kept a shrewd lookout for recentsigns of savages, and after chattering amongthemselves would indicate a playa that seemedproper and secure. The savages, primitive andnomadic, scarcely more than animals, offered nomenace by daylight, but in the darkness lies theiropportunity. With instinctive adroitness theycan crawl through the jungle without a soundand be in the midst of a camp before it is awak- 326 ACROSS THE ANDES ened; but in the open spaces they are will line up fifty yards away and open withan ineffective volley of screeches and arrows. Secure in this custom, the Tacanas set nowatch, and we all slept peacefully depending onany savages that might come to furnish the alarmfor their own attack. Though signs of themwere all about, we were never molested. Often 4l#. OFTEN WE PASSED THE LITTLE SHELTER OP PALM LEAVES. we passed a shelter of palm-leaves by the shorethat had been used by some party that had comedown to the river to fish; for only in the interiorand on the smaller and absolutely virgin rivers THROUGH RUBBER COUNTRY 327 and tributaries did they have their there would be a tiny dugout againstthe bank, and their camp-fire would send up athin, blue column of smoke against the purplejungle shadows. The Tacana helmsman wouldthrow the canoe beyond arrow-range, while thecrew would cease paddling and call Ai-i I ai-i I across the river, the recognized call of there would be the glimpse of atimid, naked figure darting from one shadow tothe next, a head peeping from behind a tree,and perhaps a wailing Ai-i I ai-i! in response,but rarely more. Once we came upon a little party workingtheir way in a dugout against the current underthe bank. The Tacanas looked to their arrowsand put fresh per
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookpublishernewyo, bookyear1912
