Part 50 (1/2)

Their boat, with the sail straining at the sheet, was now rus.h.i.+ng through the water, the side not two inches above the surface, as she raced for the centre of the line of canoes.

”Sit fast!” roared the captain. ”Down with you, Mr Brace, or you'll be overboard.”

Brace, who had risen in his excitement so as to be able to club his gun, dropped down on to the seat at once.

Then from in front as their own boat seemed to be standing absolutely still and the line of canoes das.h.i.+ng rapidly at them with the paddles churning up the water on either side, there was a fierce yelling, a gleam of opal-rimmed eyes, a crash which made the boat quiver from stem to stern. The sail jerked and snapped as if it were going to fall over the side, and then they were past the centre canoe, sailing on as fast as ever.

Lynton had done his work well, steering so that he drove the boat's iron-protected cut-water right upon the centre canoe's bows diagonally some six feet from the front, when for a few brief moments their progress seemed to be stopped. Directly afterwards the occupants of the stoutly-built boat felt her gliding right over the canoe, which rolled like a log of wood, and then the men were cheering as they looked back at the glistening bottom of the long vessel and six or eight black heads bobbing about in the water.

Crash, grind, and there was another canoe capsized, literally rolled over by the second boat, which seemed to those in the first to rise and glide over the crank dug-out, now beginning to float broadside on with her crew swimming to her side.

A hearty cheer rose now from Dellow and his men, which was echoed from the first boat, as the distance between the party and their fierce enemies rapidly increased.

”You did that splendidly, captain!” cried Brace excitedly.

”Tidy, sir, tidy,” was the reply; ”but these boats weren't built for steeplechasing in South American rivers. Let's see what damage is done.

I don't suppose we're much hurt.”

The captain stepped from thwart to thwart as he spoke, and, getting right forward, he leaned over the bows and carefully examined as far as he could reach, before raising his face again and turning to Brace, who had followed him, to now meet his eyes with an enquiring look.

”Right as a trivet,” he said. ”Took off some of the varnish; that's all that I can see. Ahoy! what damage, Dellow?” he roared to the mate in the boat astern.

There was no reply for a minute or so whilst the first mate examined his boat.

Then came a shout, in Dellow's familiar tones:

”Twopenn'orth o' paint gone, and a bit of a splintery crack in the top plank.”

”Any leakage?”

”Not a doo-drop, sir,” was the reply.

”Well done. Keep close up abreast,” shouted the captain; and, now that the safety of the boats was a.s.sured, attention was directed to the canoes, which were being rapidly left astern.

”They seem to be trying to right their craft,” said Sir Humphrey, who, like Briscoe, was making observations with his pocket gla.s.s.

”Yes,” added Briscoe, ”and they turned them over quite easily, but their sides are down flush with the water.”

”The men have got in again, and they appear to be splas.h.i.+ng out the water with their paddles,” said Sir Humphrey.

”That's right,” said Briscoe, ”and the other canoes have ranged up alongside. I can see quite plainly: there's a canoe on each side of the injured ones to keep them up.”

”It's my belief that they may bale till all's blue before they get 'em to float. Those dug-outs are worked till they get 'em as thin and light as they can, and if we haven't cut a good gap in each one's side, it's a rum one,” growled the captain. ”What are they doing now, sir? It's rather far to see, but it seems to me that they're trying to get the sunken canoes to the sh.o.r.e.”

”Yes: that's just what they are trying to do,” cried Sir Humphrey. ”Oh, yes, I can see that plain enough.”

”Then they won't follow us up to-day, gentlemen,” said the captain; ”and perhaps we may not see them again. Might like to sail back, p'r'aps, Mr Briscoe,” he continued, ”and give the copperskins a friendly word about hope they're not damaged, and then settle down in the shallows for a good afternoon's gold-was.h.i.+ng.”

”Not to-day, thankye, skipper,” said the American drily. ”It might be teaching the savages how to catch the gold fever, as you called it, and be bad for their health.”