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on the other hand； were shocked； and Adamu Adam was shaking his head
slowly and grunting forth his disgust。 Joan was angry。 Her face was
white； but in each cheek was a vivid spray of red。 Disgust had been
displaced by wrath； and her mood was clearly vengeful。
Sheldon laughed。
〃It's nothing to be angry over；〃 he said。 〃You mustn't forget that he
hacked off Kwaque's head； and that he ate one of his own comrades that
ran away with him。 Besides； he was born to it。 He has but been eaten
out of the same trough from which he himself has eaten。〃
Joan looked at him with lips that trembled on the verge of speech。
〃And don't forget；〃 Sheldon added； 〃that he is the son of a chief； and
that as sure as fate his Port Adams tribesmen will take a white man's head
in payment。〃
〃It is all so ghastly ridiculous；〃 Joan finally said。
〃Anderromantic；〃 he suggested slyly。
She did not answer； and turned away； but Sheldon knew that the shaft
had gone home。
〃That fella boy he sick； belly belong him walk about；〃 Binu Charley
said； pointing to the Poonga…Poonga man whose shoulder had been
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scratched by the arrow an hour before。
The boy was sitting down and groaning； his arms clasping his bent
knees； his head drooped forward and rolling painfully back and forth。
For fear of poison； Sheldon had immediately scarified the wound and
injected permanganate of potash； but in spite of the precaution the
shoulder was swelling rapidly。
〃We'll take him on to where Tudor is lying；〃 Joan said。 〃The walking
will help to keep up his circulation and scatter the poison。 Adamu Adam；
you take hold that boy。 Maybe he will want to sleep。 Shake him up。
If he sleep he die。〃
The advance was more rapid now； for Binu Charley placed the captive
bushman in front of him and made him clear the run…way of traps。 Once； at
a sharp turn where a man's shoulder would unavoidably brush against a
screen of leaves； the bushman displayed great caution as he spread the
leaves aside and exposed the head of a sharp…pointed spear； so set that the
casual passer…by would receive at the least a nasty scratch。
〃My word；〃 said Binu Charley； 〃that fella spear allee same devil…
devil。〃
He took the spear and was examining it when suddenly he made as if
to stick it into the bushman。 It was a bit of simulated playfulness； but the
bushman sprang back in evident fright。 Poisoned the weapon was beyond
any doubt； and thereafter Binu Charley carried it threateningly at the
prisoner's back。
The sun； sinking behind a lofty western peak； brought on an early but
lingering twilight； and the expedition plodded on through the evil forest
the place of mystery and fear； of death swift and silent and horrible； of
brutish appetite and degraded instinct； of human life that still wallowed in
the primeval slime； of savagery degenerate and abysmal。 No slightest
breezes blew in the gloomy silence； and the air was stale and humid and
suffocating。 The sweat poured unceasingly from their bodies； and in
their nostrils was the heavy smell of rotting vegetation and of black earth
that was a…crawl with fecund life。
They turned aside from the run…way at a place indicated by Binu
Charley； and； sometimes crawling on hands and knees through the damp
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black muck； at other times creeping and climbing through the tangled
undergrowth a dozen feet from the ground； they came to an immense
banyan tree； half an acre in extent； that made in the innermost heart of the
jungle a denser jungle of its own。 From out of its black depths came the
voice of a man singing in a cracked； eerie voice。
〃My word； that big fella marster he no die！〃
The singing stopped； and the voice； faint and weak； called out a hello。
Joan answered； and then the voice explained。
〃I'm not wandering。 I was just singing to keep my spirits up。 Have
you got anything to eat？〃
A few minutes saw the rescued man lying among blankets； while fires
were building； water was being carried； Joan's tent was going up； and
Lalaperu was overhauling the packs and opening tins of provisions。
Tudor； having pulled through the fever and started to mend； was still
frightfully weak and very much starved。 So badly swollen was he from
mosquito…bites that his face was unrecognizable； and the acceptance of his
identity was largely a matter of faith。 Joan had her own ointments along；
and she prefaced their application by fomenting his swollen features with
hot cloths。 Sheldon； with an eye to the camp and the preparations for the
night； looked on and felt the pangs of jealousy at every contact of her
hands with Tudor's face and body。 Somehow； engaged in their healing
ministrations； they no longer seemed to him boy's hands； the hands of Joan
who had gazed at Gogoomy's head with pale cheeks sprayed with angry
flame。 The hands were now a woman's hands； and Sheldon grinned to
himself as his fancy suggested that some night he must lie outside the
mosquito…netting in order to have Joan apply soothing fomentations in the
morning。
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CHAPTER XXVTHE HEAD…
HUNTERS
The morning's action had been settled the night before。 Tudor was to
stay behind in his banyan refuge and gather strength while the expedition
proceeded。 On the far chance that they might rescue even one solitary
survivor of Tudor's party； Joan was fixed in her determination to push on；
and neither Sheldon nor Tudor could persuade her to remain quietly at the
banyan tree while Sheldon went on and searched。 With Tudor； Adamu
Adam and Arahu were to stop as guards； the latter Tahitian being selected
to remain because of a bad foot which had been brought about by stepping
on one of the thorns concealed by the bushmen。 It was evidently a slow
poison； and not too s