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09 - Tarzan Twins by Edgar Rice Burroughs · Tarzan Twins

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  Speaker 1: Chapter eight. Later that same afternoon, while Dick and Doc
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  Speaker 1: were chatting beside their hut with Bollala and Ukundu, they
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  Speaker 1: heard a great racket at the village gates. Thither from
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  Speaker 1: all directions were running men, women and children. And presently
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  Speaker 1: the prisoners saw a great company of strange natives surging
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  Speaker 1: into the compound. They were greeted with laughter and shouting
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  Speaker 1: that proclaimed them to be friends of the villagers. The
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  Speaker 1: guests are coming to the feast, said Ukuandu grimly, And
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  Speaker 1: thereafter the four satin moody silence, each wrapped in his
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  Speaker 1: own thoughts. The actuality of their fate had never seemed
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  Speaker 1: more than a bad dream to the boys, but now
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  Speaker 1: at last it was borne into them as something very
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  Speaker 1: real and very terrible. And very close. They could see
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  Speaker 1: the hideous painted faces of the newcomers, and the grinning
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  Speaker 1: mouths that exposed the yellow teeth filed to sharp points.
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  Speaker 1: They saw some of the villagers point them out, and
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  Speaker 1: scores of greedy eyes directed upon them. I remember, said Dick,
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  Speaker 1: how he used to stand outside the confectioner's shop looking
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  Speaker 1: at the goodies in the window. Those bounders remind me
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  Speaker 1: of it. I suppose we look like the original candy kids,
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  Speaker 1: sighed Doc. Presently, four or five woyers came and seized Bollalla.
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  Speaker 1: They dragged him to a small hut near the chiefs,
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  Speaker 1: and there they bound him hand and foot and threw
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  Speaker 1: him inside. Poor Balalla, whispered Doc. He was a good friend,
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  Speaker 1: said Dick. Oh, isn't there anything we can do. Doc
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  Speaker 1: shook his head and looked inquiringly at a kundu, But
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  Speaker 1: a kundu only sat staring at the ground. U kundu,
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  Speaker 1: snapped Dick. The pygmy looked up what he asked. Can't
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  Speaker 1: we escape a khundu he make big medicine, said a kundu,
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  Speaker 1: jerking a thumb at Doc. If he cannot escape, how
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  Speaker 1: can port a kundu who cannot make any medicine. My
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  Speaker 1: medicine is white man's medicin, said Doc. It cannot show
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  Speaker 1: me my way through the jungle. If I got out
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  Speaker 1: of the village, I should be lost and the lions
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  Speaker 1: would get me. If you can get out of the
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  Speaker 1: village and take a khandu with you, he will take
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  Speaker 1: you through the jungle to his own people. A kundu
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  Speaker 1: knows the jungle, but he is afraid at night. At night,
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  Speaker 1: the jungle is full of demons. If you can get
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  Speaker 1: out in daytime, a Kandu will go with you and
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  Speaker 1: show you the way. But you cannot get out while
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  Speaker 1: it is light, for the bagalo will see you at night.
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  Speaker 1: We should be killed and eaten by the demons. It
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  Speaker 1: cannot be done. Thus spoke a Kundu, the pygmy who
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  Speaker 1: knew the jungle better than any man. It was several
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  Speaker 1: minutes before Doc replied, for he was thinking very hard. Indeed,
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  Speaker 1: presently he looked quickly up at a Kundu. A Kandu,
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  Speaker 1: he cried, If it is only the demons you fear,
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  Speaker 1: there is nothing to prevent our trying to escape at night,
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  Speaker 1: For I can make medicine that will protect us from them.
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  Speaker 1: A Kundu shook his head. I do not know, he said, doubtingly.
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  Speaker 1: You've seen me make stronger medicine than Antamo can make.
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  Speaker 1: Urged the Doc. Do you not believe me when I
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  Speaker 1: say I can make madisin that will keep every demon
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  Speaker 1: of the jungle from harming us. Are you sure? Demanded Ukundu.
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  Speaker 1: Didn't we spend a night in the jungle before we
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  Speaker 1: reached the village, asked Dick. Not one single little bit
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  Speaker 1: of a demon bothered us. You ought to have seen
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  Speaker 1: him run the minute they laid their eyes on Doc.
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  Speaker 1: A Kundu's eyes grew very wide as he looked with
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  Speaker 1: awe at Doc. The medicine of the white boy, which
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  Speaker 1: doctor must be very strong, he said, it is, admitted Doc.
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  Speaker 1: I'll give you my word that not a demon will
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  Speaker 1: hurt you while I am along. But if we stay here,
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  Speaker 1: Galagala will eat you. Well. You come with us. A
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  Speaker 1: Kundu glanced at the hut in which lay the unhappy Ballalla. Yes,
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  Speaker 1: he said, U Kundo will go with you. Good old Ukundu,
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  Speaker 1: cried Dick. And then in a whisper, we'll have to
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  Speaker 1: go to night, because tomorrow it may be too late
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  Speaker 1: for poor Ballalla. Balalla questioned, U Kundu, Bullala is already
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  Speaker 1: as good as dead. You think they'll kill him tonight,
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  Speaker 1: demanded Dick. A. Kundu shrugged his shoulders. Perhaps, but we
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  Speaker 1: must save him if we can, insisted Dick. We cannot,
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  Speaker 1: said Ukundu. We can try, said Doc. Yes, we can try,
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  Speaker 1: agreed Ukundu without enthusiasm, for Kundu was a fatalist, believing,
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  Speaker 1: as many primitive people do, that whatever is about to
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  Speaker 1: happen must happen, and that it is useless to struggle
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  Speaker 1: against it. Perhaps that is why neither he nor Bellaala
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  Speaker 1: had given any serious thought to the matter of escape,
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  Speaker 1: being content to assume that if fate had ordained that
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  Speaker 1: they were to be eaten by the Bagala, they would
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  Speaker 1: be eaten by the Bagala, and that was all there
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  Speaker 1: was to it. But Dick and Doc were not fatalists.
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  Speaker 1: They knew that their own wit and ability and courage
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  Speaker 1: had a great deal more to do with guiding their
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  Speaker 1: destinies than did any legendary lady called fate. To them,
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  Speaker 1: fate was just it's silly bogie, like the demons of Ukundu,
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  Speaker 1: And so they planned and schemed against the time when
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  Speaker 1: conditions might be right for them to attempt to make
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  Speaker 1: a break for liberty. Their difficulties were greatly increased because
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  Speaker 1: of Bellaala, but not once did either of them think
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  Speaker 1: of abandoning this good friend without making an attempt to
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  Speaker 1: rescue him, even though failure to do so might almost
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  Speaker 1: certainly result in preventing their own escape. As night fell,
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  Speaker 1: the boys could see the villagers and their guests assembling
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  Speaker 1: for the evening meal. Pots were being brought forth and
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  Speaker 1: filled with water that was set to boil over numerous fires.
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  Speaker 1: There was a great deal of loud talk and laughter.
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  Speaker 1: The captives wondered if the pots of boiling water were
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  Speaker 1: waiting to receive ballalla, and how soon it would be
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  Speaker 1: before their turn would come. And as they sat there
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  Speaker 1: watching the fierce and terrible savages, their minds could not
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  Speaker 1: but be filled with gloomy thoughts and dire forebodings, try
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  Speaker 1: though they would, to cast them out. For some time
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  Speaker 1: they had sat in silence when their attention was attracted
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  Speaker 1: by a rustling sound, as of a boy brushing against
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  Speaker 1: the side of their grass walled hut. They were sitting
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  Speaker 1: just outside the entrance. Some one or some thing was
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  Speaker 1: approaching from behind the hut, keeping close to the outside wall,
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  Speaker 1: which was in dense shadow. Dick and Doc drew their
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  Speaker 1: knives and waited, who or what could it be? Whoever
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  Speaker 1: or whatever it was, it was quite evident that it
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  Speaker 1: did not wish any one to know that it was there.
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  Speaker 1: The stealthiness of its approach made that quite plain. Slowly,
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  Speaker 1: Dick rose to his feet, his knife ready in his hand,
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  Speaker 1: and Doc placed himself at Dick's side. A Kundu, unarmed,
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  Speaker 1: stood at Dick's left. Thus the three waited in tense
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  Speaker 1: silence while the stealthy sounds approached along the side of
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  Speaker 1: the hut through the inky darkness of the shadows cast
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  Speaker 1: by the glaring camp fires of the village. Demon whispered,
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  Speaker 1: au Kundu. Leave him to me, then, said Doc. But
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  Speaker 1: if it's a lion, you can have it. Not a lion,
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  Speaker 1: said Ukundu, Demon or man presently, alo sh sounded from
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  Speaker 1: the shadows. Who are you, demanded Dick. What do you want,
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  Speaker 1: asked Doc. I am Pabo, whispered a voice very low.
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  Speaker 1: I come to warn you. Come closer, said Doc. We
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  Speaker 1: are alone. A part of the shadow resolved itself into
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  Speaker 1: the youth as he came nearer and crouched low against
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  Speaker 1: the side of the hut. You'll save my life to day,
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  Speaker 1: he said, addressing Doc. So I come to warn you,
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  Speaker 1: and Tomo has put poison in food for you. I
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  Speaker 1: saw him. Pabu hates and Tomo that is all I go, wait,
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  Speaker 1: urged Doc. What are they going to do with Balala?
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  Speaker 1: Pabu grinned eat him, of course, he said, when tomorrow night,
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  Speaker 1: next night they eat a kundu. I think they are
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  Speaker 1: afraid of your medicine. They may not eat you unless
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  Speaker 1: that Tomo is able to kill you with poison. They
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  Speaker 1: couldn't eat us, then, said Dick, because the poison would
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  Speaker 1: kill them. No, contradicted, Pabu and Tomo take care of that.
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  Speaker 1: And Tomo make good poison. And as soon as you die,
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  Speaker 1: he cut out all your insides. There will be no
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  Speaker 1: poison in your flesh. If he thinks you eat the
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  Speaker 1: poisoned food and then you do not die, he will
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  Speaker 1: be afraid, but he will find another way to kill you.
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  Speaker 1: Unless your medicine is very strong. That is why Pabo
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  Speaker 1: come to warn you. So that makes strong medicine. He
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  Speaker 1: started away. Wait, said Dick again. Have they killed Billala yet? No?
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  Speaker 1: When will they kill him tomorrow? Will you do something
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  Speaker 1: for me? Asked Doc. What demanded Pabu bring us some weapons,
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  Speaker 1: four knives, four spears, four bows and some arrows. Will
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  Speaker 1: you do that for me? Pabu? I am afraid Galagalla
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  Speaker 1: would kill me and Tomo would kill me if he knew.
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  Speaker 1: I come here and speak with you. They will never know,
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  Speaker 1: insisted Doc. I am afraid, said Pabu. Now I go, look,
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  Speaker 1: whispered Doc. He drew his pocket knife from his loin cloth.
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  Speaker 1: See this, and he held the big medicine close to
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  Speaker 1: Pabu's face. The youth drew back in terror. Do not
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  Speaker 1: put it in my head, he whimpered. I will not
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  Speaker 1: put it in your head, Pabu, Doc assured him, because
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  Speaker 1: I am your friend. But I will give it to
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  Speaker 1: you if you will bring us the weapons. How would
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  Speaker 1: you like to own this big medicine that is stronger
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  Speaker 1: than any medicine that Antomo can make. You could be
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  Speaker 1: a great witch doctor if you own this, Pabu, What
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  Speaker 1: do you say it will not hurt me, asked Pabu fearfully.
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  Speaker 1: It will not hurt you if I tell it not to,
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  Speaker 1: replied Doc. If I give it to you, then it
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  Speaker 1: will be yours and so cannot hurt you unless you
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  Speaker 1: make it very well, said Pabu. I will bring you
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  Speaker 1: the weapons when demanded Doc. Very soon. Good. If you
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  Speaker 1: are not back very soon, the big medicine will be
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  Speaker 1: angry and then I don't know what it might do
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  Speaker 1: to ye. Hurry. Babu vanished among the shadows. And the
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  Speaker 1: three sat down to wait and plan. At least they
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  Speaker 1: had taken the first step, but they were still inside
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  Speaker 1: the village, surrounded by cruel and savage captors. While they waited,
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  Speaker 1: a man came, bringing them food. He was not one
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  Speaker 1: who had brought them food before, and they guessed that
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  Speaker 1: he had been sent by Intamo. As soon as he
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  Speaker 1: had gone, they dug a hole in the ground and
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  Speaker 1: buried all the food. Then they relapsed into silent, anxious waiting.
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  Speaker 1: End of chapter eight