Their habits
are extremely filthy, indeed more loathsome and disgusting than I
dare relate.
My horses were by now refreshed with their rest, and appeared able
for the return journey, so I determined to start back to
civilization. The priest heard of my decision with unfeigned joy, but
the king and queen were sorrowful. These pressed me to return again
some time, but said I must bring with me a boca (gun) like my own
for the king, with some more strings of white beads for the queen's
wrists.
While saddling our horses in the grey dawn, the wily priest came to
me with a bundle, and, quietly drawing me aside, said that Nandeyara
was inside, and in exchange for the bright rug I could take him away.
The exchange was made, and I tied their god, along with bows and
arrows, etc., on the back of a horse, and we said farewell. I had
strict orders to cover up the idol from the eyes of the people until
we got away. Even when miles distant, I kept looking back, fearing
that the duped Indians were following in enraged numbers. Of course,
the priest would give out that I had stolen the image.
Ah, Rocanandiva, you are not the first who has been willing to sell
his god for worldly gain! The hand of Judas burned with "thirty
pieces of silver," the earthly value of the Divine One. Pilate, for
personal profit, said: "Let Him be crucified." And millions to-day
sell Him for "a mess of pottage."
The same horse bore away the devil and god, so perhaps without
the one there would be no need of the other.
So prolific is the vegetation that during our few weeks' stay with
the Indians the creeping thorns and briars had almost covered up the
path we had cut through the forest, and it was again necessary to use
our machetes. The larger growth, however, being down, this was not
difficult, and we entered its sombre stillness once more. What
strange creatures people its tangled recesses we knew not.
"For beasts and birds have seen and heard
That which man knoweth not."
I hurried through with little wish to penetrate its secret. Mere
existence was hard enough in its steaming semi-darkness. Our clothes
were now almost torn to shreds (I had sought to mend mine with horse-
hair thread, with poor results), and we duly emerged into daylight on
the other side, ragged, torn and dirty.
Our journey back to civilization was similar to the outward way. We
selected a slightly different route, but left the old chief safe and
well with his people.
One night our horses were startled by a bounding jaguar, and were so
terrified that they broke away and scattered in all directions.
Searching for them detained us a whole day, but fortunately we were
able to round them all up again.
