<h2 id="c7"><span class="small">CHAPTER VII</span> <br/>The Deadly Coils</h2>
<p>Biff stopped a dozen feet short of the spot where
Kamuka, arms emerging from the mire, was frantically
waving him back. Biff felt the soft bank giving
way beneath him, and he immediately sprang back to
solid ground, knowing that only from there could he
hope to save his friend.</p>
<p>Kamuka was still sinking in the quicksand, though
more slowly now. That gave Biff a few more minutes
in which to help him; but how to help was still a
question. There was no use throwing a liana vine to
Kamuka; it would be too flimsy. A tree branch would
be better, but the only boughs strong enough to support
a person’s weight were those that overhung the
mire itself.</p>
<p>Biff couldn’t wrench those branches loose from
their trunks in time to save Kamuka. In fact, to push
anything out from the bank looked like a hopeless
plan. The best way to help would be by a pull straight
up. Biff realized that, when he saw Kamuka look up
toward the lowest bough, six feet or more above his
head.</p>
<div class="pb" id="Page_59">59</div>
<div class="fig"> <ANTIMG src="images/p003.jpg" alt="" width-obs="500" height-obs="745" /> <p class="caption"><i>Biff felt the soft bank giving way beneath him</i></p> </div>
<div class="pb" id="Page_60">60</div>
<p>If only Kamuka could reach that far!</p>
<p>That thought gave Biff the answer. Skirting the
quicksand, he climbed one of the trees and started
working out on its lowest thick branch, hand over
hand, toward the spot where Kamuka, now nearly
shoulder-deep in the muck, still looked up hopefully.</p>
<p>So far, Biff had been worrying whether the bough
would prove strong enough. Now he was wishing
that it would bend more. Biff was dangling near
Kamuka, but not quite above him; and it was impossible
for the Indian boy to shift his position in the
quicksand. But Biff was able to do the next best thing.</p>
<p>Locking his hands over the thick branch, Biff began
a pendulum swing, out and back—out and back—bringing
his ankles closer to Kamuka’s reach. Kamuka
made one clutch and missed, but on the next swing
Biff practically placed his ankle in the Indian boy’s
grasp.</p>
<p>Kamuka caught Biff’s other ankle in the same fashion,
and Biff, slanting a glance downward, saw the
other boy’s face smiling grimly from between those
upstretched arms. Kamuka’s voice came calmly.
“Hold tight, Biff. I will pull up slowly.”</p>
<p>Now Biff was glad that the bough was a stout one,
for he could feel it give under Kamuka’s added
weight. Biff tried to work himself higher by bending
his arms and turning them along the branch, so that
he could use his hands to grip his opposite wrists.</p>
<div class="pb" id="Page_61">61</div>
<p>That helped at first, but Kamuka’s weight kept increasing
as he emerged gradually from the ooze, and
the strain made Biff’s shoulders feel as if they would
pull from their sockets. But by then, Kamuka had
worked clear of the quicksand’s suction. He caught
Biff’s belt with one hand; then the other. Next, he
was clamping Biff’s shoulder and finally the tree
branch.</p>
<p>The strain lessened then, with both boys dangling
from the bough. Practically side by side, they made a
hand-over-hand trip toward the tree trunk and
dropped to solid ground. There they sat a moment,
panting and rubbing their shoulders as they looked at
each other, a bit bewildered by their short but strenuous
adventure.</p>
<p>From the distance came that clear metallic note
that they had heard before. Kamuka looked at Biff.</p>
<p>“We still go find it—maybe?”</p>
<p>“All right, Kamuka. Let’s go find it.”</p>
<p>They skirted the quicksand and took the path that
Kamuka had missed in his hurry. It divided into lesser
paths, but they continued to pick a course in the general
direction of the clanging sound.</p>
<p>“Somebody use that for a signal,” declared Kamuka.
“When we find it, you will see that I am right—”</p>
<p>“You <i>are</i> right,” Biff whispered. “Look there!”</p>
<p>A figure had cut into the path well ahead of them
and was continuing on. Softly, Kamuka whispered
the name: “Luiz!”</p>
<div class="pb" id="Page_62">62</div>
<p>The boys were fortunate. Luiz hadn’t spotted them.
Evidently, the guide had left the camp by another
path and had followed a roundabout course to reach
his present goal. Luiz, judging by the eager expression
on his scheming face, was also following the call of
the false bellbird. Cautiously, the boys took up Luiz’s
trail until he reached a clearing. There, they sidled
into a patch of jungle and spread the foliage just
enough to view the open space in front of them.</p>
<p>A big man was sitting on a camp stool beside a tent.
In front of him was a small anvil, and he gave it a
ringing stroke with a hammer as the boys watched.
Kamuka was the first to recognize the hawkish face
that turned in Luiz’s direction as the guide approached.</p>
<p>Kamuka whispered, “Urubu!”</p>
<p>Biff had scarcely noticed Urubu. Instead, he was
staring in total amazement at two other men who had
come from the tent.</p>
<p>“One of those men is Nicholas Serbot,” he told
Kamuka. “The other is his sidekick, Big Pepito. But
they were in Manaus, the night we left there. How
did they get here?”</p>
<p>“Airplane come upriver ahead of you,” replied
Kamuka. “Stop at <i>maloca</i> near rubber camp.”</p>
<p>By <i>maloca</i> Kamuka meant a native village some distance
back from the Rio Negro. Quickly, Biff exclaimed:</p>
<p>“That’s where they met Urubu! They must have
paid him to make trouble for us!”</p>
<div class="pb" id="Page_63">63</div>
<p>Kamuka gave a chuckle. “Look like they pay Luiz,
too.”</p>
<p>Urubu was introducing Luiz to Serbot and Pepito.
In the background were several native bearers, apparently
under orders to keep their distance. Serbot
and Pepito were watching them to make sure they
did. Biff took advantage of that.</p>
<p>“We can move up closer,” he told Kamuka. “Maybe
close enough to hear what they are saying.”</p>
<p>Kamuka silently agreed, for he crawled along with
Biff until they reached the very fringe of the thinner
brush, only a dozen yards from where the four men
stood. There, Kamuka whispered, “This far enough.”</p>
<p>The grass here was tall and studded with brilliant
flowers and shrubs that had cropped up since the
brush was thinned. By keeping almost flat on their
stomachs, the boys remained completely hidden. Most
of the discussion was in Portuguese, with a sprinkling
of dialect, so between them Biff and Kamuka were
able to understand most of what was said.</p>
<p>“I come for money, Senhor,” Luiz told Serbot.
“Like Urubu said you would give me if I delay safari.”</p>
<p>“You will get your money later,” promised Serbot.
“You can’t spend it here in the jungle anyway. If you
even showed it, Brewster and Whitman would wonder
where it came from.”</p>
<p>Luiz started to babble an objection, only to have
Urubu interrupt him.</p>
<div class="pb" id="Page_64">64</div>
<p>“You have only done half your job, Luiz,” Urubu
reminded him. “You gave our safari time to catch up
with yours. Now you must see that we have time to
get ahead.”</p>
<p>“For that,” injected Luiz, “I should be paid
double.”</p>
<p>“You will be,” agreed Serbot, “if you can tell us
where Brewster intends to go, so we can get there
ahead of him.”</p>
<p>Biff saw Luiz’s teeth gleam in a knowing smile.
The small guide spoke in dialect to Urubu, who made
a prompt reply. Kamuka understood the talk and
whispered to Biff:</p>
<p>“Luiz says he can tell them what they want to
know. He asks Urubu if he can trust them. Urubu
says yes.”</p>
<p>By then, Luiz had turned to Serbot. Biff’s heart
sank as he heard Luiz triumphantly announce:</p>
<p>“They go to Piedra Del Cucuy!”</p>
<p>“The big boundary rock!” exclaimed Serbot. “That
must have been Nara’s boat that took Brewster and
the boy up the river. Now, they probably plan to
meet Nara there.” He turned to Urubu. “Can you
get us to Piedra Del Cucuy first?” he demanded.</p>
<p>“Easily,” assured Urubu, “if Luiz takes them the
long way.”</p>
<p>“Maybe I should leave them,” put in Luiz, “and
come with you. Then they will have no guide and
will not find the way at all.”</p>
<div class="pb" id="Page_65">65</div>
<p>“That would be all right,” decided Serbot, “but
learn what else you can first. Did Brewster mention
the name Nara?”</p>
<p>“<i>Nao</i>, Senhor.”</p>
<p>“Did he say anything about a map?”</p>
<p>“<i>Nao</i>, Senhor.”</p>
<p>“Find out what you can about both. If you can get
word to us, good. If Brewster becomes suspicious, join
us. But your big job is to delay their safari. Use whatever
way seems best.”</p>
<p>That ended the parley, except for parting words
from Urubu to Luiz, which greatly interested the listening
boys.</p>
<p>“Tomorrow, I signal before we start.” Urubu gestured
toward the hammer and anvil. “If you do not
come to join us, we will know you are staying with
the safari—to guide them the long way.”</p>
<p>Urubu and Luiz were turning in the direction of
the spot where the boys lay hidden. Biff whispered to
Kamuka:</p>
<p>“Let’s crawl out of here fast—”</p>
<p>“Stay still!” Kamuka’s interruption came as a warning
hiss. “Do not move—not one inch!”</p>
<p>Biff let his eyes turn in the direction of Kamuka’s
stare. Despite the intense heat of the jungle, Biff could
actually feel himself freeze. Coming straight toward
them through the tall grass was the head of a huge
snake!</p>
<div class="pb" id="Page_66">66</div>
<p>Behind it, the grass rippled from the slithering coils
that followed. Fully twenty feet in length, the gigantic
creature could only be an anaconda, greatest of
all boa constrictors.</p>
<p>To be caught within those crushing coils would
mean sure death!</p>
<div class="pb" id="Page_67">67</div>
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