<h2 id="c12"><span class="small">CHAPTER XII</span> <br/>Between Two Fires</h2>
<p>Biff’s first concern was for Kamuka. He managed to
dart a quick look along the trail hoping to shout a
warning to his companion. Then, Biff caught himself,
fearful that such a call would turn attention in Kamuka’s
direction.</p>
<p>The warning wasn’t needed. Kamuka had witnessed
Biff’s rapid capture and had taken action on his own.
With uncanny instinct, Kamuka had found an opening
in the seemingly solid wall of jungle and had already
dived from sight.</p>
<p>One man, however, had seen the green mass close
behind Kamuka’s quick-moving form. That man was
Urubu. He raised his rifle and fired into the thick foliage,
three times in quick succession.</p>
<p>As Urubu paused, Biff appealed frantically to Serbot:</p>
<p>“Don’t let him shoot again—”</p>
<div class="pb" id="Page_104">104</div>
<p>Serbot ordered Urubu to lower his rifle, which the
guide did. At the same time, Urubu grinned, for he
had seen no ripple in the jungle leaves beyond the spot
where he had first aimed.</p>
<p>“Perhaps,” purred Serbot, “Urubu is trying to shoot
an anaconda, the way he did the other day.”</p>
<p>“Or some other jungle creature,” added Pepito,
over Biff’s shoulder, “like those that we heard run
away.”</p>
<p>Biff guessed that they were trying to draw out facts
from him, to learn if he and Kamuka had followed
Luiz and listened in on the discussion that had shaped
the later events. As Biff tightened his lips, determined
not to answer, Urubu became impatient.</p>
<p>“And maybe,” put in the leering guide, “I just now
try to kill some person, the way Luiz was chased and
killed.”</p>
<p>“What happened to Luiz was his own fault,” Biff
argued hotly. “He tried to kill my father first, with
a knife.”</p>
<p>“Your bearers did not tell us that,” stated Serbot
smoothly. “We met them on their way back to Santa
Isabel, and they told us that Whitman had fired at
Luiz, who ran into quicksand—”</p>
<p>“Where we tried to save him. Did they tell you
that?”</p>
<p>“Yes, they told us that. But not that Luiz had tried
to kill your father.”</p>
<p>“That happened before they even woke up. By
then, Luiz had started to run, so naturally Mr. Whitman
went after him.”</p>
<div class="pb" id="Page_105">105</div>
<p>“The boy lies,” snarled Urubu. “The bearers did
not give you foolish talk like this.”</p>
<p>“They gave us other foolish talk,” reminded Serbot.
“They scared our crew by saying there were
Macus around here.”</p>
<p>“But there are Macus around!” exclaimed Biff.
“Their camp is only a few miles away from here. I
know, because the Macus had me tied up as a prisoner
all last night!”</p>
<p>The effect on Serbot’s party was electric. Even before
Urubu could translate the words to the bearers,
they were dropping their packs, ready to take to
flight, for they recognized the name “Macus” when
Biff mentioned it.</p>
<p>But Serbot, raising his smooth tone to a surprisingly
strong pitch, spoke in a mixture of Portuguese and native
dialect that Biff managed to understand.</p>
<p>“Where will you go?” demanded Serbot. “Do you
think you will be safe by running away like frightened
deer, while the Macus are looking for just such
prey? If there are Macus all around, as the boy says,
there is nothing for us to do but go on and be ready
for them!”</p>
<p>All this while, Pepito had retained his grip on Biff,
but had been gradually relaxing the hold. Now, at
Serbot’s order, he released Biff entirely, but still
kept a wary eye on him. Biff longed to dash into the
jungle and look for Kamuka, but again he managed
to restrain himself.</p>
<div class="pb" id="Page_106">106</div>
<p>The chances were that Urubu’s shots had missed
and that Kamuka was lying low in the motionless foliage.
To race after him and draw new gunfire would
be the worst thing that Biff could possibly do. So he
waited patiently until the safari started on.</p>
<p>Then Serbot took the lead, telling Biff to stay beside
him, while Pepito guarded one flank and Urubu
the other, all three carrying ready rifles. The bearers
stepped along close together, eager to get through the
Macu territory.</p>
<p>“Keep a sharp watch,” Serbot told Biff. “The Macus
caught you yesterday. Don’t let them trap you again
today.”</p>
<p>Occasionally, Biff managed to look back, hoping
that Kamuka had come from cover and was stealing
along behind the safari. Soon Biff gave that up, realizing
that if Kamuka had decided to follow them, he
would be staying completely out of sight.</p>
<p>When they reached the spot where the Macus had
bobbed up the day before, Biff recognized it. He
turned to Serbot and said, “This is where the head-hunters
were yesterday.”</p>
<p>Serbot swung about and ordered the safari to halt.
As the bearers set down their packs, Biff studied their
faces and realized that some were members of the
group that Whitman had organized, the natives who
had started home when Joe Nara had exhibited the
shrunken heads.</p>
<div class="pb" id="Page_107">107</div>
<p>Their meeting with Serbot’s safari must have scared
some of Serbot’s crew into going back to Santa Isabel.
But Serbot or Urubu must have talked some of
Whitman’s men into coming along as replacements.
Now Biff understood how Serbot had learned so
much about Luiz.</p>
<p>After a brief rest, Serbot asked Biff, “Were there
many head-hunters here?”</p>
<p>“Yes,” replied Biff. “A lot of them.”</p>
<p>“And which way did they take you?”</p>
<p>Biff pointed to the west. Smoothly, Serbot asked,
“If there were so many, how did you manage to escape
today?”</p>
<p>“Because most of them had left before dawn to go
hunting,” replied Biff. “That’s why I was afraid of
running into them.”</p>
<p>“Good. We’ll be on the watch for them.”</p>
<p>Serbot ordered the safari forward. At the end of
another mile, they came to a side trail, which cut
sharply in the direction of the Rio Negro. After a
rapid discussion with Urubu, so thick with dialect
that Biff could not understand it, Serbot decided to
take the river route.</p>
<p>As they started along it, Serbot spoke to Biff, using
the smooth, easy tone that reminded Biff of their
first meeting in the airplane above the Amazon.</p>
<p>“If the Macus are hunting along the main trail,” declared
Serbot, “they will never bother to come this
way. That makes it all the safer for us. Anyone taking
the main trail would be gone, for certain.”</p>
<div class="pb" id="Page_108">108</div>
<p>That was passed along by Urubu to the bearers,
who not only were pleased, but quickened their pace,
hoping to get out of Macu territory all the faster. But
Biff’s heart sank, for he was afraid there would be no
catching up with his own safari now.</p>
<p>Then Biff noted that Serbot was studying him steadily.
Evidently, the smiling man was anxious to learn
which way the other safari had gone, and was hoping
that Biff’s change of manner would give the fact
away.</p>
<p>Suddenly, there came an interruption that gave
Biff a cause for real alarm.</p>
<p>“Listen!” he exclaimed.</p>
<p>From the treetops came a running chatter that
seemed to carry like a wave from somewhere off in
the jungle. Biff recognized the excited gabble.</p>
<p>“The howler monkeys!” he told Serbot. “That’s
the way they acted after the Macus shot some of
them with arrows yesterday!”</p>
<p>Serbot tried to gauge the direction of the sound,
then ordered the safari onward, faster. They followed
the rough, irregular trail until they reached a spot
where the chatter lessened and finally quieted altogether.
Serbot waved for the bearers to set down
their packs.</p>
<p>The order came just in time. The bearers themselves
pointed to heads and shoulders that bobbed
from behind trees and bushes. Terrified, the bearers
shouted, “Macu!”</p>
<div class="pb" id="Page_109">109</div>
<p>Serbot dived behind a pack, to use it as a shelter.
Pepito and Urubu did the same, expecting Biff to join
them with the huddling bearers, for spears, arrows,
and darts were now skimming toward them. Instead,
Biff acted upon sudden impulse and raced along the
jungle trail. He heard guns blast in back of him, but
knew Serbot and the others were too busy shooting
at the attacking head-hunters to worry about him.</p>
<p>Biff passed a turn in the trail and knew then that he
was safe from gunfire, but he had his eye on an
opening in the jungle another hundred feet ahead.
There, Biff was sure that he could duck from sight the
way Kamuka had. But Biff was becoming too hopeful
too soon.</p>
<p>Less than halfway to the spot, Biff halted in his
tracks as the foliage parted and a painted Macu warrior
loomed in sight. Armed with bow and arrow, the
deadly marksman was already taking aim at Biff with
his bowstring fully drawn.</p>
<p>Another moment, and the poison-tipped arrow
would be in flight, allowing Biff no chance of escape
at such close range!</p>
<div class="pb" id="Page_110">110</div>
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