The Call of the Jungle by Clyde B Read online

  It was long after midnight when Kirk

  leave the shack. He crawled forward and stood

  touched the girl’s arm and stepped quickly

  up by the barred window, the bottom of which

  behind a large boulder.

  was at the height of his shoulders. The girl

  “Walk on for a little way,” he

  was there, tense and breathless, her face whispered, “then stop and talk as though you pressed against the bars.

  were talking to me.”

  “You go eat all they gave you,” said

  Perhaps it was five minutes Kirk

  Kirk. “You’ll need it before you see Subong.”

  waited, bayonet “fixed” and rifle at the

  For the space of three minutes he stood

  “ready,” then they came in sight, one behind

  watching and listening. Then, satisfied, he the other, padding along with the stealth of lengthened the sling-strap and slung his rifle

  wolves. Presently, Kirk joined Miss Godard,

  across his back, drew his bayonet, cut the

  gingerly “unfixed” his bayonet and wiped the

  thatching loose at one end of the bars and one

  weapon with a handful of leaves. While the

  by one pulled them from their place. By the

  girl shuddered and looked on in silence.

  time Kirk had the last bar out, Miss Godard,

  “Two,” said Kirk after a few moments.

  her supper finished, was waiting and, at his

  “And one of them had a rifle. Funny they

  direction, put her hands on his shoulders and

  didn’t take a shot at me. With me out of the

  sprang through the window.

  way the two of them would have stood a good

  The moon was up and the stars out, so

  show to recapture you.”

  the man and the girl crawled on hands and

  “They didn’t want to take the chance

  knees till they were below the ridge on the

  of hitting me nor the risk of the fight that I

  western side of the summit. Then they would make with your rifle, even though they crouched in the moon-shade of a boulder and

  did get you. They know I can shoot and they

  listened to learn if they were followed.

  want me alive and unharmed. You see, a Morb

  “They may and they may not follow us

  datto was to have paid them a large sum of tonight,” Kirk said, “but they are sure to be on

  money for me. I guess they didn’t know that I

  our trail in the morning. Still they are going to understood their language, for they discussed

  have a lot of trouble and lose a lot of time

  the deal in my shack when the datto’s agent following our trail on this dry lava. At that it’s came to look me over. He would have taken

  going to be a close run. Think you can hike all

  me then only he didn’t have enough money

  night and the most of tomorrow?”

  with him, so he had to go back to Zamboanga

  “I believe I can,” she said firmly. “I

  and get more from his datto. ”

  Adventure

  6

  “The devils,” exclaimed Kirk. “I’m which will be late this afternoon. In the sure glad I happened along just when I did.”

  meantime, let’s start as soon as you can. For

  “You saved my life just as surely as

  the gugus are, doubtless, coming on behind

  though you had pulled me out of the ocean,

  and gaining on us every minute.”

  for I certainly would have found some way to

  “I am ready now,” was Miss Godard’s

  end it before surrendering to such a fate.”

  only answer.

  “Perhaps,” said Kirk. “At any rate you

  From the first she had followed Kirk’s

  are saving my life right now and will save it

  plans and advice without question or

  for several days to come. For it’s plain they’ll

  hesitation. She even liked his faintly

  not fire on me as long as I keep reasonably

  dictatorial way of telling her what to do. In

  close to you. And by the same token I’m

  fact she secretly admired this private soldier

  going to be your shadow till we get to from her brother’s company, this man turned Subong.”

  primitive, who had roamed alone, without

  They both laughed a little and resumed

  civilized food, in a tropic jungle.

  their march in silence; as before. They kept

  Late

  that

  afternoon they found water,

  steadily on for several hours and finally the

  just as Kirk had predicted. It was a small

  full moon, a silver shield, swung down below

  spring bubbling up through a seam in the lava;

  the western horizon and one by one, the and they carefully and gradually satisfied their celestial lamplighter turned off the lesser thirst. Then Kirk turned his campaign hat lights. Then the sun, a great ball of burning

  inside out and filled it with berries for the girl energy, rolled itself up above the mountain

  and while she ate he, also, made a meal of the

  peaks and poured fire into the lava and soon

  same fruit at the near-by vines.

  the breeze blew hot on the faces of Kirk and

  Miss Godard, And the spring began to go out

  AFTER they had eaten their fill and drank

  of the girl’s step and the continual shock of

  again of the clear, sweet water, Kirk and Miss

  receiving her weight on the downward step

  Godard stood just above the little spring and

  against the hard, sloping lava-surface was watched a golden sun ease slowly down into a making her arches ache bitterly.

  vast, green sea of foliage that stretched away

  Though she said no complaining word,

  from the lower slopes of Mt. Iriga.

  nor did she mention her greatest trouble—the

  “Wasn’t it glorious?” asked Kirk when

  thirst. However Kirk noticed her repeated the last edge of sun had slipped from view.

  efforts to moisten her parched lips. With a

  His voice was muffled with emotion

  tongue that was equally dry; he began to and he gave a sigh of regret.

  watch for one of the green-barked, soft trees

  Miss Godard looked at the man,

  that gave sap so freely.

  speculatively, for some minutes and then

  Kirk soon found the kind of tree he

  asked abruptly.

  was looking for and after he had “boxed” it,

  “Kirk, why are you here?”

  laid some boughs in the shade for Miss

  She waved her hand at their general

  Godard to rest on while the sap was dripping.

  surroundings.

  Then, when enough sap had run, he showed

  “The jungle called me and I just had to

  the girl how to drink it with a leaf.

  answer. That’s the only reason I know,” said

  “Don’t swallow much of it,” Kirk Kirk. “Ever since I was fourteen years old I’ve cautioned her. “If you do it will make you

  been going somewhere, but I never knew

  vomit. Just moisten your throat and mouth

  where till I came into the jungle—”

  well and that will last you till we reach water,

  “Funny,” he resumed after a short

  The Call of the Jungle

  7

  silence, “how people generally think of a

  Late the next afternoon the man andr />
  tropic jungle as a steaming, putrid death-mesh.

  the girl saw their pursuers going back up the

  Perhaps it is because of the writers. They

  mountain. They had given up the chase. Still

  picture it that way. And they are partly right,

  Kirk and Miss Godard ventured out of the

  but only partly so, for they show only a part of

  cave only long enough to get water and

  the picture. Oh, if I were a painter and able to

  berries. And it was not until the morning of

  reproduce the colors, the blends and the third day that they started again for harmonies I have seen here in this, supposed,

  Subong.

  death-mesh. But conventional art would reject

  It was midafternoon of the fifth day

  such colors—brand them ‘unnatural, unreal.’

  after leaving the cave when they became

  Isn’t it strange? The realist tabus the really

  aware that the natives were once more on their

  ‘real,’ and the seeker after the natural ignores

  trail. Kirk knew that to stop and fire on them

  what is naturally ‘natural’.”

  would only give them a chance to gain

  It was the longest speech the girl had

  distance. He knew, also, that he was not far

  heard from Kirk and likewise it was entirely

  from Subong. If he could only make them hear

  different from what she would have expected

  at the post, they would come out and meet

  from him. She had been wont to think of him

  him. He snatched the little bugle from his belt,

  as a sort of modernized and very capable

  pressed it to his lips and forced all the breath

  cave-man. But never had she thought of him

  in his longs through the small, silver coils.

  as a lover of art, and least of all as a man who

  The “call to arms” rang clear and sharp on the

  had opinions on that very fine subject. still air.

  However Kirk did not leave her long to

  He had heard an old trumpeter say that

  wonder at this side of his nature.

  a bugle could be heard eight miles under

  “It’s getting dark now,” he told her in

  favorable air conditions. The air was still and

  his usual matter-of-fact tone, “and there’s a

  clear, they were less than four miles from

  cave not far from here. I ran into it on my way

  Subong and Kirk had hopes. He took the girl

  up. There is not a chance in a hundred that the

  by the hand and broke into a run, but she was

  gugus will ever find this cave, the way it is

  tired and handicapped by her skirt and the

  located. I only found it by accident. So we’ll

  natives continued to gain on them. Kirk

  stay there a couple of days and get a good rest

  stopped, knelt, and with three shots stopped

  and by that time the gugus will have, most

  two who were getting uncomfortably close.

  likely, given up and gone back to their Then he gathered the girl in his arms, swung barrio.”

  her off the ground and ran on.

  Shortly before midnight, Kirk,

  It was a situation very like to loose the

  watching in the entrance to the cave, heard the

  romantic impulse in any woman. And it did

  natives prowling around outside and calling

  just that to Madeline Godard. She forgot the

  softly to one another as they searched for the

  social gulf that lay between herself, the sister

  sign of a trail. But the white man had taken

  of an officer, and Kirk a private soldier. She

  care of that. As hard and sharp as the lava

  forgot, even, their imminent danger. She

  was, Kirk and Miss Godard had taken off their

  knew, only, that she desired to caress this

  shoes and walked to the cave in their man, her man her protecting male. She locked stockings. So the natives found no trail nor did

  her arms about his neck, raised her face to his

  they find the cave, but finally to Kirk’s and kissed him again and again on mouth, immense relief, they moved on down the cheek and forehead. Then she took her arms mountainside.

  from his neck and wrapped them about her

  Adventure

  8

  own crimson face.

  the abduction of his sister. And the men

  Too dazed and too near exhausted to

  responded to his spirit with surprising alacrity.

  realize the significance of the girl’s action,

  The little romp with the Filipinos had broken

  Kirk ran on with bursting lungs and aching

  the monotony for them, had cleared and

  arms. After he had been running for some

  refreshed their mental atmosphere. They

  centuries and the world had begun to turn

  published the fact in every movement.

  black, Kirk heard a single, faint blast on a

  The lieutenant dismissed them and

  bugle; and the sound came from the direction

  they went laughing and rollicking into

  of Subong. They had heard. They were quarters.

  coming. They were calling for an answering

  “Kirk,” said the lieutenant, “thanks are

  blast to guide them. Kirk felt as though a

  too puny to offer for a service such as you

  couple of planets had been lifted from his

  have done for me. However I shall hope for an

  shoulders. He stood the girl on her feet and

  opportunity to prove my gratitude. Your

  fought a minute for breath. Then he raised the

  discharge papers came down on the last boat,

  bugle to his lips and by a supreme effort, blew

  and, of course if you re-enlist here in my

  a long, clear blast. The answer was instant and

  company there is a sergeantcy for you.”

  much closer than before.

  “Thank you, sir,” said Kirk. “I don’t

  The natives knew the meaning of this

  think I shall enlist again, but I would like to

  interchange of calls and they made a final

  have my discharge now, if I may.”

  dash to get the man and girl before it was too

  “Why—er, certainly. Just come over to

  late.

  my quarters,” said the lieutenant, puzzled by

  Kirk and Miss Godard ran again for a

  Kirk’s request.

  little way and then stopped. It was no use, the

  Five minutes later, with his discharge

  natives were closing in on them from three

  in his haversack, Kirk left the lieutenant’s

  sides. It was time to make a fight. Kirk knelt

  quarters. It was dark now and he leaned on his

  and began a deadly play of steel-clad lead on

  rifle in the deeper darkness under a banana

  their pursuers. Some of the natives fell but

  tree and watched and listened. Bright,

  more of them continued to close in. It was

  cheering light streamed through the open

  only a matter of minutes now until Kirk would

  windows of the men’s quarters. Snatches of

  be dead, his brains hammered out, and Miss

  song and light-hearted laughter, also floated

  Godard a prisoner to face that other and more

  out from those windows. Even Lieutenant

  terrible fate. At this cri
tical juncture the Godard was whistling a merry tune while he company from Subong swirled onto the scene

  hustled about his quarters. Contentment

  and the would-be captors of Kirk and Miss

  reigned over the little post at Subong.

  Godard were quickly made prisoners.

  The moon showed an edge above the

  tall coconut trees, the great, black vampires

  IN FRONT of the quarters at Subong, began to flap into space and innumerable cries Lieutenant Godard swung the men from echoed through the wilderness. Kirk column of fours front and brought them to a

  shouldered his rifle, crossed the small clearing

  halt with a snap and a ring in his commands

  and disappeared in the jungle.

  that had been his chief characteristic before