Page:Cup of Gold-1929.djvu/179

But again the sun arose, a white fevered ulcer in the sky. There was the river of mad turnings, and along its banks deserted farms, and on food at all. News of this invasion had swept along before them like an appalling message of pestilence. No man or animal remained to greet the buccaneeers.

On the third day they found a number of tough green cow hides, and the beat them with stones to soften them for eating. Some of the men had eaten half their belts. Once a little burned maize was discovered in a still buring granary, and several of the pirates died in agony from gorging on it.

The men hunted in the jungle, searched through the trees for any living thing which might be eaten. Even the cats and monkeys seemed to be leagued with Spain. The jungle was silent and creatureless now. No unit of life was left save the flying insects. Now and then a snake was caught and roasted, while its captor sullenly guarded his supper. A few mice came into the pirates' hands, but these were bolted on the spot for fear of thievery.

After four days of traveling, the river grew too shallow for the boats. The cannons were brought ashore to be dragged by man-power along a narrow path. The buccaneers straggled out in an unkempt column, while ahead of them a swarm of busy Indians, drawing energy from their sanguinary dream, hacked and slashed out the trail through the jungle with their heavy knives. A few small groups of fleeing Spaniards were seen, and now and again small bands of Spanish Indians flushed from