Probably not more than eight or ten men
remained about the _maloca_.
I had recovered from my sickness and was not entirely devoid of
a desire for excitement--the best tonic of the explorer. The two
young hunters with bows and arrows halted before the Chief. They
were gesticulating wildly; and although I could not understand what
they were talking about, I judged from the frown of the Chief that
something serious was the matter.
He arose with unusual agility for a man of his size, and shouted
something toward the opening of the _maloca_, whence the men were
soon seen coming with leaps and bounds. Anticipating trouble, I
also ran over to the Chief, and, in my defective Mangeroma lingo,
inquired the cause of the excitement. He did not answer me, but,
in a greater state of agitation than I had previously observed in
him, he gave orders to his men. He called the "wireless" operator
and commanded him to bring out his precious apparatus. This was soon
fastened to the gunwales of the canoe where I had seen it used before,
on my trip to the neighbouring tribe, and soon the same powerful,
xylophonic sounds vibrated through the forest. It was his intention
to summon the hunters that were still roaming around the vicinity, by
this "C.
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