over Piang. A
new sound arrested him. The crocodiles below had already smelled the
blood of the second victim and were plunging up-stream to find it. The
boy thought the knife would never come out. He worked and twisted,
and finally it gave so suddenly, that he lost his balance, and by a
quick turn of his body just saved himself from another ducking. It
was lucky for Piang that he finished when he did, for around the
curve in the river, headed directly toward him, came the crowding,
vicious scavengers.

Gathering his wits quickly, he pushed forward. The snorting and
fighting grew more and more distant; the peaceful river stretched
out before him like a silver road beckoning him to safety, and he
offered a prayer of thanksgiving to Allah, the Merciful, that he had
been spared that awful death.

It was nearly evening when Piang beached his banco and took up the
trail to the village where he was to spend his first night. Confidently
he trotted through the jungle, picking his way easily among the
gathering shadows. Soon voices became distinguishable, and he heard
tom-toms beating the evening serenade. Dogs howled in response,
women chattered, boys quarreled. To Piang this represented the usual
day's peaceful ending.

As he trotted into the clearing and paused before the hut of the dato,
the curious crowded around him: mothers to see if the stranger's
muscles could compare with their lads'; girls to flaunt their charms;
boys to measure him with their eyes. Piang had no interest in anything
but the boys, and as soon as the dato condescended to greet him with
the customary salutation for guests, he was left in peace to join
them at their interrupted game of pelota.

Twilight comes quickly in the tropics. When darkness had fallen,
each family was squatting beside its rice pot, and as the night
silence deepened, the village slept. Piang had asked for no shelter,
and no invitation had been extended, but he silently accepted the
hospitality, according to the strange Moro codes.

Slumber claimed the inhabitants of the barrio, but all around the
jungle woke to the night. Noxious blooms raised their heads to drink
in the deadly moisture; hungry pythons took up their silent vigil
at water holes; night prowlers slunk in the gloom to spring on the
more defenseless creatures, and over it all the inscrutable jungle
kept watch, passing silent judgment on man and beast, in this great
scheme of life.

SECOND ADVENTURE