Adventures of Piang the Moro Jungle Boy Page 5

  SECOND ADVENTURE

  THE FLOATING ISLAND

  Like a mirror framed in soft velvet green, the lake broke uponPiang. In the still noon heat the motionless water scintillatedand sparkled and the powerful rays of the sun seemed to penetrateto the very bottom. Dragon-flies and spiders skated merrily about,eluding the ever-watchful fishes lying in wait amid forests of lacyseaweeds and coral. Tall, stately palms, towering above their mates,scorned to seek their reflections in the clear depths, but frivolousbamboo and nipa-palms swayed gently out over the water, rustling andchattering with delight at their mirrored images.

  Piang slipped through the mouth of the creek and gazed in amazement atthe vast sheet of water. Stories of the lake and its wonderful floatingislands had lured him from the more direct route to Ganassi Peak, andhe eagerly searched for one of the curiosities. His eyes focused on adot of green far in the distance. It was moving, turning, and suddenlya whole fleet of dancing, playful islands became distinct. JoyfullyPiang started in pursuit. He wanted to see one, to touch it. Swiftlyhe flew through the water. As if detecting his purpose, the nomadislands eluded him. As soon as he chose one to pursue, it flauntedits charms the more and capered and dodged behind its fellows. Like agiant may-pole, the largest island held several smaller ones in leash,permitting them to revolve around it, interlacing vines and creepersthat were rooted on the mother isle. Monkeys and jungle creaturescrept fearlessly along these natural ropes, sporting from one islandto another. Hablar-birds and aigrets squabbled over bits of riceand wild fruits. Piang caught sight of a civet-cat crouching in atree on one island. It had probably gone to sleep in that tree whilethe island was nosing the mainland and had awakened to find itselfadrift. Sometimes these floating islands would be held to the shorefor years, intertwining liana (climbing plants of tropical forests)and _bajuca_ (jungle rope), but sooner or later some wild storm issure to set them wandering again.

  There were weird tales of early Dyak settlers. These Borneo pirates hadfled to Mindanao to escape justice, bringing many cruel and terriblecustoms that were to take root and bear fruit among the tribes of thesultan. A favorite pastime of the Dyaks had been to bind captives toa stray island and lead it slowly and tantalizingly to the mammothwaterfalls, shouting and dancing with glee as it plunged into theabyss.

  The lake was like a fairy-land. Purple lotus flowers surrounded theboat. Piang dipped his hands into the cool water, and pulled themup by long slender roots; lily-pads offered their beauties and soonthe banco was a bower of fragrant and brilliant flowers. PlayfullyPiang caught at a vine, floating in the wake of an island. Thenatural boat led him gently about, twisting and circling back andforth. He laughed merrily. The islands were too funny! They seemedalmost human in their antics. Some had regular routes, and, like mailboats touched the same spot again and again, only to be hurried onas the current caught them. Others with malicious intent strayed inthe path of their more systematic brothers, bumping and jarring themwith obstinate regularity.

  The joy of freedom thrilled Piang; the intimacy with nature and itsmysteries stirred within him a desire to know more, feel more, andhe gazed at the distant peak where his fortune awaited him, wonderingif the old hermit, Ganassi, was in reality watching for his coming.

  Toward afternoon Piang became conscious of a heavy steam-likevapor rising from the undergrowth at the edge of the jungle; theatmosphere grew suddenly sticky and sultry. Almost within a momentthe brilliant sunshine was blotted out, and a gray twilight settledover the lake. Frightened birds, squawking and screaming, hurried by;a fawn, drinking at the water's edge, darted off through the jungle. Aslight frown rippled across the water; the breeze chilled Piang. Treesin the distance seemed to bend nearly double with no apparent cause,but the rush of wind finally swept the whole valley, and the jungleshuddered and swayed before it. The storm seemed an animate thing,seemed to come upon the peacefulness of the lake like an evil genius,hurling its fury upon nature and her creatures.

  Piang had never been alone in a typhoon. In bewilderment he lookedabout, wondering where he could find shelter. He watched the birds,the animals; his boat brought up against something with a thud. Anisland had bumped into him, and he realized in dismay what a menace thepretty toys might become in a typhoon. Struggling with the tempest,Piang fought past the islands, reached the shore, turned his bancobottom side up, and crept underneath.

  The violent wind began to dash loose objects about, tearing limbsoff trees and hurling them aloft as if they were mere splinters. Acocoanut crashed down, striking the ground near Piang; another fell,and yet another. Then the rain came in torrents. It fell unevenlyas if poured by mighty giants from huge buckets. The ground beneathPiang was swaying, undulating. A tree crashed to the ground, tearingaway vines and ferns. As he began to experience the motion of a boat,Piang became thoroughly alarmed and, dashing aside the banco, sprangto his feet.

  Terror flashed into his heart. What was happening? He had landed onthe mainland and put his banco under a big tree, and now this treewas pitching and swaying, its branches sweeping the ground. The treewas being uprooted, and the earth at Piang's feet was plowed up asroots tore through the surface. The next tree was being felled in thesame manner, and as his eyes darted about, he beheld everywhere thesame terrifying picture. These mighty monuments of time, trees olderthan man, were being torn from their beds and thrown to the groundor left standing against each other for support. It seemed to beonly the trees in Piang's vicinity that were doomed to destruction,and, although it was a dangerous thing to attempt, Piang decided toseek another shelter. He took a few difficult steps forward and wasalmost stunned by the immense fall of water. It dashed into his face,beat upon his head in a stinging, hissing mass; it ran in streamsdown his arms and legs, making him heavy and clumsy. As he caught ata tree for support, it groaned under his weight and crashed to earth;the ground was giving way, and he felt himself sinking. With a scream,he freed himself, and, jumping to a fallen tree, clung desperately,hoping to escape flying missiles. Just as he gathered himself foranother advance his heart gave a jump. Through the mad rage of thetyphoon, he could hear quick breathing! The ground tipped and swayedalarmingly, tossing trees about like masts on a ship in distress.

  "_Linug!_" ("Earthquake!") moaned Piang. Bravely the boy crept forward,knife in hand. Whatever it was, hiding under that log, Piang musttake his chances; if he remained where he was he would certainly bekilled by falling trees. His feet made a sucking sound; a vivid flashof lightning blinded him, and it was all he could do to force hisway through the wall of water that was pounding down upon him. Witha desperate effort, he pulled himself along by vines, hoping to passthe unknown animal before it could leap; but the branches stirred,and he sprang back with a cry.

  "_Babui!_" ("Wild boar!") he gasped. The creature's head shookwith fury; its teeth were bared, and the tiny red eyes flamedwith anger. The babui had the largest tusks Piang had ever seen,and he grasped his bolo firmly to meet the rush. One second, twoseconds--the suspense was fearful, and Piang wondered why the boardid not attack. Strained almost beyond his endurance, he stood, rigidand cold, waiting. The wind sucked at his breath; the torrents ofwater, dashing in his face, kept him blinking and gasping, and stillthat wild thing pawed and snorted. Fascinated, Piang gazed into thevicious, bleary eyes, and finally he realized that they were losingsome of their fury; the tusks sank into the spongy earth; the headfell lower. The babui was a prisoner, pinioned to the ground by afallen tree! Relief was Piang's first sensation, but pity for theanimal and fear for himself, roused him to the realization of newdangers yet to be faced. He must plunge into the dense jungle; it wasonly a short distance now. He glanced back to be sure that the babuicould not free itself; it was swaying and moaning, unable to move.

  As Piang paused to get his directions, the earth gave a tremendousjerk, which threw him on his face. He lay stunned for a few minutes andwhen he rose to his knees, he had the sensation of floating gently,softly. The jerking and trembling had ceased, and the ground swayedsoothingly. Piang tu
rned toward the jungle, to the spot where hehad been about to step. Could he believe his eyes? Almost numb withterror, he gazed stupidly into the receding jungle. He was on land,but he was floating. He was sailing away from the jungle! Piang hadtaken refuge on a floating island.

  In despair he gazed about him, trying to penetrate the thickly drivingrain. He was on the very edge of the island and he wondered why he hadnot been swept into the lake. The mass of vegetation, wrenched fromits bed, trailed along in the water as the nomad island whirled anddanced on the angry waves. A tree, the branches of which were hangingin the water, was pulled from its bed, dragging part of the islandwith it. One long vine struggled to right itself against the current,to gain the shelter of the island again. It seemed most lifelike, andsuddenly Piang realized with a shudder that it was alive. A python hadbeen knocked from the falling tree and was being dragged along. Onlythe end of its tail was twined about a log; desperately it stroveto work its way back, and Piang watched with dread. Its strugglesgrew weaker and weaker, and finally its head sank below the waves,and it joined the unresisting creepers that were being dragged alongto destruction.

  Piang leaned wearily against the only tree that remained standing;the fall of water, tearing down the trunk, cascaded over the jungleboy, and he raised his hand to shield his eyes. What had saved thesolitary tree, Piang could not imagine, until he discovered a smalldiamond-shaped cut in the bark. He drew back with a shudder. Twocrossed arrows were carved within the diamond. This was another Dyakcustom so hateful to the Mohammedan; the tree was the sarcophagus ofsome Borneo chief. A century must have passed since the burial, forthe incision was almost obliterated, but Piang knew that the mummyof his enemy reposed in savage dignity within the heart of the tree,and that the Dyak belief was that the tree could not fall or decay. Hefought his way to the other side of the island. On it sped. Cries offrightened animals came faintly from the mainland; screams of birds,beaten to earth, pierced the din.

  A tremor ran through the island. There was a tearing sound as ifstrong timbers were being forced apart; the whole mass stood still,then came a tremendous crash. It had collided with the fleet thatPiang had been sporting with only an hour before. Surely the straybits of jungle would crush each other to bits. A gray streak flewpast Piang, and a frightened monkey, thinking to save itself fromthe other derelict, nearly landed on the babui. Paying no attentionto either the boy or the babui, the monkey shrank against a log andhid its head, whining piteously.

  A pale light broke through the gloom, and the rain ceased as suddenlyas it had come. Piang's heart gave a bound as he watched the tempestabate. Suddenly he straightened himself and strained his ears to catcha new sound. What was that deep, distant rumbling? A cry so piteousbroke from him, that even the dying babui started. The falls! He couldhear them distinctly and realized that he was rushing toward themat a mad pace. Louder and clearer grew the thunder of those falls,and Piang's staunch little heart rebelled. He would not stand therelike a Dyak prisoner! He would do something. He would save himself! Ablazing flash rent the heavens and Piang caught sight of Ganassi Peakfrowning and lowering in the clouds. Ganassi! If he only knew! No,it was too late. The falls roared hungrily, and nothing could keepthe island from plunging to destruction.

  Slowly Piang rose to his full height, and, folding his arms, determinedto die bravely. He could see the upper falls now, high above hishead, and he pictured the greater falls below him--the falls thatwere waiting to swallow his island. He tried to remember the prayerfor such an occasion, but none came to him.

  "There is no God but Allah!" muttered the terrified boy.

  The island was pitching again as obstacles caught at it, spinning itaround and around. Each thing that it struck on its reckless journeytore portions from it; gradually it became smaller. The light grewsteadily clearer, and Piang could see what awaited him. Massive rocksloomed up at the head of the falls, and he calmly wondered if he wouldbe killed before the plunge. The side of the island where he stoodbegan to give way, and, although he was to die in a few minutes,instinct made him move to the other side. He tried to walk, butthe ground gave at each step. He crawled along the trunk of a treeand unexpectedly came upon the monkey. The little creature was stillhuddled against the log and showed no fear of Piang; it whined louder,seeming to sense the rapidly approaching danger.

  Suddenly the monkey jumped into the tree, and Piang followed it withhis eyes. It seemed to be gathering itself for a greater leap. AsBruce watched the spider, so Piang, fascinated, kept his eyes onthe little wild thing. Gradually it dawned on him that the monkeyhad discovered an avenue of escape! The island had veered off andwas fast approaching a monster boulder that would surely break it intwo. Growing on it were vines and trees hanging far out over the water.

  Piang stumbled along and somehow made his way to the burial tree. Amoment he paused, awed by a superstitious fear of the dead, but aviolent clap of thunder terrified him into forgetting all but hisimmediate danger. There were only a few moments left; if he couldreach the top of the tree before the island dashed past the vines, hemight save himself. His hands tremblingly sought the notches sacredto the dead; he scrambled upward. Thorns pierced his tired limbs;vines and creepers took vicious delight in fastening themselves uponhim. The tree shook as the monkey jumped farther out on a limb, andthe movement seemed to put new strength in Piang. As he struggled up,a calmness came to him. He carefully watched the monkey, and whenit crouched for the spring, Piang searched the approaching vines forone strong enough to hold him.

  In a moment it would all be over. What if he jumped too soon or toolate? What if the vine proved too frail? The monkey was crouchingfor the leap. The branch that Piang was clinging to bent underhis weight. The monkey flashed through the air, made a desperategrab, and swung out of sight. In a daze, Piang prepared to follow;breathlessly he watched for his chance. With a prayer on his lips andwith a mighty effort, he sprang straight out into space. His handsclosed over something small and round. A dizziness came over him.

  In dismay he felt the vine give, as if uncoiling itself from awindlass. Down, down he fell until his feet touched the soggy earthof the island. Still the vine uncoiled; the island crashed into theboulder. Desperately Piang tried to climb the vine, but its slacknessoffered no resistance. Slowly the island began to tip, to slideover the falls, and Piang made one more effort to save himself. Ashe grasped the vine more firmly, it brought up with a quick jerk,almost breaking his hold.

  He felt the vine tighten, heard it creak and groan under his weight,and finally it lifted him clear of the island, swinging him far outover the abyss like a weight at the end of a pendulum.

  His island slid from under him, leaving him suspended in mid air;in the second that he hung there, he could see the cruel rocks below,the seething, steaming water. The stately funeral tree gently inclinedto the fall, and, with stern dignity, took the plunge. The dyingbabui, flung far out into space, added its diminutive death-wail tothe din. The vine trembled over the chasm. Piang felt a quick rushof air, a sickening feeling, as if he were rapidly falling; with atremendous impetus the vine swung back, crashed into a tree, and,with the agility of the monkey, Piang climbed to safety.

  "There is no God but Allah!" came from the strained lips, and theboy turned his eyes toward the setting sun as it struggled to piercethe gloom.

  "_Bulutu!_" ("Rainbow!") he cried, and a faint smile flitted acrosshis bruised and bleeding face.

  Startled by a movement at his side, Piang found the frightened monkeytrying to thrust its head under his arm. Taking the trembling littlecreature up, Piang pillowed it against his breast. And so thesestrange companions, the timid, wild monkey and the gentle, savage boycrouched in the tree together, watching the typhoon beat out its furyon the helpless things of nature, and ever clearer grew the _bulutu_as it wreathed and crowned Piang's goal, Ganassi Peak.