Stained River (28 page)

Ahead, he saw wild boar
, snuffling and foraging for food. That would be welcome news for the tribe.

A short while later,
Teman-e waved from a sandy stretch. His men ran into the water to help, but the sound from the outboard frightened them. A smiling Connery was glad to be back. On the river bank, Lateri watched anxiously. The tall man was the only link between her and the possibility of returning to her family.

Connery grasped
Teman-e's shoulders. He would miss the gutsy man who saved his life more than once. That night he would tell him of his plan to leave and the promises he intended to keep. It would be difficult, but his departure was inevitable. He told Teman-e:

“We have done much today, but I am concerned for your tribe. Where are they?”

“Everyone is safe but hungry and thirsty. They have not touched the river water and have survived from other sources. They will be here soon.”

“That is good news
. Here is more. On my way I saw several boar not far away.”

They hadn’t eaten in the past twenty four hours and would do whatever was needed to bring back a boar, maybe two. The tribe arrived in late afternoon. Exhausted and weary, they wanted to stay put for the night, but
Teman-e intervened. He spoke briefly with Guardara, finally convincing him to keep moving. The complaints were many, as were the questions about the loud sounds heard earlier that day.

When everyone was ready to leave, the jubilant shouting of hunters came from the distance. Soon, they
returned carrying three wild boar, showing renewed life with the promise of abundant food that evening. Connery used the next hour to return to the smoldering compound and load tins of canned meat he managed to salvage; as many as the boat would hold safely. On the way back, it was so full that it barely rode six inches above water. He took one tribesman with him. The extra weight almost sunk them. Reluctantly, he jettisoned two cases, lightening the load considerably. There was still plenty to last several days. At a slow speed, he followed the Machi-te up river until they came to a suitable place.

That night,
they skewered large chunks of wild boar on to pointed sticks. For weeks they went without, now there was plenty. It was an occasion for merriment not experienced since leaving their home.

Connery relaxed, chewing a piece of tasty boar meat, juice running down his chin. Kesana pointed
. She and the children laughed while he pretended not to notice. Despite their weariness, the tribe continued its celebration late into the night. The men related their exploits, how they over ran the mining camp, how the dynamite blasts nearly blew them from the trees. They were treated as heroes and basked in the adulation.

As the evening waned, Connery thought the time had come to talk with
Teman-e about his decision to leave. He was trying to find the right words, struggled, and couldn't say what he wanted. Teman-e eased his awkwardness, then spoke.

“I have known you would go but put it from my mind. You are my friend. We are different
. I will never understand your ways, or where you come from, but our lives depended on each other. I trust you. You will have a place of honor with us. We will go our separate ways, as it was meant to be.”

He
spoke from his heart, using some words that Connery was not familiar with. Nevertheless, he understood. His friend had said good-bye in the most eloquent words he could find.

Then Connery spoke.

“I have learned much from you. You too have ways I will never understand, but my eyes are opened to things I never thought about. I leave you with this to remember me.”

Connery removed his class ring. He had seen
Teman-e admire it on several occasions.

“Keep it. Here is my promise
. One day, I will make sure you live without fear of being poisoned, or your land stripped bare. I will help you in ways I cannot explain. There is much I have to do. First, I must go back to where I came from. This would be impossible without the knowledge you have given me. I am confident I can survive in the rainforest on my own. Now we must rest. Morning comes soon.”

CHAPTER
FORTY

Next day, with preparations completed, they broke camp ready to continue the search
. They had enough food to last for days. Connery ate hurriedly and went to look for Teman-e. Thirty miles upriver was his goal for the first day, if there was enough gas. When it ran out he’d have to paddle a few hundred miles.
Paddles?
He had forgotten.

Everyone was in a good mood when Lateri arrived at the riverbank, wide eyed
, full of excitement. Connery told her to gather what little she had. She was going home.

Teman-e
greeted his friend for the last time, the class ring with the sapphire stone hanging proudly around his neck. Connery noticed to his relief, that lying on the bottom of the small boat were three carefully fashioned paddles. They were made from sturdy wood with the paddle portion notched securely into the handle and held together with strong hemp. Stacked neatly on the shore, were tins of meat, cassava bread, ripened mangos. In addition, Teman-e provided a woven backpack and a well-crafted spear and knife.

Connery grasped
him in a manly embrace, then hugged Kesana and the children. Guardara stood in the background showing no emotion. The once powerful chief was yielding to wisdom and leadership. Connery wondered how long before Teman-e exacted his final revenge. To the others, he waved farewell. He helped Lateri to a seat in the front of the boat, choked the outboard, gave three pulls and it kicked to life. With a final wave, he headed north, away from a part of his life he would never forget. It was over; the end of an unlikely dream, but the beginning of a new one. It was nearly a year since the plane crashed, giving little hope he would ever survive to see this day. An improbable meeting of two desperate men led to the adventure of his life. Their paths came together in a most unusual way. But for many fortuitous twists and turns, it could have ended much different. He tried not to look back, but couldn't resist. In the morning sun, more than two hundred nearly naked people waved until they lost sight of the boat as it vanished around a bend in the river. They were a lost tribe that wouldn’t remain that way for long. Alone, off to one side, a forlorn figure raised his hand, the morning sun glistening off the gold ring that hung from his neck.

Connery
took his hat off and opened the map. There were no towns, roads, or landmarks to navigate by, except for one. A village and the name of a tribe, the Quaxara, about two hundred miles ahead. The next mark beyond that was De Santana's original mining site. Despite its lack of detail, the map was valuable since it showed many tributaries and large islands that could easily throw him off course if he wasn’t careful.

The motor purred as
the boat moved through the brownish water. He wondered how far they would go until the gas ran out, then decided not to worry.
Enjoy the present
, as Teman-e would say. Sooner than expected, he poured the last bit into the small tank. A few miles further, the motor sputtered, coughed, then died completely. He had become used to the steady drone from the small engine. Now the river widened but remained placid. They moved slowly, immersed in silence, except for the rippling of paddled water, the call of wild birds.

The forest had a history, one hundred million years of it. Long enough to create a reservoir of wondrous beauty, its lands rich with plant species yet to be tested by science for what life-giving substances they held. 
Adrift in a semi-paradise, the verdant wilderness ahead was boundless, the river, endless. Connery just wanted to lay back, take it all in. The dome of blue sky, the vast expanse, brightly colored birds in an array of brilliant plumage. Large herons swooped close to the water’s surface. Flocks of white winged swallows shimmered in the sun as they changed direction simultaneously. It was easy to become mesmerized, blot out the horrors emblazoned in his mind.

“Con-ree!”

He had fallen asleep. Lateri became alarmed when the boat drifted closer to land. She tried paddling herself but didn’t have the strength, calling his name as a last resort. He awoke, smiled his thanks for alerting him then pointed to the basket of mangoes. It was time to eat. He paddled the next three miles before inviting her to help. She was more than happy to be useful and picked up the rhythm at once. Conversing with Lateri would be a process. Some time would elapse before they understood one another enough for conversation.

His estimate of thirty-five miles
covered the first day was close. Realistically, however, no more than ten miles a day could be expected without gas. At that rate, it would take almost a month to reach his destination. He remembered something he once heard:
the best way to eat an elephant is in chunks, one bite at a time.
That’s the way he would approach it, in chunks
.
Each day would bring them a little closer.

The first night was the worst. The spot he chose to camp seemed to be home for every species of wild creature, arachnid and insect imaginable. The only thing that went right was dinner because there was plenty of food. The night passed slowly and uncomfortably. By morning, both were covered with insect and spider bites, but anxious to continue their journey.

Each day presented new and wonderful sights; fresh water dolphins, a giant manatee swimming gracefully by, or caimans lazing in the sun. When the waterway narrowed, spider monkeys swung from branch to branch above their heads. Connery never ceased to be amazed at the biodiversity of the immense rainforest, and knew that in some small way he would contribute to its survival, as well as to a prehistoric people trapped in time.

One day, on a particularly wide expanse of water, more than two miles across,
they could see a boat to the lee side; far away, but approaching at a high rate of speed. He gestured to Lateri to stop paddling, then stood, shielded the sun with his hands and thought;
we are about to be rescued!
He waved his arms frantically, trying to draw attention, but they were more than a mile and a half away. He was frustrated, but anger turned to optimism when he thought that it was a good sign. They might be closer to civilization than he guessed.

After three weeks, they neared the two hundred mile mark where De Santana had noted the existence of the Quaxara village. Neither Connery nor Lateri paid attention as they drifted into a narrow channel, the river banks no more than forty feet on either side. Suddenly, Lateri clasped her hand to her mouth in surprise. Standing on a branch that jutted over the water, a naked Indian stared menacingly. A little further on, they spotted another. Clearly, they were aggravated at the strangers who violated their territory.

Connery had no way of knowing if they were friendly
. But he had dealt with the fiercest of Indian tribes and one could come out ahead if things were handled right. He steered toward them. Lateri was frightened, but remained quiet. In her young life, she witnessed the results of tribal warfare and killings over a slight misunderstanding. If anything happened to Connery, she might never see her family. And what if they were women stealers?

They beached on a sandy shore where they left the boat. Connery yelled the
Machi-te word for
'friend.’
He scanned the trees ahead, but there was no sign of anyone. Lateri moved by his side. He wished Teman-e were with him; together they would figure out what to do. Sweat dripped from the headband of his hat. They were in deep. Before him was a narrow trail. He motioned Lateri to follow, aware that every move they made was watched carefully. The spear remained in the boat, a sign that he posed no threat.

Several Indians appeared, bows drawn fully, pointed directly at them. The leader spoke sharply, pointing his arrow
, shouting an angry command. Lateri spoke words Connery didn’t understand.

'S
he knows their language!’

The Indian repeated his words again, gesturing with his bow. Lateri raised her voice in defiance. For a brief second, he looked puzzled. She said a few more words before he lowered his bow and told the others to do likewise. He motioned them to come forward. This time, Lateri led, Connery followed, wondering what it was she said that calmed them.
As he drew closer, they touched him, his clothing, but not Lateri. He offered the tin of beef, but they didn’t know what it contained, or its value. The tension lessened, and they asked Lateri why they had come.

They eyed Connery suspiciously as she told them their story.
They had many questions. In particular, why Quaxara language was similar to what she spoke. Lateri explained that her people lived not far away, Maybe that’s why she could understand their words. She said they would not have intruded into their village had they not run short of food. Seemingly, she won them over. They were happy to converse, laugh and even feed them. Soon, the occasion turned into a feast, complete with every kind of delicacy. They opened the tin of meat and all dipped in with their fingers. The merriment lasted several hours. They drank a fermented liquid whose taste was unidentifiable, with an effect similar to that of beer.