Explorers Of Gor

39
We Are Not Pursued

"There is a village on the right," said Ayari.

We had, in the past six days, passed two other villages. In these two other villages the men, with shields and spears, had rushed out to the, shore to threaten us. We had kept to the center of the river and had continued on.

"There are women and children on the bank," said Ayari.

"They are waving for us to come in."

"It is pleasant to see a friendly village," said Alice.

"Let us take the canoe in," said Ayari. "We can perhaps trade for fruit and vegetables and you can obtain information on he whom you seek, he called Shaba."

"It will be pleasant to sleep in a hut," said Janice. There is often a night rain in the jungle, occurring before the twentieth Ahn.

We moved the canoe in toward the shore.

"Where are the men?" I asked.

"Yes," said Kisu. "Where are the men?"

The canoe was now about forty yards from the shore. "Hold the paddles," said Ayari. "Stop paddling."

"They are behind the women!" I said.

"Turn the canoe," said Kisu, fiercely. "Hurry! Paddle!" Suddenly, seeing us turning about, the crowd of women and children parted. Streaming out from behind them, brandishing spears and shields, knives and pangas. crying out, plunging toward us in the water, were dozens of men.

Spears splashed in the water about us, bobbing under, then floating.

One man reached us, swimming, but I struck him back with the paddle.

"Paddle! Hurry!" said Kisu.

We looked behind us. But we did not see the men putting canoes into the river.

"They are not pursuing us," said Ayari.

"Perhaps they only wished to drive us away," said Alice.

"Perhaps," said Ayari, "they know the river better than us, and do not desire to travel further eastward upon it."

"Perhaps," I said.

"What shall we do?" asked Ayari.

"Continue on," said Kisu.