CHAPTER XXVIII

HE WHO RISKS NOTHING

“_Quem nao arrisca nao ganha_,” said Señor Goncalves, twisting at his moustache. He chuckled softly. “Tomorrow night, perhaps?”

“Si, Señor,” said Pizella in a whisper. “_Quem nao arrisca nao ganha._”

Suddenly the swish of paddles sounded and, with a creaking noise, the canoe pushed out of the clay and back into the stream. Hal held his breath listening for them to reveal something more but not a word did they speak until they put a great deal of distance between themselves and the settlement.

Hal crawled out of the bushes, wiped his hands on his handkerchief and scrambled up the bank. He made no effort to conceal himself but walked with determined step past the Pemberton hut. A flickering light showed someone to still be up.

“That you, Miss Felice?” Hal asked anxiously.

“Yes, Mr. Hal.” Her small, slim body framed the doorway. “Why, I thought you went to bed an hour ago!”

“I thought you did too!”

“Yes, but I was restless.”

“Same here. Your grandfather asleep?”

“Yes. Why?”

“Nothing. Say, I was wondering what _quem nao arrisca nao ganha_ means! Can you tell me?”

“He who risks nothing, gains nothing,” she answered promptly. “Where did you hear it, Mr. Hal?”

“Oh, from two Brazil-nuts.” He laughed. “How near are we to the next settlement and how many people live there?”

She laughed softly.

“Of all the questions! But to answer them—we live just twenty miles away from the next settlement and there’s a tribe of about fifty Betoya Indians living there. They’re better left alone though, if you’re thinking of trying to promote good will. Some Brazilian rubber men mistreated them not so long ago and they’re anything but in a conciliatory frame of mind.”

“Well, I won’t add to their worry then,” Hal said, feeling rather depressed. “How long does it take to get to _Manaos_?”

“Two long days. It depends on the skill of the paddler. Sometimes it takes longer, but certainly it’s not less than that. Are you thinking of leaving us, Mr. Hal?” she asked wistfully.

“Nope, not yet. In fact, I’m not going until you see or get some word from your brother.”

“Oh, you’re kind, Mr. Hal! Awfully kind.”

“Not kind—_human_,” Hal laughed. “I have a weakness for human beings too.”

“I’m glad, for we need someone with that kind of weakness. But you seem a little—well, serious. What is it?”

“Your brother, Miss Felice. I don’t want to seem snoopy, but I’d like seriously to see him and talk to him. That’s why I don’t want you to feel offended if I ask you what idea you have of his whereabouts?”

“Why, er—Mr. Hal,” said Old Marcellus, rising out of the doorway in a faded dressing gown and an air of injury. “Isn’t this rather a late hour for you to be talking to my....”

“It makes not the slightest difference whom I talk to, Mr. Pemberton,” Hal interposed pleasantly. “In fact, I think it would be better for you to be here. You heard my question about your grandson?”

“Yes, sir, I did,” said the old man with some show of dignity.

“Then you can answer it.”

“Suppose I refuse?”

“That would be absurd. After all, I want to know only to help you and Miss Felice.”

“Something’s happened—_something_!” Felice gave a little cry. “What is it, Mr. Hal?”

“I hadn’t meant to tell you, but I suppose it’s the only way to do. After all, you know this country and I don’t. It’s simply this—not ten minutes ago while I was hidden in the bushes down at the river I overheard a conversation between that cat Goncalves and his boy friend, Pizella. It seems he has in his mind some plan to drive you people out of here. He said he felt that there was gold and he was going to get it.”

“Never; not over my dead body!” said Old Marcellus stiffening to his full height. “If there’s gold here, we’ll get it, not Carlo Goncalves!”

“I hope to tell you,” Hal agreed vehemently. “But to get to the bottom of this—what is it all about? I don’t mean to pry, but I want to help you people. I won’t stand by and see that little Brazil-nut misuse you!”

“He is a bad lot, Goncalves,” said Old Marcellus more to himself than to Hal. “And Pizella too.”

“I could have told you that weeks ago,” Hal said. “But evidently Goncalves got started when he heard your story from the captain of the boat. He was one of the listeners. He probably is one of those fools who thinks that all he has to do is to pull up at some river bank and he’ll find gold. Gold isn’t found as easily as that. Anyway, Mr. Pemberton, you people know him, huh? He’s on a friendly footing here?”

“We know him, but not because we want to,” said the old man between tightly drawn lips. “He’s lately happened—to come here....”

“Now you’re holding back something, Mr. Pemberton. And there’s absolutely no need to. Nothing you say shall be held against you.” He laughed gently. “I mean it, even if my uncle is on the government’s side. I know that in some mysterious way you people are connected with the revolutionary movement here. You wouldn’t know Goncalves from Adam if you weren’t.”

Felice, who had been standing silent throughout this recital, suddenly put her hand on Hal’s arm.

“You are right about us, Mr. Hal,” she said. “We are sort of connected with Ceara’s side. That is....”

“Ceara’s a patriot and devoted to the _Cause_,” said the old man suddenly. “Goncalves is a sneak and is in the _Cause_ for greed rather than patriotic motives. I’ve suspected that right along. Also he wants power.”

“We meant it when we said that we thought he was inhuman for what he tried to do to you,” said Felice angrily. “We told him so too! But he would go to any ends to get the rest of the munitions through. He wants to start fighting. He’s jealous of Ceara—he’s jealous of my....”

“Your brother, huh?” Hal interposed. “Wasn’t that what you were going to say?”

Felice and her grandfather nodded.

“I don’t know why we let you know so much,” she said, trying to smile.

“You know why?” Hal asked. “Because you know in your heart I’d rather help than anything else. Besides I promised I’d be loyal, didn’t I? Well, I mean it. And I can understand how people all alone like you are can mix up with the _Cause_ as you call it. You have nothing else to do in this wilderness. Also, I understand now how your brother could get into it. It’s a wonder he didn’t get into worse mischief than this with so much time on his hands.”

“You know then that Rene is....”

“_Renan_,” Hal interposed smiling. “I guessed it quite a few hours ago.”