CHAPTER IV "It's Just the very Biggest Thing in the World"

he. "Well,then,Ipromise." "Wordofhonor?" "Wordofhonor." Helookedatmewithdoubtinhisinsolenteyes. "Afterall,whatdoIknowaboutyourhonor?"saidhe. "Uponmyword,sir,"Icried,angrily,"youtakeverygreatliberties!Ihaveneverbeensoinsultedinmylife." Heseemedmoreinterestedthanannoyedatmyoutbreak. "Round-headed,"hemuttered."Brachycephalic,gray-eyed,black-haired,withsuggestionofthenegroid.Celtic,Ipresume?" "IamanIrishman,sir." "IrishIrish?" "Yes,sir." "That,ofcourse,explainsit.Letmeseeyouhavegivenmeyourpromisethatmyconfidencewillberespected?Thatconfidence,Imaysay,willbefarfromcomplete.ButIampreparedtogiveyouafewindicationswhichwillbeofinterest.Inthefirstplace,youareprobablyawarethattwoyearsagoImadeajourneytoSouthAmerica—onewhichwillbeclassicalinthescientifichistoryoftheworld?TheobjectofmyjourneywastoverifysomeconclusionsofWallaceandofBates,whichcouldonlybedonebyobservingtheirreportedfactsunderthesameconditionsinwhichtheyhadthemselvesnotedthem.Ifmyexpeditionhadnootherresultsitwouldstillhavebeennoteworthy,butacuriousincidentoccurredtomewhiletherewhichopenedupanentirelyfreshlineofinquiry. "Youareaware—orprobably,inthishalf-educatedage,youarenotaware—thatthecountryroundsomepartsoftheAmazonisstillonlypartiallyexplored,andthatagreatnumberoftributaries,someofthementirelyuncharted,runintothemainriver.Itwasmybusinesstovisitthislittle-knownback-countryandtoexamineitsfauna,whichfurnishedmewiththematerialsforseveralchaptersforthatgreatandmonumentalworkuponzoologywhichwillbemylife'sjustification.Iwasreturning,myworkaccomplished,whenIhadoccasiontospendanightatasmallIndianvillageatapointwhereacertaintributary—thenameandpositionofwhichIwithhold—opensintothemainriver.ThenativeswereCucamaIndians,anamiablebutdegradedrace,withmentalpowershardlysuperiortotheaverageLondoner.Ihadeffectedsomecuresamongthemuponmywayuptheriver,andhadimpressedthemconsiderablywithmypersonality,sothatIwasnotsurprisedtofindmyselfeagerlyawaiteduponmyreturn.Igatheredfromtheirsignsthatsomeonehadurgentneedofmymedicalservices,andIfollowedthechieftooneofhishuts.WhenIenteredIfoundthatthesufferertowhoseaidIhadbeensummonedhadthatinstantexpired.Hewas,tomysurprise,noIndian,butawhitemanindeed,Imaysayaverywhiteman,forhewasflaxen-hairedandhadsomecharacteristicsofanalbino.Hewascladinrags,wasveryemaciated,andboreeverytraceofprolongedhardship.SofarasIcouldunderstandtheaccountofthenatives,hewasacompletestrangertothem,andhadcomeupontheirvillagethroughthewoodsaloneandinthelaststageofexhaustion. "Theman'sknapsacklaybesidethecouch,andIexaminedthecontents.Hisnamewaswrittenuponatabwithinit—MapleWhite,LakeAvenue,Detroit,Michigan.ItisanametowhichIampreparedalwaystoliftmyhat.Itisnottoomuchtosaythatitwillranklevelwithmyownwhenthefinalcreditofthisbusinesscomestobeapportioned. "Fromthecontentsoftheknapsackitwasevidentthatthismanhadbeenanartistandpoetinsearchofeffects.Therewerescrapsofverse.Idonotprofesstobeajudgeofsuchthings,buttheyappearedtometobesingularlywantinginmerit.Therewerealsosomerathercommonplacepicturesofriverscenery,apaint-box,aboxofcoloredchalks,somebrushes,thatcurvedbonewhichliesuponmyinkstand,avolumeofBaxter's'MothsandButterflies,'acheaprevolver,andafewcartridges.Ofpersonalequipmentheeitherhadnoneorhehadlostitinhisjourney.SuchwerethetotaleffectsofthisstrangeAmericanBohemian. "IwasturningawayfromhimwhenIobservedthatsomethingprojectedfromthefrontofhisraggedjacket.Itwasthissketch-book,whichwasasdilapidatedthenasyouseeitnow.Indeed,IcanassureyouthatafirstfolioofShakespearecouldnotbetreatedwithgreaterreverencethanthisrelichasbeensinceitcameintomypossession.Ihandittoyounow,andIaskyoutotakeitpagebypageandtoexaminethecontents." Hehelpedhimselftoacigarandleanedbackwithafiercelycriticalpairofeyes,takingnoteoftheeffectwhichthisdocumentwouldproduce. Ihadopenedthevolumewithsomeexpectationofarevelation,thoughofwhatnatureIcouldnotimagine.Thefirstpagewasdisappointing,however,asitcontainednothingbutthepictureofaveryfatmaninapea-jacket,withthelegend,"JimmyColverontheMail-boat,"writtenbeneathit.TherefollowedseveralpageswhichwerefilledwithsmallsketchesofIndiansandtheirways.Thencameapictureofacheerfulandcorpulentecclesiasticinashovelhat,sittingoppositeaverythinEuropean,andtheinscription:"LunchwithFraCristoferoatRosario."Studiesofwomenandbabiesaccountedforseveralmorepages,andthentherewasanunbrokenseriesofanimaldrawingswithsuchexplanationsas"ManateeuponSandbank,""TurtlesandTheirEggs,""BlackAjoutiunderaMiritiPalm"—thematterdisclosingsomesortofpig-likeanimalandfinallycameadoublepageofstudiesoflong-snoutedandveryunpleasantsaurians.Icouldmakenothingofit,andsaidsototheProfessor. "Surelytheseareonlycrocodiles?" "Alligators!Alligators!ThereishardlysuchathingasatruecrocodileinSouthAmerica.Thedistinctionbetweenthem——" "ImeantthatIcouldseenothingunusual—nothingtojustifywhatyouhavesaid." Hesmiledserenely. "Trythenextpage,"saidhe. Iwasstillunabletosympathize.Itwasafull-pagesketchofalandscaperoughlytintedincolor—thekindofpaintingwhichanopen-airartisttakesasaguidetoafuturemoreelaborateeffort