CHAPTER VII "To-morrow we Disappear into the Unknown"

yown,asthisnarrativeproceeds.Butalreadywehaveenrolledcertainretainerswhomayplaynosmallpartinwhatistocome.ThefirstisagiganticnegronamedZambo,whoisablackHercules,aswillingasanyhorse,andaboutasintelligent.HimweenlistedatPara,ontherecommendationofthesteamshipcompany,onwhosevesselshehadlearnedtospeakahaltingEnglish. ItwasatParaalsothatweengagedGomezandManuel,twohalf-breedsfromuptheriver,justcomedownwithacargoofredwood.Theywereswarthyfellows,beardedandfierce,asactiveandwiryaspanthers.BothofthemhadspenttheirlivesinthoseupperwatersoftheAmazonwhichwewereabouttoexplore,anditwasthisrecommendationwhichhadcausedLordJohntoengagethem.Oneofthem,Gomez,hadthefurtheradvantagethathecouldspeakexcellentEnglish.Thesemenwerewillingtoactasourpersonalservants,tocook,torow,ortomakethemselvesusefulinanywayatapaymentoffifteendollarsamonth.Besidesthese,wehadengagedthreeMojoIndiansfromBolivia,whoarethemostskilfulatfishingandboatworkofalltherivertribes.ThechiefofthesewecalledMojo,afterhistribe,andtheothersareknownasJoseandFernando.Threewhitemen,then,twohalf-breeds,onenegro,andthreeIndiansmadeupthepersonnelofthelittleexpeditionwhichlaywaitingforitsinstructionsatManaosbeforestartinguponitssingularquest. Atlast,afterawearyweek,thedayhadcomeandthehour.Iaskyoutopicturetheshadedsitting-roomoftheFazendaSt.Ignatio,twomilesinlandfromthetownofManaos.Outsidelaytheyellow,brassyglareofthesunshine,withtheshadowsofthepalmtreesasblackanddefiniteasthetreesthemselves.Theairwascalm,fulloftheeternalhumofinsects,atropicalchorusofmanyoctaves,fromthedeepdroneofthebeetothehigh,keenpipeofthemosquito.Beyondtheverandawasasmallclearedgarden,boundedwithcactushedgesandadornedwithclumpsoffloweringshrubs,roundwhichthegreatbluebutterfliesandthetinyhumming-birdsflutteredanddartedincrescentsofsparklinglight.Withinwewereseatedroundthecanetable,onwhichlayasealedenvelope.Inscribeduponit,inthejaggedhandwritingofProfessorChallenger,werethewords:— "InstructionstoLordJohnRoxtonandparty.TobeopenedatManaosuponJuly15th,at12o'clockprecisely." LordJohnhadplacedhiswatchuponthetablebesidehim. "Wehavesevenmoreminutes,"saidhe."Theolddearisveryprecise." ProfessorSummerleegaveanacidsmileashepickeduptheenvelopeinhisgaunthand. "Whatcanitpossiblymatterwhetherweopenitnoworinsevenminutes?"saidhe."Itisallpartandparcelofthesamesystemofquackeryandnonsense,forwhichIregrettosaythatthewriterisnotorious." "Oh,come,wemustplaythegameaccordin'torules,"saidLordJohn."It'soldmanChallenger'sshowandweareherebyhisgoodwill,soitwouldberottenbadformifwedidn'tfollowhisinstructionstotheletter." "Aprettybusinessitis!"criedtheProfessor,bitterly."ItstruckmeaspreposterousinLondon,butI'mboundtosaythatitseemsevenmoresouponcloseracquaintance.Idon'tknowwhatisinsidethisenvelope,but,unlessitissomethingprettydefinite,Ishallbemuchtemptedtotakethenextdown-riverboatandcatchtheBoliviaatPara.Afterall,Ihavesomemoreresponsibleworkintheworldthantorunaboutdisprovingtheassertionsofalunatic.Now,Roxton,surelyitistime." "Timeitis,"saidLordJohn."Youcanblowthewhistle."Hetookuptheenvelopeandcutitwithhispenknife.Fromithedrewafoldedsheetofpaper.Thishecarefullyopenedoutandflattenedonthetable.Itwasablanksheet.Heturneditover.Againitwasblank.Welookedateachotherinabewilderedsilence,whichwas