CHAPTER VIII "The Outlying Pickets of the New World"

Ourfriendsathomemaywellrejoicewithus,forweareatourgoal,anduptoapoint,atleast,wehaveshownthatthestatementofProfessorChallengercanbeverified.Wehavenot,itistrue,ascendedtheplateau,butitliesbeforeus,andevenProfessorSummerleeisinamorechastenedmood.Notthathewillforaninstantadmitthathisrivalcouldberight,butheislesspersistentinhisincessantobjections,andhassunkforthemostpartintoanobservantsilence.Imustharkback,however,andcontinuemynarrativefromwhereIdroppedit.WearesendinghomeoneofourlocalIndianswhoisinjured,andIamcommittingthislettertohischarge,withconsiderabledoubtsinmymindastowhetheritwillevercometohand. WhenIwrotelastwewereabouttoleavetheIndianvillagewherewehadbeendepositedbytheEsmeralda.Ihavetobeginmyreportbybadnews,forthefirstseriouspersonaltrouble(IpassovertheincessantbickeringsbetweentheProfessors)occurredthisevening,andmighthavehadatragicending.IhavespokenofourEnglish-speakinghalf-breed,Gomez—afineworkerandawillingfellow,butafflicted,Ifancy,withtheviceofcuriosity,whichiscommonenoughamongsuchmen.Onthelasteveningheseemstohavehidhimselfnearthehutinwhichwewerediscussingourplans,and,beingobservedbyourhugenegroZambo,whoisasfaithfulasadogandhasthehatredwhichallhisracebeartothehalf-breeds,hewasdraggedoutandcarriedintoourpresence.Gomezwhippedouthisknife,however,andbutforthehugestrengthofhiscaptor,whichenabledhimtodisarmhimwithonehand,hewouldcertainlyhavestabbedhim.Thematterhasendedinreprimands,theopponentshavebeencompelledtoshakehands,andthereiseveryhopethatallwillbewell.Astothefeudsofthetwolearnedmen,theyarecontinuousandbitter.ItmustbeadmittedthatChallengerisprovocativeinthelastdegree,butSummerleehasanacidtongue,whichmakesmattersworse.LastnightChallengersaidthathenevercaredtowalkontheThamesEmbankmentandlookuptheriver,asitwasalwayssadtoseeone'sowneventualgoal.Heisconvinced,ofcourse,thatheisdestinedforWestminsterAbbey.Summerleerejoined,however,withasoursmile,bysayingthatheunderstoodthatMillbankPrisonhadbeenpulleddown.Challenger'sconceitistoocolossaltoallowhimtobereallyannoyed.Heonlysmiledinhisbeardandrepeated"Really!Really!"inthepityingtoneonewouldusetoachild.Indeed,theyarechildrenboth—theonewizenedandcantankerous,theotherformidableandoverbearing,yeteachwithabrainwhichhasputhiminthefrontrankofhisscientificage.Brain,character,soul—onlyasoneseesmoreoflifedoesoneunderstandhowdistinctiseach. Theverynextdaywedidactuallymakeourstartuponthisremarkableexpedition.Wefoundthatallourpossessionsfittedveryeasilyintothetwocanoes,andwedividedourpersonnel,sixineach,takingtheobviousprecautionintheinterestsofpeaceofputtingoneProfessorintoeachcanoe.Personally,IwaswithChallenger,whowasinabeatifichumor,movingaboutasoneinasilentecstasyandbeamingbenevolencefromeveryfeature.Ihavehadsomeexperienceofhiminothermoods,however,andshallbethelesssurprisedwhenthethunderstormssuddenlycomeupamidstthesunshine.Ifitisimpossibletobeatyourease,itisequallyimpossibletobedullinhiscompany,foroneisalwaysinastateofhalf-tremulousdoubtastowhatsuddenturnhisformidabletempermaytake. Fortwodayswemadeourwayupagood-sizedriversomehundredsofyardsbroad,anddarkincolor,buttransparent,sothatonecouldusuallyseethebottom.TheaffluentsoftheAmazonare,halfofthem,ofthisnature,whiletheotherhalfarewhitishandopaque,thedifferencedependingupontheclassofcountrythroughwhichtheyhaveflowed.Thedarkindicatevegetabledecay,whiletheotherspointtoclayeysoil.Twicewecameacrossrapids,andineachcasemadeaportageofhalfamileorsotoavoidthem.Thewoodsoneithersidewereprimeval,whicharemoreeasilypenetratedthanwoodsofthesecondgrowth,andwehadnogreatdifficultyincarryingourcanoesthroughthem.HowshallIeverforgetthesolemnmysteryofit?TheheightofthetreesandthethicknessofthebolesexceededanythingwhichIinmytown-bredlifecouldhaveimagined,shootingupwardsinmagnificentcolumnsuntil,atanenormousdistanceaboveourheads,wecoulddimlydiscernthespotwheretheythrewouttheirside-branchesintoGothicupwardcurveswhichcoalescedtoformonegreatmattedroofofverdure,throughwhichonlyanoccasionalgoldenrayofsunshineshotdownwardstotraceathindazzlinglineoflightamidstthemajesticobscurity.Aswewalkednoiselesslyamidthethick,softcarpetofdecayingvegetationthehushfelluponoursoulswhichcomesuponusinthetwilightoftheAbbey,andevenProfessorChallenger'sfull