CHAPTER VIII "The Outlying Pickets of the New World"

eywereseatedtogetherinthesmoking-roomoftheRoyalSociety'sClubinSt.James'sStreet.Onceonlydidtheycondescendtodiscussthem. "MiranhaorAmajuacacannibals,"saidChallenger,jerkinghisthumbtowardsthereverberatingwood. "Nodoubt,sir,"Summerleeanswered."Likeallsuchtribes,Ishallexpecttofindthemofpoly-syntheticspeechandofMongoliantype." "Polysyntheticcertainly,"saidChallenger,indulgently."Iamnotawarethatanyothertypeoflanguageexistsinthiscontinent,andIhavenotesofmorethanahundred.TheMongoliantheoryIregardwithdeepsuspicion." "Ishouldhavethoughtthatevenalimitedknowledgeofcomparativeanatomywouldhavehelpedtoverifyit,"saidSummerlee,bitterly. Challengerthrustouthisaggressivechinuntilhewasallbeardandhat-rim."Nodoubt,sir,alimitedknowledgewouldhavethateffect.Whenone'sknowledgeisexhaustive,onecomestootherconclusions."Theyglaredateachotherinmutualdefiance,whileallroundrosethedistantwhisper,"Wewillkillyou—wewillkillyouifwecan." Thatnightwemooredourcanoeswithheavystonesforanchorsinthecenterofthestream,andmadeeverypreparationforapossibleattack.Nothingcame,however,andwiththedawnwepusheduponourway,thedrum-beatingdyingoutbehindus.Aboutthreeo'clockintheafternoonwecametoaverysteeprapid,morethanamilelong—theveryoneinwhichProfessorChallengerhadsuffereddisasteruponhisfirstjourney.Iconfessthatthesightofitconsoledme,foritwasreallythefirstdirectcorroboration,slightasitwas,ofthetruthofhisstory.TheIndianscarriedfirstourcanoesandthenourstoresthroughthebrushwood,whichisverythickatthispoint,whilewefourwhites,ourriflesonourshoulders,walkedbetweenthemandanydangercomingfromthewoods.Beforeeveningwehadsuccessfullypassedtherapids,andmadeourwaysometenmilesabovethem,whereweanchoredforthenight.AtthispointIreckonedthatwehadcomenotlessthanahundredmilesupthetributaryfromthemainstream. Itwasintheearlyforenoonofthenextdaythatwemadethegreatdeparture.SincedawnProfessorChallengerhadbeenacutelyuneasy,continuallyscanningeachbankoftheriver.Suddenlyhegaveanexclamationofsatisfactionandpointedtoasingletree,whichprojectedatapeculiarangleoverthesideofthestream. "Whatdoyoumakeofthat?"heasked. "ItissurelyanAssaipalm,"saidSummerlee. "Exactly.ItwasanAssaipalmwhichItookformylandmark.Thesecretopeningishalfamileonwardsupontheothersideoftheriver.Thereisnobreakinthetrees.Thatisthewonderandthemysteryofit.Therewhereyouseelight-greenrushesinsteadofdark-greenundergrowth,therebetweenthegreatcottonwoods,thatismyprivategateintotheunknown.Pushthrough,andyouwillunderstand." Itwasindeedawonderfulplace.Havingreachedthespotmarkedbyalineoflight-greenrushes,wepoledouttwocanoesthroughthemforsomehundredsofyards,andeventuallyemergedintoaplacidandshallowstream,runningclearandtransparentoverasandybottom.Itmayhavebeentwentyyardsacross,andwasbankedinoneachsidebymostluxuriantvegetation.Noonewhohadnotobservedthatforashortdistancereedshadtakentheplaceofshrubs,couldpossiblyhaveguessedtheexistenceofsuchastreamordreamedofthefairylandbeyond. Forafairylanditwas—themostwonderfulthattheimaginationofmancouldconceive.Thethickvegetationmetoverhead,interlacingintoanaturalpergola,andthroughthistunnelofverdureinagoldentwilightflowedthegreen,pellucidriver,beautifulinitself,butmarvelousfromthestrangetintsthrownbythevividlightfromabovefilteredandtemperedinitsfall.Clearascrystal,motionlessasasheetofglass,greenastheedgeofaniceberg,itstretchedinfrontofusunderitsleafyarchway,everystrokeofourpaddlessendingathousandripplesacrossitsshiningsurface.Itwasafittingavenuetoalandofwonders.AllsignoftheIndianshadpassedaway,butanimallifewasmorefrequent,andthetamenessofthecreaturesshowedthattheyknewnothingofthehunter.Fuzzylittleblack-velvetmonkeys,withsnow-whiteteethandgleaming,mockingeyes,chatteredatusaswepassed.Withadull,heavysplashanoccasionalcaymanplungedinfromthebank.Onceadark,clumsytapirstaredatusfromagapinthebushes,andthenlumberedawaythroughtheforestonce,too,theyellow,sinuousformofagreatpumawhiskedamidthebrushwood,anditsgreen,balefuleyesglaredhatredatusoveritstawnyshoulder.Birdlifewasabundant,especiallythewadingbirds,stork,heron,andibisgatheringinlittlegroups,blue,scarlet,andwhite,uponeverylogwhichjuttedfromthebank,whilebeneathusthecrystalwaterwasalivewithfishofeveryshapeandcolor. Forthreeday