CHAPTER VIII "The Outlying Pickets of the New World"

swemadeourwayupthistunnelofhazygreensunshine.Onthelongerstretchesonecouldhardlytellasonelookedaheadwherethedistantgreenwaterendedandthedistantgreenarchwaybegan.Thedeeppeaceofthisstrangewaterwaywasunbrokenbyanysignofman. "NoIndianhere.Toomuchafraid.Curupuri,"saidGomez. "Curupuriisthespiritofthewoods,"LordJohnexplained."It'sanameforanykindofdevil.Thepoorbeggarsthinkthatthereissomethingfearsomeinthisdirection,andthereforetheyavoidit." Onthethirddayitbecameevidentthatourjourneyinthecanoescouldnotlastmuchlonger,forthestreamwasrapidlygrowingmoreshallow.Twiceinasmanyhourswestuckuponthebottom.Finallywepulledtheboatsupamongthebrushwoodandspentthenightonthebankoftheriver.InthemorningLordJohnandImadeourwayforacoupleofmilesthroughtheforest,keepingparallelwiththestreambutasitgrewevershallowerwereturnedandreported,whatProfessorChallengerhadalreadysuspected,thatwehadreachedthehighestpointtowhichthecanoescouldbebrought.Wedrewthemup,therefore,andconcealedthemamongthebushes,blazingatreewithouraxes,sothatweshouldfindthemagain.Thenwedistributedthevariousburdensamongus—guns,ammunition,food,atent,blankets,andtherest—and,shoulderingourpackages,wesetforthuponthemorelaboriousstageofourjourney. Anunfortunatequarrelbetweenourpepper-potsmarkedtheoutsetofournewstage.Challengerhadfromthemomentofjoiningusissueddirectionstothewholeparty,muchtotheevidentdiscontentofSummerlee.Now,uponhisassigningsomedutytohisfellow-Professor(itwasonlythecarryingofananeroidbarometer),themattersuddenlycametoahead. "MayIask,sir,"saidSummerlee,withviciouscalm,"inwhatcapacityyoutakeituponyourselftoissuetheseorders?" Challengerglaredandbristled. "Idoit,ProfessorSummerlee,asleaderofthisexpedition." "Iamcompelledtotellyou,sir,thatIdonotrecognizeyouinthatcapacity." "Indeed!"Challengerbowedwithunwieldysarcasm."Perhapsyouwoulddefinemyexactposition." "Yes,sir.Youareamanwhoseveracityisupontrial,andthiscommitteeisheretotryit.Youwalk,sir,withyourjudges." "Dearme!"saidChallenger,seatinghimselfonthesideofoneofthecanoes."Inthatcaseyouwill,ofcourse,goonyourway,andIwillfollowatmyleisure.IfIamnottheleaderyoucannotexpectmetolead." Thankheaventhatthereweretwosanemen—LordJohnRoxtonandmyself—topreventthepetulanceandfollyofourlearnedProfessorsfromsendingusbackempty-handedtoLondon.Sucharguingandpleadingandexplainingbeforewecouldgetthemmollified!ThenatlastSummerlee,withhissneerandhispipe,wouldmoveforwards,andChallengerwouldcomerollingandgrumblingafter.BysomegoodfortunewediscoveredaboutthistimethatbothoursavantshadtheverypoorestopinionofDr.IllingworthofEdinburgh.Thenceforwardthatwasouronesafety,andeverystrainedsituationwasrelievedbyourintroducingthenameoftheScotchzoologist,whenbothourProfessorswouldformatemporaryallianceandfriendshipintheirdetestationandabuseofthiscommonrival. Advancinginsinglefilealongthebankofthestream,wesoonfoundthatitnarroweddowntoamerebrook,andfinallythatitlostitselfinagreatgreenmorassofsponge-likemosses,intowhichwesankuptoourknees.Theplacewashorriblyhauntedbycloudsofmosquitoesandeveryformofflyingpest,soweweregladtofindsolidgroundagainandtomakeacircuitamongthetrees,whichenabledustooutflankthispestilentmorass,whichdronedlikeanorganinthedistance,soloudwasitwithinsectlife. Ontheseconddayafterleavingourcanoeswefoundthatthewholecharacterofthecountrychanged.Ourroadwaspersistentlyupwards,andasweascendedthewoodsbecamethinnerandlosttheirtropicalluxuriance.ThehugetreesofthealluvialAmazonianplaingaveplacetothePhoenixandcocopalms,growinginscatteredclumps,withthickbrushwoodbetween.InthedamperhollowstheMauritiapalmsthrewouttheirgracefuldroopingfronds.Wetraveledentirelybycompass,andonceortwicethereweredifferencesofopinionbetweenChallengerandthetwoIndians,when,toquotetheProfessor'sindignantwords,thewholepartyagreedto"trustthefallaciousinstinctsofundevelopedsavagesratherthanthehighestproductofmodernEuropeanculture."Thatwewerejustifiedindoingsowasshownuponthethirdday,whenChallengeradmittedthatherecognizedseverallandmarksofhisformerjourney,andinonespotweactuallycameuponfourfire-blackenedstones,whichmusthavemarkedacamping-place. Theroadstillascended,andwecrossedarock-studdedslopewhichtooktwodaystotraverse.Thevegetationhadagainchange