CHAPTER XIV "Those Were the Real Conquests"

Wehadimaginedthatourpursuers,theape-men,knewnothingofourbrush-woodhiding-place,butweweresoontofindoutourmistake.Therewasnosoundinthewoods—notaleafmoveduponthetrees,andallwaspeacearoundus—butweshouldhavebeenwarnedbyourfirstexperiencehowcunninglyandhowpatientlythesecreaturescanwatchandwaituntiltheirchancecomes.Whateverfatemaybeminethroughlife,IamverysurethatIshallneverbenearerdeaththanIwasthatmorning.ButIwilltellyouthethinginitsdueorder. Weallawokeexhaustedaftertheterrificemotionsandscantyfoodofyesterday.Summerleewasstillsoweakthatitwasaneffortforhimtostandbuttheoldmanwasfullofasortofsurlycouragewhichwouldneveradmitdefeat.Acouncilwasheld,anditwasagreedthatweshouldwaitquietlyforanhourortwowherewewere,haveourmuch-neededbreakfast,andthenmakeourwayacrosstheplateauandroundthecentrallaketothecaveswheremyobservationshadshownthattheIndianslived.Werelieduponthefactthatwecouldcountuponthegoodwordofthosewhomwehadrescuedtoensureawarmwelcomefromtheirfellows.Then,withourmissionaccomplishedandpossessingafullerknowledgeofthesecretsofMapleWhiteLand,weshouldturnourwholethoughtstothevitalproblemofourescapeandreturn.EvenChallengerwasreadytoadmitthatweshouldthenhavedoneallforwhichwehadcome,andthatourfirstdutyfromthattimeonwardswastocarrybacktocivilizationtheamazingdiscoverieswehadmade. WewereablenowtotakeamoreleisurelyviewoftheIndianswhomwehadrescued.Theyweresmallmen,wiry,active,andwell-built,withlankblackhairtiedupinabunchbehindtheirheadswithaleathernthong,andleathernalsoweretheirloin-clothes.Theirfaceswerehairless,wellformed,andgood-humored.Thelobesoftheirears,hangingraggedandbloody,showedthattheyhadbeenpiercedforsomeornamentswhichtheircaptorshadtornout.Theirspeech,thoughunintelligibletous,wasfluentamongthemselves,andastheypointedtoeachotherandutteredtheword"Accala"manytimesover,wegatheredthatthiswasthenameofthenation.Occasionally,withfaceswhichwereconvulsedwithfearandhatred,theyshooktheirclenchedhandsatthewoodsroundandcried:"Doda!Doda!"whichwassurelytheirtermfortheirenemies. "Whatdoyoumakeofthem,Challenger?"askedLordJohn."Onethingisverycleartome,andthatisthatthelittlechapwiththefrontofhisheadshavedisachiefamongthem." Itwasindeedevidentthatthismanstoodapartfromtheothers,andthattheyneverventuredtoaddresshimwithouteverysignofdeeprespect.Heseemedtobetheyoungestofthemall,andyet,soproudandhighwashisspiritthat,uponChallengerlayinghisgreathanduponhishead,hestartedlikeaspurredhorseand,withaquickflashofhisdarkeyes,movedfurtherawayfromtheProfessor.Then,placinghishanduponhisbreastandholdinghimselfwithgreatdignity,heutteredtheword"Maretas"severaltimes.TheProfessor,unabashed,seizedthenearestIndianbytheshoulderandproceededtolectureuponhimasifhewereapottedspecimeninaclass-room. "Thetypeofthesepeople,"saidheinhissonorousfashion,"whetherjudgedbycranialcapacity,facialangle,oranyothertest,cannotberegardedasalowoneonthecontrary,wemustplaceitasconsiderablyhigherinthescalethanmanySouthAmericantribeswhichIcanmention.Onnopossiblesuppositioncanweexplaintheevolutionofsucharaceinthisplace.Forthatmatter,sogreatagapseparatestheseape-menfromtheprimitiveanimalswhichhavesurviveduponthisplateau,thatitisinadmissibletothinkthattheycouldhavedevelopedwherewefindthem." "Thenwherethedoocedidtheydropfrom?"askedLordJohn. "Aquestionwhichwill,nodoubt,beeagerlydiscussedineveryscientificsocietyinEuropeandAmerica,"theProfessoranswered."Myownreadingofthesituationforwhatitisworth—"heinflatedhischestenormouslyandlookedinsolentlyaroundhimatthewords—"isthatevolutionhasadvancedunderthepeculiarconditionsofthiscountryuptothevertebratestage,theoldtypessurvivingandlivingonincompanywiththenewerones.Thuswefindsuchmoderncreaturesasthetapir—ananimalwithquitearespectablelengthofpedigree—thegreatdeer,andtheant-eaterinthecompanionshipofreptilianformsofjurassictype.Somuchisclear.Andnowcometheape-menandtheIndian.Whatisthescientificmindtothinkoftheirpresence?Icanonlyaccountforitbyaninvasionfromoutside.ItisprobablethatthereexistedananthropoidapeinSouthAmerica,whoinpastagesfoundhiswaytothisplace,andthathedevelopedintothecreatureswehaveseen,someofwhich"—herehelookedhardatme—"wereofanappearanceandshapewhich,ifithadbeenaccompaniedbycorrespondingintelligence,would,Idonothesitatetosay,havereflectedcredituponanylivingrace.AstotheIndiansIcannotdoubtthattheyaremorerecentimmigrantsfrombelow.Underthestressoffamineorofconquesttheyhavemadetheirwayuphere.Facedbyferociouscreatureswhichtheyhadneverbeforeseen,theytookrefugeinthecaveswhichouryoungfriendhasdescribed,buttheyhavenodoubthadabitterfighttoholdtheirownagainstwildbeasts,andespeciallyagainsttheape-menwhowouldregardthemasintruders,andwageamercilesswaruponthemwithacunningwhichthelargerbeastswouldlack.Hencethefactthattheirnumbersappeartobelimited.Well,gentlemen,haveIreadyoutheriddlearight,oristhereanypointwhichyouwouldquery?" ProfessorSum