THE JOURNEY'S END.
The explorers, bearing the canoe with the luggage upon their shoulders,
ascended at a steady gait the western bank of the Xingu. The cleared
space which they had noticed on both sides of the river, caused by the
furious overflow, continued, so that the progress was comparatively
easy.
The din of the rapids was so loud that they could not have heard each
other, except by shouting at the top of their voices, for which there
was no call, since even Bippo and Pedros were now able to read the full
meaning of the extraordinary incidents of the night.
Ashman looked around and ascertained that Ziffak was not bearing them
company. None of the savages were in sight, though all would have been
as eager as tigers to rend the white men to shreds had such permission
been given.
The absence of the great leader caused no uneasiness on the part of any
one of our friends. Strange indeed, would it have been had they felt
any distrust of him after his late interference.
The sun appeared while the party were still pushing forward. The sky
was as clear as on the preceding day, and, though the temperature was
quite warm, it was not unpleasantly so. Several causes contributed to
the delightful coolness which renders the Matto Grosso one of the most
attractive regions on the globe. The abundance of water, the endless
stretch of forest, with few llanos of any extent, and, above all, the
elevation of the plateau produce a moderation of temperature not met
with in the lowlands, less than twenty degrees further south.
But the explorers were weary and in need of rest. It will be recalled
that they found precious little opportunity for sleep during the
preceding night, which marked the close of an unusually hard day's
labor. They would have rested could they have done so, and now that
the chance seemed to present itself, they wisely decided to wait a few
hours before beginning the last stretch of water which lay between them
and the villages of the Murhapas.
The halt was made at the top of the rapids, where the boat was
carefully replaced in the river, the fracture made by Ziffak's javelin
repaired, and everything adjusted for the resumption of their voyage.
Then, with only the Professor on guard, the others lay down on their
blankets and almost immediately sank into a deep, refreshing slumber.
Professor Grimcke, finding the care of the camp on his hands, took a
careful survey of his surroundings, which were quite similar to those
that had enclosed him many times before.
On both sides, stretched the almost endless Brazilian forest, within
which a traveller might wander for weeks and months without coming upon
any openings. In front was the Xingu, smooth, swift, and winding
through the wilderness in such form that he could see only a short
distance up stream. Looking in the opposite direction, the agitation
of the water was noticeable before breaking into rapids, similar,
though in a less degree, to the rapids above Niagara Falls. The volume
still preserved its remarkable purity and clearness, which enabled him
to trace the shelving bottom a long way from where he stood.
Grimcke was somewhat of a philosopher, and always eager to make the
best use of the time at his command. There was nothing more to be
feared from the Aryks, and his situation, therefore, of guardian of his
sleeping friends might be considered a sinecure.
His fishing line was soon arranged, and with some of the dried meat he
had brought along serving for bait, he began piscatorial operations.
It will strike the reader as incredible, but in Borne portions of the
Orinoco and other tropical rivers of South America, the fish are so
abundant that they have been known to impede the progress of large
vessels moving through the waters. While no such overflowing supply is
found in the Xingu, yet they were so numerous that it required but a
few minutes for the Professor to haul in more than enough to furnish
the entire party with all they could eat at a single meal.
His next step was to start a fire, and prepare the coals for broiling.
This was a simple task, and was completed before his friends finished
their naps.
No pleasanter awakening could have come to them than that of opening
their eyes and finding their breakfast awaiting their keen appetites.
They fell to with a will, and, though saddened by the loss of two of
their number, were filled with a strange delight at the prospect of
their visit to the enchanted land.
The boat was launched, but there was not enough wind to make it worth
while to spread the sail, which had often proven of such assistance,
but the four pairs of arms swung the paddles with a vigor that sent the
craft swiftly against the current. The Professor disposed of himself
in the boat so that he slept while the others were at work.
Naturally the craft was kept as close to the bank as possible, so as to
gain the benefit of the sluggish current. The trees having been swept
from the margin of the Xingu, an open space was before the explorers
throughout the entire distance.
Despite the glowing expectations of the party, there was enough in the
prospect before them to cause serious thought. Long and Ashman
consulted continually and saw that it would not do to felicitate
themselves with the belief that all danger was at an end.
Two facts must be well weighed. Waggaman and Burkhardt were inimical
to them. Whether they could be won over even to neutrality could not
be determined until they were seen. For the present they must be
classed as dangerous enemies.
Was it unreasonable to suspect that their influence with the terrible
King Haffgo would prove superior to that of Ziffak? If so, what hope
was there of the escape of the explorers after once intrusting
themselves within the power of the tyrant?
But the immediate question which faced our friends was, whether it
would do for them to reveal themselves to the Murhapas without again
seeing their native friend. They deemed it probable that he had pushed
on to the village, with the expectation of reaching it ahead of them
and thus preparing the way for their reception.
This, however, was but a pretty theory which was as liable to be wrong
as right. At any rate, Ziffak must reach his home ahead of or
simultaneously with the whites. The latter continued using their
paddles with steady vigor, until near noon, when they knew that
considerably more than half the distance was passed.
They now began swaying their paddles less powerfully, for the feeling
was strong upon them that they had approached as close as was prudent
to the Murhapa village.
It was about this time, that they rounded a bend in the Xingu which
gave them sight of the river for fully half a mile before another
change in its course shut out all view. Naturally, they scanned the
stream in quest of enemies, who were now likely to be quite close.
The first survey showed them a canoe coming down stream. It was near
the middle and was approaching at a rapid rate.
Fred Ashman laid down his paddle and took up his binocular.
"It is Ziffak!" he exclaimed, passing the glass to Long.
"So it is and he is alone," was the reply of the astonished New
Englander, who added an exclamation of surprise that he should be
approaching from that direction. The only explanation was, that since
last seeing him, he had made a journey to his home and was now
returning to meet and convoy his friends to his own people.
Such proved to be the case, as he explained on joining them.
After the affair at the foot of the rapids, he paused long enough to
make clear to the Aryks that not one of them was to make another
offensive movement against the whites under penalty of the most fearful
punishment. He explained that these particular white men were the
friends of all natives, and that they never would have harmed an Aryk
had they not been forced to do so to save their own lives.
The cunning Ziffak dropped a hint that the newcomers were much better
persons than the couple that had made their homes among the Murhapas
for so many years. Then, having completed his business in that line,
he struck through the forest at a high rate of speed and soon reached
his own people.
He expected to find Waggaman and Burkhardt there, but they had not yet
arrived. He explained to his brother the king what had taken place at
the rapids of the Xingu and succeeded in gaining his promise of the
king that he would allow the white men to enter the village without the
sacrifice of their lives; but he was not willing that they should
remain more than a couple of days. Indeed he gave such assent
grudgingly and probably would have refused it altogether, but for the
earnest pleading of his beloved Ariel, who insisted that it would be a
partial recompense of the crime of three years previous.
This was the best that Ziffak, with all his influence at court could
do, and indeed it was as much as he expected to accomplish. He
admitted that Waggaman and Burkhardt were likely to interfere, but he
did not believe they could do so to any serious extent, provided the
white men themselves were circumspect in their behavior.
While this interesting interchange was going on, the two boats were
side by side, so gently impelled that their progress was moderate and
conversation pleasant. Thinking that the Professor had slept long
enough, and that he ought to know the news, Fred Ashman turned to wake
him; but to his surprise, the German met his look with a smile and the
remark that he had heard every word spoken. Then he rose to a sitting
posture, saluted Ziffak and proceeded to light his pipe.
The latter pleased the whites still further by explaining that he meant
to keep them company for the rest of the distance. Despite his
encouraging statements, they felt much easier with him as their escort.
By using their paddles with moderate vigor, they could reach their
destination by the middle of the afternoon. There was no better hour
to arrive, for the king was always in his best mood after enjoying his
siesta, which was always completed by the time the sun was half-way
down the sky.
It was to be expected also that before that hour, Waggaman and
Burkhardt would spread the news of the expected coming of the wonderful
strangers. They would do what they could, to excite distrust and
enmity, but Ziffak was positive that since his brother had given his
promise, it would be sacredly kept, and that for two days at least
their stay at the village would be without peril to any one of the
little company.