CONCLUSION.
The horrified Fred Ashman saw that the poisoned arrow, aimed at his own
heart had buried itself in the fair arm of Ariel, as she clasped him
about the neck anxious to shield him from harm at the expense of her
own life.
She had saved him, but at what a fearful cost! The agonized lover
realized it all, as he tenderly placed her on the rock beside which
they were standing. Then, like the man who, knowing he has been
fatally struck by the rattlesnake or cobra, turns to stamp the life out
of the reptile, before looking after his own wound, he faced about and
brought his rifle to his shoulder. The dusky miscreant cowered low,
but he could not save himself, for the bullet which left the
Winchester, entering at the skull, ranged through the length of his
body, and he rolled off the ledge like a rotten log and went down the
yawning abyss that afforded a fit sepulture for such as he.
King Haffgo was standing erect, as if defying the white man to fire at
him. He had seen the result of the shot and he did not regret it.
"Die the death you deserve!" he called out in English; "for you are not
the daughter of Haffgo!"
Then he turned about and moved along the ledge, while Ashman stood for
an instant, with weapon levelled, feeling that the awful occurrence had
absolved him from the pledge made a short time before.
He was aiming, when a faint voice at his side said:
"No, hurt him not; _I shall get well_!"
Letting the rifle fall from his grasp, he wheeled around as if he had
been shot himself.
What did he see?
The brave Ariel had drawn the arrow from her arm, and was sitting
erect. In her right hand, was a small earthen bottle such as was in
common use among the Murhapas.
"Great heaven! what does this mean?" demanded her lover, uncertain
whether he was awake or dreaming.
She smiled faintly, and said:
"I feel a little faint, but the danger is past."
"But,--but,"--he added, "the arrow was poisoned!"
"Yes, but the poison has a remedy; it is in _that_," she added, holding
up the bottle; "my parent always carried it; I brought it with me when
I left home."
The overjoyed lover could not repress a shout of joy,--a shout which
penetrated every portion of the cavern of diamonds, but whose meaning,
fortunately for the couple, was not understood by the ears on which it
fell.
He knelt beside her, so that the bowlders shut both from the view of
any prowlers who might seek to reach them. He kissed the happy face
again and again; he called her the sweetest names that ever mortal
uttered, and he assured her that they should both live and be happy
forever.
In his overflowing bliss, he could not realize that they were still
walled in on every hand. All that he could know and feel, was, that
she was spared from a dreadful death,--that she had interposed her own
precious body to protect him from harm.
Enwrapped in his arms, she was obliged to confess that the bringing of
the potent remedy was an inspiration, when she stole out of her
father's house, for she never dreamed of the use to which it would be
put.
She had forgotten all about it, until the sharp twinge in her arm
apprised her that she was struck by the fearful missile. Then, as she
was about to swoon, she recalled that she carried the remedy in her
bosom.
Drawing it quickly forth, while her lover's face was turned away, she
drank the whole contents, which were sufficient to save the lives of
three or four persons. Not a drop, however, was left; and she remarked
in her own peculiar manner, that they must be careful not to be struck
by any more such missiles, since the remedy was gone, and it would be
hard to secure more.
With a full realization of the remarkable deliverance of his beloved,
Ashman was roused to a stronger resolution than before of making a
desperate effort to extricate themselves from their perilous situation,
which looked indeed as if without hope.
Rising to his feet, but screening his body as he could, he carefully
peered around the cavern of diamonds. He cautioned Ariel to keep out
of sight, for, if it should become know that her life was saved, her
father and his warriors would doubtless make another attempt to reach
them.
Looking in the direction of the opening on the other side, he saw
Haffgo pass out, followed the next minute or two by the rest of the
Murhapas. To Ashman this was proof that the party had decided to
withdraw from the cavern, but would keep watch of the egress to make
sure that the white man did not get away by some freak of fortune.
Since they were sure he was caught in a trap from which there was no
escape, he had his choice of remaining and starving to death, of coming
forth and giving himself up, or of ending it all by precipitating
himself down the rocks.
A terrible punishment indeed for the white man that had dared to defy
the king of the Murhapas, and had been the cause of the death of the
beloved princess!
Ashman was still studying the insoluble problem, when a strange impulse
led him to look aloft. It will be remembered that he was near the roof
of the cavern, among a mass of bowlders and rocks which touched the
dome.
Several times it had seemed to him that a felt a slight, upward
draught, as though a portion of the air found vent in that direction.
When he mentioned it to Ariel she admitted that she had noticed the
same thing, and urged him to investigate.
Leaving his Winchester with her, he began a cautious ascent of the
rugged stairs. He had about twenty feet to climb, and the greatest
care was necessary. Not until at the very top, did he pass from the
sight of the maiden who was attentively watching his movements.
Five minutes later, he let go his hold and dropped, down beside her.
His face was flushed and his eyes glowing with excitement.
"Thank heaven!" he exclaimed, greatly agitated; "there is an opening by
which we can reach the outer world."
"I was sure of it," she replied with a happy smile.
During his brief absence, she had bandaged her arm as best she could by
tearing a slip from her dress. The wound bled less than would be
supposed, and caused her little pain.
Taking her other hand, Ashman began helping her up among the rocks and
bowlders. She needed little aid, however, for she was lighter and more
graceful on her feet than he.
Sure enough, when they arrived at the top, they came upon a broader
opening than that by which they had entered the cavern. It was hidden
from sight by a projecting table of rock, and when they came to pass
through, the outer opening was seen to be so covered by bushes that it
never could have been found except by the accident which first showed
Ariel the way into the cavern.
But with hearts overflowing with gratitude to heaven, they found
themselves on the earth again, with the sun shining and the pure air of
heaven fanning their fevered faces.
They had emerged at the crest of the mountainous mass, which covered a
portion of the enchanted lake and the cavern of diamonds. Fortunately,
too, they were among the woods, where they could not see far in any
direction. This rendered them less liable to discovery by their
enemies in the neighborhood.
Ashman held his position until the two could study their location and
gain an idea of the points of the compass. The rising sun helped them
to do this, and, by moving carefully about until they gained sight of
the lake and the Upper Xingu, they soon ascertained in what direction
the Murhapa village lay, and the course necessary to take in order to
avoid it.
It was decided to put back in the forest and thread their way through
the dense wilderness, striking the Xingu at a point below the rapids.
There, if they found nothing of their friends, they would manage to
secure a boat in which they could press their flight in the direction
of the Amazon.
The forests abounded with wild animals and huge serpents, but the
ardent lover was admirably armed and confident that he could protect
his beloved from all harm, provided they could escape discovery by the
Murhapas and Aryks.
If Haffgo should venture on an approach to the rocks, where the
fugitives made their stand, he could not fail to find out the
extraordinary manner in which they had eluded him, and he would be
certain to organize instant pursuit.
But this was not likely to take place for a considerable time, though
the possibility led Ashman to push forward with all vigor, often
pausing to listen for sounds of pursuit.
The extreme caution of the lovers led them to trend much further into
the woods than was really necessary, and they were a long time,
therefore, in reaching the Xingu.
Neither had eaten food for an unusual while, but they cared nothing for
that. They were too anxious for any thought except that of getting
forward as fast as possible.
As they progressed, startled now and then by the prowling wild beasts
which threatened attack more than once, and by the sight of enormous
serpents, some in trees and some on the ground, Fred Ashman's thoughts
naturally went forward, and he speculated as to what was the result of
the attack on his friends the preceding night in the village.
He could comprehend the frightful situation in which they were placed
by the enmity of the king, and it seemed incredible that any, or at
least all of them, could have extricated themselves from their peril.
Gladly would he have risked everything in their defence, but, as has
been shown, that was beyond his power at any time.
The young American shrank from firing his gun, through fear of the
report reaching the ears of the Murhapas. If that should take place,
it would be sure to excite their suspicions, and prompt an
investigation which the fugitives dreaded.
Once a jaguar became so threatening, that he leveled his weapon
convinced that he must fire or be attacked, but the snarling beast
finally withdrew, after sneaking behind them for a long distance.
The sun had passed the meridian when the wanderers caught the gleam of
water among the trees in front. They hastened forward, and a moment's
survey of the stream convinced them that they had reached the Xingu
beyond all question.
Ashman recognized several features along the banks which he had noticed
on his way up the river. Ariel was equally positive, so they dismissed
the question from their minds.
Both were nearly exhausted, for they had had a tiresome tramp, during
all of which they were under a severe mental strain. They felt that,
at last, they could sit down and rest themselves before resuming their
journey.
"The next thing to be done," said Ashman as he imprisoned the hand of
Ariel and drew her head upon his shoulder, "is to find some boat in
which we can float down stream. It will be less work than we had in
ascending it."
"I suppose," she replied, "that there are people all the way along the
river until you reach the end of it."
"There are; but we found most of them unfriendly long before we struck
the region of the Aryks."
"Are they likely to attack us?" she asked, raising her head and looking
at her lover with an alarmed expression.
"We had little difficulty, so long as we kept in the middle of the
stream, and one discharge from our guns was generally enough to drive
them away."
"And for how far does this prevail?"
"Two or three days ought to take us out of the danger. Then it will be
plain sailing all the rest of the way. The river is long, but,
dearest, we shall be with each other, and it will seem brief."
She parted her lips to make a suitable reply, when a startled
expression came upon her lovely countenance and she whispered:
"They must have followed us through the woods."
"What do you mean?" he asked, grasping his rifle.
"I hear some one moving behind us."
"It is a wild animal----"
He checked himself, for, to his unspeakable amazement, Professor
Grimcke at that instant stepped to view.
The two men caught sight of each other at the same moment. They stared
as if in doubt, and then, with exclamations of delight, clasped hands.
By great good fortune, the lovers had emerged from the forest within a
stone's throw of the point where Grimcke, Long, Bippo, and Pedros were
waiting with the canoe hidden among the trees.
After this reunion they set out for home.
A few days carried them beyond danger, and in good time the Amazon was
reached. Bippo and Pedros were left at Marcapa, at which port the
explorers secured passage for home, where they arrived in safety. And
in that land, so strange to the beauteous Ariel, daughter of Haffgo,
king of the Murhapas, we bid good-by to our friends. But to her,
Ashman was all the world; and in the sunshine of their mutual love they
dwell to-day, happy, grateful, contented, and envying no one, assured,
as they are, that none can be more blessed than they.