brightly-polished knives, fashioned somewhat
after the familiar Bowie pattern, and, despite his reserve, it was easy
to see that they pleased him more than anything else.

Jared Long's present was a handsomely-carved meerschaum pipe. The king
was an inveterate smoker, and, even if he didn't do anything more than
nod his head when it was placed in his hand, he ought to have been very
grateful.

Despite the pains which our friends took to win the good will of King
Haffgo, it was apparent to all three that their visit was not welcome.
Waggaman and Burkhardt may not have whispered anything in his ear about
them, but the ruler was thoroughly filled with a distrust of all white
men, the only exceptions being the ones that were the cause of this
distrust.

Being a man of unquestioned native sagacity, it needed nothing more
from his first guests than their accounts of what the other race was
doing in the cities and towns along the sea coasts. Any people who
builded canoes large enough to cross the awful waste of waters in quest
of diamonds and gold, were sure to seize the chance to force their way
up the Xingu where much more boundless wealth awaited them.

The famous diamond mines of Brazil were not very far from this portion
of the Matto Grosso, and the pains which the emperors of Brazil had
taken to draw a part of their riches from the earth was all the proof
Haffgo could ask of the rapacity of the nations which called themselves
civilized.

Now, while this remarkable ruler could not always make certain that no
white men should enter his dominions, there remained a very good chance
of preventing such intruders from getting away again, carrying the
glowing accounts of what they had discovered. So long as he could
maintain this condition of affairs, so long was he safe; for if he
"absorbed" every foreigner ascending the Xingu, the supply could never
exceed the demand.

The King conversed with not only the Professor, but with Long and
Ashman in turn. They were as deferential as they knew how to be, but
all the same, their sagacity told them he bore them no good will, and
would have been much better pleased had the Aryks wiped them out before
they ascended the rapids.

At the conclusion of the interview, which lasted about half an hour,
the King Haffgo informed them they were at liberty to remain two days
in the village, during which they were not to pass outside its
boundaries. At the expiration of the period name