as to increase the distance between themselves and
the Murhapa village, from which all had had such a narrow escape. When
Bippo timidly asked his masters whether they meant to return or attempt
to go any farther up the Xingu, they were assured that no such thought
was in the mind of either of the explorers. They would only be
thankful if they could get back to the Amazon without ever meeting
another Murhapa.

This was enough for the natives, who were willing to jump overboard and
tow the boat faster than it was already going. That, however, was
unnecessary, and they were told that they had only to obey orders as
cheerfully as they had done from the beginning and that undoubtedly
everything would come out well.

It was past midnight, when the roaring just below, which was increasing
every minute, warned them they were approaching the dangerous rapids.
Possibly the craft might have passed safely through but it would have
been imprudent to make the attempt for which no necessity existed.

Accordingly, the boat was once more run ashore and drawn against the
bank, with the view of raising it upon their shoulders to be
transported to the calmer waters below.

The four men were in the very act of lifting the craft, when to their
terror, fully a score of Aryks suddenly emerged from the wood and
surrounded them. All were armed with the frightful javelins, a prick
from one of which was enough to cause almost instant death.

The whites could not have been caught at greater disadvantage, and
Bippo and Pedros were so overcome that they were unable to move. Long
was on the point of opening a fusillade, when Professor Grimcke was
struck by the fact that no one of the Aryks offered to harm them. They
chattered like a lot of magpies, and gathering round them made a
movement as if to take possession of their boat.

The New Englander would have showed fight, had not his companion said
in a low tone:

"They are friendly! They mean to do us no harm!"

Such was the astounding truth, and it was easily explained. Ziffak on
his way up the Xingu with his new friends had warned the Aryks that
they must do the whites no harm: they were on their way at that time to
the Murhapa village as friends, and the head chieftain told his allies
that any further hostility would be visited with the punishment of
death.

The Aryks were not likely to forget such a notice. They had seen the
boat approaching; and, being totally unsuspicious of