ad driven all
thoughts of resistance out of their minds.

"What the mischief are you doing?" shouted the young man, dashing from
cover and hurrying down the bank to intercept them before they could
get away.

CHAPTER VIII.

THE LAND OF MYSTERY.

The peremptory tones of Fred Ashman rang out loud and clear above the
roar of the rapids and caused the servants to halt at the moment the
canoe was shoved into the water. They looked up with frightened
expressions and awaited his approach.

"What do you mean?" he demanded as he drew near.

Bippo, who was by far the brightest of the three, had shown a wonderful
readiness in picking up a knowledge of the English tongue. He was so
much superior in that respect to his companions, that they invariably
left to him the duty of conversing with their masters.

"_Dey're_ ober dere," he replied, pointing to the other shore.

"Who's over there?"

"Perfess'r and Long man; we seed 'em, dey motion for us to hurry ober
to 'em."

This was astounding news and Ashman was mystified.

"How did they get over there? And why did they leave camp?"

"Don' know; seed 'em; want us hurry."

Without waiting to reflect upon the strange information, and recalling
that more of the natives were likely to issue from the path at any
moment, the young man stepped into the canoe, and, catching up one of
the paddles, lent his help in propelling the craft across the foamy
Xingu.

"Where Johns'n?" asked Bippo, when the middle of the stream was
reached, and without ceasing his toil with the paddle.

"The natives killed him with a poisoned spear; you will never see him
again."

Bippo made no reply, but communicated the startling tidings to his
companions, who muttered their amazement. It was apparent that the
news had added to their panic, and they bent to their task with such
vigor that the boat rapidly approached the other bank.

Fred was asking himself, that if his friends had managed to get across
the river, why it was they were not in sight. He scrutinized the dark
forest and the line of moonlit space in the expectation, of seeing them
come forth to welcome him, but not a soul was in sight.

He did not know what to make of it. There was something so uncanny
about the whole business, that a strange distrust and uneasiness took
possession of him. It could not be that the natives had deceived him
and were anxious to place the Xingu between them and the fierce savages
who had handl