It was the lovely Ariel who showed the most self-command.
"Whither shall we go, Ziffak?" she asked in English.
"To the enchanted3 lake; to the burning mountain! You know the way! Nothing else will save you, and you are lost if you wait another minute!"
And laying hands on the young man, he whirled him about and gave him a shove which nearly threw him off his feet. Then he reached to catch her, but she eluded4 him and slipped like a bird to the side of her lover.
"We will go!" said she; "leave us alone!"
Ashman turned his head and seizing the hand of his companion, said,
"You are my guide now! Lead on, and I will follow you to the death!"
She made no answer, but moved rapidly through the wood until they came to the open space along the river. Here, since there were no obstructions5, they increased their pace almost to a run. He sought to maintain his place beside her, but she moved so fast, with little apparent effort that it was hard to do so.
He had his Winchester and revolver, and he glanced behind to learn whether they were followed. Ziffak had vanished, and no one was in sight. It was well that such was the fact; for he would not have hesitated to shoot down any that might appear.
The extraordinary flight continued for a furlong, and then Ariel paused on the edge of the Xingu. Her lover saw the reason: a small canoe lay against the shore.
"Is this to be used?" he asked, glancing in her pale face.
She nodded her head, and, lifting her skirts, stepped daintily within, and sat down near the stern. He shoved the boat clear, sprang in and sat down near the middle, as he seized the broad thin paddle.
Although considerably6 above the rapids, which had been the cause of all his difficulty, Ashman noticed that the current was not so swift as that encountered at many places leagues below; and, since the width was no greater, it followed that that portion of the Upper Xingu was of unusual depth.
In the strange excitement of the occasion, the lovers spoke7 few words. They had said much, and, when the opportunity should again come, they would say a great deal more; but they were fleeing for their lives, and any distraction8 of their whole interest and effort was likely to be fatal.
Ariel realized this as fully9 as did Ashman. She continually glanced in every direction, especially toward the village which was fast receding10 behind them. Fred swung the paddle powerfully, but with as little noise as possible.
In such crises of a man's life he thinks rapidly. While the young man's heart was aglow11 with the ecstacy of a promised fulfillment of his love—a more glorious fulfillment than he had dared to dream of—he saw that a desperate struggle was not only certain but close at hand.
Very soon the flight of Ariel must be discovered, and her infuriated father would stop at nothing to punish the elopers. He could command hundreds of the most valiant12 warriors13 of the Matto Grosso, and any one, except such a lover as Fred Ashman, would have shrunk from the prodigious14 task before him.
When the flight of the canoe had continued for several minutes, and he could breathe a little more freely, he asked of his companion, whether she was familiar with the region they expected to visit.
The reply was singular. King Haffgo was accustomed to make regular excursions to the wonderful place, and he rarely did so without Ariel as his companion. He had guards stationed night and day to watch for the approach of strangers, for there was wealth enough to awaken15 the avarice16 even of the Emperor of Brazil himself.
Leaving his warriors at the entrance to the lake, with instructions to prevent any one following him, Haffgo would paddle the frail17 craft out upon the lake, with his daughter as his only companion.
They explored much of the strange locality, visiting places unknown, so far as they were aware, to every one else.
Ashman reflected that this was extremely fortunate so far as Ariel was concerned, for it gave her the very knowledge that was so necessary in their flight; but, unfortunately, their bitterest and most unrelenting enemy possessed19 the same knowledge.
Now the Xingu broadened, and the flow became still more moderate. Ashman held his paddle suspended and looked around.
"Are we entering the lake?"
"Not yet," she replied with a shake of her lovely head.
The oar20 was dipped again, and the light boat shot forward like a water fowl21 over the smooth surface.
He had noticed that the boat was similar to that used by Ziffak, being composed of a species of bark, the seams of which were skilfully22 joined with tendons, and the outside covered with a gum which rendered it close enough to exclude even air itself.
What seemed to be a creek23 a hundred feet wide, suddenly opened on the right, winding24 through an exuberant25 forest whose branches overhung the water. She motioned with her hand for him to guide the boat into this, adding that it was the entrance to the enchanted lake of which he had heard such glowing accounts, and whose existence, he remembered, had been denied by Ziffak, though it had been admitted by him only a brief while before.
The course of the canoe was changed, and Ashman involuntarily slackened the pace, while he gazed around with increasing wonder.
The distance was not far, when a towering rock was observed jutting26 out from the bank. It was fully twenty feet high, rough, jagged and massive and obtruded27 half-way across the stream.
She whispered to him to proceed as cautiously as he could, for on the rock was stationed one of the lookouts28 of King Haffgo, whose duty it was to challenge every one on his way to the enchanted lake. Ashman was told to keep his lips mute, in case they were hailed, as they were likely to be, and to leave to her any explanation it might be necessary to make.
In the bright moonlight, the sentinel was sure to notice the presence of a white man in the boat, but would be likely to believe he was either Waggaman or Burkhardt, while he would not dare to question the daughter of the king, however much he might be astonished at her presence at this time.
Ashman saw the figure of a Murhapa, but instead of being erect29, he was seated on a ledge18 of the rock, his body half prone30 and in a motionless posture31. The paddle was dipped more softly than ever as the craft came opposite him, but he did not speak, or stir.
"He's asleep?" whispered Ashman, looking inquiringly at her.
She nodded her head, and he did not require to be told of the great gain that would be secured, if they could pass without awaking him.
With that view, he used the utmost care, causing only the faintest ripple32, as he propelled the light craft over the mirror-like surface.
In a few seconds, the massive rock was passed, and still the sentinel remained as motionless, as if he were a part of the solid stone, on which he was seated. He surely was a negligent33 servant to lose his consciousness thus early in the night.
A few more strokes, and a turn in the creek left him out of sight. That danger was safely passed, and Fred Ashman drew a sigh of relief, accepting it as a good omen2 of their future.
He now dipped the paddle deeper, and, within the following five minutes, the canoe and its occupants debouched upon the waters of the wonderful enchanted lake.
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1
agitation
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| n.搅动；搅拌；鼓动，煽动 | |
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omen
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| n.征兆，预兆；vt.预示 | |
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3
enchanted
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| adj. 被施魔法的，陶醉的，入迷的 动词enchant的过去式和过去分词 | |
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4
eluded
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| v.（尤指机敏地）避开( elude的过去式和过去分词 )；逃避；躲避；使达不到 | |
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5
obstructions
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| n.障碍物( obstruction的名词复数 )；阻碍物；阻碍；阻挠 | |
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6
considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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7
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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8
distraction
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| n.精神涣散，精神不集中，消遣，娱乐 | |
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9
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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10
receding
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| v.逐渐远离( recede的现在分词 )；向后倾斜；自原处后退或避开别人的注视；尤指问题 | |
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11
aglow
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| adj.发亮的；发红的；adv.发亮地 | |
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12
valiant
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| adj.勇敢的，英勇的；n.勇士，勇敢的人 | |
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13
warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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14
prodigious
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| adj.惊人的，奇妙的；异常的；巨大的；庞大的 | |
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15
awaken
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| vi.醒，觉醒；vt.唤醒，使觉醒，唤起，激起 | |
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16
avarice
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| n.贪婪；贪心 | |
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frail
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| adj.身体虚弱的；易损坏的 | |
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ledge
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| n.壁架，架状突出物；岩架，岩礁 | |
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19
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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20
oar
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| n.桨，橹，划手；v.划行 | |
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fowl
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| n.家禽，鸡，禽肉 | |
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skilfully
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| adv. (美skillfully)熟练地 | |
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creek
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| n.小溪，小河，小湾 | |
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winding
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| n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈 | |
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exuberant
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| adj.充满活力的；（植物）繁茂的 | |
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jutting
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| v.（使）突出( jut的现在分词 )；伸出；（从…）突出；高出 | |
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27
obtruded
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| v.强行向前，强行，强迫( obtrude的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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28
lookouts
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| n.寻找（ 某人/某物）( lookout的名词复数 )；是某人（自己）的问题；警戒；瞭望台 | |
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29
erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
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30
prone
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| adj.(to)易于…的，很可能…的；俯卧的 | |
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31
posture
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| n.姿势，姿态，心态，态度；v.作出某种姿势 | |
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32
ripple
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| n.涟波，涟漪，波纹，粗钢梳；vt.使...起涟漪，使起波纹； vi.呈波浪状，起伏前进 | |
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33
negligent
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| adj.疏忽的；玩忽的；粗心大意的 | |
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