But the barbarian1 was very similar to some of us whose resentment2 grows with reflection. When he recalled the admiring glances of the handsome young member of the company towards his beloved Ariel, his anger became intense, fanned by the strong suspicion that the princess herself felt some interest in the stranger.
At this critical time, Waggaman put in an appearance. The ruffian was shrewd enough to see his opportunity, and it took him but a few minutes to rouse him to the exploding point. He determined3 that every one of the whites should die, and he ordered the assault which has already been described.
As has been explained, the king kept within his home, while the attack was under way; but since he resided adjoining the structure which was assaulted, he was aware of every phase of the progress.
His rage has been hinted at because of the repulse4 of his warriors6 directly under his own eyes; but when he came to learn that the youth against whom his resentment burned so hotly was not within the building; that the two who had fought so bravely had escaped with their native helpers; that his own daughter the princess was absent; that she had been seen fleeing with the white youth in the direction of the enchanted7 lake:—when all this became known to the ruler, it may be said that his fury was such that no language could do it justice. It is not impossible that the despot felt thus himself, for, without pausing to give utterance8 to a few of his imaginings, he made instant preparations to follow the couple to the region which he never permitted a white man to look upon.
A native woman had seen the princess pass up the side of the river, followed a few minutes later by the young man. Her curiosity led her to watch them. She saw the two meet and stand for some time in loving converse9. Then one of the white men stole behind them and was about to fire his dreadful weapon, when Ziffak hurled10 his terrible javelin11 which pinned him to the ground. Then the native woman hastened to the palace to tell the news, but she could not gain the chance for some time.
When the king turned upon his brother for an explanation of what he had done, Ziffak was prepared. It was the intention of Burkhardt to shoot not the white man but the princess herself, because she had refused his love. He heard Burkhardt mutter those words to himself and it was because of those words that Ziffak drove his javelin through his body.
King Haffgo looked sharply at his kinsman12 when he made this unblushing response, but his doubts if there were any quickly vanished, when he recalled the impetuosity with which he had attacked the defenders13 in the house and the vigor14 of his pursuit and his evident indignation and chagrin15 at the escape of the two white men. No, Ziffak might talk plainly with his royal brother, but when the time for action came he was a true Murhapa, who knew only his duty to his king.
Besides, the little flurry between the two had helped to clear away the fogs of misunderstanding as the lightning often purifies the murky16 atmosphere. The pursuit of the lovers was quickly organized, for they now occupied the thoughts of the king to the exclusion17 of everything else. Grimcke and Long could not be far off, and a vigorous hunt was likely to discover one or both of them, but the king gave orders that no attempt of the kind should be made. It was his intention to leave the village for an indefinite time, and he wished every one of his warriors to remain while he was absent. It cannot be said that he was afraid of such an insignificant18 force, but there was a strong vein19 of superstition20 in his nature, which caused a vague fear of the men that had escaped him with such wonderful cleverness. Individuals who could do that sort of thing, were capable of doing things still more marvellous, and to use homely21 language, King Haffgo was taking no chances.
The party in pursuit numbered just ten persona including the king, Ziffak, Waggaman, and the very pick of the tribe. They were all splendid fellows, fit to be the body-guard of a king, who, when he laid aside the robes of cumbrous dress he was accustomed to wear, and arrayed himself similarly to the warriors, proved himself no mean leader of such a party.
Any one looking upon the little company would have been most impressed by the fact that there were nine dusky barbarians22, half naked and as black as Africans, under the guidance of a man as fair as any European; and yet, as the reader knows, the most prominent warrior5 of the party was the brother of that king, dusky, tall and a giant in stature23.
A tribe living in a country as well watered as the Matto Grosso, is sure to be well provided with the means of navigation, though the explorers, when they first reached the neighborhood of the rapids, deemed there was an unusual absence of such craft. A canoe, longer even than that used by our friends in ascending24 from the Amazon, was carried a short distance down the bank and launched in the Xingu. Five of the warriors seized their long paddles and swung them with the skill of veterans. They were accustomed to that kind of work, and sent the craft up the current with much greater speed than would have been suspected, even by those accustomed to see such work.
Two of the dusky occupants were furnished with bows and arrows, while Waggaman carried his rifle. Thus every species of weapon known to the Murhapas was in the boat.
King Haffgo sat at the stern, his brow dark and threatening, his arms folded and his lips set. His thoughts were too deep for utterance and no one ventured to disturb him. Though the pale countenance25 was outwardly calm, yet a volcano was raging in that breast, hot and furious enough to burst out and consume the barbarian.
Just in front of him, Ziffak was facing toward the prow26, directing the actions of the crew, though for a time little of that was required of him. Waggaman was at the prow, silent, glum27, scowling28. He did not speak for a long while, but, now and then, glanced at Ziffak. When he did so, he was pretty sure to find the black eyes of the head chieftain fixed29 upon him.
The two thoroughly30 distrusted each other. Waggaman knew why that javelin had been driven through the body of his associate and, though the convict felt little sorrow for the loss of his companion, yet he hated the chieftain with a deadly hatred31, well aware as he was that the feeling was thoroughly reciprocated32 by Ziffak.
Whether King Haffgo suspected the truth cannot be known, nor is it of importance to know. All the energy of his nature was concentrated in the emotion of fury against Fred Ashman, who had committed the unparalleled presumption33 of robbing him of his daughter; and even against that lovely maiden34 he was so incensed35 that he stood ready to bury his spear in her snowy bosom36.
Though it may have seemed strange to Ashman that Ziffak had ordered him to make all haste to the enchanted lake, instead of starting on a direct flight through the woods, returning to the Xingu at a lower point, yet the sagacious chieftain had the best of reasons for his course, as will soon appear.
Had Ashman fled through the forest, the fact would have been discovered at daybreak, if not before, and such a vigorous pursuit would have been pressed as to render escape out of the question. There was a possibility of outwitting Haffgo by the flight to the lake, though it was remote enough to cause the giant warrior to shudder37 when he reflected upon it.
That which caused Ziffak regret was, that he had not paused long enough before parting from the couple, to arrange a better understanding with them. As it was, he was mostly in the dark concerning their movements, and greatly handicapped by the necessity of appearing to be the devoted38 ally of his royal brother.
Under the powerful propulsion of the five paddles, the long narrow canoe sped swiftly up the Xingu, and, sooner than even Ziffak anticipated, it turned into the narrow stream leading to the enchanted lake. Along this it sped like a swallow until the huge rock with its sentinel came in sight.
It was here that King Haffgo, for the first time, showed some interest in his surroundings. He scanned the massive rock closely and manifestly was surprised that the guard did not rise to his feet and challenge them.
Observing that the figure remained motionless, he commanded the craft to approach the rock. This was silently done, the boat halting with the prow touching39 the mass of black stone.
Still the sentinel moved not, all unaware40 of his peril41. One keen glance showed he was committing the unpardonable sin of sleeping at his post.
Rising quickly to his feet, the king stood upright for an instant, and then, with a furious exclamation42, drove the javelin which he snatched from the hands of one of the warriors through the breast of the unfaithful servant, who uttered but a single groan43 as he perished by the hands of his master and sovereign.
Then Haffgo commanded one of his men to take his place. The fellow instantly sprang from the boat and took his station on the rock, as the successor of him who had died so ignominiously44. Little fear of his falling asleep on his post.
A minute later the boat shot out upon the moonlit surface of the enchanted lake. There the occupants used their eyes for all they were worth, the craft making a partial circuit of the sheet of water. There was a possibility that the fugitives45 were there, though it was slight. Many places afforded a landing, where they might have found temporary shelter, but nothing was seen of the boat, and Haffgo ordered the oarsmen to pass through the tunnel leading to the underground lake.
This was speedily effected, and the large boat debouched into the wonderful body of water, so brilliantly illuminated46 by the glare from the burning mountain on the western side.
Instinctively47 every eye was cast in that direction, but nothing rewarded the scrutiny48. Then the vision swept along the shores, every portion of which, as will be remembered, was in plain view.
Almost at the same moment; Ziffak uttered an excited exclamation, and pointed49 to the northern shore. As the gaze of every one was directed thither50, they caught sight of the craft for which they were so eagerly hunting.
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1
barbarian
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| n.野蛮人；adj.野蛮(人)的；未开化的 | |
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resentment
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| n.怨愤，忿恨 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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repulse
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| n.击退，拒绝；vt.逐退，击退，拒绝 | |
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warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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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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8
utterance
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| n.用言语表达，话语，言语 | |
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converse
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| vi.谈话，谈天，闲聊；adv.相反的，相反 | |
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hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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javelin
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| n.标枪，投枪 | |
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kinsman
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| n.男亲属 | |
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defenders
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| n.防御者( defender的名词复数 )；守卫者；保护者；辩护者 | |
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vigor
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| n.活力，精力，元气 | |
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chagrin
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| n.懊恼；气愤；委屈 | |
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murky
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| adj.黑暗的，朦胧的；adv.阴暗地，混浊地；n.阴暗；昏暗 | |
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exclusion
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| n.拒绝，排除，排斥，远足，远途旅行 | |
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insignificant
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| adj.无关紧要的，可忽略的，无意义的 | |
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vein
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| n.血管，静脉；叶脉，纹理；情绪；vt.使成脉络 | |
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superstition
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| n.迷信，迷信行为 | |
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homely
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| adj.家常的，简朴的；不漂亮的 | |
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barbarians
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| n.野蛮人( barbarian的名词复数 )；外国人；粗野的人；无教养的人 | |
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stature
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| n.（高度）水平，（高度）境界，身高，身材 | |
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ascending
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| adj.上升的，向上的 | |
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countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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prow
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| n.(飞机)机头，船头 | |
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glum
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| adj.闷闷不乐的，阴郁的 | |
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scowling
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| 怒视，生气地皱眉( scowl的现在分词 ) | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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hatred
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| n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨 | |
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32
reciprocated
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| v.报答，酬答( reciprocate的过去式和过去分词 )；（机器的部件）直线往复运动 | |
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presumption
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| n.推测，可能性，冒昧，放肆，[法律]推定 | |
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maiden
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| n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的 | |
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incensed
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| 盛怒的 | |
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bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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shudder
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| v.战粟，震动，剧烈地摇晃；n.战粟，抖动 | |
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38
devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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40
unaware
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| a.不知道的，未意识到的 | |
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41
peril
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| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
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42
exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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43
groan
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| vi./n.呻吟，抱怨；(发出)呻吟般的声音 | |
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44
ignominiously
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| adv.耻辱地，屈辱地，丢脸地 | |
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45
fugitives
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| n.亡命者，逃命者( fugitive的名词复数 ) | |
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46
illuminated
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| adj.被照明的；受启迪的 | |
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47
instinctively
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| adv.本能地 | |
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48
scrutiny
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| n.详细检查，仔细观察 | |
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49
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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50
thither
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| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
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