en them and the deadly marksman.

Still the tree with its terrible load was approaching land. The
natives were swimming toward shore and pushing it in front of them.

Long stepped back and roused the professor, placing his mouth so close
to his ear that he was able to apprise him of what was going on,
without being heard by their enemies.

Grimcke bounded to his feet, rifle in hand.

"We'll take them as they come out!" he replied, instantly grasping the
situation.

The log was drifting lower down at the same time that it neared the
land. Determined to confront the savages the instant they came forth,
the explorers hurried along the edge of the wood, so as to be on the
spot when the landing should be made. It was well they did so, for a
more astounding discovery than the first, instantly followed the
movement.

More than one of the trees that had floated by carried its human
freight, and nearly a score of savages were crouching in the edge of
the river, so flat on their faces that not one was visible from the
spot where the sentinel was standing a moment before.

The natives, with a cunning that was never suspected, had crossed the
Xingu above the rapids, where, as they knew, such a proceeding would
not be anticipated by the explorers. Then, stealthily making their way
to the bottom of the rapids, they first launched a number of trees and
logs until, as may be said, the white man on guard should become so
accustomed to them that they would cause no distrust.

If he should be tempted to scrutinize the first, he would learn that
nothing was amiss and would let the rest go by unquestioned.

As a result, the natives had floated past the canoe and under the very
nose of the sentinel without his detecting it.

The savage who swung the torch on the other side of the river probably
meant it as a command for the daring raiders to make no further delay
in their attack.

The group lying against the shore must have been puzzled by the sudden
bombardment from the edge of the wood. They were so disconcerted, that
instead of springing to their feet and charging upon the two defenders
of the camp, half of them turned about, and diving deep into the
stream, began furiously swimming for the other shore.

They must have concluded that there was a hitch somewhere in the
programme, and the time for disappearing had arrived.

The other half, however, leaped to their feet, and, brandishing their
spears and yelling at the t