" said Long, who had studied the
fellow closely; "and it follows that he and the others _did_ see a
couple of white men."

"I imagined," remarked Grimcke with something like regret in his tones,
"that we were the first of our race to reach this spot; but it is hard
in these days to find any place on the globe where some white person
had not been before us."

"If there are a couple of them over there," said Ashman, scanning the
opposite bank, "they ought to be friends; and, after signaling to our
servants to cross, it is inexplainable that they should withdraw from
sight as they did."

"We can depend on _one_ thing," added the Professor; "we haven't seen
the last of them. I would be glad to believe them friends, but their
actions are unsatisfactory. I am inclined to think that the cause of
their withdrawing was your entrance into the canoe. For some reason
they wished to have nothing to do with any of us."

"It may be that since we are suspicious of them," said Fred, "they feel
the same toward us, and are unwilling to make our acquaintance until
after reconnoiterin' us. Helloa! what's up now?"

This question was caused by the action of Bippo, who, trembling in
every limb, and with the appearance of a person overcome with terror,
pointed to the forest behind them.

CHAPTER IX.

A NATIVE HERCULES.

The savages that had shown such pluck in the instances described, now
gave another striking proof of their courage.

At the moment the mystified explorers were discussing the strange
appearance and actions of the white men, more than twenty of the
athletic barbarians issued as stealthily as phantoms from the trail
leading from the forest and crouched along the edge of the timber.

Their silence added impressiveness to the singular scene and prevented
their movements being observed except by Bippo, who was so terrified
that he could only tremble and point at them.

They were partly hidden by the shadow which put out a short distance
from the fringe of the wood, but there could be no doubt of their
hostile intentions. They assumed the form of a line, somewhat after
the manner of the combatants in the square of the native village. This
was to give free play to their arms in flinging their javelins.

The occasion was one in which the fate of the explorers depended upon
their promptness and bravery. Anything like timidity or hesitation
meant sure destruction, and the whites knew it.

"Into the boat!" com