Kirby mustered a smile despite the
soberness which had come upon him.

"So the white man came," he repeated after her, "and all of you decided
forthwith to stage your revolt."

"Why not?" Naida answered. "We observed you until we were sure you
possessed the qualities of leadership we wanted. After that, we did what
we could to coax you to come here."

Kirby grinned at that.

"Now," Naida ended simply, "we will go to the caciques. If they accept
you, and grant our requests to them, there will be peace. If they rage,
it will be war."

Suddenly she drew closer to Kirby as they swung along, and slipped her
hand into his, looking up at him in silent entreaty.

"How much farther," he asked in a voice which became sharp, "until we
reach the headquarters of these caciques?"

"They live in a castle which our ancestors built ages ago on a protected
plateau," Naida answered tensely. "It is a good distance still, but we
will cover it soon enough."

They crossed now one edge of a shadow-filled forest composed principally
of immense, pallid palmlike trees. Farther on, the path wound through a
belt of swampy land covered by gigantic reeds which rustled above their
heads with a glassy sound, and by things which looked like the cat-tails
of the upper world, but were a hundred times larger. Everywhere hovered
odd little creatures like birds, but with teeth in their long snouts and
small frondlike growths on each side of their tails. About some swamp
plants with very large blooms resembling passion flowers, flitted dragon
flies of jeweled hues and enormous size, and under the flowers hopped
strange toadlike creatures equipped with two pair of gauzy wings.

* * * * *

Finally, through a tunnel composed of ferns a hundred feet high, they
emerged to a still densely overgrown but higher country which Naida said
was a part of the Rorroh forest.

In the forest, Kirby gained a hazy impression of bronzy, immense cycads
and what appeared to be tree chrysophilums with gorgeous blossoms. Then
he received a much clearer impression of other trees with blossoms of
bright orange yellow and very thick petals, each tipped with a glassy
sharp point. The disconcerting thing about the tree was that, as they
approached, the scaly limbs began to tremble and wave, and suddenly
lashed out as though making a human effort to snatch at the bright
travelers.

Naida and all the others hurried along without offering comme