on for two hours, still followed
by the natives. They made no hostile demonstrations. They merely
watched us, apparently from motives of curiosity. All this time we
were drawing steadily nearer to the line of lofty mountains, which
with their icy crests rose before us like an inaccessible and
impassable barrier, apparently closing up all farther progress; nor
was there any indication of any pass or any opening, however narrow,
through which the great stream might run. Nothing was there but one
unbroken wall of iron cliffs and icy summits. At last we saw that the
sloping shores grew steeper, until, about a mile or two before us,
they changed to towering cliffs that rose up on each side for about a
thousand feet above the water; here the stream ran, and became lost to
view as completely as though swallowed up by the earth.

"We can go no farther," said Agnew. "See--this stream seems to make a
plunge there into the mountains. There must be some deep canyon there
with cataracts. To go on is certain death. We must stop here, if only
to deliberate. Say, shall we risk it among these natives? After all,
there is not, perhaps, any danger among them. They are little
creatures and seem harmless. They are certainly not very good-looking;
but then, you know, appearances often deceive, and the devil's not so
black as he's painted. What do you say?"

"I suppose we can do nothing else," said I.

In fact, I could see that we had reached a crisis in our fate. To go
on seemed certain death. To stop was our only alternative; and as we
were armed we should not be altogether at the mercy of these
creatures. Having made this decision we acted upon it at once, for in
such a current there was no time for delay; and so, seizing the oars,
we soon brought the boat ashore.

As we approached, the crowd of natives stood awaiting us, and looked
more repulsive than ever. We could see the emaciation of their bony
frames; their toes and fingers were like birds' claws; their eyes were
small and dull and weak, and sunken in cavernous hollows, from which
they looked at us like corpses--a horrible sight. They stood quietly,
however, and without any hostile demonstration, holding their spears
carelessly resting upon the ground.

"I don't like the looks of them," said I. "I think I had better fire a
gun."

"Why?" cried Agnew. "For Heaven's sake, man, don't hurt any of them!"

"Oh no," said I; "I only mean to inspire a little wholesome respect."

Sayi