CHAPTER XVI.
THE LAND OF THE MURHAPAS.
It looked as if Fred Ashman had gained a double victory over the giantZiffak, and his second triumph was infinitely greater than his first.
His heart thrilled at the thought that this formidable antagonist hadbeen so suddenly transformed into a friend; and yet he could notentirely free himself from a certain misgiving, as the two walked sideby side along the Xingu. Recalling the dexterity of the native--allthe more wonderful because of his bulk--he reflected, that it was theeasiest thing in the world for him to turn like a flash and pierce himwith his poisoned javelin before the slightest defence could be made.
It was this thought which led him stealthily to place his hand on thebutt of the revolver at his hip, prepared to whip it out and fire asquickly as he knew how. At the same time he edged away from him, so asto maintain considerable space between their bodies.
Ziffak suddenly changed his javelin from his right to his left hand,the movement sending a shock of fear through the American, who the nextmoment blushed from shame, for it was manifest that the shrewd savagesuspected the timidity of his new friend, and shifted the frightfulweapon to the side furthest from him to relieve any misgiving on hispart.
The conversation continued as they walked, the native showing asurprising willingness to answer all questions.
Ashman gathered from what was told him that the Murhapas were a tribenumbering fully a thousand men, women and children; that they occupieda village or town on the right bank of the Xingu about twenty milesabove the rapids, where the incidents already recorded occurred, andthat they were far superior in intelligence, physical development andprowess to any other tribes in the Matto Grosso.
It was about five years before that the two white men, Waggaman andBurkhardt, suddenly made their appearance at the towns. The fact thatthey did not come up the Xingu, but from the forest to the south,strengthened Ashman's suspicion that they were criminals who hadmanaged to escape from the Brazilian diamond mines, though it was amystery how they had secured the two rifles which they brought withthem. They had no revolvers, and their guns were not of the repeatingpattern. When their ammunition gave out, one of them made a journey ofseveral days' duration into the wilderness, invariably bringing back asupply which lasted a long time.
Such weapons were entirely unknown to the Murhapas, who had never heardof anything of the kind. The exploits of the owners caused the nativesto look upon them with awe. They were soon established on the best ofterms with their new associates, who allowed them to do as they chosein everything.
It is not to be supposed that Ashman gathered all the information givenin this chapter, during his brief walk with Ziffak. Indeed, that whichhas already been stated was obtained only in part during the memorableinterview; but it may be as well to add other facts which afterwardscame to the knowledge of him and the explorers, since it is necessaryto know them in order to understand the strange series of incidents andadventures in which they became speedily involved.
The Murhapa tribe was ruled by King Haffgo, whose complexion was almostas fair as that of a European. He had fifty wives, but only one child,whose mother was dead. This child was a daughter, Ariel, of surpassingbeauty and loveliness, the pride of her grim father and adored by allhis subjects. From Waggaman and Burkhardt she had acquired a knowledgeof the English tongue, which Ziffak declared was superior to his own.Both of these men had sought in turn to win her as his wife, and theking was not unwilling, because of the awe in which he held them; butAriel would not agree to mate herself with either, though she onceintimated that when she became older she might listen favorably to thesuit of Waggaman, whose appearance and manner were less repulsive thanthose of his comrade.
The first duty the guests took upon themselves was to impress KingHaffgo and his subjects that all white men except themselves were theirdeadliest enemies, and, if any of them were allowed to visit thevillage, they would assuredly bring others who would cause the utterdestruction of the inhabitants.
Three years before, a party of six white explorers ascended the Xingu,and suddenly presented themselves to the Murhapas, without previousannouncement or knowledge. Despite their professions of friendship,and a most valiant defence, they were set upon and slain the same hourthey appeared among the fierce people.
Ariel, the daughter of the king, was but a child, at that time, justentering her teens. She did not know of the cruel massacre until itwas over, when she surprised all by expressing her sorrow and declaringthat a great wrong had been done the strangers. From that timeforward, those who studied her closely saw that she had formed a strongdistrust, if not dislike, of Waggaman and Burkhardt, though, seeing thehigh favor in which they were held in court, she sought to veil hertrue feelings.
Ziffak was a younger brother of the king, and bore the title ofhead-chieftain. He was next in authority and power, and, because ofhis immense size and prowess, led all expeditions against theirenemies, none of whom was held in fear. Occasionally, he headed ahundred warriors, who made excursions through the neighboringwilderness and in pure wantoness spread destruction and death on everyhand.
The Aryks, after receiving several such terrible visits, sued for termsand willingly agreed to consider themselves slaves of the Murhapas.Their location was favorable to detect the advance of any of thedreaded white men up the Xingu, and they agreed in consideration ofbeing left alone, to check any such approach, a fact which will explainthe fierceness and determination with which they contested the ascentof the river by our friends.
If they allowed the whites to pass above the rapids, they knew that themighty Ziffak would sweep down upon them and visit frightful punishmentupon their heads.
Instead of bringing a body of his own warriors, Ziffak, as has beenintimated in another place, came alone down one side of the Xingu, withWaggaman and Burkhardt on the other, the calculation being to rouseenough Aryks to destroy the invaders, as they were regarded. Enoughhas been told to show how thoroughly the head-chieftain acquittedhimself of this duty.
Several of the powerful reasons for the jealousy of Waggaman andBurkhardt of their race, was apparent in the fact that there was anastonishing abundance of diamonds and gold among the Murhapas.Although none was seen on Ziffak, it was only because he was on thewar-path. He had enough at home to furnish a prince's ransom, whilethe possessions of the beautiful princess Ariel were worth a kingdom.
These were obtained from some place among the mountains to the westwardof the town. In the same mysterious region was a peak, whose interiorwas a mass of fire that had burned from a date too remote to be knowneven in the legends of the wild people. There was a lake also, whosewaters were so clear that a boat floating over them seemed suspended inmid air.
This wonderful section was claimed by King Haffgo, who would permitnone but his subjects and the two white men to visit it. A party ofAryks; presuming upon the friendly relations just established withtheir masters, ventured to make their way to the enchanted placewithout permission or knowledge of the Murhapas.
Before they could get away, they were discovered by some of thelookouts, and every one slain with dreadful torture. The lesson wasnot lost upon their surviving friends, who never again ventured torepeat the experiment.
The Murhapas were the first to use the spears with the deadly points.They not only taught the Aryks how to prepare the poison from the venomof several species of serpents and noxious vegetables, but imparted tothem the remedy,--a decoction of such marvellous power, that a singleswallow would instantly neutralize the effect of any wound receivedfrom the dreaded missiles.
Among the tribes named, there was no knowledge of the use of ironthough the ore is abundant in that region. The only objects composedof the metal were the firearms of the white men, and the natives couldnot comprehend how they were fashioned from the substance whichunderwent such a change from its native state.
Every implement used by this people is made from stone, which howeverseems almost the equal o
f iron and steel. Spear points, axes andcutting tools are shaped with remarkably keen edges, with which treesare readily felled, and cut into any form desired.
Shells are used in the formation of knives, while the teeth of certainfish, taken from the Xingu, enables them to construct still moredelicate implements for cutting and carving.
Indian corn, cotton and tobacco are raised from a soil whose fertilitycannot be surpassed, though strangely enough the tribes have noknowledge of the banana, sugar cane and rice, which belong soessentially to the torrid zones. Dogs and fowls are entirely unknown,and there is no conception of a God, though all have a firm belief thatthey will live again after death. A myth has existed among them fromtime immemorial of the creation of the world, which, according to theirviews, consists of the regions around the headwaters of the Xingu andTapajos.
Ziffak was a favorite of the beauteous Ariel, and it is not improbablethat, knowing as he did, her lamentation over the cruel death of thewhite men, who appeared at her home three years before, he was morewilling than would otherwise have been the case to stay his hand, afterdoing such yeoman service against the new-comers.
Where these tribes came from is a question yet unsolved byanthropologists, though the theory has many supporters that most of theisolated peoples are allied to the original stock of the once mightyCaribs, who journeyed from the south to the sea.
Conscious of their own might, and knowing the prodigious mineral wealthat their command, the Murhapas are naturally jealous of theirneighbors, and fight fiercely to resist anything that bears aresemblance to an encroachment upon their rights.
It will be understood that Waggaman and Burkhardt met with littledifficulty in rousing their enmity particularly against the Caucasianrace, since the members of that, of all others, were the ones most tobe dreaded.
The foregoing, much of which is in the way of anticipation, we havedeemed best to incorporate in this place.