Chapter XXXVII.
COUNCIL FIRES IN TWO PLACES.
The rising sun flashed spears of light on a rocky spur that stretchedout from the foot of the mighty Andes. A tall, straight figure stoodsilhouetted against a background of sun-bathed cliff. Higher above himthe great masses of land rolled back, league after league, andstretched upwards foot after foot to the eternal snows and the eternalheavens. Below him a belt of dark forest swept round the foothills ofthe giant range, and through a gap in the mass of trees a noisy, turbidstream went tumbling down to the sweltering plains and a feeder of theOrinoco.
The man stood motionless as his rocky pedestal, and intently watchingsomething beyond the line of trees. Presently he turned sharply about,came down from the crag, pushed his way through the trees, and stood ina little pool-filled hollow. Almost immediately he was joined by abouttwoscore men, all armed with spear and bow and arrow, and, likehimself, brown-skinned and stalwart. The newcomers bowed themselves tothe ground and murmured some words of homage and adulation. Thestanding savage drew in a deep breath, expanding his broad chest, andhis eyes flashed with pride and power.
"Arise, my sons," he said; "the gods that make men and unmake themshall reward you. Ye have been faithful to him whom the gods have setover you. To the brave shall be the spoils; my sons shall ladethemselves with all their hearts may desire. Now tell me what you havedone."
A tall warrior stood forth. "We have followed our father since thewhite strangers seized him. We have watched him and them, and waitedfor this happy moment."
"Aught else?"
"We have spoken with the peoples who dwell in the woods and the hills,and turned their minds against the men from the land of the sun-rising.They will fight them if any man can discover a charm that will protectthem from the thunder and lightning that springs from the strangers'hands."
The chieftain laughed. "I will find them a charm," he cried. "I havewalked all night," he added suddenly; "I will sleep. Watch ye."
The chieftain slept. One man went to the cliff as sentinel; the restsquatted around the pool, looked to their weapons, and talked inwhispers. The sun climbed upwards, the shadows shortened, the water ofthe pool grew warm, the sentinel ensconced himself in a shaded cleft ofthe rock that overlooked the valley, and maintained the unwinking watchof the stoic savage.
The chieftain awoke, a giant refreshed. A warrior brought him water ina gourd; another handed him some fruits from a wallet. A call blown ona hollow reed brought the watcher down from his eyrie. Led by the tallwarrior who had addressed his chief, the band went off deeper andhigher into the hills. They toiled along through a defile all theafternoon, and when the sun was dipping behind the western peaks cameinto a broad, cup-like valley, that was dotted with the rude stone hutsof a mountain tribe. The tall warrior went forward alone, butpresently came back and piloted the band through the straggling groupsof huts to the spot where the tribal fire was licking up a fresh supplyof fuel. A group of warriors seated by the fire gave the newcomers aguttural greeting, and motioned them to seats on the other side of theblazing heap. Silence was maintained until roasted meat, corn cakes,and fermented liquor were handed round to both parties; then allgathered on the windward side, and the palaver commenced.
The visiting chief held forth at great length. He gave a reasonablygood summary of the history of the white man along the Orinoco valleyfrom the first advent of the Spaniards. He spoke of their cruelties,their lust for the yellow dust, and their belief in a golden city onthe shores of a lake that fed the head waters of the river. Hedescribed the attack on his village, and his own subsequent captivityand semi-slavery. He belittled the strength of his captors, and wasinclined to scoff at their thunder-and-lightning tubes. He confessedthat the flame and roar of these formidable weapons were terrifying atfirst; but he had witnessed their action at close quarters, andfamiliarity had bred a sort of contempt. The lightning would notalways leap forth when wanted, nor did the thunder always slay. He wasinclined to put as much faith in a well-directed arrow. The lattermight be discharged unseen; not so the fire-weapons of the whitestrangers. The fire-god must be brought to their nostrils, and breatheinto them before the fire within would answer; and if a man lay on theground when he saw the fire he was safe from death. Finally, he urgedwith savage passion that the intruders should be killed or expelledfrom the land. He spoke of them as wearied and dispirited, sick withfatigue and the sun-fever, and boldly asserted that they were an easyprey. The tall warrior arose after his chief, emphasizing all that hislord had said.
The chiefs of the tribe did not reply at once, but held a briefconsultation apart. They were not inclined to accept the white men attheir visitor's valuation, nor were they prepared to take up armsagainst such wonderful beings without very serious cause. From thechief's own showing they had treated him in a brotherly spirit atfirst. Other native tribes had, apparently, fraternized with thestrangers, and had got considerable advantage thereby. As regards thecity of gold, the chiefs had never heard of the place themselves,although they had occasional dealings with peoples who dwelt near thehead waters of the great river. But the white strangers were wise, andknew things that the gods had not told to other men. Maybe the cityreally existed. If the white men wanted to get there, why should anyman hinder them? And it was all very well for their visitor to pretendthat he had no fear of the thunder weapons. Why had all his peoplefled at the sound of them?
The chieftain tried to explain, and again urged his points with anumber of fresh arguments. But the council was against him; theyrefused to run their heads into unknown and fearful dangers by opposinga wonderful race that showed no disposition to interfere with them.And so the council ended.
From the cliff that guarded the outlet from the small valley into thegorge a keen-eyed native, gazing intently eastwards towards the greatervalley, might have made out a point of yellow light about three leaguesaway in a bee-line. The light was on the bank of the affluent of theOrinoco, and came from the camp fire of the adventurers. There also acouncil was being held, and the question for decision was the momentousone whether the quest for the golden city should be abandoned ashopeless. According to the Spanish papers and general rumour theexpedition should now be in touch with superior, light-coloured races,and a civilization rivalling that of the ancient empires of Assyria orBabylon for wealth and luxury. The way to Manoa should be as plain andwell-known as the way to Rome or Venice. Yet all around were frowningmountains and dense forests, the homes of fierce birds and beasts, andthe haunts of savage, warlike tribes. A thousand miles nearer theocean the natives talked glibly and circumstantially enough about the"Gilded One" and his wonderful city. Here, where the gates of hiskingdom should be, no man had heard either of king or country. Monthsof hardship and privation, the facing of death a hundred times inalmost as many forms, had brought the intrepid band to--nothing!
On this particular occasion every man was admitted to the council, andthe words of the common soldier and sailor were listened to asattentively as the words of any of the gentlemen. An onlooker wouldhave been sorely puzzled to decide from outward appearance which of thebattered, travel-worn band was its leader. The fire lighted up a ringof gaunt, brown, bearded faces, and the pairs of eyes that centred oneach speaker's face in turn had little of hope or animation in them.The conference began after the evening meal, and extended far into thenight. All seemed to realize the hopelessness of pursuing the questany farther, yet none cared to face the ordeal of turning the boatsseaward again. They compromised the matter. A last attempt should bemade to acquire guides and information. If the attempt failed, thesearch would be abandoned.