The Land of Mystery

nston the sailor, found themselves i

retching to an unknown distance from the Xingu, the young man decided to follow the route

the manly partner in the exploring enterprise, and there was no r

and dismal appearance, now that the

d until it became like the moaning of the distant ocean. The men spoke in guarded undertones and were able

friends in their ascent of the bank of the Xingu to the head of the rapids. But here and there a few of the ray

ersed perhaps a fifth of a mile, during which they met no living creature, thou

revented his coming to a full stop. Johnston noticing his hesitation put in another vigorous protest, but he was easily persuaded to

asily maintaining his place almost on his heels. It was only at intervals they spoke, for there was no call to do so, and it was not wi

catch the sound of any other footsteps, since there was not supposed to be any call on the pa

ng like a shout, and observed a faint light in the path in front. It was apparent that th

rning for the most extreme care on his part, but the admoniti

e path turned almost at right angles. Passing guardedly

clear of trees as a stretch of western prairie. It was triangular in shape, the

lligence of any that had yet been encountered during the ascent of the Xingu. The huts were a dozen feet square, half as high, and each had a broad open entrance in

h had been noticed sometime before by the whites was the full flood of the moon's rays, ther

ce were gathered a score of figures in rapid motion, the meaning of whos

t they were engaged in some kind of a rough sport, for all the rest of the

t that they did not, suggested that they kept back to

it. The shout that first arrested the attention of Ashman and his companion, must

d, for their forms were interlocked and they were divided into two

eflecting that their situation was dangerous, the two stopped from the p

m the further end of the square, where part of the spectators were gathered. The two lines fell apart, and ran silently and swif

eyes of the white men was the sight of three figure

es. There could be no mistaking the sig

for the entertainment of the spectators, but, if so, there was an awful

hen another shout rang out, and they rushed to

no member of the parties was furnished with

gle, which had already terminated in

e fierceness of so many cougars f

ady a couple were on the earth, when one of the combatants, with a cry of pai

been upon them before they could get out of the way, and i

ng and resisting back to the space. There he was flung down, and, being unable to rise, the others leape

nterest in the fearful spectacle. Their escape was exceedingly

red to him. Immediately, they bega