Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-08-23
CHAPTER VII.
Tomorrow We Disappear Into the I'm
known

known"
E WILL not bore those whom this
A narrative may reach by an &C
81 count of our luxurious voyage
upon the ocean liner, nor will 1
tell 1T our weeks stay at Para save
that / should wish to acknowledge the
great Kindness Of the company in help
ing US to get together our equipment).
I will also allude very briefly to our
river journey Up a wide. slow moving.
clay tinted stream in a steamer which
was little smaller than that which had
carried US across the Atlantic. Eventu-
ally we found ourselves through the
narrows of Obidos and reached the
town Of Manaos. Here We were res
cued from the limited attractions of
the local inn by Mr.. Shortman, the rep
reSentative Of the British and Brazil
ian Trading company. In his hospital
Fazenda we spent our time until the
day when we were empowered to open
the letter of instructions given to us
by Professor Challenger. Before |
reach the surprising events Of that date
/ should desire 10 give a clearer sketch
of my comrades in this enterprise and
Of the associates whom we had already
gathered together in South America. l
speak freely. ana I leave the use of my
material 10 your own discretion, Mr..
McArdle since il is through your hands
that this report must pass before it
reaches the world.
The scientific attachments Of Profess
scr Summarize are too we'll known for
me to trouble TO recapitulate them. He
is better equipped for a rough expedi-
ton of this sort than one would i'm
agine at first sight. His tall, Saunt,
striugy figure is insensible TO fatigue,
and his dry. half sarcastic and often
wholly unsympathetic manner is unin-
flucnced by any change in his sur
roundings Though in his sizty-siXth
year. ! have never heard him express
any dissatisfaction M the occasional
hardships which we have had TO en-
counter I had regarded his presence
as an encumbrance to the expedition;
but. as a matter Of fact. ! am now well
convinced that his power of endurance
is as great rs my own. In temper he
is naturally acid and skeptical.
Lord John ROxtOn has some points
IN common WIFI IUIeSSOL sSulllAItIlSc
and others in which they are the very
antithesis TO each other. He Is TWEEN
" years younger. but has something
of the same spare, scraggy physique.
AS TO his appearance. l have, as | rec
ollect described 1t in that portion of
my narrative which l have left behind
me Ia London. He is exceedingly neat
and pFim in his ways, dresses always
with great care in white drill suits
and high brown mosquito boots and
shaves at least once q day. Like most
men of action, he is lacOnic in speech
and sinks readily into his own
thoughts, but he is always quick to
answer question or Join in a con-
versation, talking in a queer, jerky,
half humorous fashion. His knowl-
edge of the world. and very especially
of South America, is surprising. and
he has a whole hearted belief in the
possibilities of our journey which is
not be dashed by the sneers Of Profess
sor Su3merlee- He has a gentle voice
and a quiet manner, but behind his
twinkling blue eyes there turks a ca
pacity for furious wrath and implaca-
Bile resolution. the more dangerous be
cause they are held in leash.
So much for the moment for my two
white companions. whose characters
and limitations will be further ex-
posed, as surely as my own, as This