The Delta independent., 1916-06-23

lue just COlHt uoWu
with a cargo of redwood. They were
swarthy fellows. bearded and fierce, as
active and wiry as panthers. Both of
them had spent their lives In those
upper waters of the Amazon which
we were about to explore, and 1t was
this recommendation which had caused
Lord John to engage them. One of
them, Gomez, had the further advan-
tage that he could speak excellent
English. These men We're willing to
act as our personal servants, to cook,
to row or to make themselves useful
In any way at payment of S15
month. Besides these, We had engag
ed three Mojo Indians from Bolivia,
who are the most skillful at fishing
and boat work of all the river tribes.
The chief of these we called Mojo,
after his tribe, and the others are
known as Jose and Fernando. Three
white men, then, two half breeds, one
negro and three Indians made up the
personnel Of the little expedition which
lay waiting for its Instructions at
Aanaos before starting upon its singu.
hr quest.
AT last. after a weary week, the day
had come and the hour. / ask you to
picture the shaded sitting room of the
FaEenda st. Ignatio, two miles inland
from the town of Manaos. Outside lay
the yellow, brassy glare of the sun
shine, with the shadows of the palm
trees as black and definite as the trees
themselves. The air was calm, full of
the eternal hum of insects, a tropical
chorus Of many octaves, from the
deep drone of the bee to the high,
keen pipe of the mosquito. Beyond
the veranda was a small cleared gar
den, bounded with cactus hedges and
adorned with clumps of Towering
shrubs, round which the great blue
butterflies and the tiny humming
birds futtered and darted in crescents
: Of sparkling light. Within we were
seated round the cane table, on which
lay a sealed envelope. Inscribed upon
Il In the Jagged handwriting Of Pro
fessor Challenges were the words:
Instructions to Lord John Roxton and
party. To be opened at Manaos upon July
n at Il o'clock precisely. a
Lord John had placed his watch upon
the table beside him.
I've have seven more minutes" said
he. 'The old dear is very precise"
Professor Summerlee gave an acid
smile as he picked up the envelope in
his gaunt hand.
"What can 1t possibly matter wheth-
sr we open 1t now or in seven min
utes?" said he. 1T is all part and
parcel of the same system of quackery
and nonsense for which l regret to
say that the writer is notorious"
"Oh, come! We must play the game
accordin' to rules" said Lord John.
Its old man Challenger's show, and
we are here by his good will. SO it
would be quite bad form If we didn't
follow his instructions to the letter."
"a pretty business it is!' cried the
professor bitterly. at struck me as
preposterous in London, but I'm bound
to say that it seems even more so upon
closer acquaintance. / don't know
what is inside this envelope but, un-
less it is something pretty definite,
shall be much tempted to take the
next down river boat and catch the
Bolivia at Para. After all. have
some more responsible work in the
world than TO run about disproving
the assertions of a lunatic. Now. Rox-
ton. surely It is time"
Thine 1t is said Lord John. "You
can blow the whistle" He took up
the envelope and cut It with his pen
knife. From 1t he drew folded sheet
of paper. This he carefully opened
out and fattened on the table. 1t was
blank sheet. He turned 1t over
Again 1t was blank. We looked at
each other in bewildered silence,
which was broken by discordant
burst of derisive laughter from Pro-
fessor Summerlee.
1T IL an open admiss ionr' he cried
"What more do you want? The fellow
II a self confessed humbug We have
only to return home and report him as
the brazen impostor that he is
May ! come inT' doomed a voice
from the veranda.
The shadow OF squat figure had
stolen across the patch of sunlight
That voice. that monstrous breadth
Of shoulder! We sprang to our feet
with a gasp of astonishment as Chal
ienger. in n round, boyish straw hat
With colored challenger, will
his hands In his jacket pockets and his
canvas shoes daintily pointing as he
walked-appenred In the open space be
fore US. He threw back his head. and
there he stood in golden glow with al
his old Assyrian luxuriancs of beard,
~ his native insolence Of dropping eye
nds and intolerant eyes.
Il fear" said he. taking out his
watch, that am a few minutes too
lsts. When gave you this envelope
! must confess that had never intend.
/ "a that you should open IT, for II had