The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1925-04-01
CHAPTER XIV
"ThOse Were the Real COnquests'

Der once more
CHAPTER XIV
"ThOse Were the Real COnquests"
We all aYoke exhausted after
the terrific emotions and scanty
food of yesterday. Summerlee was
still so weak that it was an effort
for him to stand but the old man
was full OF sort Of surly courage
which would never admit defeat.
A council was held and il was
agreed that we should wait quietly
for an hour or two where we were,
have our much-needed breakfast
and then make our way across the
plateau and round the central lake
70 the caves where my observa-
tons had shown that the Indians
lived. We relied upon the fact that
we could count upon the good word
Of those whom we had rescued to
ensure warm welcome from their
fellows. Then, with our mission ac-
complished and possessing a fuller
knowledge Of the secrets of Maple
White Land. we should turn our
whole thoughts to the vital problem
or our escape and return. Even
Challenger was ready to admit that
we should then have done all for
which he had come, and that our
first duty from that time EDWARDS
was to carry back to civilization the
amazing discoveries we had made.
We were able now to take a more
| %
we had rescued They were small
men, wiry. active and well-built.
with lank black hair tied up in a
bunch behind their heads with a
leathern thong, and leathern also
were their loin clothes. Their faces
were hairless, welcomed, and
| good-humored. The lobes Of their
ears, hanging ragged and bloody.
showed that they had been pierced
for some ornaments which their
captors had torn out, Their speech.
though unintelligible to us. was
fluent among themselves, and As
they pointed to each other and ut
tered the word "Accala'' MANY
times over, We gathered that This
was the name of the nation. Oc-
casionally, with faces which were
convulsed with fear and hatred
they shook their clenched hands at
the woods round and cried "Doda,
DodaP which was surely their term.
for their enemies.
What do you make of them.
Challenger" asked Lord John. "One
thing is very clear to me, and that
is that the little chap with the front
Of his head shaved is a chief among
them"
1t was indeed evident that this
man stood apart from the others
and that they never ventured TO
address him without every sign of
deep respect. He seemed to be
the youngest Of them all, and vet.
so proud and high was his spirit
that, upon Challenger laying his
great hand upon his head, he start
ed like spurred horse and. with
quick flash Of his dark eyes.
moved further away from the pro.
fessor. Then, placing his hand upon
khis breast and holding himself with
great dignity. he uttered the word
"Maretas" several times. The pro
fessor, unabashed, seized the nearest
Indian by the shoulder and pro-
coeded to lecture upon him as if
we were a potted specimen in a
classroom.
THE type Of these people," said
he In his sonorous fashion, whether
judged by cranial capacity, facial
angle, or any other test, cannot be
regarded as a low one; on the con-
trary, we must place 1t as consider
ably higher in the scale than many
South American tribes which I can
mention. On no possible supposition
can We explain the evolution of such
race in this place. For that mat
ter, so great a gap separates these
ape-men from the primitive animals
which have survived upon this pla-
teau. that 1t is inadmissible to think
that they could have developed
where we find them"
CTo Be Continued
Copyright. 1912. by A. Conan Doyle)