he.
"Well,then,Ipromise."
"Wordofhonor?"
"Wordofhonor."
Helookedatmewithdoubtinhisinsolenteyes.
"Afterall,whatdoIknowaboutyourhonor?"saidhe.
"Uponmyword,sir,"Icried,angrily,"youtakeverygreatliberties!Ihaveneverbeensoinsultedinmylife."
Heseemedmoreinterestedthanannoyedatmyoutbreak.
"Round-headed,"hemuttered."Brachycephalic,gray-eyed,black-haired,withsuggestionofthenegroid.Celtic,Ipresume?"
"IamanIrishman,sir."
"IrishIrish?"
"Yes,sir."
"That,ofcourse,explainsit.Letmeseeyouhavegivenmeyourpromisethatmyconfidencewillberespected?Thatconfidence,Imaysay,willbefarfromcomplete.ButIampreparedtogiveyouafewindicationswhichwillbeofinterest.Inthefirstplace,youareprobablyawarethattwoyearsagoImadeajourneytoSouthAmerica—onewhichwillbeclassicalinthescientifichistoryoftheworld?TheobjectofmyjourneywastoverifysomeconclusionsofWallaceandofBates,whichcouldonlybedonebyobservingtheirreportedfactsunderthesameconditionsinwhichtheyhadthemselvesnotedthem.Ifmyexpeditionhadnootherresultsitwouldstillhavebeennoteworthy,butacuriousincidentoccurredtomewhiletherewhichopenedupanentirelyfreshlineofinquiry.
"Youareaware—orprobably,inthishalf-educatedage,youarenotaware—thatthecountryroundsomepartsoftheAmazonisstillonlypartiallyexplored,andthatagreatnumberoftributaries,someofthementirelyuncharted,runintothemainriver.Itwasmybusinesstovisitthislittle-knownback-countryandtoexamineitsfauna,whichfurnishedmewiththematerialsforseveralchaptersforthatgreatandmonumentalworkuponzoologywhichwillbemylife'sjustification.Iwasreturning,myworkaccomplished,whenIhadoccasiontospendanightatasmallIndianvillageatapointwhereacertaintributary—thenameandpositionofwhichIwithhold—opensintothemainriver.ThenativeswereCucamaIndians,anamiablebutdegradedrace,withmentalpowershardlysuperiortotheaverageLondoner.Ihadeffectedsomecuresamongthemuponmywayuptheriver,andhadimpressedthemconsiderablywithmypersonality,sothatIwasnotsurprisedtofindmyselfeagerlyawaiteduponmyreturn.Igatheredfromtheirsignsthatsomeonehadurgentneedofmymedicalservices,andIfollowedthechieftooneofhishuts.WhenIenteredIfoundthatthesufferertowhoseaidIhadbeensummonedhadthatinstantexpired.Hewas,tomysurprise,noIndian,butawhitemanindeed,Imaysayaverywhiteman,forhewasflaxen-hairedandhadsomecharacteristicsofanalbino.Hewascladinrags,wasveryemaciated,andboreeverytraceofprolongedhardship.SofarasIcouldunderstandtheaccountofthenatives,hewasacompletestrangertothem,andhadcomeupontheirvillagethroughthewoodsaloneandinthelaststageofexhaustion.
"Theman'sknapsacklaybes