Wehadimaginedthatourpursuers,theape-men,knewnothingofourbrush-woodhiding-place,butweweresoontofindoutourmistake.Therewasnosoundinthewoods—notaleafmoveduponthetrees,andallwaspeacearoundus—butweshouldhavebeenwarnedbyourfirstexperiencehowcunninglyandhowpatientlythesecreaturescanwatchandwaituntiltheirchancecomes.Whateverfatemaybeminethroughlife,IamverysurethatIshallneverbenearerdeaththanIwasthatmorning.ButIwilltellyouthethinginitsdueorder.
Weallawokeexhaustedaftertheterrificemotionsandscantyfoodofyesterday.Summerleewasstillsoweakthatitwasaneffortforhimtostandbuttheoldmanwasfullofasortofsurlycouragewhichwouldneveradmitdefeat.Acouncilwasheld,anditwasagreedthatweshouldwaitquietlyforanhourortwowherewewere,haveourmuch-neededbreakfast,andthenmakeourwayacrosstheplateauandroundthecentrallaketothecaveswheremyobservationshadshownthattheIndianslived.Werelieduponthefactthatwecouldcountuponthegoodwordofthosewhomwehadrescuedtoensureawarmwelcomefromtheirfellows.Then,withourmissionaccomplishedandpossessingafullerknowledgeofthesecretsofMapleWhiteLand,weshouldturnourwholethoughtstothevitalproblemofourescapeandreturn.EvenChallengerwasreadytoadmitthatweshouldthenhavedoneallforwhichwehadcome,andthatourfirstdutyfromthattimeonwardswastocarrybacktocivilizationtheamazingdiscoverieswehadmade.
WewereablenowtotakeamoreleisurelyviewoftheIndianswhomwehadrescued.Theyweresmallmen,wiry,active,andwell-built,withlankblackhairtiedupinabunchbehindtheirheadswithaleathernthong,andleathernalsoweretheirloin-clothes.Theirfaceswerehairless,wellformed,andgood-humored.Thelobesoftheirears,hangingraggedandbloody,showedthattheyhadbeenpiercedforsomeornamentswhichtheircaptorshadtornout.Theirspeech,thoughunintelligibletous,wasfluentamongthemselves,andastheypointedtoeachotherandutteredtheword"Accala"manytimesover,wegatheredthatthiswasthenameofthenation.Occasionally,withfaceswhichwereconvulsedwithfearandhatred,theyshooktheirclenchedhandsatthewoodsroundandcried:"Doda!Doda!"whichwassurelytheirtermfortheirenemies.
"Whatdoyoumakeofthem,Challenger?"askedLordJohn."Onethingisverycleartome,andthatisthatthelittlechapwiththefrontofhisheadshavedisachiefamongthem."
Itwasindeedevidentthatthismanstoodapartfromtheothers,andthattheyneverventuredtoaddresshimwithouteverysignofdeeprespect.Heseemedtobetheyoungestofthemall,andyet,soproudandhighwashisspiritthat,uponChallengerlayinghisgreathanduponhishead,hestartedlikeaspurre