Van quickly called the rest of the party from the hut, and then all hands followed the Amazon to the center of the group of huts.
She conducted them inside the largest of these, and bade them be seated upon piles of skins, of which there were nearly a dozen lying about.
Then she struck a sharp blow with a stick upon a round, metallic substance, and almost immediately two little girls appeared, carrying bark trays, upon which was an abundance of food, consisting of meat, vegetables and fruit.
Van and Jack were each given one of the trays, and then the girls brought in more until each one of the party was served.
"Now," said their strange hostess, "eat, and while you do, I will tell you a little story."
All were very hungry, and, as the food looked tempting, they needed no second invitation.
"To begin with," said the woman, "my name is Kanka. I am the recognized head of all the women and girls in this valley.
"No men live here at all, and the way our race is kept up is this: About twenty miles to the south of this valley there is a very fine country which is inhabited by people of my own race.
"Adjoining this country there is another that is peopled by a race of warlike blacks.
"Ever since time began my people have been at war with them, and thousands of our men are killed every year.