As he made no attempt to come forward or indicate what his wishes were, John directed the men to follow him, fifty feet in his rear, and he went on until within two hundred feet of the motley crowd, the people in the meantime making no sign of resistance, nor did they object to the advance.
When John stopped, the curious figure, who was designated as the Chief, moved forward toward John without a bit of hesitation, and the boys were simply dumbfounded at his singular appearance, and at the gait he assumed.
A word picture of him would not be amiss. He was a hunchback, with an extraordinary lump on his back, the arms much too long for his body, and crooked, distorted legs. The head, however, was massive, and covered with a heavy beard, which seemed to grow close up to the eyes, giving him a fierce appearance, because his head was covered with a thick coating of long gray, or sandy hair, that swung around the darker beard, as he shambled along.
As he neared John his bright and staring eyes were the first thing noticed. When he came across the intervening space, his face was stern, and un[p. 135]forbidding, but as he neared John it relaxed, and he began to smile.
John stepped forward, and extended his hand. "I am glad to meet you," said John.
The man looked at John for a moment, and then tried to mumble something, that the boys could not understand. After a few attempts he fairly shrieked out: "How are you?"
This was certainly a startling thing, because the voice and the intonation were perfect. John opened his jacket and brought out a miniature American flag, which was unrolled, and the moment the strange being caught sight of it he seized it and pressing it to his lips, kissed it fervently.
"I am an American," he finally struggled to utter. "I am a white man, and you are the first white man I have seen for fifty years. You are welcome to our home and village."
The boys could not credit their senses. How did this poor specimen of the white race become the powerful Chief of a tribe of savage cannibals?
John looked at him for a moment in astonishment, as he asked: "How long have you been Chief of the people here?"