Adventure Magazine Cover — page 92: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

a6S- worked rubber in the old days; and he was ambitious to gain the leadership. He used to be my chief opponent in persuading the _ Others that the white men never paid what they promised. “Now the zpagé is friendly to the old chief, who gives him honor and believes in his wizardries. So presently, when a big fever came, the second chief aimed to under- mine the zpagé’s power by telling all the people that his witchcraft was worthless as a cure; that men either died of fevers or got well of themselves; and that I, the white man would surely back him up in. the knowledge that he had learned from the white men. “Por Dios, the decision of a dynasty seemed to be thrust thus suddenly upon my shoulders. So I called the ipagé quietly and gave him quinin to make witchcraft with and proclaimed that I, for one, surely be- lieved in his witchcraft to effect a cure for the fever. “So the wizard triumphed; and the exist- ing dynasty continued; and the pretender to the throne died—I do not know of what. And the ipagé is now my stout ally; and his threat is that those Indians who take the white man’s pay and do not deliver their contract in full and with speed to the white man who gives honor where honor is due will be fearfully bewitched by him. So, my friend, have no fear. We are well insured. They will deliver.” Basta, it was sufficient. I was convinced. And I took credit to myself that I had rightly judged this young Fire-Head’s shrewdness and energy; and I gave credit also to him. I smote him joyfully on the back and told him with some complacence: “My son, you have learned well the lesson . which I told you. Having forgotten -your insufferable home town and its useless cus- toms, you have learned the customs of the upper rivers and have been enabled thus to do a great work in organizing the beginnings Of a very profitable business. Now tell me, ‘was I not right?’’ | The eyes of that young ruffian laughed at me with the spirit of the very in them. “You were right in all things,” he said, “except that in that institute which taught business in my home town they taught me that the first most important principle upon which a business could be built was—or- ganization.” _ Adventure Diabo the maldiga. What can one'say to such a fellow? Except curse him while he laughs. Which I did very properly. And he but. laughed the more. But I was able to tell him: “None the less, my so confident friend, you have learned the lesson that you must work with the customs of the people instead of trying to tell them how much better are your own.” To which he, with all humility, agreed. I stayed with him for two days; and in his batelao we cruised into the upper reaches of the creek, where I saw for myself how his system of advance payments with the in- surance of the zpagé’s witchcraft to back up his contracts was working out. And, car- ramba, it was like a system of loans con- ducted by a bank. Never have I seen so much industry in the upper rivers. I gave him congratulations and I left him; this time with no uneasiness in my mind. The man had learned and was established. Remained now only the problem of securing a market. His last words to me, shouted after my batelaéo as‘it was turning the first bend of the creek, were: “Why not go on down to Manaos and make a contract with some export house to purchase our product? For we can very shortly now guarantee a fixed quantity every month. And that institute in my home town taught me that the second most important principle upon which a business can be conducted is—guaranteed delivery.” I made the sign with the palm of the hand against the thigh and the throat which signifies among us that misfortune is due to. him who brags, and went on down to santa Isabel. But I thought much over his suggestion; and truly it seemed good to me to make some sort of an agreement with some exporting house whereby we might gain some advantage in return for a steady delivery with each month. So, the monthly steamer being there, I took passage and went. And in Manaos I found very favorable reception; for the price of tagua was standing at two and a half milreis per kilo and not much was coming in from the other rivers. Yet the arrange- ments took up some time; and the steamer went ,up again and returned before Lwas ready to go—and then it was delayed while its decrepit engine indulged in one of its periodical breakdowns. So that it went on into two months before I was able to travel cGomicbooks.com