In Search of an Unknown Race — page 60: what you’re looking at

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

52 VAN, ments later, a couple of Indian boys entered, each bear- ing an armful of short billets of pitchy wood, which they carefully deposited on the hard beaten clay floor in the center of the structure. A lighted brand carried by one of them was applied to the pile, and it shot up at once into a white flame, which, strangely enough, gave out comparatively little heat, but an intense light. The boys brought more wood with which to replenish the fire, and then, after stealing curious glances at the prisoner from beneath their shaggy manes, they with- drew, leaving Van to examine his surroundings at his leisure. But—merciful heavens |—what were these staring down at him from rude shelves at the further end of his prison? Possessed of more than ordinary courage, Van Bris- coe could face a living emergency—so to speak—with tolerable coolness and composure. But the dead Resolutely fighting down the shuddering horror which had suddenly almost overcome him, Van walked toward the opposite side of the enclosure. There he saw, directly before him, one, two, three—twenty, in all—human heads, ranged in rows, and nearly ona level with his own! It was a full moment before he could recover himself from the shock enough to think calmly, and then he suddenly remembered that, among other facts he had learned relating to the customs of the savage tribes in the far interior of Brazil, was their habit of embalm- ing the heads of enemies slain in battle, after the man- ner of the head-hunting Bornean Dyaks. (CEOPMIELOO;KS. (eC)