ry certain that they would directly it was day; and our
great aim was to get to some rocky spot by the bank of the river, where
we might, by having the stream on our side, the more easily defend
ourselves. Vampire bats and owls, and other night-birds flew by; and
snakes and noxious reptiles crossed our path as we rode on; but nothing
stopped us.

We pulled up when we reached the rock which had at first guided our
course, and consulted whether we should take up our position there for
the night, and prepare to defend it against the savages; but it was
finally agreed that we would travel on till we reached the river. The
journey would knock up our horses, but as we should have no further need
of them, that could not be taken into consideration. Nita bore up very
well; indeed she seemed to suffer from fatigue as little us any of us.
Sometimes her husband carried her child, and sometimes Ned took charge
of it. About midnight a halt was called, on an elevated spot, whence we
could command a tolerably clear view on all sides. We required to rest
and feed our horses as well as ourselves, though we could not venture to
light a fire, which would have betrayed our position to our pursuers.
While we rested and ate, we kept a vigilant watch; for though it was not
probable that the Indians would have followed close to our heels, it was
just possible that they might have done so, as in consequence of the
numerous impediments in our way, a quick-footed man might have gone
almost as fast as we did.

While I was gnawing away at the leg of the monkey, and looking out at
the same time into the darkness below, I saw something move across an
open glade. It came nearer, and stopped at a spot where the moonbeams
streamed full upon it, when I saw that it was a large jaguar. He sat
upon his hind-legs and looked at us very wistfully, as if he should like
to secure one of us for supper. Presently he moved again and came a
little nearer, when he sat down to look at us as before. I was going to
have a shot at him, but Manco restrained me, observed that it might be
heard by the Cashibos, and lead them to us. Still the jaguar crept
nearer, and once more stopped to watch us. If he was hungry, we must
have been very tempting to him. Our Indians at last thought it was no
joke, for in another moment the jaguar might have picked one of us off;
so they set up so loud a scream that they made him turn about in a
fright, and scamper off into the f