it for possession of the paddler. Tom fired bullet after bullet
from his wonderful rifle into the spot, but though he killed some of
the alligators this did not save the man's life. His body was not seen
again, though search was made for it.

The accident cast a little damper over the party, and there was a
feeling of gloom among the Indians. Professor Bumper announced that he
would see to it that the man's family did not want, and this seemed to
give general satisfaction, especially to a brother who was with the
party.

Aside from being caught in a drenching storm and one or two minor
accidents, nothing else of moment marked the remainder of the river
journey, and at the end of the third day the canoes pulled to shore and
a night camp was made.

"But where are the mules we are to use in traveling to-morrow?" asked
the professor of Jacinto.

"In the next village. We shall march there in the morning. No use to
go there at night when all is dark."

"I suppose that is so."

The Indians made camp as usual, the goods being brought from the canoes
and piled up near the tents. Then night settled down.

"Hello!" cried Tom, awakening the next morning to find the sun
streaming into his tent. "We must have overslept, Ned. We were to
start before old Sol got in his heavy work, but we haven't had
breakfast yet."

"I didn't hear any one call us," remarked Ned.

"Nor I. Wonder if we're the only lazy birds." He looked from the tent
in time to see Mr. Damon and the professor emerging. Then Tom noticed
something queer. The canoes were not on the river bank. There was not
an Indian in sight, and no evidence of Jacinto.

"What's the matter?" asked the young inventor. "Have the others gone
on ahead?"

"I rather think they've gone back," was the professor's dry comment.

"Gone back?"

"Yes. The Indians seem to have deserted us at the ending of this stage
of our journey."

"Bless my time-table!" cried Mr. Damon. "You don't say so! What does
it mean? What has becomes of our friend Jacinto?"

"I'm afraid he was rather a false friend," was the professor's answer.
"This is the note he left. He has gone and taken the canoes and all
the Indians with him," and he held out a paper on which was some
scribbled writing.

CHAPTER XIII

FORWARD AGAIN

"What does it all mean?" asked Tom, seeing that the note was written in
Spanish, a tongue which he could speak slightly but read indifferently.

"This is s