"All aboard! Step lively now! This boat makes no stops this side of
Boston!" cried Ned Newton gaily, as he got into one of the several tree
canoes provided for the transportation of the party up the Chamelecon
river, for the first stage of their journey into the wilds of Honduras.
"All aboard! This reminds me of my old camping days, Tom."

It brought those days back, in a measure, to Tom also. For there were
a number of canoes filled with the goods of the party, while the
members themselves occupied a larger one with their personal baggage.
Strong, half-naked Indian paddlers were in charge of the canoes which
were of sturdy construction and light draft, since the river, like most
tropical streams, was of uncertain depths, choked here and there with
sand bars or tropical growths.

Finding that Val Jacinto was regularly engaged in the business of
taking explorers and mine prospectors into the interior, Professor
Bumper had engaged the man. He seemed to be efficient. At the
promised time he had the canoes and paddlers on hand and the goods
safely stowed away while one big craft was fitted up as comfortably as
possible for the men of the party.

As Ned remarked, it did look like a camping party, for in the canoes
were tents, cooking utensils and, most important, mosquito canopies of
heavy netting.

The insect pests of Honduras, as in all tropical countries, are
annoying and dangerous. Therefore it was imperative to sleep under
mosquito netting.

On the advice of Val Jacinto, who was to accompany them, the travelers
were to go up the river about fifty miles. This was as far as it would
be convenient to use the canoes, the guide told Tom and his friends,
and from there on the trip to the Copan valley would be made on the
backs of mules, which would carry most of the baggage and equipment.
The heavier portions would be transported in ox-carts.

As Professor Bumper expected to do considerable excavating in order to
locate the buried city, or cities, as the case might be, he had to
contract for a number of Indian diggers and laborers. These could be
hired in Copan, it was said.

The plan, therefore, was to travel by canoes during the less heated
parts of the day, and tie up at night, making camp on shore in the
net-protected tents. As for the Indians, they did not seem to mind the
bites of the insects. They sometimes made a smudge fire, Val Jacinto
had said, but that was all.

"Well, we haven't seen anythin