is, Ayacanora? And why
have you followed us?"

She told a long story, from which Amyas picked up, as far as he could
understand her, that that trumpet had been for years the torment of her
life; the one thing in the tribe superior to her; the one thing which
she was not allowed to see, because, forsooth, she was a woman. So she
determined to show them that a woman was as good as a man; and hence
her hatred of marriage, and her Amazonian exploits. But still the Piache
would not show her that trumpet, or tell her where it was; and as for
going to seek it, even she feared the superstitious wrath of the tribe
at such a profanation. But the day after the English went, the Piache
chose to express his joy at their departure; whereon, as was to be
expected, a fresh explosion between master and pupil, which ended, she
confessed, in her burning the old rogue's hut over his head, from which
he escaped with loss of all his conjuring-tackle, and fled raging into
the woods, vowing that he would carry off the trumpet to the neighboring
tribe. Whereon, by a sudden impulse, the young lady took plenty of coca,
her weapons, and her feathers, started on his trail, and ran him to
earth just as he was unveiling the precious mystery. At which sight
(she confessed) she was horribly afraid, and half inclined to run; but,
gathering courage from the thought that the white men used to laugh at
the whole matter, she rushed upon the hapless conjuror, and bore off her
prize in triumph; and there it was!

"I hope you have not killed him?" said Amyas.

"I did beat him a little; but I thought you would not let me kill him."

Amyas was half amused with her confession of his authority over her; but
she went on--

"And then I dare not go back to the Indians; so I was forced to come
after you."

"And is that, then, your only reason for coming after us?" asked stupid
Amyas.

He had touched some secret chord--though what it was he was too busy to
inquire. The girl drew herself up proudly, blushing scarlet, and said:

"You never tell lies. Do you think that I would tell lies?"

On which she fell to the rear, and followed them steadfastly, speaking
to no one, but evidently determined to follow them to the world's end.

They soon left the highroad; and for several days held on downwards,
hewing their path slowly and painfully through the thick underwood. On
the evening of the fourth day, they had reached the margin of a river,
at a point where it see