to increase their speed now that the way home lay under their feet, the
leading pair slowed their gait. Moreover, they scanned the trail with
intent care and watched the trees along the way. At length, with a
warning grunt, Yuara stepped out of the path and began a detour. His
comrade and the Brazilians followed. The Americans stopped.

"What's the idea?" demanded McKay, looking along the innocent-appearing
path.

"Probably a man trap, Capitao," answered Pedro. "Follow us."

"Let's see the trap first."

Lourenco called to Yuara, who stopped and grunted two words.

"_Si_, it is a trap. A pit, Yuara says."

Yuara spoke again, and Lourenco added: "He says we must not touch it. It
is there just before you, covered so cunningly that it looks exactly
like the rest of the ground. The cover is a framework of sticks balanced
on a pole, and the instant a man steps on it it gives way. He falls into
a nine-foot hole whose sides are dug inward, so that they overhang above
him. There the cannibals find him and kill him. I fell into one of those
holes when I first came into this Mayoruna country, so I know just how
they are made."

"So? How did you get out?"

"There were two of us, and I stood on the other man's shoulders while he
lifted me high enough to jump out. Then I tied bush rope to a tree and
he climbed up the rope. Come. Yuara waits."

After a short circuit around the danger point the party returned to the
path, and as they went on Lourenco explained further concerning the pit:

"Every approach to the _malocas_ has this kind of trap hidden in it, and
others also. The Indians recognize the places by some secret signal
known only to themselves--a certain kind of stick or vine or something
of the kind, placed where it can be seen by those who understand. The
traps are made to stop any enemies who try to sneak up on the _malocas_
and catch these people unawares. Another kind of trap is a spring bow or
a blowgun shot by a vine stretched across the path. Still another is a
piece of ground studded with poisoned araya bones which pierce the bare
feet of anyone walking on them. It is well for us that we now have
friendly guides."

"Quite so," McKay agreed, dryly.

Some distance farther on the leader again left the path, and this time
all filed after him without comment. Pedro pointed significantly at a
thin, tight-drawn bush cord stretched across the path at the height of a
man's ankle--the trigger which would discharge