sco
thrown into the water would kill either "temblador," caribe, or any fish
that ever swam with fins.

And so it proved. In the morning Guapo having prepared his barbasco,
proceeded to the upper end of the lake-like opening of the river, and
there flung his poison into the stream. The slow current through the
valley greatly favoured him, and from the large quantity of roots he had
used, the whole pool was soon infected with it. This was seen from the
whitish tinge which the water assumed. The barbasco had scarcely time
to sink to the bottom when small fish were seen coming to the surface,
and turning "wrong side uppermost." Then larger ones appeared, and in a
few minutes all the fish in that particular stretch of water, with
several gymnoti, were seen floating on the surface quite dead. To the
great joy of Guapo and Leon, who sat by the bank watching, hundreds of
the little caribes, with their bronze gills quite open, and their yellow
bellies turned up, were seen among the rest.

But Guapo had not made this great slaughter purely out of revenge. He
had another object. They were not too well off for meat, and a dish of
fish would be welcome. Guapo and Don Pablo had already provided
themselves with long-handled nets, and they soon scooped out several
basketfuls of fish. Among others they netted numerous "caribes," for
these little monsters, fierce as they are, are not surpassed for
delicacy of flavour by any fish in the South American rivers. The
gymnoti approached the bank, where Guapo fished them out, not to eat--
although they are often eaten. There was not a spark of electricity in
them now. The barbasco had cured them of that; any one might have
handled them with safety, as there was not a charge left in their whole
battery.

The lake was quite cleared of all its dangerous denizens, and Leon might
bathe with safety, as soon as he got well; and over the fish-dinner they
could now laugh at the adventures both of Leon and the electrified mule.

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO.

THE CINCHONA-TREES.

In about two weeks from their arrival in the valley, the house, with a
stable for the horse and mule, was completed, and all the necessary
furniture as well. Had you entered the establishment about this time,
you would have observed many odd articles and implements, most of them
quite new. You would have seen boxes woven out of palm-leaves, and bags
made of the fibrous, cloth-like spathe of the "bussu," filled w