ow the desire of sleep makes one indifferent to all these
things, which at other times we so much dread. Leon did not fear them a
bit, but kept himself awake from a feeling of pride and honour. He
reflected that it would never do to be unfaithful to the important trust
confided to him. No that would never do. He rubbed his eyes, and rose
up, and approached the bank, and dipped his hands in the water, and came
back to his former place, and sat down again. Spite of all his efforts,
however, he felt very heavy. Oh! when would the two hours pass that he
might rouse Guapo?

"Car-r-ambo! I nev-er was so s-s-sleepy. _Vamos_! Leon! you mustn't
give in!"

And striking himself a lively slap on the chest, he straightened his
back, and sat upright for a while.

He was just beginning to get bowed about the shoulders again, and to nod
a little, when he was startled by a short sharp exclamation uttered by
the little Leona. He looked up to her hammock. He could perceive it
had moved slightly, but it was at rest again, and its occupant was
evidently asleep.

"Poor little sis! she is dreaming," he muttered half aloud. "Perhaps
some horrid dream of jaguars or serpents. I have half a mind to awake
her. But, no, she sleeps too soundly; I might disturb them all;" and
with these reflections Leon remained upon his seat.

Once more his head was beginning to bob, when the voice of Leona again
startled him, and he looked up as before. The hammock moved slightly,
but there was no appearance of anything wrong. From where he sat he
could not see well into it, but he outlines of the child's body were
easily discernible through the elastic netting; and at the farther end
he could just perceive one of her little feet, where it had escaped from
the covering, and rested partly over the edge.

As he continued to gaze upon the delicate member, thinking whether he
had not better cover it against the mosquitoes, all at once his eye was
attracted by something red--a crooked red line that traversed from the
toe downward along the side of the foot. It was red and glittering--it
was _a stream of blood_!

His first feeling was one of horror. His next was a resolve to spring
to his feet and rouse the camp, but this impulse was checked by one of
greater prudence. Whatever enemy had done it, thought he, must still be
about the hammock; to make a noise would, perhaps, only irritate it, and
cause it to inflict some still more terrible wound.