andscape opened before and below
them. The boys gave, simultaneously, a loud shout of joy; and then
dropped on their knees, in thanks to God, for far away in the
distance was a dark level blue line, and they knew the ocean was
before them.

"How far off should you say it was, Ned?" Tom asked, when they had
recovered a little from their first outburst of joy.

"A long way off," Ned said. "I suppose we must be fifteen thousand
feet above it, and even in this transparent air it looks an immense
distance away. I should say it must be a hundred miles."

"That's nothing!" Tom said. "We could do it in two days, in three
easily."

"Yes, supposing we had no interruption and a straight road," Ned
said. "But we must not count our chickens yet. This vast forest
which we see contains tribes of natives, bitterly hostile to the
white man, maddened by the cruelties of the Spaniards, who enslave
them and treat them worse than dogs. Even when we reach the sea, we
may be a hundred or two hundred miles from a large Spanish town;
and however great the distance, we must accomplish it, as it is
only at large towns that Captain Drake is likely to touch."

"Well, let us be moving," Tom said. "I am strong for some hours'
walking yet, and every day will take us nearer to the sea."

"We need not carry our deer skins any farther," Ned said, throwing
his down. "We shall be sweltering under the heat tomorrow, below
there."

Even before they halted for the night, the vegetation had assumed a
tropical character, for they had already descended some five
thousand feet.

"I wish we could contrive to make a fire tonight," Ned said.

"Why?" Tom asked. "I am bathed in perspiration, now."

"We shall not want it for heat, but the chances are that there are
wild beasts of all sorts in this forest."

Ned's premises turned out correct, for scarcely had night fallen
when they heard deep roarings, and lost no time in ascending a
tree, and making themselves fast there, before they went to sleep.

In the morning they proceeded upon their journey. After walking a
couple of hours, Ned laid his arm upon Tom's shoulder.

"Hush!" he whispered. "Look there."

Through the trees, at a short distance off, could be seen a stag.
He was standing, gazing intently at a tree, and did not appear to
have heard their approach.

"What can he be up to?" Tom whispered. "He must have heard us."

"He seems paralyzed," Ned said. "Don't you see how he is trembling?
Ther