ugely, burst
into a volcanic roar of laughter.

"I can see yer yet, Pete, on that bounding buck of a nigger, and him
a-hiking through the jungle and a-yelling like a wild Injun."

"I remember you got out of the way mighty quick," said Pete, "when you
heard us a-coming behind you."

"It certainly was a curious spectacle," said the Captain, "but go on
with your yarn, Pete."

"The further we went into the jungle the worse it got. The mosquitoes
fairly ate us alive and they wern't the only cannibals in those woods by
any means. There was a tribe of man-eaters beyond the Big River and we
didn't try to capture any of them. They wern't our stripe of bacon.

"We went on for six days, with the monkeys chattering over our heads all
day and the mosquitoes serenading us at night. Talk about birds, there
was a whole menagerie of them and their colors beat the handkerchiefs
that these greasers wear around their throats and you can't get ahead of
that for color.

"One night we got in range of the village we were after and there was a
great pow-wow going on. There was a big fire in the circle of the grass
huts and some big black bucks were doing a dance around it. Just then I
saw--"

"Hold on, Pete," said the Captain in a low, gruff voice, "somebody is
coming our way."

CHAPTER V

THE FOUR BOYS

"Hey, Jim, where are we going to make camp?" It was his brother Jo's
genial voice.

"Not until we can strike water," replied Jim. "No more dry camps for
me."

"I don't think much of the coast range, or the Sierras, either." It was
Juarez Hoskins' well-remembered voice, with its rather low, deep tones.

"Give me the Rockies every time."

Juarez was nothing if not loyal to his mountains.

"I don't think any of the mountains are much to brag of."

It is hardly necessary to say that it is Tom Darlington who is now
speaking, for the discerning reader is pretty well acquainted with his
style by this time.

"There's always something to look out for," continued Tom, "if it isn't
Indians it's rattlesnakes, and you have got to choose between a
cloudburst or no water at all. Give me the East every time."

"You make me exhausted talking about the East," said Jim. "Why didn't
you stay there when you were there? I had just as soon take a chance
with a rattlesnake as with an ice cream soda."

"Tom would like to _play_ Indian," cut in Jo, "with turkey feathers
sticking up from a red flannel band around his head. And creeping u