Nimble and Poll, with Naro and two of his followers; while Isoro,
Arthur, and I embarked in the smaller, with two of the other men. True,
of course, went with us, his usual post being the bow, where he stood
with his fore-feet on the gunwale, as if it were his especial duty to
keep a look-out ahead. Isoro acted as captain, and Arthur and I and the
two Indians, with paddles in our hands, formed the crew. Shoving off
from the bank, we rapidly glided down the river, the current carrying us
along at a great rate with little aid from our paddles. The large canoe
took the lead, we following in her wake. The water whirled and eddied
as we glided on. On either side rose the giant trees of the primeval
forest--while, looking astern, we could see far away across the mighty
mass of foliage the range of the Andes, with the beautiful cone of
Cotopaxi standing out boldly above its fellows.

We soon, however, had something else to think of. Several dark rounded
rocks rose up ahead of us, between which the water furiously rushed,
dashing against their sides, and throwing up clouds of spray, while
whirling, boiling eddies came bursting up from the bottom, as if some
subaqueous explosion were taking place. Short cross waves curled up
round us, with here and there smooth intervening spaces, the more
treacherous for their apparent calmness; for as we passed through them
we could with difficulty keep the head of our small canoe in the
direction of our leader. The Indians plied their paddles with redoubled
vigour, while the helmsman of John's canoe every now and then gave vent
to loud, wild shrieks. Isoro sat calmly clenching his teeth, and
looking out eagerly ahead. The large canoe went gliding on. And now we
saw her passing between two rocks, over which the water dashing formed
an arch of spray, almost concealing her from our sight. Presently we
also were passing through the same channel. It seemed as if our small
canoe would be swamped by the swelling waters. The clouds of spray
which broke over her almost blinded us, the loud roaring, hissing sound
of the waves as they rushed against the rocks deafened our ears, while
the whirling current so confused our senses, that we could scarcely tell
in what direction we were going.

"O Harry, what has become of the other canoe?" exclaimed Arthur.

A dark rock rose before us. No canoe was to be seen. A horror seized
me. I feared that she had been engulfed. But presently, Isoro