themselves skilfully noosed in a
lasso and their arms tightly confined to their sides, the moment that
their feet touched the earth. Then, despite their frantic struggles to
free themselves from the entangling lassos, they were instantly seized
and other ropes of raw-hide were deftly twisted about their limbs and
bodies, until in less than a minute they were so tightly and securely
trussed up that they could scarcely wag a finger; after which they were
each hoisted upon the shoulders of four Indians and borne with songs of
triumph and rejoicing to the canoes, into which they were tumbled with
scant ceremony. Then, with further songs of triumph, they were swiftly
transported back down the river to the village to which their captors
belonged.

This village was quite invisible from the river, being approached by
means of one of those small, short, winding creeks that so frequently
occur on the South American rivers, and the existence of which seems so
difficult to account for; but when, upon the canoes rounding a bend, the
place swung into view, it was seen to be of quite considerable extent,
consisting of fully one hundred palm-leaf huts standing in an open glade
of about two hundred acres in extent, part of which was under
cultivation, being planted, in almost equal proportion, with bananas,
yams, and cassava.

The triumphant songs and shouts of the victorious expedition caused the
entire population of the village to turn out and swarm down to the small
strip of beach which constituted the landing-place; so when Dick and
Phil were lifted out of the canoes they beheld a crowd of some four or
five hundred Indians, men, women, and children, crowded together to gaze
upon and jeer at them. And jeer at them they did, with all the more
gusto when it was seen that so tightly had the bonds been drawn about
the prisoners' limbs that when they were set upon their feet they were
unable to stand, but sank helplessly to the ground with an involuntary
groan. But the Indians had already had enough of carrying their
stalwart prisoners, and especially Dick, who towered head and shoulders
above the tallest of them; therefore when they saw that it was
impossible for the white men to stand, and had fathomed the reason for
their helplessness, they loosed the thongs about their prisoners' feet
and legs, and allowed them a few minutes pause for the blood to
circulate afresh. Those few minutes were surcharged with exquisite
suffering for