the unfortunate victims, but they bore it with stoical
silence and composure; and when at length the cacique gave the order for
them to rise and march they at once scrambled to their feet and
proceeded, in charge of a dozen Indians, fully armed with pocunas, or
blowpipes, bows--the arrows of which were doubtless poisoned with
curare--and long spears. In this order, and followed by the entire
population, our friends were marched up through the village to a hut
situated near its northern extremity, into which they were bundled,
while the guards ranged themselves round the hut outside, to frustrate
any attempt at escape.

The unfortunate prisoners were by this time suffering so acutely from
the tightness of the ligatures which confined their arms to their bodies
that they were in no mood for conversation, but just lay upon the
earthen floor of the hut in silent torment. But, luckily for them, they
were not called upon to endure very much longer; for when they had lain
there about half an hour the cacique appeared and gave orders that their
bonds were to be loosed, at the same time warning them that the first
indication of an attempt to escape would be met by a shower of arrows,
the smallest scratch from which would be followed by a death of
intolerable agony. Phil replied that under those circumstances the
cacique might rest assured that no such attempt would be made, and
followed up the assurance by asking why they had been taken prisoners,
seeing that they were not Spaniards, but were enemies of the Spaniard
and therefore ought to be regarded as friends by all who hated the
Spaniard. To which statement the cacique made no reply, but simply
turned on his heel and departed. A few minutes later, however, two
women appeared bearing food--a portion of roast kid on a plantain leaf,
and some cassava bread, together with a small gourd of what looked like
sour milk--which they set upon the ground before the prisoners; and Phil
and Dick both agreed that in the regards of these women there was more
of pity than of hate.

During the whole of that day and the next our friends were kept close
prisoners; but on the morning of their third day of captivity they were
summoned from their hut almost before they had finished breakfast; and,
upon emerging, were conducted to the open space in the middle of the
village, where were assembled not only all the inhabitants of the place
but some seven or eight hundred more who seemed to be vi