his perch--his head leaning forward, and
his eyes not appearing to be particularly engaged with anything. He was
busy with his thoughts, and evidently meditating on some great project.
Perhaps the going down of the sun admonished him, as much as the desire
of satisfying his wife's curiosity, but just as the bright orb was
sinking among the far tree-tops he descended.

"Now, Don Pablo," said the fair Isidora, pretending to frown and look
angry, "you have tried our patience, have you not? Come, then, no more
mystery, but tell us all. What have you seen?"

"Forgive me, wife; you shall know all."

Both sat down upon the trunk of a dead tree that Guapo had felled, and
was cutting up for firewood: not that it was at all cold, but they had
now arrived in the country of the terrible _jaguar_, and it would be
necessary to keep up a blazing fire throughout the night.

"Your words were true, love," began Don Pablo. "God has not forsaken us.
I have seen three things that have inspired me with fresh life and hope.

"First, I looked out upon the Montana, which I expected to see
stretching away to the horizon, like a green ocean. I saw this in fact;
but, to my surprise, I saw more. I beheld a broad river winding like an
immense serpent through the distant forest. It ran in a direction
north-east, as far as the eye could reach. Even upon the horizon I could
distinguish spots of its bright water glancing like silver under the
rays of the setting sun. My heart leaped with joy, for I recognised a
river whose existence has been doubted. It can be no other, thought I,
than the _Madre de Dios_. I have often heard that there existed such a
river in these parts, that runs on to the Amazon. A missionary is said
to have visited it, but with the destruction of the missions the record
has been lost. I have no doubt the river I have seen is the _Madre de
Dios_ of that missionary."

The thought of being so near the banks of this river suggested other
thoughts. At once a design entered into my mind. "We can build a raft,"
thought I, "launch it upon this noble river, and float down to the
Amazon, and thence to the mouth of the great stream itself. There is a
Portuguese settlement there--the town of Grand Para. There we shall be
safe from our foes."

Such were my first thoughts on beholding the new river. I reflected
further. "Our fortune is gone," I reflected; "we have nothing in the
wide world--what should we do at Para, even if we arrived the