"Get up, Quashy, and help them to pack," said Pedro, curtly, "we start
at daybreak."

Quashy was on his feet in a moment. "Don't rouse me till it's time to
start," added Pedro, who thereupon rolled into the vacant hammock, and
was asleep--perchance in the land of dreams--almost as soon as his
wearied head reposed on the negro's pillow.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN.

TELLS OF ABSURD, AS WELL AS EVIL, DOINGS, AND WINDS UP WITH A HORRID
SURPRISE.

Whether Pedro's pursuers continued the chase as far as the Indian
hunter's hut we cannot tell, for long before noon of the following day
our travellers were far from the hunting-grounds of the gallant savage.

Soon after the usual midday siesta, the canoe, which contained the whole
of the hunter's worldly wealth, was run on the beach near to the spot
where dwelt his father-in-law with many members of his tribe.

That worthy old man, in a light evening costume consisting of a cotton
shirt and straw hat, came down to receive his children, who landed amid
much noise with their boys and girls and household gods, including the
red monkey, the parrot, the flamingo, the fat guinea-pig, the turtle,
and the infant tapir. The old chief was quite willing to take care of
the family during the absence of his son-in-law, and was very pressing
in his offers of hospitality to the white travellers, but Pedro refused
to delay more than an hour at the village.

The old man also evinced a considerable amount of curiosity in regard to
Manuela, and made one or two attempts to engage her in conversation, but
on being informed by Pedro that she belonged to a tribe living half-way
between his hunting-grounds and the regions of Patagonia, and that she
did not understand his dialect at all, he forbore to question her, and
satisfied himself with simply gazing.

After a farewell which was wonderfully affectionate for savages, Spotted
Tiger embarked in Pedro's canoe, and, pushing off into the river, bade
the Indians adieu.

The canoe in which the party now travelled belonged to Tiger, and was
larger as well as more commodious than that in which they had hitherto
journeyed, having a gondola-like cabin constructed of grasses and
palm-leaves, underneath which Manuela found shelter from the sun. In
the evenings Pedro could lie at full length on the top of it and smoke
his cigarette. They were floating with the current, you see, and did
not require to labour much at the paddles at that time.

It would wea