e the better able to watch when it came
to his turn. We alternately went to sleep for some hours, until we
thought Antonio could be trusted to keep the regular watch.

I was awakened by Lion's loud bark, and by feeling him pulling at my
clothes. Seeing that I was aroused, he next attacked Uncle Richard in
the same way. On sitting up, what was my dismay to find that we were in
the midst of a bright blaze! The hut was on fire. Antonio, in order to
save himself trouble, had raked the embers close up to the entrance, and
had then fallen asleep. Uncle Richard, seizing him by the shoulders,
dragged him out; while I caught up his gun and the rest of our
possessions, and sprang after him through the flames, followed by Lion,
who would not leave the hut until he saw us in safety. The whole,
however, was the work of a few seconds. Had we remained much longer,
the roof would have come down upon us, and, at all events, have burned
us severely. As it was, we got pretty well singed.

As we looked back and saw the flames ascending, we had good cause to
fear that the trees overhead would catch fire; and if so, a fearful
conflagration might ensue. It would be scarcely possible to cut our way
through the forest so as to escape it. The danger, therefore, was
imminent. Uncle Richard setting the example, we attacked the thatch,
and brought it to the ground; while with our swords we cut the grass
around wherever we saw the fire creeping along the ground.

A few minutes more, and we should have been unable to subdue the fire.
Already some of the shrubs were singed in two opposite directions, but
fortunately we saw the snake-like flames creeping forward in time to
extinguish them.

As there was no appearance of rain, we scraped the ashes of the fire
together, and placing on them a few unburnt sticks, sat ourselves down
close to it to wait until daylight, without which it would be impossible
to travel through the forest.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN.

A HARD STRUGGLE TO GET OUT OF THE FOREST--ANTONIO FINDS SOME
CHERIMOIAS--OUR ESCAPE FROM THE WOOD--DANCING AT A MARRIAGE-FEAST--
HOSPITABLE ENTERTAINMENT--GUIDES--DOWN THE RIVER IN A CANOE--THE
SPANIARDS AHEAD--WE CAMP, AND WAIT TO PASS THEM AT NIGHT--AGAIN
EMBARKED--THE SPANISH CAMP--A NARROW ESCAPE--WE REACH THE CAUCA--WE
CROSS TO THE LEFT BANK, AND SEE JUAN WITH A PARTY OF CAVALRY ON THE
RIGHT BANK--PACHECO SWIMS ACROSS THE RIVER, AND RETURNS WITH A NOTE--
JUAN COMES FOR ME ON A RAF