cause of alarm.

We were completely in the power of the Indians, no doubt, who might at
any moment have deserted us, or delivered us up to the Spaniards, or put
us to death for the sake of our clothes and whatever valuables we
carried. But we had entire confidence in them. It must be confessed
that foreigners have occasionally been killed by the Indians, but in all
the instances I have heard the former were the aggressors. We had from
the first shown the simple-minded people that we trusted them, and their
wish was to prove that our confidence was not misplaced.

The night was far spent when Pacheco, our chief guide, roused us up.

"The moon has kindly veiled her face to enable us to pass the Godos
unperceived," he said. "Up, senors, up! we will start at once."

Jumping out of our hammocks, the Indians quickly rolled them up and
carried them down to the canoe, on board which they had already placed
the rest of their property. By their advice we lay down in the bottom.
I kept Lion by my side, so that in case he should be inclined to bark I
might at once silence him. Pacheco steered, while the other two Indians
rapidly plied their paddles, and we glided at a quick rate down the
stream. We soon approached that part on the northern shore at which the
Spaniards were supposed to be posted, and we therefore kept to the
opposite side. Not a word was spoken, and we all lay close; so that,
had the canoe been seen, the enemy would have supposed that only three
Indians were in her. We could hear the guard relieved, with the
sentries exchanging the sign and countersign; and during the time this
ceremony was going forward our canoe shot by the place without
challenge.

In the hope that we were safe, we were about to get up out of our
uncomfortable position, when a voice hailed us and ordered the canoe to
be brought up to the bank.

"Paddle on!" I heard Pacheco say to his men; and directly afterwards a
shot came whistling over our heads. "Don't be afraid of that," again
whispered Pacheco--"we shall soon be out of sight of the Godos; although
they may fire, they will not hit us."

The Indians, without uttering a sound to show that they felt any alarm,
continued paddling away. Shot after shot was heard; but the Spaniards
must have at length discovered that their prey had escaped them.

We continued our course until the morning, when we saw before us the
Cauca, on the opposite side of which we wished to land. The Ind