akes, or peccaries can reach us there, and the Gothos are
not likely to search in such a spot."

As he spoke, I put my foot on the first round of a ladder, and commenced
the ascent; and soon I saw a light streaming through a sort of trap,
down which the padre's smiling countenance was beaming on me. A few
rounds more carried me into the interior of a small hut, built among the
branches on a substantial platform.

The padre gave me the promised embrace, and then bade me sit down on the
floor, as he had no other seat to offer. Candela immediately joined us,
and, drawing up the ladder (which was formed of the strong creeper I
have already described), closed the trap.

"You see, Senor Barry, thanks to the skill of my faithful attendant, I
am as snug here as I can desire, and may set my enemies at defiance,"
remarked the padre; "for even were they to come to the very foot of the
tree, they would scarcely discover my abode,--as you will be able to
judge when you see it by daylight,--for we have taken good care to
conceal the lower part of the platform with boughs, while the
surrounding foliage completely hides the nest itself."

Of course the padre wished to know how it was I had found Candela; so I
gave him a full account of all that had happened.

"Could you not remain with me?" he asked. "We might construct two or
three nests like this, in which you could all stow away; and we might
shout to each other from our respective abodes, like the howling
monkeys," and the padre chuckled at his joke.

I told him that I doubted whether my father would agree to his proposal,
for several reasons. The forest region was not considered healthy,
though he had not suffered from living in it; and we had horses and
mules, which, as we could not haul them, up into the branches, would
probably betray us. I added, that as I was sure my father would be glad
of his society, I hoped that he would rather accompany us up the
mountains; and as we were promised an abundance of game by our Indian
guide, he would thus no longer suffer from hunger as before,--while the
region was much more healthy, and nearly as inaccessible as his present
residence.

"I agree with you in regard to your first reasons, Senor Barry," he
answered; "but I very much doubt whether, unless I were betrayed, my
enemies can possibly find me where I am."

He acknowledged that the want of food was the greatest drawback to his
life in the forest, as he had only fish to