e for us
to proceed till they have left the neighbourhood."

This information made us feel rather anxious; especially when the padre
suggested that the strangers might find their way down to our
encampment.

"There is no fear of that, as they have already passed the only point
where they could descend the cliffs," answered the Indian. "All we have
to do is to remain quiet."

We agreed not to tell my mother and sister what we had heard, but to
keep a vigilant watch, so that should the strangers prove to be foes,
and find us out, we might be prepared to resist them.

The thoughts of a possible encounter kept us awake during the greater
part of the night; and towards morning the ever active Kanimapo again
stole out of the camp. Just before daybreak he returned. He had got
sufficiently near to the strangers' camp to hear what they were talking
about; and he had discovered that they were mostly deserters from the
Spanish army, who had turned robbers, and were as ready to prey on one
party as the other. It would, therefore, be very dangerous to fall into
their hands; and Kanimapo advised that we should remain concealed where
we were till they had left the neighbourhood.

The time, as may be supposed, was an anxious one: still, it afforded us
rest; and as we had plenty of food, we were gaining strength to enable
us to perform the more arduous part of the journey which still lay
before us.

Kanimapo was absent till the evening, tracking the banditti. He at
length saw them cross a lofty ridge to the southward, and disappear; and
feeling satisfied that they would no longer molest us, he returned with
the intelligence.

The following morning we were again _en route_. Having reached the foot
of a steep mountain, our guide called a halt, and told us that we were
near the end of our journey, but that there were portions of the path
which no mules or horses could traverse. We could, however, reach our
destination by taking a much more circuitous path. He inquired whether
we should be content to proceed on foot--in which case we might reach a
place of safety in the course of three or four hours; or if we were
disposed to take the circuitous path, which would occupy the whole of
that day and a portion of the next--while we would also run the risk of
discovery, as the high-road passed in view of the track we should have
to pursue.

My father at once decided to ascend the mountain on foot; while Tim
volunteered, with Ch