that he collapsed.

We had to halt on a small island of rock, where we took Filippe out and I
had him laid flat on his chest, he being just like a corpse. I inserted a
leather strap into his throat in order to cause immediate vomiting, then
I unpacked some of the castor oil which still remained in my
possession--we never seemed to lose the beastly stuff--and gave him a
dose powerful enough to kill an ox.

The other men were laughing all the time, saying that they felt no pain
at all; but their boast did not last long, for a few moments later, while
I was watching poor Filippe, Antonio and the man X threw themselves down
on the rocks, rolling over and contorting themselves, evidently in most
excruciating pain.

The same treatment was applied to them in turn, and I watched with great
concern three men out of the six spread out helpless, and in such a
dreadful condition that I really doubted whether they would be alive in
another hour. I considered myself fortunate that the other three had not
been poisoned.

Half an hour later--it was impossible to move on with the three men lying
helpless on the rocks--Filippe the white man and Benedicto also
collapsed. Again the same treatment once more.

Alcides looked at the other men with an air of contempt and said: "They
are rotten fellows! They cannot eat anything without getting poisoned. I
feel no pain at all; the fruit has done me no harm."

When I turned round to look at his face it had turned a lemon-yellow
colour, which I did not quite like, but I did not mention the fact to
him, and went about from one dejected man to another to try and bring
them back to life again.

Filippe the negro opened his eyes for a moment. "I am dying!" he said.
"Good-bye, sir! Please give all my money to my sweetheart in Araguary."

I noted her name and address in my book, for I really thought Filippe was
about to expire.

The moans and groans all round me were most funereal, and the odour
unbearable, the nuts having formed a chemical combination in their
insides which made their breath most offensive. The heat in the sun was
oppressive on those volcanic rocks. My bare feet were absolutely scorched
as I walked on them.

Not many minutes later Alcides was rolling himself upon the rocks in
intense pain. When I rushed to him to apply my favourite method he
rebelled, refusing the treatment.

"Very good," I said to him; "will you live or will you die?"

[Illustration: Leading the Empty C