what is more, they did.

They smoked a few cigarettes. I had always supplied them with ample
tobacco in order to keep them in a good temper. Then when I gave the
order to start they jumped gaily into the canoe, shouting again:

"We are Brazilians! We are afraid of nothing!"

So we began negotiating the second portion of that nasty crossing. There
is nothing I admire more than courage. My men went up in my estimation
that day at least a hundred per cent.

The second part of our crossing was just as dangerous as the first
part--perhaps more so. The men, however, behaved splendidly, and rowed
with such vigour that we got through safely and quickly above the most
difficult portion, and eventually landed upon a mass of rocks on the
opposite side of the stream.

There we had a busy time, as we had once more to unload the canoe, cut a
way through the forest in order to convey the baggage overland to a spot
about half a mile farther down stream; then we had to come back to take
the canoe by means of ropes down the rapid itself.

It was necessary for one of us to be inside the canoe in order to steer
her while being led down. Alcides, who was indeed an extraordinarily
brave man, would not hand over his job to anybody else, and insisted on
being allowed to steer the canoe. It was with great reluctance that I
allowed him, as he could not swim. When we proceeded to let the canoe
down by the small western channel, the foaming waters and high waves
rolling back upon themselves with great force were most troublesome to
negotiate. The canoe was repeatedly lifted right out of the water, and
gave us holding the ropes such violent jerks that we were flung in all
directions. When I got up again, still holding on to the rope, Alcides
had disappeared. He had been pitched clean out of the canoe. Fortunately,
a moment later I saw that he was clinging to the steering gear, which we
had made extra fast in order that it might stand the great strain.

We managed to pull the canoe and Alcides close to the rocks. Eventually
we all had to go into the water up to our necks and lead the canoe by
hand with the greatest care in the swift current for the remaining
distance. Once or twice we were nearly overpowered by the current, and we
were glad when, nearly two hours later, our job was finished, and,
absolutely exhausted, we made camp for the night on the rocks.

The men were so excited that during the entire night they sat up
commenting on the