Eight Hundred Leagues on the Amazon

ing all the precaution he could lest he should be heard. To have put himself on guard against any suspicious approach would have been the first care of our adventurer

an at all, it

ery savage, differing therein very greatly from the mucura, who is as ferocious as he is foul, he delights in company, and generally travels in troops. It was he whose presence had been signaled from afar by the monotonous concert of voices, so like the psalm-singing of some c

pleness and stoutness of his limbs proclaimed him a powerful creature, as fit to fight

l. To these representatives of the monkey tribe nature has not been content to give four hands-she has shown herself

weapon. For some minutes he had seen the man at the foot of the tree, but the sleeper did not move, and this doubtless induced hi

dged teeth, white as ivory, and the cudgel began to move about in

to this defenseless specimen of the human race which chance had delivered over to him? Perhaps! We know how certain animals retain th

ame, and, no matter to what species it belongs, follow its chase with the ardor of

not quite forget that nature had made him but a simple herbivore, and longed to devour the captain

getting nearer and nearer. His attitude was threatening, his countenance ferocious. Nothing could have seemed easier to him

e tree, placed himself at the side, so as to command the h

evice of the root the little case which contained his document

al could have ideas, took another direction. He stopped, caught hold of the case, jumped back a pace or two, and, raising it to the level of his eyes, looked at it not without surprise as he moved it about and used it like a mirror. He was if anythi

l playing freely in its shell. But if he soon discovered his mistake he did not consider it a reason for throwing the case away

are always on the watch, with whom there is no transition fro

had recognized with

iba!" h

manchetta, he put himself

so brave before a waking man as a sleeping one, pe

"the rogue would have sett

twenty paces, and was watching him with violent grimaces, as if he woul

not killed me, he has done what is

ut that which made him jump was the recollection that it contained the precious docu

ation!"

t to recapture his case, Torres thre

branches he could get away too far. A well-aimed gunshot could alone stop him as he ran or climbed, but T

behind some tree trunk, to disappear under a bush, might induce the guariba to pull up and retrace his steps, and there was nothing else for Torres to try. This was what he did, and the pursuit c

ll lead me back to the Brazilian frontier. If only he would let go of my case! But no!

pursuit, and the monkey scu

rres showed a persistency which was quite natural

atened the guariba. That annoying animal only responded

brambles and interlacing creepers, across which the guariba passed like a steeplechaser. Big roots hidden beneath the grass lay

u robber!" as if he could

am after runaway slaves across the jungle they never give me such trouble as this! But I will have y

ceased to pursue him. He rested also, for he had nearly reached that deg

y at two or three roots, which he picked off the groun

he stones within his reach, and threw them

plans, to be not only conquered, but cheated and hoaxed by a dumb animal, was maddening. And in the meantime Torres had begun to think that when the night came the robber would disappear without trouble, and he, th

all idea of regaining possession of his case, when once more, in spite of himself, there flashed across him the thought of his document, the

he go

riba go

eral steps

deeply into the forest, he stopped at the foot of an enormous ficus-the tree

l to the first branches, which stretched away horizontally at forty feet from the ground, and to hoist himself to the top of the tree, to

e fruits which were within his reach. Torres, like him, was much in want of somethi

ition taken up by the monkey was still more unfavorable for him. He could not dream for on

he miserable case

ged. Not only did he call him a half-breed, which is the greatest of insults in the mouth of a Brazilian of white descent, but "curiboca"-that is

druman, was simply amused at what would h

out. To tell the truth, anger at his powerlessness had deprived him of his wits. Perhaps he hoped that in one of the movements which the guariba would make in passing from branch to branch the case might escape hi

for good, and to return toward the Amazon, when he hea

at about twenty pace

ish to show himself without at least knowing with whom he might have to deal. Panting, puzzled, h

tally wounded, fell heavily on the

ed, "that bullet cam

came out of the thicket, and two young

, or rather tunics, buckled in at the waist, and more convenient than the national poncho. By

ly remind us of the arms of the Arabs, guns of long range and considerable prec

an angular distance of more than eighty paces

wn in Brazil as a "foca," and which hunters do not hesitate to use when attacking the ounce

from this meeting, and so he went on

on, had less ground to cover, and coming forward a

recovered his p

ised the brim of his hat; "in killing this wretch

quiringly, not knowing what

ned matters i

monkey," said he, "but as it h

of the two, "it was by accident, but we are none th

t over the guariba, and, not without an effo

, sir, is what

y, catching hold of the case and fai

lemen," said he, "for the se

ant surgeon, Brazilian arm

, Benito," said Manoel, "it was

am under an obligation to you both, as we

rral," rep

self to avoid giving a jump when he heard this name, and

s farm about three miles from h

eplied the

ny us there, Mr. Torres, you

"I fear in truth that I am not able to accept your offer. The occurrence I have just related to you has caused

e shall see you again in our travels, for before a month has passed

ur father is thinking of recro

eplied Benito. "At least we hope to m

dded affi

t again on the road. But I cannot, much to my regret, accept your offer n

e young men, who in turn saluted him,

s they got further and further away,

a deep voice. "Let him recross it! and he will be still

king for the south so as to regain the left bank of the riv