speration, but it
was our only chance. Our arrows and stones were exhausted, and our
ammunition would not have held out much longer. Our enemies, seeing us
coming on with so bold a front, were seized with a panic; and, with loud
cries, they all turned round and fled into the woods, leaving some dozen
or more of their number dead on the field.

"We may now rest where we are, I suppose," I observed to Manco.

"No, no!" he answered. "They will go away, and hold a war council, and
return again before long. We must get away from hence, and put the
river between us before daylight, or we shall suffer from it."

Accordingly we descended from our rock, and security the horses to the
trees, we united our strength, and launched our unfinished canoe into
the water. The wood of which she was composed was so light that she
floated high; but to give her greater buoyancy, we secured a quantity of
dry rushes round the gunnel; and we found that when our stores were in
her, there was room for all the party.

"Come, mates, it's time to be under weigh, if we are not to wait till
the Injuns are back upon us," shouted Ned. But one of our Indians was
missing.

While I was looking round for him, a bright light shone from the top of
the rock, and soon afterwards he made his appearance. I found that he
had gone back to light a fire, to make the _Cashibos_ suppose we were
still on the rock. Ned's voice again summoning is, we embarked in the
canoe; and the horses being fastened to their halters, plunged into the
water after us, encouraged by the voices of the Indians. Ned, Manco,
Pedro, and I seized the paddles, and away we went down the stream,
gradually edging over to the opposite side. The horses, having been
accustomed to cross rivers, swam well; and for half an hour we continued
our course, till we reached a convenient landing place. Our poor horses
were very much exhausted; but we reflected that had we left them on the
other side, they would have fallen into the hands of the _Cashibos_.
Our intention had been to have sent them back with the Indians; but the
men had petitioned so hard to be allowed to accompany Manco, that he
could not refuse them; and we, therefore, were compelled to turn our
animals loose, with a hope that they might escape being devoured by
jaguars or shot by Indians.

We had landed in a little bay, the entrance of which was concealed, from
the opposite shore. By aid of our horses, we dragged up our canoe