ain to McKay he spoke as if all
were arranged.

"When do we start, Capitao?"

Tim slapped his leg and cackled.

"By cripes! there ain't no lost motion with these guys. Hey, Cap?"

McKay smiled approvingly.

"We shall get on together" he said. "Lourenco and Pedro, this is not a
one-man party. We are three comrades, who now become five. If at any
time one man needs to command, I, as senior officer, will take that
command. Otherwise we are all on an equal footing."

"Just so," Lourenco agreed. "If it were otherwise you would still be
three men--not five. Since that is plain, let me say frankly that your
big canoe had best stay here, also everything you do not need in the
bush. Two light canoes are faster, easier to handle and to hide. Pedro
and I have our own canoe and will provide our own supplies. We will pick
out a three-man boat for you and load it with what you select from your
equipment. After that every man swings his own paddle."

"_Cada qual por si e Deus por todos._ Each for himself and God for us
all," Pedro summarized.

"That's the dope," applauded Tim. "Now say, Renzo, old feller, what d'ye
know about these here, now, Red Bones up above here? And have ye got
anything on that Raposy guy?"

Lourenco shook his head.

"I know little of the Red Bone people, for I have never met them. That
is one reason why I now should like to meet them. I have heard of them,
yes; and the things I have heard are not pleasant. Yet it may be that
the tales are worse than the people. I have also heard terrible stories
of the light-skinned cannibals, the Mayorunas; yet I have been among the
cannibals and found them not so bad--though it is true that they eat the
flesh of their enemies; I have seen it done. But it makes a very great
difference how they are approached and who the men are who approach
them. It is possible that we may go unharmed among even _los Ossos
Vermelhos_--the Red Bones. We shall see.

"Of the Raposa I think I do know something. I have seen him."

Everyone except Pedro sat up with a start.

"You have seen him?" exclaimed the coronel. "When? Where? How? Why have
you not spoken of it?"

"Because, Coronel, I forgot it until now. It meant nothing to us--yes,
Pedro was with me--except that it was one more queer thing in the bush.
In time I might have remembered it and told you. But you know we have
been busy."

"True. But go on."

"It was only a little time ago. We were returning from the scouting tr