e was here. Let's look at that arrow."

Back to the hollow tree they went, retrieving McKay's pistol on the way.
About a yard above the earth a long shaft projected from the bark.
Knowlton reached for it, but McKay held him back and drew it out.

"M-hm! Thought so!" he muttered. "Poisoned."

"Oof! Nice, gentle sort of a cuss," rumbled Tim. "That smear on the
point--is that poison?"

"Poison. Quickest and deadliest kind of poison. Mixes instantly with
blood. Paralysis--convulsions--death. The least scratch and you're gone.
Wicked head on this thing, too: looks like a piece of serrated bone. See
all those little barbs along the edges? War arrow, all right."

"Meanin' that we'll be jumped pretty soon by more Injuns. If that guy's
on the warpath he ain't alone."

"Wouldn't be a bad idea to take cover," nodded McKay. Turning the
five-foot shaft downward, he plunged its head into the soft ground and
left it sticking there, harmless.

"Tim, go down and guard the canoes. Merry, lie in between these roots
and keep watch off that way. I'll go over to that tree where the spy
hid."

For another hour the camp was silent. Each in his covert, finger on
trigger, the trio watched with ceaseless vigilance, expecting each
instant to detect dusky forms crawling up from tree to tree. Yet nothing
of the sort came. Nor did any hostile sound reach them. Somewhere
parrots squawked, somewhere else the puppylike yapping of toucans
disturbed the solitude; nothing else.

The wan light faded. The sun crawled up the trees, leaving all the
ground in shadow. Then, not far off, sounded the soft whistle of the
mutum. Suspicious, the watchers held their places until, with another
whistle, Pedro came into view, followed by Lourenco.

McKay arose, met them, and briefly explained the situation. They nodded,
but seemed undisturbed.

"We can start a fire now, Capitao," Lourenco said. "Night comes and we
are hungry. There will be no danger before another dawn."

With which he leaned his rifle against a tree and started immediate
preparations for a meal. Pedro continued on to the canoes, made sure
they were drawn up high enough to remain in place in case of any sudden
rain, and returned with Tim. Around them now resounded the swiftly
rising roar of the nightly outbreak of animal life. The sun vanished. At
once blackness whelmed all except the little fire.

"See anything while you were out?" asked McKay.

"We found no trace of the Raposa," Louren