hourly grew higher and rougher--a constant succession of
ridges and ravines. Lourenco, pointing out the absence of water marks on
the trees of the uplands, said that now the land of the great annual
floods had been left behind; for even the sixty-foot rise of waters in
the rainy season could not reach to these hilltops. With the entry into
this terra firma the travelers had also found the sun again, the dank
mist of yesterday having vanished. Nevertheless, the going was fully as
hard as on the previous day, because of the density of the bush and of
the labor of crossing the narrow but deep streams flowing at the bottom
of nearly every clove. Few words were exchanged, every man needing his
breath for the work of walking.

As before, the keen machetes of the Brazilians opened a direct route
through all opposing undergrowth. When a brief halt was called at noon
the Mayorunas, who seemed to know exactly where they were despite the
fact that they had never before followed this straight course, informed
Lourenco that much circuitous traveling had already been saved, and that
by tramping hard until sundown they might succeed in reaching the tribal
_maloca_ that night. But McKay vetoed the idea of a forced march.

"This gait is fast enough and hard enough," he declared. "No sense in
exhausting ourselves to save a few hours' time. Also, we don't want to
go staggering into the Mayoruna village with our tongues hanging out and
our knees wabbling. First impressions are lasting with such people, and
they might get an idea we were weaklings."

To which all except the savages, who did not understand the language of
the white man, assented approvingly.

Yet it was the Mayorunas themselves who delayed arrival at their
_maloca_--the Mayorunas and a monkey. When the sinking sun was still two
hours high, and while the leader was forcing the pace as if determined
to reach home that night whether the rest liked it or not, the monkey
upset any such plan.

He was a big gray monkey, and he was high up in the branches of a tall
matamata tree, where he deemed himself safe from the many creatures
laboring along the ground below. Wherefore he chattered impudently down
at them and, as the tall Indian guide halted, showed his teeth
derisively. The savage grunted. The man behind him also grunted and
lifted his blowgun. But the leader growled at him and the blowgun sank.

With a swift sweep of the hand the guide drew from his quiver one of
those