t
this morning, either."

"Bodies! Oh! Those fellows dead?" He tilted his head toward the doors
behind which the sick men had lain. "Glad of it. Best for them and
everybody else. Hate to have sick people in the place."

The Americans said nothing. They lit new cigarettes and waited for the
other to become "human." And when his substantial breakfast was down,
his gin-flavored coffee had disappeared, and his big cigar was aglow, he
did.

"Well, gentlemen, have you decided to take good advice and let your
Raposa alone?" he asked, affably.

"Who ever follows good advice?" Knowlton countered. Schwandorf chuckled.

"_Niemand._ Nobody. So you will go." He shook his head solemnly. "I have
said all I can without offense. But if you persist I can only help you
to start. If possible I should like to go with you up the river to the
place where you will take to the bush; but I must go to Iquitos, in
Peru, on the monthly launch which is due in a day or two, so all my
business is in the other direction. If now I can aid in the matter of a
crew--"

"That is what we were about to ask of you."

"So. Then let us be about it. I have been thinking, since you showed
your determination last night, and have made inquiries about men. There
are now in Nazareth, the little Peruvian town across the river, several
men from whom you can pick an excellent crew. Men of the river and the
bush, not worthless loafers like these townsmen here. Men who are not
afraid of hell or high water, as the saying is. Not remarkable for
either beauty or brains, but good men for your work--by far the best you
can obtain. I would suggest a large canoe and six or eight of those men
as crew."

The others smoked thoughtfully. Then McKay said, "We should prefer
Brazilians."

"Not if you knew the people hereabouts as well as I. It, of course,
makes no personal difference to me what sort of crew you get, but I tell
you that these men are best. What does it matter which side of the river
they come from? Men are men."

"True," McKay conceded.

"Can't be too fussy here," Knowlton added. "Let's see the men."

All rose. But then Schwandorf suggested:

"No need of your going to Nazareth. Better stay here, unless you want to
go through a great deal of ceremonious foolishness over there. It's
Peruvian ground and the barefooted ignoramuses of officials may insist
on showing their importance by demanding your papers and all that. I can
go across, get the men, and be