ossing between them? No creature without
wings could pass from the one to the other! Such were the questions and
doubts expressed by Leon, and indeed by all except Guapo, but Guapo had
seen araguatoes before, and knew some of their tricks. Guapo,
therefore, boldly pronounced that it was their intention to cross the
igaripe by these two trees. He was about to explain the manner in which
they would accomplish it, when the movement commenced, and rendered his
explanation quite unnecessary.

At a commanding cry from the chief, several of the largest and strongest
monkeys swung themselves into the tree that stood on the edge of the
water. Here, after a moment's reconnoissance, they were seen to get
upon a horizontal limb--one that projected diagonally over the igaripe.
There were no limbs immediately underneath it on the same side of the
tree; and for this very reason had they selected it. Having advanced
until they were near its top, the foremost of the monkeys let himself
down upon his tail, and hung head downward. Another slipped down the
body of the first, and clutched him around the neck and fore-arms with
his strong tail, with his head down also. A third succeeded the second,
and a fourth the third, and so on until a string of monkeys dangled from
the limb. A motion was now produced by the monkeys striking other
branches with their feet, until the long string oscillated back and
forwards like the pendulum of a clock. This oscillation was gradually
increased, until the monkey at the lower end was swung up among the
branches of the tree on the opposite side of the igaripe. After
touching them once or twice, he discovered that he was within reach; and
the next time when he had reached the highest point of the oscillating
curve, he threw out his long thin fore-arms, and firmly clutching the
branches, held fast.

The oscillation now ceased. The living chain stretched across the
igaripe from tree to tree, and, curving slightly, hung like a
suspension-bridge. A loud screaming, and gabbling, and chattering, and
howling, proceeded from the band of araguatoes, who, up to this time,
had watched the manoeuvres of their comrades in silence--all except the
old chief, who occasionally had given directions both with voice and
gestures. But the general gabble that succeeded was, no doubt, an
expression of the satisfaction of all that the _bridge was built_.

The troop now proceeded to cross over, one or two old ones goi