liniment. San Pedro knew of a leaf that grew in the
jungle which, when bruised, and made into poultices, had the
property of drawing out soreness. The next day he found some, and
Mr. Damon was wrapped up in bandages until he declared that he
looked like an Egyptian mummy.

But the leaf poultices did him good, and in a few days he was able
to be about, though he was still a trifle stiff. Of course the
cavalcade had to halt in the woods, but they did not mind this as
they had traveled well up to this time, and the enforced rest was
appreciated.

"Well, do you feel able to move along?" asked Tom of Mr. Damon one
morning, about a week later, for they were still in the "snake
camp," as they called it in memory of the big serpent.

"Oh, yes, I think so, Tom. Where are you going?"

"I want to push on to the next village. There I hope to get some
line on giant land, and really I ought to begin making inquiries
soon. San Pedro and the others are wondering what our object is, for
we haven't collected any specimens of either flowers or animals, or
the snake skin, and he thinks we are a sort of scientific
expedition."

"Well, let's travel then. I'm able."

So they started off once more along the jungle and forest trail. As
San Pedro had predicted, they came upon evidences of a native
village. Scattered huts, made of plastered mud and grass, with
thatched roofs of palm leaves, were met with, as they advanced, but
none of the places seemed to be inhabited, though rude gardens
around them showed that they had been the homes of natives up to
recently.

"No one seems to be at home," remarked Tom, when they had gone past
perhaps half a dozen of these lonely huts.

"I wonder what can be the matter?" asked Ned. "It looks as if they
had gone off in a hurry, too. Maybe there's been some sort of
epidemic."

"No, no sickness," said San Pedro. "Natives no sick."

"Bless my liver pill!" cried Mr. Damon, who was almost himself
again. "Then what is it?"

"Much fight, maybe."

"Much fight?" repeated Tom.

"Yes, tribes at war. Maybe natives go away so as not be killed."

"By Jove!" exclaimed the young inventor. "That's so. I forgot about
what Mr. Preston said. There's a native war going on around here.
Well, when we get to the town we can find out more about it, and
steer clear of the two armies, if we have to."

But as they went farther on, the evidences of a native war became
more pronounced. They passed several huts that had