ssion. This was all very pleasant, but 'twas dallying with
danger. The Spaniards were acquainted with our doings--the captains of
the rifled ships would tell them so much; and some of us argued that if
every petty Indian chief knew exactly where to meet us, then assuredly
the Dons must be aware of our route also. However, 'tis hard to make
victors cautious. We had a hearty contempt for the Spaniards in
Panama, and did not give them credit for pluck enough to follow us. So
we journeyed along in a fool's paradise, surrounded by admiring
Indians, and so laden with booty and presents that we could only move
at a snail's pace.

"One day a native runner came to us from a friendly village with the
news that a force of a hundred Spaniards, well armed, was in pursuit.
The Indians were eager for us to stay and meet the Dons, promising us
help if we would do so. Oxenham decided he had done enough for glory
just then, and thought it wiser to get back to his ship and sail for
home; our spoil was too precious to be risked, and was a tempting bait
to any foe. We set out at once. Coming to a place where two streams
entered the main river, we took the smallest waterway, hoping thus to
baffle pursuit, for our real path lay along the main stream. Our ruse
would have succeeded but for a trivial oversight. The Dons came to the
parting of the ways, and were nonplussed as to our route. They had
decided to follow the main stream, and were seated in their canoes
ready to resume the pursuit, when a bunch of plucked feathers came down
the smallest stream. Within ten minutes other feathers came floating
along, and some were bloodstained. They rightly guessed that these
were evidence that we had prepared food somewhere higher up. Boats
were forsaken, and a march through the forest commenced. That very
night they surprised us. We fought well, and our Indian friends proved
no cowards. Fifty of us, fairly well laden with gold, got away, and
after a toilsome march reached the place where our ship had been
hidden--only to find it gone!

"We hunted the creek on both sides, and found unmistakable signs that
the Dons had found our vessel and confiscated it. Why they did not lie
in ambush for us we could not imagine. Maybe they thought us
effectually trapped, and likely to be an easy prey to fever, or to
their attack after fever had had its way with us. For a while we were
in despair; then we remembered old England, and what she expects