es. Overtaking it, he once more
turned the craft deck upwards; and, mounting aboard, paddled back
towards the student.

Lantejas had not yet recovered from the surprise with which the
encounter, as well as the audacious _sang-froid_ exhibited by the
_tigrero_, had inspired him, when the latter arrived underneath; and,
with the same blade with which he had almost disembowelled the tiger,
opened the bottom of the hammock by cutting it lengthwise. By this
means he had resolved on delivering the student more easily than by
endeavouring to get him out over the edge.

At that moment was heard the voice of Clara, still swimming about in the
water.

"The skins of the jaguars!" cried he; "are you going to let them be
lost? They are worth twenty dollars, Costal!"

"Well, if they are," replied the Indian, "swim after and secure them. I
have no time to spare," added he, as he pulled Lantejas through the
bottom of the hammock, and lowered him down into the canoe.

"_Dios me libre_!" responded Clara; "I shall do nothing of the kind.
Who knows whether the life's quite out of them yet? They may go to the
devil for me! Heigh! Costal! paddle this way, and take me in. I have
no desire to go under those tamarinds--laced as they are by half a mile
of rattlesnakes."

"Get in gently, then!" said Costal, directing the canoe towards the
negro. "Gently, or you may capsize us a second time."

"Jesus God!" exclaimed Don Cornelio, who now for the first time had
found the power of speech; "Jesus God!" he repeated, seeing himself, not
without some apprehension, between two strange beings--the one red, the
other black--both dripping with water, and their hair covered with the
yellow scum of the waves!

"Eh! Senor student," rejoined Clara, in a good-humoured way, "is that
all the thanks you give us for the service we have done you?"

"Pardon me, _gentlemen_," stammered out Don Cornelio; "I was dreadfully
frightened. I have every reason to be thankful to you."

And, his confidence now restored, the student expressed, in fit terms,
his warm gratitude; and finished his speech by congratulating the Indian
on his escape from the dangers he had encountered.

"By my faith! it is true enough," rejoined Costal, "I have run some
little danger. I was all over of a sweat; and this cursed water coming
down from the mountains as cold as ice--_Carrambo_! I shouldn't wonder
if I should get a bad cold from the ducking."

The student listened