About daybreak Lawrence heard Pedro and the Indian girl conversing in
the Indian language and in unusually earnest tones, which were
interrupted once or twice by slight laughter. He wondered much what
they found to laugh at, but having become by that time accustomed to the
guide's little touches of mystery, and being very sleepy, he did not
trouble himself about it long.

The storm happily was short-lived, and when the sun appeared, enabling
them to dry their garments, and a good breakfast had been eaten, the
discomforts of the past night were forgotten, and Quashy even ceased to
growl at the "skeeters" and lament his double nose.

Hitherto they had met with few Indians, and these few were friendly,
being acquainted either personally or by report with Spotted Tiger, for
the man's reputation as a jaguar and puma slayer had extended far beyond
his own tribe. That day, however, several native canoes were passed,
and in the evening they found that the place on which Tiger had made up
his mind to encamp was in possession of Indians.

"Friendly?" asked Pedro, as they approached the shore.

"Yes, friendly," replied Tiger.

"Would it not be better to go a little further and encamp away from
them?" asked Lawrence, who retained unpleasant memories of the dirtiness
of Indian encampments.

"Tiger wishes to speak to them," said Pedro, as the canoe was run on
shore.

It was found that the party consisted of several families of Indians who
were out on a turtle-hunting expedition, for the season had arrived when
turtles lay their eggs.

This laying season of the turtle sets the whole population of those
regions, civilised and savage, in motion, searching in the sands for
eggs, and capturing or killing the animals. The Indians now met with
were on the latter business. Upon the weather depends the commencement
of this season of unwonted activity among the turtles and wild
excitement among the river-side Indians, for the snows must cease to
fall on the summits of the Andes, and the rivers must decrease in volume
so as to lay bare vast spaces of sand, before the eggs can be laid.

No alderman in London city ever equalled--much less excelled--a South
American savage of that region in his love of turtle, or in his capacity
for devouring it. But the savage goes immeasurably further than the
alderman! He occupies altogether a higher and more noble position in
regard to the turtle, for he not only studies, with prolonged care an