about
anything, or the way to any place, my advice is to walk straight for'ard
till we come to something."

"So think I," replied Martin; "therefore the sooner we set off the
better."

Having no luggage to pack and no arrangements of any kind to make, the
two friends rose from their primitive breakfast-table, and walked away
straight before them into the forest.

All that day they travelled patiently forward, conversing pleasantly
about the various and wonderful trees, and flowers, and animals they met
with by the way; but no signs were discovered that indicated the presence
of man. Towards evening, however, they fell upon a track or
foot-path,--which discovery rejoiced them much; and here, before
proceeding further, they sat down to eat a little more fruit,--which,
indeed, they had done several times during the day. They walked nearly
thirty miles that day without seeing a human being; but they met with
many strange and beautiful birds and beasts,--some of which were of so
fierce an aspect that they would have been very glad to have had guns to
defend themselves with. Fortunately, however, all the animals seemed to
be much more afraid of them than they were of the animals; so they
travelled in safety. Several times during the course of the day they saw
snakes and serpents, which glided away into the jungle on their approach,
and could not be overtaken, although Barney made repeated darts at them,
intending to attack them with his cutlass; which assaults always proved
fruitless.

Once they were charged by a herd of peccaries,--a species of pig or wild
hog,--from which they escaped by jumping actively to one side; but the
peccaries turned and rushed at them again, and it was only by springing
up the branches of a neighbouring tree that they escaped their fury.
These peccaries are the fiercest and most dauntless animals in the
forests of Brazil. They do not know what fear is,--they will rush in the
face of anything; and, unlike all other animals, are quite indifferent to
the report of fire-arms. Their bodies are covered with long bristles,
resembling very much the quills of the porcupine.

As the evening drew on, the birds and beasts and the innumerable insects,
that had kept up a perpetual noise during the day, retired to rest; and
then the nocturnal animals began to creep out of their holes and go
about. Huge vampire-bats, one of which had given Barney such a fright the
night before, flew silently past them; and