come upon the home of
the beautiful trogons, especially the splendid trogon, or quetzal. Then
we must make the best of our opportunities."

I had expected that we should make our way back to the boat-camp that
night, but we spent so much time exploring the wonders and beauties of
the gorge, that evening was coming on when we stopped about a mile
higher along the stream than the spot where we first climbed up, and as
we were well supplied with provisions, and were pretty well fagged, my
uncle decided to camp in the shelter of the rocky side of the ravine for
the night.

So Pete was set to collect dead wood for a fire, Cross descended with
our kettle to fill it below, and before long we were partaking of a
capital meat-tea by the light of the fire; while we strolled a little
way from our camp to listen to the various sounds of the night, it
seemed as if a fresh world of inhabitants had awakened, and for hours we
listened to the strange notes of bird and insect, and watched with
wonder the beauty of the fire-flies, which never seemed to grow common.

The fire was burning low when we turned back to camp, and Pete was
stretched out on the sandy shelf beneath the great tree he had selected
for our resting-place, and snoring as if he meant to make up for the
hard day's work.

But Cross was wakeful and ready to throw a few more dry twigs upon the
fire to light us as soon as he heard our steps.

"Seen or heard anything, Cross?" I said.

"Crickets, and toads, and frogs, and chuckling birds who seem to think
we must be foolish to come right out here into no-man's-land, sir.
That's about all. How have you got on?"

"Had a lovely walk," I said, as I settled down in my place beneath the
sheltering boughs. "Good-night, uncle; good-night, everybody," and I
believe that in ten minutes' time I was sleeping as soundly as if secure
and well housed in a civilised land.

CHAPTER ELEVEN.

WE LOSE THE AXE.

"Well, you can't help liking the place, Master Nat," said Pete the next
morning, as we prepared the breakfast, "even if you do have to sleep on
the sand with a nubbly stone under your back. Look at it; makes me feel
as if I should like to be a savage Indian chief, and always live here
shooting and fishing."

"It is lovely," I said, as I gazed around at the glorious scene.

"Why, you could get more birds here than you'll ever want. I think we
ought to stay here instead of going away."

"We're only going to fetch u