aching one of these paths, he
went some way ahead and looked up and down, to ascertain whether any one
was travelling along it.

We had halted for this purpose, when he came back and said that he had
seen a person on a mule coming from the south, and urging his beast on
at a rapid rate. He advised us to remain concealed till the traveller
had passed; not that, being alone, he could do us any harm, but he might
betray us to our enemies.

Being near the path, I was tempted to creep forward to see who the
stranger was. I had moved a few paces, when I heard a bark; and
presently a dog came rushing towards me, barking furiously, and
apparently with the intention of flying at my throat. I might easily
have shot the animal; and I was lifting my weapon, in case it should be
necessary to fire, when I recognised my old acquaintance Jumbo.

"Jumbo! Jumbo!" I shouted out; "don't you remember your friends?"

Jumbo knew my voice instantly: he ceased barking, and came fawning up to
me. I was sure that his master could not be far off; and hurrying out
from my concealment, I saw before me Dr Stutterheim,--who, supposing
that his dog had discovered a jaguar, had unslung his gun, ready to do
battle with the wild beast.

Great was the pleasure he exhibited at seeing me.

"Why, Barry! my dear Barry!" he exclaimed, "what wonderful chance has
enabled us thus to meet? I thought that you were long ago safe among
the mountains; and despairing of finding you, I was on my way down to
any port I could reach on the coast, from whence I could escape from
this unhappy country, regretting that I should probably see you no more;
and almost as much grieved--I must confess the fact--to leave all my
treasures behind me, to rot, or be eaten by the ants, as I had no means
of transporting them."

"I thought, doctor, that you were determined to remain with your
patients till they recovered," I remarked.

"Alack, alack! my friend, they have gone where they require no surgeon's
aid," replied the doctor. "Those bloodthirsty Spaniards last night
burst into the village, and murdered every wounded man; together with
several other people--men, women, and children--whom they caught. I
myself narrowly escaped with my life by remaining concealed in the
garden of the house, under a bed of pumpkins, where it did not occur to
them to look for me. Finding that they had beaten a retreat (being
alarmed by a report that a large body of patriots was near at h