"What did he say?"
"What did he say? Well--"
"Why don't you speak?" cried Fitz angrily.
"You might give a fellow time. What did father say?"
"Yes, of course!"
"Oh, he said he didn't like much shooting, because he did not want the
enemy to know we were up the river, but that if I saw anything in the
shape of a deer or a big bird, or anything else good to eat, I was to
fire."
"Hah!" sighed Fitz, as he saw himself spending a lonely day on board.
"Hah!" sighed Poole, in imitation. "I wish you had been going too."
Fitz looked at him searchingly.
"There!" he cried. "You are gammoning me."
Poole could not keep it in; his face expanded into a broad grin.
"I knew you were," cried Fitz.
"Yes, it's all right, old chap. The governor said that you were to
come, for he didn't think that there would be any trouble, and it would
be a pleasant change for you."
"Your father is a regular trump," cried Fitz excitedly. "I say, though;
I should have liked to have a gun."
"Well, you are going to have his. I'll carry a rifle, so as to bring
down all the bucks."
"How soon do we start?"
"Directly. Old Burgess is looking as blue as Butters' nose because he
has got to stop at home, and Butters himself is doing nothing else but
growl. He didn't like it a bit when the dad said that he must be tired
after the other night's work. But he's got to stop."
Half-an-hour later the well-manned boat was being pulled vigorously up
the rapidly narrowing river, with the two boys in the bows, on the
look-out for anything worthy of powder and shot which might appear on
either bank; but there was nothing save beauty to recompense their
watchful eyes.
Birds were plentiful enough, and of the loveliest plumage, while every
now and then a loud splash followed the movement of what seemed to be a
log of wood making the best of its way into deep water. And once high
in a mighty tree which shot up its huge bole from the very mud of the
bank, Poole pointed out a curious knot of purple, dull buff and brown,
right in the fork where a large branch joined the bole. "Not a serpent,
is it?" whispered Fitz. "It is, though," was the reply; and the middy
raised his piece.
"No, no; don't shoot," said Poole softly. "It isn't good to eat, and we
might be giving the alarm."
Fitz lowered the double gun with a sigh, and the boat glided on, sending
the rushing water in a wave to go lapping amongst the bushes that
overhung from the bank, and directly after the serpent knot was hidden
by the leaves.
The rapid little river wound here and there, and they went on mile after
mile, with the steamy heat growing at times almost unbearable. But the
men did not murmur, tugging away at their oars and seeming to enjoy the
beauty of the many scenes through which they passed, for every now and
then the river widened out, to look like some shut-in lake. And so mile
after mile was passed, no spot where they could land presenting itself
in the dense jungle which covered the banks, and it was not till
afternoon that at a sudden turn they came upon an opening which had
evidently been produced by the axe, while a short distance farther on at
a word from the skipper the progress of the boat was checked at a
roughly-made pier of piles driven into the mud, to which were pinned
huge sticks of timber, beyond which was a rough corduroy road leading
evidently to something in the way of civilisation.
"It must be up here somewhere, boys," said the skipper. "Two of you
stop as keepers, my lads, while we land and go and see. The hacienda
must certainly be hereabouts from the description Don Ramon gave;" and
as all stepped on to the rough timber pier, the skipper instructed the
boat-keepers to get well under shelter out of the sun and to keep strict
watch, before leading the way along the wooded road through the thick
growth which had newly sprung up amongst the butts of the great trees
that had been felled or burned off level with the soil.
It must not be judged from this, that it was any scene of desolation,
for every stump and relic of fallen tree was ornamented with lovely
orchids, or wreathed with tangling vines. Butterflies of the most vivid
hues fluttered here and there in the glorious sunshine, while
humming-birds literally flashed as they darted by.
The clearing had evidently been the work of many men, and it was plain
to see what the place must have been before the axe was introduced, by
the dense mass of giant trees that stood up untouched a couple of
hundred yards on either side--the primaeval forest in its glory,
untouched by man.