"Now, Senhor Armstrong, I am going to ask you to exercise a little
patience at this point in our journey. The business I have in hand
requires that I should leave you for two or three days. I fully expect
to be back by the end of that time, and meanwhile I leave you and Quashy
and Manuela in good company, for my friend Spotted Tiger is true as
steel, though he _is_ an Indian, and will perhaps show you a little
sport to prevent your wearying."
"Very good, Pedro. I am quite willing to wait," said Lawrence. "You
know I am not pressed for time at present. I shall be very glad to
remain and see what is to be seen here, and learn Spanish from Manuela."
"Or teach her Angleesh," suggested the girl, bashfully.
"Certainly. Whichever pleases you best, Manuela," returned Lawrence.
"But s'pose," said Quashy, with a look of awful solemnity at
Pedro--"s'pose you nebber comes back at all! S'pose you gits drownded,
or killed by a tiger, or shot by a Injin. What den?"
"Suppose," retorted the guide, "that an earthquake should swallow up
South America, or that the world should catch fire--what then?"
"Why den, we no care a buttin for not'ing arter _dat_," replied the
negro, promptly, "but if you don' return, we nebber reach Buenos Ayres."
"Never fear, Quashy. If I don't return, Spotted Tiger will guide you
safely there."
That night Pedro and his friend left the hut in a canoe, lighted by a
brilliant moon. Before morning the latter returned alone.
Meanwhile Lawrence had slung Manuela's hammock between two trees, with a
fire on either side, yet screened from the chief camp-fire by a thick
bush, so that though close at hand, and under his protection, she
occupied, as it were, a separate chamber of her own. His own hammock
and that of Quashy--for they all used hammocks--were hung side by side a
little nearer to the large fire.
Mr and Mrs Tiger, with all the little Tigers, finding their hut rather
warm, came outside, and also made their beds beside their visitors.