"Do not fear; we have found acquaintances."
"It is time something of the kind was discovered," Jake said in a tone of relief. "I was beginning to think we should never meet one again."
"They looked like Indians," Teddy said doubtfully, and Neal added:
"I fancy we can take Cummings' word for it. Here they are, and it will soon be possible to know why they were so foolish as to come into this part of the country where wild beasts are not the least of the dangers to be encountered."
The strangers appeared, escorted by Poyor and the white man, and the latter said as they came into the opening selected as a halting place:
"These are acquaintances of ours from Merida, who have visited this section of the country in search of bird skins, which find a ready sale among your people. They have a canoe, and report that a dozen miles below here the stream widens until it can be navigated by reasonably large crafts."
"Since we haven't so much as the smallest kind of a boat I can't see how that information will be of any use to us," Neal replied laughingly.
"It won't take long for me to explain. I propose to hire them to carry us to the sea-shore, and thus save just so much labor of traveling on foot."
"Then our troubles are indeed over," Teddy cried joyously; but Cummings dampened his ardor somewhat when he added:
"There will then remain the journey around the coast, and with such a load it would not be safe to put to sea in their craft. But let us enjoy the blessings which come to us," he added, on observing how quickly his companions' countenances fell. "Half a loaf is decidedly better than no bread at all, and when a tramp of six days can be set aside we have good cause to feel pleased."
The strangers had not waited to be welcomed by the other members of the party. Without stopping to be invited they began preparations for cooking on rather an extensive scale, using the contents of their well filled game bags, and the savory odor which soon arose brought Jake to a full realization of the good fortune that had come to them.
"With those fellows to hunt the game it will be a regular feast from here to the coast," he said approvingly, "and I think this is the first piece of good luck we've had since leaving the Sea Dream."