He was sicker than ever of the jungle, the beauty of which could not hide from him its steam and poison.
"How much longer do you think it will be before we leave the tierra caliente ?" he asked.
"We ought to reach the intermediate zone between the tierra caliente and the higher sierras in three or four days," replied Obed.

"It's mighty slow traveling in the jungle, but to get out of it we've only to keep going long enough.

Meanwhile, we'll have a good snooze by the side of this nice, clean little river." As usual after hard traveling, they fell asleep almost at once, but Ned was awakened in the night by some strange sound, the nature of which he could not determine at first.

The jungle surrounded them in a vast, high circle, wholly black in the night, but overhead was a blue rim of sky lighted by stars.

He raised himself on his elbow.