Category: Adventure

The Forest Exiles: The Perils of a Peruvian Family in the Wilds of the Amazon

In return, believe _me_, when I tell you I am not tired of yours; and the best proof I can give is, that I have come once more to seek you. I have come to solicit the pleasure of your company,--not to an evening party, nor to a ball, nor to the Grand Opera, nor to the Crystal...

Chapters

19. CHAPTER NINETEEN.

The result of the tapir chase determined Guapo to have himself better armed. There was one weapon--and a very efficient one too--which he knew how both to make and use. That wea...

35. CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE.

That day they made good progress, having dropped down the river a distance of fifty miles at least. They might even have gone farther, but a good camping-place offered, and they...

30. CHAPTER THIRTY.

During the whole summer, Don Pablo, Guapo, and Leon, continued bark-gathering. Every day they went out into the woods, excepting Sunday of course. That was kept as a day of rest...

18. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.

It has been already mentioned that the stream in front of the house was wider than at other parts, forming a sort of lake. There was a slow current down the middle, but at the s...

2. CHAPTER TWO.

Upon a bright and lovely evening, many years ago, a party of travellers might have been seen climbing up that Cordillera of the Andes that lies to the eastward of the ancient ci...

13. CHAPTER THIRTEEN.

After two more days of fatiguing travel, the road parted from the bank of the river, and ran along the ridge of a high mountain spur in a direction at right angles to that of th...

44. CHAPTER FORTY FOUR.

When they awoke in the morning they found Guapo busy over the fire. He had already been at the turtles' nests, and had collected a large basketful of the eggs, some of which he...

34. CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR.

Leon's head was close to that of the sleeper, whose sweet breath he felt, and whose little bosom rose and fell in gentle undulation. He scanned the inside of the hammock from he...

27. CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN.

Ants are disagreeable insects in any country, but especially so in warm tropical climates. Their ugly appearance, their destructive habits, but, above all, the pain of their sti...

43. CHAPTER FORTY THREE.

The next evening our travellers encamped on a sand-bar, or rather a great bank of sand, that ran for miles along one side of the river. Of course they had nothing to hang their...

25. CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE.

All at once the attention of the boy was called away from the crawling millions. A rustling among some dead leaves was heard. It appeared to proceed from the edge of the glade,...

31. CHAPTER THIRTY ONE.

As yet none of the exiles had seen any tracks or indications of the terrible jaguar, and Don Pablo began to believe that there were none in that district of country. He was not...

15. CHAPTER FIFTEEN.

It was Guapo himself that killed the llamas, and, having skinned them, he cut the flesh into thin strips, and hung it upon the branches to dry in the sun. This, of course, was n...

40. CHAPTER FORTY.

For several days they voyaged down-stream, without any occurrence of particular interest. Once or twice they saw Indians upon the shore; but these, instead of putting off in the...

42. CHAPTER FORTY TWO.

In consequence of their having rested but poorly on the preceding night, it was determined that they should land at an early hour; and this they did, choosing an open place on t...

32. CHAPTER THIRTY TWO.

This was the most exciting day that had been passed since their arrival in the Montana; and considering the result it was well that the occurrence had taken place. It had rid th...

21. CHAPTER TWENTY ONE.

About this time an incident occurred that was very near having a fatal termination for one of the party--Leon. The day was a very hot one, and as the cool water looked inviting,...

49. CHAPTER FORTY NINE.

The araguatoes, with dried plantains and cassava, were the food of our travellers for several days after. On the evening of the third day they had a change. Guapo succeeded in c...

5. CHAPTER FIVE.

By early dawn Guapo was awake, but he did not immediately awake the others. It was still too dark to follow the mountain road. His first care was to have his coca breakfast, and...

3. CHAPTER THREE.

Following the rugged and winding path, the travellers had climbed to a height of many thousand feet above the ocean level. There was very little vegetation around them. Nothing...

20. CHAPTER TWENTY.

Guapo kept his promise with the tapir, and on that very same day. Shortly after the macaws had been brought in, little Leona, who had been straying down by the water's edge, cam...

37. CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN.

Guapo sat by the fire patiently awaiting the "doing" of the marimonda. The rest had eaten their supper, and were seated some distance apart. They were looking out upon the broad...

8. CHAPTER EIGHT.

Our travellers were stirring by early break of day. As they issued from the hut, a singular and interesting scene presented itself to their eyes. At one view--one _coup d'oeil_-...

23. CHAPTER TWENTY THREE.

At length, all things being ready, Don Pablo and party set out for a day's work among the cinchonas. As it was the first day of bark-gathering all went along to enjoy the novelt...

11. CHAPTER ELEVEN.

It was as yet only an hour or so after daybreak--for the vicuna hunt had occupied but a very short time and the capture of the condor a still shorter. Don Pablo was anxious to b...

6. CHAPTER SIX.

Guapo was not much troubled at this. He knew he could take the liberty of using his friend's roof for the night, even should the latter not return to grant it. He crawled in. Of...

41. CHAPTER FORTY ONE.

Of course the escape from danger so imminent, after the first moments were over, produced a sort of reaction in the feelings of all, and they were now rather joyous than otherwi...

16. CHAPTER SIXTEEN.

It happened, that upon the opposite side of the stream there was a broad track covered with palm-trees, while not one was to be seen on that side where they intended building th...

17. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN.

The first species of palms that attracted the observation of Don Pablo and his party, was that known as the "patawa" palm. It belongs to the genus _Cenocarpus_. There are severa...

38. CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT.

Guapo was in no humour for enjoying the conversation of that evening. The crocodile had "choused" him out of his favourite supper. The monkey was literally knocked to "smitheree...

26. CHAPTER TWENTY SIX.

Leon looked down to ascertain what had caused him such a sudden pain. The sight that met his eyes made his blood run cold. The ground below was alive and moving. A white stratum...

9. CHAPTER NINE.

The vicuna being of such value, both inside and out, both in flesh and wool, is hunted by the mountain Indians with great assiduity. It is an animal most difficult to approach,...

45. CHAPTER FORTY FIVE.

They had got into a part of the river that seemed to be a favourite resort with turtles and crocodiles, and creatures of that description. At different times they saw turtles of...

1. CHAPTER ONE.

In return, believe _me_, when I tell you I am not tired of yours; and the best proof I can give is, that I have come once more to seek you. I have come to solicit the pleasure o...

24. CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR.

In a few minutes the work began--that work which was to occupy them, perhaps, for several years. The first blow of Guapo's axe was the signal to begin the making of a fortune. I...

7. CHAPTER SEVEN.

Who was this deliverer? No other than the vaquero--the friend of Guapo,--who now welcomed Guapo and his companions, telling them in the polite phraseology of all Spanish-America...

22. CHAPTER TWENTY TWO.

In about two weeks from their arrival in the valley, the house, with a stable for the horse and mule, was completed, and all the necessary furniture as well. Had you entered the...

29. CHAPTER TWENTY NINE.

Conversing in this way, the bark-hunters, at length, reached the cinchona-trees, and then all talk about armadillos was at an end. They went lustily to their work--which was of...

33. CHAPTER THIRTY THREE.

The current of the river flowed at the rate of about four miles an hour, and at this speed they travelled. They had nothing to do but guide the raft in the middle part of the st...

4. CHAPTER FOUR.

I have said all ate of the supper. This is not strictly true. One of the party did not touch it, and that was old Guapo. Why? Was he not hungry like the rest? Yes; as hungry as...

39. CHAPTER THIRTY NINE.

The chiguires that escaped past the crocodile, the next instant plunged into the river, and disappeared under the water. They would come to the surface for breath in ten or twel...

36. CHAPTER THIRTY SIX.

Now you will, perhaps, imagine that Guapo, having sat so quiet during all this scene, had no desire for a bit of roast-monkey to supper. In that fancy, then, you would be quite...

48. CHAPTER FORTY EIGHT.

The tree upon which the araguatoes were assembled stood near the edge of the water, but there was another still nearer. This was also a tall tree free of branches for a great wa...

12. CHAPTER TWELVE.

That night they encamped in the bottom of the ravine close to the water's edge. They found just enough of level ground to enable them to stretch themselves, but they were conten...

50. CHAPTER FIFTY.

The current was in most places over four miles an hour, and the navigation smooth and easy--so that our travellers rarely made less than fifty miles a-day. There was considerabl...

47. CHAPTER FORTY SEVEN.

Our party had passed several of these jacitaras, made the balza fast, landed, and were just cooking their scanty supper, when they heard a band of howling monkeys afar off in th...

46. CHAPTER FORTY SIX.

After many days of rafting our travellers arrived in a most singular country. They were now approaching the mighty Amazon, and the river upon which they had hitherto been travel...

14. CHAPTER FOURTEEN.

If you reflect upon the situation in which they were placed, you will not wonder that they were anxious about the future. Their first care had been to fly into the wilderness, w...

10. CHAPTER TEN.

The vaquero with his horse soon dragged the vicunas to the hut. Guapo gave him a help with the mule, and in a few minutes they were all brought up. One of them was immediately s...

28. CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT.

Dona Isidora and Leona had watched all the manoeuvres of the ant-lion with great interest, and Leona, after the bite she had had, was not in any mood to sympathise with the ants...