Well, he did it all right," and Tom's
voice was bitter.
"He has only side-tracked us for a while,"
announced Professor Bumper in cheerful tones.
"What do you mean?" asked Mr. Damon.
"I mean that this Indian comes just in the nick
of time. He is well acquainted with this part
of the jungle, having lived here all his life,
and he offers to guide us to a place where we can
get mules to transport ourselves and our baggage
to Copan."
"Fine!" cried Ned. "When can we start?"
Once more the professor and the native
conversed in the strange tongue, and then Professor
Bumper announced:
"He says it will be better for us to go back
where we left our things and camp there. He
will stay with us to-night and in the morning go
on to the nearest Indian town and come back
with porters and helpers."
"I think that is good advice to follow," put in
Tom, "for we do need our goods; and if we
reached the settlement ourselves, we would have
to send back for our things, with the uncertainty
of getting them all."
So it was agreed that they would make a forced
march back through the jungle to where they
had been deserted by Jacinto. There they would
make camp for the night, and until such time as
Tolpec could return with a force of porters.
It was not easy, that backward tramp through
the jungle, especially as night had fallen. But
the new Indian guide could see like a cat, and
led the party along paths they never could have
found by themselves.
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