THE RIVER OF DOUBT 249 



Three stout poles had been driven into the stream-bed in a 

 Hne at right angles to the current. The bridge had con- 

 sisted of poles fastened to these supports, leading between 

 them and from the support at each end to the banks. 

 The rope of tough vines had been stretched as a hand-rail, 

 necessary with such precarious footing. The rise of the 

 river had swept away the bridge, but the props and the 

 rope hand-rail remained. In the afternoon, from the boat, 

 Cherrie shot a large dark-gray monkey with a prehensile 

 tail. It was very good eating. 



We camped on a dry level space, but a few feet above, 

 and close beside, the river — so that our swimming-bath was 

 handy. The trees were cleared and camp was made with 

 orderly hurry. One of the men almost stepped on a poison- 

 ous coral-snake, which would have been a serious thing, as 

 his feet were bare. But I had on stout shoes, and the 

 fangs of these serpents — unlike those of the pit-vipers — 

 are too short to penetrate good leather. I promptly put 

 my foot on him, and he bit my shoe with harmless venom. 

 It has been said that the brilliant hues of the coral-snake 

 when in its native haunts really confer on it a concealing 

 coloration. In the dark and tangled woods, and to an only 

 less extent in the ordinary varied landscape, anything mo- 

 tionless, especially if partially hidden, easily eludes the eye. 

 But against the dark-brown mould of the forest floor on 

 which we found this coral-snake its bright and varied colora- 

 tion was distinctly revealing; infinitely more so than the 

 duller mottling of the jararaca and other dangerous snakes 

 of the genus lachecis. In the same place, however, we 

 found a striking example of genuine protective or mimetic 

 coloration and shape. A rather large insect larva — at least 



