Down an Unknown River 313 



excitement. We thought nothing of it, for he was al- 

 ways muttering; and occasionally one of the men saw a 

 monkey or big bird and tried to shoot it, so it was never 

 surprising to see a man with a carbine. 



In a minute we heard a shot ; and in a short time three 

 or four of the men came up the trail to tell us that Paishon 

 was dead, having been shot by Julio, who had fled into 

 the woods. Colonel Rondon and Lyra were ahead; I 

 sent a messenger for them, directed Cherrie and Kermit 

 to stay where they were and guard the canoes and pro- 

 visions, and started down the trail with the doctor — an 

 absolutely cool and plucky man, with a revolver but no 

 rifle — and a couple of the camaradas. We soon passed 

 the dead body of poor Paishon. He lay in a huddle, in 

 a pool of his own blood, where he had fallen, shot through 

 the heart. I feared that Julio had run amuck, and intend- 

 ed merely to take more lives before he died, and that he 

 would begin with Pedrinho, who was alone and unarmed 

 in the camp we had left. Accordingly I pushed on, fol- 

 lowed by my companions, looking sharply right and left ; 

 but when we came to the camp the doctor quietly walked 

 by me, remarking, "My eyes are better than yours, 

 colonel; if he is in sight I'll point him out to you, as 

 you have the rifle." However, he was not there, and 

 the others soon joined us with the welcome news that 

 they had found the carbine. 



The murderer had stood to one side of the path and 

 killed his victim, when a dozen paces off, with deliberate 

 and malignant purpose. Then evidently his murderous 

 hatred had at once given way to his innate cowardice; 

 and, perhaps hearing some one coming along the path. 



