296 DOWN AN UNKNOWN RIVER [chap, ix 



to find the murderer and bring him in. They failed 

 to find him.* 



I have anticipated my narrative, because I do not 

 wish to recur to the horror more than is necessary. I 

 now return to my story. After we found that Juho 

 had fled, we returned to the scene of the tragedy. The 

 murdered man lay with a handkerchief thrown over his 

 face. We buried him beside the place where he fell. 

 With axes and knives the camaradas dug a shallow 

 grave, while we stood by with bared heads. Then 

 reverently and carefully we lifted the poor body, which 

 but half an hour before had been so full of vigorous 

 Kfe. Colonel Rondon and I bore the head and shoulders. 

 We laid him in the grave, and heaped a mound over 

 him, and put a rude cross at his head. We fired a 

 volley for a brave and loyal soldier, who had died doing 

 his duty. Then we left him for ever, under the great 

 trees beside the lonely river. 



That day we got only half-way down the rapids. 

 There was no good place to camp. But at the foot of 

 one steep cliff there was a narrow, boulder -covered 

 slope, where it was possible to sUng hammocks and 

 cook ; and a slanting spot was found for my cot, which 

 had sagged until by this time it looked Uke a broken- 

 backed centiped. It rained a little during the night, 

 but not enough to wet us much. Next day Lyra, 

 Kermit, and Cherrie finished their job, and brought the 

 four remaining canoes to camp, one leaking badly from 

 the battering on the rocks. We then went down- 

 stream a few hundred yards, and camped on the oppo- 

 site side ; it was not a good camping-place, but it was 

 better than the one we left. 



* The above account of all the circumstances connected with the 

 murder was read to and approved as correct by all six members of the 

 expedition. 



