LIFE ON THE LAUNCH. 
145 
of admiring exclamations. The first thing was 
to weigh them, and to hear the whole story of 
their being caught. Then, perhaps, to photo¬ 
graph them. Then drinks in the saloon, and 
‘ Have I the permission of the senores to start, 
now ?’ came the voice of the Capitan, and he 
strode across to settle himself at the wheel. 
The engines would begin to throb and vibrate, 
the floor to jig under our feet, and there was a 
hasty snatch at tumblers standing near the edge 
of the table. The Lelia backed out of the little 
bay where she had spent the night, snorting and 
puffing, the parrots flew shrieking away, we 
churned the water in a foaming circle, then got 
under way, and quickly the white sand and the 
dark green ring of monte that edged it slid out 
of sight. We had but ruffled its quiet for a 
moment, like a wandering bird that settles with 
folded wings for the night, leaving as little 
trace as some such bird when we spread our 
wings and passed on. 
The next few hours meant hard work for the 
Capitan. He had to watch with the eye of a 
hawk for a safe pathway up the river, amongst 
whirlpools and rapids. Sometimes we clung to 
one bank or the other, edging our way cautiously 
through the turmoil; sometimes we made a dash 
from one side to another, avoiding the black 
gaping mouths of the whirlpools as though by 
magic. Never did he take his eyes off the 
treacherous water for a moment. Pedroso 
K 
