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Updated: May 28, 2025
There, sure enough, was the web, in a shaded corner, stretching its meshes from a large liana to the trunk of the tupelo; and towards this point the spider now slowly progressed with his lifeless victim. As they watched his motions, their eyes were caught by a shining object that moved along the wrinkled bark of the liana.
The vermilion throat became white, and then ashy pale; and the bright green of its body faded into dark brown or rust colour, until it was difficult to distinguish the animal from the bark of the liana! Had the eyes of the spectators not been already fixed upon it, they might have supposed that it had disappeared altogether.
"It is unkind, brother," said Minha, "to make fun of Lina when she has been thinking how to give our walk the object which you have just regretted it lacks." "Besides, Mr. Benito, I am sure my idea will please you," replied the mulatto. "Well, what is it?" asked Minha. "You see that liana?"
It is about a foot long and four inches broad; and in this hollow the juice of the tree immediately begins to collect, scarcely any running out at the butt where it has been cut off. This tendency of the sap to ascend is well shown in another plant, the water liana.
The animal was not over six inches in length; and its long coffin-shaped head, and slender, whip-like tail, were at least two-thirds of this extent. When first noticed, it was passing up the liana, for the latter slanted upwards between the trees. It did not see the boys; or, at all events, did not regard their presence for the chameleon is a bold little animal, and is not afraid of man.
But they had not proceeded for ten minutes along the interminable cipo, in the direction of the river, when they stopped, and this time not without cause. "Have we got to the end of the liana?" asked Minha. "No," replied Benito; "but we had better advance with care. Look!" and Benito pointed to the cipo which, lost in the branches of a high ficus, was agitated by violent shakings.
He made himself ready for a journey to France, and ere he set forth he sought out the little spot of earth, beneath a linden-tree, where reposed the gentle Liana, the friendly, lovely angel of peace. Suddenly, with a shudder, he beheld the white form of Liana herself leaning against the linden. He believed some dream had drawn down the airy image from heaven, and he expected to see it pass away.
"A famous idea that of yours, Miss Lina," he was constantly saying, "to play at 'following the liana! It is a capital game even if you do not always find a poor chap of a barber at the end!" "Quite a chance, Mr. Fragoso," would laughingly reply Lina; "I assure you, you owe me nothing!" "What! nothing!
The long festoon of the liana curled round its higher branches, moving away to the other side of the clearing, and disappeared again into the forest. "Shall we stop soon?" asked Manoel. "No; a thousand times no!" cried Benito, "not without having reached the end of it!" "Perhaps," observed Minha, "it will soon be time to think of returning."
Directly above him, at a height of twenty or more feet, a huge liana, of the trumpet species, stretched across from tree to tree. It was full as thick as a man's arm, and covered with green leaves and large crimson cuneiform blossoms, such as belonged to itself.
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