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We waited till morning, and having bade farewell to our poor horses, we launched our canoe, and stepping into her, pushed off into the stream. We were but just in time to escape our enemies, for as we passed down we saw the shore lined with the Cashibos, who were launching a number of balsas and rafts with the evident intention of crossing to destroy us.
By aid of our horses, we dragged up our canoe, which already had begun to leak from want of caulking. Close to us was a rock, very similar to the one we had left, and to this we resolved to fly if we were again attacked; but Manco and the Indians expressed an opinion that the Cashibos would not attempt to follow us across the stream.
The horses, having been accustomed to cross rivers, swam well; and for half an hour we continued our course, till we reached a convenient landing place. Our poor horses were very much exhausted; but we reflected that had we left them on the other side, they would have fallen into the hands of the Cashibos.
We could not tell how many Cashibos there might be, and they would probably collect ultimately in such numbers as to overwhelm us, even should we at first succeed in beating them off.
At night we were afraid of lighting a fire, lest we should show the Cashibos our position, or we should have worked even then. We slept as before, with our arms ready for instant action.
As we rode along after we had parted from our little friends, I asked Manco who were the dreaded Cashibos; and he told me that they were the most savage and warlike of all the wild tribes in the Pampa del Sacramento, between the rivers Ucayali and Hualtaga.
Our Indians at last thought it was no joke, for in another moment the jaguar might have picked one of us off; so they set up so loud a scream that they made him turn about in a fright, and scamper off into the forest. As this would to a certainty have led the Cashibos to us, if they were in the neighbourhood, we once more mounted and continued our journey.
Instantly I hurried down from my lofty perch, and made the best of my way towards the camp, keeping a bright look-out, lest any of their friends should catch me unawares. I ran in breathless haste, anxious to warn my friends in the camp. Twice, in my hurry, I missed my way, and found myself going in the very direction the Cashibos had taken.
With a look of terror, he pointed towards the point from which he had come, uttering the words "Cashibos Cashibos." Having broken off the head of the arrow, and drawn out the shaft, I told the poor fellow to run into the camp; I sprung on my horse, and dashing forward with my rifle in my hand, I saw Manco and the two other Indians contending with a dozen or more Cashibos.
Though I was anxious to bring in the peccaries, Ned agreed with me that it would be imprudent to leave the camp, for we could not escape being discovered before long by the Cashibos.
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