Aragon and the cascarilleros, collected around the chief interpreter,
far from trying to calm his anger, appeared to feed it by their
suggestions. An explanation of the scene was demanded. Eight of the
bearers, it appeared, had deserted, leaving to their comrades the
pleasure of watching over the packages of cinchona, but assuming for
their part the charge of a good fraction of the provisions, which
they had disappeared with for the relief of their fellow-porters.
This copious bleeding of the larder drew from Colonel Perez a terrible
oath, and occasioned a more vivid sentiment in the entrails of Marcoy
than the defection of the men. If the evil was grand, the remedy was
correspondingly difficult. Indolent or mercurial at pleasure, the
Indians had doubtless threaded the woods with winged feet, and were
now far away. Mr. Marcoy proposed therefore to continue the march
without them, but to set down a heavy account of bastinadoes to their
credit when they should turn up again at Marcapata. This proposition,
as it erred on the side of mercy, was unanimously rejected, and a
scouting-party was ordered in pursuit, consisting of the bark-hunters
and Juan of Aragon, to whom for the occasion Pepe Garcia confided his
remarkable fowling-piece.

[Illustration: "ARAGON AND HIS MEN FELL UPON THE DESERTERS WITHOUT
MERCY."--P. 138.]

In the afternoon the extemporized police reappeared. The fugitives had
been found tranquilly sitting on the banks of the river, distending
their abdomens with the stolen preserves and chocolate. Aragon and his
men fell upon the deserters without mercy. The former, battering away
at them with the stock of his gun, and the latter, exercising upon
their shoulders whatever they possessed in the way of lassoes,
axe-handles and sabre-blades, maintained the argument effectually for