and giving its Indian name, which I would repeat until I got the
right pronunciation. Thus, gradually instructed, and by watching
the men and women as they came and went, day after day, I was able
to understand some of their language and learned to answer questions
fairly well. They never laughed at my mistakes, but repeated a word
until I had it right.

The word of the Chief was law and no one dared appeal from the
decisions of this man. In fact, there would have been nobody to appeal
to, for the natives believed him vested with mysterious power which
made him the ruler of men. I once had occasion to see him use the
power which had been given him.

I had accompanied two young Indians, one of whom was the man we had
met in the forest on our return trip not far from that fatal _tambo_
No. 3. His name, at least as it sounded to me, was Reré. They carried
bows and arrows and I my automatic pistol, although I had no great
intention of using it. What little ammunition I had left I desired to
keep for an emergency and, besides, I reasoned that I might, at some
future time, be able to use the power and noise of the weapon to good
advantage if I kept the Indians ignorant of them for the present.

We had scarcely gone a mile, when we discovered on the opposite
side of a creek, about one hundred and fifty yards away, a wild hog
rooting for food. We were on a slight elevation ourselves and under
cover of the brush, while the hog was exposed to view on the next
knoll. Almost simultaneously my companions fitted arrows to their
bow-strings. Instead of shooting point blank, manipulating the bows
with their hands and arms, they placed their great and second toes
on the cords on the ground, and with their left arms gave the proper