"Bless my court plaster! Someone's hurt now!" cried Mr. Damon.

"Hurt? Bless yo' heart, Massa Damon, it takes mo' dan dat t' hurt
dish yeah chile!" cried Eradicate with a grin. "Ah got a hard head,
Ah has, mighty hard head, an' de cocoanut ain't growed dat kin bust
it. Thanks, Mistah Monkey, thanks!" and with a laugh Eradicate
jumped off his mule, and began gathering up the nuts, while the
monkeys fled into the forest.

"Very much good to drink milk," said San Pedro, as he picked up a
half-ripe nut, and showed how to chop off the top with a big knife
and drain the slightly acid juice inside. "Very much good for
thirst."

"Let's try it," proposed Tom, and they all drank their fill, for
there were many cocoanuts, though it was rather an isolated grove of
them.

The monkeys became more numerous as they proceeded farther north
toward the equator, for it must be remembered that they had landed
south of it, and at times the little animals became a positive
nuisance.

Several days passed, and they crossed the Parana river and struck
into the almost unpenetrated tract of land where Tom hoped to find
the giants. As yet none of their escort dreamed of the object of the
expedition, and though Tom had caused scouts to be sent back over
their trail to learn if they were being followed there was no trace
of any one.