"Well, I am not disposed to become a brigand chief; and I could not keep a band of guerillas at my own charge even if I were disposed. As we cannot get out of the country either by the north or east, what do you say to trying south?" "How far? To the Brazils?" "Farther. Over the Andes to Peru." "Over the Andes to Peru? That is a big undertaking. Do you think we could find that mountain of gold and precious stones you were telling me about?" "I never entertained any idea so absurd. I merely mentioned poor old Zamorra's crank as an instance of how credulous people could be." "Well, perhaps the idea is not quite so absurd as you suppose. Even stranger things have happened; and we do know that there is gold pretty nearly everywhere on this continent, to say nothing of the treasure hidden in times past by Indians and Spaniards, and we might find both gold and diamonds." "Of course we might; and as we cannot stay here, we may as well make the attempt." "You are not forgetting that it will be very dangerous? We shall carry our lives in our hands." "That will be nothing new; I have carried my life in my hands ever since I came to Venezuela." "True, and if you are prepared to encounter the risk and the hardship--As for myself, I must confess that the idea pleases me. But have you any money? We shall have to equip our expedition. If there are only four of us we shall not get beyond the Rio Negro. The Indians of that region are as fierce as alligators." "I have a few _maracotes_ in the waistband of my trousers and this ring." "That ring is worth nothing, my friend; at any rate not more than a few reals." "A few reals! It contains a ruby, though you don't see it, worth fully five hundred piasters--if I could find a customer for it." "I don't think you will easily find a customer for a ruby ring on the llanos. However, I'll tell you what. An old friend of mine, a certain Señor Morillones, has a large estate at a place called Naparima on the Apure. Let us go there to begin with. Morillones will supply us with mules, and we may possibly persuade some of his people to accompany us. Treasure-hunting is always an attraction for the adventurous. What say you?" "Yes. By all means let us go." "We may regard it as settled, then, that we make in the first instance for Naparima." "Certainly." "That being the case the best thing we can do is to have a sleep. We got none last night, and we are not likely to get any to-night." As Carmen spoke he folded his arms and shut his eyes. I followed his example, and we knew no more until, as it seemed in about five minutes, we were roused by a terrific howl. We jumped up at once and ran out of the thicket. Gahra and Guido were waiting for us, each with a led horse. "We were beginning to think you had been taken, or gone away," said Guido, hoarsely. "I have howled six times in succession. My voice will be quite ruined." "It did not sound so just now. We were fast asleep."