"Take a bird from our bag," said Affonzo, wishing to give his share of the feast, and Joachim brought out a parrot which was soon stewing in the pot with the pork, and a handful of peppers and herbs. When the savoury stew was done, the meal was spread upon a rough bench at the door, and the three odd companions sat down together. "Quite a festive party," said a laughing voice, and jumping up, Affonzo saw his father and uncle approaching through the trees. "Oh, papa, how glad I am to see you! I feared you would be wet through, but you must have found shelter as we did, for you are scarcely wet at all." "I worried about you, more than you did about me, I fancy," said his father, "though I hoped Joachim would bring you here. Your uncle and I missed the path some way, and could not find you or the old house again, so we took refuge in a deserted hut." "The Senhors will sup with me," said Vicente, "and remain here for the night since the forest is unsafe for the boy." "A thousand thanks; we will stay if you can arrange for so many," was the reply, and as Vicente assured them that they would all be most welcome, they ate their supper with much enjoyment. The two Senhors slept in Indian hammocks swung between giant rubber trees, while Affonzo curled up in a blanket and slept, as did Vicente and Joachim, on a fragrant couch of dried grass. FOOTNOTES: [Footnote 2: Rubber gatherer.] [Footnote 3: This is the Indian legend of _El Dorado_, which is really _El Hombre Dorado_, or the gilded man, and it was this story which led so many of the early explorers to search for "_El Dorado_."] CHAPTER IV ALONG THE AMAZON "COME, son," said the Senhor early next morning. "We have a long day before us and you must eat plenty of breakfast. That is if you want to go with your uncle and me. If not, you may go back home with Joachim." "Where are you going?" asked Affonzo as he smoothed down his linen suit, and combed his hair with a pocket comb from his dapper little uncle's case. He had washed his face in the stream which gurgled near the hut, and that was all the toilet he could make, which seemed odd to him, for he was something of a dandy. "We are going the rounds with Vicente to see the rubber plantation, and then go home by the river." "Do let me go with you, I am sure my mother would not object," cried Affonzo. "I shall send Joachim home with word of your safety to ease her mind, and as you wish it so much, you may come with us; so eat and we will start." Senhor Dias was a rubber exporter. From his plantation near Para went out huge balls of the rubber, solid, tough and brown. It is very interesting to watch the process of obtaining this from the milk-white sap of the rubber trees. "Well, Vicente, shall we start now," said the Senhor when they had breakfasted. "When the Senhor is ready," said Vicente.