coming into close quarters with them by an old trader, who had frequently encountered their ferocious tendencies in his travels. Finding all our conciliatory attempts futile the wounded savages were left to their fate. Adopting the padre’s suggestion, the young Indian and his savage companion were taken on board, with the intention of trying the effect of kind treatment, but a lasso in the practiced hands of a guacho was required to persuade the latter to accept the proffered hospitality of the boat. Aside from the comparative docility of the boy, his lack of resemblance in feature and general conformation plainly declared that his subserviency to the will of his companion did not arise from parental affection. Shackling them to the windlass they were placed under the guardianship of the dogs, whose favorite lounge was on either side of the bowsprit heel beneath the shadow of the chocks. After they were secured, all hands, with the exception of the engineer, steward, and cooks, resumed their labors on the raft. As the padre insisted that it was a barbarous shame to throw the bodies of the dead savages into the water to become the food of alligators, when a few minutes’ labor would make them a decent grave in the sand, he was allowed the privilege of extending to the defuncts the rites of burial. As the spade in his hands had not been a favorite specialty during the more elastic periods of his existence under the benign influence of temperate heat, the torrid glow of the morning acting in concert with a stimulant he had taken to steady his nerves, caused a sweltering perspiration that in no way accelerated the progress of his pious undertaking. The sands having become quick from recent saturation were constantly caving, so that in addition to aggravation he was in danger of becoming a victim to his sextonic benevolence. While trying to extricate himself from the caving sand, the while vainly pleading for assistance from the laughing spectators of his disaster, his attention became fixed upon an array of yellow nuggets which he had overlooked when thrown from their bed with the sand. His silence and curious investigation with hands and eyes extorted the inquiry, “What is it, padre?” The laconic answer, “Gold!” brought the whole party to his rescue, including the sentinels from the logs above, while the engineer, steward, and cook deserted their posts in greedy haste. When the truth of his announcement was verified they with some difficulty dragged him from his grave, then oblivious to thoughts of savage surprise and poisoned arrows, they consigned the dead to the river, without remonstrance from the padre, and with flushed avidity commenced with spade and pan to unearth the precious metal. Mid-day, with its heat, found them still engaged, heedless of danger from the sun’s rays and the miasmic current converging upon the spit from the confluent streams. Silence alternating with wild bursts of hilarity, caused the captive