The next day we were successful in killing two howling monkeys; these were greeted with loud yells of joy, as we had not been able to locate any game during the last twenty-four hours’ march.  This is easy to understand.  We were much absorbed in cutting our way through the bushes and the game was scared away long before we could sight it.

After the ninth day of wearisome journeying, the Chief found signs of numerous caoutchouc trees, indicating a rich district, and it was accordingly decided that tambo No. 9 should be our last.  We were now fully 150 miles from the Floresta headquarters and some 120 miles back in the absolutely unknown.  That night the temperature went down to 41 deg.  Fahrenheit, a remarkable drop so close to the equator and on such low ground, but it was undoubtedly due to the fact that the sun never penetrates the dark foliage of the surrounding dense forests where the swamps between the hills give off their damp exhalations.

Up to this point I had not feared the jungle more than I would have feared any other forest, but soon a dread commenced to take hold of me, now that I could see how a great danger crept closer and closer—­danger of starvation and sickness.  Our supplies were growing scant when we reached tambo No. 9, and yet we lingered, forgetful of the precarious position into which we had thrust ourselves, and the violated wilderness was preparing to take its revenge.

I suppose our carelessness in remaining was due in part to the exhausted state to which we had been reduced, and which made us all rejoice in the comfort of effortless days rather than face new exertions.

CHAPTER VII

THE FATAL “TAMBO NO. 9”

We were three weeks at tambo No. 9 before the sharp tooth of necessity began to rouse us to the precarious situation.  Occasionally a lucky shot would bring down a mutum or a couple of monkeys and, on one occasion, a female tapir.  Thus feasting to repletion, we failed to notice that the lucky strikes came at longer intervals; that the animals were deserting our part of the forest.  During these three weeks we were not wholly idle.  The Chief had the men out every day making excursions in the neighbourhood to locate the caoutchouc trees.  As soon as a tree was found, they set to work bleeding the base of it to let the milky sap ooze out on the ground where it would collect in a small pool.  Then they would fell the tree and cut rings in the bark at regular intervals so that the milk could flow out.  In a few days when the milk had coagulated, forming large patches of caoutchouc, they would return for it.  The pieces were washed in the creek and then tied into large bundles ready for transporting.

In all they located more than 800 caoutchouc trees.  At this time too I made my remarkable discovery of gold deposits in the creek.  It seems to me now like the plot of some old morality play, for while we were searching eagerly for the thing that we considered the ultimate goal of human desires—­wealth, the final master, Death, was closing his net upon us day by day.  Our food supply was nearly gone.