This Professor Bumper did, being able to make himself understood in the queer part-Spanish dialect used by the native Hondurians, though he could not, of course, speak it as fluently as had Jacinto.

Professor Bumper had made only a few remarks to the man who had so unexpectedly appeared out of the jungle when the scientist gave an exclamation of surprise at some of the answers made.

“Bless my moving picture!” cried Mr. Damon.

“What’s the matter now?  Is anything wrong?  Does he refuse to help us?”

“No, it isn’t that,” was the answer.  “In fact he came here to help us.  Tom, this is the brother of the Indian who fell overboard and who was eaten by the alligators.  He says you were very kind to try to save his brother with your rifle, and for that reason he has come back to help us.”

“Come back?” queried Tom.

“Yes, he went off with the rest of the Indians when Jacinto deserted us, but he could not stand being a traitor, after you had tried to save his brother’s life.  These Indians are queer people.

They don’t show much emotion, but they have deep feelings.  This one says he will devote himself to your service from now on.  I believe we can count on him.  He is deeply grateful to you, Tom.”

“I’m glad of that for all our sakes.  But what does he say about Jacinto?”

The professor asked some more questions, receiving answers, and then translated them.

“This Indian, whose name is Tolpec, says Jacinto is a fraud,” exclaimed Professor Bumper.  “He made all the Indians leave us in the night, though many of them were willing to stay and fill the contract they had made.  But Jacinto would not let them, making them desert.  Tolpec went away with the others, but because of what Tom had done he planned to come back at the first chance and be our guide.  Accordingly he jumped ashore from one of the canoes, and made his way to our camp.  He got there, found it deserted and followed us, coming up just now.”

“Well I’m glad I didn’t frighten him off with my gun,” remarked Tom grimly.  “So he agrees with us that Jacinto is a scoundrel, does he?  I guess he might as well classify Professor Beecher in the same way.”

“I am not quite so sure of that,” said Professor Bumper slowly.  “I can not believe Beecher would play such a trick as this, though some over-zealous friend of his might.”

“Oh, of course Beecher did it!” cried Tom.  “He heard we were coming here, figured out that we’d start ahead of him, and he wanted to side-track us.  Well, he did it all right,” and Tom’s voice was bitter.

“He has only side-tracked us for a while,” announced Professor Bumper in cheerful tones.

“What do you mean?” asked Mr. Damon.

“I mean that this Indian comes just in the nick of time.  He is well acquainted with this part of the jungle, having lived here all his life, and he offers to guide us to a place where we can get mules to transport ourselves and our baggage to Copan.”