"The Porto Rico brigands, señors," he said. "Be glad they no knife you!" and he shivered.
"Perhaps," said old Jacob, laconically. "But maybe you are in with them," he muttered to himself, as he turned away. The gamecock episode still hung in his mind, and certainly the landlord's general appearance was much against him.
For the balance of the night one or another of the party was awake, and it was decided that in the future they should take turns on the watch, just as had been done on the yacht.
In the morning they had breakfast very early, having contracted for this beforehand. Had they not done so, nobody at the inn would have stirred before eight o'clock, and breakfast would not have been on the table until nine or ten. To many living in Porto Rico time seems to be of little value. Almost all of the business is done between ten and twelve o'clock in the morning, and after that the shopkeeper locks up his place and takes a nap until four or five o'clock, opening up again in the evening, which is really the busiest part of the whole twenty-four hours.
The storm had cleared off and now the atmosphere was sultry and oppressive, the evaporations from the forests going up like clouds of steam.
"Phew! this is going to be a corker!" exclaimed Dick, as he mopped the perspiration from his brow. They had covered less than two miles, and yet he felt completely dragged out.
"We'll take a rest when we come to a suitable spot," announced Robert Menden. "But we must push on all we can before twelve o'clock. Nobody will want to move a step between that time and four, mark my words."
Menden had scarcely spoken when a large flock of birds arose directly in front of them. The young hunters could not resist the temptation to take a shot at the creatures, and one after another fired their weapons, bringing down seven of the birds.
"Good enough!" cried Robert Menden. "I see that all of you can shoot, and I am glad of it, for there is no telling what will turn up before this treasure-hunt is over."
"Before I leave Porto Rico I want a little chance to hunt and fish," said Dick. "It wouldn't be a real summer outing without that."