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One or two of the men were struck down with ague-fever, but Roland made them rest while on shore and lie down while on board.
Meanwhile he doctored them with soup made from the choicest morsels of young tapir, with green fresh vegetable mixed therein, and for medicine they had rum and quinine, or rather, quinine in rum.
The men liked their soup, but they liked their physic better.
Between the rapids of Arara and the falls of Madeira was a beautiful sheet of water, and, being afraid of snags or submerged rocks, the canoes were kept well out into the stream.
They made great progress here. The day was unusually fine. Hot the sun was certainly, but the men wore broad straw sombreros, and, seated in the shadow of their bamboo cabin, our heroes were cool and happy enough.
The luscious acid fruits and fruit-drinks they partook of contributed largely to their comfort.
Dick started a song, a river song he had learned on his uncle's plantation, and as Burly Bill's great canoe was not far off, he got a splendid bass.
The scenery on each bank was very beautiful; rocks, and hills covered with great trees, the branches of which near to the stream with their wealth of foliage and climbing flowers, bent low to kiss the placid waters that went gliding, lapping, and purling onwards.
Who could have believed that aught of danger to our heroes and their people could lurk anywhere beneath these sun-gilt trees?