The four opened their eyes in wonder. Here was a boy who had lived in the country they had planned to visit, and who knew all about the river they were so anxious to explore.
“Go on!” Clay said, eagerly.
“I heard that you boys were going to the foothills of the Andes,” Frank went on, “and I thought you might let me go with you, only I could never find the courage to come and ask you about it?”
“And that is what you’ve been hanging around here for?” asked Case.
“Yes, sir.”
“Well,” Case continued, brutally, “it costs money to run this boat. Can you pay your share of the expense?”
“I haven’t any money.” was the dejected reply.
“You speak English pretty handily for a native of Peru!” Case taunted, while Alex frowned at the impudence of the suggestion.
“My father was a Chicago man, and my mother was a native of New Orleans,” was the straight-forward answer. “I know English and Spanish and a lot of Amazon valley dialects. I may be able to make myself useful on the journey. You’ll need a guide,” he added, hopefully.
Neither of the three dared hint, in the presence of Jule, how far away that journey now was! And Jule did not know!