“Beyond us,” Joe answered him. “We just looked at them and pointed our cameras at them——”
“Oh.” Mr. Holton seemed to understand everything. “That’s all you did, huh? Well, you did enough to excite their anger. Those natives are decidedly against having their pictures taken. They believe that any evil which might befall their pictures will come upon them later.”
“So that was it?” Bob laughed. “Well, we’ll know enough not to try the same thing again. Anyway, we got several feet of film exposed, and that’s better than nothing.”
The adventurers made their way down the hill, to be met by Karl and the others of the expedition, who had come to learn of their friends’ misfortune.
“Quite an encounter,” commented Mr. Dunn, when he was told the details. “These Indians are bad characters when their anger is aroused.”
Back at the camp, the explorers got everything in readiness for the expedition to depart as soon as Mr. Wallace, Dr. Rust, and Professor Kelley returned with the mules and guides.
It was nearly noon when Bob caught sight of a long line of mules heading toward the camp. They were coming slowly and leisurely, but always closer. Near the rear were the three explorers and two natives, who had been driving the animals.
“I see you met with success,” said Mr. Buenagel, addressing Mr. Wallace.
“Success is right!” the naturalist was beaming all over. “Don Chusmena here”—indicating a small Peruvian who had been conversing with several natives—“has generously offered to let us use twenty of his mules. They are all fine specimens, worthy of making the mountain trip. And the price is right.”