"Then our troubles are indeed over," Teddy cried joyously; but Cummings dampened his ardor somewhat when he added:
"There will then remain the journey around the coast, and with such a load it would not be safe to put to sea in their craft. But let us enjoy the blessings which come to us," he added, on observing how quickly his companions' countenances fell. "Half a loaf is decidedly better than no bread at all, and when a tramp of six days can be set aside we have good cause to feel pleased."
The strangers had not waited to be welcomed by the other members of the party. Without stopping to be invited they began preparations for cooking on rather an extensive scale, using the contents of their well filled game bags, and the savory odor which soon arose brought Jake to a full realization of the good fortune that had come to them.
"With those fellows to hunt the game it will be a regular feast from here to the coast," he said approvingly, "and I think this is the first piece of good luck we've had since leaving the Sea Dream."
The newcomers could not speak the English language, consequently all the conversation on the part of the fugitives was carried on by Cummings and Poyor; but these two interpreted such portions as they thought might be of interest to the boys.
From the middle of what is known as the "dry season" until the period of almost incessant rains is well advanced, these hunters spend their time on one or another of the streams leading from the coast, and they consider themselves well paid when a year's work nets each an hundred dollars.
"That is really a large amount of money to them," Cummings explained when Neal suggested that hunting was not a very profitable employment. "One quarter of the sum will serve to purchase the absolute necessities of life in a country where fruit can be had for the labor of gathering, and in ten years they can well afford to retire from business, or become landed proprietors by leasing logwood cuttings, sub-letting the land to those who will pay fifteen cents a hundred pounds for all that can be gathered."
The strangers were quite as satisfactory cooks as Poyor, and when the dinner had been spread on the leaves each member of Cummings' party was ready to do it full justice.
After the meal a short time was spent by the men in smoking, and at about four o'clock in the afternoon the journey was resumed.
Feeling secure because of numbers, and the reports made by the newcomers that there was no one in the immediate vicinity the boys were allowed to follow their own inclinations as to the line of march, and each strayed here or there as he pleased until the coming of night forced them to keep together because of the danger to be apprehended from wild animals.