The master of the Swallow was right. He had stepped on a mound which was a spiders' nest, and out from the soil issued ten or a dozen big brown and yellow spiders, most ferocious in their appearance.
The creatures made after both the captain and Dave, and both lost no time in putting a good distance between themselves and that vicinity.
"Gosh! I never saw such spiders in my life!" gasped Dave, when he thought himself safe.
"They certainly were large, Dave. But such things grow big in the tropics."
"They looked as if they might be poisonous."
"They are. We must watch out for them in the future."
Not long after this they came to a spot where a number of bushes were growing, covered with large, oval-shaped berries.
"These berries are perfectly good and very nourishing," said the captain. "Let us pick a quantity and take them back to the camp."
Back of the patch of berries was a fine spring and here they procured a cold drink of water. Just below the spring was a wide pool several feet deep, and in this pool numerous small lizards were darting around.
"Everything is full of life in the tropics," remarked the young diver. "Just look at the birds and fish, and lizards and spiders, and a hundred and one other things!"