“True, and if you are prepared to encounter the risk and the hardship—As for myself, I must confess that the idea pleases me. But have you any money? We shall have to equip our expedition. If there are only four of us we shall not get beyond the Rio Negro. The Indians of that region are as fierce as alligators.”
“I have a few maracotes in the waistband of my trousers and this ring.”
“That ring is worth nothing, my friend; at any rate not more than a few reals.”
“A few reals! It contains a ruby, though you don’t see it, worth fully five hundred piasters—if I could find a customer for it.”
“I don’t think you will easily find a customer for a ruby ring on the llanos. However, I’ll tell you what. An old friend of mine, a certain Señor Morillones, has a large estate at a place called Naparima on the Apure. Let us go there to begin with. Morillones will supply us with mules, and we may possibly persuade some of his people to accompany us. Treasure-hunting is always an attraction for the adventurous. What say you?”
“Yes. By all means let us go.”
“We may regard it as settled, then, that we make in the first instance for Naparima.”
“Certainly.”
“That being the case the best thing we can do is to have a sleep. We got none last night, and we are not likely to get any to-night.”
As Carmen spoke he folded his arms and shut his eyes. I followed his example, and we knew no more until, as it seemed in about five minutes, we were roused by a terrific howl.