Part 18 (1/2)

A halt was called while the camera was made ready, and then, as the ants went on in their queer procession, carrying the leaves which looked like green sails over their backs, the film clicked on in its indelible iht see the picture theaters fro,” said Blake, as they put away the caain ”I wonder e'll see next?”

”Have you any wild beasts in these jungles?” asked Mr Alcando of the Indian guide

”Well, not h this is not the best time to see them And once in a while you'll see a--”

”What's that?” suddenly interrupted Blake, pointing through the thick growth of trees ”I saw soet a picture of it”

There was athe native carriers

”Co ahead with a caht be soerous”

”It's only souide said ”They are harh theabsent did not influence hierous wild ani the handle, when it seeh death was on its way toward them in horrible forone on and obtained the pictures But there could be no danger from the tapirs

The pictures obtained, however, were not very satisfactory The light was poor, for the jungle was dense there, and the tapirs took fright almost at first, so the resultant film, as Blake and Joe learned later, when it was developed, was hardly worth the trouble they took Still, it showed one feature of the Panale

All about the boys was a wonderful and dense forest There were h they really grew, as their name indicates, in the air Blake and Joe took views of some of the most beautiful There was one, known as the ”Holy Ghost” which only blooms twice a year, and when the petals slowly open there is seen inside theet soested Blake, as they went on after photographing the orchids and the tapirs

”All right, that ought to go good as showing a type of life here,”

Joe agreed And they ,” as it more properly should be called

At first the native Indians were tiuide of the boys' party explained, and soon they were as eager as children to be snapped and filht,” remarked Blake, as they looked at the collection of huts ”Gourds and cocoanut shells for kitchen utensils”

That was all, really, the black housekeeper had But she did not seem to feel the need of more The Panama Indians are very lazy

If one has sufficient land to raise a few beans, plantains and yams, and can catch a few fish, his wants are supplied He burns some charcoal for fuel, and rests the reo out to get souide

”Meat? Where can he get le, unless he spears a tapir?” asked Blake

”There's the iguana,” the guide said, with a laugh

”Do they eat theles he had ju lizards, which are alliest creatures in existence, if we except the horned toad and the rhinoceros

”Eat theuide ”Come over here”

He led the way toward a hut and there the boys saw a ht There were several of the big iguanas, or lizards, with their short legs twisted and crossed over their backs And, to keep the legs in this position the sharp claw of one foot was thrust through the fleshy part of another foot The tail of each iguana had been cut off

”What in the world do they do that for?” asked Blake