CHAPTER XII.
We examine the marsh—A cave discovered—We find the floor covered with fuller's earth—Discharge our pistols—Jack's fright—Ernest captures an eel—An expedition towards the Gap—Visit Falconhurst and Woodlands and examine the country round—Franz shoots a Capybara—Ernest and Knips fight the rats—A lecture on musk—Cinnamon apples—A peccary hunt—We prepare the peccary meat—Disasters at Prospect Hill—An exploring expedition through the Gap—We find our barrier broken down across the desert—Strange objects in the distance—An account of ostriches—An ostrich slain—We discover the nest—A mud tortoise—We encounter bears—A desperate fight—Back again to camp—We skin the bears and smoke their flesh—Pepper found—Three of the boys start on an expedition—I discover talc.
The greatest danger to which we had yet been exposed was now over, but there remained much anxiety in my mind lest another serpent might, unseen by us, have entered the swamp, or might appear, as this had done, from the country beyond Falconhurst.
I projected then two excursions, the first to make a thorough examination of the thicket and morass; the next right away to the Gap, through which alone the arch-enemy could have entered our territory.
On summoning my sons to accompany me to the marsh, I found neither Ernest nor Jack very eager to do so, the latter vowing he had the cold shivers each time he thought how his ribs might have been smashed by the last flap of the snake's tail; but I did not yield to their reluctance, and we finally set about crossing the marsh by placing planks and wicker hurdles on the ground, and changing their places as we advanced.
