Page:Young Hunters in Porto Rico.djvu/103

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PRISONERS OF NATURE.
99

wart Caribs appeared. Behind them came the little boy, trembling with fear.

"Hullo!" repeated Leander. "Help us out, will you?"

"Un Americano!" muttered one of the Caribs. "How you git down dar?" he asked, in broken English.

"We fell through the rushes."

"Urn—bad place dis to walk."

"So we have discovered. Will you kindly help us out?"

Both of the negroes nodded. Then they withdrew, to consult one with another. Presently they came back.

"How much give if pull you out de hole?" demanded the one who had previously spoken.

"Give?" came from both boys simultaneously.

"Ye-as, Americano rich boys, not so?"

"No, we are not rich," replied Dick in disgust. "But we'll pay you, don't fear."

"How much give?"

"Oh, I don't know."

"We'll give you a dollar," added Leander. "Gosh, but they believe in making money, don't they," he added, in a whisper.

"No take dollar," came from the Porto Rican. "Take ten dollar."

"Ten dollars!" gasped Dick, not so much over the amount of the sum, but because of the