midday
Fray Antonio was beginning to find that the savages , who had been represented to him in such gloomy colours , were not so wicked as they were said to be , and he was almost inclined to believe that they had been calumniated . In truth , their hospitality had never once been in default ; on the contrary , they had apparently studied to please him . They rode on for several hours along tracks marked by the wild beasts , forced , through the narrowness of the paths , to go in Indian file , that is to say , one behind the other ; and although the monk perceived that the Sachem constantly kept by his side , he did not feel at all alarmed by it , remembering the conversation they had in the morning . A little before midday the band halted on the bank of a small stream , shadowed by lofty trees , where they intended to wait till the great heat had passed over . The monk was not at all vexed at this delay , which enabled him to rest in the cool . During the halt Blue-fox did not once address him , and the monk made no attempt to bring on a conversation , as he much preferred enjoying a siesta . At about four P.M. the band mounted , and set out again ; but this time , instead of going at a walking pace , they galloped .