I always make it a point to buy a coupla good guide books when I'm in a new place. It helps. But guide books will not tell you everything about a place. You also gotta have a good measure of jungle instinct on yer side. Fortunately, my instincts ain't dwindled since I left the Old Country (Africa). I can always tell when somethin' is creepin' up (or down) on me. I had now made the acquaintance of some nasty little critters that weren't in any of the guide books. They had a lotta nerve droppin' outta trees and tryin' to get the drop on a guy that lives in trees (when he's roughin' it.

I did the usual reconaissance from the top of the fig tree I had cleared out, and I noticed one thing...a set of headlights. There was another jeep away back on the trail where we had come from, goin' northwest. I kinda looked like they might be followin' our trail to me.

I figured to tell Jimmy about it when he came back. He was out rustlin' up some fresh food. Man, I could sure use a good Chicago hotdog or two right now. The mangos had run out.

I could hear the nastly little whatchamcallums twitterin' and bithchin' over in the other fig trees, but I figured they would keep their distance now.

After awhile the headlights turned out. They must be stoppin' to camp. Odd that they would keep drivin' after dark anyway in this country. One thing for sure, it was not Magenta. Not behind us. She hadda be up ahead somewhere.