One day at noon, while ascending a mountain at the southern
extremity of the Riolama range in order to get a view of the
country beyond the summit, Nuflo and his companions discovered a
cave; and finding it dry, without animal occupants, and with a
level floor, they at once determined to make it their
dwelling-place for a season. Wood for firing and water were to
be had close by; they were also well provided with smoked flesh
of a tapir they had slaughtered a day or two before, so that they
could afford to rest for a time in so comfortable a shelter. At
a short distance from the cave they made a fire on the rock to
toast some slices of meat for their dinner; and while thus
engaged all at once one of the men uttered a cry of astonishment,
and casting up his eyes Nuflo beheld, standing near and regarding
them with surprise and fear in-her wide-open eyes, a woman of a
most wonderful appearance. The one slight garment she had on was
silky and white as the snow on the summit of some great mountain,
but of the snow when the sinking sun touches and gives it some
delicate changing colour which is like fire.
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