Part 33 (1/2)

”Whether they eat men or not, they will knock us on the head, and it will co,” said Casey; ”so that we had better keep ahead of theive up the chase, and very likely, when they don't find us, they will fancy that we have landed, and turn back to where they coly plied with as our as before Tom had a pocket coed by the stars overhead that the river was running froht bank, to be able to strike eastward across the country and regain the sea-shore Had he known the nature of the task, he would have considered the undertaking far more difficult than he now supposed it to be In vain he and his companions looked out for another branch of the river which theyappeared either on one side or the other After paddling on for another hour, they again stopped At first no sounds were heard except the cries of night birds and the strange shrieks of aniht pull in now to one bank or the other, and rest until it is tiain,” observed Des as proposed, when again the sound of the natives' voices was heard co up the stream The enemy had probably by this time been joined by the other canoes which had been seen on the banks, and To to escape by the way they had co they could therefore do was to keep on until Toood reason to believe that they had completely distanced their pursuers, and then as soon as it was daylight they ain the coast, where they were sure that the boats would be on the look-out for thehts on the banks or other indications that the country was inhabited, and the further they got up the river the less risk there was of being discovered They had not correctly calculated the distance they had gone There had been for soainst the on The tide was setting up the river, and had thus sent theed theet away!” cried Nick

”No fear,” cried Pipes ”Paddle, boys, paddle!” Thus hour after hour they paddled on, until Too further, and that they must either land or else secure the canoe to the trunk of a tree and wait in her until daylight The latter plan was adopted Steering to the right bank, where so the stream, they secured the canoe to the stem of a small tree

”We must keep watch,” said Tom, ”or weby the natives, and beourselves”

Gerald agreed to keep the first watch for a couple of hours, and then to call To to eat,” said Billy ”I shall grow as thin as a whipping-post, and never be able to march all the way to the coast, which must be very far off, I suspect”

”Never fear, Billy; you had better get so we shall probably be able to kill some birds, or find soroan, lay down in the bottom of the canoe, in which the rest of the party had stretched theh there was not s

Des an eye down the river, and occasionally peering in a the trees on the shore

Mournful sounds ever and anon came out of the forest, but he could detect no huiven up the pursuit He had a hard matter to keep awake, themuch to lull him to sleep He contrived, however, to keep his eyes open He knew that in that region such disagreeable creatures existed as anacondas, tigers, huge baboons, and alligators, and that one or the other of theht suddenly make its appearance He had stood his watch, as near as he could calculate, about a couple of hours, when feeling that, notwithstanding the danger to be apprehended, he could not hold out er, he roused up Tom, who, after his two hours' sound sleep, was soon wide awake

”I have been thinking of all sorts of horrible creatures who hbourhood Take care you do not let any of theet hold of us,” said Gerald

”No fear of that,” answered Toood account of any beast which comes near us”

Tom sat, as Desmond had done, with his rifle ready for immediate action

It had hitherto been too dark to look at his watch, and he thought it iht for the purpose He had, therefore, no notion of how time went by Greatly to his surprise he very shortly saw the streaks of dawn in the sky, and ere long a rich glow, heralding the rising sun, appeared to the eastward, shedding a ruddy tint over the calm surface of the river

He had now to decide as next to be done To atte the daytime would expose them to certain capture He was anxious to try and reach the coast as early as possible Taking out his compass, he ascertained that it lay due east, and that the course of the river was south-west and north-east; but how far off the shore was it was difficult to say Nick and Pipes evidently did not like the thoughts of having to proceed in that direction, and, pointing towards the south, said that that here their native village was situated

”We o to the coast, at all events,” said Tom ”If they desert us we cannot help it”

”Since that matter is settled, let us have some breakfast,” exclaimed Billy ”I wish you would knock over a few birds There are plenty of theht it would be useful”

There were parrots, paraquets, doves, and several other birds of exquisite pluood shot, even with a shi+p's musket, in a few minutes shot as many as would serve the party for breakfast Thevery little for their fine feathers An open space, where they could venture to light a fire, was soon found Nick and Pipes had in the ht in a good supply

”There's no fear of starving in this country; that's one coan to munch away at his share of a parrot

The fruits were very refreshi+ng They ate theh they did not know their naood

The meal over, the party prepared to set out They first, however, drew up the canoe, and concealed it as closely as possible under the bushes, that they ain make use of it if necessary Nick and Pipes, when they understood what Toave him to understand that should they fall in with an enemy they would retreat, and that he ht deem necessary