Part 17 (1/2)

”It seems to me,” said Compton, ”that we have been here already a week”

”Quite that,” said Venning

”The ti new iht it was a fish I received,” murmured Compton

”Each impression,” continued the hunter, ”is a sort of milestone in your memory, so that an hour croith several of these er than a whole blank day You will get used to such interrupted nights--that is, if our journey does not end here”

”Oh, co of security is the beginning of disaster,” said Mr

Hume, oracularly ”The rule of the bush is to keep your eyes skinned”

”What is the order of the day, then?”

”The order of the day is to watch and wait Venning will crawl on to the little island on our right and watch the south hank You, Coe island on our left, and I atch froive the whistle of the sand-piper Each will take water and food, and each, of course, will keep hiuns, of course?”

”Best not A gunshot would bring a host down upon us Don't be discouraged,” continued the hunter, as he saw the boys' faces drop

”We have got the advantage of position, and we've got grit--eh?”

He nodded cheerfully, and they smiled back, and then each crept out to his allotted post The first part of the watch was by no means bad--so the boys decided when they had settled down, Venning under a bush pal There was a pleasant freshness in the air; and as the broad river uncoiled under theveil revealed the wooded heights and the tall coluainst the indigo blue of the sky They marked where the hippos stood with their bulky heads to the sun, and saw the crocodiles on the sands of other islands lying motionless with distended jaws And then the birds cas of dark ibis, of duck, and storks; sfishers in black and white The air was full of bird- calls, of the musical ripple of waters, of the hu wind

By-and-by, however, the sun got to work in earnest, and the pleasure went out of the watching as the air grew hot and steamy The sand- flies and the ht two tender white boys into their very athered to the feast in clouds, but these boys were not there for the fun of the thing They drew gossaathered theh boots up to their knees and secured therease and eucalyptus oil over their hands Thethat could be heard ten paces away, and held ato protest; whereupon the father of all the dragon-flies, a nificent warrior in a steel- blue armour, saw that a conspiracy was afoot, and swept into the midst with a whirr and a snap, a turn here and a flash there, that scattered the host in a twinkling of a gnat's eye

The islands shi+lare as if they were afloat; the hippos took to the water, and a deep and drowsy silence fell upon the great river But h the stillness there was borne to the three a soft continuous hued quietly into the short, claine at work under pressure

The launch was afloat again! Mr Huht the trail of the smoke first, and Coht up to a bend about six ed that the launch had stopped there, as the s saw a canoe dart out from the south bank, followed by two others froun-barrel and spear-head, and gleamed on the wet paddles

He moistened his parched lips with a taste of water froave the call The answer ca As they ca, he pointed upriver

”Three canoes put out Two are hidden behind that outside island, and there is the other creeping round the end”

”Oh ay,” said Mr Hume ”If they're after us, they will have placed outlooks in the tallest trees;” and with his glass he swept the forest

”They could not see us at that distance”

”But they could see our boat as soon as we appeared in open water

We'll stay where we are”

”Then we shall need our guns”

”It is not our guns that will save us, y Any one could fire off a rifle, but it takes nerve to keep cool in readiness to do the right thing at the right time”

”But,” said Coht undefended”