lligator have picked him off?" I asked Pedro, shuddering as
I thought of our friend's probable fate.

We had kept along the bank of the river for some way. Just then Gale's
voice sounded close to us. We were soon up with him, and had told him
of the result of our expedition, and of our alarm.

"It was my fault, I suppose," he answered, laughing. "I found a tree to
which I could make the canoe fast, so I thought I might as well take a
little sleep while you were away. I heard you call, and dreamed that I
answered you. The honest truth is, I spent all last night looking about
the prison to find you out, so I haven't closed my eyes for many an
hour. You'll pardon me, mates, I hope; nature's nature, and will have
its way."

I assured him, now that we had found him, we did not mind the fright;
and asked him what he proposed doing next.

"Why, the first thing, you see, is to send the canoe out into the
stream, so that our enemies may not discover where we have landed," he
answered. "It will float away over the falls; so they may be looking
for us miles below them perhaps."

According to Ned Gale's suggestion, we towed the canoe to the end of the
point which formed one side of the bay, and he then throwing the paddle
into it, we gave it a shove, which sent it out into the middle of the
stream, down which we could distinguish it gliding rapidly away, till it
was lost to sight.

"We must lose no more time now, mates," said Ned Gale, as we climbed up
the bank. "We must get some way inland before daylight, and then stow
ourselves away in a wood till we have time to look about us. We must
keep clear of all cottages, for the white-brown fellows hereabouts would
make no bones of selling us to the Dons, if they thought they could get
anything for us. You see I've brought prog enough to last all hands for
three days or more, on somewhat short commons; and mayhap we may snare
some game to eke it out much longer."

This was good news, for, by taking proper precautions, I thought we
might at all events avoid falling into the hands of the Spaniards; and
of the Indians I had no fear. The ground over which we were passing,
was very rough and uncultivated, and we could discover no beaten path.
After some time we came to a mud wall; and on the other side we found a
field full of maize, just fit for cutting. This gave us a very welcome
supply of food, and we filled our pockets and caps, and a bag Ned Gale
had brought with h