ire journey cost
him, not only in money, but also in toil and privation. For although
the flickering of the lightning and its almost blinding vividness were
by no means conducive to accuracy of observation, he saw enough to fully
confirm his previous conviction that the swamp was the habitat of
several forms of life hitherto unknown and unsuspected by naturalists.
True, most of the creatures seen were apparently amphibious, their forms
only partially revealed as they sported or fought in the waters of the
lagoon; but transient glimpses were occasionally caught of others
roaming about the patches of dry ground; while all were too distant for
the watchers to obtain any very clear impression of their shapes and
proportions. Then the wind and the lightning suddenly ceased, pitchy
darkness fell upon the scene, and the rain descended in such a deluge as
is known only to those who have dwelt in the tropics, lasting until
within half-an-hour of sunrise.

The appearance of the sun was hailed with feelings of unqualified
delight by the entire party, for not only did the remaining clouds
vanish with his uprising, but he brought what was, for once, welcome
warmth with him, to the relief of the drenched and thoroughly chilled
occupants of the camp, who had lain exposed for hours to the pitiless
pelting of the rain--Dick and Earle suffering equally with the rest, the
wind having temporarily wrecked their tent. They felt that a hot
breakfast would have been indescribably welcome that morning; but such a
meal was impossible, for the rain had saturated everything and rendered
a fire out of the question; they were consequently obliged to content
themselves with cold viands, which they consumed in haste, for they had
the prospect of a busy day before them.

The problem which confronted them was, how were they to transport
themselves and their belongings across the lagoon? For it was on the
opposite side of it that their road lay, and if they would proceed, only
two alternatives seemed open to them; one to find some means by which
they could ferry themselves across, while the other was to pass round
one or the other of the extremities of the lagoon. And this last meant
the retracing of their steps for a considerable distance, with the
prospect of a long march to follow, the lagoon extending to right and
left as far as the eye could see.

It was at this crisis that Huanami, one of the bearers, a Peruvian
half-breed, came to the resc