rible
apprehensions. It was impossible to continue along the bank; so, with a
violent effort, I jumped across a rapid channel to a ragged island of
sand covered with scrub-bushes, and, running down to the end of it, saw
the whole face of the river and the rapids, but nothing of Augustin. I
shouted with all my strength, and, to my inexpressible relief, heard
an answer, but, in the noise of the rapids, very faint; presently he
appeared in the water, working himself round a point and hauling upon
the bushes. Relieved about him, I now found myself in a quandary.
The jump back was to higher ground, the stream a torrent, and, the
excitement over, I was afraid to attempt it. It would have been
exceedingly inconvenient for me if Augustin had been drowned. Making his
way through the bushes and down to the bank opposite with his dripping
body, he stretched a pole across the stream, by springing upon which I
touched the edge of the opposite bank, slipped, but hauled myself up by
the bushes with the aid of a lift from Augustin.

All this time it was raining very hard, and now I had forgotten
where I tied my mule. We were several minutes looking for her, and,
wishing everything but good luck to the old bag, I mounted. Augustin,
principally because he could carry them more conveniently on his back,
put on his clothes.

[Reaching a village, he took shelter till the rain abated, but
it began worse than ever after he again took to the road.]

I rode on some distance, and again lost my way. It was necessary to
enter the woods on the right. I had come out by a foot-path which I had
not noticed particularly. There were cattle-paths in every direction,
and within the line of a mile I kept going in and out, without hitting
the right one. Several times I saw the print of Augustin's feet, but
soon lost them in puddles of water, and they only confused me more; at
length I came to a complete standstill. It was nearly dark; I did not
know which way to turn; and as Mr. Henry Pelham did when in danger of
drowning in one of the gutters of Paris, I stood still and halloed. To
my great joy, I was answered by a roar from Augustin, who had been lost
longer than I, and was even in greater tribulation. He had the teapot in
his hand, the stump of an unlighted cigar in his mouth, was plastered
with mud from his head to his heels, and altogether a most distressful
object.

We compared notes, and, selecting a path, shouting as we went, our
unit