pity you did, sir, because it made me
lose my bearings, and I know I shall never--"

"There, then," cried the middy excitedly. "Now, did I fancy I heard
rowing?"

"No, sir; that's oars, sure enough," replied the sailor; "and it seems
to come from right for'ard there, and not far away."

"Hail the boat, then," cried Murray excitedly.

"I dunno as I would, sir," whispered the man, "because it mightn't be
our boat."

"What! Oh, we must chance that. Hail away."

Tom May, who looked exceedingly unwilling, clapped his hand to his cheek
and yelled out, "_Seafowls_ ahoy!" just as the regular beat of oars had
ceased once more.

But there was no further doubt, for in a dull smothered tone, as if the
reply came through so much dense forest, there was the answering hail--

"Ahoy there! Where away?"

"Ahoy!" shouted Tom May. "That's the right sort, sir. Come along;" and
stepping out, the sailor beat the dense growth to right and left, with
his feet sinking deeper in the soft soil, till the cane brake began to
open out and the forest grew lighter, the splashing of oars sounding
nearer and nearer till there was a shout of welcome and the sloop's
cutter came into sight, gliding towards them till the light vessel's
nose was run into the river bank.

"At last!" cried Murray, as he scrambled over the bows, to sink
exhausted into Titely's arms. "Why, how did you get here, my lad?" said
the young officer.

"I d'know, sir. Lost my way, and couldn't find it nohow."

"But you managed to find the boat."

"Nay, sir; not me, sir! I didn't find her. I did find the side o' the
river, but couldn't get no furder. I was hanging on to a branch and
trying to keep up because I was sinking into the boggy shore, when my
two mates here come pulling up stream and picked me up. It was them
found me, sir, not me found them."

"Well, never mind that now," cried Murray angrily. "What about you two?
Your orders were to stay by the boat where we landed."

"Yes, sir," said the first boat-keeper, "but they wouldn't let us, sir."

"They!" cried Murray. "Whom do you mean by they?"

"Oh, I dunno, sir, who they was, only that it was a big party o' rough
uns with guns and rifles as come up all to wunst as we sat hanging on by
the grapnel and line, out in the middle o' the river, and one on 'em
hails us and tells us to pull ashore."

"Well," said Murray, "and did you?"

"You go on, messmate," said the man. "You can spin the yarn bett