ion. Rolfe, ably seconded by sturdy Bill Blunt,
had collected a party of spare men and arms for the river trip, which,
supplemented by Little and his five perplexed station hands, gave the
skipper a very full crew for his largest boat, a lugger-rigged longboat.

"Has the schooner's boat started?" Barry asked, scanning the yellow
stream that flowed greasily past and bore no sign of life or floating
craft.

"Yes, sir," replied the mate. "She went up just after I sent the
messenger to you. Leyden wasn't in her, though, so I sent a couple of
men up the bank, to keep her in view and give you the direction as you
picked them up."

"Then call away the boat!" snapped Barry. "If that fellow sneaks up some
creek, we'll pass him surely in the dusk, and--"

"Oh, he won't do that, Barry," interjected Little. "I got at least this
from Gordon's records, that the gold-bearing sands are on the main
stream."

"Were the men armed?" asked the skipper.

"Not that I could see, sir. That looked queer to me," said Rolfe. "And
that steam launch started so fast--"

"Steam launch! Here, Little, get your men into the boat. I don't know
what this all means, but I don't trust Leyden, after what I saw and
heard to-day." Barry leaped below to his cabin and gathered up a few
necessaries for the boat trip, then returned on a run and entered the
longboat.

"Give way!" he ordered, and the oars flashed in rhythm, driving the boat
out into midstream where she could set her sails free from the
blanketing influence of the jungle-clad shore.

"Good luck, sir!" growled Blunt, gazing down at the boat with sorrow in
his jovial face. "Ain't no chance o' coming wi' yer, I suppose?"

"No, Blunt. Stay here. You'll get your share of the fun if the dog
bites!" Barry called back with a short laugh.

"Then all as I hopes is that he bites, sir!" and the old salt walked
away from the rail, unable longer to stand the pang of seeing that boat
go adventuring.

The longboat slipped along under her big lugs almost as swiftly as a
launch could travel; the power craft would derive the fuller advantage
from her engine when the twisting of the river put the sailboat on a
beat. The stream quickly narrowed and shoaled when the post had been
left astern, and in one place ran swiftly through a high-banked gorge
that cut off the breeze and brought out oars again. Here the first
watchman was picked up, standing on the high crest beside a tree and
calling attention by a