sh, the fish turned up its white under side, and, the
breeze being away from the raft, the fire-ball and its victim slowly
floated off together. There were frequently a dozen of these great
globules in sight at once, rising and descending, the observers
noticing one peculiarity, viz., that their brightness increased as they
rose, and decreased as they sank.

About two and a half hours after sunset, or midnight according to
Jupiter time, they fell asleep, but about an hour later Cortlandt was
awakened by a weight on his chest. Starting up, he perceived a huge
white-faced bat, with its head but a few inches from his. Its
outstretched wings were about eight feet across, and it fastened its
sharp claws upon him. Seizing it by the throat, he struggled
violently. His companions, awakened by the noise, quickly came to his
rescue, grasping him just as he was in danger of being dragged off the
raft, and in another moment Bearwarden's knife had entered the
creature's spine.

"This evidently belongs to the blood-sucking species," said Cortlandt.
"I seem to be the target for all these beasts, and henceforth shall
keep my eyes open at night."

As day would break in but little over an hour, they decided to remain
awake, and they pushed the dead bat overboard, where it was soon
devoured by fishes. A chill had come upon the air, and the incessant
noise of the forms of life about them had in a measure ceased.

Cortlandt passed around a box of quinine as a preventive against
malaria, and again they lay back and looked at the stars. The most
splendid sight in their sky now was Saturn. At the comparatively short
distance this great planet was from them, it cast a distinct shadow,
its vast rings making it appear twice its real size. With the first
glimmer of dawn, the fire-balls descended to the surface of the water
and disappeared within it, their lights going out. With a suddenness
to which the explorers were becoming accustomed, the sun burst upon
them, rising as perpendicularly as at the earth's equator, and more
than twice as fast, having first tinged the sky with the most brilliant
hues.

The stream had left the forest and swamp, and was now flowing through
open country between high banks. Pushing the raft ashore, they stepped
off on the sand, and, warming up the remains of the mastodon's heart,
ate a substantial breakfast.

While washing their knives in the stream preparatory to leaving it--for
they wished to retur