f the birds poking its long beak out of its hole.

"We pay you visit before long," said Nub, nodding his head. "Me tink I
know how."

Going up the stream, they found a tree which had fallen over it, by
which they crossed to the opposite bank. Nub begged to go first. "I go
see de way. We no want to pop into de middle of a village; if we do, de
women begin to shriek, and de babies cry out, and tink dat white debils
come among dem, and den de men come out and kill us."

The doctor agreed to Nub's proposal, and they proceeded more cautiously
than before. Walter pulled away at every young tree they met, and at
last he found one which the doctor thought would suit their purpose.
Nub, who came to examine it, was of the same opinion; and they quickly
cut down several which grew near to the proper length, and returned with
them the way they had come. As they passed under the tree in which they
had seen the hornbills, Nub exclaimed, "I tink we come and get dese
fellows at once, if de mate will please to accompany us."

On passing under the tree where the fruit had been found, Walter looked
about for some more; but the birds were not feeding, and none had fallen
since they had been there. On their arrival at the camp, the mate and
Dan had to confess that their traps had not as yet been successful; Nub
then told them his plan for reaching the hornbills, which could not fail
with regard to the hen, who was certain not to leave her nest, and might
possibly either be sitting on her eggs or have some young ones.

"How is that?" asked Walter. "When she sees you, if you succeed in
reaching her, she will surely fly away."

"No, Massa Walter," said Nub, "she not do dat, for de hole is shut up
with clay, and she only got room to poke her head out."

Nub's plan was to form a ladder up the tree with the bamboos they had
seen. With a little patience, he assured them, the feat could be
accomplished; so they all eagerly set out to commence operations, Alice
accompanying them; while the doctor continued his search for the
vegetable food they so much required. He first, however, cut a stick
from the thick end of a bamboo, for the purpose of digging edible roots,
which he thought it probable he might discover.

Nub also suggested that they should forthwith set to work to build a
house large enough to contain the whole party. A house would be far
better for Alice than the tent, in which she had to lie close to the
ground, with som