nd struck out. We followed, keeping close
behind him and trailing our poles by our sides. I did my best to keep
the end of mine down, so that any creature at the bottom might seize
hold of it instead of my legs. Arthur said that he was doing the same;
but Kallolo appeared to have no apprehensions on the subject. We soon
reached a branch almost touching the water. We scrambled on to it, and
then without difficulty made good progress, holding on to the hanging
sepos amid which we passed. We had gone some way when my foot struck on
a slimy substance, and I heard a loud hiss as I felt it glide from
beneath me and splash into the water below. I knew that I had trodden
on a snake, and was thankful that it had not sprung up and bitten me. I
told Arthur.

"I hope we shall not meet with another," he answered calmly. "It was
one of the things we had to expect."

The only object we had to guide us was the light from the Indian
encampment, of which we occasionally caught glimpses. It seemed to be
much further off than we had supposed. Indeed, sometimes I fancied that
it was no nearer than when first we started! Occasionally I felt almost
sorry that I had attempted the expedition. Then I remembered the
importance of ascertaining the exact position of the encampment, and its
distance from the river.

Sometimes, as we went along, we disturbed huge frogs, which were seated
on the low boughs and the floating logs, and which went off with loud
splashes into the water. The croakings of others were heard on every
side. Frequently a huge bat or bird of night flitted by. The wings of
the former fanned our faces, while the latter uttered a harsh croak or
shriek as it flew through the gloom. Generally all around us was silent
and dark, an oppressive gloom pervading the atmosphere, except when we
passed through a swarm of fireflies or elaters, as we now and then did.

At length as we advanced we saw a light directly before us, and
considerably above the level over which we were passing. We were
anxious to get as near to it as we could without being seen, so as to
ascertain its distance from the river. We went on some way further,
when, to our surprise, we came upon a stream, which we found running
between us and the Indian camp, (for so I may call it, for want of a
better name). On we crept in silence, till, crawling along a bough
which hung just above the water, we came full in sight of it. We now
discovered, what I ha