sweet and
fairly gorging himself.

As no provision had been made for carrying the honey home, the boys
remembered the first attempt at conveying it, and after the skin had
been removed, it was taken to the hive, and it was a pleasure to all to
remove the comb and every part of the coveted treasure. A luncheon was
prepared, and for the first time in two months the use of their sugar
was dispensed with.

"As we are so near the falls, why not go there, and possibly the sight
of it may recall something to John?"

George and Harry looked at the Professor for an inkling of his reason
for the remark, but he appeared not to notice them.

As the distance was not great, the course was directed along the very
trail that the runaway yaks had taken from the river some months before.
The moment the river was reached, John sprang from the wagon and made
his way to the shore and stood there gazing, and as his eyes turned to
the right and he saw the falls, he slowly turned to the Professor, as
though he was about to say something, but there the quest of his eyes
ended, and all recollection seemed to leave him.

George could not restrain himself any longer. "Why did you make the
remark that it would be well to bring John here to see whether or not he
would be able to remember anything?"

"I was anxious to see if he would recognize the stream, and possibly
recall the boat."

"What boat?"

"The boat we left here."

"And do you think John took the boat?"

"It is my opinion he took the boat, and then forgot it. During that
lapse it was washed down to the sea by the flood."

"But how do you account for the oars and the rope which we found in it?"

"He must have put them there."

"Where do you suppose he got the oars and the rope?"

"That is the peculiar part of the problem. The rope, if you will
remember, looked as though it was made by savages. At any rate, it was
not a regulation rope; but the oars were undoubtedly taken from the
_Investigator's_ lifeboat."

This was interesting news to the boys. It did seem probable, after all,
that John had something to do with the lifeboat as well as their own
boat.

CHAPTER XV

THE STORY OF THE CAVE

An hour or more was spent on the shore of the river, passing along its
banks and investigating the proximity of the falls, but if there was a
glimmer of intelligence, John did not exhibit it. All realized this one
thing: that if his memory could be brought to its normal cond