away with you!" growled Shaddy, and the oars dropped
among the lily leaves with a splash, startling quite a shoal of fish on
one side and a large reptile on the other, which raised quite a wave as
it dashed off with a few powerful strokes of its tail for deeper water.

They were about fifty yards from the shore, when Shaddy suddenly laid
his hand upon Rob's shoulder and pointed back to the place they had just
left.

"See that, my lad?"

"No. What?" cried Rob hastily. "Bird? lizard?"

"Nay; look again."

Rob swept the shore eagerly, and the next moment his eyes lit upon
something tawny standing in a shady spot, half hidden by the leaves.

"The puma!" he cried excitedly, and as the words left his lips the
animal made one bound into the undergrowth near the trees, and was gone.

"Or another, one, Rob," said Brazier. "It is hardly likely to be the
same. There are plenty about, I suppose, Naylor?"

"Oh yes, sir. Can't say as they swarm, but they're pootty plentiful,
and as much like each other as peas in a pod."

"But I feel sure that is the same one," cried Rob excitedly. "It is
following us down the lake."

"Maybe," grumbled Shaddy, "but you couldn't tell at this distance."

Rob was going to speak again, but he caught sight of Joe's face, with a
peculiar smile thereon, and he held his peace.

An hour later they were drawing close to the mouth of the river, where
it quitted the lake, and Shaddy pointed to the shores on either side.

"Look at that," he said in a low tone. "I 'spected as much."

"Look at what?" said Rob.

"The trees. Water's two foot up the trunks, and the river over its
banks, lad. We shall go down pootty fast it I don't look out."

But he did "look out," to use his own words, and getting the boat round,
he set the four men to back stern foremost into the stream, keeping a
long oar over the side to steer by and giving orders to the men to pull
gently or hard as he gave instructions, for the river ran like a
mill-race. It was swift enough before, but now, thanks to the
tremendous amount of water poured into it through the previous night's
storm, its speed seemed to be doubled.

Rob stood close by the steersman, while Joe was beside Mr Brazier, who,
after the first minute or two of startled interest in their rapid
descent, became absorbed in the beauty of the overhanging plants, and
had no eyes for anything else.

"We're going along at a tidy rate, Master Rob," said Shaddy.

"