these waters."

Brazier looked uneasy, and went and sat down in the stern, to become
absorbed soon after in the beauty of the scene as they raced down the
silvery flashing river, while Joe, who was near him, appeared to be
looking at the birds and wondrous butterflies which flapped across from
shore to shore, but really seeing nothing but one of a company of
monkeys, which, after the fashion of their kind, were trying to keep
pace with the boat by bounding and swinging themselves from tree to tree
along the shore.

That seemed to the young Italian's disordered imagination, blurred, as
it were, by rankling anger, like the monkey to which his companion had
compared him, and his annoyance grew hotter, not only against Rob, but
against himself for refusing to shake hands and once more be friends.

Meanwhile Rob stayed in the fore-part of the boat talking to Shaddy, who
stood on one of the thwarts, so as to get a better view of the river
ahead over the cabin roof, and kept on making an observation to the boy
from time to time.

"Easy travelling this, my lad, only a bit too fast."

"Oh, I don't know; it's very delightful," said Rob.

"Glad you like it, my lad; but I wish Mr Jovanni wouldn't sit on the
starn like that. He ought to know better. Least touch, and over he'd
go."

"Look: what's that, Shaddy?" cried Rob, pointing to a black-looking
animal standing knee-deep in water staring at them as they passed.

Shaddy screwed his eye round for a moment, but did not turn his head.

"Don't you get taking my 'tention off my work!" he growled. "That's a--
that's a--well, I shall forget my own name directly!--a
what-you-may-call-it--name like a candle."

"Tapir," cried Rob.

"That's him, my lad. Any one would think you had been born on 'Merican
rivers. Rum pig-like crittur, with a snout like a little elephant's
trunk, to ketch hold of grass and branches and nick 'em into his mouth.
I say--"

"Well, what, Shaddy?" said Rob. The man had stopped to bear hard upon
his oar.

"Pull, my lads," he growled to his men. "Hold tight, every one. I
didn't see it soon enough. Tree trunk!"

Rob seized one of the supports of the cabin roofing and gazed over it at
what seemed like a piece of bark just before them, and the next moment
there was a smart shock, a tremendous swirl in the water, and a shower
of spray poured over them like drops of silver in the bright sunshine,
as something black, which Rob took for a denuded bra