ticed by his companion. "Mr Brazier had got one
of his pockets stuffed full of bits o' spun yarn and band, like that as
we used to tie up his plants with, and it looks to me as if he'd dropped
this."

"But couldn't--Oh no, of course not--it's impossible," cried Rob; "no
one else could have been here?"

"No, sir; no one else could have been here."

"Yes, they could," cried Rob excitedly: "enemies!"

Shaddy shook his head as he peered about, stooping and examining the
trampled-down growth.

"Wish I could track like an Indian does, Mr Rob, sir. He has been here
sure enough, but I can't make out which way he has gone. There's our
footmarks pressing down the twigs and moss and stuff; and there's his, I
fancy."

"And Indians?"

"Can't see none, sir; but that means nothing: they tread so softly with
their bare feet that a dozen may have been here and gone, and we not
know it."

"Then you do think he has been attacked by Indians, Shaddy?" cried Rob
reproachfully.

"Well, sir, I do, and I don't. There's no sign."

"Then what could it have been,--a jaguar?"

"Maybe, Mr Rob."

"Or a puma!"

"Maybe that, sir; or he may have come suddenly upon a deer as gave him a
dig with its horns. Here, let's get on back to camp as quickly as we
can."

"But he may not be there," cried Rob excitedly, as he looked round among
the densely packed trees. "Let's try and find some track by which he
has gone."

"That's what I've been trying to do, and couldn't find one, sir. If
he's been wounded, somehow he'd nat'rally make back for the hut, so as
to find us and get help. Come along."

"Oh, Shaddy, we oughtn't to have left him. We ought to have kept
together."

"No good to tell me that, Mr Rob, sir; I feel it now, but I did it all
for the best. There, sir, it's of no use to stay here no longer. Come
on, and we may hit upon his backward trail."

Rob gave another wild look round, and then joined Shaddy, who was
carefully studying the position of the sun, where a gleam came through
the dense foliage high above their heads, and lightened the deep green
twilight.

"That's about the course," he muttered, as he gave the iguana a hitch
over to his right shoulder. "Now then, Mr Rob, sir, let's make a swift
passage if we can, and hope for the best. Pah! Look at the flies
already after the meat. No keeping anything long here."

The remark struck Rob as being out of place at such a time, but he was
fain to recall how he h