m as it is, you
might feel cold, and that would bring on fever."

"I'll take care," said Rob quietly; and in spite of hunger only half
appeased, weariness, and doubt as to their future and the length of
their imprisonment, he could not help enjoying the beauty of the scene.
For the water around was now one smooth mirror-like lake, save where the
river rushed along with a peculiar hissing, rushing sound, augmented by
a crash as some tree was dashed down and struck against those at the
edge of the forest which rose above the water. In the smooth surface
the stars were reflected, forming a second hemisphere; but every now and
then the lad saw something which raised his hopes, and he was after a
silence about to speak, when Brazier began.

"What is it keeps making little splashes in the water, Naylor?"

His voice sounded strange in the midst of the croaking, chirping, and
crying going on, but it started conversation directly.

"I was just going to speak about it, sir, to Mr Rob here. Fish--that's
what it is. They're come up out of the deep holes and eddies where they
lie when the river's in flood, and spread all about to feed on the worms
and insects which have been driven out by the water. If we only had the
fishing-line there'd be no fear of getting a meal. Oh, there is no fear
of that. We shall be all right till the water goes down, and be able to
provide for the cupboard somehow."

"Hush! what's that?" whispered Rob, as a terrible and mournful cry rang
out from somewhere among the trees--a cry which made the puma move
uneasily.

"Monkey," said Shaddy. "One of those long spider-like howlers. I
daresay it was very pleasant to its friends--yes, hark: there's another
answering him."

"And another, and another," whispered Rob, as cries came from a
distance. "But it does not sound so horrible, now that you know what it
is."

Then came the peculiar trumpet-like cry of a kind of crane, dominating
the chirping, whistling, and croaking, while the shrieking sounds over
the open lake-like flood and beneath the trees grew more frequent.

There was plenty to take their attention and help to counteract the
tedium of the night; but it was a terribly weary time, and not passed
without startling episodes. Once there was the loud snorting of some
animal swimming from the river over the clearing toward the forest. It
was too dark to make it out, but Shaddy pronounced it to be a hog-like
tapir. At another time their a