the night's shelter--a night full of anxiety, during which careful watch
was kept.

But day broke without there being any sign of the enemy, and as soon as
a hurried meal had been despatched, at which they had to dispense with
freshly made bread and tea, the men, too, with their mate, a new start
was made, and another rapid ascended, after which for many miles the
river wound, with plenty of deep water, through valley after valley.

All this time they were on the alert for pursuing Indians, but by
degrees they were able to feel confidently that they had journeyed
beyond the territory occupied by the inimical people, and Brazier began
his collecting once more, and the boys their fishing and shooting.

"It's absurd, Rob," said Brazier one evening, when the crisp cool air
told that they must during the past week have attained to far above the
dense forest regions. "I could have filled this boat a dozen times
over."

"Yes," said Rob, peering hard at the stacks of dried and half-dried
plants around them; "but you have got a great many."

"A mere nothing, boy, as compared to what there is about us! Why, up
here we are surrounded by quite a different growth of flowers and
plants."

"And the birds are different, too, and the insects, and fish, specially
the latter," said Rob drily.

"Indeed? I did not notice anything about the fish."

"Good reason why," said Rob, laughing merrily: "there haven't been any
to notice."

Two days after, when they were in quite a desolate region, where the
trees and shrubs were thin and poor, Shaddy came to Mr Brazier to
announce that he and two of the men were going to leave them camped for
a few hours, while they sought out the most likely course for their
portage.

"But surely it will be impossible to work the boat along overland," said
Brazier. "We shall have to go back."

"To meet the Indians, sir? No, that wouldn't do. Perhaps I'm wrong,
but we're up here now where several streams begin, and if we can only
find one, no matter how small, that flows to the east, we're all right."

The men set off the next morning as soon as it was light, and the party
in camp shot, collected, kept up the fire, and waited impatiently for
the return of the little expedition, but waited in vain; and at last in
alarm Rob and Joe set off in search of them, tramping till midday and
stopping to rest by a fount which bubbled out of the earth and flowed
away. After resting a while they started agai