led the way, clearing
the path occasionally with his axe. We were close to the edge of the
river, though so thickly grew the tangled sipos and the underwood that
we could only occasionally get glimpses of it. As we went along we
shouted out frequently, in hopes that Arthur might hear us.

"Your friend and his companions have laboured hard to get through this
dense jungle," he observed, "but we shall soon overtake them."

Still on and on we went, now and then having to turn aside, being unable
otherwise to force our way onwards. We at length, on returning to the
river, found below us a sand-bank, which extended for some distance
along it.

"Here are the marks of their feet!" exclaimed John, who had leaped down
on it. "See the way they are turned! We shall soon overtake them."

This discovery restored my spirits, for I had begun to fear that after
all, unable to get along, they had turned back. We hastened forward
along the bank, but the sand was very soft, and walking on it was almost
as fatiguing as through the forest; while the heat from the sun striking
down on it was intense. Climbing up the bank once more, we proceeded
through the forest. We went on a short distance, when we found
ourselves in more open ground--that is to say, we could get on without
the use of our axes. We continued shouting out, and every now and then
making our way to the bank as before.

"Hark!" said John, "I hear a cry. See! there are natives coming towards
us. Yes; I believe they are the two young Indians."

"They are Indians," remarked our guide. "They are beckoning us. We
will hasten on."

In another minute we saw Duppo and Oria running towards us. They kept
crying out words that I did not understand. As soon as they saw the
recluse they hurried to him, and took his hands, as if they knew him
well.

"They tell me your young friend is ill," he remarked. "They have left
him a little further on, close to the water, where, it seems, unable to
proceed, he fainted. They entreat me to hasten on lest he should die.
They fancy I can do everything, having occasionally cured some of their
people of slight diseases."

As he said this he allowed himself to be dragged forward by Duppo and
his sister, who, in their eagerness, seemed scarcely to have recognised
us. The ground over which we were proceeding was somewhat swampy, and
sloped down to a small lagoon or inlet of the river. John and I
followed as fast as we could at th