heir voices calling as I lay fainting on the bank."

"Yes; we are here," John and I said, coming forward. "Duppo and his
sister met us, and brought us to you."

"I am so glad," he said in a low voice. "I began to fear that you were
really lost, we wandered on so far without finding you. I felt ready to
die too, I was so sick at heart. And your sister--is she safe?" he
asked. "Oh yes; I am sure you would look more sad if she were not."

"Yes, she is safe and well, Arthur," I said; "and we must take you there
to be nursed, or, if it is too far to carry you, we must build a hut
somewhere near here, where we can join you."

The stranger looked at Arthur, and murmured something we did not hear.

"It is a long way to carry the lad," he said; "though if I had him in my
hut I would watch over him."

"Perhaps it may be better to build a hut at the spot we proposed, and
bring our sister and goods to it," I said.

"No; I will take the lad to mine," answered the recluse. "You can build
a hut as you proposed, and when he has recovered I will bring him to
you."

I was very glad to hear this, because I was afraid that Arthur might
suffer unless we could get him soon placed in a comfortable hammock, and
give him better food than we should be able to prepare without our
cooking apparatus.

"I am ready to go on whenever you wish it," observed Arthur, who heard
the discussion; "but I am afraid I cannot walk very fast."

"I will carry you then," said the recluse; "but it will be better to
form a litter, on which you can rest more at your ease. We will soon
get one ready."

Duppo and Oria stood by watching us eagerly while we spoke, as if they
were anxious to know what we were saying.

"You stay with your young friend, while your brother and I prepare the
litter," said the recluse to me, replacing Arthur on the ground.

I sat down by his side, supporting him. He did not allude to the
anaconda, and, I suspected, was totally unconscious of the danger he had
been in. While the recluse and John were cutting down some poles to
form the litter, Duppo and his sister collected a number of long thin
sipos, showing that they understood what we proposed doing. In a short
time the litter was completed. John and I insisted on carrying it,
though we had some difficulty in persuading the recluse to allow us to
do so. He spoke for some time to Duppo and his sister, who looked
greatly disconcerted and sad.

"I was telling them t