nlike a tight-rope.

"But _I_ can't do that," said Hockins, "not bein' a black monkey, d'ee
see?"

With a sudden expression of intense pity the negro exclaimed--

"Oh! I beg pardin'. Didn't I forgot; you's on'y a white man. But
stop; I come ober agin an' took you on my back."

He pretended to be on the point of recrossing, but the sailor had
already got upon the bridge, and, with much balancing and waving of his
long arms, passed over in safety. Mark was about to follow, when
Hockins called out, "Better pitch over the powder-flask in case you fall
in."

"That's true, for I mayn't be as good as you or Ebony on the tight-rope.
Look out!"

He pulled the powder-flask out of his pocket and threw it towards his
comrades. Unfortunately the branch of an overhanging bush had touched
his hand. The touch was slight, but it sufficed to divert the flask
from its proper course, and sent it into the middle of the stream.

Ebony followed it head first like an otter, but soon reappeared, gasping
and unsuccessful. Again and again he dived, but failed to find the
flask, without which, of course, their gun was useless, and at last they
were obliged to continue their flight without it.

This was a very serious loss, for they had not an ounce of provisions
with them, and were in a land the character and resources of which were
utterly unknown at least to two of them, while the youth who had become
their leader knew very little more than the fact that it was the island
of Madagascar, that it lay about 300 miles off the eastern shores of
Africa, and that the tribes by whom they were surrounded were little if
at all better than savages.

That day they wandered far into the depths of a dark and tangled forest,
intentionally seeking its gloomiest recesses in order to avoid the
natives, and at night went supperless to rest among the branches of an
umbrageous tree, not knowing what danger from man or beast might assail
them if they should venture to sleep on the ground.

Although possessed of flint and steel, as well as tinder, they did not
use them for fear of attracting attention. As they had nothing to cook,
the deprivation was not great. Fortunately the weather at the time was
pleasantly warm, so that beyond the discomfort of not being able to
stretch out at full length, the occasional poking of awkward knots and
branches into their ribs, and the constant necessity of holding on lest
they should fall off, their circumstance