riend's
instructions he proved to be so absolutely lacking in the necessary
skill that, to save time, Phil undertook to do all the work himself.
These several occupations kept them busy for an entire week, during
which they saw no sign of human presence on the river; and by the time
that all was finished the bows had dried into prime condition, and Dick
found, to his amazement, that the wood which, when first cut, had been
soft and workable as cheese, had become as hard as iron, tough, elastic,
and extraordinarily strong; that it had, in short, become perfect for
use as a bow.

Being now equipped with powerful and effective weapons which would
enable them to save their powder and ball for special emergencies, and
provide them with all the game they might require, the two adventurers
resumed their journey, heading up the wide, deep river which they
believed to be the Magdalena, sailing when the wind permitted, and
paddling when it did not, unless they happened to be within sight of a
good camping place when the wind failed them, in which case they very
frequently ran in alongside the bank, moored the boat, and rested or
hunted, or both, until the wind sprang up again.

They were perfectly happy now, these two; and it is difficult to say
which was the happier. The life which they were living was, as nearly
as possible, ideal; it was passed in the open air, in the midst of
glorious scenery which was constantly revealing new beauties and
wonders; they had not a care in the world, for the river and the forest
provided them with an ample supply of food, while they had no anxiety
with regard to clothing in a climate which rendered clothes a
superfluity. In short, their every physical need was abundantly
satisfied; they enjoyed perfect health, and if their adventures thus far
were of a somewhat tame and commonplace description, well, what mattered
it? They had not a doubt that excitement in plenty lay before them, and
meanwhile their daily life was insensibly training and preparing them to
cope with it. Each of them was happy in his own way; Dick, because all
was new and splendid, and Phil, because he was possessed of a wonderful
overmastering feeling that after a long period of exile he once more
found himself amid scenes that were familiar, and, although he could not
say precisely in what way, suggestive of glorious associations.

Late on the second day of their resumed voyage they arrived at a point
where the river fo