idge made a rapid wilder than
any they had passed on the upper river, almost a cataract. Much time was
consumed in dragging the dug-out over the shelves of rock alongside. The
ridge made a sort of dam in the river; and above there was a long
reach, smooth and sluggish. Imbrie ordered Stonor aboard to paddle, and
the trooper was not sorry for the change of exercise.

The sun was dropping low now, and Stonor little by little gave up hope
of meeting help that day. In the course of the smooth reach they came
upon an island, quaintly shaped like a woman's hat, with a stony beach
all round for a brim, a high green crown, and a clump of pines for an
aigrette. In its greatest diameter it was less than a hundred feet.

Coming abreast of the island, Imbrie, without saying anything in advance
of his intention, steered the dug-out so that she grounded on the beach.
The others looked round at him in surprise.

"We'll camp here," he said curtly.

Stonor's heart sank. An island! "It's early yet," he said, with a
careless air.

"The dug-out's leaking," said Imbrie. "I want to fix her before dark."

"There's no gum on the island."

"I have it with me."

Imbrie said this with a meaning grin, and Stonor could not be sure but
that the man suspected his design of escaping. There was nothing for it
but to submit for the moment. If they attempted to bind him he would put
up the best fight he could. If they left him free until dark he might
still escape by swimming.

They landed. The breed woman, as a matter of course, prepared to do all
the work, while Imbrie sat down with his pipe and his gun. He ordered
Stonor to sit near. The policeman obeyed, keeping himself on the _qui
vive_ for the first hostile move. Clare, merely to be doing something,
put up her own little tent. The breed woman started preparing supper,
and then, taking everything out of the dug-out, pulled it up on the
stones, and turning it over applied the gum to the little crack that had
opened in the bottom.

They supped as usual, Stonor being guarded by the woman while Imbrie
ate. Stonor and Clare were kept at a little distance from each other.
There was nothing that they cared to say to each other within hearing of
their jailors. Soon afterwards Clare went to her tent. Stonor watched
her disappear with a gripping pain at his heart, wondering if he would
ever see her again. "She might have looked her good-night," he thought
resentfully, even while better sense told