rotted down
to the water's edge and howled in concert.

"We may be thankful we got away with whole skins," said Chutney. "It was
a great misfortune to have to abandon all that meat, but a delay or an
attempt at resistance would have cost us our lives."

"It means starvation," said Melton bitterly. "Those lions came down from
the open air to drink. That hole in the rocks led out of the cavern, I
have no doubt, and we could have followed it up and perhaps found food,
or we might even have abandoned the cavern entirely and finished our
journey on top of ground. We must be close to the coast now."

This statement of what "might have been" sent their spirits down to the
lowest ebb. They realized that Melton was undoubtedly right. Safety had
actually been within their grasp, but the lions had driven them off, and
now they were doomed to almost certain death by starvation. Even had
they chosen to go back and risk the chances it was too late, for the
current had taken them far from the spot, and the sandy shores had given
way to perpendicular walls of rock.

The torch continued to burn brightly, a piece of extravagance that
called forth no rebuke.

The journey continued amid unbroken silence. Sir Arthur and Bildad were
both asleep, though it was no peaceful slumber, to judge from their
restless tossings.

Sir Arthur's illness had now lasted a week. It was more of a nervous
attack than anything else, but without food it was hopeless to look for
recovery. He was extremely weak, and lay most of the time in a stupor.

The painful bruises Guy had sustained kept him awake much longer than
the rest, but at last he too fell asleep.

Thus several hours passed away, and they awoke in utter darkness. The
torch had burnt out during the night, but Guy recklessly lit another.

The river was flowing rapidly among scattered rocks, and as the raft
approached a jagged ledge that cropped up from the water, a dark object
was seen clinging to it.

"Why, it is our lost canoe," said Forbes as they drew near. "Help me
catch it, Chutney. We will pass close to it."

The raft struck the edge of the rocks, and as it swung round with the
current they grasped the end of the canoe and pulled it on board.

"It will do for firewood," said Guy. "We won't have to travel in the
dark any more."

"Yes, yes; build a fire," said Sir Arthur feebly, sitting up among the
rugs. "I'm cold, Chutney; icy cold. Have we come to the end of the
cavern yet?"

"