ly, "if we _must_ spend the
night in the bush we shall get into a tree. That will at least save us
from all the venomous creatures as well as dangerous beasts that crawl
upon the ground. Can you climb?"

"Climb!" repeated Miss Pritty, with a hysterical laugh, "you might as
well ask me if I can dive."

"Well, you must learn. Come, I will teach you. Here is a capital tree
that seems easy to get into."

Saying this, Aileen ran to a gnarled old tree whose trunk was divided
into two parts, and from which spread out a series of stout branches
that formed a sort of net-work of foliage about eight or ten feet from
the ground. Climbing actively up to these branches, she crept out upon
them, and from that position, parting the twigs, she looked down
laughingly at her friend.

Her bright spirit was contagious. Miss Pritty almost forgot her
anxieties, smiled in return, and walked towards the tree, in doing which
she trod on something that moved in the grass. A piercing shriek was
the result. It was immediately replied to by a wild yell at no great
distance.

"It was only a frog; look, I see it now, hopping away. Do be quick,
Laura; I am sure that was the yell of a savage."

No further spur was needed. Miss Pritty scrambled up into the tree and
crept towards her friend with such reckless haste that one of her feet
slipped off the branch, and her leg passing through the foliage,
appeared in the regions below. Recovering herself, she reached what she
deemed a place of security.

"Now, dear, we are safe--at least for a time," said Aileen, arranging
her friend's disordered dress. "Take care, however; you must be careful
to trust only to limbs of the tree; the foliage cannot bear you. Look,
you can see through it to the ground. Lean your back against this fork
here; sit on this place--so; put your foot on this branch, there--why,
it is almost like a chair--hush!"

It was quite unnecessary to impose silence. They both sat among the
branches as motionless as though they had been parts of the tree. They
scarce dared to breathe, while they peered through the foliage and
beheld the dim form of a man advancing.

Whoever he was, the man seemed to growl as though he had been allied to
the beasts of the jungle. He came forward slowly, looking from side to
side with caution, and, stopping directly under the tree of refuge,
said--

"Musha!" with great emphasis, then placing both hands to his mouth he
gave vent to a ro