must be very far off, I suspect."

"Never fear, Billy; you had better get some sleep, and forget all about
the matter. In the morning we shall probably be able to kill some
birds, or find some wild fruit," answered Tom.

Billy, with a groan, lay down in the bottom of the canoe, in which the
rest of the party had stretched themselves as well as they could,
although there was not much room for their legs.

Desmond sat up with his musket in his hands, keeping an eye down the
river, and occasionally peering in among the trees on the shore.
Mournful sounds ever and anon came out of the forest, but he could
detect no human voices; and he therefore hoped that the enemy had given
up the pursuit. He had a hard matter to keep awake, the murmur of the
water, as it passed by, tending much to lull him to sleep. He
contrived, however, to keep his eyes open. He knew that in that region
such disagreeable creatures existed as anacondas, tigers, huge baboons,
and alligators, and that one or the other of them might suddenly make
its appearance. He had stood his watch, as near as he could calculate,
about a couple of hours, when feeling that, notwithstanding the danger
to be apprehended, he could not hold out much longer, he roused up Tom,
who, after his two hours' sound sleep, was soon wide awake.

"I have been thinking of all sorts of horrible creatures who may chance
to be in the neighbourhood. Take care you do not let any of them get
hold of us," said Gerald.

"No fear of that," answered Tom, taking Gerald's musket; "I will try and
give a good account of any beast which comes near us."

Tom sat, as Desmond had done, with his rifle ready for immediate action.
It had hitherto been too dark to look at his watch, and he thought it
imprudent to strike a light for the purpose. He had, therefore, no
notion of how time went by. Greatly to his surprise he very shortly saw
the streaks of dawn in the sky, and ere long a rich glow, heralding the
rising sun, appeared to the eastward, shedding a ruddy tint over the
calm surface of the river.

He had now to decide what was next to be done. To attempt to descend
the river during the daytime would expose them to certain capture. He
was anxious to try and reach the coast as early as possible. Taking out
his compass, he ascertained that it lay due east, and that the course of
the river was south-west and north-east; but how far off the shore was
it was difficult to say. Nick and Pipes