hrew up his arms and then
began to beat the surface wildly, but only for a second or two, before
with a couple of sharp jerks he was dragged under water, while another
cry from the savage nearest to the shore gave warning that his was to be
a similar fate, one jerk, however, sufficing to drag him under, just as
his companions reached the shelter of the trees.

"Horrid," growled the captain, as, evidently satisfied that there were
no others to shoot, he stood close to the bulwark.

"What was it drew them under?" said Brace hoarsely.

"Can't say, squire," replied the captain. "Might be alligators, snakes,
or a shoal of the savage fish that swarm along these rivers. Lesson to
us not to try bathing."

"Could nothing be done for them? Can we launch a boat?" faltered Brace.

The captain shook his head slowly, frowning the while.

"Impossible, my lad; but we don't know that we're safe here. There may
be scores more in hiding under the trees by the bank yonder; so keep
down, everyone."

The order was obeyed, but no more arrows came on board, while from
behind the deckhouse Brace stood with Briscoe watching the upturned
canoe growing smaller and smaller in the distance, Brace expecting to
see some daring swimmer appear from the shore, trying to get on board.

He said something of the kind to Lynton, who joined them just before the
canoe disappeared round a curve of the river, but the latter smiled
before he made a reply.

"You forget what sort of a shore it is," he said. "Those fellows could
not get along through that jungle a quarter so fast as the canoe drifted
with the stream, if they could get along at all. Well, it's been a bad
time for them: they've lost their boat and two of their crew."

"And serve 'em right," said Dellow, who had overheard the conversation.
"They should have left us alone. It isn't their fault that Sir Humphrey
isn't lying below there dead and cold instead of getting better fast."

"Ah! you have seen him, then?" cried Brace anxiously.

"Been below with the skipper, sir, and there won't be much the matter by
this time to-morrow if the savages leave us alone."

CHAPTER FOURTEEN.

A FALSE ALARM.

"It's my opinion," said Captain Banes, "that when the sun goes down a
breeze will spring up; and I mean to get as far up as I can before it is
too dark to see, for the sooner we're out of this neighbourhood the
better."

"Do you think there's a village of these people near?" asked Bra