patient.

His excitement was shared by the two lads, and the men were questioned
again and again, while all joined in searching round the little
encampment as far as was possible; and that was a very short distance,
for almost directly after the stretch of sand was passed they came upon
dense shrubby growth, and beyond this there were the huge forest trees
matted together by vines and lianas into an impassable wall, while as
far as could be made out there was no trace of any one having tried to
force his way through.

"Most singular thing," said the doctor. "We can't go away and leave him
alone in these wilds. But have everything ready for an immediate start,
and we must wait."

"I say, Morny," said Rodd, "what do you make of this? Here, stop a
minute, though. Can you think of any way by which he could go?"

Morny shook his head.

"There's no path into the forest," he said, "and it's just as dense on
the other side if any one ventured to swim across the river to go from
there."

"To go where?" said Rodd sharply.

"I don't know. I was only thinking of what any one might try to do."

"And then," said Rodd, "there's only up the river and down the river,
and he had no boat. But it's no use to bother; we have got to wait and
see; and we mustn't forget those two poor niggers. I wonder whether
they will follow us back?"

"Sure to," said Morny; "right back to the vessels."

"Hi! Joe Cross!" cried Rodd. "Put what's left of the breakfast in a
wild banana leaf again and leave it on the bank."

"Got it all ready here, sir," was the reply.

"Why, Morny," cried Rodd, catching his companion sharply by the arm,
"where are the niggers?"

"Where are the niggers?" said the young Frenchman, staring.

"Yes; they have always been ready waiting till we finished our meals.
They were there last night."

"Yes," said Morny; "they were there last night."

"Then where are they this morning?"

Morny looked across the river and back at his companion, while the
doctor, who had been conversing with the men, came hurriedly up and
joined them.

"What are you two talking about?" he said.

"About those two blacks, uncle," said Rodd, whose voice sounded rather
husky.

"What about them, sir?"

"They have always been hanging about, uncle, till we had done our meals,
and then waited for what was left."

"Yes. True. I saw them paddle across last night in the dark and fetch
what was put for them, in a curious animal-like