in gesticulating to the men, as if bullying
them into making a bold dash to row swiftly down as near the farther
shore as they could go.

A minute later two puffs of smoke from different vessels shot out into
the clear evening air, the balls ricochetting from the water in each
case a few yards away. Then, with the men pulling as hard as ever they
could, the boat's head was swung round, and rowing diagonally across the
stream they made for the shelter of the shore from which they had come,
the sail was hoisted, filled, and away they went till they were right
round the bend and the anchored schooners were out of sight.

"There, Mr Rodd, sir, what did I tell you?" cried Joe triumphantly. "I
knew they couldn't hit us. Chaps like them ought never to be allowed to
handle a gun."

"Well, my man," said the doctor, "if the rest of your plan will only
succeed like this we shall achieve a victory."

"Nay, nay, sir; only a little boat action. There, my lads, now we'll
have a rest. They're sure to think we have gone right up the river."

"But they may send boats to follow us," suggested Rodd.

"Certainly, sir, they may; but I don't think they will. They won't come
to close quarters so long as they have got bulwarks to fight from behind
and the guns to tackle us when we show. They think that we can't face
the pieces. Well, I don't say as we are very ready to when there's
another way round, but we haven't got long to wait before we must make
another move, for the sun's down behind the trees, and I shouldn't be
sorry if it was to come on a fog."

But no fog came, only darkness the blackest of the black, and the few
stars that peered out only looking strangely dim.

The wind had fallen soon after the sail had been lowered and the mast
laid well out of their way. One of the balls of spun yarn they had in
the locker had been brought into use, cut into lengths, and the oars
secured so that they could not slip away when they were left to swing,
and at last under cover of the night the next part of Joe's programme
was begun.

It was harder work than had been anticipated, for though the current
close in shore was slack, it was very difficult to keep at a respectable
distance from the bank as they glided down-stream, while every now and
then there was a swirl in the water suggesting that one of the great
reptiles had been disturbed.

But still the adventurers progressed, and their leader was keenly on the
alert, looking ou