bank abreast of him, standing in readiness to shoot. Quickly as
he withdrew it again two arrows struck the boat within a few inches of
the point where he had looked over.

"Luka," he said, "we must get a little further out; I am afraid the
stream might set us in towards the bank. I will put my cap upon a piece
of firewood and hoist it up. They will shoot at it, and the moment they
do we must both spring up and give two or three strong strokes to take
her further out."

Lying flat on his back at the bottom of the boat, Godfrey raised his
cap; almost instantaneously there were three or four sharp taps on the
side of the boat, and one arrow passed through it but an inch above his
chest. In a moment he sat upright with a paddle in his hand, and a
couple of sharp strokes sent the boat out into the centre of the
current. At this moment they heard a series of yells and splashes.
"Lucky for them," Luka laughed, "I made the slits so big. If they had
got out farther they would all have been drowned: these people are not
able to swim."

"No, I should think not," Godfrey said. "They don't look as if water had
ever touched them from the day they were born. We are safe now, in ten
minutes we shall be clear of the river, and have only got to paddle back
and fetch our canoe."

"We may have to fight yet," Luka said. "Sure to follow us. The meat and
flour is all gone. I expect they gave it to their dogs. That is what
made them sleep so sound. They will know that we shall have to land
somewhere to get food, and think they will have us then. They will mend
canoes very quick, and some of them will come after us."

"It will be worse for them if they do," Godfrey said. "With my gun and
your bow we could keep a score of canoes at a distance. Still, as you
say, we may have trouble in getting our canoe. However, we must have
that if we have to fight the whole tribe for it."

Godfrey looked up from time to time. He could do so safely now, for they
were fifty yards from the bank, and there was time for him to withdraw
his head before an arrow could reach him. The natives, however, had
ceased to follow the boat, having doubtless run back when they heard
their companions' cries. Godfrey thought it as well not to take to the
paddles until they were well out of the river, lest one might have run
on and hidden himself in a clump of bushes. As soon as they were out of
the river they took up the paddles, and rowed straight out for a
distance of a