he forest was being made melodious by the
songs of birds. The mountain top was beginning to glow, and just below
there came the soft tinkling splash of the falling water.

"Morning, sir," cried Ned, springing up. "Your shower-bath's waiting,
sir. Come along, sir. Do us no end of good to have a dip. We shall
take in a lot of water that way, and get rid of the dust that choked us
yesterday."

Jack needed no farther invitation, and upon descending the sides of the
stone river, there was the natural bath ready to send a thrill of
strength through them, for the rivulet came down in a series of little
falls each having its well-filled basin.

There was the drawback that there were no towels to use, and Jack said
so.

"What, sir?" cried his man. "You don't mean to say that you would have
used a towel if you had had one!"

"Why, of course. Why not?"

"Been waste of so much water. Let it soak in gradual, sir. You'll want
every drop by and by. You wait till we get out in the sun. Just think
of how we were yesterday."

Ten minutes after they were seated beneath a tree, discussing their
potatoes, eating away with a glorious appetite till about half of one
sleeve-full had been demolished, when Jack cried, "Hold!"

"Why, you ain't had enough yet, sir?"

"No, but we will keep these till by and by when we are hungry again."

"But I'm hungry now, sir," cried Ned; "and they'll be so much easier to
carry after we've eat 'em--we shall have got rid of the skins."

"Never mind, don't let's be improvident."

"But I'm pretty sure to spear or shoot a pig to-day for supper, sir."

"Then the potatoes will come in all the more useful as we have no
bread," said Jack, smiling. "Let's go now, and climb to that little
basin, to have a good draught of water."

"All right, sir; what you say's best, but it's hard work leaving those
beautiful little 'taters. They make you feel as if you could go on
browsing like all day long."

But the rest were carefully tied up in the sleeve, a good hearty draught
of the cool refreshing water taken, and they descended once more to the
natural road.

"The breakfast makes one feel different, Ned. I am not nearly so
low-spirited this morning."

"Low-spirited, sir? Why, I could run and shout _Hooray_, I feel so
well. Look at that arm, sir! Who's going to feel mis'rable when he's
got his strength back like that. Ready, sir?"

"Ready? Yes," cried Jack. "Now then, we must make up our