follow in canoes the escaping party never
knew, for none succeeded in overtaking the rearmost boat. And after that
one snarling uproar on the creek bank they heard no more of the land
pursuit. The narrow margin of safety gained by the aid of the flashlight
proved enough to give a commanding lead, and from that time on the only
obstacles to their retreat were those of darkness and winding waters.

Hour after hour Knowlton squatted in the extreme bow, picking out the
turns and snags just ahead and passing the word back to Lourenco, who,
in the stern, steered in accordance with his orders and relayed the
course to Tucu, just behind. Amidships, Pedro and McKay plied steady
paddles and the Raposa lay all but forgotten on the baggage. There were
no halts. If any boat back in the blackness got into difficulties it
extricated itself as best it could, unaided by the rest, and fell into a
new place in the column.

At last a wan light, which was scarcely a light, but rather a lessening
of the density, came about the stream. The renewed racket of birds and
beasts announced that up overhead the sky had paled into dawn. Slowly
the nearest tree trunks began to take shape in the void, and presently
the shore line became visible to all eyes. At the same time Knowlton's
tiny lamp dimmed and faded out.

"Another battery gone," he announced, opening the case and dropping its
contents into the creek. "Ho-yo-ho-hum! Gee! I'm all in! Eyes feel like
a couple of burnt holes. Well, gents, I move that at the first available
spot we go ashore, feed our faces, look at the ladies, and perform our
morning salute to Umanuh--said salute consisting of applying the right
thumb to the end of the nose and snappily twiddling four fingers."

"Motion carried." McKay's set face relaxed. Then, his glance dropping to
the Raposa, it tightened again. "Oh, hullo, Rand! How you feeling?"

The unconscious man was unconscious no longer. Moreover, his expression
was not that of one just emerging from a stupor and bewildered as to his
surroundings. Though he had made no movement to change his position, his
eyes indicated that he had been awake for some time. They dwelt steadily
on McKay, then strayed past the captain to Pedro, Lourenco, and the
first Mayoruna crew following a few feet behind. His face was
inscrutable, and he spoke no word.

"You're with friends. Understand? Friends. You're going home. These
Indians are friends, too. Get that? _Friends!_"

The gre