d replace
any provisions his companion supplied him with from the schooner, to
which Overweg agreed, and they afterwards decided to send the Siwash and
one of the Kamtchadales on to the inlet with a letter to Dampier. The
two messengers started next day, when they found a place where the river
was with difficulty fordable, and the rest pushed on slowly into a
broken and rising country seamed with belts of thin forest here and
there. They held westwards for another week, and then one evening made
their camp among a few stunted, straggling firs. The temperature had
risen in the daytime, but the nights were cold, and when they had eaten
their evening meal they were glad of the shelter of the tent. A small
fire of resinous branches was sinking into a faintly glowing mass close
outside the canvas.

The flap was drawn back, and Wyllard, who lay facing the opening, could
see a triangular patch of dim blue sky with a sharp sickle moon hanging
low above a black fir branch. The night was clear and still, but now and
then among the stunted trees there was a faint elfin sighing that
quickly died away again. While still determined, Wyllard was moodily
discouraged, for they had seen no sign of human life during the journey,
and his reason told him that he might search for years before he found
the bones of the last survivor of the party. Still, he meant to search
while Overweg was willing to supply him with provisions.

By and by he saw Charly sharply raise his head and gaze towards the
opening.

"Did you hear anything outside?" asked Charly.

"It must be the Kamtchadales," Wyllard answered.

"They went back a mile or two to lay some traps."

"Then," said Wyllard, decisively, "it couldn't have been anything."

Charly did not appear satisfied, and it seemed to Wyllard that Overweg
was also listening, but there was deep stillness outside now, and he
dismissed the matter from his mind. A few minutes later, however, it
seemed to him that a shadowy form appeared out of the gloom among the
firs and faded into it again. This struck him as very curious, since if
it had been one of the Kamtchadales he would have walked straight into
camp, but he said nothing to his companions, and there was silence for a
while until Charly rose softly to his feet.

"Get out as quietly as you can," he said, as he slipped by Wyllard, who
crept after him to the entrance.

When he reached it Wyllard's voice rang out with a startling vehemence.

"Stop