y is still on guard. What do you say to our going
off?"

"We mustn't think of it," counselled Arend. "Even if the elephant be
gone, we cannot find our horses in such a dark night. If it be still
waiting for us, we could not see it five paces off, while it might see
us. We had better stay when we are till morning."

"Your advice is good, Arend," said Willem. I don't believe that we have
a gun among us that could be discharged; if attacked, as we are now, we
should be defenceless.

Arend's suggestion was adopted, and they resolved to remain upon the
rock till morning.

During the night, the rain continued to pour, half drowning them in
their exposed situation. The hours passed slowly and wearily. They
began to have serious doubts of ever seeing day again; but it came at
length.

Just as the first faint gleams of the aurora appeared in the east, they
were startled by a sudden crashing among the branches of the tree, and
the next moment, they saw the bridge by which they had reached the rock,
in the act of being carried away by the current!

"Look out!" shouted Arend; "the tree is off. Keep clear of the
branches, or we shall be swept along with it."

All rushed together to the summit of the rock, reaching it just in time
to avoid the danger thus indicated; and, in another moment, their
communication with the main land was entirely cut off.

The dawn of day found them on an islet of stone, of such limited extent
that there was barely standing-room for the three. The river, swollen
by the flood, lipped close up to their feet, and was threatening to rise
still higher. There was the prospect--not a very pleasant one--that
they themselves might be carried off after their treacherous bridge.

The elephant was no longer a cause of the slightest anxiety. The means
by which they might have placed themselves within the reach of that
danger had been removed; and, like Prometheus, they were bound to a
rock.

The banks on both sides were too high for them to effect a landing, even
should they be able to stem the rapid current. All three could swim,
and it might be possible for them to reach the shore by swimming down
stream to some place where the banks were on a level with the water.

But to this method of getting out of their difficulty, there were
several objections. Their guns would have to be left behind, and could
not be recovered. A distant view of them lying upon the rock might be
all they would ever