did not perceive an important circumstance. Owing to the spongy nature
of the ground, into which my feet sank at every step, the marks were
soon obliterated, while I still supposed that my trail was sufficiently
defined to enable Manley and the sergeant to follow me.

I now mounted another hill, of a far more rugged character than the
former ones which I had passed over.

"Surely," I thought, "on the other side of this there must be open
ground, where I shall be able to see my way ahead, and select a spot for
our camp." The hill, however, proved to be even more rugged than I had
expected. Still I did not like to go back, though the farther I went
the wilder and more jagged it became.

At last I found myself scrambling along the summit of a precipice, until
I saw before me a foaming cascade falling down the precipitous rocks,
with lofty pinnacles rising above it. This formed a cataract which,
after a short course, ran into a lakelet at the foot of the cliffs;
while beyond was the open ground I had been hoping to find.

Although a good cragsman, my climb had been a rough one, and I now sat
down to rest on the top of the cliff before I commenced mounting higher,
which it was necessary to do in order to get above the falls, and from
thence make my way down the further side of the mountain on to the open
ground. To rest my shoulders, I had taken off my pack, and placed it
with my rifle by my side. I failed to notice, as I did so, the slippery
nature of the rock, which was covered with a velvet-like surface of
moss, produced by the constant spray from the waterfall. Feeling
thirsty, I thought that I could reach a small jet of water which,
flowing amid the rocks, fell into the main cascade. I therefore got up
to make my way to it, and while doing so must have touched my rifle with
my foot I obtained the water, although not without difficulty, and more
danger than it was wise to run for the purpose. But, on returning, what
was my dismay to see neither rifle nor knapsack! They had both, it was
very evident, slipped over the cliff, and fallen into the lakelet. Had
I been alone, my loss would have been indeed a serious one, but as I
hoped that my friends would soon overtake me, I did not allow it to
depress my spirits.

I approached as near to the edge of the cliff as I dared, thinking it
possible that my rifle and knapsack might have fallen on some ledge, or
perhaps been stopped in their downward progress by bushe