king
the right course.

About an hour passed thus, amidst poignant alternatives of fear and
hope; then the bivouac fires were lost in the distance, and the
fugitives perceived that they were nearly out of danger. Reassured by
this belief Bois-Rose placed himself at one end of the islet, and
paddled vigorously, until the raft, ceasing to gyrate, advanced more
swiftly down the current, like a horse long abandoned to his own
caprices, who feels at last the hand and spur of an able rider. Keeping
where the water was deepest, they now proceeded at a considerable rate
of speed, and began to think themselves entirely out of danger.

"Daylight will not be long in appearing," said Bois-Rose, "and we must
now land and endeavour to get on faster; we shall go twice as fast on
foot as on this island, which sails slower than a Dutch lugger."

"Well! land where you like, Bois-Rose, and we will follow. Let us wade
down the stream a bit, so as to hide our traces from the Indians; and
even if we have to carry the wounded man, we can manage two leagues an
hour. Do you think, Don Fabian, that the Golden Valley is far off?"

"You saw the sun go down behind the foggy mountains which shut in this
valley," replied Fabian. "It lies at their foot--we cannot be many
hours' march from it."

Bois-Rose now gave to the island an oblique direction, and in about a
quarter of an hour, it struck violently against the bank. While Pepe
and Fabian jumped ashore, the Canadian took the wounded man in his arms,
and laid him gently down. This awoke him, and opening his eyes and
throwing round him an astonished glance, he murmured, "Virgen Santa!
shall I again hear those frightful howls which troubled my sleep?"

"No, my lad, the Indians are far off now, and we are in safety. Thank
God, who has permitted me to save all that are dear to me--my child
Fabian and my old friend."

They then prepared to continue their course.

"If you are not able to walk," said Pepe to Gayferos, "we shall
construct a kind of litter to carry you on. We have no time to lose if
we wish to escape these wretches, who, as soon as daylight appears, will
begin to chase us as eagerly as ever they chased a white enemy."

So great was the desire of Gayferos to escape, that he almost forgot the
pain he was enduring, and declaring that he would follow his liberators
as quickly as they could go themselves, he begged them to set off at
once.

"We have some precautions to take f