reabouts to
our pursuers."

I was not sorry to have the conversation closed, for I wanted a little
time for reflection. It was clear to me that this unsophisticated young
savage had been dominated in her actions by one idea alone, that of
saving me from a death of unspeakable horror; she knew that, in so
doing, she was cutting herself off for ever from her own people, to whom
it would be impossible for her to return; and, in her absolute
simplicity, she had evidently thought that it would be the easiest thing
in the world for her to throw in her lot with mine. How was I to
undeceive her; how make her understand the absolute impossibility of
such a thing? I greatly feared that to convince her of this would be
wholly beyond my power. Yet what was to become of her? I could not
abandon her, alone and unprotected, to her fate; nor could I take her
with me. The problem seemed absolutely insoluble; and at length I came
to the conclusion that the only thing to be done was to leave the issue
to destiny.

Hour after hour we paddled on in absolute silence, making excellent
progress, for the current was running strong in our favour; and at
length, just as the eastern horizon was beginning to pale with the first
hint of dawn, Ama gave the canoe a sheer in toward the eastern bank,
looking anxiously about her as she did so. She was not long in
discovering the landmarks of which she was in search, and a few minutes
later the canoe was threading its tortuous way among a tangled mass of
mangrove roots toward the solid bank of the river, landing upon which,
we drew our light craft bodily up out of the water, concealing her
beneath a broad overhanging mass of foliage which hid her so effectually
that I would defy anybody but ourselves to find her. Then, taking a bow
and quiver of arrows, together with a brace of spears, out of the canoe,
and signing to me to do the same, Ama led the way through the dense
growth bordering the river bank, until we reached an open grassy space
of about twenty acres, sparsely dotted here and there with magnificent
trees; and here Ama signified that we were to camp for the day. She
further mentioned that, as she felt sure her father would have
despatched a party in pursuit of us, which, she expected, would by this
time be, not far behind us, it would be very desirable to keep a watch
for them, since it was important that we should know as much as possible
of their movements; and she accordingly sugge