water. Jeffreys was asleep, but Dan's sailor senses were alert in
an instant. His eyes opened, he glanced around, missed Morgan, and
peered over into the flood. The fallen man cried out, and the huge
reptile that had espied him moved off again. Dan saw both, shouted in
alarm, and hurled a handy log at the prowling horror; then he swung
himself, monkey fashion, down a stout pile, seized Morgan by the hair,
and brought him so that he got a grip of the platform. A minute later
Johnnie swung himself into safety, and only just in time, for more than
one scaly reptile had scented the feast, and was hurrying through the
moonlit waters, eager and voracious. This unlucky sousing in the flood
settled the grip of the fever on Morgan. When next he sunned himself
on the platform the waters had subsided, the mud was baked and
cracking, and the major portion of the expedition leagues away
southwards.

Chapter XXXV.

A FOE.

Johnnie Morgan was not the only sick man left behind in the Indian
village. Master Jeffreys had had the strong hand of the fever upon
him; and the son of the parson of Newnham, like his neighbour and
friend the Blakeney yeoman, found the air of the Orinoco less
invigorating than the air of the Severn. With the three sick men had
been left three sound men as guard and escort. Two of these, the
Johnsons, had elected to remain with their friend Master Timothy, and a
soldier had been chosen to keep them company. Johnnie was the last of
the three invalids to recover; indeed, the others had made plans for
their journey in the wake of the main expedition long before he was fit
to take his place in the boat.

It was fortunate for the six left behind that all, save one, were
experienced navigators, and that two of these had had the opportunity
of sailing boats on the Severn, the most treacherous of all English
tidal rivers. The boat built after the fashion of a native canoe was
left for them; they rigged a mast and small sail, fixed a rudder, and,
with a native of the village as guide, set off a little after sunrise
one morning.

For many days the voyage was uneventful enough. Captain Drake had gone
before, and the natives were everywhere eager to welcome the Englishmen
and render them every assistance. They were warned of dangers in the
river, which still ran strongly, and was in places a couple of miles in
width. Guides were readily provided, and everything done to hasten
them on their way. T