vish display of
jewellery had first attracted my casual notice, I had imagined it to be
brass; but now, seeing it again in the full light of day, I discovered
it to be _gold_, almost or quite pure, as I judged from its softness.

To return to our subject Daphne's first task on our arrival at the pool
had been to kindle another fire; and, after helping us as far as she
could to doctor our wounds, she next undertook an exploration of the
forest in our immediate neighbourhood, returning in about an hour's time
with three long, thin, straight shafts of a kind of bamboo, and three
small uprooted saplings. These articles she forthwith plunged into the
fire, and after an hour's diligent work manipulated the bamboos into
three very effective lances or javelins, and the saplings into three
truly formidable clubs, the knotted roots being charred and trimmed
until they formed rounded heads as large as one's two fists put
together. One of each of these weapons she presented both to Smellie
and to me, retaining one of each for herself; and thus armed, we were
ready to set out once more upon our travels. But it was high time that
our wanderings should be conducted with something like method. Our
object was, of course, to rejoin the ship with the least possible delay;
and before making a fresh start Smellie thought it would be just as well
to acquaint our companion with this our desire. He accordingly
undertook to do so, and a very amusing scene resulted; but he succeeded
at last in making his wish clearly understood, and this achieved we once
more resumed our march.

CHAPTER ELEVEN.

FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH.

By the time that we were finally ready to start it was about noon, and
the heat had become intensely oppressive. The refreshing zephyrs of the
morning had died completely away, and the motionless atmosphere,
rarefied by the burning rays of the sun, was all a-quiver. Not a beast,
bird, or insect was stirring throughout the whole length and breadth of
the far-stretching forest aisles. The grass, the flowers, the leaves of
the trees, the graceful festoons of parasitic creepers, were all as
still as though cut out of iron. The stagnant air was saturated to
oppressiveness with a thousand mingled perfumes; and not a sound of any
kind broke in upon the death-like stillness of the scene. It was
Nature's silent hour, the hour of intensest heat; that short interval
about noon when all living things appear to retire into the