ack Penny. "You're sure to find
'em if you keep on like that. Come along."

Jack went off; taking great strides as if he expected to be successful
at once; but he did not keep up the pace long, but hung back for me to
overtake him, saying:

"I say, Joe Carstairs; does your back ever ache much?"

"No," I said; "very little. Only when I'm very tired."

"Ah! you ain't got so much back as I have," he said, shaking his head.
"When you've got as much as I have you'll have the back-ache awfully,
like I do. I say, I wonder where old Jimmy has got to."

"He's close at hand somewhere," I said. "Depend upon it he has not gone
far. If the truth were known," I continued, "he's walking along abreast
of us, just hidden in the bushes."

"Think so?" said Jack dubiously.

"I'm about sure of it," I replied.

"I ain't," said Jack. "I'm afraid he's gone right away back; and we've
offended him so that we sha'n't see him any more."

"You keep your opinion, Jack, and I'll keep to mine. I say, I wonder
what that noise is!"

"Noise! Birds," said Jack.

"No, no! That dull murmur. There, listen!"

"Wind in the trees."

"No, I'm sure it is not!" I exclaimed. "There! it is gone now. It is
like far-off thunder."

"Water," said the doctor, who had closed up with us unperceived. "I've
been listening to it, and it sounds to me like a waterfall. Depend upon
it we shall find that the river comes down over some pile of rocks, and
if we were clear of the forest and could take a good look round we
should find that the country is growing mountainous on ahead."

It seemed during the next day's journey that the doctor was right, for
we were certainly ascending, the land growing more rugged and toilsome,
but at the same time far more beautiful and full of variety. In place
of always journeying on through thick forest or park-like stretches, we
now found our way was among stony ridges and long heavy slopes, with
here and there a lovely valley, so full of beauty that I used to think
to myself that perhaps we should find my father had built himself a hut
in some such place as this, and was patiently going on with his
collecting.

We had seen nothing of Jimmy for three days, and though I suspected him
of being close at hand, and coming to our camp at night stealthily in
search of food, it really began to appear as if he had left us for good,
when an adventure towards evening showed us who was correct in his
surmise.

"I don't