or."

"Yes, sir. I'd ha' liked to land you yonder, but you see it ain't safe,
so we'll light a fire on the other side, where it is, and get a bit o'
breakfast, for I'm thinking as it's getting pretty nigh time."

"But is it safe to land there?" asked Brazier.

"Yes, sir; you may take that for granted. East's sit down and be
comfortable; west side o' the river means eyes wide open and look out
for squalls."

"But you meant to go up some river west."

"True, sir; but you leave that to me."

As they began to near the eastern shore, where the land was more
park-like and open, the wind began to fail them, and the sail flapped,
when the four boatmen, who had been lying about listlessly, leaped up,
lowered it down, and then, seizing the oars, began to row with a long,
steady stroke. Then Shaddy stood up, peering over the canvas awning,
and looking eagerly for a suitable place for their morning halt, and
ending by running the boat alongside of a green meadow-like patch, where
the bank, only a couple of feet above the water level, was
perpendicular, and the spot was surrounded by huge trees, from one of
which flew a flock of parrots, screaming wildly, while sundry sounds and
rustlings in that nearest the water's edge proved that it was inhabited.

"What's up there?" whispered Rob to Joe as he looked. "Think it's a
great snake?"

"No," was the reply. "Look!" and the captain's son pointed up to where,
half hidden by the leaves, a curious little black face peered
wonderingly down at them; and directly after Rob made out one after
another, till quite a dozen were visible, the last hanging from a bough
like some curious animal fruit by its long stalk, which proved to be the
little creature's prehensile tail, by which it swung with us arms and
legs drawn up close.

"Monkeys!" cried Rob eagerly, for it was his first meeting with the odd
little objects in their native wilds.

"Yes; they swarm in the forests," said Joe, who was amused at his
companion's wondering looks.

Just then Shaddy leaped ashore with a rope, after carefully seeing to
the fastening of the other end.

"May as well give you gents a hint," he said: "never to trust nobody
about your painter. It's just as well to use two, for if so be as the
boat does break loose, away she goes down-stream, and you're done, for
there's no getting away from here. You can't tramp far through the
forest."

He moored the boat to one of the trees, gave a few orders, an