sit
and think it out before we start as soon as it's light."

But Rob firmly refused to give up his task till the time set down by Mr
Brazier for him to be relieved. Joe as stubbornly refused to return to
his bed, and so it was that when the birds gave note of the coming of
the day, after the weird chorus had gradually died away in the forest
they were still seated upon one of the thwarts, watching for the first
warm rays of the sun to tinge the dense river mist with rose.

CHAPTER SIX.

THROUGH THE GREEN CURTAIN.

A fair breeze sprang up with the sun, and the boat glided up stream for
many miles before a halt was called, in a bend where the wind railed
them. Here, as on previous occasions, a fire was lit, and the breakfast
prepared and eaten almost in silence, for Brazier's thoughts were far up
the river and away among the secret recesses of nature, where he hoped
to be soon gazing upon vegetation never yet seen by civilised man, while
Rob and Joe were just as thoughtful, though their ideas ran more upon
the wild beasts and lovely birds of this tropic land, into which as they
penetrated mile after mile it was to see something ever fresh and
attractive.

Shaddy, too, was very silent, and sat scanning the western shore more
and more attentively as the hours passed, and they were once more
gliding up stream, the wind serving again and again as they swept round
some bend.

The sun grew higher, and the heat more intense, the slightest movement
as they approached noon making a dew break out over Rob's brow; but the
warmth was forgotten in the beauty of the shore and the abundance of
life visible around.

But at last the heat produced such a sense of drowsiness that Rob turned
to Joe.

"I say, wouldn't an hour or two be nice under the shade of a tree?"

"Yes," said Brazier, who had overheard him. "We must have a rest now;
the sides of the boat are too hot to touch. Hullo! where are we going?"
he continued. "Why, he's steering straight for the western shore."

Brazier involuntarily stooped and took his gun from where it hung in
loops under the canvas awning, and then stood watching the dense wall of
verdure they were approaching till, as they drew nearer, their way was
through acres upon acres of lilies, whose wide-spreading leaves
literally covered the calm river with their dark green discs, dotted
here and there with great buds or dazzlingly white blossoms.

The boat cut its way through these, leaving