continue the search; it
is possible, that none of the accidents I have mentioned may have
happened to the young officers, and perhaps they are hiding in some
rancho, or have managed to find subsistence by themselves. You
Englishmen do wondrous things, only as they have no guns, and cannot, I
conclude, use a lasso, even if they have one, they will have been unable
to catch game, or obtain any other food."

Terence, after due consideration, seeing that there would be no great
use in taking Jose with him, and that he might be of more service by
remaining on shore, returned on board with the unsatisfactory
information, as he believed it, which he had obtained.

"As to its being unsatisfactory, I am not so sure of that," observed
Jack. "As the lads escaped being killed at first, and were not, as Jose
said, ill-treated, we may hope that they have found the means of
supporting themselves in their wanderings, and that they have either
made their way back to Obligado, or have reached the banks of the river.
As they decidedly have their wits about them, they may have found
subsistence where others might have starved. Indeed, as I think of it,
though you have to share my anxiety, I cannot help feeling glad that
Desmond was with Tom; had he been alone, the case would have been
different. Youngsters may occasionally lead one another into scrapes,
but they are as sure to help each other out of them."

The calm still continued, and thus a longer time was given to Jose to
continue his search for the midshipmen. In the afternoon smoke was seen
in the distance, up the river; Jack guessing that it proceeded from the
funnel of a steamer, sent Terence in a boat to intercept her and learn
the news.

She brought the satisfactory intelligence that the squadron had reached
Baxadar de Santa Fe without molestation, with their convoy of
merchantmen, of which there were upwards of one hundred sail, collected
off the place.

The commodore had gone up the river some hundred miles farther, to
Corrientes, the capital of the province of that name, to communicate
with the government on diplomatic matters. The town is situated near
the spot where the river Paraguay falls into the Parna.

"At first it was believed that Rosas, after the lesson which had just
been given him at Obligado, would not venture to interfere with us
again, and would be ready to sue for peace," observed the commander of
the steamer. "But he has made us no overtures, an