and
then similarly aided Hurka. They made their way along the bough to the
main trunk, then followed another great bough on the other side, and
dropped from its extremity nearly thirty yards away from the bed of the
stream; then they struck off through the wood until they came upon another
stream, and after following it for another half an hour left it by another
tree as before.

"Now we can go on," Pita said, "it will take them hours to find our
track."

They now continued their course steadily, Pita before they started taking
off Stephen's boots and wrapping a broad band of soft leather he had
brought with him round and round his feet.

"The heels of your boots make tracks an Indian might almost follow in the
dark. You had better throw them into the next clump of bushes you come to;
we can get another pair at the mission."

In the course of the day they crossed two other streams, and at each of
them took measures as before to throw the Indians off their track. They
kept on till nightfall, and then Stephen and Pita lay down, Hurka saying
that he would watch until midnight.

"You don't think the Indians will follow at night?" Stephen asked.

"There is no fear of that, senor. They dread the wild beasts; there are so
many in these forests, and they can scent a human being a long distance
away. We have chosen this tree because, as you see, the lower branch is
near the ground, and it will be easier to climb up into it if I give the
alarm."

The next morning shortly after starting they came to a bank of a stream
larger than any of those they had passed on the previous day. Here they
had a short consultation, and then Hurka and Pita set to work to cut down
a large number of great rushes growing in the water, taking care to cut
them some inches below its level. With the aid of some creepers a raft
capable of sustaining them all was speedily made, and on this they took
their places, and the Indians having cut two poles to steer by, they
pushed off into the middle of the stream. The current was very sluggish,
and they would have made but small way had not the two Indians poled
vigorously. Stephen was thankful indeed for the change; upon the previous
day he had only been enabled to keep up with the greatest difficulty, and
had felt that another day's labour would bring him to a stand-still.

"They will walk quite as fast as we are going," he said presently.

"Yes, senor, faster; but they are probably still far behind,