our way back to the canoe. We had nearly
reached the water's edge, when Arthur exclaimed that he saw something
white hanging to the lower branch of a tree, amid the thick undergrowth
which grew around. We had some difficulty in cutting our way up to it.
We then saw a handkerchief tied up in the shape of a ball.

"Why, it is only full of dried leaves!" exclaimed Arthur, as we opened
it.

"Stay a moment," I answered. "I think there is something within them
though."

Unrolling the leaves, I found a small piece of paper, torn apparently
from a pocket-book. On it were written a few lines. They were: "Dear
Brothers,--I trust you will see this. Enemies are approaching, and our
father has resolved to quit this spot and proceed down the river. We
hope to send a messenger up to warn you not to land here, but I leave
this in case you should miss him, and do so. Where we shall stop, I
cannot say; but our father wishes, for our mother's sake and mine, and
Aunt Martha's, not again to settle till we reach a part of the river
inhabited by friendly natives. That will, I fear, not be till we get
some way down the Amazon. I am warned to finish and do this up. The
natives are seen in the distance coming towards us."

This note, the first assurance we had received that our family had
escaped, greatly raised our spirits. We had now only to make the best
of our way back to John and Ellen with the satisfactory intelligence.
We accordingly hurried back to the canoe, and began our downward voyage.
We had gone some distance when we saw a small opening in the river,
where, on the shore, two or three canoes were hauled up. They might
belong to friendly natives, from whom we might obtain some fish or other
fresh provisions, of which we were somewhat in want. We were about to
paddle in, when we caught sight of several fierce-looking men with bows
in their hands, rushing down towards the bank. Their appearance and
gestures were so hostile that we immediately turned the head of our
canoe down the stream again, and paddled away as fast as we could. We
had not, however, got far, when, looking back, we saw that they had
entered one of the larger canoes, and were shoring off, apparently to
pursue us. We did our best to make way, in the hope of keeping ahead of
them. I should have said the weather at this time had been somewhat
changeable. Clouds had been gathering in the sky, and there was every
sign of a storm. As I have already d