h. We had
now food to last us as long as the fish remained good. We had just time
to light a fire and cook a portion, as we had dressed the monkey flesh,
before darkness came on.

The night passed quietly away, and the morning light showed us the same
scene as that on which the evening had closed, of the far-off forest,
and the wide expanse of water, with single trees and tangled masses of
underwood floating on it. After we had lighted a fire, and cooked some
more fish for breakfast, Duppo put out his lines to try and catch a
further supply. Not a bite, however, did he get. He hoped, he said, to
be more successful in the evening. We therefore hauled in the lines,
and I employed the time in teaching him English. I was sure that Ellen
would be greatly pleased, should we ever return, to find that he had
improved.

Another day was passing by. The wind had been moderate and the river
smooth. Again it came on to blow, and our tree was so violently
agitated that I was afraid it would be thrown over, and that we should
be washed off it. As we looked round we saw the other masses with which
we had kept company tossed about in the same way, and frequently moving
their positions. Now we drove on before the wind faster than we had
hitherto gone. There was one mass ahead which I had remarked from the
first, though at a considerable distance. We were now drifting nearer
to it. I had watched it for some hours, when I fancied I saw an object
moving about on the upper part. "It must be another monkey," I said to
myself. I pointed it out to Duppo. He remarked that it moved too
slowly for a monkey; that it was more probably a sloth. Then again it
stopped moving, and I could scarcely distinguish it among the branches
of the trees. I hoped that we might drift near enough to get it. It
would probably afford us more substantial fare than our fish. After a
time I saw Duppo eagerly watching the island. Suddenly he started up,
and waved his hand. I looked as keenly as I could. Yes; it seemed to
me that the figure on the island was again moving, and waving also. It
was a human being; and if so, who else but Arthur? My heart bounded at
the thought. Yet, how could he have escaped? How had he not before
been seen by us? Again I waved, this time with a handkerchief in my
hand. The figure held out a handkerchief also. There was now no doubt
about the matter. It was very doubtful, however, whether we should
drift much