oluntarily. "You can be of
service to one of your friends, a poor Indian, who has been severely
hurt."

"Ah! there is something to live for then!" he exclaimed, looking up at
us. "But I must have your assistance too. I have injured my leg; and
had I not been able to reach the igarape and construct this raft, I must
have perished in the forest. I have with difficulty come thus far, and
should have had to crawl to my hut, as I purposed doing, had you not
appeared to assist me. My canoe I had left a league or two further
away, and could not reach it."

"Oh, we will gladly help you, sir," exclaimed Arthur; "and if you will
let us, we will tow the raft down nearer to the hut."

"It is strange that you should have come; and I accept your offer,"
answered the recluse.

We soon cut some long sipos, and fastening them together we secured one
end to the raft. The recluse sat down, evidently much exhausted by his
previous exertions; and while we towed the raft along, he kept it off
the bank with a long pole. When we got down opposite the hut, we
assisted him to land. He could not move, however, without great
difficulty.

"Let me go and call Mora and Duppo, that we may carry you in the litter
on which I was brought to your hut," said Arthur. "No, no; I can get
on, with your assistance, without that," answered the recluse, placing
his arms on our shoulders. He groaned several times, showing the pain
he suffered; but still he persevered, and at length we reached the hut.
We had great difficulty in getting him up the ladder. When he saw
Maono, he seemed to forget all about himself.

"My hurt can wait," he observed. "We must attend to this poor fellow."
Having examined the Indian's head, he produced a salve, which he spread
on a cloth, and again bound it up. "A European would have died with
such a wound," he observed; "but with his temperate blood, he will, I
hope, escape fever."

Having attended to his guest, he allowed Arthur and I to assist him in
binding up his leg, and in preparing a couch for him in his own room,
instead of the hammock in which he usually slept. He explained to
Illora how she was to treat her husband, and gave her a cooling draught
which he was to take at intervals during the night. Having slung his
hammock in the outside room, Arthur and I lay down, one at each end;
while the Indian woman sat up to keep watch, and Duppo coiled himself
away on one of the chests.

At daybreak, Arthur, hea