ends. What if they had fallen into
the hands of the Majeronas, or been exposed to some of the storms we had
so narrowly escaped! "You forget how easily they may have passed us,"
observed Arthur. "We might have been not a quarter of a mile apart, and
yet have passed without seeing or hearing each other."

Dear Ellen was so agitated with the thoughts of meeting those we loved
so soon, that she could scarcely speak. She overheard, however, the
remarks between Arthur and myself. "And why do you doubt that all will
come right in the end?" she exclaimed. "Think of the many dangers we
have gone through, and how we have been preserved from them all. Let us
hope the same for our friends."

Domingos was standing over the fire with his frying-pan when we came
round the point with Antonio. At that moment he happened to look up,
when, forgetting what he was about, he let the frying-pan and its
contents fall into the middle of the fire, thereby spoiling a delicious
fricassee of iguana, and sprang forward to welcome his fellow-servant,
and to make inquiries for their master. The two rushed into each
other's arms, and the tears fell from the black man's eyes when he heard
that our father was well.

We spent the evening at our encampment, hearing from Antonio all that
had occurred: how our father had received information of the intended
attack of the Majeronas, and had embarked just in time to escape them.
He would have waited for us higher up the river had he not been
compelled, for the sake of obtaining assistance for our mother, to
proceed downwards. They had all been hospitably received at the farm of
a Brazilian family, where she having recovered, he determined to wait
for our arrival. The first messengers he had despatched not having been
heard of, on the arrival of Houlston and Tony Nyass, they had insisted
on proceeding upward. As they also had not returned, Antonio, with the
party we had met, had been sent to search for us.

It was the happiest evening we had spent since the commencement of our
journey. Anxiety about our friends did not damp our spirits, as we
hoped that they would hear of us at some of the places at which we had
called; and that we should soon all meet, and continue our adventures in
company. "Fancy Tony and I, and old Houlston, after all, sailing
together on the Amazon, just as we used to talk about at school!" I
acclaimed. "It will be jolly, will it not, Arthur?"

CHAPTER NINETEEN.