d I can
stand it better. You'll be afther knockin' yourself up altogether; an'
we have many a mile to go yet before we reach Castle Kearney."

I felt, however, that it was food more than rest which I just then
wanted. The pangs of hunger I was enduring convinced me of this. We
had, however, only our live fowls remaining, with a few oranges and some
grain; but the fowls could not be eaten raw, and the grain required to
be pounded and made into cakes before we could swallow it. I therefore
proposed that we should land on the first spot we could find clear of
trees and brushwood, and cook one of the fowls and make some cakes. To
this Tim agreed. Before long, projecting from below the trunk of a
large tree, we discovered a bank composed of roots and driftwood, with
mud washed over them. There was space enough to light a fire, so we at
once landed. While I was engaged in collecting sticks for the fire, Tim
wrung the neck of one of our fowls and quickly plucked it. He then cut
the bird in two and stuck it up before the fire, as the quickest way of
cooking it. We could not afford to be particular. Instead of making
cakes, we put on some of the grain to boil in our pot, for we could not
stop to bruise and bake it. We were aware that it was imprudent even to
light a fire, lest it might attract the notice of any enemies prowling
in the neighbourhood; but our hunger overcame all other considerations,
and we hoped that as we should soon again be moving on there would be no
great risk in what we were doing. I own that I ravenously ate up my
share of the fowl, even before it was cooked through; but having been
put on while still warm, it was less tough than might have been
expected. The boiled grain was far from palatable.

"Sure it will do to fill up any holes which the old hen has left in our
stomachs, and I have a notion there are not a few of them," observed
Tim, as he began to bolt down the hot porridge.

We were thus employed, when Tim exclaimed, "Hist, Mr. Maurice, did you
hear a sound?"

I listened. "Yes; I should fancy that an alligator had popped his head
above the surface, or a tortoise or wild-fowl had jumped into the river
to take a bath."

"Sure I thought it was paddles I heard. Listen again," said Tim.

"Yes, it is paddles; no doubt about the matter," he exclaimed directly
afterwards; and stepping into the canoe he cast off the painter, while
he held her fast to some roots with one hand, adding, "