e, and delay would mean only waste
of ammunition, and if a fight was necessary they were as well able to
defend themselves by night as by day.

As silently as possible the yaks were put in marching order, and John,
without a word, started off ahead, keeping well to the left, and at a
considerable distance from the river bed, and thus acted as a scout for
the party.

To their astonishment their progress was not opposed, and for more than
an hour the quiet movement was kept up. Before them was a mass of
undergrowth, which seemed to come nearer the river than at any other
place on their route, and John approached the wagon and signaled a halt.

The Professor went forward, and without a word John started for the
underbrush, the Professor following. They passed entirely through
without any signs of the savages, and as they returned and emerged from
the other side, John tried to give the Professor some advice, but the
darkness prevented him from grasping his ideas. As a last resort John
went up to a small tree and made the motions of cutting it down, and it
at once dawned on him that a raft should be built, and this so impressed
the Professor as a wise course that they hurriedly returned to the
wagon.

"Boys, get the bolos at once, and drive the wagon forward until I tell
you to stop. Harry and George follow John, and cut poles for a raft. We
must cross the stream. While you are doing this I will examine the river
bank and find the best place to launch our raft."

"What," exclaimed Ralph, "are you going to make a raft large enough to
float the wagon on?"

"No," said Harry, "but we intend to make the wagon a part of the raft,"
and he hurriedly told them how they had forded the stream before.

Before they had an opportunity to cut many of the poles the Professor
appeared with the welcome information that he had found an immense pile
of driftwood not far below, and this was communicated to John as best
they could and the Professor took him by the arm and led him to the
river bank and sent Harry up to bring down the team.

The accumulated mass was a fortune to them, as the wood was
comparatively dry, and singling out the most available pieces, the
material was ready within a half hour, and the shallowest shelving part
of the beach selected for the launching.

It was singular that during all these proceedings not the least sign was
heard of their pursuers. It could not be possible that they had given up
the chase, but i