was no danger. Their
tyrants had started in the boat by now, or the idle rascal would not
have lain down so coolly to sleep, and this terrible thirst--

"Oh, I must go and have a drink," muttered Nic wearily; and then, laying
down his hoe, he walked swiftly to the end of the row, turned at right
angles along by the ditch which divided the field from the next field,
and, satisfied that he could not be seen from the house, kept on and on,
startled more than once by the rustle of a gliding snake, till the
narrow patch of jungle was reached, and he plunged into it, to force his
way along to the edge of the river.

The reeds and dense water-growth ended suddenly, and he was about to
peer out, up and down, to make sure that he was not seen, thinking the
while of how easy escape seemed, when he drew back and stood watching
with starting eyes.

But it was not at the alligator six feet long which lay between him and
the gliding river, nor yet at that other, a dozen yards away, sunning
itself at the surface of the water; but at the black woolly head of a
swimmer nearly at the other side, making easily and well for the mouth
of an overhung creek nearly opposite to where Nic crouched, and quite
regardless of the dangerous reptiles which might be near.

The feeling of thirst died out as Nic watched, seeing that there was a
way of escape after all by the river; for if that man dared trust
himself to swim in open daylight to the other side, surely he and Pete
might venture, even if the place did swarm with reptiles?

Nic's heart beat with a strange feeling of satisfaction. Here, then,
was one of his unfortunate companions taking advantage of the master's
absence to escape. Why was not Pete there to join him, and they might
all get away together?

In another minute Nic would have been on his way back to try and get
speech with Pete, and tell him what he had seen. He might, he thought,
elude Samson's watchfulness, when, to his astonishment, the man reached
the farther shore, stepped out, and shook himself, when Nic felt that he
must be dreaming, for it was Samson himself.

The next minute Nic saw him plunge into the thick growth overhanging the
narrow creek and disappear.

"Left his musket behind because he felt doubtful about getting it
across," thought Nic, and once more he was about to hurry back, when a
strange rustling sound caught his ear, followed by the rattle as of a
pole; and directly after the mystery of the boa