ream. We had not
gone far down it when, coming to an opening amid the numerous trees
which lined its banks, I caught sight of a human figure moving, at some
distance off, on the opposite shore. Telling Selim, in a whisper, what
I had seen, I dragged him behind a tree, from whence we could look out
and observe the stranger. We eagerly watched him; and presently we saw
him joined by two other persons.

"Why," exclaimed Selim, "they are our friends!"

"If so, Boxall must be with them," I said joyfully.

The uncertain light of the forest had before prevented me from
distinguishing them; but as we made our way to the bank I was convinced
that Selim was right. They had their backs turned towards us, and were
proceeding westward, or down the river. We shouted to them; but our
voices were lost amid the forest, or they did not recognise them, for
they hurried on, and were soon lost to sight.

Fearing that we should miss them altogether, we now determined to swim
the stream--without reflecting on the dangers we might run. Selim
fastened his bundle of arrows and my pistol on his head, and lifting his
carbine and bow in one hand, he boldly struck out. I followed his
example; but, laden though he was, he swam better than I did. Happily
the stream was not very rapid, and a draught of water which I took as I
swam across contributed to restore my strength; so in a few minutes we
were on the opposite bank.

Losing no time in shaking the water from our clothes, we hurried on,
shouting to our friends. Again we caught sight of them. They looked
round, and seeing us coming, hurried towards us.

The meeting, as we all grasped each other's hands, was indeed a happy
one. But how Boxall had fallen in with them I could not conceive.

A few words, however, sufficed to explain how it had happened. It was
he, as we had supposed, whom we had seen at the water-hole; and the
tribe among whom he was a captive had, like many others, travelled south
to worship at the shrine of the saint. A far greater intimacy than
usual had taken place between the people of the different camps which at
that period had assembled in the neighbourhood, and he thus came to hear
that three Englishmen were held in slavery by Sheikh Hamed. He of
course guessed that we were the persons spoken of, and resolved to
communicate with us, though he knew that he ran a great risk of being
severely punished should he be discovered. He took the opportunity,
while a