it also makes them do foolish things. The most absurd
and unreasonable notions I ever entertained, came into my head by
moonlight, and wouldn't go away. Only twenty-five minutes ago, we were
quite a rational, practical set of persons, eating our supper, (a
well-cooked supper, too, though I say it myself), with a keen appetite,
like Christians. And now, we have fallen to sighing and quoting poetry,
and Browne waxes quite pathetic at the touching thought of getting a
glimpse once more, of the smoky chimneys of Glasgow! Finally, I have
nearly caught the infection myself, and unless I escape out of the
moonlight presently, I dare say I also shall become quite
lack-a-daisical, and commence a poetical apostrophe to my native village
of Hardscrabble--or rather to plump little Susan Somers, my first love,
at the `madam's' school, who affected my weak mind and susceptible heart
to that extent, that in her bewildering presence my tongue clave to the
roof of my mouth, while I grew red in the face like a perplexed turkey
gobbler. But what _can_ have become of Arthur and the rest? Unless
something had happened to them, they must have returned before now."

A little before midnight we retired to the cabin to sleep, having first
agreed, that in the morning three of us should proceed up the stream
again, to make a thorough search for our companions, the fourth
remaining behind until near noon, when, if the absentees had not yet
returned, he should set out to join the others at the islet below the
falls, which we fixed upon as the rendezvous.

In the morning, lots were drawn to determine which of us should remain
at the cabin, and that duty fell to Morton. The rest of us, having
armed ourselves, and prepared a supply of taro and bread-fruit,
sufficient, as we supposed, for several days, set out, soon after
sunrise. Our progress was much more rapid than it had been when we
first went over the ground, as we now had a definite object in view, and
pressed steadily forward, without allowing any thing to interrupt or
delay us. In an hour and a half after starting, we came in sight of the
islet. Opposite it was the stake which Browne had planted in the sand,
just as we had left it. We pushed on up the stream to the cascade, and
crossing to the right bank, we began to skirt the base of the rocky wall
on that side, looking carefully around for some traces of our
companions.

We had proceeded in this way, about one hundred yards fro