a look at that one in the
morning."

CHAPTER TEN.

IN THE BLACK FOREST.

There was a fascination about that night scene which kept Brace and his
brother on deck for hours trying to pierce the black darkness, and
whenever they made up their minds that it was time to go down to their
berths something was sure to happen in the mysterious forest depths or
near at hand in the river.

One time it was a piercing cry as of someone in agony; at another a
sneering, chuckling laugh taken up in a chorus as if by a mocking party
of strange watchers, who, accustomed to the darkness, could see
everything going on aboard the brig; whisperings; sounds of crawling
creatures passing over sticky mud and wallowing impatiently in their
efforts to get along; peculiar angry barkings uttered by the alligators;
and a dreadful rustling in the trees, which Brace felt certain must be
caused by huge serpents winding in and out amongst the branches.

He suggested this to the captains who uttered a grunt.

"Very likely," he said. "They do creep about in that way after the
monkeys. 'Tis their nature to. This is the sort of country for those
gentlemen, both the dry ones and the wet ones."

"I don't understand you," said Brace. "Oh, you mean the boas and the
anacondas."

"That's right, squire, and I daresay we shall see some tidy big ones.
Yes, that sounds like one working about. Ah! he struck at it and
missed, I should say. Bit disappointing, for snakes like their suppers
as well as other people, and I'm going down to have mine. Are you
coming?"

"No," said Brace decisively; "I'm going to stay up here and listen."

Sir Humphrey and Briscoe elected to do the same, and for another hour
they listened, and watched the display made by the fireflies; while
every now and then, as the muddy water trickled and seemed to whisper
against the sides of the brig, the listeners were startled by some
strange splash close by, which sounded to them as if the river swarmed
with huge creatures which kept on swimming around and beneath the
vessel, partly attracted by curiosity as to the new visitor to their
habitat, partly resenting its presence by splashing and beating the
surface as they rose or dived.

"It's all very interesting," said Briscoe at last, "and I could stop
here all night watching and listening; but we must have sleep, or we
shall be no good to-morrow, so I'll say good night, gentlemen. If
anything happens, my gun and rifle are bot