of the bamboos that
he cut and which we sent down to him over the falls, some to be broken
in the descent, but the most part to reach him safe and sound.

As the work went on Mapah helped, being wonderfully active and
sure-footed on the rocks; and through her our prisoner grasped the
meaning of what was going on, nodding and smiling when the time came for
our start, and to my great satisfaction showing not the slightest
shrinking from venturing into the cavern after being carefully lowered
down.

For at last all was ready, and with a good supply of resinous boughs cut
into lengths for torches, we lit up and embarked upon our return
journey, to find that what had looked so terrible through the darkness
of ignorance was a perfectly trivial affair. It was through resounding
cavern and winding tunnel, shrouded in gloom, but utterly wanting in
terrors and difficulties, being merely the gliding down a subterranean
stream out into broad daylight at the other end.

Here our raft served to carry us over the shallows right down to our
boat, at which our prisoner gazed in wonder--wonder which was increased
when we set sail and glided towards the mouth of the little river we had
passed on our way up.

It soon became evident that in his wanderings our Indian had been over
the ground before. This was proved by his manner towards his wife, to
whom he talked eagerly, pointing out different objects, rocky cliff,
forest and mountain, as if they were familiar objects.

But the great proof of all was his behaviour a couple of days later,
when we felt that the mouth of the southern river must be near, for he
was all excitement till it was in sight, when he began shouting to us
and pointing, indicating that we should steer the boat into the mouth of
the very river as I suggested weeks before, and take a fresh course.

"Hah!" exclaimed my uncle; "you were right, Nat, after all. I fancied
he meant this."

Fortunately for us, the narrowness and the way in which the side stream
was encumbered with overhanging growth, fallen log and tangle proved to
be only at the very beginning; for at the end of a mile or two of
difficulties which were very discouraging, while the stream narrowed so
that it promised to close in overhead, its course became clearer and its
waters deep and sluggish, so that we were able to camp at night some
miles from the mouth.

The next day our guide showed us by signs that our oars were not proper
implements for