“Nothing of the kind,” returned Wilson eagerly; “your tale’s every bit as good as a book!”
“To resume, then,” continued the inventor. “The next thing I recollect is awaking from my swoon on the sandy beach at the mouth of the river. How it came about that I was not drowned amid the rushing waters I cannot make out, even now. It seems incredible that I should have been carried, helpless as I was, through the foaming rapids of the gorge, and washed safely ashore at the river-mouth. Yet the fact remains.
“For some considerable time I lay, drenched and thoroughly exhausted, upon the sand; then, when my strength had returned in some measure, I rose, and, though still very faint, made my way along the beach, knowing that by following the coastline I must, sooner or later, come across the Seal. As my blood began to circulate more briskly my faintness vanished, and soon I felt as well as ever.
“Save for the discomfort of my wet clothes, I really believe I should have enjoyed my tramp. The thought that I had succeeded in escaping from the clutches of the brutes who had captured me gave me great satisfaction. I will hurry on, I thought, and, if Seymour has returned, we will get up a rescue party at once. Then it will not be long before we have Mervyn out of the power of these wolfish savages. You see, I had forgotten that a considerable time must have elapsed since my fall; that I must have lain unconscious for many hours.
“On I tramped, but as the time went by, and still no Seal came in sight, I grew very uneasy. As I rounded each bend in the coastline I looked eagerly out for the glare of the searchlight. But never a glimmer did I see. Hours passed, and I grew faint with hunger, yet still toiled on, hoping that in a little while my quest would be ended. At length my hunger became unbearable. Plucking several fleshy fungi, I tore off the thick outer skin and bolted the pulp eagerly, caring little whether they were of a poisonous character or not, so that the gnawing pain at my stomach was relieved.
“To my surprise, they proved not merely palatable, but stimulating. The stagnant blood began to course with fresh vigour through my veins, and I arose, refreshed and strengthened, to resume my quest. It was pleasing to think that, at any rate, I need not starve, even if I could not find the boat for a time. But should I ever find her at all? The question, flashing through my mind of a sudden, almost caused my heart to stand still.
“What if she had been moved from her old mooring-place, and taken I knew not where? The thought made me desperate, and I raced madly forward, shouting occasionally in hopes of hearing an answering hail. Suddenly I came out upon the beach there. I recognised the spot in an instant, but my worst fears were realised when I saw that the Seal was gone.
“For awhile my rage and despair knew no bounds, and I raced up and down the beach like a madman, feeling that I was hopelessly lost in this subterranean world. Presently I grew calmer, and began to look at my position from the standpoint of common-sense. It was terrible enough in all conscience. Alone, entirely defenceless—for I had lost my revolver when I fell into the hands of the savages—in a land inhabited by monstrous beasts and wolf-like men, it was a situation, you will admit, that would have tried the stoutest heart.
“Remember that then I fully believed the boat had gone for ever.
“Suddenly, as I sat thinking out my future movements, a weird howl broke upon my ears. In a fright I started up, and rushed off at headlong speed down the shore, determined that I would not again be taken. For how long I kept on I cannot tell, but I know that at last, footsore and completely worn out, I flung myself down upon the sand and fell fast asleep. I awoke ravenously hungry, and my first action was to make a hearty attack upon a fungus. That done, I felt better.