Howard now opened his eyes in amazement. He would have been sure that it was going down in the other part of the sky; but the proof before his eyes was irrefragable.
"It must be," he replied. "We have been 'turned round.' Just as when we left the wharf at New York. I was below when the steamer came out, and so long as New York was in sight I was sure it lay in the wrong place."
"But, how bad even that makes it! We cannot reach the river before dark, and we shall not know whether we am a mile above or below where Tim is sleeping."
"If we go straight for the river, I think it likely that we shall come much nearer him than that."
"It may be, but how are we to tell?"
"Why, if we don't find him by night, we can fire oft our guns and call to him."
"And bring a party of the savages down upon us."
"That may be if there are any in the neighborhood, but we shall have to run the risk."
By this time the boys were fully impressed with their want of discretion and with the urgent necessity of making all haste back to the river.
"Let us keep our thoughts about us," said Howard, "for we have been without them long enough. Now, the Salinas River runs very nearly north and south, doesn't it?"