“But I feel sure that is the same one,” cried Rob excitedly. “It is following us down the lake.”
“Maybe,” grumbled Shaddy, “but you couldn’t tell at this distance.”
Rob was going to speak again, but he caught sight of Joe’s face, with a peculiar smile thereon, and he held his peace.
An hour later they were drawing close to the mouth of the river, where it quitted the lake, and Shaddy pointed to the shores on either side.
“Look at that,” he said in a low tone. “I ’spected as much.”
“Look at what?” said Rob.
“The trees. Water’s two foot up the trunks, and the river over its banks, lad. We shall go down pootty fast it I don’t look out.”
But he did “look out,” to use his own words, and getting the boat round, he set the four men to back stern foremost into the stream, keeping a long oar over the side to steer by and giving orders to the men to pull gently or hard as he gave instructions, for the river ran like a mill-race. It was swift enough before, but now, thanks to the tremendous amount of water poured into it through the previous night’s storm, its speed seemed to be doubled.
Rob stood close by the steersman, while Joe was beside Mr Brazier, who, after the first minute or two of startled interest in their rapid descent, became absorbed in the beauty of the overhanging plants, and had no eyes for anything else.
“We’re going along at a tidy rate, Master Rob,” said Shaddy.