But there was no response, and Rob and Brazier exchanged glances, their faces full of despair.
“Ahoy!” shouted Shaddy once more.
Still no reply, and a cold chill ran through Rob and his eyes grew dim as he thought of the bright, handsome, dark-eyed lad who had been his companion so long, and with whom he had been such friends till the miserable little misunderstanding had thrust them apart.
“It must be farther on,” said Brazier at last, when shout after shout had been sent up without avail.
“Think so, sir?” said Shaddy gloomily. “I thought it was about here, but p’r’aps you’re right. Come on. River made a big twist there, and it’s hard to tell distance shut up half in the dark among the trees. I did hope,” he continued, as he forced his way in among the trees and held boughs aside for them to follow, “that the poor lad had swung himself up and would have made his way like a squirrel from branch to branch till he reached dry land, but it don’t seem to be so. There, sir, we must be ’bout opposite where we saw him. Can’t be no farther. Ahoy! ahoy! ahoy!”
They all listened intently after this, but there was no sound of human voice, only the shrieking of parrots and chattering of monkeys.
Shaddy shouted again, with the result that he startled a flock of birds which were about to settle, but rose again noisily.
They all shouted together then, but there was no response, and feeling that their efforts were useless, they went on a short distance, and tried once more without result.
“He’d have answered if he had been anywhere near, sir,” said Shaddy gloomily. “I’ll go on if you like, but take my word for it he ain’t here.”
Rob looked at both despairingly, but he was obliged to take the guide’s words for those of truth, and, feeling utterly crushed, he slowly followed the others as they began to return, feeling the while that if it had not been for the edge of the water by which they walked it would have been impossible to find their way back through the dense wilderness.