It was evening when Rob awoke, and found the guide waiting as he had left him when he lay down.
“Only gone down about an inch, Mr Rob, sir,” he said. “Feel as if you could do your spell at the watch now?”
“Of course. But, Shaddy, I’m terribly hungry.”
“So am I, sir. To-morrow morning we must see if we can’t do something to catch some fish.”
“Why not to-night?”
Shaddy shook his head, lay down, and in a moment or two was breathing heavily in a deep sleep.
“I can’t watch all night without food,” thought Rob, as he looked round at the waste and wondered how soon the flood would go down. He knew what food there was, and how it would have to be served, and longed for his share; but felt that unless the others were present he could not take his portion, though how he would be able to wait till morning was more than he felt able to tell.
He looked up at the puma, to see that it had carefully lodged itself on the upper fork, and was asleep. So was Mr Brazier. Only he was awake and hungry. Yes, Brazier was, too, for he woke about then with a start, to question Rob about the advance of time, and their position; ending, as he heard that the flood had hardly sunk at all, by saying that they would be compelled to watch fasting that night, so as to make the provisions last longer.
Rob gave him an agonised look, and, plucking a twig, began to pick off the leaves to chew them.
“I don’t feel as if I could wait till to-morrow,” he said faintly.