“And the birds are different, too, and the insects, and fish, specially the latter,” said Rob drily.
“Indeed? I did not notice anything about the fish.”
“Good reason why,” said Rob, laughing merrily: “there haven’t been any to notice.”
Two days after, when they were in quite a desolate region, where the trees and shrubs were thin and poor, Shaddy came to Mr Brazier to announce that he and two of the men were going to leave them camped for a few hours, while they sought out the most likely course for their portage.
“But surely it will be impossible to work the boat along overland,” said Brazier. “We shall have to go back.”
“To meet the Indians, sir? No, that wouldn’t do. Perhaps I’m wrong, but we’re up here now where several streams begin, and if we can only find one, no matter how small, that flows to the east, we’re all right.”
The men set off the next morning as soon as it was light, and the party in camp shot, collected, kept up the fire, and waited impatiently for the return of the little expedition, but waited in vain; and at last in alarm Rob and Joe set off in search of them, tramping till midday and stopping to rest by a fount which bubbled out of the earth and flowed away. After resting a while they started again to tramp here and there for hours in the beautiful region near the camp, to which they returned without having seen a sign of those they sought.
It must have been toward morning that Rob, who was keeping watch, heard distant voices, and hailing, to his great delight heard an answer.
Ten minutes later the guide and his two companions staggered up to the fire utterly exhausted, for they had finished their supply of food, and were worn-out with their exhausting tramp.
“Well,” said Mr Brazier, after the men had taken a good long rest, “have you found the river to which we are to take the boat?”