"Be careful; mind how you turn. Can you feel the ground where we stood just now?"
"Yes; here it is," and the next minute he stepped back to feel for the proper path, while I stood trembling lest he should slip in and be smothered before I could get to his assistance.
"Can you find a place?" I asked.
"Only towards the lake. It's nothing but marsh to right and left. I think I'll come to you again. What is it? Did I hurt you?"
"Oh no, not at all!—only crushed my toes a bit with the pole! What are we going to do now?"
"I suppose it's too early for breakfast?" he began, and then in a different tone he added hastily, "Oh, I say, what a joke! I've dropped my bundle of food somewhere. Perhaps it's just as well; I shall walk lighter."
"But you'll want something to eat," I suggested.
"Of course I shall. How dense you are! Don't you see how the accident will benefit us both? There are two now instead of one to eat your rations, so you will have all the less to carry."
"Oh," said I doubtfully, not quite appreciating the logic. "Well, we don't want breakfast yet, and the question is, what are we to do? The sergeant's bound to discover our escape at breakfast-time, and a search-party will be sent ashore immediately."
"It will be light in an hour or two," observed Alzura cheerfully—"at least light enough for us to find the track again. Let us sit down; it won't be so tiring, and we can't make ourselves any wetter or dirtier. It's a good thing I didn't start on this journey alone; I should be with my provisions now."