This proposal was accepted, and the captain and Paganel prepared to start immediately. They were to follow along the bank of the river till they came to the place indicated by Ben Joyce, and keep out of sight of the convicts, who were probably lying in wait. These two courageous men accordingly, well furnished with arms and provisions, set out, and soon disappeared among the tall rushes of the river.
All day the little party waited for them. At evening they had not yet returned, and great fears were entertained. At last, about eleven o'clock, Wilson announced their approach. They arrived, worn out with the fatigues of a six-mile journey.
"The bridge? Is it there?" asked Glenarvan, rushing to meet them.
"Yes, a bridge of rushes," said Captain Mangles. "The convicts passed, it is true, but——"
"But what?" cried Glenarvan, who foresaw a new calamity.
"They burned it after their passage," replied Paganel.