After a good deal of consideration this plan was agreed to. The professor spent part of the night in giving directions about the preserving of his specimens, which he meant to leave at the village in charge of a man whom he had trained to assist him, while Van der Kemp with his companions lay down to snatch a little sleep before setting out on their voyage, or, as the Dyak chief persisted in calling it, their flight!
When Nigel had slept about five minutes—as he thought—he was awakened by Moses.
"Don't make a noise, Massa Nadgel! Dere may be spies in de camp for all we knows, so we mus' git off like mice. Canoe's ready an' massa waitin'; we gib you to de last momint."
In a few minutes our hero was sleepily following the negro through the woods to the spot where the canoe was in waiting.
The night was very dark. This was in their favour,—at least as regarded discovery.
"But how shall we ever see to make our way down stream?" asked Nigel of the hermit in a whisper on reaching the place of embarkation.
"The current will guide us. Besides, I have studied the river with a view to this flight. Be careful in getting in. Now, Moses, are you ready?"
"All right, massa."
"Shove off, then."
There was something so eerie in the subdued tones, and stealthy motions, and profound darkness, that Nigel could not help feeling as if they were proceeding to commit some black and criminal deed!