Jack was the first to catch sight of the waving object; as he did so he flung his arms in the air, and said:
"There they are! There they are!"
We watched, and saw a repetition of the signal, and then we answered it with the best handkerchief that could be mustered in the party. We waved our hands and made all the demonstrations we could; and now the question arose how we could help them out of their trouble.
They led their horses out in front of the trees in such a way that we could see they were all there, and at the same time each of the three individuals was in full view. This assured us that no calamity had happened to them other than imprisonment in a storm.
"It is a pretty long job," said Jack, "to wade or swim this water with our horses; and besides there is the chance of crocodiles."
"I don't think there are any crocodiles here," I replied, "in this lake, which was probably formed since yesterday noon; but of course there's a possibility that some may have been brought down from a permanent lake or stream where they've been living. I confess that I don't exactly like the idea of undertaking to go through this water on horseback, or without a horse. If there should be a crocodile here, and he should take a notion to breakfast on one of us, it would be good-by to any more hunting in this life."
Jack looked suddenly around in the direction where we had seen the buffaloes wallowing in the mud. "Come on," he said; "I've got it. We'll shoot those buffaloes; I'll make a boat of their skins, and we'll paddle out to them!"
The idea seemed a good one, so Jack and I gave our horses to Harry to hold, while we stalked up close to the buffaloes and finished both of them. Then we out with our knives and skinned the beasts; or rather I did most of the skinning, while Jack went into a bunch of trees close by and cut some poles similar to those he had used in making his boat at our camp. It is unnecessary to describe how he did it, as the description would be practically a repetition of what the reader already knows. Within less than an hour we had made a small boat from the skins of those two buffaloes and the framework which Jack had set up. We made paddles by taking forked sticks and binding leaves across the intersection of their branches, so that they made a fair imitation of the blade of a paddle. The boat was not as large nor as handsome as the one Jack had previously made, but it answered its purpose admirably, and what more could be asked?
Jack took the provisions we had brought along, and the flask of brandy; there was no need of taking water, as there was more than a sufficient amount all around us. I promptly, and Harry reluctantly, conceded that Jack should be the Christopher Columbus of this expedition, and as soon as he had collected his cargo he started. Then the handkerchiefs on the island waved more rapidly than ever, and I could see that he would receive a warm welcome. Harry was rather sulky over the state of affairs; but he said nothing, for the reason, probably, that the situation was such that he had nothing to complain about.
Jack reached the island in safety, and from all we could observe he was received like a messenger of salvation. His first act was to hand over the provisions to the famishing party, not forgetting the flask of brandy which I had sent along. During the repast, which was not especially hurried, Jack learned from the lips of the ladies the story of their misadventure.