As he spoke, we observed a bright light bursting forth from among the trees, at a short distance off along the bank. Now it disappeared—now it came again in sight. We paddled down towards it. It was apparently a torch held in a person’s hand. We rapidly approached the light, but yet failed to discover any place where we could land with safety. We shouted loudly, hoping to attract the attention of any one who might be near. Presently a hail came off the land. We answered it. Again a voice was heard.
“Can you tell us where we can land with safety?” cried John, in Spanish.
The answer was unintelligible. Presently he asked again in English; and in a little time we saw the light moving along the bank. Then it remained stationary. We exerted ourselves to the utmost to steer for it; and we now saw a division in the wall of trees, which indicated that there was a passage between them. Again the thunder reared, the lightning flashed, and the wind blew with fearful force.
Maria shrieked loudly, “The water is washing over the raft!”
“Hold on! hold on!” cried John; “we shall soon be in safety.” And in another minute we were entering the mouth of a narrow channel. “We will turn the canoe round,” said John, “and let the raft go first. We may thus prevent it being dashed on the bank.”
We did as he advised. Scarcely, however, had we turned the raft round when we found it had reached the shore.
“Do you, Domingos, help the señora and Maria to land!” shouted John.
By the light from the torch we saw a tall figure standing on the bank. He flung the light so that it might fall across us.
“Females!” he exclaimed. “A sorry night to be buffeting with the waves of the Amazon! Give me your hands, whoever you are. I should little have expected to find my countrymen in such a plight in this remote region.”
While he was speaking he helped Ellen and Maria up the bank, the two monkeys following, while Poll and Niger clung fast to Maria’s shoulders. Faithful True did not attempt to leap on shore, though he could easily have done so, but remained with me in the canoe. Domingos, meantime, was hastily throwing our goods on shore; while we continued exerting ourselves in preventing the raft being lifted by the force of the water and upset on the bank.