“What does Iguma think?” I said, and tried to make her understand that we wanted to know whether the canoes we saw were those of our friends. To my great satisfaction she appeared to have no doubt about the matter.
I then begged that she would let me have the paddle again, but she smiled and replied that her arms did not ache, and advised me to take my brother’s paddle.
“I don’t mind if you do for ten minutes or so, I will then resume it and try if we cannot come up with the other canoes,” said Charley.
“How long have I been asleep?” I asked him, as I took his place.
“Three or four hours, I suspect,” he answered, “though I have not had time to look at my watch.”
As I thought would very likely be the case, no sooner did Charley lie down than he dropped off into a sound sleep. As after my long rest I felt very capable of work, I determined not to arouse him, treating him as he had treated me.
Iguma and I made the canoe glide rapidly over the water. A light breeze had sprung up, somewhat cooling the air and enabling us to increase our exertions. I eagerly watched the canoes ahead, and felt sure that we were gaining on them. I wondered, however, that no one on board saw us, and could only suppose that those who were not paddling were asleep, while, of course, the paddlers had their backs towards us, and believing that we were ahead did not trouble themselves to look astern.
At length I thought that they were near enough to make them hear me. At first I thought of firing my rifle, but the sound would, to a certainty, show our whereabouts to our enemies should they still be pursuing us, whereas my voice could be heard to any distance along the water alone. Acting on the impulse of the moment, I shouted out at the top of my voice. Charley started up, thinking that something was the matter. On seeing the canoes he joined his voice to mine.
At length they ceased paddling; as they did so I cried out:
“I fear, after all, they are enemies. See, those are black fellows standing up in the canoe nearest us.”