Page:Dick Sands the Boy Captain.djvu/490

or somc solîtary sacrcd tree ivîthin an cnclosure woulil îndicate th;it the dealh of a chîef had, according to custom, made a native tribc migrate to ncw quarters. If natives wcrc sti!l dwelling in the district, as was just probable, they must havc been living underground, only emerging at night !ike bcasts of prey, from which they were only a grade lemoved, Dick Sands had every rcason to fccl convinced that cannibalism hadbecn practïsedin the neighbourhood. Three times, as he was wandcrîng in the forest, he had corne upon piles of ashes and half-charrcd human bones, the remnants, nodoubt, ofa ghastly meal, and although he mentîoned nothing of what he had secn to Mrs. Weldon, he made up bis mind to go ashore as seldom as possible, and as often as h; found it absolutely necessary to go, he gave Hercules strict directions to push off into mid-stream at the very first Jntimation of danger. A new cause of anxiety arose on the following evetiing, and made it necessary for them to take the most guarded measures of précaution. The river-bed had widened out into a kind of lagoon, and on the right side of this, built upon piles in the water, not only was there a collection of about thirty buts, but the fires gleaming under the thatch, made it évident that they were ail inhabited. Unfortunately the only channel of the strcam flowed close under the buts, the river elsewhcre being so obstructed with rocks that navigation of any kind was impossible. Nothing was more probable than that the natives would hâve set their nets ail across the piles, and if so, the canoë would be sure to be obstructed, and an ala^m must inevitably be raised. Evcry caution seemed to be unavailing, because the canoë must follow the stream ; hoivever, in the lowest of whispcrs Dickordcred Hercules to keep clear as much as he could of the worm-eatcn timber. The night was not very dark, which was equally an advantage and a disadvantage, as while it permitted those on board to steer as they wanted, it did not prevent them from being seen. The situation became more and more critical. About a hiindred feet aheaà, ti:e cWfttveV-w^SMEivj <ioi:itraçted ; two