Thus we spent several days, having splendid sport, and first-rate appetites to do justice upon our prey.  We were pleased to find how friendly the villagers were inclined to be, and that there was no evidence of their having ventured to meddle with our belongings during our absences.

It was on a Tuesday that we arrived in Kraighten, and it would be on the Sunday following that we made a great discovery.  Hitherto we had always gone up-stream; on that day, however, we laid aside our rods, and, taking some provisions, set off for a long ramble in the opposite direction.  The day was warm, and we trudged along leisurely enough, stopping about mid-day to eat our lunch upon a great flat rock near the riverbank.  Afterward we sat and smoked awhile, resuming our walk only when we were tired of inaction.

For perhaps another hour we wandered onward, chatting quietly and comfortably on this and that matter, and on several occasions stopping while my companion—­who is something of an artist—­made rough sketches of striking bits of the wild scenery.

And then, without any warning whatsoever, the river we had followed so confidently, came to an abrupt end—­vanishing into the earth.

“Good Lord!” I said, “who ever would have thought of this?”

And I stared in amazement; then I turned to Tonnison.  He was looking, with a blank expression upon his face, at the place where the river disappeared.

In a moment he spoke.

“Let us go on a bit; it may reappear again—­anyhow, it is worth investigating.”

I agreed, and we went forward once more, though rather aimlessly; for we were not at all certain in which direction to prosecute our search.  For perhaps a mile we moved onward; then Tonnison, who had been gazing about curiously, stopped and shaded his eyes.

“See!” he said, after a moment, “isn’t that mist or something, over there to the right—­away in a line with that great piece of rock?” And he indicated with his hand.

I stared, and, after a minute, seemed to see something, but could not be certain, and said so.

“Anyway,” my friend replied, “we’ll just go across and have a glance.”  And he started off in the direction he had suggested, I following.  Presently, we came among bushes, and, after a time, out upon the top of a high, boulder-strewn bank, from which we looked down into a wilderness of bushes and trees.

“Seems as though we had come upon an oasis in this desert of stone,” muttered Tonnison, as he gazed interestedly.  Then he was silent, his eyes fixed; and I looked also; for up from somewhere about the center of the wooded lowland there rose high into the quiet air a great column of hazelike spray, upon which the sun shone, causing innumerable rainbows.

“How beautiful!” I exclaimed.

“Yes,” answered Tonnison, thoughtfully.  “There must be a waterfall, or something, over there.  Perhaps it’s our river come to light again.  Let’s go and see.”