He could comprehend the frightful situation in which they were placed by the enmity of the king, and it seemed incredible that any, or at least all of them, could have extricated themselves from their peril.  Gladly would he have risked everything in their defence, but, as has been shown, that was beyond his power at any time.

The young American shrank from firing his gun, through fear of the report reaching the ears of the Murhapas.  If that should take place, it would be sure to excite their suspicions, and prompt an investigation which the fugitives dreaded.

Once a jaguar became so threatening, that he leveled his weapon convinced that he must fire or be attacked, but the snarling beast finally withdrew, after sneaking behind them for a long distance.

The sun had passed the meridian when the wanderers caught the gleam of water among the trees in front.  They hastened forward, and a moment’s survey of the stream convinced them that they had reached the Xingu beyond all question.

Ashman recognized several features along the banks which he had noticed on his way up the river.  Ariel was equally positive, so they dismissed the question from their minds.

Both were nearly exhausted, for they had had a tiresome tramp, during all of which they were under a severe mental strain.  They felt that, at last, they could sit down and rest themselves before resuming their journey.

“The next thing to be done,” said Ashman as he imprisoned the hand of Ariel and drew her head upon his shoulder, “is to find some boat in which we can float down stream.  It will be less work than we had in ascending it.”

“I suppose,” she replied, “that there are people all the way along the river until you reach the end of it.”

“There are; but we found most of them unfriendly long before we struck the region of the Aryks.”

“Are they likely to attack us?” she asked, raising her head and looking at her lover with an alarmed expression.

“We had little difficulty, so long as we kept in the middle of the stream, and one discharge from our guns was generally enough to drive them away.”

“And for how far does this prevail?”

“Two or three days ought to take us out of the danger.  Then it will be plain sailing all the rest of the way.  The river is long, but, dearest, we shall be with each other, and it will seem brief.”

She parted her lips to make a suitable reply, when a startled expression came upon her lovely countenance and she whispered: 

“They must have followed us through the woods.”

“What do you mean?” he asked, grasping his rifle.

“I hear some one moving behind us.”

“It is a wild animal——­”

He checked himself, for, to his unspeakable amazement, Professor Grimcke at that instant stepped to view.

The two men caught sight of each other at the same moment.  They stared as if in doubt, and then, with exclamations of delight, clasped hands.