“It’s lucky we didn’t move along there,” he said to his companion, “for the ground is so soft that they would assuredly have found our tracks.  I expect that they think it possible that we may have been taken off, in a boat, during the night.”

“I hope they will keep on thinking so,” the midshipman said.  “Then they will give up looking for us.”

“They won’t do that,” James replied; “for they will be sure that they must have seen our tracks, had we passed along that muddy bank.  Fortunately, they have no clue to where we really are.  We might have gone east, west, or north, and the country is so covered with bush that anything like a regular search is absolutely impossible.”

“I hope we ain’t going to be very long, before we get on board again,” the midshipman said, as he munched the small piece of bread James served out to him for his dinner.  “The grub won’t last more than two days, even at this starvation rate, and that one bottle of water is a mockery.  I could finish it all, straight off.  Why, we shall be as badly off as if we were adrift at sea, in a boat.”

“Not quite so bad,” James replied.  “We can chew the leaves of some of these bushes; besides, people don’t die of hunger or thirst in four days, and I hope, before that, to be safely on board.”

Not until it was perfectly dark did they leave their hiding place, and, by the aid of the bushes, worked their way up to the top of the ascent again.  James had impressed on his companion that, on no account, was he to speak above a whisper, that he was to stop whenever he did, and, should he turn off and descend the slope, he was at once to follow his example.  The midshipman kept close to his companion, and marvelled how assuredly the latter walked along, for he himself could see nothing.

Several times, James stopped and listened.  Presently, he turned off to the right, saying “hush!” in the lowest possible tone, and, proceeding a few paces down the slope, noiselessly lay down behind the bush.  The midshipman imitated his example, though he wondered why he was so acting, for he could hear nothing.  Two or three minutes later he heard a low footfall, and then the sound of men speaking in a low voice, in some strange tongue.  He could not see them, but held his breath as they were passing.  Not till they had been gone some minutes did James rise, and pursue his course.

“Two Indians,” he said, “and on the search for us.  One was just saying to the other he expected, when they got back to camp, to find that some of the other parties had overtaken us.”

Another mile further, and they saw the light of several fires ahead.

“That is a French battery,” James said.  “We must make a detour, and get to the other side of it; then I will crawl back, and see if there is any path down to the river.”