ASTRAY IN THE JUNGLES. 3 



rearmost rider. " Let us get out of these infernal 

 hills by all means. These short cuts are sure to 

 prove long rounds. We should have been at the 

 tents by this, if we had only stuck to the cart track, 

 bad though that was." 



" All you say is as plain as that my old mare has 

 an intense objection to the thorns of this pleasant 

 rural path ; or her master either, for matter of 

 that," replied Mackenzie. " But in the name of all 

 the jungle gods, whoever they are, which road am I 

 to take ? " 



" As we left the river on our right, I suppose it 

 must be there still," said Norman. " I vote for the 

 right-hand path. Whether the proper one or not, 

 it will bring us quickest to the plain." 



" So be it, then ; " and Mackenzie turned into that 

 inclining to the right. "A mile saved is certainly 

 not necessarily time gained. The old mare, too, 

 seems to approve of your selection, Norman, and 

 she has a wonderful nose for water." 



Another quarter of an hour's riding fortunately 

 brought our three travellers to a ridge overlooking 

 what they took to be the stream referred to. This 

 they forded, and getting on more level ground on 

 the other side, shortly came upon an almost disused 

 cart track. 



" We are all right," said Norman, decisively, after 



B 2 



