TRAVELLING IN A CIRCLE. 179 



I longed to see the face of the old fisherman once more, 

 but he was gone and had not left even a ripple on the smooth 

 water. We thought to follow the river down ; but, alas ! wo 

 had forgotten which way was down. We cast sticks into the 

 water, hoping they would indicate to us its course ; but their 

 movement was so slight that we questioned whether it was 

 caused by the wind or current. There was nothing left us 

 now but to try our first experiment over again. This we did 

 with the same results as before. My big companion vented his 

 feelings in a shower of oaths; while I thought that any thing 

 would have been more appropriate, under the circumstances, 

 than cursing ; for we were all nearly exhausted, so difficult 

 was it to push our way through the tangled swamp-grass and 

 bushes. But we must get out of our terrible situation in some 

 way ; so we sallied forth again. After tramping onward for 

 some time, I remember, we came to a partially decayed fish- 

 basket, that had probably been long since left there by some 

 fisherman. Glad to see any thing that reminded us of civili- 

 zation, we halted to rest a little, and to hold a brief consulta- 

 tion. Here we resolved that, if it was our lot to strike the 

 river again, we would not leave it, but wait for the boat to 

 come down and take us in. With this resolution we again set 

 forth; but our senses had become so bewildered, that, I dare 

 say, we had not travelled ten minutes before we came plump 

 upon that old fish-basket. My big companion was again vio- 

 lent in his expressions ; but we scrambled on, not knowing 

 whither we went, until, as chance would have it, we again 

 stood on the bank of the river. 



We now climbed a tree, and set our lungs as vigorously at 

 work as our legs had been, calling loudly for the old fisher- 

 man. It was not until we had screamed ourselves hoarse that 

 we heard a faint sound far away up the river. It was now his 

 turn to comprehend the condition of things, and after taking 

 his own time for it, he came down to our relief. But, oh, how 

 rejoiced I was to see his craft winding round a bend just 

 above us ! He seemed like a father to me : his weather-worn 

 face had a charm about it undiscovered before; no matter if 

 an artful smile did play around his mouth on witnessing our 



