would expose the raft to the chances of collision or grounding, and the shock might smash it up. I think we had better wait till to-morrow, and go on with the day tide."
The proposal was too sensible not to meet with general approval. They might have to wait twenty-four hours, but the delay was preferable to risking the safety of the valuable cargo.
Half a day and the whole of the night were thus passed in this place.
Donagan and his sporting friends, accompanied by Fan, were soon ashore on the river-bank.
Gordon advised them not to get far away, and they adopted his advice; and as they brought back two brace of fat bustards and a string of tinamous, their vanity was satisfied. Moko took charge of the game, to keep it for the first meal — breakfast, dinner, or supper — after reaching French Den.
During the day Donagan had seen no trace of the ancient or recent presence of man in the forest. He had, however, seen some tall birds running off, which he had failed to recognize.
During the night Baxter, Webb, and Cross were on the look-out, ready if necessary to double the hawsers, or give them a little slack when the tide turned. All went well. Next morning at a quarter to ten, the tide had risen high enough for the navigation to be resumed. The night had been cold, so was the day. The sooner the raft reached its destination the better. What would the boys do if the river froze, or if an iceberg came down from lie lake to enter the bay? Here was something to think about, something they did not cease to worry over till they reached French Den.
But it was impossible to go quicker than the floodtide, impossible to go against the stream when the tide failed, impossible to advance more than a mile in an hour and a half. They reached the half of their journey. About one o'clock in the afternoon a halt was made at the opening of the swamp which Briant had had to go
