During their steady glide on, half a dozen more good-sized birds of similar and different kinds were brought down from where they were feeding upon the fruits and berries, the men's spirits rising with their success as much as from the beauty of the winding gorge, so that the evening's camping was looked forward to with eagerness, while the captain's declaration that they were getting beyond the influence of the flood was received with a cheer. "You see, gentlemen, it's like this: the flood has been acting like the tide in a river which has kept back the regular flow here, and it strikes me that before we have gone many miles farther the stream will have grown slacker and slacker till it comes almost to a standstill, and to-morrow some time we shall have it against us once more." "Unless we turn into another stream and so get back a fresh way," suggested Brace. "It is a wonderful network of water." "Maybe," said the captain; "but we don't want to lose our bearings." "We couldn't if we kept on going down stream. We must reach the sea somewhere." "That's right enough," said the captain drily; "but I don't want to reach it somewhere. I want the way that leads by my brig." "Yes," said Briscoe, laughing. "Why, Brace, we might be getting out somewhere or other in the Pacific Ocean." "What about crossing the Andes first?" said Brace sharply. "Oh, that would be all right. I daresay we could keep on rising till we found a way through-place where the watershed runs, as the learned chaps say." He had hardly spoken before Brace caught him by the arm, gripping it strongly. "What is it--bird?" "No," said Brace, in a hoarse whisper. "I caught sight of a canoe gliding along under the rocks on the farther shore." "Did you?" said Briscoe coolly. "Well, I'm not surprised. The Indians would be fools if some of them didn't come and live along here. It's about the most beautiful place I ever saw." "I can see it now," said Sir Humphrey, looking through his glass. "There are four Indians in it with feather crowns on their heads. I don't think they have seen us till now, for they are paddling the other way." "Then I tell you what: let's lie-to under the trees here," said the captain. "There's a level bit about fifty feet up like a shelf in yon bit of a gully. I had my eye upon that directly, and down here we can lie up quite snugly. Let's have a quiet night somehow, and go on to-morrow morning to see whether the Indians mean to be friends or foes. See 'em still, Sir Humphrey?" "No," was the reply; "they have gone right out of sight." "Then now have the goodness to use your glass well, and sweep all the shelves up the farther shore to see if you can make out any sign of an Indian village, sir. Seems a wonderfully likely place for people to be living."