After that they stood watching and waiting; but with only the most dismal forebodings as to what was to come. And indeed it was anything but pleasant to think of being made prisoners in a tree that would be completely surrounded by a raging flood, perhaps for another night and day. And then the loss of their horses was going to make their task of overtaking the expedition all the harder. So the morning passed, and while on several occasions Roger indulged in new hopes that the water had come to a stand at last, these were only fated to be dashed to the ground on his next anxious inspection of his "tally stick," when he learned that the flood was actually making up for lost time. "How much longer will we have, Dick?" he asked, when, for the third time, he had made this unpleasant discovery. "At the rate it seems to be crawling up our stake, it will only be two hours until the water will be at the foot of this tree," replied the other, who had already figured all this out. "Two hours isn't much time, is it, Dick?" "Well," replied the other, with a smile, "that all depends on the conditions. You can look back to lots of times when it would seem like an eternity. Remember that night when you slipped and fell over that precipice, just managing to get hold of a bush, and holding on while you shouted for me to come and help you up, because you couldn't do anything yourself? If you'd had to hang there, kicking your heels in space, two hours, instead of ten minutes, I think they'd have seemed the longest you ever knew." "That's so," admitted Roger, smiling a little himself at the scene which his comrade's words recalled. "And just as you say, Dick, we have been through a good many hard scrapes together, haven't we; and always, up to now, managed to come out on top? Perhaps we'll do the same this time, too." "Why, to be sure we will," declared the other, stoutly, "don't let any other notion get hold of you, Roger. It's all bound to come out right; haven't we been told that many times by our mothers, when things looked a little black--and didn't the sky clear every time? We'll escape from this island, overtake the expedition, get that paper signed by Jasper Williams, and bring joy to all our dear ones at home. Why, I'm just as sure of that, Roger, as that we're standing here right now, wondering how we're going to get ashore. But a way will be provided, mark my words." Never was a prophecy more speedily fulfilled. Hardly had five minutes passed than Roger clutched the sleeve of his cousin's tunic, and in a voice that trembled with emotion, burst out: