"I wouldn’t like to say that such is the case," replied Captain Restronguet. "It seems to me that they are lying low: shifting some of their booty to a safe hiding-place. At all events I don’t feel inclined to take the ’Aphrodite’ up the stream. I’ll get Devoran to lie off the junction of this river with the Zambezi. If the ’Vorwartz’ attempts to escape he can easily sink her in shallow water. Meanwhile I’ll have the field gun landed. Firing capped shell she will be able to hull yonder craft through and through. All the same I cannot account for the lack of signs of life aboard." Captain Restronguet left nothing to chance. In order to guard against a possible surprise he had outposts placed at proper distances from his main body. Hythe volunteered to superintend the landing of the field-gun, and in less than an hour that piece of ordnance was by dint of sheer hard work brought ashore and hauled to the top of the hill. Here it was placed in position, carefully screened by the trees, and its muzzle pointed menacingly upon the visible part of the "Vorwartz." Another hour passed. Still no signs of activity were noticeable on board the rival submarine. "Would you mind taking two men with you and creeping down as near as you can get to the ’Vorwartz,’ Mr. Hythe?" asked the Captain, who was beginning to get impatient. "Take every precaution to keep hidden from view and do not use your fire-arms save as a last resource." "Very good, sir," replied Hythe. "I need hardly remind you that I want evidence. Observe traces of footmarks on the banks. They ought to tell whether the crew have landed. If they have put their precious cargo ashore there must be traces of where the heavy chests and bags were hauled over the banks; the reeds will be trampled down, and so on." Had Hythe not been a sailor he would have made an excellent backwoodsman. Knowing the risk of appearing on the skyline, he led his little band down by the remote side of the hill, and creeping through the bushes at the base gradually worked round in the direction of the river in which the "Vorwartz" lay. It was risky work, for the lower ground was marshy. Poisonous snakes darted across their path, lizards, more repulsive than dangerous, lay basking in the sun right in their way, while myriads of flies of great size buzzed incessantly over the men’s heads, till the tortured three could scarce resist the temptation to raise their arms and beat off their unwelcome attendants. Once a heavy body crashed through the brushwood, scattering the reeds in all directions and uprooting young saplings like ninepins. Hythe had just time to see that the creature was a huge rhinoceros.