Page 127 - The English Carnival 7

revived. “Hurry up, man,” he said, “or by heaven
I shall have to drink sea water!” He gnawed his

hand and stared at the gleam of silver among
the rocks and green tangle.

Presently he turned almost fiercely upon
Hooker. “Give me the paddle,” he said.

So they reached the river mouth. A little way
up Hooker took some water in the hollow of
his hand, tasted it, and spat it out. A little
further he tried again. “This will do,” he said,
and they began drinking eagerly.

“Curse this!” said Evans suddenly. “It’s too

slow.” And, leaning dangerously over the
fore part of the canoe, he began to suck up
the water with his lips.

Presently they made an end of drinking,
and, running the canoe into a little creek,
were about to land among the thick growth

that overhung the water.
“We shall have to scramble through this to the

beach to find our bushes and get the line to the place,” said Evans.

“We had better paddle round,” said Hooker.

So they pushed out again into the river and paddled back down it to the sea, and along
the shore to the place where the clump of bushes grew. Here they landed, pulled the
light canoe far up the beach, and then went up towards the edge of the jungle until they
could see the opening of the reef and the bushes in a straight line. Evans had taken a
native implement out of the canoe. It was L-shaped, and the transverse piece was armed

with polished stone. Hooker carried the paddle. “It is straight now in this direction,”
said he, “we must push through this till we strike the stream. Then we must prospect.”

They pushed through a close tangle of reeds, broad fronds, and young trees, and at first
it was toilsome going, but very speedily the trees became larger and the ground beneath
them opened out. The blaze of the sunlight was replaced by insensible degrees by cool
shadow. The trees became at last vast pillars that rose up to a canopy of greenery far

overhead. Dim white flowers hung from their stems, and ropy creepers swung from
tree to tree. The shadow deepened. On the ground, blotched fungi and a red-brown
incrustation became frequent.

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