CHAPTER XIII.

UNDER THE BANK.

A few minutes later an open space appeared in front of the boat. It
was the month of the tributary flowing into the Ganges from the left or
north, and was more than a hundred yards across. Since it was
necessary to stem the current in order to take advantage of this
refuge, the doctor contemplated it with misgiving, for the work of
poling it up stream promised to be laborious. He had not forgotten his
original plan of abandoning the boat and striking across the country on
foot, taking advantage of the less-frequented roads and paths that were
well known to him. He was relieved, however, to find the flow so
languid that it was easy to make headway against it.

"I have never followed this stream far," he remarked, "and, therefore,
have less knowledge of it than the rest of the country, but my
impression is that it cannot serve us long."

"It will be time enough to leave the boat and take to the woods when we
can go no further," said Jack Everson; "but we cannot get away from the
main stream too soon."

This was self-evident. It was not likely that the natives after their
decisive repulse would abandon their purpose of massacring the party,
but they would be more guarded in what they did and probably secure
reinforcements, an easy thing to do when the sanguinary wretches