which they might penetrate through the forest, and it was but natural that they should wish to make trial on the other side, in the hope of meeting with better fortune.

Mozey, who prided himself on being the best sailor aboard, was intrusted with the management of the sail, while Trevannion himself acted as pilot. The Indian busied himself in looking after the curing of the charqui, which, by the help of such a hot sun as was shining down upon them, would soon be safely beyond the chance of decay. The young people, seated together near the thick end of the log — which Mozey had facetiously christened the quarter-deck of the craft-occupied themselves as they best might.

The cloud that had shadowed them for days was quite dispelled. With such a raft, there was every expectation of getting out of the Gapo. It might not be in a day, or even in a week. But time was of little consequence, so long as there was a prospect of ultimate release from the labyrinth of flooded forests. The charqui, if economized, would feed all hands for a fortnight, at least; and unless they should again get stranded among the treetops, they could scarcely be all that time before reaching dry land. Their progress was sadly slow. Their craft has been described as "walking the water like a thing of life." But this is rather a poetical exaggeration. Its motion was that of a true dead-wood, heavily weighted with the water that for weeks had been saturating its sides. It barely yielded to the sail; and had they been forced to depend upon the paddles, it would have been a hopeless affair. A mile an hour was the most they were able to make; and this only when the breeze was at its freshest. At other times, when it unfortunately lulled, the log lay upon the water with no more motion than they caused as they stepped over it.

Towards noon their progress became slower; and when at length the meridian hour arrived the ceiba stood still. The sail had lost the power of propelling it on. The breeze had died away, and there was now a dead calm. The shoulder-blades of the peixe-boi were now resorted to, but neither these, nor the best pair of oars that ever pulled a man-o'-war's boat, could have propelled that tree-trunk through the water faster than half a knot to the hour, and the improvised paddles were soon laid aside.

There was one comfort in the delay. The hour of dinner had now arrived, and the crew were not unprepared for the midday meal; for in their hurry at setting out, and the solicitude arising from their uncertainty about their craft, they had breakfasted scantily. Their dinner was to consist of but one dish, a cross between fish and flesh, -a cross between fresh and dried, peixe-boi was still but half converted into charqui.

for the

The Indian had carefully guarded the fire, the kindling of which had cost him so much trouble and ingenuity. A few sparks still smouldered where they had been nursed; and, with some decayed pieces of the ceiba itself, a big blaze was once more established. Over this the choicest tit-bits were suspended until their browned surface proclaimed them "done to a turn." Their keen appetites furnished both sauce and seasoning; and when the meal was over, all were ready to declare that they had never dined more

sumptuously in their lives. Hunger is the best appetizer; scarcity comes

next.

They sat after dinner conversing upon different themes, and doing the best they could to while away the time, the only thing that at all discommoded them being the beams of the sun, which fell upon their crowns like sparks of fire showered from a burning sky. Tom's idea was that the heat of the sun could be endured with greater ease in the water than upon the log; and, to satisfy himself, he once more girdled on the cincture of shells, and slipped over the side. His example was followed by the Patron himself, his son and nephew.

Little Rosa did not need to retreat overboard in this ignominious manner. She was in the shade, under a tiny toldo of broad leaves of a Pothos plant, which, growing parasitically upon one of the trees, had been plucked the day before, and spread between two buttresses of the dead-wood. Her cousin had constructed this miniature arbor, and proud did he appear to see his little sylph reclining under its shade.

The tapuyo, accustomed to an Amazonian sun, did not require to keep cool by submerging himself; and as for the negro, he would scarce have been discommoded by an atmosphere indicated by the highest figure on the thermometer. These two men, though born on opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean, were alike types of a tropical existence, and equally disregarded the fervor of a tropic sun.

Suddenly the four, who had fallen a little astern, were seen making towards the log; and by the terror depicted on their countenances, as well as their quick, irregular strokes, it was evident something in the water had caused them serious alarm. What could it all mean? It was of no use to ask the swimmers themselves. They were as ignorant of what was alarming them as their companions upon the log; they only knew that something was biting them about the legs and feet; but what it was they had not the slightest idea. It might be an insect, it might be a water-snake, or other amphibious reptile; but whatever it was, they could tell that its teeth were sharp as needles, and scored their flesh like fish-hooks.

It was not till they had gained footing upon the log, and their legs were seen covered with lacerations, and streaming with fresh blood, that they ascertained the sort of enemy that had been attacking them. Had the water been clear, they might have discovered it long before; but discolored as it was, they could not see beneath the surface far enough to make out the character of their secret assailants. But the tapuyo well understood the signs, and, as soon as his eye rested upon them, his perplexity disappeared ; and, with an exclamation that rather betokened relief, he pronounced the simple phrase, "Only piranhas!"

Mayne Reid.

PUZZLES PROBLEMS

CHARADES.

My 41, 64, 58, 10, 15, 31, 50, was Bac- My 47, 53, 48, 2, 67, 50, was a noble Ro

My 6, 43, 28, 4, 12, 57, 54, 61, 1, 39, 50, My 1, 6, 4. is one of the months.

were the Yankees of antiquity.

My 54, 1, 46, 5, 67, 22, carried letters into

Greece.

My 5, 20, 10, 13, is the dearest spot on earth.

My 7, 20, 19, is the present.

My 9, 18, 45, 28, 13, 28, 49, 67, 22, is My 16, 15, 20, 14, is not a boy.

styled the father of history.

My 37, 18, 57, 58, 1, 22, was the ancient name of Greece.

My 38, 39, 1, 54, 55, 31, 41, was the last of the Titans.

My 20, 6, 12, 13, is a garden tool.
My 8, 2, 3, is a boy's nickname.
My 8, 13, 19, may be seen before the sun
rises.

My 9, 1, 15, 14, 13, is often very sweet. My 14, 21, 40, 35, 22, was the name of My 21, 20, 11, 8, is a way. the first vessel.

My 7, 11, 18, is an article of apparel.

My 50, 30, 58, 28, 25, was one of the sev- My 22, 13, 21, 4, 13, 14, is part of a nut.

en wise men.

My 45, 48, 47, 57, 40, 28, preserved corn from blight.

My 66, 53, 20, 24, 26, 50, presided over fountains.

My 54, 58, 18, 42, 6, 52, 27, 45, 44, was a celebrated queen of Egypt.

My 36, 53, 38, 3, 28, 17, 50, were sea-
gods.

My 41, 23, 9, 4, 15, 66, was one of the
Gorgons.

My 43, 44, 21, 6, 61, 51, 41, were winged

My whole is a well-known proverb.

DORA.

No. 6.

I am composed of 26 letters.
My 24, 2, 15, 7, 8, 13, is a fruit.
My 12, 11, 25, 18, is a part of our body.
My 22, 19, 14, 15, 21, is a musical instru-

ment.

My 26, 1, 4, 23, 11, 7, is a kind of fish.
My 18, 4, 5, is a yard and a quarter.
My 2, 11, 20, 13, is a common flower.
My 23, 3, 10, 17, is an insect.
My 16, 6, 23, is a boy's nickname.
My 9, 16, 15, 8, 18, is a vehicle.
My whole is an old proverb.

META.

PUZZLES.

ILLUSTRATED REBUS.-No. 9.