nearly."

"Well, but you said you couldn't tell till morning about it."

"I can't. I am not absolutely sure where we are, but I think we are
within a very short distance of the river. I shall look in the
morning, and if we are, we'll dig the canoe here, or rather, we'll
live here and dig the canoe down by the river, for it must be a big
one to carry all of us, and we can't carry it any distance. If I find
that we are not as near the river as I suppose, we must break up here
and find a camping ground further on. At all events we'll dig the
canoe and ride in it. The rivers will be high, and it will be easy
travelling with the current, while there won't be any danger of
getting the fever from being on the water, as there would have been
before the rain when the water was low. Come, our clothes are dry now
and we must go to sleep, as we've a hard day's work before us."

"How long will it take to dig out the canoe?" asked Bob Sharp.

"One day, I hope, but it may take as much as three. Luckily we've
killed so much game to-day, that we needn't be afraid of running out
of victuals. But we must lose no time."

"Oh, Sam--" began one of the boys after all had laid down for the
night.

"I won't open my mouth again to-night, except to yawn," said Sam, and
it was not long before the whole party were asleep.