The evening was lovely, they glided slowly by the reed-fringed bank, watching the long lights play upon the surface of the lonely river, listening to the whistling wings of the countless wildfowl overhead, and counting the herds of various game that roamed upon the plains beyond.
For a while neither of them spoke much.

Occasionally Juanna would call her companion's attention to some water-flower or to a great fish darting from the oars, and he would answer by a word or nod.

His heart was wroth with the girl, as Otter would have said; he wondered why she had come with him--because she was tired of the priest perhaps.

He wished her away, and yet he would have been sorry enough had she gone.
For her part Juanna desired to make him speak, and did not know how to break through his moody silence.

Suddenly she leaned back in the boat and began to sing in a rich contralto voice that moved him.