Neither referred to the abandonment of their work, for no such idea entered their minds.
It is not to be supposed that during the fearful scenes through which the leader of the expedition and his friend passed, they forgot that their friend Fred Ashman was only a short distance away.

Indeed, one cause for pushing the canoe into the stream and allowing it to drift with the swift current was that they might join Fred with the announcement of what had taken place during his absence.
They supposed that he must have heard the rifle reports and the yells and shrieks of the natives during the desperate conflict, for though the rapids gave out a roar which penetrated miles, yet the sharp discharges and cries of the combatants were of a nature to be heard still farther.
Had the explorers suspected what was coming, Ashman, of course, would have staid with his friends; for his services were almost indispensable.

In fact, but for the singular attempt of the natives to make captives of the white men, they would have been unable to withstand the terrific onslaught, despite the vast superiority of their weapons over those of the assailants.
It never occurred to Grimcke or Long that their friend could have got into trouble himself.

He was removed from the scene of conflict, which was over so quickly that he could not have reached the spot in time to take part, had he started on the instant the first gun was fired.
But it struck both, while drifting downward and carefully scanning the shore, as strange that nothing had been seen of Ashman.

Enough time had now elapsed for him to traverse the intervening distance several times, and it was to be supposed that he would have put in an appearance without delay, provided he was free to do so.
The two talked together in low tones, and admitted that there was something to cause misgiving in Fred's continued absence.