One moment, it was like some vast ogre, stealing silently about to crush them beneath the clear waters, and then it became a friendly giant, reaching out its hand to lead them forward.
But for the distant sounds of firing at the Murhapa village, Fred Ashman would have felt that it was all a vision of sleep, from which he must soon awake to the realities of life.
But that horrible, grinding discord continually creeping into their ears told too plainly the dreadful scenes at comparatively a short distance.

Even in his exalted mental state, Ashman began to ask himself what was to be the end of the strange venture upon which he had started.

A disquieting misgiving arose, that perhaps he had not done the wisest thing in leaving his imperilled friends.
But he reflected that he had only obeyed the orders of Ziffak, who indeed would not have permitted his wishes to be disregarded, for who should know the wisest course so well as he?
Besides, his own reason told him that if the Professor and his companion were attacked in the cabin, it was impossible for him to raise a finger in their behalf.
And so he dismissed that phase of the marvellous business from his mind and faced the present situation.
He had fled with Ariel from her father, King Haffgo.

Instead of turning to the northward down the Xingu, they had gone further up the stream and directly away from the right course out of the perilous country.
But while, in one sense, this might be looked upon as the height of recklessness, he saw it was unavoidable.

Had they turned down the Xingu, there would have been no escaping their foes, while the enchanted lake and its surroundings must afford secure shelter for a time.
But for how long?
That was the question which obtruded itself, even while filled with the delightful thrill of his new love, and when _en rapport_ with his marvellous surroundings.
The intimate knowledge which Ariel possessed of the region would guide them to some spot where they could reasonably hope to be safe from pursuit, unless such pursuit was led by her enraged parent.
Ashman was still scrutinizing the great mass of rock, steadily assuming more definite shape in the moonlight as the intervening distance decreased, when he was surprised that he had not noticed the mountainous elevation behind it.