midnight
They would only be thankful if they could get back to the Amazon without ever meeting another Murhapa . This was enough for the natives , who were willing to jump overboard and tow the boat faster than it was already going . That , however , was unnecessary , and they were told that they had only to obey orders as cheerfully as they had done from the beginning and that undoubtedly everything would come out well . It was past midnight , when the roaring just below , which was increasing every minute , warned them they were approaching the dangerous rapids . Possibly the craft might have passed safely through but it would have been imprudent to make the attempt for which no necessity existed . Accordingly , the boat was once more run ashore and drawn against the bank , with the view of raising it upon their shoulders to be transported to the calmer waters below . The four men were in the very act of lifting the craft , when to their terror , fully a score of Aryks suddenly emerged from the wood and surrounded them .