438 A HUNTER'S WANDERINGS ch. 



this way we went on all day, not holding a good line, 

 but always going more or less towards sunrise. In 

 the afternoon my master commenced to cough and 

 spit a great deal of blood (mare hela), resting at very 

 short intervals, but always getting up and going on 

 again until late at night. He then lay down, and 

 spat a great deal of blood. Presently he called me 

 to him and said, ' Boy, I am dying ; light some grass 

 and hold it near me that I may write.' He then 

 wrote on his rifle, and on his belt. He then said, 

 ' Take this rifle to Selous, and tell him to look after 

 my waggon and other property.' He did not speak 

 again, and shortly afterwards died. When I thought 

 he was dead, I opened his shirt and put my hand 

 over his heart, but as it did not beat I knew he was 

 no more. As soon as NanQ^ora and I knew that this 

 was the case, we broke a few branches and put over 

 the body, and then taking the rifle and belt started 

 for the river. We walked all the remainder of the 

 night, and early the next morning reached the river, 

 just at the site of the town of Linyanti. We then 

 went to Mamele's, and as soon as my master's boys 

 came there saying you were going to Sasinkoro's 

 town, I started with them at once to meet you. 

 This is all." 



I now examined the rifle. On the inside ot the 

 small piece of wood that fits under the barrel in 

 front of the trigger-guard, these sad words were very 

 illegibly written : " I cannot go any farther ; when 

 I die, peace with all," The writing inside the leather 

 belt we could not decipher. 



What my feelings were, upon the receipt of this 

 horrible and unexpected news, I will not endeavour 

 to describe. The mental anguish, however, which I 

 sufi^ered, just at a time, too, when I was far from 



