XX A WEARY TRAMP 439 



well iti body, brought on a succession ot attacks of 

 tever that very nearly ended my troubles. For 

 several nights I never slept, as the vision of my 

 lost friend (for we had always hit it off very well 

 together), wandering about and dying by inches, 

 continually haunted me. 



According to Boy, French had died on the night 

 of September 27, and it was not until October 2 that 

 the news reached me, and we were then nearly thirty 

 miles from where he had struck the river at Linyanti 

 after leaving the body, which I felt it to be my first 

 duty to try and recover. I asked Boy if when we 

 reached Linyanti he would be able to find his way 

 back to where his master had died. He replied that 

 it was in the night when he had left him, and that 

 as the whole country was covered with thick level 

 forests without any landmark to guide him, he 

 would never be able to find the spot, unless we could 

 follow his spoor. As this was already five days old, 

 I knew it would be impossible to do so, but deter- 

 mined to try. Accordingly, the following morning, 

 October 3, we made a start along the river. 1 was 

 very weak from the effects of fever, but determined 

 to reach Linyanti before nighttall. 



It was a long tramp — nearly thirty miles, I should 

 think ; wading a great part of the way, too, through 

 innumerable lagoon?. At last, however, we reached 

 the site of the old town. I was thoroughly exhausted, 

 and, it only having been the sustained exertion that 

 kept off the fever, soon became very ill. The next 

 day I was worse, and utterly incapable of doing any- 

 thing ; Miller, however, went out with Boy and 

 searched for the spoor, but unsuccessfully. In the 

 evening I called up the headman, and tried to get 

 him to send all the Kafirs with him into the bush to 



