158 WILD LIFE UNDER THE EQUATOR. 
there were a few books also, and a few old newspapers 
from New York. 
Over my bed was a covering of leaves to protect: me 
from the rains. 
At last I was too feeble to rise and quench my thirst 
in the little stream near where my camp was made, or to 
go there and bathe my burning head. So the kind wom- 
en got water and bathed my head. I could not eat, for I 
had nothing. At times I thought that if I could only have 
a little piece of dry bread, how much I should relish it! I 
‘could bear the finiine and the wild berries and fruits 
no longer. There were days when I felt so lonely, so 
wretched, so poor, so helpless, that the tears rolled down 
my cheeks. The days of my boyhood came back before 
me, for they had been happy days. Then, instead of a 
piece of wood, I had a soft pillow to lay my head upon; 
then there were gentle hands that caressed me when I 
was sick. Where was that cosy little bed now? Whata 
contrast! I thought of the-friends of my youth—of little 
Lucy, of Julia, and Laura, and Jessie. What had become 
of beautiful little Lottie, with her fair hair, and of charm- 
ing little Maggie, with her dark hair? What friends we 
had once been! Lottie had been like a sister to me. I 
wondered if they thought sometimes of me, or if some of 
them might have gone to heaven. What had become of 
- them? I knew that, if they were by, they would take 
care of “little Paul,” as they used to call me. 
I remembered the ladies that were so kind to me when 
I had no mother.to care for me; I knew that if I had 
any thing good and amiable in my nature they had 
taught it to me. 
Where were all my playmates? How we would have 
