A PRECIOUS DRINK. 53 



not, no, not so long as I could drag one leg after 

 the other, and the chums held on. Fortunately, we 

 had no difficulty in obtaining water, but time to 

 drink it was not granted. In this dilemma I could 

 only run forward to an available pool, scoop up two 

 or three mouthfuls, and hurry on, or else Sunday 

 and Tim would have been out of sight. At length 

 Selvvin, who at the moment was just in front of me, 

 staggered, ultimately falling, when he protested he 

 could go no further. He was almost black in the 

 face from the rush of blood to his head, and I feard 

 he was going to have an attack of apoplexy. A 

 whistle recalled the spoorers, and Umpiqua darted 

 off for water, with which he soon returned. It was 

 marvellous what new life that draught instilled ; but, 

 for all that, our friend could go no farther, so 

 Umpiqua was told off to guide him home. 



A quarter of an hour had been lost, but that 

 short time had given me fresh wind and renewed 

 energy. The boys were anxious to go on, as they 

 asserted the game was close in front of them, so 

 once more we renewed the chase. Half-an-hour 

 after we came on some ordure so warm that we 

 knew that it had just been dropped, and soon after 

 broken stems and detached leaves were found, indi- 

 cating that the beasts were once more feeding, both 

 of which signs prophesied that we might momentarily 

 expect to see the elephants. Sunday was in front, 

 Jim at his heels, each carrying a spare gun, while 



