52 HUNTING IN THE JUNGLE. 



twisted his neck for him. I was so excited that I should 

 have quite forgotten to thank Thursday for having thus 

 in cold blood risked his life to satisfy a wish which to 

 him must have seemed a mere whim, when he recalled 

 me to the situation l)y saying quietly, — 



" The white captain is good ; he will give his slave the 

 reward, as agreed." 



" What reward ? " cried I, in astonishment. 



" Did not the captain promise the Fans that he would 

 give a double-barrelled hunting-gun and a keg of rum to 

 any one of them bringing him. a young man-eater ? " 



"Yes." 



" Well, Thursday is a Fan, and has brought you such a 

 prize." 



" And 3'OU ask me to pay you, therefore — " 



" What you promised." 



"All right, so be it. I prefer a business view of it 

 mj'Self. Here are the gun and proper ammunition, for of 

 course they go together ; but I do not propose to give 

 you all the rum at once." 



" The white chief is generous and great, but why 

 not?" 



" Because you are in my service, engaged for the entire 

 trip, and I don't propose to have you drunk or your 

 faculties muddled for the next week or so, as you know 

 you would be. If you like, however, I will give you a 

 glass every day until you have had the whole keg. 'If 

 you don't like this plan, I will, instead, give you the 



