GAUARONGA, THE GREAT CHIEF 189 



leopard penetrate. Therefore the wakeful chattered 

 together all the night through. 



Thus three days passed ; but when Christmas morn- 

 ing dawned our hearts beat high, for Mr Talbot was 

 better, — a runner brought our mail from Fort Lamy, 

 and all was very well. For the first time I went out 

 for a little walk, promising that I would keep within 

 sight of camp, which was visible a long way off in 

 that bare country. Mastaba, however, joined me, and 

 would not let me be alone. There was no apparent 

 cause for fear ; but perhaps he had seen something 

 or heard something — anyway, he was there. That 

 afternoon Mr Talbot had a relapse, and once more 

 the illness seemed grave. 



There was no doubt that it was no ordinary disease, 

 and looking back on all that had passed we bethought 

 us of the dates. Mr Talbot had eaten about ten, and 

 he was very ill ; Mrs Talbot three, and she had been 

 ill too, though mercifully only for a short time ; and I, 

 who had eaten one, had also felt indisposed for a few 

 hours. The coincidence was strange. We told Mr 

 Talbot of our suspicions, and when he recalled the scene, 

 he remembered that the Sultan had handed him dates 

 from one end of the box, while he had taken those 

 for Captain Lucas and himself from the other end. 



Next day Captain Lucas himself came riding by, on 

 his way to Fort Lamy, and was much astonished to find 

 us there. We said nothing to him of our doubts, but 

 asked him how he had been, and he assured us of his 

 perfect health since we had left. Mr Talbot was better 

 again, and we hoped soon to follow him, and this time 

 our good-bye was really short. On the 28th we too 

 set out, meaning to march only in the morning as far 



