3 i4 ADVENTURES OF AN ELEPHANT HUNTER CH. 



state, suffering from constant fever, yet tramping 

 day after day through long grass, wading through 

 water and marshes, night after night sleeping in 

 wet clothes, and never a blink of sunshine during 

 the whole time to enable him to dry his kit. The 

 very small quantities of flour, tea, and sugar which 

 he had been able to take with him when his carriers 

 had bolted, now ran out, and as sores had broken 

 out in his mouth and throat, he was incapable of 

 eating meat, which was the only food procurable. 

 When he was absolutely unable to proceed any 

 further, his boys built him a small grass shelter, 

 under which he lay, hoping in a short time to regain 

 strength enough to reach some village where food 

 such as fowls, eggs, and vegetables might be 

 obtained. It was here that a strange tragedy was 

 enacted. One day, when his boys were preparing 

 the roots of a wild plant, called acca, which they 

 had found in the forest, and which are poisonous 

 till cooked to shreds with several changes of water, 

 something after the manner of tapioca, Watkinson, 

 by this time delirious with sickness, suddenly 

 emerged from his shelter, and seeing the pot steam- 

 ing over the fire, proceeded to help himself to some 

 of the deadly contents. Only one boy was present at 

 the time, and he, warning his master that the poison 

 had not been eliminated, strove to dissuade him 

 from partaking of the baneful roots ; but Watkin- 



