MILITAR Y AD VENTURES. 87 



ceive, as I felt all my old aches and pains 

 returning from the continued jerking caused 

 by the motion of his body. At last he said 

 something in a husky tone, and then softly 

 pitched me on a bank of moss under a 

 splendid euphorbia tree, where I was only 

 too happy to lie quietly with my eyes shut ; 

 and really, if I had been told that my last 

 hour had come, I should have hailed the 

 summons with pleasure, for I felt so utterly 

 woe-begone and miserable. I now saw my 

 guide, or keeper whose short absence I 

 had not noticed was approaching me, 

 accompanied by another native: after a 

 short consultation I was lifted up by the 

 new ally and jerked on his back with as 

 little ceremony as my first carrier had ex- 

 hibited. They talked earnestly and rapidly 

 and I soon found out that they were speak- 

 ing of our army ; and, from their frequently 



