206 A WOUNDED SOIiDIEE. ch. viii. 



trouble. We were heartily glad when, on reaching the 

 spot where the track turns downward towards the river, 

 we at last saw the lights of our camp glimmering through 

 the trees. The roof of dark clouds overhead had by this 

 time grown rather less dense ; some faint light helped us 

 down the steep slope, and a little before eleven o'clock we 

 reached the welcome shelter of our tents. The case of the 

 wounded soldier was first attended to. It was much less 

 serious than we supposed ; the eye was not much injm-ed, 

 but there was an ugly flesh wound on the face below it, 

 where a jagged stem had torn through the upper part of 

 the cheek. Wounds heal with remarkable readiness among 

 the natives of this country, and after a few days nothing 

 remained but a scar on the man's face. A sheep, several 

 fowls, eggs, and three large dishes of cooked food were 

 soon forthcoming as the evening mona, and a rather late 

 supper closed the proceedings of the day. 



