AFRICA. 319 
prudent to depart as quickly as poffible, I di- 
reded the wounded men to be placed on my 
two horfes, and marched myfelf on foot, 00a- 
tinuing to command the rear guard. We had 
fortunately no occafion again to crofs the rivo*, 
my camp being on this fide, as I have already 
obferved ; accordingly I proceeded ftraight 
towards it. 
After five hours travelling, having found 
an open plain, where I had no reafon to fear 
being attacked by furprife, I halted and re- 
folved to pafs the night there, out of pity for 
the two wounded men. The motion of the 
journey had rendered them worfe. One of 
them already experienced that fatal rattling m 
the throat which is the fign of approaching 
death, and which left me no hope of his re- 
covery. Him I direded to be laid on the 
ground, and conceived that the beft thing I 
could do was there to fulFer him quietly to 
die. 
The fhaking of the horfe, renewing the 
pains of his comrade, drew from him the 
moft agonizing cries on the road, which pierced 
my very foul j and he conjured me a hundred 
times to put an end to his torments by Ihoot- 
