presently the
sun shine out, so might be much worse, no cause at all complain."

"I don't know," answered Alan, with a shiver. "I believe that I am fever
proof, but otherwise I should have caught it last night, and--just give
me the quinine, I will take five grains for luck."

"Yes, yes, for luck," answered Jeekie as he opened the medicine chest
and found the quinine, at the same time glancing anxiously out of the
corner of his eye at his master's face, for he knew that the spot where
they had slept was deadly to white men at this season of the year. "You
not catch fever, Little Bonsa," here he dropped his voice and looked
down at the box which had served Alan for a pillow, "see to that. But
quinine give you appetite for breakfast. Very good chop this morning.
Which you like best? Cold ven'son, or fish, or one of them ducks you
shoot yesterday?"

"Oh! some of the cold meat, I think. Give the ducks to the boatmen, I
don't fancy them in this hot place. By the way, Jeekie, we leave the Qua
River here, don't we?"

"Yes, yes, Major, just here. I 'member spot well, for your uncle he pray
on it one whole hour; I pretend pray too, but in heart give thanks
to Little Bonsa, for heathen in those days, quite different now. This
morning we begin walk through forest where it rather dark and cool
and comfortable, that is if we no see dwarf people from whom good Lord
deliver us," and he bowed towards the box containing Little Bonsa.

"Will those four porters come with us through the forest, Jeekie, as
they promised?"

"Yes, yes, they come. Last night they say they not come, too much afraid
of dwarf. But I settle their hash. I tell them I save up bits of their
hair and toe nails when they no thinking, and I mix it with medicine,
and if they not come, they die every one before they get home. They
think me great doctor and they believe. Perhaps they die if they go on.
If so, I tell them that because they want show white feather, and they
think me greater doctor still. Oh! they come, they come, no fear, or
else Jeekie know reason why. Now, here coffee, Major. Drink him hot
before you go take tub, but keep in shallow water, because crocodile he
very early riser."

Alan laughed, and departed to "take tub." Notwithstanding the mosquitoes
that buzzed round him in clouds, the water was cool and pleasant by
comparison with the hot, sticky air, and the feel of it seemed to rid
him of the languor resulting from his disturbed night.

A m