ep black of the under feathers.

"I wish I could stuff that specimen," said the doctor, as he
contemplated the dead bird. "It would be the making of a collection.
It can't stand less than four foot four, or perhaps four foot six high.
However, I'm afraid it's rather out of place to be thinking of
collections. It will be a good job," he muttered to himself, "if we are
not put into a collection ourselves by some Hottentot or Damara chief
But it won't do to hint that to the boys."

He seated himself on one of the casks in the shelter of the tent, and
appeared to be watching the preparations for supper, lost, in reality,
in a reverie of mingled pain and pleasure. He was roused at last by the
information that Warley was returning; and presently the youth himself
appeared on the scene, throwing down, to Frank's great satisfaction, a
brace of wild ducks which he had been fortunate enough to shoot. His
report, however, was not encouraging. He had reached the extremity of
the bay, and had ascended an eminence, perhaps two or three hundred feet
high; but nothing was to be discerned from it but long wastes of mingled
rock and sand, varied here and there by thickets of euphorbia, or
monotonous scrub. In the distance indeed were lofty mountains; but it
was impossible to say, in that transparent atmosphere, how distant they
might be. As regards the more immediate object of his expedition--the
discovery of some trace of man--it had been an entire failure.

While Warley was delivering his report to the doctor, the other two were
busied in plucking and roasting the ducks. Presently it was announced
that all was ready, and the four sat down to their repast with an
appetite sharpened by a long day of exertion. It was no sooner over
than fatigue began to assert itself in place of hunger. It was agreed
that the fire should be kept up all night, and that each should watch
for two hours by it. It was now nearly nine o'clock, and the last watch
would thus bring them to five in the morning, when it would be desirable
that all four should be awakened to the heavy day's work, which (as none
of them doubted) lay before them.

CHAPTER FIVE.

PLANS--THE BOYS SET OUT--A DISAPPOINTMENT--THE FIRST BOK--WATER!
WATER!--A MIDNIGHT VISITOR.

The whole party slept soundly, and by six o'clock were sitting under
their tent over the remains of their breakfast. Frank and Nick were on
the point of issuing forth to collect some more fish for