arty.

When I look back upon that time now, and reflect calmly on the dangers
we encountered and the hardships we endured, I confess that I am filled
with amazement. I might easily fill several volumes such as this with
anecdotes of our encounters with wild animals, and other adventures; but
however interesting these might be in themselves, I must not forget that
some of the main incidents of our sojourn in Africa have yet to be
related, and that there is a limit to the patience of even youthful
readers.

Our power of enduring fatigue and sustained active exertion, with
comparatively short intervals of nightly repose, was much greater than I
could have believed to be possible. I have no doubt that anxiety to
save Okandaga from the terrible fate that hung over her enabled us to
bear up under fatigues which would at other times have overcome us. I
know not well how it was that I kept up with my strong and agile
comrades. Oftentimes I felt ready to drop down as I walked, yet somehow
I never thought of falling behind, but went doggedly on, and at nights
found myself little worse in condition than they. Peterkin, although
small, was tough and springy, and his spirits seemed rather to rise than
otherwise as his strength abated. As for Jack, I never saw any one like
him. He seemed like a lion roaming in his strength over his native
deserts. So hardened had we all become during the course of our travels
that we found ourselves not only equal to Makarooroo in pedestrian
powers, but superior; for when occasion required we could almost knock
him up, but I am free to admit that we never succeeded in doing this
thoroughly. In short, we were all as nearly as possible equal to each
other, with the exception of Jack, who seemed in every way invulnerable.

During this long and hurried but intensely interesting and delightful
journey we came upon, at different times, almost every species of
animal, plant, and tree peculiar to the African continent. Oftentimes
we passed by droves and herds of elephants, deer, buffalo, giraffes,
antelopes, and zebras; we saw rhinoceroses, alligators, leopards, lions,
apes of several kinds, and smaller monkeys innumerable. We also saw
great numbers of birds--some curious on account of their habits and
form, others beautiful and bright as the rainbow.

Yet although, as I have said, this journey was very delightful, our
feelings were at different times exceedingly varied, and not
unfrequently p