if vitriol had been poured upon
them, and our thirst increased to a degree of violence and fierceness
that could no longer be borne. Deeply did we now repent what we had
done; deeply did we rue the tasting of that blood-like sap. We might
have endured for days, had we not swallowed those crimson drops; but
already were we suffering as if days had passed since we had tasted
water!

Our thirst had suddenly increased, and still kept increasing, until the
agony we endured was positively excruciating. I cannot describe it.
Some idea may be had of its terrible nature when I assert that we
actually talked of descending from the tree, and risking our lives in a
knife-conflict with the lion, rather than endure it longer!

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR.

Yes; we actually talked of descending from the tree, and risking our
lives in a knife-conflict with the lion!

It is true it was a forlorn hope; but it is probable we should have
attempted it in preference to enduring the terrible agony much longer.
Fortunately we were not driven to this desperate alternative. At this
crisis a happy idea came into the mind of my companion, and drove the
thought of the knife-combat out of our heads.

It will be remembered that we had with us a musket. The great "Queen
Anne" must not be forgotten; though, for the time, it would seem as
though we had forgotten it. That is not exactly the case. We
remembered it well enough, for it was under our eyes, lying at the
bottom of the tree--where Brace had thrown it in his eagerness to get
out of the way of the lion; but it was out of our reach, and, moreover,
being empty, we had never thought of its being of service to us. Even
could we have regained possession of, and reloaded it, we knew that the
snipe-shot would not kill the lion; and, therefore, we might load and
fire till we had exhausted all our ammunition, without any other result
than to render the brute more furious--if that could possibly be. For
these reasons we had paid no attention to the "Queen Anne," and there it
lay right under us, apparently as useless as a bar of iron.

While plotting about the means of defence and attack we might make use
of in our intended final struggle, the "Queen Anne" once more came into
our heads; and Brace hit upon a plan by which the great piece might
serve us. In fact, there was a probability we might extricate ourselves
by its aid, without the desperate conflict we had projected! and we only
wondered