trunk of the baobab. It was thirst.

Yes, we already experienced its painful sensation. Every moment it was
gaining ground upon us, and its pangs becoming keener and harder to
endure. Should the siege continue much longer, we knew not how we could
endure it.

Should the siege continue? It did continue throughout all that day, the
fierce brutes remained by the tree throughout all the following night;
and when the second morning dawned, we saw them around as numerous as
ever, and apparently as implacable and determined on vengeance as they
had been at their first onset!

What were we to do? Without rest, without sleep, without food, but
worst of all without water, we could exist no longer. To go out was to
be destroyed--torn to atoms--devoured; to stay where we were was to die
of thirst--a more lingering and painful death! what were we to do?

We were in deep despair--we had almost yielded up the hope of being
saved--not almost, but altogether.

We could have had no hope, except that our assailants might become tired
of the protracted siege and leave us. But, as already observed, these
creatures possess intelligence that resembles that of human beings.
They perfectly comprehended our situation, and knowing it, were not
likely to give us any chance of escape; there was no hope.

In this belief had we continued for some time, sitting side by side in a
state of extreme dejection. Neither of us said a word. We had nothing
to say--no counsel to offer to each other.

We had several times talked over the possibility of fighting our way
through the host of mandrills, and escaping by swiftness of foot. We
knew that, once in the open ground, we could run faster than they; for
although the baboons run well through thickets and woods--where they
occasionally help themselves forward by grasping the boughs of the
trees--and although upon open ground they progress faster than many
other kinds of monkeys, yet a man can outrun them.

This we knew, and were now very regretful that we had not made a burst
through their line, and gone off at first, as we should have done.
Afterwards it became more difficult to do so, as the crowd got greater,
and hemmed us in more closely, and we had looked upon it as altogether
impossible. Now, however, that the terrible thirst was impelling us, we
had almost made up our minds to issue forth and run the gauntlet. Ben
argued that it would be better to do so than perish by inches in that