are, I noticed. When she had completed her task, she consigned the
whole to the fire, placing the shapeless lumps in the centre of the
glowing embers, and piling more dry wood on the top, so as to maintain a
brisk blaze. In about half an hour the lumps of clay, baked hard by the
heat, began to crack and break open, when Ama carefully raked them out
of the embers and set them aside. Then, and not until then, did she
hail me, asking whether the expected pursuers were in sight; and upon my
replying in the negative, she informed me that breakfast was ready, and
invited me to come down and partake of it. I felt somewhat curious to
see how Ama's primitive style of cooking would turn out; but it was all
right. We simply broke open the lumps of baked clay with our spears and
took out the birds--minus the skin and feathers, which adhered to the
clay--and, splitting them open, removed the interior organs and devoured
the flesh, which I found done to a turn, and particularly rich and juicy
in flavour. Then, after we had finished eating, Ama again disappeared,
to return shortly afterward with four fine cocoa-nuts, which we opened
with our spear-heads and drank.

"Now, Dick," said Ama, when we had finished our meal, "you need rest
badly, and must have it; therefore compose yourself to sleep near the
fire, where I can watch over you; and I will take your place in the tree
and look out for our pursuers. They will be sure to be along very soon
now; and it is important that I should see upon what plan they are
conducting their search for us. I want them to get well ahead of us
before we resume our journey to-night."

"Yes," said I, "that is all very well, Ama. But what about yourself?
You need rest fully as much as I do--"

"No, I do not," she retorted. "I took plenty of rest yesterday, in
anticipation; while you were exposed all day to the scorching sun and
the flies, and have been awake all night. So please lie down and sleep;
for in any case I must watch the river until our pursuers appear. I
promise you that when they have passed, and I have seen all that I can
of them, I will come down and sleep too."

I attempted to dissuade her from this resolution; but she was in an
obstinate mood, and would not be dissuaded; recognising which, at
length, I gave in; for it was true that I needed rest. Accordingly,
flinging myself down in the long grass, I fell, almost instantly, into a
deep sleep.

It must have been about four