ooking," he observed, laughing.

"I have no great faith in Aboh's mode of proceeding," remarked Charley.

"Nor have I, except to produce any especially excellent soup," said
Harry.

Our patience was to be severely exercised. We were all so hungry that
Charley consented to serve out a small piece of biscuit to each of us,
just to stay our appetites; but that produced a very transient effect.
At first I saw him tightening his waist-belt; then I had to tighten
mine, as Harry did his. Poor Tom was suffering too much pain to care
about eating, and Aboh was well accustomed to endure long hours of
fasting.

"When is that mess of yours likely to be ready?" Charley and I kept
crying out to Harry.

"I think that it is done to a turn now," said Harry, and he produced
five pieces of black-looking stuff.

"A very long turn," said Charley as he took his share. "Why, it's as
hard and dry as shoe-leather, and quite as tough, I suspect."

"Chew it, man, chew it," answered Charley, laughing; "it's better than
that in the soup."

We all cut off little bits, hunger making us in no way particular; but
it was a difficult business to get down a mouthful. At last I took to
scraping it with my knife, by which means I was able to swallow more
than I otherwise could have done.

We next tried the soup. The warm liquid could at all events be
swallowed, and it appeared to do good to poor Tom, to whom we gave
several cupfuls. The meat, however, was scarcely an improvement upon
the steaks. Aboh had been watching us all the time while he munched his
share without showing a sign of dissatisfaction.

"As we shall want some more water for poor Tom's foot, I wish you would
go down, Harry, to the lake and fill the saucepan," said Charley.

"I will go with Aboh willingly enough, provided he carries a torch, for
otherwise the chances are that we shall not get off as easily as we did
before," answered Harry.

Aboh understood what was proposed, and taking a brand from the fire in
one hand, and the saucepan in the other, he set off, Harry accompanying
him with his rifle ready for instant use. Charley and I, in the
meantime, got up and examined the forest around us. Strange noises were
issuing from it; but our ears being unaccustomed to the sounds of an
African wilderness, we could not distinguish either the animals or birds
which produced them. Here and there we picked up sticks, which we
carried to the heap prepared for keeping up the