fire during the night.
I was stooping down, expecting to take up a thin stick, when I saw it
glide away. I had nearly caught hold of a snake by the body. It might
have been harmless, but if venomous, I should have probably been fatally
bitten. I sprang back, as may be supposed, and was very cautious after
this to feel with the pole I carried in my hand before I picked up any
other sticks. In a short time Harry and Aboh came back with the
saucepan of water, from which we filled our mugs, for the tough
elephant-meat made us thirsty. We were all suffering from hunger, and
as we expected to find Aboh's dish as unpalatable as ours, we had made
up our minds to lie down, if not exactly supperless, as hungry almost as
before.

"Now, massa, him 'tink foot ready," said Aboh, and without more ado, he
opened the hole and produced the foot hot and steaming. Just taking off
the top, as if it had been a piece of piecrust, what was our surprise
and very great satisfaction to find the interior full of a rich
glutinous substance. We eagerly hooked it out with our knives, and it
was pronounced excellent jelly, although somewhat strong tasted. The
single foot contained more than we altogether could eat, although Aboh
got through twice as much as either of the rest of us. We regretted
that we had not brought along more of the elephant's feet.

Instead of going supperless to bed, we thus had a more ample meal than
we had eaten since we landed. As it was important that Tom should have
a night's rest, Charley, Harry, and I agreed to keep watch in turns. We
did not ask Aboh, though he would, we felt sure, have proved
trustworthy. I had the middle watch. As I walked round and round the
camp, my ears were saluted by distant mutterings and the occasional roar
of lions, the trumpetings of elephants, or the shrill agonised cry of
some hapless deer on which a stealthy leopard had pounced, the shrieks
of night birds, the chirp of insects, and the croaking of frogs. Every
moment I expected to see some monster shove its nose out amid the dark
foliage; but if any came near, the fire prevented them from springing on
us. I occasionally stooped down and wetted Tom's bandage, so that his
leg was kept cool all the night. Charging Harry to do the same, I at
length lay down, and in a moment was fast asleep. Next morning we found
Tom better, but utterly unable to proceed. We, therefore, had to make
up our minds to camp for another day at least