early in the afternoon she had
rested but little. Stas had a sincere desire to follow her example, but
could not as he had to hold her, fearing that she might fall; besides,
it was immensely uncomfortable for him to sit man-fashion on the flat
and wide saddle which Hatim and Seki Tamala had provided for the little
one in Fashoda. He did not dare to move and rode the horse as slowly as
possible in order not to awaken her.

She, in the meantime, leaning backwards, supported her little head upon
his shoulder and slept soundly.

But she breathed so regularly and calmly that Stas ceased to regret the
last quinine powder. He felt that danger of fever was removed and
commenced to reason thus:

"The ravine continually leads upwards and even now is quite steep. We
are higher and the country is drier and drier. It is necessary only to
find some sort of elevation, well shaded, near some swift stream, and
there establish quarters and give the little one a few weeks' rest, and
perhaps wait through the whole massica (the spring rainy season). Not
every girl could endure even one tenth of these hardships, but it is
necessary that she should rest! After such a night another girl would
have been stricken with fever and she--how soundly she sleeps!--Thank
God!"

And these thoughts brought him into a good humor; so looking down at
Nell's little head resting on his bosom, he said to himself merrily and
at the same time with certain surprise:

"It is odd, however, how fond I am of this little fly! To tell the
truth, I always liked her, but now more and more."

And not knowing how to explain such a strange symptom he came to the
following conclusion:

"It is because we have passed together through so much and because she
is under my protection."

In the meantime he held that "fly" very carefully with his right hand
around her waist in order that she should not slip from the saddle and
bruise her little nose. They advanced slowly in silence; only Kali
hummed under his nose--a song in praise of Stas.

"Great master kills Gebhr, kills a lion and a buffalo! Yah! Yah! Much
meat! Much meat! Yah! Yah!"

"Kali," Stas asked in a low tone, "do the Wahimas hunt lions?"

"The Wahimas fear lions but the Wahimas dig pits and if in the night
time the lion falls in, then the Wahimas laugh."

"What do you then do?"

"The Wahimas hurl lot of spears until lion is like a hedgehog. Then
they pull him out of the pit and eat him. Lion is good." An