t breakneck speed, saying in his
soul: "What are lions and panthers to me? I have quinine for my little
one!" And from time to time he felt the jars with his hand, as if he
wanted to assure himself that he actually possessed them and that it
was not all a dream. Various thoughts and pictures flitted through his
brain. He saw the wounded Swiss to whom he felt immense gratitude and
whom he pitied so heartily that, at first, during their conversation,
he took him for a madman; he saw little Nasibu with skull as round as a
ball, and the row of sleeping "pagahs," and the barrels of the
Remingtons stacked against the rock and glistening in the fire. He was
almost certain that the battle which Linde mentioned was with Smain's
division, and it seemed strange to him to think that Smain might have
fallen.

With these visions mingled the constant thought of Nell. He pictured to
himself how surprised she would be to behold on the morrow a whole jar
of quinine, and that she probably would take him for a performer of
miracles. "Ah," he said to himself, "if I had acted like a coward and
had not gone to ascertain where that smoke came from I would not have
forgiven myself during the rest of my life."

After the lapse of a little less than an hour the roar of the waterfall
became quite distinct and, from the croaking of frogs, he conjectured
that he already was near the expansion where he had previously shot
aquatic birds. In the moon's luster he even recognized in the distance
the trees standing above it. Now it was necessary to exercise greater
caution, as that overflow formed at the same time a watering place to
which all the animals of the locality came, for the banks of the river
elsewhere were steep and inaccessible. But it was already late and the
beasts of prey evidently hid in rocky dens after their nocturnal
quests. The horse snorted a little, scenting the recent tracks of lions
or panthers; nevertheless, Stas rode on happily, and a moment later saw
on the high promontory the big black silhouette of "Cracow." For the
first time in Africa he had a sensation as if he had arrived at home.

He reckoned that he would find all asleep, but he reckoned without
Saba, who began to bark loud enough to awaken even the dead. Kali also
appeared before the tree and exclaimed:

"Bwana kubwa! On horseback!"

In his voice there was, however, more joy than surprise, as he believed
in Stas' powers so much that if the latter had even created