Page 148 - Adventures in Africa

water I could scarcely get down the food I was cooking-.
Evening was approaching.

“ I say, Fredj if those fellows don't come soon, we
must set off by ourselves, and look out for water. Per­
haps some may be found among the rocks, or if not, we

must cut some wooden spades and dig for it. Those
deer wouldn’t be inhabiting these parts if water wasn't
in the neighbourhood/'
ct It will be too late to commence any search to­

night," I observed, “ It is already nearly dark,
and the chances are that the Hon you saw just
now will pounce down upon us, if we go far from

the fire. I would rather endure thirst than run that
risk,"
“ Still we must have water,” exclaimed Harry; “ but

you stay here and look after the venison, and I'll just
wander to a short distance. I do not suppose the
brute will find me ; and perhaps, youknowT, it was not

a lion after all I saw : it might have been a buffalo or
a brindled gnew/’
“ You said positively it was a lion,” I remarked;
“ for your own sake, as well as mine, I beg that you

will not wander from the camp,”
Still Ilarry, pointing to his mouth, insisted on going.
Just as he was about to set off, a loud roar, not twenty

paces off, reached our ears,
“ What do you say now?" I asked, “ You don't
mean to assert that that was the cry either of an ostrich
or a bull-frog.”

“ I wish that it were the latter,” he answered; for
then there would be a chance of finding water. How­
ever, I'll stay in camp and try to endure my thirst until