o do that, I wonder?
He weighs twelve stone, I'll go bail for it, if he weighs an ounce, and
we don't happen to have a horse and cart convenient."

"We can manage it easily enough," was the answer; "our guns and these
thongs will make a very tolerable stretcher. Draw the charges first,
though. It wouldn't be safe to carry the guns loaded."

Ernest complied, and then the doctor set about the construction of his
litter. He first fastened a rifle and a gun together, reversing the
direction of the barrels, so as to form a kind of staff out of them,
about six feet long, with the stocks at the two ends. The other rifle
and gun were then secured after the same manner, and thus the poles of
the stretcher were formed. They were then tied together, about two feet
apart from one another, by half a dozen thongs. The machine was now
placed on the ground, and the Hottentot laid on the thongs. Then the
stocks at one end were raised, and laid on the doctor's shoulders, who
bent on one knee and stooped as near to the ground as he could. The
other two ends were next placed in like fashion on the shoulders of
Ernest who had put himself into the like attitude. Frank and Nick now
took their stations in the middle of the litter, each placing one
shoulder under the pole. Then Lavie gave the word and they all rose
together.

"Capitally managed!" exclaimed the doctor approvingly. "Now step all
together, and we'll have him under the shelter of the trees in less than
a quarter of an hour."

They moved off, walking quickly and steadily, and in less than the time
named by Lavie, approached the friendly cover of the thicket. As they
came near, a steinbok which had been feeding apparently under a tree,
bounded out of the covert, passing within twenty yards of them.

"Alas! alas!" exclaimed Nick, "there goes our supper that should have
been! That is the worst of doing a good action! One is sure to be
punished for it!"

"Well, Nick, I don't know about that," said Warley. "If we hadn't gone
to look after the Hottentot, I don't think we should have seen anything
of the steinbok. He wouldn't have come anywhere near us, I expect."

"No, you may be sure of that," observed the doctor, as they lowered
their burden to the ground, and laid him on some soft grass under the
shade of a large mimosa. "And what is more, I doubt whether our good
action will not be rewarded in this instance. Look here, the steinbok
was feeding on this melon,