refused to touch the water; and Nick, who
by this time had reached the grove, was so struck by the animal's
demeanour, that he paused before stooping to the waterside, and eyed it
with mingled doubt and curiosity. The next minute Lavie's voice was
heard--

"Don't any of you touch the water till I come."

"I am afraid that warning comes rather late in the day for me," said
Frank, laughing, though he felt, nevertheless, a little uneasy. "I've
had a delicious draught already. Why isn't one to touch it, Charles?"
he continued, as the doctor approached.

"I came upon a gnu, a minute or two ago, lying dead in the thicket. It
had no wound, and I suspected it had been poisoned. I know it is very
often the practice of the Bushmen to mix poisons of one kind or another
with the wells, and so kill the animals that drink at them. But very
likely the water is all right; only I had better examine it before--
stay, what is this? Won't Lion drink it?"

"No, he won't," said Frank; "and, Charles, I am sorry to say, I have
drunk a good deal of it before you called out I am afraid there is
something wrong. I feel very queer, anyhow."

"How do you feel?" asked Lavie, taking his pulse.

"I feel a giddiness in my head, and a singing in the ears, and am very
shaky on my legs. I had better lie down. I dare say it will go off
presently." He sank, as he spoke, rather than lay down, on the bank.

"Put your fingers down your throat, and try if you can't bring the water
off again," said the doctor. "Unluckily, I have no emetic in my
knapsacks. The Hottentots emptied out all the drugs, while they had
possession of our things."

Frank obeyed his directions, but with very little effect. He became
presently very drowsy, and Lavie, making a bed for him under a mimosa,
covered him up with all the spare garments of the rest of the party, and
some heaps of long dry grass. In a few minutes Frank seemed to be
asleep.

"Do you think he is very bad?" inquired Warley earnestly.

"I don't like the look of things, I must say," was the answer; "we don't
know what the poison is which the Bushmen have mixed with the water, and
therefore it would be difficult to apply the antidote, even if it could
be found here. Generally these poisons work very slow in the instance
of men, whatever they may do in animals. The best chance, I think,
would be to give him large draughts of fresh wholesome water, if we
could find it. It would probably dilute