officers and men be unaffected by the poison to make a brave stand
until the rest had recovered.

That might happen; and slightly roused in spirit by this hope, he kept
steadily on. One thing was fixed in his own mind, and that was that it
was his duty to get back to his party, either to fight with them, to
help the wounded, or to share their fate.

"Not that I want to die," muttered the doctor. "There's that collection
of butterflies unpinned; no one but me could set up all those birds, or
understand the numbering; and then there's that boa-constrictor wants
dressing over; and worse than all, I've killed my first tiger, and have
not saved its skin."

"Humph!" he exclaimed directly after, "it seems as if I am to have a
hard job to save my own skin."

Just then the Malay reeled, and caught at a tree they were passing, when
the doctor had only just time to catch him and save him from a heavy
fall.

Laying his gun aside, he eased the poor fellow down upon the tangled
grass, trickling a few more drops from his flask between his lips, and
then giving the flask a bit of a shake to hear how much there was left.

"Better now," said the Malay, trying to rise. "The trees run round."

"Yes, of course they do to you," said the doctor. "Lie still for a
while, my good fellow. Is there any water near here?"

"Little way on," said the Malay, pointing. "Listen!"

The doctor bent his head, and plainly enough heard a low gurgling noise.
Following the direction in which the sound seemed to be, he came upon a
little stream, and filled, by holding on with one hand to a little palm,
and hanging down as low as he could, the tin canteen slung from his
shoulder. From this he drank first with avidity, then, refilling it, he
prepared to start back.

"And I always preach to the fellows about not drinking unfiltered
water," he muttered. "I wonder how many wild water beasts I've
swallowed down. Well, it can't be helped; and it was very refreshing.
Let me see! Bah! How can I when it's as dark as pitch! Which way did
I come?"

He stood thinking for a few moments, and then started off, cautiously
trying to retrace his steps; but before he had gone twenty yards he felt
sure that he was wrong, and turning back tried another way. Here again
at the end of a minute he felt that he was not going right, and with an
ejaculation of impatience, he made his way back to where the stream
rippled and gurgled along amidst the reeds, canes, an