mured. The pleasure-trip had turned out to be one of
terrible misery, but each man, soldier or sailor, had a cheery word for
his neighbour; and whenever an unfortunate received a spear or bullet
wound, the doctor was on the spot directly, tending him; while a couple
of his comrades deftly cut a few canes and bound them together, making a
light litter, upon which the wounded man was placed, and carried on the
shoulders of four men.

The wounded made a terrible demand upon the sound; and now, to add to
their trouble, men began to fall out of the ranks stricken down by
disease.

It was no more than the doctor anticipated; but it was terrible work.

Captain Horton was one of the first--after fighting bravely in the
rear--to go to the doctor and complain of his head.

"I can't get on, doctor," he said. "The giddiness is dreadful, and the
pain worse. Give me something to ease it all."

The doctor said he would, and prescribed what he could from the little
case he had with him, but he knew what was coming. Captain Horton had
taken the jungle fever, and in an hour he was strapped down upon a
litter, raving with delirium.

Then another, and another, went down, the officers falling one after
another, till Major Sandars was left alone with the doctor, who had to
divide his time between attending to his many patients and handling a
rifle to help in their defence.

The consequence was that on the third night, instead of being near the
river, they were halted in the dense jungle, with their outposts on the
alert, and the rest throwing themselves beside the sick and wounded, too
much exhausted even to care for food.

Major Sandars and the doctor stood talking together beneath the shade of
a silk-cotton tree, whose leaves seemed to keep off a portion of the
heavy falling dew, and the former was waiting for an answer from his
companion, who, however, did not speak.

"Come, say something, doctor," exclaimed the major; "what do you think
of affairs?"

"What can I say?" replied the doctor, sadly; "we can go no farther."

"But we must," exclaimed the major, impatiently. "The river must be
reached, and a message sent down to the steamer."

"There is only one way," replied Doctor Bolter.

"How is that?"

"Leave the sick and wounded behind, and push on. The poor fellows can
carry them no farther."

"Then we'll stop where we are," said the major, sharply, "for I won't
leave a man behind."

"Of course you will not. I