shes, watch by the light of the moon the strange
habits and proceedings of the wild creatures that came there to drink.
The hours thus passed were to me the most interesting by far that I
spent in Africa. There was something so romantic in the kind of
scenery, in the dim mysterious light, and in the grand troops of wild
creatures that came there in all the pith and fire of untamed freedom to
drink. It was like visiting a natural menagerie on the most magnificent
scale; for in places where water is scarce any pool that may exist is
the scene of constant and ever-changing visits during the entire night.

In fact, I used to find it almost impossible to tear myself away,
although I knew that repose was absolutely needful, in order to enable
me to continue the journey on the succeeding day, and I am quite certain
that had not Peterkin and Jack often dragged me off in a jocular way by
main force, I should have remained there all night, and have fallen
asleep probably in my ambush.

One night of this kind that we passed I shall never forget. It was
altogether a remarkable and tremendously exciting night; and as it is a
good type of the style of night entertainment to be found in that wild
country, I shall describe it.

It happened on a Saturday night. We were then travelling through a
rather dry district, and had gone a whole day without tasting water. As
evening approached we came, to our satisfaction, to a large pond of
pretty good water, into which we ran knee-deep, and filling our caps
with water, drank long and repeated draughts. Then we went into a piece
of jungle about a quarter of a mile distant, and made our encampment,
intending to rest there during the whole of the Sabbath.

I may mention here that it was our usual custom to rest on the Sabbath
days. This we did because we thought it right, and we came ere long to
know that it was absolutely needful; for on this journey southward we
all agreed that as life and death might depend on the speed with which
we travelled, we were quite justified in continuing our journey on the
Sabbath. But we found ourselves at the end of the second week so
terribly knocked up that we agreed to devote the whole of the next
Sabbath to repose. This we did accordingly, and found the utmost
benefit from it; and we could not avoid remarking, in reference to this
on the care and tenderness of our heavenly Father, who has so arranged
that obedience to His command should not only bri