ere is no cordillera,
or mountain range, extending across the whole continent to limit the
_habitat_ of certain classes of animals, and I thought that if any
animal in Africa would not consent to remain in one region when it
wished to go to another, that animal must be the ferocious gorilla. The
trader also laughed at me, and said that he had never seen any himself
in that region, and that we would have to cross the desert before seeing
them. Still, I felt a disposition to try; besides, I felt certain that
we should at least fall in with some sort of animals or plants or
minerals that would be worth collecting; so it was agreed that we should
go out for a single day, and be back in time for a great elephant-hunt
which was about to take place.

But to return from this digression. Having finished breakfast, we made
three bundles or packages of our blankets, provisions, and camp
equipage; strapped them on our backs; and then, shouldering our rifles,
set out on our return to the negro village.

Of course we gave Jack the largest and heaviest bundle to carry.
Peterkin's and mine were about equal, for although I was taller than
Peterkin, I was not by any means so powerful or active. I often
wondered at the great strength that lay in the little frame of my
friend. To look at him, no one would believe that he was such a tough,
wiry, hardy little fellow. He was the same hearty, jovial creature that
I had lived with so pleasantly when he and Jack and I were cast away on
the coral island. With the exception of a small scrap of whisker on
each cheek, a scar over the right eye, and a certain air of manliness,
there was little change in my old comrade.

"Ralph," said Jack, as we strode along through the forest, "do you
remember how we three used to wander about together in the woods of our
coral island?"

"Remember!" I cried with enthusiasm, for at that moment the thought
occurred to my own mind; "how can I ever forget it, Jack? It seems to
me just like yesterday. I can hardly believe that six long years have
passed since we drank that delicious natural lemonade out of the green
cocoa-nuts, and wandered on the coral beach, and visited Penguin Island,
and dived into the cave to escape the pirates. The whole scene rises up
before me so vividly that I could fancy we were still there. Ah! these
were happy times."

"So they were," cried Peterkin; "but don't you go and become
sentimentally sad, Ralph, when you talk of tho