indeed," answered Harry. "Colin will soon be up with us,
and we must talk to him."

Harry was right, for Colin soon after overtook them, having been driven
up as usual by the negress, who seemed in great anger at the trouble he
was causing her.

"Colin," said Harry, when their companion and the child had joined them,
"you must keep the woman away from you. Her partiality for you has
already been noticed by others. The Krooman has just been telling us
that you will not live much longer; that Golah is neither blind nor
foolish; and that, on the slightest suspicion he has of the woman
showing you any favour, even to giving you a fig, he will kill you."

"But what can I do?" asked Colin. "If the woman should come to you and
offer you a handful of figs and a drink of milk, could you refuse them?"

"No, I certainly could not. I only wish such an alternative would
present itself; but you must manage in some way or other to keep away
from her. You must not linger behind, but remain all the time by us."

"If you knew," asked Colin, "that you could quench your thirst by
lagging a few paces behind, would you not do so?"

"That would be a strong temptation, and I should probably yield; but I
tell you that you are in danger."

Neither of Colin's companions could blame him. Suffering as he was,
from the ceaseless agony of hunger and thirst, any indiscretion, or even
crime, seemed justifiable, for the purpose of obtaining relief.

The day became hotter and hotter, until in the afternoon the sufferings
of the slaves grew almost unendurable. Sailor Bill appeared to be more
severely affected than any of his companions. He had been knocking
about the world for many long years injuring his constitution by
dissipation and exposure in many climes; and the siege that thirst and
hunger were now making to destroy his strength became each hour more
perceptible in its effect.

By the middle of the afternoon it was with the utmost difficulty he
could move along; and his tongue was so parched that in an attempt to
speak he wholly failed. His hands were stretched forth towards Colin;
who, since the warning he had received, had kept up along with the rest.

Colin understood the signal; and placed the boy on the old man's
shoulders. Bill wished to learn if the mother would reward him for
taking care of her child, as she had his predecessor in the office. To
carry out the experiment, he allowed himself to be left in the rear of