s; but David
said they were merely pieces of the bone of some animal, made into an
oval shape, and burned round the edges. If they have any power in
drawing out poison, it is in consequence of being porous; and he said he
believed any substance made up of capillary tubes, such as common
sponge, would be equally efficacious. After all, I believe that my
remedy is the only one on which dependence can be placed, except,
perhaps, the immediate application of _eau de luce_, and of course, when
a person is bitten by a snake, in rare instances only is he able to
obtain any."

As may be supposed, we hunted about the hut thoroughly before lying
down, in case any other snakes might have crawled in; and I stopped up
every crevice by which I thought it possible the one I had killed could
have entered.

Natty was so much better by the time our last supply of water was nearly
finished, that I no longer refused to let him accompany me to the
fountain, intending to proceed from thence towards our ultimate
destination. Clouds had gathered in the sky, and the air was cooler
than it had been for some time, as we set out. I insisted on his
frequently stopping, and wished him to allow me to carry him at
intervals; but to this he would not consent. We each of us had a long
stick in our hands to support our steps, and I assisted him on with my
arm. Our progress was, however, but slow; for in spite of his efforts,
I saw that he was still very weak. Thus it was not until the sun was
already sinking before us in the west that we got within sight of the
fountain. We had exhausted our water, and I was anxious to get a
further supply before the night closed in. Again I begged Natty to let
me take him on my back, for I thought it would rest him, and enable us
to get on faster. At last he consented, and though he was but a light
weight for his age, reduced as he was by sickness, yet I found, after
proceeding a couple of hundred yards or so, that I was myself beginning
to get fatigued. Perhaps he discovered this, by finding the slower pace
at which I was going, and he insisted on again getting down, declaring
that he was much rested by the ride. Giving him my arm, therefore, we
again pushed on. The dark rocks which surrounded the fountain now rose
up clearly before us. I looked round carefully, but could see no trace
of the lions. We reached the spot, and soon I had the satisfaction of
seeing Natty swallowing an ample draught of water