ounds of merriment and feasting came loudly to
where they were.

The sun was descending rapidly when about half-a-dozen of the conquering
tribe came up to the _pah_, with the result that those who were on guard
suddenly grew wildly excited, and giving up their duties to the new
comers, uttered eager shouts and rushed off in a way that was frantic in
the extreme.

Don and Jem again exchanged looks full of misery and despair, and then
gazed with wonder and loathing at the new comers, who walked slowly
about for a few minutes, and then went and leaned their backs against
the palisading of the _pah_, and partially supported themselves upon
their spears.

"Ugh!" ejaculated Jem with a shudder as he turned away. "You wretches!
Mas' Don, I felt as I lay here last night, all dull and miserable and
sick, and hardly able to bear myself--I felt so miserable because I knew
I must have shot some of those chaps."

"So did I, Jem," sighed Don; "so did I."

"Well, just now, Mas' Don, I'm just 'tother way; ay, for I wish with all
my heart I'd shot the lot. Hark, there!"

They listened, and could hear a burst of shouting and laughing.

"That's them sentries gone down now to the feast. I say, Mas' Don, look
at these here fellows."

"Yes, Jem, I've been looking at them. It's horrible, and we must
escape."

They sat gazing at their guards again, to see that they were flushed,
their eyes full, heavy, and starting, and that they were absolutely
stupefied and torpid as some huge serpent which has finished a meal.

"They must be all drunk, Jem," whispered Don, with a fresh shudder of
horror and loathing.

"No, Mas' Don, 'tarn't that," said Jem, with a look of disgust. "Old
Mike used to tell us stories, and most of 'em was yarns as I didn't
believe; but he told us one thing as I do believe now. He said as some
of the blacks in Africa would go with the hunters who killed the
hippipperpothy-mouses, and when they'd killed one, they'd light a fire,
and then cut off long strips of the big beast, hold 'em in the flame for
a bit, and then eat 'em, and cut off more strips and eat them, and go on
eating all day till they could hardly see or move."

"Yes, I remember, Jem; and he said the men ate till they were drunk; and
you said it was all nonsense, for a man couldn't get drunk without
drink."

"Yes, Mas' Don; but I was all wrong, and Mike was right. Those wretches
there are as much like Mike Bannock was when he bored a hole in the