l-pox and of those who fell
into their final slumber. But now death is hovering over me, and I
desire to go together with even that remnant of my caravan upon the
last great journey."

Saying this he pointed with his hand at the ruddy sky, and two tears
coursed slowly over his cheeks.

Stas wept like a beaver.

XIII

The next morning's sun illuminated a strange spectacle. Stas walked
along the rocky walls, stopped before each negro, moistened his
forehead with water, and pronounced over him the sacramental words. And
they slept with quivering hands and limbs, with heads drooping on their
breasts or tilted upwards, still alive but already resembling corpses.
And thus took place this baptism of the sleepers--in the morning
stillness, in the luster of the sun, in the desert gloom. The sky that
day was cloudless, a grayish blue, and as though sad.

Linde was still conscious, but grew weaker and weaker. After the wounds
were dressed, he handed to Stas papers enclosed in a tin case,
entrusted them to his care, and said nothing more. He could not eat,
but thirst tormented him terribly. Before sunset he became delirious.
He shouted at some imaginary children not to sail too far away on some
unknown lake, and afterwards fell into chills, and clasped his head
with both hands.

On the following day he did not recognize Stas at all, and at noon,
three days later, he died without recovering consciousness. Stas
mourned for him sincerely, and afterwards with Kali carried him to a
neighboring narrow cave, the opening of which they closed with thorns
and stones.

Stas took little Nasibu to "Cracow," while Kali was ordered to watch
the supplies at the camp and keep a big fire burning near the sleepers.
Stas bustled continually between the two ravines, conveying luggage and
particularly the rifle cartridges, from which he extracted powder and
made a mine for the purpose of blasting the rock which imprisoned the
King. Happily Nell's health improved considerably after daily doses of
quinine, and the greater variety of food increased her strength. Stas
left her reluctantly and with fear, and on riding away would not permit
her to leave the tree and closed the opening with thorny acacia boughs.
Owing to the pressure of work which devolved upon him, he had to leave
her, however, to the care of Mea, Nasibu, and Saba, upon whom after all
he depended the most. Rather than to leave her alone for any length of
time, he preferred to ri