he answered, and insisted on taking me on his back; and,
though I was fully as heavy as he was, he managed to carry me with far
greater ease than I should have supposed possible.

We were soon making our way through the forest, which was more open than
it had appeared at a distance. It contained a great variety of trees,
few of which I had ever seen before. Many bore fruit and nuts, which
Selim told me would furnish us with an ample supply of food. Among them
were several shea-trees, from which vegetable butter is prepared; the
fruit greatly resembling a large olive.

At length we caught sight of water glittering amid the green foliage.
Selim staggered on towards it, though his strength was well-nigh giving
way. It was a comparatively narrow stream, running, we supposed, into
the main river which we wished to reach. We had great difficulty in
making our way amid the tangled foliage which grew on its banks; but at
last we succeeded in finding a tree which had fallen into the water, and
by scrambling along it we were able to reach the edge of the stream.

"We must take care not to be picked off by any passing crocodile,"
observed Selim. "Stay, I will get a long stick, and, by splashing it in
the water, we shall soon drive the creatures away, should any be near."

He did as he proposed, and then we stooped down without fear and took an
ample draught to satisfy our burning thirst.

I quickly felt a beneficial effect from sitting with my feet in the
stream and cooling them, Selim carefully beating the surface all the
time; and being much refreshed, we soon returned to a more open part of
the forest, where we sat down to rest, and to satisfy our hunger with
the dates I had in my shirt, and some fruit which Selim collected. He
also got some large leaves, possessing, he said, healing qualities;
these he bound round my feet, and they produced even a more soothing
effect than the water had done. Soon, relieved of pain, I felt
excessively drowsy; and Selim promising to keep watch, in a few seconds
I was fast asleep.

When I awoke I found that the day was far advanced. Selim had been
busy, in the meantime, in making me a hat with palm leaves--which, he
said, I greatly required to shield my head from the sun. He had also,
from the same material, manufactured a pair of slippers, which assisted
to protect my feet, though they could not defend them altogether from
the thorns which lay on the ground.

Knowing that he mu