you will not wander from the camp."

Still Harry, pointing to his mouth, insisted on going. Just as he was
about to set off, a loud roar, not twenty paces off, reached our ears.

"What do you say now?" I asked. "You don't mean to assert that that
was the cry either of an ostrich or a bullfrog."

"I wish that it were the latter," he answered; "for then there would be
a chance of finding water. However, I'll stay in camp and try to endure
my thirst until those fellows come back--and they're pretty sure to find
water."

I did not like to say that I was not quite certain on that subject. I
had hopes, however, that even should they have failed to find it, we
should not perish, as I trusted before long we might have a shower of
rain, although none had as yet fallen from the cloudy sky. Some venison
which I had put close to the fire was by this time cooked, but it was
with the greatest difficulty that we could get down even a few
mouthfuls.

"I cannot eat another morsel," cried Harry, putting down his knife. "If
those fellows don't arrive soon, dark as it is, I must set off by myself
to try and find water; depend upon it, there is some not far off, or
that lion would not come here," and he threw himself, utterly overcome,
on the ground.

I tried to cheer him up, and made another attempt to eat some venison,
but had to give it up after nibbling at a piece; yet I felt that I could
have swallowed a hearty meal, if I could have obtained a draught of
water, however tepid and full of insects it might have been.

We were sitting a short distance from the fire with our rifles in our
hands, prepared for the reception of the lion, should he venture to
invade our camp, when Harry exclaimed, "Hark! I hear footsteps: they
must be those of Hans and your black fellow."

We listened; and I hoped that Harry was right.

"Let us shout!" I exclaimed.

We both together raised our voices. Our hail was answered from a
distance. The night air had brought the sound of footsteps much further
than I should have supposed possible. It was some time before, by the
light of the fire, we saw the rough, uncouth figure of Hans, followed by
Jan.

"Have you brought water?" was the first question Harry asked.

"Yah! we have brought water, and have seen plenty of elephants--fine
country for shooting, and we will go there to-morrow."

"Never mind the elephants and shooting now; hand me the water," cried
Harry, eagerly.

Hans gave Harr