asking　for　some　breakfast。　Job　and　Ustane　got　him　on
  to　the　bottom；　or　rather　the　sacking　of　a　litter；
  which　was　removed　from　its　pole　for　that　purpose；　and
  with　the　aid　of　old　Billali　carried　him　out　into　the
  shade　at　the　mouth　of　the　cave；　from　which；　by　the
  way；　every　trace　of　the　slaughter　of　the　previous
  night　had　now　been　removed；　and　there　we　all
  breakfasted；　and　indeed　spent　that　day；　and　most　of
  the　two　following　ones。
  On　the　third　morning　Job　and　myself　were　practically
  recovered。　Leo　also　was　so　much　better　that　I　yielded
  to　Billali's　often　expressed　entreaty；　and　agreed　to
  start　at　once　upon　our　journey　to　Ko^r；　which　we　were
  told　was　the　name　of　the　place　where　the　mysterious
  _i_　She　_i_　lived；　though　I　still　feared　for　its
  effects　upon　Leo；　and　especially　lest　the　motion
  should　cause　his　wound；　which　was　scarcely　skinned
  over；　to　break　open　again。　Indeed；　had　it　not　been　for
  Billali's　evident　anxiety　to　get　off；　which　led　us　to
  suspect　that　some　difficulty　or　danger　might　threaten
  us　if　we　did　not　comply　with　it；　I　would　not　have
  consented　to　go。
  CHAPTER　X
  SPECULATIONS
  WITHIN　an　hour　of　our　finally　deciding　to　start；　five
  litters　were　brought　up　to　the　door　of　the　cave；　each
  accompanied　by　four　regular　bearers　and　two　spare
  hands；　also　a　band　of　about　fifty　armed　Amahagger；　who
  were　to　form　the　escort　and　carry　the　baggage。　Three
  of　these　litters；　of　course；　were　for　us；　and　one　for
  Billali；　who；　I　was　immensely　relieved　to　hear；　was　to
  be　our　companion；　while　the　fifth　I　presumed　was　for
  the　use　of　Ustane。
  〃Does　the　lady　go　with　us；　my　father？〃　I　asked　of
  Billali；　as　he　stood　superintending　things　generally。
  He　shrugged　his　shoulders　as　he　answered；
  〃If　she　wills。　In　this　country　the　women　do　what　they
  please。　We　worship　them；　and　give　them　their　way；
  because　without　them　the　world　could　not　go　on；　they
  are　the　source　of　life。〃
  〃Ah；〃　I　said；　the　matter　never　having　struck　me　quite
  in　that　light　before。
  〃We　worship　them；〃　he　went　on；　〃up　to　a　certain　point；
  till　at　last　they　get　unbearable；　which；〃　he　added；
  〃they　do　about　every　second　generation。〃
  〃And　then　what　do　you　do？〃　I　asked；　with　curiosity。
  〃Then；〃　he　answered；　with　a　faint　smile；　〃we　rise；　and
  kill　the　old　ones　as　an　example　to　the　young　ones；　and
  to　show　them　that　we　are　the　strongest。　My　poor　wife
  was　killed　in　that　way　three　years　ago。　It　was　very
  sad；　but；　to　tell　thee　the　truth；　my　son；　life　has
  been　happier　since；　for　my　age　protects　me　from　the
  young　ones。〃
  〃In　short；〃　I　replied；　quoting　the　saying　of　a　great
  man　whose　wisdom　has　not　yet　lightened　the　darkness　of
  the　Amahagger；　〃thou　hast　found　thy　position　one　of
  greater　freedom　and　less　responsibility。〃
  This　phrase　puzzled　him　a　little　at　first　from　its
  vagueness；　though　I　think　my　translation　hit　off　its
  sense　very　well；　but　at　last　he　saw　it；　and
  appreciated　it。
  〃Yes；　yes；　my　Baboon；〃　he　said；　〃I　see　it　now；　but　all
  the　'responsibilities'　are　killed；　at　least　some　of
  them　are；　and　that　is　why　there　are　so　few　old　women
  about　just　now。　Well；　they　brought　it　on　themselves。
  As　for　this　girl；〃　he　went　on；　in　a　graver　tone；　〃I
  know　not　what　to　say。　She　is　a　brave　girl；　and　she
  loves　the　Lion　（Leo）；　thou　sawest　how　she　clung　to
  him；　and　saved　his　life。　Also；　she　is；　according　to
  our　custom；　wed　to　him；　and　has　a　right　to　go　where　he
  goes；　unless；〃　he　added；　significantly；　〃　_i_　She　_i_
  would　say　her　no；　for　her　word　overrides　all　rights。〃
  〃And　if　_i_　She　_i_　bade　her　leave　him；　and　the　girl
  refused？　What　then？〃
  〃If；〃　he　said；　with　a　shrug；　〃the　hurricane　bids　the
  tree　to　bend；　and　it　will　not；　what　happens？〃
  And　then；　without　waiting　for　an　answer；　he　turned　and
  walked　to　his　litter；　and　in　ten　minutes　from　that
  time　we　were　all　well　under　way。
  It　took　us　an　hour　and　more　to　cross　the　cup　of　the
  volcanic　plain；　and　another　half…hour　or　so　to　climb
  the　edge　on　the　farther　side。　Once　there；　however；　the
  view　was　a　very　fine　one。　Before　us　was　a　long　steep
  slope　of　grassy　plain；　broken　here　and　there　by　clumps
  of　trees　mostly　of　the　thorn　tribe。　At　the　bottom　of
  this　gentle　slope；　some　nine　or　ten　miles　away；　we
  could　make　out　a　dim　sea　of　marsh；　over　which　the　foul
  vapors　hung　like　smoke　about　a　city。　It　was　easy　going
  for　the　bearers　down　the　slopes；　and　by　midday　we　had
  reached　the　borders　of　the　dismal　swamp。　Here　we
  halted　to　eat　our　midday　meal；　and　then；　following　a
  winding　and　devious　path；　plunged　into　the　morass。
  Presently　the　path；　at　any　rate　to　our　unaccustomed
  eyes；　grew　so　faint　as　to　be　almost　indistinguishable
  from　those　made　by　the　aquatic　beasts　and　birds；　and
  it　is　to　this　day　a　mystery　to　me　how　our　bearers
  found　their　way　across　the　marshes。　Ahead　of　the
  cavalcade　marched　two　men　with　long　poles；　which　they
  now　and　again　plunged　into　the　ground　before　them；　the
  reason　of　this　being　that　the　nature　of　the　soil
  frequently　changed　from　causes　with　which　I　am　not
  acquainted；　so　that　places　which　might　be　safe　enough
  to　cross　one　month　would　certainly　swallow　the
  wayfarer　the　next。　Never　did　I　see　a　more　dreary　and
  depressing　scene。　Miles　on　miles　of　quagmire；　varied
  only　by　bright　green　strips　of　comparatively　solid
  ground；　and　by　deep　and　sullen　pools　fringed　with　tall
  rushes；　in　which　the　bitterns　boomed　and　the　frogs
  croaked　incessantly；　miles　on　miles　of　it　without　a
  break；　unless　the　fever　fog　can　be　called　a　break。　The
  only　life　in　this　great　morass　was　that　of　the　aquatic
  birds；　and　the　animals　that　fed　on　them；　of　both　of
  which　there　were　vast　numbers。　Geese；　cranes；　ducks；
  teal；　coot；　snipe；　and　plover　swarmed　all　around　us；
  many　being　of　varieties　that　were　quite　new　to　me；　and
  all　so　tame　that　one　could　almost　have　knocked　them
  over　with　a　stick。　Among　these　birds　I　especially
  noticed　a　very　beautiful　variety　of　painted　snipe；
  almost　the　size　of　woodcock；　and　with　a　flight　more
  resembling　that　bird's　than　an　English　snipe's。　In　the
  pools；　too；　was　a　species　of　small　alligator　or
  enormous　iguana；　I　do　not　know　which；　that　fed；
  Billali　told　me；　upon　the　waterfowl；　also　large
  quantities　of　a　hideous　black　water　snake；　of　which
  the　bite　is　very　dangerous；　though　not；　I　gathered；　so
  deadly　as　a　cobra's　or　a　puff　adder's。　The　bullfrogs
  were　also　very　large；　and　with　voices　proportionate　to
  their　size；　and　as　for　the　mosquitoesthe
  〃musqueteers；〃　as　Job　called　themthey　were；　if
  possible；　even　worse　than　they　had　been　on　the　river；
  and　tormented　us　greatly。　Undoubtedly；　however；　the
  worst　feature　of　the　swamp　was　the　awful　smell　of
  rotting　vegetation　that　hung　about　it；　which　was　at
  times　positively　overpowering；　and　the　malarious
  exhalations　that　accompanied　it；　which　we　were　of
  course　obliged　to　breathe。
  On　we　went　through　it　all；　till　at　last　the　sun　sank
  in　sullen　splendor　just　as　we　reached　a　spot　of　rising
  ground　about　two　acres　in　extenta　little　oasis　of
  dry　in　the　midst　of　the　miry　wildernesswhere　Billali
  announced　that　we　were　to　camp。　The　camping；　however；
  turned　out　to　be　a　very　simple　process；　and　consisted；
  in　fact；　in　sitting　down　on　the　ground　round　a　scanty
  fire　made　of　dry　reeds　and　some　wood　that　had　been
  brought　with　us。　However；　we　made　the　best　we　could　of
  it；　and　smoked　and　ate　with　such　appetite　as　the　smell
  of　damp；　stifling　heat　would　allow；　for　it　was　very
  hot　on　this　low　land；　and　yet；　oddly　enough；　chilly　at
  times。　But；　however　hot　it　was；　we　were　glad　enough　to
  keep　near　the　fire；　because　we　found　that　the
  mosquitoes　did　not　like　the　smoke。　Presently　we　rolled
  ourselves　up　in　our　blankets　and　tried　to　go　to　sleep；
  but　so　far　as　I　was　concerned　the　bullfrogs；　and　the
  extraordinary　roaring　and　alarming　sound　produced　by
  hundreds　of　snipe　hovering　high　in　the　air；　made　sleep
  an　impossibility；　to　say　nothing　of　our　other
  discomforts。　I　turned　and　looked　at　Leo；　who　was　next
  to　me；　he　was　dozing；　but　his　face　had　a　flushed
  appearance　that　I　did　not　like；　and　by　the　flickering
  firelight　I　saw　Ustane；　who　was　lying　on　the　other
  side　of　him；　raise　herself　from　time　to　time　upon　her
  elbow；　and　look　at　him　anxiously　enough；　However；　I
  could　do　nothing　for　him　for　we　had　all　already　taken
  a　good　dose　of　quinine；　which　was　the　only　preventive
  we　had；　so　I　lay　and　watched　the　stars　come　out　by
  thousands；　till　all　the　immense　arch　of　heaven　was
  sewn　with　glittering　points；　and　every　point　a　world！
  Here　was　a　glorious　sight　by　which　man　might　well
  measure　his　own　insignificance！　Soon　I　gave　up
  thinking　about　it；　for　the　mind　wearies　easily　when　it
  strives　to　grapple　with　the　Infinite；　and　to　trace　the
  footsteps　of　the　Almighty　as　he　strides　from　sphere　to
  sphere；　or　deduce　his　purpose　from　his　works。　Such
  things　are　not　for　us　to　know。　Knowledge　is　to　the
  strong；　and　we　are　weak。　Too　much　wisdom　would
  perchance　blind　our　imperfect　sight；　and　too　much
  strength　would　make　us　drunk；　and　overweight　our
  feeble　reason　till　it　fell；　and　we　were　drowned　in　the
  depths　of　our　own　vanity。　For　what　is　the　first　result
  of