Author: Henryk Sienkiewicz
Category: Nonfiction
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riverelsewhere were steep and inaccessible. But it was already late and thebeasts of prey evidently hid in rocky dens after their nocturnalquests. The horse snorted a little, scenting the recent tracks of lionsor panthers; nevertheless, Stas rode on happily, and a moment later sawon the high promontory the big black silhouette of "Cracow." For thefirst time in Africa he had a sensation as if he had arrived at home.
He reckoned that he would find all asleep, but he reckoned withoutSaba, who began to bark loud enough to awaken even the dead. Kali alsoappeared before the tree and exclaimed:
"Bwana kubwa! On horseback!"
In his voice there was, however, more joy than surprise, as he believedin Stas' powers so much that if the latter had even created a horse,the black boy would not have been very much surprised.
But as joy in negroes manifests itself in laughter, he began to slaphis thighs with his palms and laugh like a madman.
"Tie this horse," Stas said. "Remove the supplies from him, build afire, and boil water."
After this he entered the tree. Nell awoke also and began to call him.Stas, drawing aside the canvas wall, saw by the light of the fire-pother pale face, and thin, white hands lying on the plaids with which shewas covered.
"How do you feel, little one?" he asked merrily.
"Good, and I slept well until Saba awoke me. But why do you not sleep?"
"Because I rode away."
"Where?"
"To a drug store."
"To a drug store?"
"Yes, for quinine."
The little girl did not indeed relish very much the taste of thequinine powders which she had taken before, but, as she regarded themas an infallible remedy for all the diseases in the world, she sighedand said:
"I know that you have not got any quinine."
Stas raised one of the jars towards the fire-pot and asked with prideand joy:
"And what is this?"
Nell could scarcely believe her eyes, while he said hurriedly, withbeaming countenance:
"Now you will be well! I shall wrap up at once a large dose in a freshfig peel and you must swallow it. And you shall see with what you willdrink it down. Why are you staring at me like at a green cat? Yes! Ihave a second jar. I got both from a white man, whose camp is aboutfour miles from here. I have just returned from him. His name is Lindeand he is wounded; nevertheless, he gave me a lot of good things. Iwent to him on foot, but I returned on horseback. You may think it ispleasant to go through the jungle at night. Brr! I would not go asecond time for anything, unless I again needed quinine."
Saying this, he left the astonished little maid while he went to the"men's quarters," selected from a supply of figs the smallest one,hollowed it out, and filled the center with quinine, taking care thatthe dose should not be greater than those powders which he had receivedin Khartum. After which he left the tree, poured tea into a utensilwith water, and returned to Nell with the remedy.
And during that time she reflected upon everything which had happened.She was immensely curious as to who that white man was. From whence didStas get the information about him? Would he come to them, and would hetravel along with them? She did not doubt that since Stas had securedthe quinine she would regain her health. But Stas during the night-timewent through the jungle as if it were nothing. Nell, notwithstandingher admiration for him, had considered, not reflecting much over it,that everything he did for her was to be taken as a matter of course,for it is a plain thing that an older boy ought to protect a littlegirl. But now it occurred to her that she would have perished long ago;that he cared for her immensely; that he gratified her and defended heras no other boy of his age would have done or knew how to do. So greatgratitude overflowed in her little heart, and when Stas entered againand leaned over her with the remedy she threw her thin arms around hisneck and hugged him heartily.
"Stas, you are very kind to me."
While he replied:
"And to whom am I to be kind? Why, I like that! Take this medicine!"
Nevertheless he was happy; as his eyes glistened with satisfaction andagain with joy and pride, he called, turning to the opening:
"Mea, serve the 'bibi' with tea, now!"
XII
Stas did not start for Linde's camp the following day until noon, forhe had to rest after the previous night's adventure. On the way,anticipating that the sick man might need fresh meat, he killed twoguinea-fowl, which were really accepted with gratitude. Linde was veryweak but fully conscious. Immediately after the greeting he inquiredabout Nell, after which he warned Stas that he should not regardquinine as an entirely sure cure for the fever and that he should guardthe little one from the sun, from getting wet, from staying during thenight in low and damp places, and finally from bad water. AfterwardsStas related to him, at his request, his own and Nell's history fromthe beginning to the arrival in Khartum and the visit to the Mahdi; andafterwards from Fashoda to their liberation from Gebhr's hands, andtheir further wanderings. The Swiss gazed during the time of thisnarration with growing interest, often with evident admiration, andwhen the narrative reached an end he lit his pipe, surveyed Stas fromhead to foot, and said as if in a reverie:
"If in your country there are many boys like you, then they will not beable to manage you very easily."
And after a moment of silence he continued:
"The best proof of the truth of your words is this, that you are here,that you are standing before me. And believe what I tell you: yoursituation is terrible; the road, in any direction, is likewiseterrible; who knows, however, whether such a boy as you will not saveyourself and that child from this gulf."
"If Nell only will be well, then I shall do whatever I can," exclaimedStas.
"But spare yourself, for the task which you have before you is beyondthe strength of a mature person. Do you know where you are at present?"
"No, I remember that after our departure from Fashoda we crossed, neara great settlement called Deng, some kind of a river."
"Sobat," interrupted Linde.
"In Deng there were quite a number of dervishes and negroes. But beyondSobat we entered into a region of jungles and proceeded whole weeksuntil we reached the ravine, in which you know what happened--"
"I know. Afterwards you went along the ravine until you reached thisriver. Now listen to me; it appears that after crossing the Sobat withthe Sudanese you turned to the southeast, but more to the south. Youare at present in a locality unknown to travelers and geographers. Theriver, near which we are at present, runs northwest, and in allprobability falls into the Nile. I say in all probability, for I myselfdo not know and now cannot satisfy myself upon that point, though Iturned from the Karamojo Mountains to investigate its source. After thebattle, I heard from the dervish prisoners that it is called Ogeloguen,but even they were not certain, as they venture into this region onlyfor slaves. The Shilluk tribe occupy this generally sparsely settledcountry, but at present the region is desolate, as the populationpartly died of smallpox, partly was swept away by the Mahdists, andpartly sought refuge in the Karamojo Mountains. In Africa it oftenhappens that a region thickly settled to-day becomes desolateto-morrow. According to my calculations you are a hundred andeighty-six miles, more or less, from Lado. You might escape to thesouth to Emin, but as Emin himself is in all probability besieged bythe dervishes, that is not to be thought of."
"And to Abyssinia?" Stas asked.
"That is also about the same distance away. Yet you must bear in mindthat the Mahdi is waging war against the whole world and, therefore,against Abyssinia. I know also from the prisoners that along thewestern and southern frontiers greater or smaller hordes of dervishesare prowling and you might therefore easily fall into their hands.Abyssinia indeed is a Christian empire, but the savage southern tribesare either pagan or profess Islam and for that reason secretly favorthe Mahdi,--No, you will not get through that way."
"Well, what am I to do, and where shall I go with Nell?" Stas asked.
"I told you that your situation is extremely difficu
lt," Linde said.
Saying this he put both hands to his head and for a long time lay insilence.
"The ocean," he finally said, "is over five hundred and sixty milesfrom here; you would have to cross mountains, go among savage peoples,and even pass over deserts, for it is probable that there are waterlesslocalities. But the country nominally belongs to England. You mightchance upon transports of ivory to Kismayu, to Lamu andMombasa--perhaps upon missionary expeditions. Realizing that on accountof the dervishes I would not be able to explore the course of thisriver because it turns to the Nile, I, too, wanted to go eastward tothe ocean."
"Then we shall return together," Stas exclaimed.
"I shall never return. The wart-hog has so badly torn my muscles andveins that an infection of the blood must set in. Only a