Page:Dick Sands the Boy Captain.djvu/364

 336 DÎCK SANDS, THE BOY CAPTAIN. Tth, — Plain still iniindated. Last nîght, no halting-place to be found. Marchcd on through the darkness. Great mîscry. Except for Mrs. Weldon, life not worth having ; for her sake must hold out. Loiid cries heard. Saw, by the lightning, soldiers breaking large boughs from the resinous trocs that emerged from the water. The caravan had becn attackcd on the flank by a dozen or more crocodiles; womcn and children seized and carried offto what Livingstone calls thcîr " pasture-lands," the holcs whcre they deposit their prey until it is decomposed. Myself grazed by the scales of one of them. A slave dose beside me torn out of the fork, which was snapped in hait How the poor fellow's cry of agony rings in my ear ! Thîs morning. tvventy missing. Tom and the others, thank God ! are still alivc. They arc on in front. Once Bat made a sharp turn, and Tom caught sîght of me. Nothing to be seen of Nan ; was she, poor créature, one of those that the crocodiles had got ? 8///. — After twenty-four hours în the water we hâve crossed the plain. We hâve halted on a hîlL The sun helps to dry us. Nothing to eat except a lîttle manioc and a few handfuls of maize. Only muddy water to drink. Impossible for Mrs. Weldon to survive thèse hardships ; I hope from my heart that she has been taken some other way. Small-pox has brokcn out in the caravan ; those that hâve it are to be left bchind. 9///. — Started at dawn. No stragglers allowed ; sîck and weary must be.kcpt together by havildars* whip ; the losses were considérable. Living skeletons ail round. Rcjoiced once more to catch sight of Nan. She was not carrying the child any longer ; she was alone ; the chain was round her waist, but she had the loose end thrown over her shouldcr. I got close to her ; suppose I am altered, as she did not know me. After I had called her by name several times she starcd at me, and atlast said, "Ah, Mr. Dick, is it you ? you will not seemehere much longer." Her cadaverous look pained my very soûl, but I tried to speak hopefully. Poor Nan shook her head. " I shall never see my dear mistress again ; no, nor master Jack ; I