“Colin,” said Harry, when their companion and the child had joined them, “you must keep the woman away from you. Her partiality for you has already been noticed by others. The Krooman has just been telling us that you will not live much longer; that Golah is neither blind nor foolish; and that, on the slightest suspicion he has of the woman showing you any favour, even to giving you a fig, he will kill you.”
“But what can I do?” asked Colin. “If the woman should come to you and offer you a handful of figs and a drink of milk, could you refuse them?”
“No, I certainly could not. I only wish such an alternative would present itself; but you must manage in some way or other to keep away from her. You must not linger behind, but remain all the time by us.”
“If you knew,” asked Colin, “that you could quench your thirst by lagging a few paces behind, would you not do so?”
“That would be a strong temptation, and I should probably yield; but I tell you that you are in danger.”
Neither of Colin’s companions could blame him. Suffering as he was, from the ceaseless agony of hunger and thirst, any indiscretion, or even crime, seemed justifiable, for the purpose of obtaining relief.
The day became hotter and hotter, until in the afternoon the sufferings of the slaves grew almost unendurable. Sailor Bill appeared to be more severely affected than any of his companions. He had been knocking about the world for many long years injuring his constitution by dissipation and exposure in many climes; and the siege that thirst and hunger were now making to destroy his strength became each hour more perceptible in its effect.
By the middle of the afternoon it was with the utmost difficulty he could move along; and his tongue was so parched that in an attempt to speak he wholly failed. His hands were stretched forth towards Colin; who, since the warning he had received, had kept up along with the rest.
Colin understood the signal; and placed the boy on the old man’s shoulders. Bill wished to learn if the mother would reward him for taking care of her child, as she had his predecessor in the office. To carry out the experiment, he allowed himself to be left in the rear of the caravan.
Golah’s son and the other guard had noticed the old sailor’s suffering condition, and objected to his being encumbered with the child. They pointed to Harry and Terence. But Bill was resolute in holding on to his charge; and, cursing him for an unbelieving fool, they allowed him to have his own way.