“And where is your wife?” asked Denis.
“She is in a cave at no great distance, where I placed her while I came out to hunt; for, as game has been scarce in the country through which we travelled, we have been sorely pressed for food; but now we have this rhinoceros meat, we will at once return to her, as she will be frightened at my long absence.”
Saying this, the chief, who had just placed Percy on the ground, commenced cutting through the tough hide of the rhinoceros, and was about to slice off some of the flesh, when, observing how ill Percy looked, he inquired what was the matter with him.
“We want water,” answered Denis; “and he will die, I fear, if it cannot soon be obtained.”
“I will at once fetch some for him then,” said Mangaleesu; and taking the two empty bottles, he started away in the direction of some rocks seen in the distance.
Percy continued murmuring, “Water, water!”
“It will come soon, and you’ll be all right, old fellow,” said Denis, sitting by his side, and supporting his head while he fanned his face.
Raff was, in the meantime, smelling round and round the rhinoceros, and would evidently have liked to get at the meat, but the tough hide resisted his efforts.
With deep thankfulness Denis observed Mangaleesu returning, this time accompanied by another person, whom he recognised, when they got nearer, as Kalinda. She seemed much concerned at seeing the condition in which poor Percy lay, and placing herself by his side, she fanned his face, while Denis poured the water down his throat. She continued tending him while he went to help Mangaleesu cut into the rhinoceros. A supply of meat was soon obtained, and Denis proposed to light a fire and cook it. To this, however, Mangaleesu objected.
“In this open spot we may be seen, for we cannot tell what enemies there may be in the neighbourhood,” he observed. “Let us at once move on to the place where I concealed Kalinda. It will hold us all, and we shall there be safer than we are here, while there is water at hand, and we can light a fire in a hollow, without risk of its being seen in the distance.”