“Idon’tknow，“answeredAlan，withashiver。“IbelievethatIamfeverproof，butotherwiseIshouldhavecaughtitlastnight，and——
justgivemethequinine，Iwilltakefivegrainsforluck。“
“Yes，yes，forluck，“answeredJeekieasheopenedthemedicinechestandfoundthequinine，atthesametimeglancinganxiouslyoutofthecornerofhiseyeathismaster’sface，forheknewthatthespotwheretheyhadsleptwasdeadlytowhitemenatthisseasonoftheyear。“Younotcatchfever，LittleBonsa，“herehedroppedhisvoiceandlookeddownattheboxwhichhadservedAlanforapillow，“seetothat。Butquininegiveyouappetiteforbreakfast。Verygoodchopthismorning。Whichyoulikebest？Coldven’son，orfish，oroneofthemducksyoushootyesterday？“
“Oh！someofthecoldmeat，Ithink。Givetheduckstotheboatmen，I
don’tfancytheminthishotplace。Bytheway，Jeekie，weleavetheQuaRiverhere，don’twe？“
“Yes，yes，Major，justhere。I’memberspotwell，foryouruncleheprayonitonewholehour；Ipretendpraytoo，butinheartgivethankstoLittleBonsa，forheatheninthosedays，quitedifferentnow。Thismorningwebeginwalkthroughforestwhereitratherdarkandcoolandcomfortable，thatisifwenoseedwarfpeoplefromwhomgoodLorddeliverus，“andhebowedtowardstheboxcontainingLittleBonsa。
“Willthosefourporterscomewithusthroughtheforest，Jeekie，astheypromised？“
“Yes，yes，theycome。Lastnighttheysaytheynotcome，toomuchafraidofdwarf。ButIsettletheirhash。ItellthemIsaveupbitsoftheirhairandtoenailswhentheynothinking，andImixitwithmedicine，andiftheynotcome，theydieeveryonebeforetheygethome。Theythinkmegreatdoctorandtheybelieve。Perhapstheydieiftheygoon。Ifso，Itellthemthatbecausetheywantshowwhitefeather，andtheythinkmegreaterdoctorstill。Oh！theycome，theycome，nofear，orelseJeekieknowreasonwhy。Now，herecoffee，Major。Drinkhimhotbeforeyougotaketub，butkeepinshallowwater，becausecrocodileheveryearlyriser。“
Alanlaughed，anddepartedto“taketub。“Notwithstandingthemosquitoesthatbuzzedroundhiminclouds，thewaterwascoolandpleasantbycomparisonwiththehot，stickyair，andthefeelofitseemedtoridhimofthelanguorresultingfromhisdisturbednight。
AmonthhadpassedsincehehadleftOldCalabar，andowingtotheincessantrainsthejourneyinghadbeenhard。Indeedthewhitementherethoughtthathewasmadtoattempttogouptheriveratthisseason。Ofcoursehehadsaidnothingtothemoftheobjectsofhisexpedition，hintingonlythathewishedtoexploreandshoot，andperhapsprospectformines。Butknowingastheydid，thathewasanEngineerofficerwithagoodrecordandmuchAfricanexperience，theysoonmadeuptheirmindsthathehadbeensentbyGovernmentuponsomesecretmissionthatforreasonsofhisownhepreferredtokeeptohimself。Thisconclusion，whichJeekiezealouslyfosteredbehindhisback，infactdidAlanagoodturn，sinceowingtoitheobtainedboatmenandservantsataseasonwhen，hadhebeensupposedtobebutaprivateperson，thesewouldscarcelyhavebeenforthcomingatanyprice。Hithertohisjourneyhadbeenonelongrecordofmud，mosquitoes，andmisery，butotherwisedevoidofincident，excepttheeatingofoneofhisboatmenbyacrocodilewhichwasaparticularly“earlyriser，“forithadpulledthepoorfellowoutofthecanoeinwhichhelayasleepatnight。Now，however，therealdangerswereabouttobegin，sinceatthisspotheleftthegreatriverandstartedforwardthroughtheforestonfootwithJeekieandthefourbearerswhomhehadpaidhighlytoaccompanyhim。
Hecouldnotconcealfromhimselfthattheundertakingseemedsomewhatdesperate。ButofthishesaidnothinginthelongletterhehadwrittentoBarbaraonthepreviousnight，sighingashesealedit，atthethoughtthatitmightwellbethelastwhichwouldeverreachherfromhim，eveniftheboatmengotsafelybacktoCalabarandrememberedtoputitinthepost。Theenterprisehadbeenbegunandmustbecarriedthrough，untilitendedinsuccess——ordeath。
Anhourlatertheystarted。FirstwalkedAlanasleaderoftheexpedition，carryingadouble-barrelledgunthatcouldbeusedeitherforballorshot，aboutfiftycartridgeswithbrasscasestoprotectthemfromthedamp，arevolver，ahunting-knife，aclothmackintosh，andlastly，strappeduponhisbacklikeaknapsack，atinboxcontainingthefetish，LittleBonsa，whichwastooprecioustobetrustedtoanyoneelse。Itwasquiteasufficientloadforanywhitemaninthatclimate，butbeingverywiry，Alandidnotfeelitsweight，atanyrateatfirst。
Afterhiminsinglefilecamethefourporters，ladenwithasmalltent，sometinnedprovisionsandbrandy，ammunition，aboxcontainingbeads，watches，etc。forpresents，blankets，spareclothingandsoforth。Thesewerestalwartfellowsenough，whoknewtheforest，buttheirdejectedairshowedthatnowtheyhadcomefacetofacewithitsdangers，theyheartilywishedthemselvesanywhereelse。Indeed，notwithstandingtheirterrorofJeekie’smedicine，atthelastmomenttheythrewdowntheirloadsintendingtomakeawildrushforthedepartingboat，onlytobemetbyJeekiehimselfwho，anticipatingsomesuchmove，waswaitingforthemonthebankwithashotgun。Hereheremaineduntilthecanoewastoofaroutinthestreamforthemtoreachitbyswimming。Thenheaskedthemiftheywishedtositandstarvetherewiththedevilshewouldleavethemforcompany，ofiftheywouldcarryouttheirbargainlikehonestmen？
Theendofitwastheytookuptheirloadsagainandmarched，whilebehindthemwalkedtheterribleandgiganticJeekie，thebarrelsoftheshotgunwhichhecarriedatfullcockandoccasionallyusedtoprodthem，pointingdirectlyattheirbacks。Astrangeobjecthelookedtruly，forinadditiontotheweaponswithwhichhebristled，severalcooking-potswereslungabouthim，tosaynothingofacorkmattressandamackintoshsheettiedinaflatbundletohisshoulders，aboxcontainingmedicinesandfoodwhichhecarriedonhishead，andfastenedtothetopofitwithstringlikeahelmetonacoffin，anenormoussolar-topestuffedfullofmosquitonetting，ofwhichtheendsfellabouthimlikeagreenveil。WhenAlanremonstratedwithhimastothecorkmattress，suggestingthatitshouldbethrownawayastoohottowear，Jeekierepliedthathehadbeencoldforthirtyyears，andwishedtogetwarmagain。Guessingthathisrealreasonfordecliningtopartwiththearticle，wasthathismastershouldhavesomethingtolieon，otherthanthedampground，Alansaidnomoreatthetime，which，aswillbeseen，wasfortunateenoughforJeekie。
Foramileormoretheirroadranthroughfantastic-lookingmangrovetreesrootedinthemud，thatinthemistresembled，Alanthought，many-leggedarborealoctopifeelingfortheirfood，andtallreedsonthetopsofwhichsatcrowdsofchatteringfinches。Thenjustasthesunbrokeout，strongly，cheeringthemwithitswarmthandsuckingupthevapours，theyenteredsparsebushwithpalmsandgreatcottontreesgrowinghereandthere，andsoatlengthcametothebordersofthemightyforest。
Oh！dark，darkwasthatforest；hewhoentereditfromthecheerfulsunshinefeltasthoughsuddenlyandwithoutpreparationhehadwanderedoutofthelightweknowintosomedimHadessuchastheoldGreekfancypainted，wherestrengthlessghostsflitaimlessly，mourningthelostlight。Everywherethegiantbolesoftreesshootingtheheightofachurchtowerintotheairwithoutabranch；greatrib-
rootedtrees，andbeneaththemafierceandhungrygrowthofcreepers。
Whereatreehadfallenwithinthelastcenturyorso，thesecreepersrampedupwardsinluxuriance，theirstemsthickasthebodyofaman，drinkingtheshaftoflightthatpierceddownwards，drinkingitwitheagernesseretheboughsabovemetagainandstarvedthem。Wherenotreehadfallenthecreeperswerethinandweak；fromyeartoyeartheylivedonfeebly，bidingtheirtime，butstilltheylived，knowingthatsomedayitwouldcome。Andalwaysitwascomingtothoseexpectantparasites，sincefromminutetominute，somewhereinthevastdepths，milesandmilesawayperhaps，agreatcrashechoedinthestillness，thecrashofatreethat，sownwhentheSaxonsruledinEngland，orperhapsbeforeCleopatrabewitchedAnthony，cametoitsendatlast。
OntheseconddayoftheirmarchintheforestAlanchancedtoseesuchatreefall，andthesightwasonethathenevercouldforget。Asithappened，owingtothevastspreadofitsbrancheswhichhadkilledoutallrivalsbeneath，forinitsdayithadbeenaverysuccessfultreeembuedwithanexcellentconstitutionbyitsparent，itstoodsomewhatalone，sothatfromseveralhundredyardsawayasthesesixhumanbeingscrepttowardsitlikeantstowardsasaplinginacornfield，itsmightygirthandbulksetuponalittlemoundandtheluxuriantgreennessofitsfar-reachingboughsmadeakindoflandmark。Theninthehotnoonwhennobreathofwindstirred，suddenlytheendcame。Suddenlythatmightyboleseemedtocrumble；
suddenlythosefar-reachingarmswerethrowntogetherastheirsupportfailed，grippingateachotherlikelivingthings，floggingtheair，screamingintheirlastagony，andwithanawfulwailinggroansinking，atumbledruin，totheearth。
Silenceagain，andinthemidstofthesilenceJeekie’scheerfulvoice。
“Oldtreegoflop！Gladhenofloponus，thanksbetoLittleBonsa。
Geton，youlazyniggerdog。Whopayyoustandthereandsnivel？GetonorIblowoutyourstupidskull，“andhebroughtthemuzzleofthefull-cocked，double-barrelledgunintosharpcontactwiththatpartoftheterrifiedporter’sanatomy。
Suchwastheforest。Oftheirmarchthroughitforthefirstfourdays，thereisnothingtotell。Itsdepthsseemedtobedevoidoflife，althoughoccasionallytheyheardthescreamingofparrotsinthetreetopsacoupleofhundredfeetabove，orcaughtsightofthedimshapesofmonkeysswingingthemselvesfromboughtobough。Thatwasinthedaytime，when，althoughtheycouldnotseeit，theyknewthatthesunwasshiningsomewhere。Butatnighttheyheardnothing，sincebeastsofpreydonotcomewherethereisnofood。WhatpuzzledAlanwasthatallthroughtheseimpenetrablerecessesthereranadistinctroadwhichtheyfollowed。Totherightandleftroseawallofcreepers，butbetweenthemranthisroad，anancientroad，fornothinggrewonit，anditonlyturnedasidetoavoidthebiggestofthetreeswhichmusthavestoodtherefromtimeimmemorial，suchatreeasthatwhichhehadseenfall；indeeditwasoneofthoseroundwhichtheroadran。
HeaskedJeekiewhomadetheroad。
“PeoplewhocomeoutNoah’sArk，“answeredJeekie，“Ithinktheyrunupheretogetoutofwayofwater，andsentthemtwoelephantsaheadtomakepath。Orperhapsdwarfpeoplemakeit。OrperhapsthosewhogouptoAsiki-landtodosacrificelikeoldJews。“
“Youmeanyoudon’tknow，“saidAlan。
“No，ofcoursedon’tknow。Whoknowaboutforestpathmadebeforebeginningofworld。Youaskquestion，Major，Ianswer。Morelivelyanswerthantoshakeheadandrolleyeslikethemsillyfoolporters。“