Then slipping the rein over his arm he led the horse, which walked
stiffly, on to the river, that ran within a quarter of a mile of
us, though to me, tortured as I was by pain and half delirious with
exhaustion, the journey seemed long enough.
Still we came there somehow, and, forgetting my wounds, I tumbled from
the horse, threw myself flat and drank and drank, more, I think,
than ever I did before. Not in all my life have I tasted anything so
delicious as was that long draught of water. When I had satisfied my
thirst, I dipped my head and made shift to jerk my wounded arm into it,
for its coolness seemed to still the pain. Presently Leo rose, the water
running from his face and beard, and said--"What shall we do now? The
river seems to be wide, over a hundred yards, and it is low, but there
may be deep water in the middle. Shall we try to cross, in which case we
might drown, or stop where we are till daylight and take our chance of
the death-hounds?"
"I can't go another foot," I murmured faintly, "much less try to ford an
unknown river."
Now, about thirty yards from the shore was an island covered with reeds
and grasses.
"Perhaps we could reach that," he said. "Come, get on to my back, and we
will try."
I obeyed with difficulty, and we set out, he feeling his way with the
handle of the spear. The water proved to be quite shallow; indeed, it
never came much above his knees, so that we reached the island without
trouble.
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