dangerous stretch of quagmire, in which the bearers sometimes sank up to
their knees. Indeed, it was a mystery to me how they contrived to
carry the heavy litters at all over such ground as that which we were
traversing, though the two spare hands, as well as the four regular
ones, had of course to put their shoulders to the pole.

Presently, as we blundered and floundered along, there was a sharp
cry, then a storm of exclamations, and, last of all, a most tremendous
splash, and the whole caravan halted.

I jumped out of my litter and ran forward. About twenty yards ahead was
the edge of one of those sullen peaty pools of which I have spoken, the
path we were following running along the top of its bank, that, as it
happened, was a steep one. Looking towards this pool, to my horror I saw
that Billali's litter was floating on it, and as for Billali himself, he
was nowhere to be seen. To make matters clear I may as well explain
at once what had happened. One of Billali's bearers had unfortunately
trodden on a basking snake, which had bitten him in the leg, whereon he
had, not unnaturally, let go of the pole, and then, finding that he
was tumbling down the bank, grasped at the litter to save himself. The
result of this was what might have been expected. The litter was pulled
over the edge of the bank, the bearers let go, and the whole thing,
including Billali and the man who had been bitten, rolled into the slimy
pool. When I got to the edge of the water neither of them were to be
seen; indeed, the unfortunate bearer never was seen again. Either he
struck his head against something, or get wedged in the mud, or possibly
the snake-bite paralyzed him. At any rate he vanished. But though
Billali was not to be seen, his whereabouts was clear enough from the
agitation of the floating litter, in the bearing cloth and curtains of
which he was entangled.