Kirk.--Editor.

"Quite so," said Leo, "but that is not what you said before."

"Well, what is to be done now?" I asked, turning the conversation.

As no answer was forthcoming we walked to the edge of the swamp, and
looked over it. It was apparently boundless, and vast flocks of
every sort of waterfowl flew from its recesses, till it was sometimes
difficult to see the sky. Now that the sun was getting high it drew thin
sickly looking clouds of poisonous vapour from the surface of the marsh
and from the scummy pools of stagnant water.

"Two things are clear to me," I said, addressing my three companions,
who stared at this spectacle in dismay: "first, that we can't go across
there" (I pointed to the swamp), "and, secondly, that if we stop here we
shall certainly die of fever."

"That's as clear as a haystack, sir," said Job.

"Very well, then; there are two alternatives before us. One is to 'bout
ship, and try and run for some port in the whale-boat, which would be
a sufficiently risky proceeding, and the other to sail or row on up the
river, and see where we come to."

"I don't know what you are going to do," said Leo, setting his mouth,
"but I am going up that river."

Job turned up the whites of his eyes and groaned, and the Arab murmured
"Allah," and groaned also. As for me, I remarked sweetly that as we