The idea of carrying more than two away with us was preposterous,
although the boys, forgetting what the weight would be, seriously
contemplated clearing the nest. They were satisfied when a kind of
landmark had been set up, so that if we returned we might easily find
the nest.
As each egg weighed about three pounds, the boys soon found the burden
considerable, even when tied into a handkerchief and carried like a
basket. To relieve them, I cut a strong elastic heath stick, and
suspending an egg in its sling at each end, laid the bent stick over
Jack's shoulder, and like a Dutch dairy-maid with her milkpails, he
stepped merrily along without inconvenience.
We presently reached a marshy place surrounding a little pool
evidently fed by the stream which Knips had discovered. The soft
ground was trodden and marked by the footsteps of many different sorts
of animals; we saw tracks of buffaloes, antelopes, onagers or quaggas,
but no trace whatever of any kind of serpent: hitherto our journey in
search of monster reptiles had been signalized by very satisfactory
failure.
By this brook we sat down to rest and take some food; Fangs presently
disappeared, and Jack calling to his pet discovered him gnawing at
something which he had dug from the marsh.
Taking it for a root of some sort, Jack brought it for my inspection.
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