Dick felt very ignorant, and wished he had known better; but he could not help being pleased at his brother's manner; and the incident was forgotten the next moment in one of those natural history adventures of which they had all read, but had little expected to share in their lives.

As they had climbed higher they had found the mountain more rugged, and broken up into deep crevices and defiles, all of which were full of interesting objects—flowers, plants, and foliage—such as they had never before seen; while in the sheltered and often intense heat, beetles and butterflies seemed to have found these rifts a perfect paradise.

Dick had gone on first, and turning a corner he had found quite a rugged shelf running alone the steep side of a ravine, the bottom of which was carpeted with flowers that grew amongst the stones.

It was a very interesting spot, but as it seemed to lead right away into the heart of the mountain he was about to turn back and rejoin his party, when he caught sight of a gracefully-shaped large-eared gazelle about fifty yards away, gazing apparently in another direction.

He could have shot it easily, but it seemed so quiet and tame that he did not raise his piece, though if it had attempted to run, the thought of the delicious roast it would make would undoubtedly have made him bring it down.

Besides he wanted all the practice he could get with his rifle, and a shot at a running antelope or gazelle was not to be missed.

Half wondering why it did not feed, he remained watching it, supposing that it had heard some of the party lower down; when all at once the sun's rays seemed to glance off something glistening and bright, and straining forward to get a better view, Dick became aware of the fact that a large serpent was twining fold after fold one over another, and as, half petrified, he watched the reptile, he suddenly saw a monstrous neck and head reared up in front of the gazelle.

The creature seemed to be all glistening umber brown and dusky yellow, and its surface shone like burnished tortoiseshell in the glowing sun, while to the boy's eyes it seemed, from the height to which the swaying head was raised, that the body, half hidden from him by the herbage, must be monstrous.

And all the time, fascinated as it were, or more probably paralysed by fear, the gazelle stood perfectly still, watching the undulations of the serpent's neck, and calmly awaiting its end.

Dick was so interested that he forgot that he held a rifle and shot-gun in his hand. He knew that the serpent was, as it were, playing with its prey before seizing it, feeling probably, if it thought at all, quite certain of the trembling creature whenever it felt disposed to strike, and preparing itself for its banquet by writhing its body into a more convenient place.

It was a horrible sight, and Dick waited to see the serpent seize the gazelle, wrap round it and crush its quivering body out of shape, and then slowly swallow it, till it formed a knot somewhere in the long tapering form, and go to sleep till it was hungry again.

"Ugh, you beast!" ejaculated Dick; and the sound of his own voice seemed to break the fascination of interest by which he had been held.

The next instant he was pitying the gazelle, and as he saw the serpent draw back its head he laid the barrel of his piece against a block of stone, waited until the quivering head was still and the jaws began to distend, and then his trembling hand grew firm, and he drew the trigger.

The puff of smoke obscured everything for the moment, and he could not start forward or he would have gone over the precipice, so he had to wait till the vapour had passed away, when, to his great disgust, he could see nothing.

The gazelle and serpent were both gone; so he began to load again, wishing he could take better aim, when he heard a shout, and Chicory came running up, followed by Coffee.

"Boss Dick shoot um? Boss Dick shoot noder lion?" cried Chicory.

"No," said Dick; "it was a miss this time."

"No," cried Coffee; "I see um. Look, boss, look!"

Mr Rogers and Jack came hurrying up just then, and looking in the direction pointed out, there was the serpent, writhing and twining in the most horrible manner down in a narrow rift, out of which it now glided in a blind purposeless way, writhing, whipping the herbage with its tail, and tying itself in what seemed to be impossible knots.

"Coffee and Chick go and kill um," said the latter, letting himself down the face of the precipice, followed by his brother; and, apparently quite without dread of the monster, they scrambled down over the rough stones till they came to the serpent, when, watching his opportunity, Coffee seized its tail and tried to drag it, but the creature seemed to whip him off, and Coffee uttered a yell as he was driven staggering back.

"Go down, Dick, and try and give the monster another shot," said Mr Rogers. "No, stop; I dare say the boys will finish it."

For just then, evidently enraged at the treatment his brother had received, Chicory drove his assegai through the serpent, and then again and again, the creature's struggles being blind of purpose, for its head had been shattered by Dick's shot; while fiercely leaping up, Coffee raised his own assegai, and holding it chopper fashion, he waited his time till the serpent's head was handy, when he hewed it off.

The writhings now grew faint; and the General coming up, and descending with Mr Rogers and his sons and the dogs, which kept making rushes at the waving form and not biting it, the serpent was dragged out full length and measured, Mr Rogers making seven fair paces by its side, and setting it down at about eighteen feet in length.

"A nice monster to meet, Master Dick," he said. "I congratulate you upon your success."

"Have it skinned, father," exclaimed Jack eagerly. "It would be such a capital thing to have, stuffed and coiled up, at home."

Mr Rogers glanced at the great faintly-writhing monster, with its tortoiseshell markings, and shook his head.

"No, my boy," he said; "I must confess to too great a dislike to the serpent race to care to carry about their skins. Besides, if we are going on like this, killing a lion a day, we shall have only room for the skins of our big game. Let's leave the creature here."

They climbed up out of the ravine, and after a couple of hours' more walking, full of interest if not of incident, they went slowly back, glad to get in the shade of the trees beneath which the waggon was halted, and finding everything right.



CHAPTER SIXTEEN.

HOW THE LITTLE GINTLEMEN INTERFERED WID DINNY.

A few days were very pleasantly spent here collecting, for Mr Rogers was an enthusiastic naturalist. Birds of brilliant feathering were shot, skinned, preserved with arsenical paste, filled with cotton wool, and laid to dry with their heads and shoulders thrust into paper cones, after which they were transferred to a box which had to be zealously watched to keep out the ants. Certainly scores of these were killed through eating the poison smeared upon the skins, but that was little satisfaction if they had first destroyed some delicate bird.

Butterflies, too, and beetles were obtained in great numbers, being carefully killed, and pinned out in boxes lined with camphored cork. These insects the two Zulu boys soon learned to capture with the greatest ease, and after a little teaching they would bring in a handsome butterfly or moth, without crushing and disfiguring it first so that it was useless for preservation.

Bok or antelope of various kinds were plentiful enough to make the party sure of plenty of food; and both Dick and Jack were getting so skilful with the rifle that they could be depended upon to bring down a koodoo or springbok at four or five hundred paces.

The kraal had been strengthened, so that they felt no fear of a lion getting through; but fires were kept up every night, wood being plentiful, and the bright glow seemed to give confidence to the occupants of the camp, as well as to the horses and oxen. Watch was kept too, but though lions were sometimes heard at a distance they did not molest the travellers, and but for the stern suggestions of the General they would have grown careless in the extreme.

For experience and skill in the use of fire-arms made Dick and Jack more confident. They had looked upon a lion as a monster of such prowess, and of so dangerous a character, that they were quite surprised at the ease with which a good shot with a rifle could hold the king of beasts at his mercy.

As for Coffee and Chicory, the General several times punished them for being so daring and running such risks, especially as they were in a part of the country where lions really were plentiful, although, so far, little molestation of the travellers had taken place.

It had been decided that upon the next day they would trek onward for some distance, and perhaps on and on for days, according to the attractiveness of the country they were passing through, and the plentifulness of the game.

The General heard Mr Rogers' decision with a smile of satisfaction.

"I want to take you where the great tusker elephants are," he said, "and let you shoot the giraffe and rhinoceros. We have hardly begun yet."

He made the boys' eyes glow with excitement as he told them of the size of the hippopotami and elephants they would encounter, the height of the giraffes, and the furious nature of the rhinoceros, which beast seemed to be always mad if it saw a human being.

As they were going to start next day it was decided to let the horses graze in peace with the oxen, which, after a fortnight's rest, looked sleek-coated and in far better condition; but Peter, Dirk, and Dinny were bidden to keep a strict watch over the cattle, for just before starting the General announced that he had seen a lion-spoor, apparently two days old.

The day was passed very pleasantly, collecting, by Mr Rogers and his sons, several very beautiful birds falling to their guns, and their boxes being filled with splendidly burnished beetles; and at last tired out, they turned to get back to the little camp by midday, hoping to find a satisfactory meal ready, for the General had gone out with a rifle in search of a bok; and his two boys had taken their kiris and assegais, to see if they could not knock down a few of the large partridge or quail-like birds.

What was their disappointment then to find that neither the General nor his sons had returned, while Dinny was in great distress.

"Sure," he said, "I thought I'd take a fishing-line and a shtick, and go to the big pool by the little river over yonder, and catch a few of the fish things; bad cess to 'em, they're no more like the fine salmon and throut of my own country than this baste of a place is its aiqual."

"Well, Dinny, and you went and didn't catch anything," said Dick.

"Sure, Masther Dick, an' you weren't there," said Dinny; "but ye're right there; I didn't catch a single fish, for the little gintlemen wouldn't let me."

"Little gentlemen, Dinny?" said Mr Rogers eagerly. "Did you see any natives?"

"An' is it natives ye'd call the dirthy undersized little craytures?" cried Dinny indignantly. "Sure I'd take a couple of 'em up under my arms and run away wid 'em."

"But you say they interfered with you, and wouldn't let you fish," said Mr Rogers.

"Faix, sor, an' that's what they did. Ye know the big pool."

"To be sure," said Mr Rogers. "There are silurus in it."

"Are there though, sor?" said Dinny. "And there's the big rocks up behind it, where the prickly trees wid red flowers and no leaves at all grow."

"Yes, I know the place," said Mr Rogers impatiently; "go on."

"Well, sor, I sits meself down comfortable, baits my hook wid a nice bit of fresh mate as any dacent fish would like to have, and then I says to meself, 'Dinny,' I says, 'while ye're waiting to hook a nice fish for the masther's dinner, I'd have jist a whiff o' tibakky if I were you.' 'Ye're right and I will,' I says; and I outs wid my pipe, fills it, and was just going to light up, when splash! There was a great big stone thrown in the wather.

"'Ah, be aisy, Masther Jack,' I says, for I knew it was you."

"Why, I was away with my father," cried Jack.

"To be sure ye were, Masther Jack, dear; but don't ye see I thought it was your thrick; and bang comes another big stone down be me side.

"'I'll tell the masther if ye don't lave off,' I says. 'That's you, Masther Dick, as throwed that.'

"Splash comes another, and then I recklected as ye'd both be far away, and that it must be one of them dirthy little varmints, Coffee or Chicory. So I lays down me rod and line, as nice and sthrait a rod as ye'd cut out of the woods anywhere, ye know, sor, and I picked up my bit of stick ready for them.

"'I'll wait till ye throw again, me beauties,' I says; and just as I says it to meself, a big stone hits me on the back, and another goes in just by me line.

"'Now ye shall have it, ye wicked little villains,' I says; and jumping up I was going to run at 'em, when, murther! there was about a dozen of the craytures coming down from the rocks, shouting and chattering, and throwing stones.

"'Will ye be off?' says one, 'ye've no business fishing there widout lave.'"

"How do you know he said that?" said Dick dryly.

"Sure an' what else would he say, Masther Dick, dear? An' ah, ye never saw such ugly little divils, widout a bit of nose to their dirty faces, and a grin as if they were all teeth.

"'Sure I was only catching a fish for the masther's dinner, gintlemen,' I says, when, murther! if they didn't run at me like mad, and if I hadn't walked away I belave they'd have killed me. As it was one cowardly villain instead of hitting me dacently on the head wid his stick like a Christian, comes at me and bites me in the leg."

"Let's look, Dinny," said Dick, for Mr Rogers listened but did not speak.

"Oh ye can look, Masther Dick. He tuk a pace out of me throusis, and he'd have tuk a pace out of me leg as well, if I hadn't expostulated wid him on the head wid me shtick. Sure I was obliged to run then or they'd have torn me to pieces; and it's my belafe they've been using the fishing-line ever since."

"And so you've had an interview with the natives, have you, Dinny?" said Mr Rogers dryly.

"Ah, I wouldn't call them natives, sor," said Dinny.

"What then, baboons?" said Mr Rogers.

"Sure, sur, I don't know the name of the thribe, but they're a dirthy-looking little lot, and as hairy as if they never shaved themselves a bit."

"Why he's been pelted by monkeys," cried Dick, indignantly; and Jack burst out laughing.

"Faix, Masther Dick, dear, they behaved like monkeys more than men, and they're an ugly little thribe of natives; and if I'd had a gun I'd have given some of them the headache, that I would."

"Ah, here's the General," cried Mr Rogers, as the great Zulu came striding up with a bok over his shoulder.

As he entered the little camp he threw down the bok, and began to skin it, looking about for Coffee and Chicory.

"Where are the boys?" he said at last.

"Sure they haven't come back," said Dinny; "and I hope they never will," he added, taking the bok to cut up and cook a portion, for Dinny's leg was very sore and bleeding from a severe bite, and his temper was also a little more sore from the doubt with which his story had been received.

The Zulu darted a fierce glance at him, but he did not speak. He only walked to the waggon, where Mr Rogers was examining some of the specimens he had killed, and said simply,—

"May I take the rifle, boss, and go and find my boys?"

"Yes, of course," exclaimed Mr Rogers.

"I'll go with you, General," cried Jack eagerly.

"But you are too tired," said his father.

"Oh, no," cried Jack. "I don't mind. I'll go with the General."

The Zulu darted a grateful look at Jack, and the latter took his rifle and bullet cartridges, starting off directly after in the way that the boys had been seen to go.

Jack began chatting to the Zulu as they went along, but after a few remarks he noticed that the General was very quiet and reserved, while when he glanced at his countenance it looked so strange that Jack felt startled, and began to think of how awkward his position would be if the Zulu were to prove unfaithful, and turn upon him.

But the next minute he was reassured, and found that it was anxiety upon the General's part about his boys.

"I am afraid, Boss Jack," he said hoarsely. "It frightens me to think. They may be killed."

"Oh, no," cried Jack hopefully. "They have only gone farther away, and have not had time to return."

The Zulu shook his head, but he glanced eagerly at the speaker as if to silently ask him if he really felt like that.

"No," he said softly; "one of them would be back by now, I am afraid."

Jack tried again, but it was of no avail; and the Zulu having struck the boys' trail, he had to be left to follow it without interruption, and this he did, all through the heat of that glowing afternoon.

Several times poor Jack felt as if he would faint, but his spirit kept him up, and at last they came upon Chicory, sitting down by a little pool of water with his assegai beside him, bathing his bleeding feet.

The Zulu uttered a low sigh of satisfaction as he saw one of his boys, and Chicory jumped up, and seizing his assegai, ran to meet them.

"My brother; has he got back?" he asked in his own tongue.

"No; I came to find you both. Where is he?" said the General sternly.

"Lost," said Chicory disconsolately. "We got no birds and would not go back without, and we went on and parted. He is lost."

"Lost!" said the Zulu scornfully; "my boy lost! Go find him. Watch the spoor. He must be found."

Poor Chicory turned without a word, and in obedience to his father's order he went off in the direction where he and his brother had accidentally parted, and at last led them to a beautiful park-like tract of land. Forest-trees sprang up in every direction, for the most part draped with creepers; clumps of bushy growth, and clusters of prickly succulent plants, grew on every side. It was in fact a very nature's garden, but though they searched in all directions through the lovely glades, golden with the rays of the scorching sun, there was no trace of poor Coffee; and after separating, when they met again from time to time poor worn out Chicory looked his despair.

Again they separated, Jack following, however, pretty closely upon poor Chicory's steps, till the excitement that had kept him up so long began to fail, and he sat down pretty well exhausted, with his rifle across his knees and his back against a tree.



CHAPTER SEVENTEEN.

JACK ROGERS GOES TO SLEEP.

Jack could hardly tell afterwards how it all happened, for he felt that he must have gone off fast asleep from utter exhaustion, but his sleep could not have lasted above an hour, for when he awoke with a start the sun had only just dipped down out of sight, and there was a faint glow still amongst the trees.

All was very silent and he was drowsy, but a feeling of alarm now began to oppress him, and he wondered whether Chicory and the General would soon be there.

His next thought was about his rifle, which still lay across his knees; and feeling that he might at any moment be called upon to use it in his defence, he cocked both barrels, and was then about to get up and shout, when, not a hundred yards away down a broad vista of the open forest, he saw something which made him present his rifle and then sit motionless, with his heart going thump, thump, heavily beneath his ribs.

For there, stealing softly along, with its belly almost sweeping the ground, was a huge lion—not a smooth, maneless lion, such as the two they had slain, but a big-muzzled, rugged-maned, hairy monster, such as he was familiar with in pictures—the natural history lion that he had seen a hundred times.

To have attempted to fire would have been madness at that distance, and it was evident that he was at present in no danger, for seated as he was in the shadow, with his back to the trunk of a great tree, the lion had not seen him.

The next moment Jack saw why he passed unnoticed.

The lion was cautiously stalking some dark animal that was softly gliding through the bushes, following it step by step awaiting the time to spring.

It was an interesting sight, though painful; and Jack thought of his brother's adventure with the serpent, and whether he was not in duty bound to save this animal from its pursuer as his brother saved the gazelle.

The next moment Jack's heart seemed to stand still, for the dark animal passed out of the bushes into sight, and he saw that it was no wild animal, but poor Chicory, bending down, and evidently carefully tracing some spoor, perhaps his brother's, while the lion was following to strike him down.

It was a terrible position; for young as he was in woodcraft, Jack had not yet acquired the firmness in critical moments that comes to the old hunter, and for the time he felt paralysed.

He was a brave, self-denying boy, but in that emergency he could only sit there, turned as it were to stone, and watch the motions of poor Chicory, and the merciless beast that was stealthily creeping along in his wake without a sound.

Jack knew that Chicory's position was critical in the extreme, and that if he did not save him by a lucky shot the lion would strike him down; but he could not move; the muscles of his whole body refused to act, as if he was in a nightmare; all he could do was to move his eyes and watch the terrible tragedy about to be enacted.

The boy felt as if he would have given worlds to be able to fire, or even shout; but he could do nothing but wait, and see Chicory creeping patiently along in and out among the trees and bushes, now hidden, now coming into sight for a few moments, but always so intent upon the footprints he was examining, that he did not hear his enemy.

And what an enemy! There was the great powerful beast, with glaring eyes and horrent mane, creeping along with its fur brushing the grass, and every foot touching the ground like velvet. At times Jack could see the great muscles moving beneath its skin, and the pliant tail swaying and quivering as it softly lashed it to and fro.

Several times over it crouched down, as if about to spring, but a quick movement on the part of the Zulu boy caused it to pause—and still the hunt went on.

As Jack sat there the great drops of perspiration gathered upon his forehead, and trickled down his face. The sun's light reflected from the glowing clouds grew less, and there was a grey gloom gathering round, which made the scene before him more painful. At one time he thought that as darkness came on Chicory might give up, become aware of his danger, and so escape. Even now, if he could have warned him the boy would have doubtless bounded into a tree, for he was as quick and active as a monkey; but no warning passed from Jack's lips, and the strange weird scene went on.

The forest glade before him might have been a maze whose path Chicory was trying to thread, and the lion some faithful attendant beast, watchfully following in his very steps. But though Jack's body was as it were enchained, his mind was in a fearful state of activity; and not only did he follow as if fascinated every step, but his thoughts even went in advance, and he felt sick as he thought of the catastrophe about to happen, seeming to see the lion make its final crouch and spring, hearing too the boy's death-shriek; and as the actors in the terrible scene drew nearer to him, Jack strove with all his might to cast off his inaction.

On still, and in and out, in a heavy weary way, as if he could hardly put one leg before the other, went poor Chicory; and slowly and carefully followed the lion, the massive jaws thrust forward, and each great paw raised and set down without a sound.

It could not have lasted more than a few minutes, this exciting scene, but it seemed never ending to Jack as he sat there, till in one instant he was roused back into action, and to try and the poor boy.

In his wanderings in and out, as has been said, Chicory came nearer to where his young master sat, with his back to the trunk of the great forest-tree, and more than once Jack wondered that the lion had not seen him; though this was easily explainable—he remained perfectly motionless, and the animal was intent upon his prey.

Chicory had come on nearer and nearer then, till he was not above thirty yards from Jack, when, turning in amongst some long grass, the positions were suddenly reversed, for in place of following the Zulu boy, the lion crept round a clump of bushes so as to come face to face with him, and then crouched ready to spring—just as Chicory stopped short, leaning forward over something in the long grass, and, dropping his assegai, uttered a piercing shriek.

Not thirty yards away, and just in face of where Jack was; and he knew that Chicory had come upon something terrible, perhaps the body of his brother, while he, Jack, had been sitting there quite unconscious, and had even in his ignorance gone to sleep.

It was that cry that roused Jack into action, for, almost as the boy dropped his assegai and leaned over that something in the long grass, the lion gathered itself for its spring, and the watcher's rifle rose to his shoulder. There was one quick aim—the sharp crack, followed by a multitude of echoes; and Jack sprang to his feet and on one side, to avoid the charge should the lion come his way.

There was a deafening roar, and the lion, which had fallen short in his spring and rolled over, evidently badly hit, struggled to his feet, and made at Jack, who sheltered himself behind the nearest tree; and when the great brute came on, with distended claws and bristling mane, he fired again, at a distance of a couple of yards, forgetting that his charge was but small shot.

At that distance, though, small shot were as good as a bullet, and the lion fell in his tracks, snarling and growling horribly, as he struck impotently at his slayer; then his head fell back, the mighty paws grew inert, and he lay over more upon his side—for with a furious cry of rage Chicory forgot his weariness, and picking up his assegai, drove it deep into the animal's chest.

Hardly believing it true, Jack rapidly reloaded, congratulating himself upon what he had done, when he heard the rustling of leaves, and presented his piece, fully expecting that it was the lion's mate.

But no: it was the General, who ran panting up, having heard the sound of the rifle, and as he reached them Chicory took his hand, and led him to the patch of grass without a word.

Jack followed, instinctively knowing that something terrible was there. And then his heart seemed to stand still, as he heard a deep groan burst from the General's breast, and he sank down by the body of the son he had come to seek.

"Is—is he dead?" said Jack, in a hoarse whisper, as he gazed down in the gathering darkness at poor Coffee's bleeding form.

For answer the General was feeling the boy's chest, and he then laid his ear against his side.

"No, not dead!" he cried excitedly.

Then lifting the boy in his arms, he started off back towards the waggon, Jack and Chicory following behind, but not until the latter had rushed back to where the lion lay, and plunged his assegai once more deeply into the monster's chest.



CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.

THE CAPTURE OF A CAT.

It was a long and toilsome walk back, for the night had come on quickly, and every now and then the roar of some beast of prey, or the crash of some animal through the trees, was heard. But nothing interfered with them; and when from time to time they halted for a few moments, the General gladly made use of the strips torn by Jack from his handkerchief and shirt to bind up the poor boy's bleeding wounds.

It seemed wonderful to Jack that strength and determination on the part of the General, almost as wonderful as the unerring instinct with which he made straight for the camp.

He did not speak once, but there was something exceedingly tender in the way in which he tried to carry the wounded boy, so as not to cause him pain; for he did not realise that poor Coffee was quite insensible to suffering, and had not felt anything since he had been struck down.

At last, when Jack felt that he could no longer plant one leg before the other, there was the bright glow of the fire at the little camp, where they found Mr Rogers in a terrible state of uneasiness at their prolonged absence.

The moment, however, he found what was wrong, his surgical skill, which was not slight, was brought to bear, and the terrible gaping wounds of the poor boy were sewn up and bandaged.

Read by the light of all that Jack had to tell, it was plain enough what had befallen poor Coffee. He had been stalked, by the same lion probably as that which Jack had shot. The monster had sprung upon him, clawing his bare back and shoulder; and then, probably being surfeited with devouring some unfortunate beast, he had left the boy, and had been roused again by another intruder upon his domains, while, but for Jack's rifle, poor Chicory would have shared his fate.

"But a' didn't kill Chick, Boss Jack. Boss Jack kill um, and Boss Jack and Chick go and kill all a lion now, and not leave not one."

This was the next morning, when the events of the past night had been talked over, and Mr Rogers had expressed a hope that the boy might live.

But, as he told his sons, it was very doubtful, for he had been horribly clawed by the lion, though fortunately upon his back. Had the creature seized him in front, he must have lost his life.

All attempts at continuing the journey were of course put off, a comfortable bed being made up for Coffee where he would feel the cooling breeze and be sheltered from the sun, while his father took his place by him, and sat and kept the bandages over the wounds wet and cool.

It was Chicory who proposed that the lion's skin should be fetched in; and after a promise to be careful, the boys started off, taking with them Peter to skin the lion, Mr Rogers feeling that he could not leave, with Coffee in such a state. In fact he hesitated about letting his sons go, after such a shock, though he could not help feeling that they were beginning to display a courage and decision that was most praiseworthy, especially as it was linked with so much self-denial.

"But the skin would be such a trophy, father," said Jack. "I should like to have it."

"Go and get it, then," said Mr Rogers; "but don't stop. You may as well shoot a few birds, though, or any small bok, if you can. We must make our beef-tea of venison, Dinny says," he added with a smile, "for the invalid must have plenty of support."

Jack went to have a look at poor Coffee as he lay there insensible, and softly placed his cool hand upon the poor boy's burning head.

Then he started, for, to his surprise, the General was at his feet with his arms round his legs, and embracing them closely.

He did not understand it then, but the Zulu was swearing fidelity, and to lay down his life for him who had saved, as he felt, both his boys.

Just then there was a yelping and baying amongst the dogs, a snarling noise, and Dinny's voice heard shouting—when Jack ran out, just in time to see something yellowish and spotted rush among the trees, sending the oxen into a terrible state of excitement, and making the horses gallop up to the waggon for protection.

Mr Rogers was out in the open with a gun—but it was too late, there was nothing to shoot, and the dogs, which had been off after the animal, came trotting back.

"What was it, Dinny?" said Mr Rogers.

"Sure, sor, an' it was a great big yellow tom cat, wid splashes like brown gravy all over his dirthy body; an' he came sneaking out of the wood and made a pounce on Rough'un there; but the dog was too quick for him, an' run bechuckst the big waggon-wheels, an' thin I threw a pot at him and aff he went, and the dogs after him."

"How big was it, Dinny?" cried Dick excitedly.

"About as big as ten tom cats, Masther Dick, if they was all biled down and made into one."

"Get along," cried Dick. "What would it be, father—a leopard?"

"Yes, my boy, undoubtedly. They are very fond of dogs, and will dash under the waggons sometimes after one. Rough'un has had a narrow escape. We must look out, for the creature may come again."

It was a long walk to the glade where the lion was shot, but they killed a couple of the dangerous puff-adders, and shot three or four beautiful birds, besides bringing down a small gazelle, which they protected with sticks to keep off the vultures. But the most interesting part of their journey was during the first mile of their way. They had all separated so as to look out for game, and were crossing a patch of dense dried-up yellow grass where they expected to spring a large bird or two, when, all at once, something of a rich yellow and brown darted out before Dick, leaving one clump to make for another, closely followed by a little dun-coloured animal, evidently its young.

Dick's rifle was to his shoulder on the instant, and a bullet through the animal laid it low, while the young one leaped upon it, and turned and snarled, and spat at its mother's slayer.

"Why it's the leopard that came after poor Rough'un, I'll be bound," cried Jack, coming up. "It has got a young one, and that's what made it so daring. Hullo, little chap! We'll take you back for a pet."

But the young leopard was already in a pet, and it scratched, and swore, and behaved so cat-like, that it was no easy task to secure it. This, however, was done in a strong game-bag, which was hung in a tree while the mother was skinned for the sake of her beautiful hide.

As they neared the place where Jack's lion lay, Dick drew his brother's attention to the vultures that were winging their way overhead.

"You'll see if they haven't been at your lion," he said.

He proved a true prophet, for as they drew near the glade—Jack feeling a strange chill of horror as he recalled the last night's adventure— first one and then another vulture flew up, and when Chicory made a dash forward they rose in a cloud.

"Your skin's spoiled, Jack," said his brother.

But he was wrong, for the vultures had found two assegais leaning against a bush, and looking so ominous with their bright blades where the General had left them, that they had not dared to touch the lion, and the consequence was that a magnificent skin was obtained, one that proved to be no light load for Peter and Chicory, who carried it swinging from a pole resting upon their shoulders.

The load was increased as they picked up the skin of the leopard, while the boys carried the game.

The young leopard proved to be quite safe in the game-bag, which formed a comfortable hammock for it as it hung in a tree, but no sooner was it swung from Jack's shoulder, and felt the motion of the walker, than it became furious, spitting and tearing, and trying to get out.

One way and another they were so loaded that the sight of the waggon proved very welcome, and all were only too glad to partake of a good basin of what Mr Rogers called "Dinny's restorative," namely the rich thick venison soup always stewing in the great pot, and being added to every day.

And it was wonderful how invigorating this rich meat essence proved. No matter how weary they were, a basin of it could be enjoyed, and its effect seemed to be almost instantaneous.

After a good dinner in the shade of the big tree by the waggon, both Jack and Dick had another look at poor Coffee, to find that he slept a good deal, and quite easily, Mr Rogers saying that he was less feverish.

"Well, boys, what do you think of the medicine-chest now? Was I not right in being prepared for emergencies?"

The boys agreed that it was right, and hoped all the same that they would never have to make any demands upon it, either for doses or lint and plaister—invaluable in poor Coffee's case now.

Then the lion's skin was admired, and laid out to dry. The leopard's followed, and was greatly praised by Mr Rogers; and indeed it was beautiful in the harmony of its brown and creamy-yellow tints.

"Bedad and that's the very baste," cried Dinny. "I know him by that spot at the back of his left ear, and the payculiar twisht of his tail."

"Now, Dinny," said Dick, "how could you tell it again when you saw it for a moment only."

"An' d'ye think it takes half-an-hour for one of me eyes to catch soight of a craythure like that, Masther Dick? Sure I knowed it the moment I set oise upon it as the very same baste."

"Then you must have excellent eyesight, Dinny," said Mr Rogers.

"Sure an' I have that same, sor," said Dinny proudly, as the boys next brought out the young leopard, which had to be held pretty tightly by the back of the neck to keep it from taking its departure, while the dogs gathered round muttering growls, and longing to take revenge upon the young leopard for the insult put upon them that morning by the mother.

"I think Dinny's right, boys," said Mr Rogers, as he looked at the clumsy young leopard, which had a peculiarly heavy kittenish aspect. "I should say it was undoubtedly the mother that dashed in after the dogs, her young one making her the more daring."

"Sure an' I knew I was right," said Dinny complacently. "It was an avil-looking baste, in spite of its foine skin."

"What are you going to do with the leopard?" said Mr Rogers.

"Keep it, of course, father," said Jack.

"I don't see any, 'of course,'" he replied, smiling; "but try and keep it if you can, though I'm afraid you will find it an awkward customer to tame."

"Well, let us try," said Jack; and setting to work he soon contrived a collar of stout wire, which was wrapped round and round with thin leather, a dog-chain attached, and then the dogs were called by Dick.

"I say, what are you going to do?" cried his brother; "they'll kill the poor little thing."

"Oh no, they will not," said Dick confidently. "I'm going to give them a lesson."

The dogs came bounding up, having been driven away during the manufacture of the collar; and now, evidently under the impression that they were to kill the young leopard, they became in a high state of excitement.

"Oh, Dick!" cried Jack. "Mind what you are about."

"Down, down, down!" cried Dick sternly; and the dogs all crouched, awaiting the order to attack. "Now, Rough'un, smell him."

Rough'un sprang up, and Pompey, Caesar, and Crassus made a rush; but a tap each from the stick Dick held stopped them, and laying hold of Rough'un's ear, Dick pushed the dog's nose close to the vicious-looking little leopard.

"Now, sir, you're not to touch him; do you hear?"

Rough'un evidently heard, and after smelling at the little animal, he looked up in a puzzled way at his master.

"Lie down, sir," said Dick, and the dog obeyed. "Now, dogs! Pomp, Caesar, Cras, old boy."

There was a volley of barks here, and the dogs evidently thought that their time had come; but a few stern words and a sharp tap or two from the stick made them perfectly obedient, and they contented themselves with sniffing at the little animal, which, on its part, finding that it was not molested by the dogs, left off its angry demonstrations, gave each one a gentle dab on the nose, and then rolled upon its back and began to play.

The dogs looked more puzzled than before, Crassus uttering a loud whine and giving his strong jaws a snap; but just then Rough'un accepted the invitation to play, and began to pat and push the little animal, which responded at once by rushing off and dashing back, rolling over, biting playfully, and in less than a minute he and the young leopard were leaping one over the other and gambolling as eagerly as if they were the oldest of friends.

Pompey also played a little, and Caesar and Crassus looked tolerantly on, but they did not join in themselves, beyond smelling the leopard a few times over. Still there was no fear of their molesting the little captive, which was tied up to a wheel of the waggon, and from that time became one of the occupants of the camp.



CHAPTER NINETEEN.

FIRST SIGHT OF OSTRICH.

As soon as poor Coffee showed the slightest sign of amendment, he was carefully lifted on to a comfortable bed made for him at the back of the waggon, where he lay patiently smiling at those who came to look at him; the oxen were in-spanned, and once more the waggon creaked and groaned over the rough land towards a fresh halting-place.

Game was plentiful enough, and Dinny always had an ample supply for his iron pot, but more than once the difficulties with regard to water were very serious, and very long treks had to be made before a spring or river could be reached.

But they pushed steadily on, the excitement of their hunting and shooting excursions making them forget the troubles of their journey.

Whenever Mr Rogers talked of halting and making some snugly-sheltered position their headquarters, the General smiled and pointed north, promising more wonders if they kept on, and finer game.

Coffee did not seem to suffer much, his greatest trouble being his weakness, and the difficulty his surgeon had to deal with that of keeping him in his bed; but he was very patient, and grateful for what was done, while the General seemed to wait on Mr Rogers' every look and word as if he would never be weary of attending to him.

They were getting close to the neighbourhood of the river Limpopo, when one evening, towards sundown, Mr Rogers became separated from his sons as they were journeying back towards the waggon, in his anxiety to shoot one of the curious fox-like animals that he had several times seen but had never had a chance to hit. They were beautifully marked, with long ears almost like those of a hare, and carried brushes that would have made an English fox envious; but even out there in the African wild they seem to partake of the cunning of their European relatives, and the more Mr Rogers tried, the less likely he seemed to succeed.

Upon this occasion he had seen one or two, and in his anxiety to obtain a shot he had dashed off into the bush, where the little animals seemed to delight in luring him on, showing for a moment and then disappearing.

It was a glorious evening, and the sky was one glow of warmly-tinted cloud, while his proximity to the waggon, which he knew was not far-off, kept him from feeling uneasy about the others getting back.

"There it is again," he exclaimed, as he saw the little fox-like animal dart amongst the bushes; and going cautiously in pursuit, he went on till the gathering mists of the coming night warned him to return.

He had hardly turned to make for the waggon when he saw something that completely enchained his attention, for looming up through the mist, and appearing of almost gigantic size, he saw what appeared to be three large ostriches; but while he gazed they seemed to fade away into the evening darkness, and were gone.

He had not gone far on his way back before he heard voices, and luckily came upon the boys and the General, Chicory having been left behind to attend to his brother.

"I think I have seen ostriches this evening," said Mr Rogers. "Are there many here, general?"

The Zulu said No, but that there might be a few. If there were any he thought they might get a shot at them for the sake of their glorious plumes; and promising to be on the look out for their footprints, they went on chatting about them till the waggon was reached, to find that a couple more waggons, the property of an ivory-trader travelling south, had been out-spanned close by, so that there would be company for the night.

The ivory-trader proved to be an intelligent man, and he said that there were plenty of elephants in the neighbourhood, but warned them to beware of the rhinoceros and crocodile, while he declared that one or two of the tribes farther north were worse than either.

Lions were heard in the distance, but the fires kept up proved sufficient to warn them off, and a very good night was spent; but just as breakfast was being got ready Peter gave the alarm, Chicory echoed it; there was a rush for rifles and guns, and a general state of excitement, for five ostriches had suddenly made their appearance, right up close to the camp, their tall necks with their flat stupid-looking heads undulating like snakes above the long grass.

For a few moments they had appeared to be perfectly astounded at the sight of the various strange objects, the waggons and their accompaniments. Then the shouts alarmed them, and as the guns were handed out of the waggons and the huntsmen prepared to fire, the ostriches were getting up speed, running faster and faster, till, as Dick said, their legs seemed to twinkle; and the shots that were sent after them, though they might have whistled past, had not the good fortune to bring them down.

"Well," exclaimed Dinny who was standing by the fire. "Of all the things I ever did see run, them there do beat, and no mistake."

Certainly the speed with which their long, powerful legs sent the large birds over the ground was wonderful, and in a very short time, long before horses could have been saddled, they were out of sight.

"Why, thim birds can run almost as fast as my big brother," said Dinny musingly, as the last ostrich disappeared.

"Could he run fast, Dinny?" asked Dick, smiling at his brother, as much as to say, "Now you listen to him, and hear what he says."

"An' is it run fast, he asks?" cried Dinny. "Why, he was the fastest runner in Oireland, and they used to make races for him to run, and match him against toime, and he always won. Why, wheniver he run he came in widout his boots."

"Came in without his boots?" said Jack, laughing.

"To be sure he did, sor, always. They managed to kape up wid him ginerally about half the way, and thin they got so slow he always had to lave thim behind."

"It's a pity we haven't got your big brother here, Dinny," said Dick sarcastically. "He could have caught the ostriches for us."

"Caught 'em, Masther Dick. I should think he would, in no time."

"Would he have been as much afraid of the lions as you are, Dinny?"

"Hark at him, now," said Dinny, looking round at the dogs, which had had a race after the ostriches, and had now come back, with their tongues out and curled up at the tip as they sat there panting. "Hark at him now. Jist as if I was the laste taste of a bit afraid of all the lions in Africky. Why I says to meself, 'Dinny,' I says, 'ye'll have to tak' care of yerself,' I says, 'and not let the wild bastes ate ye till ye come back; for what would poor weeny, sickly Masther Dick do widout a good cook to make broth and stews to kape him alive? Take care of yerself, Dinny, for the poor sick gossoon's sake,' and so I do, Masther Dick; for it's not on account of meself, only for you."

"Why you said the other day, Dinny, that it was because of your mother," cried downright Jack.

"And small blame to a man for being fond of his mother, Masther Jack. Sure I always was a good son."

Dinny was always ready with an excuse, and in spite of his idleness and downright cowardice, he was generally merry and good-humoured, and the first with a laugh.

The coming of the ostriches was, however, quite an excitement, and there was plenty of talk about how to get hold of some of them for their plumes; but nothing was done until the strangers had gone, when, after moving on to a more suitable place for a few days' camp, and cutting down and piling up the thorns for a good safe kraal, whose fence would keep marauding beasts from molesting the cattle, glasses were got out, and the beautiful park-like plain at whose edge they were now encamped, was scanned for game.

There was no difficulty found in supplying the big pot, and finding pieces for a good roast; for little herds of various kinds of antelope were often in sight, and with a fair amount of stalking one could generally be brought down. But the great aim now was to obtain a few ostriches, and try how they would, these wary birds refused to let them get within shot.

"If we shoot one," said the General quietly, "I get plenty."

But the job was to shoot the first one. The General tried creeping continually from bush to bush, out and over the plain; but either the ostriches saw the glint of the sun upon the gun-barrel, or caught a glimpse of his dark skin, for they were off swift as the wind, with their legs twinkling like the spokes of a carriage wheel as they ran.

Then Mr Rogers tried again and again with the boys; but they had worse luck than the Zulu, for they never got near enough for anything but very doubtful long shots at many hundred yards, with the sole result of making the birds more shy.

If they could have known where the ostriches were likely to appear, and could have gone and lain wait, the task would have been easy; but the birds came into sight in the most out-of-the-way places, and at the most unexpected times, and not a plume came to be stuck up as a valuable trophy in the waggon.

The General, clever hunter as he was, felt hurt at his ill-success, and pointed out the reason; and that was that the few birds about them had taken refuge here from the pursuit of hunters, having been chased most persistently in all the country round.

"You must get an ostrich, Chicory," he said to his son in his own language, as the boy was squatted down by his brother, who was recovering with rapid strides.

"Chicory shoot one," said the boy.

And without a word he went to Dinny, and obtained some strips of dried bok for provender, and then started off upon his quest.



CHAPTER TWENTY.

DRUMSTICKS AND LIONS.

Chicory came back the next day, for his brother's assegais, having lost his own, as he said, sticking in an ostrich's back.

"Bring him back soon," he said, as he sat down and ate tremendously for about an hour, after which he lay down and went to sleep by his wounded brother, and did not awake till his father came back with a little bok slung over his shoulder, and stirred him with his foot.

Chicory sprang up as if pricked, and in reply to his father's angry words in the Zulu tongue, the boy made a reply which calmed the General's wrath directly, and then went away.

When breakfast was ready the next morning, and Dinny brought a number of skewers of wood laden with hot sputtering venison cutlets, to place before each hungry meal-seeker, Chicory was not visible; and on being asked, Coffee said his brother had gone as soon as the lions had left off roaring; but he came back before evening in a wonderful state of excitement, begging Dick and Jack to mount their horses and come to fetch in the ostrich he had speared.

"Where is it?" cried Dick.

The Zulu boy pointed towards the east, and just then Mr Rogers came up.

"He has speared an ostrich, father," cried Dick eagerly.

"Indeed! How did you manage it, Chicory?" said Mr Rogers.

"So!" said the boy, throwing himself into a peculiar attitude, and holding up one arm with the hand bent down, so that side-wise his figure took something of the aspect of the long-necked bird.

"Then the ostrich must have been stupid," cried Jack, laughing.

"Yes, 'tupid bird," said Chicory, grinning. "Never be 'tupid any more. Come fetch him."

The horses were soon ready, and they were about to start when Dinny expressed a desire to go.

"Shure, I haven't sthretched me legs these three days, Masther Dick, dear, and I wouldn't mind exercising one of the big horses if the Masther loiked."

But "the masther" didn't "loike," not feeling disposed to trust a valuable animal to Dinny's tender mercies; so that gentleman turned upon his heel, and went back to the waggon-fire in disgust, and sat over it to "warrum" himself, though every one else was complaining of the heat.

It was a long ride, but Chicory did not seemed tired. He laid hold of the mane of Dick's or Jack's horse, and ran easily along by the side. And had there been any doubt of the spot in which the game lay, the vultures going straight in one direction would have pointed it out.

The sun was getting very low as they neared the place to which Chicory pointed; and when they came up a perfect crowd of vultures rose, having been seated at a respectful distance, watching the bower of sticks with which Chicory had surrounded his prize.

It proved to be a full-grown ostrich, but it was in wretched plumage, and a little examination showed that there was a reason for Chicory's success, the bird having been shot at and a good deal injured.

It was such a miserable object that it would have been left behind had not the little party known that the General wanted it for a particular purpose; so it was strapped on to the back of Mr Rogers's saddle, to the great discomfort of the big bay, which immediately began to kick furiously.

This kicking process caused the ostrich's long legs and neck to fly about and belabour the horse's sides, driving it almost frantic, and had he not been securely held he would have gone off at full gallop over the plain, probably to go on till he dropped or was pulled down by the lions.

"Look at the old drum," cried Dick eagerly; "and how the drumsticks are giving it to his sides," a remark which ensured for the old bay horse the nickname of the "Drum" to the end of the journey.

Fortunately for the party the moon in its first quarter was well advanced, and as the sunlight faded in the west they had the advantage of the soft silvery rays to guide them on their way. But all the same, the journey back was toilsome and dangerous; for no sooner did they attempt to go fast—Chicory being mounted in turn behind one or other of the boys, than, as Dick said, the sticks began to beat the drum, and the drum began to go mad, and snort and kick most violently.

"Ah, father," cried Jack, "what a shame it was you did not lend Dinny a horse; it would have been such fun to have seen him with the ostrich tied on behind."

"Shure, he'd have been kilt intoirely," said Dick, mimicking Dinny's accent.

"I should not envy him his ride if it would have been anything like mine," said Mr Rogers drily. "Hark, boys! there's a lion."

"Oomph! oomph!" came the low deep roar, like muttering thunder at home on a summer's night; and over and over again they noticed the peculiarity of the deep-toned growl. For it was as if some ventriloquist were imitating the cry in different parts of the wilderness. Now it sounded close by, and the horses shivered and pawed the ground impatiently; then it seemed a little farther off; and again it was close by.

They would gladly have galloped on if it had not been for the drumsticks, as Dick called the ostrich's neck and legs, these necessitating a very gentle progress; and all the time the deep roar of the lion grew nearer.

"Want the horses," said Chicory. "Two—three—four lion."

He pointed his hand in different directions; and now it was quite evident that that was no animal ventriloquism, but several lions attracted by the horses were cautiously approaching so as to make a successful spring.

At last their unpleasant neighbours grew so demonstrative, that Mr Rogers gave the word, and they drew rein at the edge of a patch of wood, where there was an abundance of dry brush and grass.

"We must not go any further, boys," exclaimed Mr Rogers. "Dick, sit fast, and hold the reins of Jack's and my horses. We'll jump down and make a fire. Come, Chicory, dead dry grass."

The boy no sooner understood what was wanted than he began rapidly to gather up the dry grass into a heap, while Jack and his father drew their heavy hunting-knives and chopped off the brushwood; but it was nervous work, for the low, muttering roar came ominously close, and at any moment Dick felt that one of the great cat-like creatures, which have a terrible hunger after horseflesh, might spring upon one of the poor creatures, which trembled and whinnied, and tugged at the reins.

"I shan't do much good, father," cried Dick, "but I'm going to shoot where I think the lions are."

"Yes, fire," cried his father, who was down upon his knees, vainly trying to get the dry grass to burn; "fire as quickly as you can load."

Bang, bang, went Dick's double gun on the instant; and apparently comforted by the noise, and perhaps an instinctive knowledge that the firing was for their protection, the horses ceased to embarrass their caretaker by tugging to get away, and crowded together, pressing one upon the other in their dread.

There was a pause of about a minute's duration, and then the lions' cry was heard again a little more distant, but coming nearer and nearer; and still the fire would not burn, but kept on emitting a dense blinding smoke, which hid one great beast from Dick's eyes, where he had distinctly seen the animal creeping along towards them. Directly after, though, he saw another quite plainly in the bright moonlight, creeping cautiously onwards, and stooping from time to time as if about to spring.

Dick had reloaded by this time, and taking careful aim he fired again, when there was a furious roar, and they all heard quite plainly the snap and gnashing of the monster's teeth.

"You've hit him, Dick. Keep it up, my boy. Chicory, here! Come and blow. I can't get this fire to burn."

Chicory threw himself upon his hands and knees, and as Dick, with agitated fingers, hastily reloaded, and tried to see the next lion so as to have a shot at it, there came a deep-mouthed roar from behind. Then another and another, and the horses grew frantic, for the beasts were evidently going to make their attack.

Dick raised his piece to his shoulder and prepared to fire, longing the while for some relief, when, all at once, there was a bright flash, and the fire that had refused for so long to burn, burst into a brilliant flame, showing three lions quite plainly, creeping along at a short distance; and as soon as they were a little farther off, they began growling again.

Jack and Chicory had, however, gathered together a goodly portion of combustible wood, and there was plenty more at hand, so that a roaring fire was soon casting its light away from the wood, which somewhat sheltered them behind; and as soon as some of the good-sized pieces of bush were well ablaze, Chicory began to send them flying in the directions where a low ominous growl or two told that the lions were waiting their time.

Farther progress was impossible, and, with the knowledge before them that they would have to pass the night where they were, a steady onslaught was kept on at the trees and bushes, goodly pieces of which were hacked off and used to feed the fire.

Every now and then, in spite of the blaze, some hungry lion would make a charge, one which Dick, being pretty well experienced in such matters now, met by hurling a blazing stick at the beast, several of which sticks he kept burning and ready to his hand.

For firing in the deceptive light at creatures whose colour assimilated so with that of the ground, was not only doubtful but dangerous, from its likelihood to wound and infuriate the savage beasts. When it was tried before the fire blazed up, it was as a last resource, and in the hope that the flash might help to intimidate, which, as it happened, in this case it did.

There was very little rest, for, being unprovided with an axe, it was hard work to hack off the boughs with the hunting-knives, but as the night wore on and their enemies made no determined attacks, but, as it were, kept on skirmishing, one of the party did have a bit of a nap from time to time, though the horses neither ate nor slept, but stood shivering together, most probably longing, like their masters, for the morning light.

It was only natural that Mr Rogers should feel sincere regret that he had left the camp so late in the day, but he told himself that it was a lesson, hard as it was to learn; and the boys pretty well took it to heart as they sat there listening to the fierce muttering growls that came from all around. Nearer and nearer when the fire was allowed to burn a little lower, more distant when the blaze sprang up, and a few burning pieces were sent whizzing through the air like fireworks, Dick being particularly clever at making the burning brands spin round Catherine-wheel fashion, blazing furiously as they flew.

That weary night seemed as if it would never end, and to the dismay of all, it became very plain that the lions were madly excited at the presence of the horses, and that their hunger was beginning to make them think less of the fire and the burning brands.

So close were two or three of the rushes that it was all Mr Rogers and his sons could do to keep the horses from dashing away, one lion in particular coming so well into sight that Jack could not resist the temptation to fire; and so well placed was the bullet that the lion fell paralysed, and lay struggling impotently, till a second well-aimed bullet put an end to its pain.

This was one enemy the less, but matters looked more ominous than ever, for the supply of wood within reach was exhausted, and the last armful had produced more smoke than blaze.

There seemed to be nothing else for it then but to mount and ride for their lives, irrespective of the darkness, and trust to their good fortune to bring them safe away.

"When I give the word 'Mount!' leap on your horses, and dash off," said Mr Rogers at last, for the mutterings of the lions were growing nearer and nearer.

"And how about you, father?" asked Dick.

"I shall be close behind you, my boy."

"And Chicory?" said Jack.

"I shall cut the ostrich loose, and Chicory will jump up behind me, and hold on as best he can."

"Let him come behind me, father," said Dick.

"No, behind me," cried Jack.

"Silence!" exclaimed Mr Rogers. "There is no time for argument. Be ready. We'll all throw at the lions together as they come on, and then mount and off before they recover from their confusion."

Each stood to his horse's head then, and held a piece of blazing wood ready—when Mr Rogers uttered a thankful sigh.

"Morning at last, my boys!" he exclaimed, as a faint light began to make the trees around visible; and by rapid degrees the fire began to pale, and the various objects grow more plain.

Then there were a few golden clouds high up above their heads; and the big bay suddenly uttered a loud neigh, which was answered by a roar close at hand. But Dick hurled his burning brand in that direction, and there was a savage snarl, after which the weary party had peace, for the lions seemed to have departed. While the moment the sun's edge appeared above the plain, all mounted, and keeping a sharp look out, went off at full gallop towards the camp.

They reached it without molestation, the horses seeming almost to fly; and there they found that all had been very uneasy, and that they had passed the night keeping up a blazing fire, and firing guns at intervals, so as to guide them back.

"But it's a wonder ye found us at all at all, sor," said Dinny.

"Why?" asked Mr Rogers.

"Shure, sor, the lions have been rampaging around the waggon the whole night through, and I had to kape them off by throwing burning sthicks and shouting at 'em, for Pater and Dirk were about as much good as a couple of babbies, and the big Sooloo went to slape and snored."

"That's just what I'm going to do, Dinny," said Jack, yawning.

And to show that he meant it, no sooner had he tied up and seen to his horse, than he threw himself down, his example being followed by the others, so that it was getting close upon noon before breakfast was attacked.



CHAPTER TWENTY ONE.

A LESSON IN OSTRICH HUNTING.

That same afternoon Dick, who had taken the glass and mounted a tree for a look round, announced ostriches in sight, and the General smiled and said it was his turn now.

While the others had slept he had been very busy, skinning the ostrich, and stuffing its long neck, and, to the astonishment of Dinny, he placed four or five little assegais ready, and then threw the skin of the ostrich over his head and shoulders, holding up the head by means of a stick run through the neck, and then, turning on one side, only his bare legs were visible.

Jack burst into a roar of laughter, and Chicory began to get rid of his superfluous excitement in his usual way—by dancing round and round and indulging in a few kicks and jumps.

It was a very clumsy imitation of an ostrich, but experience had often proved it to be sufficiently near to beguile the great birds, especially when, after stalking along for a short distance, the head was lowered to the ground, for there were the head, neck, and feathers, and that seemed enough for the birds.

Thus accoutred, then, the General moved out of camp, laughingly asking that no one should follow and shoot him by mistake for one of the birds.

The three boys followed, Dick carrying a glass; and poor Coffee wistfully watched their departure.

They could not, however, go far, lest they should scare the birds, so they kept in the cover of the wood for nearly a mile, and then stood watching the proceedings of Chicory's father.

The General went steadily on, with the ostrich's head held well erect; but every now and then he paused, lowered the long neck, and seemed to be engaged in feeding; and at such times he walked side-wise and away from the little group of three ostriches, which were feeding about a mile away.

As the Zulu got to be more distant, his motions had a very natural appearance; so much so that Dick and Jack began to feel that had they seen him without being prepared, they would certainly have had a shot at him, believing him to be the real thing.

He took advantage of every bit of cover he could see, passing amongst the trees and bushes, and whenever he was out of sight, hastening his steps till he was nearly abreast of the ostriches, when he came into sight again.

As he did so the three birds paused in their feeding, ran together, and for a moment it seemed as if all the labour was about to be lost. It was very plain that they were diligently scrutinising the new comer; and this was the critical time. A moment's haste, the slightest false move, and the three birds would have gone off like the wind. But as they saw the stranger turn a little away from them, lower its head, and apparently make a dart at some great beetle or locust amongst the herbage, and then hunt out another and another, their timidity passed away, they troubled themselves no more about the new comer, and went on feeding.

It was very interesting to watch the disguised Zulu, apparently feeding away from the ostriches, but all the time softly edging himself nearer and nearer.

"Oh, I say! what stupids they are!" said Jack. "Look at his legs. They arn't a bit like ostrich legs, and yet they don't see."

"All 'toopids," said Chicory delightedly. "Wait a bit."

From where they stood the General now seemed to be touching the wary birds; but this could not be the case they knew; and they stood watching attentively, taking the greatest of care not to show themselves, lest they should alarm the ostriches, for experience had shown them that they would dash off if they saw any one a mile away.

"Now look," cried Dick excitedly. "Look!"

For the biggest bird of the group had suddenly seemed to take umbrage at the appearance of the stranger, and stalking straight up to it darted its head sharply, evidently giving a vicious peck.

The next instant it was seen to make a bound forward, and fall over upon its side, apparently kicking feebly.

The other two raised their heads and seemed alarmed; but one began feeding again, and the other stalked gravely up to continue the punishment the first had commenced.

This time, by the help of the glass, Dick saw the Zulu stoop down, and deliver a thrust with an assegai, and this bird toppled forward and fell.

The third seemed alarmed, but it did not take flight, only stood still while the General, imitating the gait of the other birds, ran up alongside it, and seemed to be staring like the other at the fallen birds.

This time they saw no motion on the General's part, only that the third he struck suddenly took to running at a tremendous rate, but dropped like a stone before it had gone a quarter of a mile, and the General rid himself of what must have been a very hot and uncomfortable disguise, and mounting an ant-hill signalled to them to come.

"Three ostriches," cried Dick delightedly; "their feathers ought to be worth a great deal. Run back and fetch my father, Chicory."

But there was no need, for Mr Rogers had seen the manoeuvres of his follower, and now came out of the camp, followed by Dinny.

"Ah," said the latter to the boys, "it was moighty well done, and I've come to help pick the big birds. They tell me that some of the payple here kape the horse-stretches like chickens in Connaught, and that they lay beautiful foine new-laid eggs. Bedad, one of them ladies ought to lay a dacent-sized egg, and I wouldn't mind having one for breakfast by way of a change."

It was with no little delight then that Dick pointed out the fact to Dinny that they were all cock-birds, when they got up and found each had been pierced through the heart with an assegai.

Their plumage was splendid, and after a great deal of tough, hot work several bundles of the valuable feathers were made up and carried to the camp, to spread out and dry and then store away, to help pay for the expenses of the trip.

The party had hardly turned their backs upon the denuded birds before the vultures, which had been gathering for some time, suddenly began to drop down to act their part of scavengers; and before night fell, there were only a few scattered bones to show where the ostriches had been.



CHAPTER TWENTY TWO.

LOOK BEFORE YOU STEP: 'WARE SNAKES.

Coffee was gathering strength every day, and the wounds in his healthy young flesh healing rapidly. So much better was he that there was no occasion to study him any longer on the question of danger in moving, so the well-fed oxen were in-spanned, and a few more treks brought the party to one of the tributaries of the Limpopo, whose main stream they hoped to reach on the following day.

The country here was much less regular, and the work for the oxen grew more difficult, but they found capital quarters, with plenty of good grass, strong thorn bush for a kraal; and as the place promised sport, and plenty of natural history specimens amongst the rocks and rifts into which the land was broken, Mr Rogers determined to rest here for a day or two.

So a kraal was formed, the cattle sent to graze; the boys mounted Shoes and Stockings, and starting to get something in the way of game, were pretty successful, bringing in a plump young bok; and as evening came on and they were resting, Dinny suddenly made his appearance with a long stout stick and a line.

"I've been looking," he said, "and there's some moighty foine water close by here, and a bit of salmon wouldn't be amiss."

"There are no salmon here, Dinny," said Dick.

"Then there are some good big fish, anyhow," said Dinny; and he went off some fifty or sixty yards to where the narrow little stream ran at the bottom of rather a steep declivity.

"Mind you don't have any of the gintlemen throwing stones at you, Dinny," shouted Dick.

"Ah, you'd better be careful," said Mr Rogers, smiling; "Those rocks look a likely place for baboons."

"Whist, schah!" exclaimed Dinny contemptuously; "as if I'd be afraid of a monkey;" and he soon disappeared from sight.

The soft coolness of the evening was creeping on, the occupants of the little camp were restfully listening to the crop, crop! of the cattle, and Mr Rogers was about to give orders for them to be driven into the kraal, when the peace of the camp was broken by a loud cry from towards the little river.

"Murther! help! masther dear. Help, or it's dead I'll be!" yelled the familiar voice of Dinny.

Guns always lay handy, and they were seized, and all ran towards where Dinny was yelling for help, a sharp look out being kept for baboons.

"I dare say they've attacked him," said Mr Rogers. "They are very vicious, and tremendously strong. Why, where is he? Dinny! Dinny!"

"Hee-ar! Help!" cried Dinny. And running in the direction of the sound, they came upon Dinny's boot-soles, and were just in time to save him from gliding into the little river, head first, the tuft of grass to which he was clinging having given way.

"An' did ye see the murthering baste?" cried Dinny, who looked white through his sunburning.

"No, I saw nothing," cried Mr Rogers.

"Ah, but he's down there in the muddy water. Shure I'd caught one great ugly fat fish like an overgrown son of an eel; there he lies where he wriggled himself," said Dinny, pointing to a fine silurus lying in a niche of the rock. "And I'd hooked another, when a great baste of a thing wid the wickedest oi ye ever see, and a smile as wide as the mouth of the Shannon, came up and looked at me. 'Oh, murther!' I says; and he stared at me, and showed me what a fine open countenance he had; and just then the big fish I'd hooked made a dash, and gave such a tug that I slipped as I lay head downwards, bechuckst thim two bits o' bushes, and I couldn't get meself back agin."

"Why, there's the fish on the line still," cried Jack, seizing the rough rod, and trying to land the captive of Dinny's hook.

"Ah, and ye'll take care, Masther Dick, for I belave it's that great baste has swallowed the fish, and ye'll be pulling him to land."

Dinny was not right; and full of excitement, Jack was trying hard to land the fish, when there was a rush and a swirl in the water, and as they caught sight of the head and jaws of a good-sized crocodile the line was snapped, and the little party stood gazing at the muddy stream.

"Shure an' that's him," said Dinny. "Did ye ever see such a baste?"

"A warning not to bathe," said Mr Rogers; and after watchfully waiting to see if the reptile would give them an opportunity for a shot, they walked back to the camp, Dinny carrying his fish, and bemoaning the loss of the other and his tackle.

"How big should you think that was, father?" said Dick.

"About twelve feet long, to judge from the size of his head," said Mr Rogers. "You must be careful, boys, and mind that the cattle are watched when they go down to drink. The crocodiles are most objectionable beasts, and I suppose the Limpopo and its tributaries swarm with them."

They seemed now to have got into quite a reptilian paradise. Low down by the river the land was swampy, hot, and steamy to a degree; and here amidst the long rank reeds, canes, and herbage the crocodiles revelled, while water-lizards of great size made their tracks along the banks. Higher up out of the ravine where the river ran, the land was rocky and full of nooks and corners, which the sun seemed literally to bake. Here came flies innumerable, buzzing and stinging viciously when their abode was invaded, and over and about the sun-parched rocks the various kinds of lizards swarmed, and preyed upon the flies and beetles.

They were very beautiful, these flies and beetles, and lizards—the former with their brilliant colours and gauzy wings, the latter in their jewelled and polished armour, often of the most brilliant metallic tints, and always glistening in the sun.

Hundreds of the brightly armoured beetles were captured, and transferred to the boxes kept for the purpose; but it was dangerous work, for poisonous snakes lurked amongst these sun-baked rocks, twisted in sleepy knots, and so like in hue to the stones amongst which they lay that a foot might at any moment be inadvertently placed upon them.

Jack had an adventure of this kind the very day after their arrival.

There had been some talk of going, as the General proposed, after one or other of the herds of antelope feeding upon a plain a couple of miles distant; but Mr Rogers said the larder was well filled, and his idea of a pleasant hunting trip was not one where mere butchery was the rule, but where a sufficiency was killed for their daily use.

"By all means, let us destroy such noxious animals as we come across," he said; "and I am keen sportsman enough to want to shoot some of the large game; but let us be naturalists, boys, and not simply slayers of all we see."

The result was that they spent that day collecting insects and small reptiles, Chicory accompanying them to carry a large open-mouthed bottle of spirits with stopper and sling, and the glass protected by a stout network of soft copper wire.

Into this spirit-bottle little vipers, scorpions, spiders, and similar creatures, were dropped, Chicory holding the stopper, and throwing back his head and grinning with delight as some wriggling little poisonous creature was popped in. In fact, Chicory was an indefatigable hunter of great things and small, taking readily to natural history pursuits; but he had his drawbacks, one of which was a belief that the little snakes and tiny lizards dropped into the spirits of wine were to make some kind of soup; and he had to be stopped just in time to prevent his well amalgamating the contents of the great flask by giving it a good shake up.

"Dere's one, Boss Dick. Dere's nother one, Boss Jack," he kept on saying, his quick restless eyes discovering the various objects long before his English companions.

They were up in one of the superheated rifts among the rocks, with the sun pouring down so powerfully that the whole party were very languid and disposed to seek the first shelter, when an incident that might have had a fatal termination came upon them like a shot.

Jack was in advance, and about to climb up to a shelf of rock in pursuit of some brilliant little lizards that were darting in and out of the crevices when Chicory shouted out,—

"Boss Jack! mind snake!"

It was too late. There was a great dust-coloured puff-adder lying in his way, with its thick clumsy body nestled in amongst the hot stones; and even as the Zulu boy's warning was uttered, Jack's boot pressed heavily upon the lower part of the dangerous reptile's body.

Sluggish and dull before, this assault brought the reptile into a state of activity that was almost wonderful, and before Jack could realise his peril the short thick viper had struck twice at his leg. Before, however, it could strike again, its head lay upon the stones, cut off by a blow from Chicory's long-bladed assegai, and the body of the dangerous beast was writhing amongst and rattling the stones.

"Chicory 'fraid he broke a bottle," said the boy, who had dropped it in his excitement.

But the flask and its natural history contents formed a very minor consideration just then.

"Are you hurt, my boy?" cried Mr Rogers quickly. "Sit down there. Here, Dick, the spirit-flask. Now then, draw up your trouser-leg."

Jack obeyed, and Mr Rogers immediately stripped down the lad's rough worsted stocking, taking out his penknife and preparing to make the tiny punctures bleed freely, and to suck the fatal poison from the wounds.

"Does it pain you much?" said Mr Rogers excitedly; and his hands trembled for a moment, but only to grow strong directly.

"No," said Jack stoically.

"Don't be afraid, my boy; be a man. Now where was it?"

"I won't be afraid," replied Jack. "I won't mind the knife, father."

"Quick! Show me. Where was the wound?" exclaimed Mr Rogers.

"I don't know. It bit at me twice," replied Jack; "somewhere below the knee."

"These creatures' teeth are like needles," said Mr Rogers. "Look, Dick; can you see? two tiny punctures together?"

"Would it bleed, father?" said Dick.

"Most likely not."

"I don't see the wound, father."

"Nor I, my boy; but my head swims, and I feel giddy. It is as if there was a mist before my eyes. Oh, my boy! my boy!"

"Snake never bite um at all," cried Chicory sturdily. "All swellum and look blue by dis time. Only bite leggum trousers."

Jack burst into a roar of laughter, and a strange reaction took place, for Chicory was undoubtedly right: the loose trouser-leg had caught the virulent little reptile's fangs, and averted the danger.

For there was no gainsaying the matter. Jack felt nothing the matter with him, when, if he had been injured, he would have been under the influence of the terribly rapid poison by then, whereas he was ready to jump up and laugh at the mistake.

He did not laugh much, however, for his father's serious looks checked him. And soon after, when they were alone, Mr Rogers said something to his son about thankfulness for his escape which brought the tears into the boy's eyes. The next minute, though, father and son joined hands, and no more was said.

It was another warning to be careful, and of the many dangers by which they were surrounded, and the boys promised to temper their daring with more discretion for the future.

They afterwards called that the reptile day, for the number of scaly creatures they saw was prodigious.

"But I want to see one of those tremendously great boa-constrictors," said Dick, "one of the monsters you read of in books."

"As big round as the mast of a man-of-war, and as long, eh?" said his father.

"Yes," said Dick.

"Then I'm afraid, my boy, that you will be disappointed, for from my own experience I think those creatures exist only in the imaginations of writers. I dare say they may grow to thirty feet long, but you may take a boa of eighteen or twenty feet as a monster, and as big as you are likely to see. That was a very large serpent you shot in the valley there."

"Oh," said Dick; "I don't call that a long one."

"This is just the sort of place to find a large one, I should say," continued Mr Rogers. "Hot, dry, stony places for basking, and dense, hot, steamy nooks down by the little river and lagoons where it would be likely to lie in wait for its prey."

But though they looked well about, they saw nothing, and the heat having now become intense, they found a clump of trees close by a trickling streamlet that ran along from the rocks to the river, and sat down to rest and eat their lunch.

They felt too drowsy and tired with their morning's walking to care to do much in the afternoon, and they were quietly looking over their captures after shifting their places twice to get out of the sun as the shadow swept on, when Dick suddenly caught his father's arm, and pointed towards the rocks.

"What's that shining over there?" he said quickly.

Chicory had been asleep the moment before, but Dick's movement and question roused him on the instant, and he glanced in the direction indicated.

"Big snake," he said decisively. "Chicory go and kill um."

The boy ran towards the rocks, and, picking up their guns, the rest followed—to see that it was a large serpent from whose scales the sun had gleamed. They could not even guess at its length it was so knotted up in folds; but its body was nearly as big round as that of Chicory, who seemed in nowise afraid of the great reptile, but picked up a mass of rock larger than his head, balanced it on one hand, and advanced towards the sleeping serpent, which had chosen one of the hottest portions of the rock for its siesta.

"Yap! yap! yap!" shouted Chicory; and the creature moved slowly, its whole body seeming to be in motion.

This was not enough for Chicory, who drew his kiri out of his waistband, and threw it heavily at the reptile.

This seemed to rouse it into action, and after a more rapid gliding of one coil over the other, the creature's evil-looking head rose up, hissing menacingly at its disturber, who raised the piece of rock with both hands above his head, and dashed it down upon the serpent's crest, crushing it to the ground, after which the boy nimbly leaped away, to avoid the writhing of its body and the fierce whipping of the creature's tail.

"Well done, Chicory, my brave boy," cried Mr Rogers, patting the Zulu lad upon the shoulder.

"Yes, Chicory very brave boy," said the lad, smiling complacently, and quite innocent of his words sounding conceited. "Chicory kill all big snake for boss. Boss boys very kind to Coffee, and father love 'em."

This was a long speech for Chicory, who nodded and smiled, and ended by waiting his opportunity, and then seizing the boa's tail and running away with it to stretch the creature out. But it was too heavy, and its writhings continued even after the boys had fired a charge of small shot at close quarters through the reptile's head.

They wanted to measure it, but that was impossible from its writhings. Mr Rogers, however, made an approximate calculation, and then said, quietly,—

"I should say it was as near as can be nineteen feet long, and unusually large in girth."

"Oh, father," cried Jack; "it must be thirty-nine feet long."

"Ah, Jack, my boy," replied his father, laughing, "that's old travellers' measurement—and they always allowed six feet to the yard— that is, twenty-four inches to the foot; and that's why ourang-outangs, and whales, and serpents were always so large."

But they had not yet arrived at the end of their reptile adventures.

They waited for some time to see if the boa would cease its writhings; but the muscular contractions still continuing, and the dark tortoiseshell-like markings of brown and yellow and black glistening in the sun quite two hours after the creature might reasonably have been said to be killed, they gave it up and went further afield.

"Suppose we leave this series of red-hot rocks, boys, and go down towards the water. From the appearance of the country over yonder I fancy that the stream widens out into a lake."

"How do you know, father?" asked Dick.

"From the character of the trees and other growth. Don't you see how much more leafy and luxuriant it looks. Keep your eyes well opened and your pieces ready. I dare say we may meet with a rare bird or two, perhaps some kind of water-buck—ready for the camp to-morrow!"

As Mr Rogers had predicted, a couple of miles walking brought them to what in parts was quite a marsh full of canes and reeds; but every here and there were beautiful pools of breeze-rippled water, spread with lovely lilies and other water-plants, while the edges were fringed with willow-like wands and waving sedges.

So beautiful was the scene where the little river widened, and wound through the low ground, that as they wandered about amongst the firmer ground they forbore to shoot, but paused from time to time to watch the lovely plumage of the various ducks and cranes that made the lagoons their home.

Not a shot then had been fired, and as they wandered in and out they found plenty to take their attention. Every here and there Chicory found for them some nest in amongst the reeds—the nursery of duck or crane. But the most interesting thing that they saw in the shape of nests was that of a kind of sociable grossbeak, a flock of which had built a town in a large tree, quite a hundred nests being together in common; while in another tree, whose branches drooped over the water, there were suspended dozens of a curiously woven bottle-shaped nest, with its entrance below, to keep the young birds from the attack of snakes.

"What's that noise?" said Jack, suddenly, as he was on about a quarter of a mile ahead with his brother, Mr Rogers being busily transferring some water-beetles to Chicory's spirit-bottle, which escaped breaking after all from the toughness of the wire.

"I don't know," replied Dick. "It sounds like some animal. And there's a scuffling noise as well.

"It's just like a cow moaning, a very long way off. I wonder what it is?"

"I don't think it's a long way off. It seems to me to be pretty close."

They moved about among the reeds and bushes, but could see nothing.

"I know what it is," said Jack, laughing. "It's some kind of big frog or toad: they live in such marshy places as this, and they croak and make noises that seem to be ever so far-off, when they are close by."

"Oh! Look, Jack! Oh, poor thing!" cried his brother.

"Where? Where?"

"Over yonder, across the water."

Jack caught sight of the objects that had taken his brother's attention, and for a few moments the boys seemed passive spectators of the horrible scene.

Across the lagoon, and some fifty yards away, a beautiful antelope, with gracefully curved spiral horns, had apparently come out of the bushes to drink, at a point of land running a little way into the lake, when it had been seized by a hideous-looking crocodile. The monster's teeth-armed jaws had closed upon the unfortunate antelope's muzzle, and a furious struggle was going on, during which, as it uttered its piteous feeble lowing noise, something between the cry of a calf and a sheep, the crocodile, whose tail was in the water on the side of the point farthest from where the spectators stood, was striving to drag its prey into the lagoon.

The antelope made a brave struggle, but the tremendous grip of the reptile and its enormous weight, rendered the efforts of the poor beast vain: and as the boys gazed across, they saw the poor brute dragged down upon its knees and chest, and the crocodile shuffling slowly back into the water, an inch at a time.

"Oh, the poor, poor beast!" cried Dick piteously. "Oh, Jack, how dreadful!"

"Poor old crocodile!" said Jack coolly, for he had now recovered himself. "If he's going to eat all that buck for his dinner he'll suffer from indigestion. I say, Dick, let's give him a couple of pills."

As he spoke, Jack sank upon one knee in the reeds so as to rest his rifle well, and catching at his brother's idea, Dick followed suit.

"Take a good, steady aim, Dick, right behind his eye, so as not to hit the antelope: and when I say fire, pull trigger as softly as you can. Take it coolly. Ready?"

"Yes."

"Fire!"

It was none too soon, for the antelope was being dragged along, growing more helpless and its struggles more faint moment by moment, while the body of the crocodile was disappearing backwards down the slope of the point of land.

But that loathsome-looking head was still visible, dragging the helpless, striving antelope, whose piteous rolling eyes could be plainly seen by the boys.

The next instant, though, they had concentrated their gaze on the gleaming orb of the crocodile, thrown all their power of nerve into that aim, and, so as not to disturb their rifle-sights by the slightest movement, softly drew trigger.

The reports of the rifles were almost simultaneous, and for a few moments the boys could see nothing for smoke: but as the tiny cloud of vapour lifted, they looked eagerly across.

There was nothing to be seen.



CHAPTER TWENTY THREE.

AN INTERFERENCE WITH WASHING, AND THE RESULT.

"Oh," cried Jack, "we both missed, and he has drawn the poor thing in."

"I don't believe I missed," said Dick. "No: look, Jack!"

For at that moment they saw a movement amongst the undergrowth behind where the antelope had been kneeling; and the poor beast, with bleeding nostrils and starting eyes, staggered down to the water's edge, drank with avidity, and then bounded back as another or the same crocodile half leaped out of the water to catch it.

But the antelope, weak and exhausted though it was, escaped, and bounded away into the dense reeds, while Jack as he coolly reloaded his rifle-barrel said,—

"Nice place this, Dicky. Let's take our clothes off and have a bathe."

"Ugh!" shuddered Dick. "The monsters!"

"What have you shot, boys?" said Mr Rogers, hurrying up. "I was afraid it was an accident, the two rifles went off like one."

They told him, and being eager to see if there was any trace of the crocodile, they went round the shores of the little lake to the other side of the point, for the river wound so that the incident took place on their own bank; but for a few minutes they could see nothing but muddy water.

"I'm afraid you did not kill him, boys," said Mr Rogers.

"But we frightened him off," cried Jack; "and that's something."

"Chicory find him; look!" cried the boy, pointing where he stood.

They went to his side, and there sure enough, with its light underparts showing, lay a great crocodile, its tail moving feebly to and fro, and, most satisfactory sight of all to the boys, a couple of threads of blood rising slowly from the monster's head through the clear water.

"Hah!"

It was Chicory who shouted, and as he did so he struck back his young masters. For his quick eyes had seen what looked like a dark shadow in the river; and his effort was just in time, for a huge crocodile threw itself half out of the water, disappearing again with a sullen plunge as it missed its prey.

"I think that will do for to-day, boys," said Mr Rogers. "Let's get back to the waggon. For my part I feel disposed to spend the rest of our time shooting crocodiles, so as to try and rid the country of a few of the pests."

"Only all we could kill would be as nothing, would they, father?" said Dick.

"No, they would hardly count," replied Mr Rogers; and they made the best of their way back to the waggon, only too glad of the meal Dinny had ready for them, roast and boiled.

Chicory turned a rough kind of somersault as he caught sight of his brother sitting up and doing that which was dear to Chicory's own heart—eating; and as there was a good share of food beside Coffee, the tired brother made no scruple about going to join him and help him eat.

It was wonderful what that boy could eat when he was thoroughly hungry. Dinny would stare at him, rub his ears, and screw up his face with a look of disgust, while the very dogs seemed envious of his powers. Rough'un would wait patiently for some time bearing it all apparently as he abided his own time; but when he saw Chicory keep steadily on he began to bark furiously, as if such behaviour were not to be borne.

"Shure, Masther Dick, it's my honest belafe," said Dinny, "that if you put down enough mate before them two Sooloo boys they'd kape on aiting till they got to be hungry again."

In spite of the heat of the weather, the performances of Dick and Jack upon strong venison essence and roast gazelle were enough to startle any housekeeper of small income and an anxiety about the state of the butcher's bill. But of course the outdoor life and constant exertion produced a tremendous appetite; and as Mr Rogers noted the change in Dick, whose palate had to be tempted only a short time back, he felt thankful to see the difference.

Dinny had outdone himself that day in the matter of cookery; and a hearty meal having been eaten, the boys spent half-an-hour with their pets, the leopard being so far particularly docile, and their horses whinnying with satisfaction as soon as they heard their masters' steps. Then there were the cattle to look at, all of which were sleek and well; and lastly, the various specimens to arrange before going to rest.

The sun was getting low by this time, and the stillness of the wilds was only broken by the twittering of a little flock of birds in the adjacent trees, when Dinny came running from the river-side—

"Hoi, sor! bring the roifles, an' ye plaze. Here's Pater being swallowed down by one of thim great crocodivils!"

"Quick, boys!" cried Mr Rogers; but there was no need to speak, for the rifles had been already seized, and away the little party ran, towards the river.