Diamond Dyke, by George Manville Fenn. 

________________________________________________________________________A most authentic-seeming book about the difficulties a pair of youngBritons faced when they went to South Africa, and set up an ostrich farmin the dry and largely empty veldt. They had a married couple of thelocals to help them, and of these the man wasn't much use. They alsohad a most sagacious dog, who figures largely in the story. One of theenemies they had to face was lions. 

One day they found they needed more stores, so young Dyke, barelysixteen years of age, has to go on a six or seven day journey to thefarm of the nearest honest storekeeper, a fat old German, seventy yearsof age. On the way back there is a serious delay due to a flash floodwhich took several days to clear. But when they get back they find thatthe older brother is seriously ill of an African fever. The localpeople had been sure he would die, and were preparing to move in andtake what stock there was. But young Dyke nurses his brother back tohealth. A little later the old German turns up at the farm, and makes adiscovery which would change the fortunes of the brothers for ever. 

A very gripping story in the best Fenn style, very hard to put down. Itmakes an excellent audiobook, of about seven hours' duration. 

________________________________________________________________________DIAMOND DYKE, BY GEORGE MANVILLE FENN. 

CHAPTER ONE. 

QUERY BAD SHILLINGS?

"Hi!"

No answer. 

"Hi! Dyke!"

The lad addressed did not turn his head, but walked straight on, withthe dwarf karroo bushes crackling and snapping under his feet, while ateach call he gave an angry kick out, sending the dry red sand flying. 

He was making for the kopje or head of bald granite which rose high outof the level plain--where, save in patches, there was hardly a tree tobe seen--for amongst these piled-up masses of glittering stone, lay deepmoist crevices in which were shade and trickling water, the greatblessings of a dry and thirsty desert. 

"Hi! Do you hear, Dyke?" came again, shouted by a big athletic-lookingyoung man, in flannels and a broad-brimmed Panama hat, and he gave histhick brown beard an angry tug as he spoke. 

"Oh yes, I hear, " muttered the lad; "I can hear you, old Joe. He's gotaway again, and I shan't come. A stupid-headed, vicious, long-leggedbeast, that's what he is. "

"Hi!" roared the young man, as he stood in front of an ugly corrugatediron shed, dignified by the name of house, from which the white-wash, laid thickly over the grey zinc galvanising to ward off the rays of theblinding Afric sun, had peeled away here and there in patches. 

Some attempts had been made to take off the square, desolate ugliness ofthe building by planting a patch of garden surrounded by posts and wire;but they were not very successful, for, as a rule, things would not growfor want of water. 

Vandyke Emson--the Dyke shouted at--had been the gardener, and so longas he toiled hard, fetching water from the granite kopje springs, aquarter of a mile away, and tended the roots he put in the virgin soil, they rushed up out of the ground; but, as he reasonably said, hecouldn't do everything, and if he omitted to play Aquarius fortwenty-four hours, there were the plants that looked so flourishingyesterday shrivelled to nothing. He had planted creepers to run allover the sides and roof, but the sun made the corrugated iron red hot--the boy's exaggerated figure of speech, but so hot that you could notkeep your hand upon the roof or wall--and the creepers found thetemperature too much for their constitution, and they rapidly turned tohay. Then he trained up tomatoes, which grew at express speed so longas they were watered, formed splendid fruit, were left to themselves acouple of days, and then followed suit with the creepers. Joseph Emsonsmiled behind his great beard, and said they were a success because thetomatoes were cooked ready for use; but Dyke said it was anotherfailure, because they were just as good raw, and he did not like to eathis fruit as vegetables cooked in a frying-pan covered with white-wash. 

Still all was not bare, for a patch of great sunflowers found moistureenough for their roots somewhere far below, and sent up their greatpithy stalks close to the house door, spread their rough leaves, andimitated the sun's disk in their broad, round, yellow flowers. Therewas an ugly euphorbia too, with its thorny, almost leafless branches andbrilliant scarlet flowers; while grotesque and hideous-looking, with itsgreat, flat, oblong, biscuit-shaped patches of juicy leaf, studded withgreat thorns, a prickly pear or opuntia reared itself against the endgable, warranted to stop every one who approached. 

"It's no good, " Dyke once said; "the place is a nasty old desert, and Ihate it, and I wish I'd never come. There's only six letters in Africa, and half of them spell fry. "

"And that's bad grammar and bad spelling, " said his half-brother; "andyou're a discontented young cub. "

"And you're another, " said Dyke sourly. "Well, haven't we been fried orgrilled ever since we've been out here? and don't you say yourself thatit's all a failure, and that you've made a big mistake?"

"Yes, sometimes, when I'm very hot and tired, Dicky, my lad. We'vefailed so far; but, look here, my brave and beautiful British boy. "

"Look here, Joe; I wish you wouldn't be so jolly fond of chaffing andteasing me, " said Dyke angrily. 

"Poor old fellow, then! Was um hot and tired and thirsty, then?" criedhis half-brother mockingly. "Take it coolly, Dicky. "

"Don't call me Dicky, " cried the boy passionately, as he kicked out bothlegs. 

"Vandyke Emson, Esquire, ostrich-farmer, then, " said the other. 

"Ostrich-farmer!" cried Dyke, in a tone full of disgust. "Ugh! I'msick of the silly-looking, lanky goblins. I wish their heads wereburied in the sand, and their bodies too. "

"With their legs sticking straight up to make fences, eh, old man?" saidJoseph Emson, smiling behind his beard--a smile that would have been alllost, if it had not been for a pleasant wrinkle or two about his frankblue eyes. 

"Well, they would be some good then, " said Dyke, a little more amiably. "These wire fences are always breaking down and going off _spang_, andtwisting round your legs. Oh, I do wish I was back at home. "

"Amongst the rain and clouds and fog, so that you could be alwaysplaying cricket in summer, and football in winter, and skating whenthere was ice. "

"Don't you sneer at the fog, Joe, " retorted Dyke. "I wish I could see agood thick one now. "

"So that you could say, `Ah, you should see the veldt where the sunshines brightly for weeks together. '"

"Sun shines!" cried Dyke. "Here, look at my face and hands. "

"Yes; they're burnt of good Russia leather colour, like mine, Dyke. Well, what do you say? Shall we pack the wagon, give it up, and trekslowly back to Cape Town?"

"Yes, I'm ready!" cried the boy eagerly. 

"Get out, you confounded young fibber! I know you better than that. "

"No, you don't, " said Dyke sulkily. 

"Yes, I do, Dicky. I know you better than you know yourself. You'renot of that breed, my boy. You've got too much of the old dad'sBerserker blood in your veins. Oh, come, now: withdraw all that!British boys don't look back when they've taken hold of the ploughhandles. "

"Bother the plough handles!"

"By all means, boy; but, I say, that isn't English, Dyke. Where wouldour country's greatness have been if her sons had been ready to singthat coward's song?"

"Now you're beginning to preach again, Joe, " said the boy sulkily. 

"Then say `Thank you, ' my lad. Isn't it a fine thing for you to have abrother with you, and then, when there isn't a church for hundreds ofmiles--a brother who can preach to you?"

"No; because I know what you're going to say--that we ought to go on andfight it out. "

"That's it, Dicky. Didn't some one say that the beauty of a Britishsoldier was that he never knew when he was beaten?"

"I'm not a soldier, and I am beaten, " cried Dyke sourly. 

"Not you. I know you better. Why, if I said `Yes; let's give it up, 'and packed up all we cared to take, and got the wagon loaded to-night, you'd repent in the morning when we were ready to start, and say, `Let'shave another try. '"

"Well, perhaps I might say--"

"Ha, ha, ha!" laughed Joseph Emson; "what a young humbug you are, Dicky. Fancy you going back with me to the old dad, and us saying, `Here weare, back again, like two bad shillings, father. We've spent all ourmoney, and we're a pair of failures. '"

"Well, but it is so hot and tiresome, and the ostriches are suchhorribly stupid beasts, and--"

"We're both very tired, and disappointed, and thirsty, and--"

"I am, you mean, " said Dyke. "Nothing ever seems to worry you. "

"Hah! I know you, Dicky, better than you know me. I feel as keenly asyou do, boy. No: we will not give up. We haven't given the ostriches afair trial yet. "

"Oh, haven't we!"

"No; not half. I know we've had terribly bad luck just lately. We didbegin well. "

"No: it has all been a dreary muddle, and I'm sick of it. "

"Yes, you often are of a night, Dyke; but after a night's rest you areready enough to go on again in a right spirit. No, my lad, we'll neversay die. "

"Who wants to! I want to have a try at something else. Let's go andhunt and get lion and leopard skins, and fill the wagon, and bring themback and sell them. "

"Plenty of people are doing that, Dicky. "

"Well then, let's go after ivory; shoot elephants, and bring back a loadto sell. It's worth lots of money. "

"Plenty of people are doing that too, boy. "

"Oh, you won't try, Joe, and that's what makes me so wild. "

"You mean, I won't set a seed to-day and dig it up to-morrow to see whyit hasn't come up. "

"That's what you always say, " said Dyke grumpily. 

"Yes, because we came out here with so many hundred pounds, Dicky, totry an experiment--to make an ostrich-farm. "

"And we've failed. "

"Oh dear, no, my lad. We've spent all our money--invested it here in awagon and oxen and house. "

"House! Ha, ha, ha! What a house!"

"Not handsome, certainly, Dicky. "

"Dicky! There you go again. "

"Yes, there I go again. And in our enclosures and pens, and horses andguns and ammunition, and in paying our men. So we can't afford to giveup if we wanted to. "

"But see what a desolate place it is!"

"Big, vast, level, and wild, but the very spot for our purpose. "

"And not a neighbour near. "

"To quarrel with? No, not one. No, Dyke, we mustn't give it up; andsome day you'll say I'm right. "

"Never, " cried the boy emphatically. 

"Never's a long day, Dyke. --Look here, lad, I'm going to tell you an oldstory. "

"Thankye, " said Dyke sullenly. "I know--about Bruce and the spider. "

"Wrong, old fellow, this time. Another author's story that you don'tknow. "

"Bother the old stories!" cried the boy. 

The big manly fellow laughed good-humouredly. 

"Poor old Dyke! he has got it badly this time. What is it--prickly heator home-sickness, or what?"

"Everything. I'm as miserable as mizzer, " cried Dick. "Oh, this desertis dreary. "

"Not it, Dyke; it's wild and grand. You are tired and disappointed. Some days must be dark and dreary, boy. Come, Dyke, pluck! pluck!pluck!"

"I haven't got any; sun's dried it all out of me. "

"Has it?" said his brother, laughing. "I don't believe it. No, Dicky, we can't go home and sneak in at the back door with our tails betweenour legs, like two beaten hounds. There are those at home who wouldsorrow for us, and yet feel that they despised us. We came out here towin, and win we will, if our perseverance will do it. "

"Well, haven't we tried, and hasn't everything failed?"

"No, boy, " cried the young man excitedly. "Look here: my story is of aparty of American loafers down by a river. Come, I never told youthat. "

"No, " said Dyke, raising his brown face from where he rested it upon hisarm. 

"That's better. Then you can be interested still. "

"One needs something to interest one in this miserable, dried-updesert, " cried the boy. 

"Miserable, dried-up desert!" said his brother, speaking in a low deepvoice, as he gazed right away through the transparent air at theglorious colours where the sun sank in a canopy of amber and gold. "No, Dicky, it has its beauties, in spite of all you say. "

"Oh Joe!" cried the boy, "what a tiresome old chap you are. Didn't yousay you were going to tell me a story about some Americans down by ariver? Oh, how I should like to get to a mill-race and have a bathe. Do go on. "

"Ah! to be sure. Well, I only want you to take notice of one part ofit. The rest is brag. "

"Then it's a moral story, " cried Dyke, in a disappointed tone. 

"Yes, if you like; but it may be fresh to you. "

"'Tain't about ostriches, is it?"

"No. --They were throwing stones. "

"What!--the loafers?"

"Yes, from a wharf, to see who could throw farthest, and one man, whowas looking on, sneered at them, and began to boast about how far hecould throw. They laughed at him, and one of them made himself veryobjectionable and insulting, with the result that the boasting man said, if it came to the point, he could throw the other fellow right acrossthe river. Of course there was a roar of laughter at this, and one chapbet a dollar that he could not. "

"And of course he couldn't, " said Dyke, who forgot his prickly heat andirritation. "But you said it was all brag. Well?"

"The boastful fellow, as soon as the wager was laid, seized the other bythe waistband, heaved him up, and pitched him off the wharf into theriver, amidst roars of laughter, which were kept up as the man camedrenched out of the river, and asked to be paid. 

"`Oh no, ' said the other; `I didn't say I'd do it the first time. But Ikin dew it, and I will dew it, if I try till to-morrow morning;' andcatching hold of the wet man, he heaved him up again, and threw him by atremendous effort nearly a couple of yards out into the river. Down hewent out of sight in the deep water, and out he scrambled again, hardlyable to speak, when he was seized once more. 

"`Third time never fails, ' cried the fellow; but the other had hadenough of it, and owned he was beaten. "

"But it was by an artful trick, " cried Dyke. 

"Of course it was, boy; but what I want you to notice was the spirit ofthe thing, though it was only bragging; I kin dew it, and I will dew it, if I try till to-morrow morning. We kin dew it, and we will dewit, Dyke, even if we have to try till to-morrow morning--to-morrow-come-never-morning. "

"Oh!" groaned Dyke, sinking back upon the sand; "I am so hot and dry. "

CHAPTER TWO. 

DYKE ROUSES UP. 

That was months before the opening of our story, when Dyke was makinghis way in disgust toward the moist shade of the kopje, where, deep downfrom cracks of the granite rock, the spring gurgled out. 

Only a part ran for a few yards, and then disappeared in the sand, without once reaching to where the sun blazed down. 

Joe Emson shouted once more, but Dyke would not turn his head. 

"Let him follow me if he wants me, " muttered the boy. "He isn't half sohot as I am. "

Hot or not hot, the big fellow took off his broad Panama hat, gave hishead a vicious rub, replaced it, and turned to shout again. "Jack!Ahoy, Jack!"

There was no reply to this, for Kaffir Jack lay behind the house in avery hot place, fast asleep upon the sand, with his dark skin glisteningin the sunshine, the pigment within keeping off the blistering sunburnwhich would have followed had the skin been white. 

"I shall have to go after him, " muttered Joe Emson; and, casting off thefeeling of languor which had impelled him to call others instead ofacting himself, he braced himself up, left the scorching iron housebehind, and trotted after Dyke, scaring a group of stupid-looking youngostriches into a run behind the wire fence. 

He knew where he would find his half-brother, and there he was, lyingupon his breast, with a cushion of green mossy growth beneath him, ahuge hanging rock overhead casting a broad shade, and the water gurglingcool and clear so close that he had but to stretch out his hand to scoopit up and drink from the palm. 

Outside there was the scorching, blinding sunshine, however, and amongthe rocks all looked black, and seemed rather cool. 

"Oh, you lazy young sybarite!" cried Joe Emson, as he came up. "Youalways know the best places. Why didn't you answer me?"

"What's the good of answering?" cried Dyke. "I can't help old Goblingetting away again. He will go, and nothing will stop him. "

"But something shall stop him, " said Joe. "I'll have an iron bar driveninto the ground, and tether him with a rope. "

"No good, " said Dyke drowsily: "he'd eat the rope and swallow the bar. "

"Then I'll tether him with a piece of chain. "

"He'd roll it up and swallow it. --I say Joe, I feel sure he had thatcurb chain and the two buckles we missed. "

"Nonsense! Come, get up, and help drive him in. "

"I'm too tired, and it isn't nonsense. He's always on the lookout forbits of iron and broken crockery. I took a hammer and a crackedwillow-pattern plate one day, and broke it up in bits and fed him withthem. He ate them all. "

"Well, of course: birds do pick up stones and things to fill theirgizzards. "

"And that's just how I feel, " said Dyke. 

"Eh? How?"

"As if my gizzard was filled with sharp bits of stone, and it makes meirritable and cross. "

"And lazy. Come: jump up. "

"I can't, Joe. I said last time I'd never go after the goblin again, and I won't. "

"Yes, you will; you'll come and help me drive him in. "

"No: let him go. "

"Nonsense! He's the best cock bird I've got. "

"Then the others must be bad ones, " grumbled Dyke. 

"Get up, sir!" cried Joe, stirring the boy with his toe. 

"Shan't. I don't mind your kicking. "

"Get up, or I'll duck you in the spring. "

"Wouldn't be such a coward, because you're big and strong. Hit one ofyour own size. "

"I declare I will, " cried Joe, bending down and seizing the boy by thearm and waistband. 

"All right, do: it will be deliriously cool. "

Joe Emson rose up and took hold of his big beard. 

"Don't leave me everything to do, Dyke, old boy, " he said appealingly. "I wouldn't lose that great ostrich for any money. "

Dyke muttered something about hating the old ostrich, but did not stir. 

"All right. I'll go alone, " said Joe; and he turned away and walkedswiftly back. 

But before he had gone a dozen yards Dyke had sprung up and overtakenhim. 

"I'll come, Joe, " he said; "but that old cock does make me so wild. Iknow he understands, and he does it on purpose to tease me. I wishyou'd shoot him. "

"Can't afford the luxury, little un, " said Joe, clapping his brother onthe shoulder. "Let's make our pile first. "

"Then the goblin will live for ever, " sighed the boy, "for we shallnever make any piles. --Where is he?"

Joe shaded his eyes and looked right across the barren veldt, where theglare of the sun produced a hazy, shimmering effect. 

"There he is!"

"Don't see anything. "

"Yes, you can. Your eyes are sharper than mine. There, just to theleft of that rock. "

"What!--that one like a young kopje?"

"Yes, just to the left. "

"What!--that speck? Oh! that can't be it. "

"Yes, it is; and if you had the glass, you could tell directly. "

"But it's so far, and oh dear, how hot it is!"

"It will be cooler riding. "

"No, it won't, " grumbled Dyke; "there'll be hot horses under you, then. "

"Yes, but cool air rushing by you. Come, old lad, don't sham idleness. "

"It isn't sham, " said Dyke. "I don't think I used to be idle, but thishot sun has stewed all the spirit out of me. "

Joe said nothing, but led the way round to the back of the long lowhouse, to where a high thick hedge of thorns shut in a lean-to shedthatched with mealie leaves and stalks; these, the dry remains of a loadof Indian corn, being laid on heavily, so as to form a good shelter forthe horses, haltered to a rough manger beneath. 

As Dyke approached, he raised a metal whistle which hung from his neckby a leather thong, and blew loudly. A low whinny answered the call, and a big, raw-boned, powerful horse and a handsome, well-bred cob wereunhaltered, to turn and stand patiently enough to be bridled andsaddled, afterwards following out their masters like dogs. 

And now as they passed the end of the stable, all the languor andlassitude passed away from Dyke on the instant. For he now caught sightof their Kaffir servant lying fast asleep just beneath the eaves of thecorrugated iron roof. 

The sand hushed the horses' hoofs, and the Kaffir slept on, with theflies buzzing about his half-open mouth, as if they mistook the thickred lips for the petals of some huge flower. 

"I'm not going to stand that, " said the boy. 

"What are you going to do?"

"You'll see, " whispered Dyke. "If I'm to be toiling after goblins, he'snot going to sleep there like a black pig. Go on a little way and lookback. "

Joe Emson smiled in a heavy, good-humoured way, as he took the bridlehis brother handed to him, and the smile developed into a silent laugh, as he saw the boy's energy over a bit of mischief. 

For Dyke actually ran back to the stable, brought out a bucket of water, stood counting the furrows of the iron roofing, and then carried thepail round to the other side and set it down. 

His next movement was to fetch a roughly made step-ladder, count thefurrows on his side, then place the ladder carefully, and at such aslope that it lay flat on the roof, so that, steadily preserving hisbalance, he walked up with the bucket of water from round to round tillhe could see across the ridge to where his brother stood with the horsesa hundred yards away, watching over the big nag's mane, and grasping nowwhat was to happen. 

Dyke knelt down now behind the ridge, to which the top of the ladderjust reached, and had calculated his distance so well, that upon tiltingthe bucket a little, some water trickled down two of the furrows of aniron sheet, and began to drip from the eaves upon the Kaffir's nudechest. 

There was no movement, so a little more water was poured, and thisbrought forth a pig-like grunt, as if of satisfaction. 

More water--more grunts. 

More water, and a shuffling movement. 

More water, and an angry gasp; the Kaffir raised his head, looked up atthe sky, the dripping eaves--looked round, and settled down to sleep. 

All this was invisible to Dyke, but he could tell by the sounds that hisshower was having effect; and as soon as the man ceased to move, the boysent down a third of the bucketful. 

This produced a sharp ejaculation, and the man sprang up into a sittingposition, and looking angrily round, saw that Emson was standing faraway with the horses, and that no one else was near. His next glancewas at the cloudless sky, and the dripping eaves, to which a few brightdrops still hung and ceased to fall. 

Only a rare shower, the man seemed to think; and, muttering to himself, he shuffled a little into a dry spot to lie down yawning, when rush camethe rest of the water, deluging him this time, and making him jump upand burst into a torrent of objurgations against the sky in his owntongue, shaking both his fists the while, till, _bang, clatter, crash_!the bucket came rattling down, and he turned and ran out toward whereEmson stood looking on. 

Dyke descended quickly, and making a circuit, he ran round, and thenappeared slowly from the end of a fence fifty yards from the house, walking quietly across to join his brother. 

As he drew near, the Kaffir was gesticulating and talking away in brokenEnglish, mingled with more words of his own tongue; and when Dyke joinedthem and took the rein of his little cob, the man turned excitedly tohim. 

"What's the matter, Jack?"

The Kaffir looked at him suspiciously for a moment or two, but Dykemounted and returned the gaze in the most unruffled manner. 

"Big rain--big wet rain--big water--big bucket--all wet, wet, " cried theKaffir. 

"Make the mealies grow, " said Dyke coolly. 

"Make mealie grow!" cried the man. Then a change came over him. Thelook of doubt and wonder became one of certainty, and his faceexpanded into a broad grin which displayed all his white teeth. "Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah!" he cried, pointing to a couple of wet patches onthe leg of the boy's trousers; "you make rain--Massa Dyky make rain. Wet, wet. Ah-ah-ah-ah!"

"You come along and help drive the ostrich, " said Dyke, setting his cobto canter; and, followed by the Kaffir at a quick trot, which soon driedup his moisture, they went over the heated red sand toward where thespeck in the distance had been pointed out as the object they sought. 

CHAPTER THREE. 

AN OSTRICH RACE. 

"I say, Joe, you are right, " said Dyke now, with animation. "'Tisn'thalf so hot riding. "

"Of course not. One begins to get moist, and the sun and air bring afeeling of coolness. It's only the making a start. Now then, shall Itry to cut him off?"

"No, no!" cried Dyke excitedly; "I'll do it. I'll make the brute run. You follow up. "

"Right!" said Emson; "that is, unless he tracks my way. "

"Oh, he won't do that, " said Dyke, with a merry laugh, and in hisanimation the boy seemed to be quite transformed. 

It was a good long ride to where the ostrich they sought to bring backto its pen could be seen stalking about, looking about as big as aguinea-fowl, but gradually growing taller and taller to its pursuers asthey rode on. After a time it ceased picking about and ran first in onedirection and then in another, as if undecided which line of country totake before leading its pursuers a wild race out and across the veldt. 

By this time it looked fully four feet high; soon after it was fullyfive, as it stood up with its neck stretched out, and its weak, large-eyed, flat head turned to them with a malicious expression. 

The trio now separated, the horsemen riding more and more apart as theyadvanced, till they were each a couple of hundred yards from the Kaffir, who suddenly uttered a warning cry, to indicate that the great bird wasbeginning to run off straight away. 

"All right, Jack, I see, " cried Dyke; and pressing his cob's sides hewent off at a gallop, not, however, in pursuit of the bird, which ranright forward, with its head turned to watch its pursuers all the time. 

Dyke's tactics, the result of experience, were of quite another kind. He turned his cob's head, and went off like the wind at right angles tothe course the ostrich was taking, and the effect was instantaneous. There was all the open veldt, or plain, spreading out for hundreds ofmiles before the bird, and it had only to dart off and leave theswiftest horse far behind. But its would-be cunning nature suggested toit that its enemy had laid a deep scheme to cut it off, and instead ofgoing straight away, it turned on the instant to spin along in the samedirection as that taken by the boy, and get right across him. 

"Ah, you silly, muddled-brained, flat-headed idiot!" yelled Dyke, as heraced along over the plain, his steed sending the red sand flying atevery spurn of its hoofs as it stretched itself out. "I'll be therefirst, and cut him off. You can't do it--you can't do it. Ah-h-h-h!"

This last shout, ending in a rattle of the tongue, seemed to stimulatethe little cob to make fresh efforts; and laughing merrily to himself inthe exhilaration of the race, Dyke had only to keep slightly drawing hisleft rein, to make the ostrich curve more and more round towards him, till he had actually deluded the bird into taking the exact direction hewished--namely, right for the pens from which it had escaped. 

On sped the cob, running over the sand like a greyhound, and on rushedthe ostrich, its long legs going with a half-invisible twinkling effectlike that produced by the spokes of a rapidly revolving wheel; its wingswere half-extended, its plumage ruffled, and its long neck stretchedout, with its flattened head slightly turned in the direction of therider. 

And so they rode on and on, till the low range of buildings in frontbecame nearer, the yellow sunflower disks grew bigger, and the sunglared from the white house. Still the bird saw nothing of this, butcontinued to run in its curve, trying to pass its pursuer, till all atonce it woke to the fact that there was a long range of wire fencebefore it, over which were bobbing about the heads of Joe Emson's flockof its fellows, and there it was with the fence in front, and the twohorsemen and Kaffir behind. 

Then there was a change of tactics. 

Dyke, who was hundreds of yards in front of his companions, knew whatwas coming, and gave his short-handled rhinoceros-hide whip a whishthrough the air, and then cracked it loudly, while a chorus ofdiscordant cries arose from the pens. 

"Give up, you ugly old rascal, or I'll twist this round your long neck, "cried Dyke; and a great chorus arose from the pens, as if the tame birdswithin the wire fence were imploring the great truant to be good, andcome home. 

But nothing was further from the great bird's thoughts. It could easilynow have darted away, but it felt that it was driven to bay, and beganto show fight in the most vicious fashion, snapping its flat beak, hissing, snorting, rattling its plumage, and undulating its long neck, as it danced about, till it looked like a boa constrictor which hadpartially developed into a bird. 

Then it dashed at its pursuer, snapping at him in its rushes. But thebill was not the thing to mind; a few lashes with the whip were enoughto ward off its attack. The danger to be avoided came from thosetremendous legs, which could deliver kicks hard enough to break a man'sbones. 

Three times over did the great bird strike at Dyke, as it was drivendown to the pen with lash after lash of the whip, which wrapped roundthe neck, as the head rose fully eight feet above the ground. Then cameanother stroke which took effect, not upon Dyke's leg, but upon thehorse's flank, just behind the stirrup, in spite of the clever littleanimal's bounds to avoid the kicks. 

What followed was instantaneous. The horse whirled round, snorting withpain, and struck out at his enemy, sending out its heels with suchviolence and effect, that they came in contact with one of the ostrich'sshanks, and the next moment the giant bird came to the ground, a heap offeathers, from which the long neck kept darting, and one leg deliveringheavy blows. 

CHAPTER FOUR. 

ANOTHER FAILURE?

"Why, Dyke, boy, you've done it now, " cried Joe Emson, cantering closeup, his horse snorting as the ostrich struck at him with its snake-likehead. 

"Yes, you had better have left me where I was by the spring, " said theboy disconsolately. "I hated the old wretch, but I didn't want to hurthim. "

"I know, my lad, I know, " said Emson. "I'm not blaming you, but it doesseem a pity. What bad luck I do have with these birds, to be sure. --Liestill, you savage; you can't get up!"

This to the bird, which, after striking at him two or three times, madea desperate effort to rise, fluttering and beating with its wings, andhopping a little, but trailing its broken leg as it made for the pen, within which were all its friends. 

"Yes, you had better have stayed at home, old fellow, " said Dyke, apostrophising the unhappy bird; "then you wouldn't have got into thisstate. --I say, Joe, couldn't we set its leg? It would soon growtogether again. "

"If he were one of the quiet old hens, I'd say yes; but it would beimpossible. Directly we went near, there would be a kick or a peck. "

"I'll try, " said Dyke; and going gently toward where the bird laycrouched in a heap, he spoke softly to it, as he had been accustomed tospeak to the others when going to feed them. But his advance was thesignal for the bird to draw back its head, its eyes flashing angrily, while it emitted a fierce roaring sound that was like that of somesavage, cat-like beast. It struck out with beak and wings, and madedesperate efforts to rise. 

"Stop!" cried Emson sharply. 

"I'm not afraid, " cried Dyke. "I'll get hold of his neck, and try andhold him. "

"I know, " said his brother; "but the poor creature will knock itself topieces. "

"But so it will if you leave it quiet, " cried Dyke; and then, sharply:"Ah! you cowardly brutes, let him alone. "

This was to some half-a-dozen cock birds in the pen, which, possibly inremembrance of the many times they had been thrashed and driven aboutthe pen by their injured king, seized the opportunity of his downfall tothrust out their long necks and begin striking at him savagely, seizinghim by the feathers, and dragging them out, till he shuffled beyondtheir reach. 

"His fate's sealed if he is put with the rest; that's very evident, "said Emson. 

"Killum!" said the Kaffir, nodding his head. 

"Let's shut him up in the stable, " said Dyke, "and tie him down while weset his leg. "

"It would mean such a desperate struggle that the poor bird would neverget over it; and if it did, it would mope and die. Better put it out ofits misery. "

Just then a big rough dog came out of the house, where it had beenhaving a long sleep through the hot part of the day, and after givingDyke a friendly wag of the tail, walked slowly toward the injuredostrich. 

That was enough to make the bird draw back its head and strike at thedog, which avoided the blow, and growling fiercely, prepared to resentthe attack. 

"Come away, Duke, " cried Dyke. "To heel, sir. "

The dog growled and seemed to protest, but went obediently behind hisyounger master. 

"I had better shoot the bird, Dyke, " said Emson. 

"No, no; don't. Let's have a try to save it. Perhaps when it findsthat we want to do it good, it will lie quiet. "

"No, " said Emson; "it will take it as meant for war. "

"Well, let's try, " said Dyke. --"Here, Breezy: stable. "

The cob walked slowly away toward its shed, and the other horsefollowed, while Dyke hurriedly fetched a couple of pieces of rope, formed of twisted antelope skin. 

"What do you propose doing?" said Emson. 

"All run in together, and tie his neck to one wing; then he'll behelpless, and we can tie his thighs together. You can set the legthen. "

"Well, I'll try, " said Emson. "Wait till I've cut a couple of pieces ofwood for splints. What can I get?"

"Bit of box-lid, " replied Dyke; and in a few minutes Emson returned, bearing in addition a flat roll of stout webbing, such as is used byupholsterers, and by the poor emigrants to lace together across a frame, and form the beds upon which they stretch their weary bones at night. 

"I think I can set it, and secure it, " said Emson. 

"Why, of course you can. "

"Yes, but as soon as it's done, the poor brute will kick it off. Nowthen, how about tying him?"

"Rush him, " said Dyke laconically. "Come along, Jack, and help. "

But the Kaffir shook his head rapidly. 

"Why, hullo! You won't back out, Jack?"

"No. Him kick, bite: no good. "

"Never you mind that, " cried Dyke. "You rush in with us, and hold hishead, while we take his legs and wings. Do you understand?"

"No, " said the Kaffir, shaking his head. "Killum--killum!" and he madea gesture as if striking with a club. 

"Not going to kill, " cried Dyke. "You rush in and hold the head. Doyou understand?"

"No, " said the Kaffir. 

"He won't, " cried Emson. "We shall have to do it ourselves, Dyke. Makea noose and lasso the brute's head. Then when I run in to seize theleg, you drag the neck tight down to the wing, and hold it there. "

Dyke nodded, made a noose at the end of his hide rope, and advancedgently toward the ostrich, which struck at him, but only to dart itshead through the loop; and this was drawn tight. 

"Now, Joe, ready?" cried the boy, as the dog set up a furious barking, and joined in the rush that was made by the brothers, who succeeded inpinning down the bird. Emson holding the legs, while avoiding a buffetfrom the uppermost wing, Dyke slipped the rope round the bone, draggeddown the head, and after a furious struggle, the bird lay still. 

"Think you can manage now?" panted Dyke, who was hot from exertion. 

"Yes; I'll tie his legs together, after setting the broken one. It'sthe only chance for him. "

"Yes; it's all right, " cried Dyke; "he's getting weaker, and giving in. "

"Seems like it, " said his brother sarcastically, for as the boy spoke, the great bird began to beat with its wings with terrific violence, keeping it up for fully five minutes, and giving the pair a hard task tohold it down, while the Kaffir looked on calmly enough, and the dog kepton charging in, as if eager to seize one of the legs, and hold it still. 

"Well, there then, he is giving in now, " panted Dyke, who had beencompelled to put forth all his strength to keep from being thrown off bythe violent buffeting of the bird's wings. "Look sharp, and get itdone. "

Dyke got one hand at liberty now to wipe the feather-down from his face, where the perspiration made it adhere, and as he looked up, he could notrefrain from laughing aloud at the row of comical flat heads peeringover the wire fence, where the ostriches in the pen were gatheredtogether to look on. 

"Yes, " said Emson gravely; "he is giving in now, poor brute. He'llnever hunt the young cocks round the enclosure again. "

"And they know it, too, " cried Dyke. "Look at them wagging their sillyold heads and trying to look cunning. --But hullo why don't you go on?"

"Can't you see?" said Emson. "The horse's hoofs must have struck him inthe side as well. The poor old goblin is dead. "

Dyke leaped to his feet in dismay, and stared sceptically from hisbrother to the bird, and back again and again. 

It was true enough: the great bird, which so short a time ago wasseeming to spin with such wonderful speed across the veldt that its legswere nearly invisible, now lay on its side, with the stilt-like membersperfectly still, one being stretched out to its full length, the otherin a peculiar double angle, through the broken bone making a freshjoint. 

"Oh, the poor old goblin!" said the boy, hurriedly unloosening the reinwhich held down its head. "I didn't choke it, did I? No: look, theloop was quite big. "

"No; the ribs are crushed in, " said Emson, feeling beneath the beautifulplumage. "Another loss, Dyke. We shall find out all his good qualitiesnow. "

"Breezy kick and killum, " said the Kaffir sententiously. "Bird kick, horse kick; killum--shouldn't kick. "

"Here, you go back to your kraal, and set up for a wise man of thesouth, " cried Dyke pettishly. "How long did it take you to find out allthat?" "Yes, killum dead, " said the Kaffir, nodding. "Bosh!" criedDyke, turning impatiently away. "Well, we must make the best of it, "said Emson then. "His feathers will be worth something, for they are infine condition. Let's get them off at once. "

The heat of the sun was forgotten, and so was Dyke's want of energy, forhe set to work manfully, helping his brother to cut off the abundantplumes, tying them up in loose bundles with the quill ends level, thatthey might dry, and carefully carrying them into the room used forstoring feathers, eggs, and such curiosities as were collected from timeto time; Dyke having displayed a hobby for bringing home stones, crystals, birds' eggs, and any attractive piece of ore, that he foundduring his travels. These were ranged in an old case, standing uprightagainst the corrugated iron wall, where, a few boardings nailed acrossfor shelves, the boy had an extremely rough but useful cabinet, the lidof the case forming the door when attached by a pair of leather hingestacked on with wire nails. 

"There, " said Emson, when the last plumes had been removed; "what do yousay to having the skin off? It will make a mat. "

Dyke nodded, and the Kaffir now helping, the bird's tough skin wasstripped off, and laid, feathers downward, on the roof to dry. 

"Jackals can't reach it there, can they?" said Emson. 

"No, I think not. Leopard might come and pull it down. "

"Yes: don't let Duke be out of a night; there has been one hanging aboutlately. --But what are you going to do?"

"Dissect him, " said Dyke, who was on his knees with his sharpsheath-knife in his hand. 

"Nonsense! Leave it now. "

"I want to see the poor old goblin's gizzard, and open it. I know hehas got knives and all sorts of things inside. "

"Then you may look, " said Emson. "I'm going to feed the horses and havea wash; they haven't been unsaddled yet. "

He went to the thorn-fence and disappeared, while, hot and tired now, Dyke made short work of opening the great bird, and dragging out thegizzard, which he opened as a cook does that of a fowl, and exclaimedaloud at the contents:

"Here, Jack, fetch me some water in the tin;" and while the "boy" wasgone, Dyke scraped out on to the sand quite a heap of pieces of flintystone, rough crystals, and some pieces of iron, rusty nails, and agood-sized piece of hoop. 

"I must have a look at you afterwards, " said the boy, as he picked outsome forty or fifty of the dingy-looking rough crystals, gave them a rubover and over in the dry sand upon which he knelt, to dry them, and thenthrust them--a good handful--into his pocket. 

"Do for the collection, " he said to himself with a laugh. "Label:crystals of quartz, discovered in a goblin's gizzard by Vandyke Emson, Esquire, F. A. S. , Kopfontein, South Africa. "

"Wanterwater?"

"Yes, I do `wanterwater, '" cried Dyke, turning sharply on the Kaffir, who had returned. "I want to wash my hands. Look at 'em, Jack!"

"Narcy!" said the man, making a grimace. 

"Hold hard, though; let's have a drink first, " cried the boy. "It looksclean;" and raising the tin, he took a deep draught before using thevessel for a good wash, taking a handful of sand in the place of soap. 

"Find the knife?" said Emson, coming back from the stable. 

"No, but look here, " cried Dyke, pointing to the great piece ofhoop-iron. "Fancy a bird swallowing that. "

"Iron is good for birds, I suppose, " said Emson quietly. --"Here, Jack, drag that bird right away off; remember, a good way. Mind, I don't wantthe jackals too close to-night. "

The Kaffir nodded, seized the bird's legs as if they were the shafts ofa cart or handles of a wheelbarrow. 

The load was heavy, though, and he shook his head, with reason, for sucha bird weighed three hundred pounds, and it spoke well for its legmuscles that it could go at the rate of forty or fifty miles an hour. 

"Too big, " grumbled Jack; so Dyke seized one of the legs, and togetherthey walked away with the dead bird, dragging it quite a quarter of amile out beyond the ostrich-pens, ready for the jackals to come and playscavenger. After which Dyke returned to his brother, and they went into where Tanta Sal, Jack's wife, had prepared a substantial meal. 

CHAPTER FIVE. 

BIG BIRDNESTING. 

"You're a dissatisfied young dog, Dyke, " cried Joe Emsongood-humouredly, as he smiled down from his high horse at his brother;"always grumbling. "

"I'm not, " cried Dyke indignantly. 

"You are, boy. Just as if any one could be low-spirited when he isyoung and strong, out in this wide free place on such a lovely morning. "

"It's all right enough now, " replied Dyke, "because it's early and cool;but it is so horribly lonely. "

"Lonely! Why, I'm always with you, " cried Emson--"the best of company. Then you've Jack and Tanta Sal, and Duke, and Breezy, and all theostriches for pets, and the oxen; while, if you want more company, there's old Oom Schlagen out one way, and old Morgenstern out theother. "

"Ugh! Stupid old Boers!" cried Dyke. 

"Well, they're civil to you, and that's more than Oom Schlagen is to me. It's because you have got that Dutch name. I say, father meant you tobe a painter, I'll be bound, and here you are, an ostrich-farmer. "

"Oh yes, and we're going to be very rich when the birds are all dead. "

"And they seem as if they meant to die, all of them, " said Emson sadly, as he rode along by his brother, each with his rifle across hissaddle-bow. "I don't seem to have got hold of the right way of managingthem, Dyke: we must follow nature more by watching the habits of thewild ones. I have tried so hard, too. "

"Ha, ha, ha!" laughed Dyke merrily. "Who's grumbling now!"

"That's better, and more like yourself, old fellow, " said Emson, smilingdown pleasantly. "That's more like the light-hearted chap who promisedto stick to and help me like a brother should. You hurt me, Dyke, whenyou turn so low-spirited and sulky. I've plenty of troubles, though Isay little, over my venture here; and when I see you so down, it worriesme more than I can say. "

They rode on over the open veldt that glorious morning in silence forsome minutes, and Dyke looked down at his horse's mane. 

"It makes me feel that I have done wrong in bringing a bright, happy ladaway from home and his studies to this wild solitary place. I ought tohave known better, and that it was not natural for a boy like you tofeel the hard stern determination to get on that I, ten years older, possessed. I ought to have known that, as soon as the novelty hadpassed away, you would begin to long for change. Father did warn me, but I said to him: `I'm a man, and he's only a boy; but we've beentogether so much, and always been companions, Dyke and I can't helpgetting on together. '"

"And we can't, " cried the boy in a husky voice. "Don't, please don't, Joe, old chap; I can't bear it. I've been a beast. "

"Oh, come, come, " cried Emson, leaning over to clap him on the shoulder;"I didn't mean to upset you like that. "

"But I'm glad you have, " cried Dyke in half-suffocated tones. "I knowwell enough I have been a beast to you, Joe, and the more quiet andpatient you've been with me, the worse I've got, till I quite hatemyself. "

"Oh no, not so bad as that. "

"Yes, " cried Dyke excitedly, "it's been worse; and all the while you'vebeen the dear, good old chap to me; just the same as it always was whenI was little, and grew tired and cross when we were out, and you took meup on your back and carried me miles and miles home. "

"Why, of course I did, " said Emson, smiling. 

"There's no of course in it. I was always petty and disagreeable, andready to impose on your good-nature; but you never had an unkind wordfor me. "

"Well, you were such a little one, and I was always so big. "

"I can see it all, Joe, and it's made me miserable many a time; but thekinder you've been, the worse it has made me. You and father alwaysspoiled and petted me. "

"Not we. Only kind to you, because we liked you. I say, Dyke, whatgames we used to have! You see, I never had a brother till you came. There, it's all right. Now then for a canter. "

"Not yet, " said Dyke. "I feel as if I could talk to you this morning. "

"But you have talked, and it's all over now; so come along. "

"No, " cried Dyke firmly, and he caught his brother's rein. 

"I say, old chap, are you the boss here, or am I?"

"I am, this morning, " said the boy, looking up in his brother's bigmanly face. "I want you to listen to me. "

"Well, go ahead then, and let's get it over. "

"It's been like this, Joe. I've got in a bad way of thinking lately. It's all been so disappointing, and no matter what one did, nothing cameright. "

"Yes, that's true enough, old chap, " said Emson, rather drearily; "andwe have tried precious hard. "

"You have, Joe, and I've been a regular sulky, disappointed sort ofbrute. "

"Coat been a bit rough, Dyke, old chap, eh? Out of sorts. "

"I suppose in my head; but, Joe, I am sorry--I can't say it as I shouldlike to, but I--I will try now. "

"Just as if I didn't know. We've been chums so long, old man, eversince you first took to me when I was a big stupid fellow, all legs likea colt, and as ugly, and you were a pretty little golden-haired chap, always wanting to stick your soft chubby little fist in my big paw. There, it's all right. Old times again, old un, and we're going to doit yet, eh?"

"And you'll forgive me, Joe?" said Dyke earnestly. 

"Forgive you?" cried Emson, looking at his brother with his big pleasantmanly face all in wrinkles. "Get along with you! What is there toforgive?"

"I will try now and help you, Joe; I will, indeed. "

"Of course you will, old chap, " cried Joe, a little huskily too; "and ifyou and I can't win yet, in spite of the hot sun and the disease and thewicked ways of those jolly old stilt-stalkers, nobody can. "

"Yes, we will win, Joe, " cried Dyke enthusiastically. 

"That's your sort!" cried Emson. "We'll have a good long try, and ifthe ostriches don't pay, we'll hunt, as, I know, we've got plenty ofroom out here: we'll have an elephant farm instead, and grow ivory, andhave a big warehouse for making potted elephant to send and sell at homefor a breakfast appetiser. Who's going to give up, eh? Now, then, whatabout this canter? The horses want a breather--they're getting fidgety. I say, feel better now, old chap, don't you?"

Dyke pinched his lips together and nodded shortly. 

"So do I. --Here! What's that?"

He checked his horse, and pointed far away in the distance. 

"Ostrich!" cried Dyke. 

"Yes, I saw her rise and start off! My word! how she is going. I cansee the spot where she got up, and must keep my eyes on it. There's anest there, for a pound. That means luck this morning. Come alongsteady. Lucky I brought the net. Why, Dyke, old chap, the tide's goingto turn, and we shall do it yet. "

"But the goblin's dead. "

"Good job, too. There's as good ostriches in the desert as ever cameout, though they are fowl instead of fish. It's my belief we shallsnatch out of that nest a better game-cock bird than ever the goblinwas, and without his temper. Come along. "

Dyke felt glad of the incident occurring when it did, for his mind wasin a peculiar state just then. His feelings were mingled. He feltrelieved and satisfied by having shifted something off his mind, but atthe same time there would come a sense of false shame, and a fancy thathe had behaved childishly, when it was as brave and manly a speech--thatconfession--as ever came from his lips. 

All the same, on they rode. And now the sky looked brighter; thereseemed to be an elasticity in the air. Breezy had never carried Dyke sowell before, and a sensation came over him, making him feel that he mustshout and sing and slacken his rein, and gallop as hard as the cob couldgo. 

"Yohoy there! steady, lad, " cried Emson; "not so fast, or I shall losethe spot. It's hard work, little un, keeping your eye on anything, withthe horse pitching you up and down. "

Hard work, indeed, for there was no tree, bush, or hillock out in thedirection they were taking, and by which the young Englishman could markdown the spot where he imagined the nest to be. 

So Dyke slackened speed, and with his heart throbbing in a pleasantlyexhilarated fashion, he rode steadily on beside his brother, feeling asif the big fellow were the boy once more whom as a child he used totease and be chased playfully in return. Emson's way of speaking, too, enhanced the feeling. 

"I say, little un, " he cried, "what a game if there's no nest after all. You won't be disappointed, will you?"

"Of course not. "

"'Member me climbing the big elm at the bottom of the home-close to getthe mag's nest?"

"To be sure I do. "

"Didn't think we two would ever go bird's-nesting in Africa then, didwe?"

"No; but do you think there is a nest out yonder, Joe?"

"I do, " cried Emson, "I've seen several hen birds about the last fewdays; but I never could make out which way they came or went. I've beenon the lookout, too, for one rising from the ground. "

"But is this a likely place for a nest?"

"Well, isn't it? I should say it's the very spot. Now, just look: herewe are in an open plain, where a bird can squat down in the sand andlook around for twenty miles--if she can see so far--in every direction, and see danger coming, whether it's a man, a lion, or a jackal, andshuffle off her nest, and make tracks long before whatever it is getsnear enough to make out where she rose. Of course I don't know whetherwe shall find the nest, if there is one. It's hard enough to find alark's or a partridge's nest at home in an open field of forty or fiftyacres; so of course, big though the nest is, and the bird, it's a dealharder, out in a field hundreds of miles square, eh?"

"Of course it is. "

"'Scuse my not looking round at you when I'm speaking, old chap; but ifI take my eye off the spot, I shall never find it again. "

"I say, don't be so jolly particular, Joe, " cried Dyke, laughing. 

"Why not? It's just what you and I ought to be, " said the big fellowwith simple earnestness. "We're out here in a savage land, but we don'twant to grow into savages, nor yet to be as blunt and gruff as twobears. I'm not going to forget that the dear old governor at home is agentleman, even if his sons do rough it out here. "

"Till they're regular ruffians, Joe. --I say: see the nest?"

"Oh no; it's a mile away yet. "

"Then there isn't one. You couldn't have seen it at all that distance. "

"I never said I could see the nest, did I? It was enough for me thatI've seen the birds about, and that I caught sight of that one makingoff this morning. We call them stupid, and they are in some things; butthey're precious cunning in others. "

"But if they were only feeding?"

"Why, then, there's no nest. But I say breeding, and not feeding; andthat's rhyme if you take it in time, as the old woman said. "

"But you talked about hen birds. Then there may be more than one nest?"

"Not here. Why, you know how a lot of them lay in the same nest. "

"At home, shut up in pens, but not on the veldt. "

"Why, of course they do, and 'tis their nature to, like the bears andlions in Dr Watts. You don't know everything quite yet, old chap. Ifyou took the glass, and came and lay out here for two or three days andnights, and always supposing the birds didn't see you--because if theydid they'd be deserting the nest and go somewhere else--you'd see firstone hen come to lay and then another, perhaps six of them; and whenthey'd packed the nest as full as it would hold, with the sand banked upround the eggs to keep them tight in their places with the pointsdownwards, so as to be close, you'd see hen after hen come and take herturn, sitting all day, while the cock bird comes at nights and takes histurn, because he's bigger and stronger, and better able to pitch intothe prowling jackals. "

"How did you know all this, Joe?"

"Partly observation, partly from what I've heard Jack say, " repliedEmson modestly. "Everything comes in useful. I daresay you won'trepent saving up all those odds and ends of stones and shells and eggsyou've got at home. "

"Why, I often thought you'd feel they were a nuisance, Joe. I did seeyou laugh at them more than once. "

"Smile, old man, smile--that's all. I like it. You might grow aregular museum out of small beginnings like that. "

"Then we ought to have stuffed the goblin, " cried Dyke merrily. 

"Oh, come, no; that wouldn't do. Our tin house isn't the BritishMuseum; but I would go on collecting bits of ore and things. You mayfind something worth having one of these days, besides picking up a lotof knowledge. I'd put that piece of old iron the ostrich swallowedalong with the rest. "

"Would you?"

"Yes; but now let's have all eyes, and no tongues, old chap. We aregetting near where that bird got up off the nest. "

"If there was one. "

"If there was one, " assented Emson. "Now then: think you're mushroomingout in the old field at home, and see if you can't find the nest. Moveoff now a couple of hundred yards, and keep your eyes open. "

Dyke followed out his brother's advice, and for the next hour they rodeover the ground here and there, to and fro, and across and across, scanning the sandy depressions, till Emson suddenly drew rein, andshouted to Dyke, who was a quarter of a mile away. 

Dyke sent his cob off at a gallop and joined him. 

"Found it?" he cried excitedly. 

"No, old fellow. It's a failure this time. Man wants sharp eyes to getthe better of an ostrich. I made sure we should get it, but we're done. We've been over the ground times enough, and it's of no use. "

"What! give up?" cried Dyke merrily. "Didn't say we'd find it the firsttime, but I mean to have that nest, if I try till to-morrow morning. "

"Well done, little un, " shouted Emson, laughing. "That's the rightspirit, and I should like to have had the eggs; it would have started uson again. But I'm afraid we shall be wasting time, for we've lost countnow of the position where I saw the bird rise, and in this great wastewe may wander farther and farther away. "

"But we can tell by the hoof-marks where we've been. "

"Yes; and we've pretty well examined the ground. I tell you what, we'llbring the glass this evening, and lie down watching till dark. We maysee a bird come to the nest, and then we'll mark down the place, and oneshall stop back, while the other rides forward, and number one cantelegraph which way to go with his arms. "

"I am disappointed, " said Dyke, looking round about him over the levelplain. 

"So am I, old chap, but we won't be damped. It's only putting it off. --What are you looking at?"

"That, " said Dyke; and, kicking his nag's sides, he went off at a canterfor a couple of hundred yards, and then sent up a joyous shout. 

"Why, he has found it!" cried Emson; and galloping up, there sat Dyke, flushed and happy, beside a depression in the sand, evidently scrapedout, and with the sand banked round to keep the eggs in their places. There they all were, thirty-nine in number, neatly arranged with theirpoints downward, while outside were several more, and on Dyke bendingdown, he found that they were all of a comfortable temperature; thoselying outside being cold, and apparently freshly laid. 

"Well, you have eyes, old chap!" cried Emson, slapping his brother onthe shoulder, and then proceeding to loosen a coarsely meshed net frombehind his saddle. "Bravo, Dyke! I told you the tide had turned. We'll get these home at once and put them under one of our hens. Shouldn't wonder if we get a nice little lot of chicks from these. "

"If we can get them home without breaking. "

"Oh, we'll do that, " cried Emson, dismounting and spreading out the netupon the sand before they began carefully removing the spoil of thenest--that is to say, the eggs, which evidently contained chicks. 

This done, the net was folded over and tied here and there so as to forma long bag, the ends fastened securely; and each taking an end, theymounted, and swinging between them the huge bag, which now weighednearly a hundredweight, started for home. They left the new-laid eggsto be fetched that evening, or next morning, leaving them just as theywere spread, looking clean and fresh, about the outside of the nest, much to Dyke's regret. 

"Why, we could manage them too, " he said. 

"We might, but if we did we should have mixed them up with the others, which would be a pity; for if we put them under a bird, they would onlybe addled, whereas if we keep them separate, they will be good either toset under another hen, or to eat. They will not hurt there. "

Dyke said no more, but held on tightly to the end of the net, helpinghis brother to keep their horses a sufficient distance apart, so thatthe egg purse might keep well off the ground, and not be shaken too muchby the horses' gentle pace. 

"Wonder what the young birds think of their ride, " said Dyke merrily. "We shall have one of them chipping an egg presently, and poking out hishead to see what's the matter, and why things are getting so cold. "

"Cold, in this scorching sun!" said Emson; "why it would hatch them out. Hold tight. "

"Right it is!" cried Dyke in seafaring style. "I say, what a smash itwould be if I let go!"

"Ah, it would, " said Emson; "but you won't. Cry stop when you're tired, and we'll change hands. --Steady, boy!" he continued to his horse, whichseemed disposed to increase its speed, and they jogged gently alongagain. 

"I always used to read that the ostriches did lay their eggs in the sandand leave them for the sun to hatch. "

"There is some truth in it, " said Emson; "but the old writers didn't getto the bottom of it. The sun would hatch them if it kept on shining, but the cold nights would chill the eggs and undo all the day's work. It's of a night that the birds sit closest. --Like to change now?"

"Yes: they are getting heavy for one's wrist, " said Dyke; and the greatpurse was lowered to the ground, the eggs clicking together as if madeof china. Then the brothers changed places and hands; raised the net;the horses hung apart again, and the slow journey was resumed. 

"Gently!" cried Dyke before they had gone very far. "If you hang awayso hard, I shall be dragged out of the saddle. "

The tension was relaxed, and they went on again riding by slow degreesback to Kopfontein, which they finally reached with their heavy andfragile load intact. 

Dyke was hungry enough, but they neither ate nor rested till their eggswere borne into one of the pens where three hens and their husband had anest which contained only ten eggs, and these were known to be addled, for the time was long past for hatching; and upon the brothersapproaching the nest, there was a great deal of hissing and cackling, the cock bird beginning to roar like a lion, and stalking menacinglyround the net, which he kept on inspecting curiously. 

"Be on the lookout for a kick, " said Emson, as the net was lowered. 

"Oh, he won't kick me--will you, old chap?" cried Dyke, giving the largebird a playful poke, which had the effect of sending him offremonstrating angrily, as if he resented such liberties being taken withhis ribs. For he turned when he reached the fence, and stood flutteringhis short wings, clucking, and making threatening gestures with hishead. 

The hen bird sitting was much more amenable to their approach, for, after a little persuasion, she rose in a very stately way, blinked herrather human-looking, eye-lashed optics, and stalked to the other wivesto stand with them, hissing and cackling a little, while the bad eggswere removed and the fresh thirty-nine were put in their place, Emsonarranging them as regularly as he could in accordance with the bird'shabits. 

But as Dyke handed them to him one by one, they had hard work to getthem in on account of the impatience displayed by the wives, two ofwhich displayed a great eagerness to have first sit upon the nestful, and needing to be kept off until all were ready. 

Then began a severe quarrel, and a good deal of pecking before theyoungest and strongest succeeded in mounting upon the nest, shufflingthe eggs about so as to get them more in accordance with her own idea ofthe fitness of things, and then, when all were in order, she settleddown with her plumage regularly covering up the eggs, while the otherbirds now looked on. 

"Do you double up your perambulators?" said Dyke mockingly. "Yes, madam, I see you do; but pray don't put a toe through either of theshells. "

The hen uttered a strangely soft clucking kind of noise, as if in reply, and there was a peculiar look of satisfaction about the huge tamecreature as she covered the gigantic clutch. 

"So they are, " said Dyke--"something like eggs, aren't they?--I say, look at the others, " he continued, as they stalked off to go apparentlyto discuss the new arrivals with the cock bird over at the other side ofthe enclosure. 

"There, " said Emson, "you can have these addled eggs cleaned out, Dyke, and we'll make chunking cups of them. When shall we fetch the otherlot? This evening?"

"If you like. "

"No; we'll leave it till to-morrow, and give the nags a rest. "

CHAPTER SIX. 

LIONS AT HOME. 

Fortune smiled her brightest upon Joseph Emson when they first came upthe country, travelling for months in their wagon, till Kopfontein, withits never-failing spring in the granite chasm, was settled upon as beinga capital place to carry out the idea of the ostrich-farm. Then therough house was run up, and in course of time pens and other enclosuresmade, and by very slow degrees stocked with the gigantic birds, principally by help of Kaffir servants; Jack showing himself to be veryclever in finding nests of eggs, but afterwards proving lazy andindifferent, excusing himself on the plea that "Baas got all eggs. Nomore. All gone. "

It seemed to be a capital idea, and promised plenty of success, for atfirst the feathers they obtained from the Kaffirs sold well, makingcapital prices when sent down to Cape Town. Then the supply from thenative hunters began to fail; and when at last the young farmers hadplumes to sell of their own raising, prices had gone down terribly, andEmson saw plainly enough that he was losing by his venture. 

Then he began to lose his birds by accident, by the destructivepropensities of the goblin and a vicious old hen or two; and lastly, some kind of epidemic, which they dubbed ostrich chicken-pox, carriedthe young birds off wholesale. 

Then Dyke began to be damped, and grew dull, and soon his brother becamelow-spirited too, and for a whole year matters had gone on from bad toworse; Emson often asking himself whether it was not time to make afresh start, but always coming to the same frame of mind that it was toosoon to be beaten yet, and keeping a firm upper lip in the presence ofhis brother. 

The morning after the finding of the ostrich's nest, they started again, taking the net, and keeping a keen lookout in the hope of discoveringanother. 

"There's no reason why we should not, " said Emson. "I've been too easywith Jack; he has not disturbed the birds around for months. "

"I think we can find the nest again, " said Dyke. 

"Why not? We'll find it by the footmarks, if we cannot any other way. But I think I can ride straight to it. "

They kept a sharp lookout, but no ostrich sprang up in the distance andsped away like the wind. About six miles from home, though, somethingelse was seen lying right out on the plain, to which Dyke pointed. 

"A bird?" cried Emson. "Yes, I see it. No; a beast. Why, Dyke, oldchap, there are two of them. What shall we do? Creep in and try ashot, or let them go off?"

"I should try a shot, " said the boy excitedly. "Why, one is a big-manedfellow. "

"Then perhaps we had better let them alone. "

"What! to come and pull down one of the oxen. No: let's have a shot atthem. "

"Very well, " said Emson quietly; "but see that you have a couple ofbullets in your rifle. Make sure. "

He set the example by opening the breech of his piece, and carefullyexamining the cartridges before replacing them. 

"All right, " he cried. "Now, look here, Dyke. Be ready and smart, ifthe brutes turn upon us to charge. Sit fast, and give Breezy his headthen. No lion would overtake him. Only you must be prepared for asharp wheel round, for if the brutes come on with a roar, your cob willspin about like a teetotum. "

But no satisfactory shot was obtained, for when they were about aquarter of a mile away, a big, dark-maned lion rose to his feet, stoodstaring at them for nearly a minute, and then started off at a canter, closely followed by its companion. 

Dyke looked sharply round at his brother, as if to say, "Come on!" butEmson shook his head. 

"Not to-day, old chap, " he cried. "We're too busy. It would mean, too, a long gallop, tiring our horses before we could get a shot, and then weshould not be in good condition for aiming. "

"Oh, but, Joe, I daresay that is the wretch that killed the white ox, and he is hanging about after another. "

"To be sure: I forgot that, " cried Emson excitedly. "Come on. Butsteady: we can't lose sight of them, so let's canter, and follow tillthey stand at bay or sneak into the bushes. "

That was more to Dyke's taste, and side by side they followed the twolions, as the great tawny-looking beasts cantered over the plain, theirheads down, tails drooping, and looking, as Dyke said, wonderfully likea couple of great cats sneaking off after being found out stealingcream. 

There was no need to be silent, and Dyke kept on shouting remarks to hisbrother as they cantered on over the dry bush and sand. 

"I don't think much of lions, after all, Joe, " he said; "they're nothalf kings of beasts like you see in pictures and read of in books. "

"You haven't seen one in a rage, old fellow, " said Emsongood-humouredly. 

"I don't believe they'd be anything much if they were, " said Dykecontemptuously. "They always seem to me to be creeping and sneakingabout like a cat after a mouse. Now look at those great strong thingsgoing off like that, as soon as they see us, instead of roaring at usand driving us away. "

"Smell powder, perhaps, and are afraid of the guns. "

"Well, but if they did, that isn't being brave as a lion, Joe. Why, when they killed the white ox, there were four of them, and they did itin the dark. I don't believe when you shot that the bullet went neareither of the brutes. "

"No, but we scared them off. "

"They killed the poor old bullock first, though. "

"Well, didn't that give you a good idea of a lion's strength; the poorbeast's neck was broken. "

"Let's show them to-day that we are stronger, and break _their_ necks, "said Dyke. "Look out: they're gone. " For the two great beasts suddenlyplunged into a patch of broken ground, where great blocks of granitestood up from among the bushes, and sheltered them with larger growth. 

It was the only hiding-place in sight, and for this the lions had made, and now disappeared. 

"We shan't get a shot at them now, old chap, " cried Emson; "they lie assnug as rats among those bushes. We want old Duke here. "

"Oh, don't give up, " cried Dyke. "I know that place well; it's where Ifound the aardvark, and the bushes are quite open. I am sure we can seethem. "

"Well, as you're so set on it, we'll try; but mind this, no riding in--nothing rash, you know. "

"Oh, I'll take care, " cried Dyke. "I shan't get hurt. You only have toride right at them, and they'll run. "

"I don't know so much about that, old cocksure; but mind this, horsesare horses, and I don't want you to get Breezy clawed. "

"And I don't want to get him clawed--do I, old merry legs?" cried theboy, bending forward to pat his nag's neck. "Sooner get scratchedmyself, wouldn't I, eh?"

The little horse tossed up its head and shook its mane, and then takinghis master's caress and words to mean a call upon him for fresh effort, he dashed off, and had to be checked. 

"Steady, steady, Dyke, boy, " cried Emson; "do you hear?"

"Please sir, it wasn't me, " replied the boy merrily. "It was him. "

"No nonsense!" cried Emson sternly. "Steady! This is not play. "

Dyke glanced once at his brother's face as he rode up, and saw that itlooked hard, earnest, and firm. 

"All right, Joe, " he said quietly; "I will mind. "

The next minute they had cantered gently up to the patch, which was onlyabout an acre in extent, and the bushes so thin and scattered that theycould see nearly across where the lions had entered. 

But there was no sign of the cunning beasts. 

"Look here, Joe; you ride round that way, and I'll go this; then we aresure to see them. "

"Capital plan, " said Emson sarcastically. "Bravo, general! weaken yourforces by one-half, and then if I see them I can't fire for fear ofhitting you, and you can't fire for fear of hitting me. Try again, clever one. "

"Oh, all right, you try, " said Dyke, in an offended tone. 

"Ride round with me, then, either five yards in front or five behind. Will you go first?"

"No, you go, " said Dyke distantly. 

"Come along, then. Keep a sharp lookout, and if you get a good chanceat the shoulder--fire. Not without. "

"Very well, " said Dyke shortly, "but you see if they don't sneak out andgallop away on the other side. "

"They won't leave cover if they can help it, " said Emson; and his wordsproved true, for as they rode slowly round with finger on trigger, scanning the openings, the cunning brutes glided in and out among thegreat boulders, and crawled through the bushes, so that not a glimpse ofthem could be obtained. 

"There!" cried Dyke, after they had ridden round twice. "I knew it. While we were talking on one side, they've crept out on the other andgone off! They're miles away now. "

"Exactly!" said Emson; "and that's why the horses are so uneasy. I say, little un, you don't get on so fast as I should like with your huntingknowledge. Look at Breezy. "

Dyke glanced at his cob, and the little horse showed plainly enough byits movements that whatever might be its master's opinion, it wasfeeling convinced that the lions were pretty close at hand. 

"Well, what shall we do--ride through?"

"No, " said Emson decidedly, "that would be inviting a charge. I'mafraid we must separate, or we shall never got a shot. As we ride roundone side, they creep along on the other. "

"Did you see them?"

"No, but look there. "

Dyke looked where his brother pointed, and saw plainly marked in thesoft sand the footprints of the lions. 

"Well, let's separate, then, " said the boy eagerly. "I'll mind and notshoot your way, if you'll take care not to hit me. "

"Very good: we'll try, then; but be careful not to fire unless you get agood sure chance. Look here; this will be the best plan. One of usmust sit fast here while the other rides round. "

"But the one who stops will get the best chance, for the game will bedriven towards him. Who's to stop?"

Emson thrust his hand into his pocket, and drew it out again clenched. 

"Something or nothing?" he cried. 

"Nothing, " said Dyke sharply. 

"Nothing. Right. Your chance, " said Emson. 

"Then I'll stay here?"

"Very well then; be ready. I shall ride ahead, and the lions will sneakround till they find you are here, and then they'll either go rightacross, or break cover and gallop off. There's every chance for a shot. Right forward in the shoulder, mind. "

"Won't charge me, will they?"

"Not unless they're wounded, " replied Emson. --"Ready?"

"Yes. "

Emson rode slowly off, and as he went he kept on crying "Here!" at everyhalf-dozen yards or so, giving his brother a good idea of his positionand that of the lions too. 

Meanwhile Dyke, with his heart beginning to beat heavily, sat facing inthe other direction, both barrels of his rifled piece cocked and pointedforward, nostrils distended like those of his horse, and, also like theanimal, with every sense on the alert. 

"Here--here--here, " came from beyond him, and gradually working more andmore to the left, while Dyke felt a great deal more respect for theprowess and daring of lions than he did half an hour before. 

The stillness, broken only by his brother's recurring cry, repeated withsuch regularity, seemed awful, and the deep low sigh uttered by Breezysounded quite startling; but there was nothing else--no sound of thepowerful cats coming cautiously round, winding in and out among therocks and bushes, and not a twig was stirred. 

"Here--here--here, " kept coming, and Dyke sat gripping the saddletightly with his knees, feeling a curious quiver pass into him from thehorse's excited nerves, as the swift little beast stood gazing before itat the ragged shrubs, ready to spring away on the slightest sign ofdanger. The rein lay upon its neck, and its ears were cocked rightforward, while Dyke's double barrel was held ready to fire to right orleft of those warning ears at the first chance. 

There was the clump on the boy's left, the open ground of the veldt onhis right, and the sun glancing down and making the leaves of the treeshot; but still there was nothing but the regular "Here--here--here, "uttered in Emson's deep bass. 

"They're gone, " said Dyke to himself, with a peculiar sense of relief, which made his breath come more freely. "They would have been here bynow. I'll shout to Joe. "

But he did not. For at that moment there was the faintest of faintrustles about a dozen yards in front. One of the thin bushes grewgradually darker, and Dyke had a glimpse of a patch of rough hair raisedabove the leaves. Then Breezy started violently, and in an instant twolions started up. 

"_How_!--_Haugh_!" was roared out. The maneless lion bounded out of thebushes, and went away over the sand in a series of tremendous leaps, while the companion, a huge beast with darkly-tipped mane, leaped as ifto follow, but stopped and faced the boy, with head erect and taillashing from side to side, while the horse stood paralysed with fear, its legs far apart, as if to bear the coming charge, and every nerve andmuscle on the quiver. 

Dyke sat motionless during those brief moments, knowing that he ought tofire, but feeling as if he were suffering from nightmare, till themajestic beast before him gave vent to a tremendous roar, turned, andbounded away. 

Then Dyke's power of action came back. Quick as a flash, his piece wasto his shoulder, and he fired; but the lion bounded onward, hidden forthe time by the smoke; yet as it cleared away, the boy had another clearview of the beast end on, and fired once more. 

At this there was a savage snarl; the lion made a bound sidewise, andthen swung round as if to charge back at its assailant, when Breezy toreoff at full speed, but had not gone fifty yards before another shot rangout, and Dyke looked round to see his brother dismounted and kneeling onthe sand, while the lion was trailing itself along with itshind-quarters paralysed. 

In another minute Emson had remounted and ridden up to the dangerousbeast; there was another report from close quarters, and the lion rolledover and straightened itself out. 

"Dead?" cried Dyke excitedly, as he mastered Breezy's objections, androde up. 

"Yes; he'll kill no more of our oxen, old chap, " cried his brother. "Well done, little un! You stopped him splendidly. That last shot ofyours brought him up for me to finish. "

"Think I hit him, then?"

"Think?" said Emson, laughing. "You can easily prove it. Your bulletmust have hit him end on. Mine were on his left flank. "

"He _is_ dead, isn't he?" said Dyke dubious. 

"As dead as he can well be, " said Emson, dismounting, and throwing hisrein over his horse's head. "Yes; here we are. Your bullet caught himhalf-way up the back here; one of mine hit him in the side, and here'sthe other right through the left shoulder-blade. That means finis. Butthat shot of yours regularly paralysed him behind. _Your_ lion, littleun, and that skin will do for your museum. It's a beauty. "

"But _you_ killed him, " said the boy modestly. 

"Put him out of his misery, that's all. He is a splendid fellow, though. But he won't run away now, little un. --Let's get on. "

"But his skin?" said Dyke eagerly. 

"Too hard a job now, Dyke, under this sun. We'll come over this eveningwith Jack, and strip that off. Now for the eggs. "

CHAPTER SEVEN. 

LIFE ON THE VELDT. 

The task of finding the emptied ostrich nest proved harder than theyexpected; but their ride across the barren plain was made interesting bythe sight of a herd of gnus and a couple of the beautiful blackantelope, with their long, gracefully curved, sharp horns. Just beforereaching the nest, too, they had the rather unusual sight, in theirpart, of half-a-dozen giraffes, which went off in their awkward, lumbering trot toward the north. 

At last, though, the nest was reached, the scattered eggs gathered intothe net, and heedless of these chinking together a little, as they hungbetween them, they cantered on. 

"Won't do them any good shaking them up so, will it?" said Dyke. 

"I've given up all idea of setting these, " said Emson. "I should say itwould be very doubtful whether they would hatch, and we want a littlechange in the way of feeding, old fellow. We'll see which are addled, and which are not. "

Tanta Sal was at the door as they rode up, and her face expandedlargely, especially about the eyes and mouth, at the sight of the eggs. 

"I say, look at Tant, " said Dyke merrily. "Did you ever see such aface?"

"Never, " replied Emson quietly. "She's not beautiful from our point ofview. "

"Beautiful!"

"Tastes differ, old chap, " said Emson. "No doubt Jack thought her verynice-looking. English people admire small mouths and little waists. Itis very evident that the Kaffirs do not; and I don't see why a smallmouth should be more beautiful than a large one. "

"And there isn't so much of it, " cried Dyke. 

"Certainly not, and it is not so useful. No: Tant is not handsome, butshe can cook, and I don't believe that Venus could have fetched waterfrom the spring in two buckets half so well. "

"Don't suppose she could, or made fires either, " said Dyke, laughing. 

"Very good, then, little un. Tant is quite good-looking enough forus. --Hi! there, old girl, take these and keep them cool. Cook one fordinner. "

The woman nodded, took the net, swung it over her back, and the nextminute the creamy-white eggs were seen reposing on the dark skin. 

After seeing to the horses, Dyke made some remark to his brother aboutwanting his corn too, and he went quietly round to the back, where Tantwas busy over the fire, preparing one of the eggs by cooking it _aunaturel_, not boiling in a saucepan, but making the thick shell itselfdo duty for one. 

She looked up and showed her teeth as Dyke came in sight, and then wenton with her work, which was that of stirring the egg, whose treatmentwas very simple. She had chipped a little hole in one end, big enoughto admit a stick, and had placed the other end deep down in the glowingdry cake ashes, squatting down on her heels on one side of the fire, while Jack sat in a similar position on the other, watching his wife asshe kept on stirring the egg with the piece of wood. 

"Oh there you are, Jack, " said Dyke; "we've shot a big lion. "

"Baas kill?"

"Yes. You're coming with us to skin it this evening?"

The Kaffir shook his head, and then lowered it upon one hand, making apiteous grimace. 

"Jack sick, bad, " he said. 

"Jack no sick bad, " cried Tanta, leaping up angrily. 

As she spoke, she raised one broad black foot, and gave her husband asharp thrust in the ribs, with the result that he rolled over and thenjumped up furiously to retaliate. 

"Ah, would you!" cried Dyke; and the dog, which had followed him, beganto growl. "Yes, you hit her, and I'll set Duke at you, " cried Dyke. "Can't you see he's ashamed?"

Jack growled fiercely, and his wife reseated herself upon her heels, andwent on stirring the egg again, laughing merrily the while. 

"No sick bad, " she said; and then wanting to say something more, sherattled off a series of words, all oom and click, for Jack's benefit, the Kaffir listening the while. 

The egg was soon after declared to be done, and formed a verysatisfactory omelette-like addition to the hard biltong and mealie cakewhich formed the ostrich-farmers' dinner. 

"I'd a deal rather we'd shot an antelope, Joe, " said Dyke, as he groundaway at the biltong, that popular South African delicacy, formed bycutting fresh meat into long strips, and drying them in the sun beforethe flesh has time to go bad--a capital plan in a torrid country, wheredecomposition is rapid and salt none too plentiful; but it has itsdrawbacks, and is best suited to the taste of those who appreciate thechewing of leather with a superlatively high flavour of game. 

"Yes, it is time we had some fresh meat, old chap, " said Emsongood-humouredly. "After that slice of luck with the birds, we'll tryfor some guinea-fowl or a springbok in the morning. "

"I wish we had a river nearer where we could fish, " said Dyke, as heworked away at the dried meat. 

"Yes, it would be handy, if we could catch any fish; but we usen't toget a great many--not enough to live on--in the old days at home. "

"Not often, " said Dyke. "I say, it is tough. "

"Well, yes. A well-beaten-out piece would not make a bad shoe sole, little un. But about that fishing? It would take a great many of thosesticklebacks you always would fish for with a worm to make a dish. "

"Well, they used to bite, and that's more than your carp would, Joe. Why, you only used to catch about one a month. "

"But, then, look at the size. One did make a dish. "

"Yes, of only head and bones. Ugh! I'd rather eat biltong. "

Emson laughed good-humouredly. 

"Well, " he said, "we can't go fishing without we make a hundred miles'journey, so we can't get fish. How would a lion steak eat?"

"Worse than a cut out of the poor old goblin's breast. But, I say, arewe to go and skin that old savage to-night?"

"I'll go with Jack, and do it, if you're tired. "

"That you won't, " cried Dyke. "But, I say, Jack's bad sick he says. "

"Yes, I suppose so. He generally is now, when we want him to work. We've spoiled Master Jack by feeding him too well; and if it wasn't forTanta Sal, Master Jack would have to go upon his travels. That woman'sa treasure, little un. She's a capital cook; and what a wonderful thingit is that it comes so natural to a woman, whether she's white or black, to like washing shirts. Do you know, I believe that Tanta Sal wouldtake to starching and ironing if she had a chance. Have any more?"

"No: done, " said Dyke, wiping his knife carefully, and returning it tothe sheath he wore in his belt. 

"Then let's go and have a look at the chickens. Why, the other day Ifelt as if I could open all the pens and say to the birds, `There, beoff with you, for you're no good. '"

"But now you're going to have another good try. "

"Yes; and we must give them greater liberty, and try to let them live ina more natural way. "

"And that means always hunting them and driving them back to the pens. "

"We shan't mind that if they all turn out healthy, " said Emson. "Comealong. "

"Wait till I call Tant, " said Dyke; and he went out to the back tosummon the Kaffir woman, who came in smiling, cleared away, and thenproceeded to feed her lord; Duke, the dog, waiting for his turn, and notbeing forgotten. 

It was like playing at keeping bantams in Brobdingnag, Dyke said, asthey entered the pens pretty well provided with food for the birds, andgoing from enclosure to enclosure, armed each with a stout stick, necessitated by the manners and customs of their charge. For though itwas plain sailing enough scattering out food for the young birds, whichstalked about looking very solemn and stupid, the full-grown andelderly, especially the cocks, displayed a desire for more, to which"glutton" would be far too mild a term to apply; while the goblin'ssuccessor, as king of the farm, seemed to have become so puffed up withpride at his succession to the throne, that the stick had to be appliedseveral times in response to his insatiable and aggressive demands. 

But at last the feeding was done, the hens in attendance on the nest ofeggs visited, where all seemed satisfactory, and then the horses weresaddled, and Jack and Duke summoned. 

The latter dashed up instantly; but Jack made no reply. 

"Yes, he is spoiled, " said Emson. "It has always seemed to be so muchless trouble to saddle our own horses than to see that he did itproperly; but we ought to have made him do it, little un. "

"Of course we ought, " said Dyke. "It isn't too late to begin now?"

"I'm afraid it is, " said Emson. --"Here! Hi! Jack, " he shouted; and thedog supplemented the cry by running toward the house, barking loudly, with the result that the Kaffir woman came out, saw at a glance what waswanted, and turned back. 

The next minute there was a scuffling noise heard behind the place, accompanied by angry protesting voices, speaking loudly in the Kaffirtongue. 

Then all at once Jack appeared, carrying three assegais, and holdinghimself up with a great deal of savage dignity; but as he approached hewas struck on the back of the head by a bone. He turned back angrily, but ducked down to avoid a dry cake of fuel, and ended by running toavoid further missiles, with his dignity all gone, for Tanta Sal'sgrinning face peeped round the corner, and she shouted: "Jack bad sick, baas. All eat--seep. "

"Yes; that's what's the matter, Jack, " said Emson, shaking his head athim. "Now take hold of the horse's mane, and I'll give you a gooddigestive run. "

There was no help for it. Jack seized the mane and trotted off besidethe horse, while a derisive shout came from behind the house, andTanta's grinning face re-appeared. 

This was too much for Jack, who turned to shake his assegais at her: themovement was unpropitious, for he stumbled and fell, but gatheredhimself up, caught up to the horse, and trotted on again, keeping on inthe most untiring way, till a flight of carrion birds was sighted, hovering about the granite boulders, and perching here and there, as ifready for the banquet to come. 

Duke charged forward at this, and the birds scattered, but did not gofar; while the dog's approach started half-a-dozen jackals from amongthe bushes to which they had retired, and they now began scurrying overthe plain. "I wonder how they find out that there's anything dead, Joe, " said Dyke; "we did not see a single jackal or bird this morning. "

"Eyesight, " said Emson quietly. "The vultures are sailing about onhigh, and one sees the dead animal; then other vultures see him makingfor it, and follow. "

"And the jackals see the vultures, and follow too?"

"That seems to be the way, old fellow. Anyhow, they always manage tofind out where there's anything to eat. "

"I say, don't he look big?" said Dyke, as the carcass of the dead lionlay now well in sight. 

"Yes; he's one of the finest I have seen. You ought to get the teethout of his head, little un; they'd do to save up for your museum. "

"I will, " said Dyke. 

The next minute they had dismounted, and were removing the horses'bridles to let them pick off the green shoots of the bushes. The rifleshad been laid down, and Duke had gone snuffing about among the rocks, while Jack was proceeding to sharpen the edge of one of his assegais, when the dog suddenly gave tongue. There was a furious roar, the horsespressed up together, and from close at hand a lion, evidently thecompanion of that lying dead, sprang out and bounded away, soon placingitself out of shot. 

"Ought to have been with us this morning, " said Dyke, as he called backthe dog. 

"Couldn't have done better if we had had him, " said Emson, quietlyrolling up his sleeves, an example followed by the boy. 

"Think that one will come back again?" was the next remark. 

"Not while we are here, " was Emson's reply; and then, as the evening wasdrawing on, he set to work helping Jack, who was cleverly running thepoint and edge of his assegai through the skin from the lion's chin totail, and then inside each leg right down to the toes. 

A busy time ensued, resulting in the heavy skin being removed uninjured, and rolled up and packed across Emson's horse. 

"You'll have to leave the teeth till another day, " said Emson, as thestars began to peep out faintly, and they trotted homeward; but beforethey had left the carcass a couple of hundred yards, a snapping, snarling, and howling made Duke stop short and look inquiringly up athis masters, as much as to say:

"Are you going to let them do that?" But at a word he followed onobediently, and the noise increased. 

"Won't be much lion left by to-morrow morning, Joe, " said Dyke. 

"No, boy. Africa is well scavengered, what with the jackals, birds, andflies. But we'd better get that skin well under cover somewhere when weare back. "

"Why? Think the jackals will follow, and try and drag it away?"

"No; I was feeling sure that the other lion would. "

Emson was right, for Dyke was awakened that night by the alarm of thehorses and oxen, who gave pretty good evidence of the huge cat's beingnear, but a couple of shots from Emson's gun rang out, and the animalssettled down quietly once again, there being no further disturbance thatnight on the lonely farm. 

CHAPTER EIGHT. 

THE DESERT HERDS. 

"I tell you what, little un, " said Emson some mornings later, "I'm goingto start a crest and motto, and I'll take a doubled fist for the crest, and _Nil desperandum_ for motto. "

"And what good will that do you?" said Dyke, hammering away as he knelton the sand with the lion's skull held between his knees. 

"What good! Why, I shall always have my motto before me--`Neverdespair, ' and the doubled fist to--"

"To show that you are always ready to punch Kaffir Jack's head, " criedDyke quickly; and bang went the hammer on the end of the cold chisel theboy held. 

"No, " said Emson, laughing--"to denote determination. "

"`Inasmuch as to which?' as the Yankee said in his book. --Pincers, please. Here, what have you done with those pincers, Joe?"

"Haven't touched them. They're underneath you, stupid. "

"Oh, ah! so they are, " said Dyke; and picking them up, he took carefulhold of one of the lion's tusks, after loosening it with the hammer andchisel, and dragged it out without having injured the enamel in theleast. 

The two sharply-pointed fangs had been extracted from the lower jaw, andDyke was busily operating on the skull, which was, like the bonesscattered here and there, picked quite clean, the work of the jackalsand vultures having been finished off by the ants; and as Dyke held upthe third tusk in triumph, his brother took the piece of curved ivoryand turned it over in his hand, while Duke and the horses seemed to beinterested spectators. 

"Magnificent specimen of a canine tooth, " said Emson thoughtfully. 

Dyke laughed. 

"I know better than that. It can't be. "

"Can't? But it is, " replied Emson. "What do you mean?"

"Canine means dog, doesn't it? Dog's teeth can't grow in a big cat. It's a feline tooth. "

"They can grow in human jaws--in yours, for instance. You have fourcanine teeth, as the naturalists call them; so why can't they grow in alion's?"

"Because it's unnatural, " said Dyke, beginning to chip away some of thejawbone from around the last tusk. "Canine teeth can grow in my jaws, because you said one day that I was a puppy. "

"I say, don't, little un. You're growing too clever, and attempts atjokes like that don't seem to fit out here in this hungry desert. Mindwhat you are about, or you'll spoil the tooth. "

"I'm minding; but what did you mean about your _Nil desperandum_?"

"That I'll never despair. When we've tried everything we can out here, and failed, we'll go back home and settle in London. Something alwaysturns up, and you're so handy, that we'll start as dentists, and youshall extract all the teeth. "

"All right, Joe. My word! this is a tight one. But people wouldn'thave their teeth taken out with hammer and chisel. "

"You could use laughing gas. "

"They wouldn't laugh much, gas or no gas, " cried Dyke, "if I got hold oftheir teeth with the pincers, like this. I say, this is a tough one. He never had toothache in this. You have a go: your muscles arestronger than mine. "

"No; have another try. "

"But it makes me so hot. "

"Never mind. Remember my crest and motto--doubled fist fordetermination, and `Never despair. '"

"Who's going to despair over a big tooth?" cried Dyke, holding on to thepincers with both hands, giving a good wrench, and tearing out the tusk. "That's got him. Phew! it was a job. I say, they'll look well ascuriosities. "

"Yes, they're a fine set, " said Emson, taking out his little doubleglass, and beginning slowly to sweep the plain. 

"See anything?" asked Dyke, as he rose to his feet, and put the hammer, chisel, and pincers in a leather case buckled behind his saddle, andwashed his hands, drily, in sand. 

"Not yet. "

"Oh, do see something! We must get a buck of some kind to take homewith us. "

"Yes, we ought to get something, or Jack will forsake us because we arestarving him; and take away his wife. You'll have to cook then, littleun. "

"Won't matter, if there's nothing to cook, " said Dyke sharply. "But, Isay, Joe, you do think we are getting on better with the birds? Onlytwo chicks have died since we took home those eggs. "

"Only two, " said Emson, rather bitterly. "That's one a week. Easilycalculate how long we shall be in getting to the end of our stock. "

"I say, what about your motto? Who's looking on the black side?"

"Guilty, my lord. Come along; jump up. We will have something oranother to take back for a roast. "

Dyke sprang upon his horse, the dog gave a joyful bark, and theycantered off, Dyke placing his rifle on his rein hand, while herearranged the tusks in his pocket, to keep them from rattling. 

"Which way are we going?" he said. 

"Let's try west; we may perhaps see ostriches. "

"Oh, don't talk about them, " cried Dyke; "I do get so tired of thewretches. I say, that young cock number two showed fight at me thismorning, and kicked. He just missed my leg. "

"What? Oh, you must be careful, old chap. I can't afford to have yourleg broken. But, I say, I had a look at the stores this morning beforewe started. "

"I saw you, and wondered what you were doing. "

"The mealie bag is nearly empty. One of us will have to take the wagonacross to old Morgenstein's and buy stores. "

"Why not both go? It would make a change. "

"I'll tell you, little un. When we got back, half the birds would bedead, and the other half all over the veldt. "

"Oh, bother those old ostriches! they're always in the way, " cried Dyke. "All right, Joe; I'll stop and mind them, only don't be longer than youcan help. "

"I can't see how it can be done in less than ten days, old fellow, " saidEmson thoughtfully; "and if the old Boer is away, it may take afortnight. "

"All right; I won't mind, " said Dyke with a sigh. "I'll take care ofthe place, and I'm going to try some new plans. There shan't be asingle bird die. I say, oughtn't those young birds to be out by now?"

"I've been expecting them every day for a week, " said Emson, ratherdolefully. "But, look here, little un: if you took Jack with you, doyou think you could manage the journey yourself?"

Dyke turned on his horse and looked quite startled. 

"There's the driving. "

"Jack would drive, " said Emson hastily. 

"And the inspanning and outspanning. "

"Which he could see to. "

"And camping out in the wagon alone. "

"Yes: you'd want good fires every night; but I can't help it, oldfellow. Only one could go, and you'd be happier with the work andexcitement than you would be moping at the house, all alone, andwatching for me to come back. "

"But that would be just as bad for you, Joe; and you'd be thinking thatthe lions had got me. "

"No, I shouldn't; but I should be trembling for the oxen, my boy. There, I've made up my mind to send you, and you'll go. "

"Oh, I'll go, " said Dyke sturdily; "but why not go to Oom Schlagen? it'stwenty miles nearer. He has a much better lot of things and is morecivil than Morgenstern. "

"Yes, I know all that, little un, " said Emson; "but Morgenstern ishonest. He charges well for his corn and meal, but he'll give you justmeasure, and will deal with you as fairly as he would with me. OldUncle Schlagen would, as soon as he saw you--a boy--coming alone, set towork to see if he couldn't rob you of a span of oxen, saying they werehis, and trick you over the stores in every way he could. "

"Then I'll go to old Morningstar's. "

"You won't mind going?"

"Oh yes, I shall, because it will be so lonely; but I'll go. "

"I don't like sending you, little un; and there's another difficulty. "

"Oh, never mind that; it's all difficulties out here. "

"True; but some are bigger than others. "

"Well, what's the big one now?" said Dyke contemptuously, as if he hadgrown so hardened that he could face anything. 

"Jack, " said Emson laconically. 

"What! Jack? Yes, he'd better be, " cried Dyke. "If he gives me any ofhis nonsense, he'll have a rap over the head with the barrel of my gun. "

"How much of that is honest pluck, old chap, and how much bunkum?" saidEmson, speaking very seriously. 

"I don't know, " cried Dyke, colouring; "I don't think there's any bouncein it, Joe. I meant it honestly. "

"But he is a man, and you are a boy. "

"Oh yes, he's a man, and he bullies and threatens Tanta Sal, and makesbelieve that he is going to spear her, and directly she rushes at him, he runs. I don't think I should be afraid of Jack. "

"Neither do I, little un, " cried Emson warmly. "That will do. I wasnervous about this. I felt that he might begin to show off as soon asyou two were away from me, and if he fancied that you were afraid ofhim, he would be master to the end of the journey. "

"But if it came to a row, Joe, and I was horribly afraid of him, Iwouldn't let him see it. Perhaps I should be, but--Oh no, I wouldn'tlet him know. "

"That'll do, old fellow, " said Emson, looking at his brother proudly. "You shall go, and I'll take care of the stock and--Here! Look, look!"

This last in a tone of intense excitement, for a herd of zebra seemedsuddenly to have risen out of the ground a couple of miles away, wherenothing had been visible before, the beautifully striped, pony-likeanimals frisking and capering about, and pausing from time to time tobrowse on the shoots of the sparsely spread bushes. There were hundredsof them, and the brothers sat watching them for some minutes. 

"Not what I should have chosen for food, " said Emson at last; "but theysay they are good eating. "

"There's something better, " said Dyke, pointing. "I know they aregood. "

"Yes, we know they are good, " said Emson softly, as he slipped out ofthe saddle, Dyke following his example, and both sheltered themselvesbehind their horses. 

"They haven't noticed us, " said Emson, after a pause. "Mixed us up withthe zebras, perhaps. "

"They're coming nearer. Why, there's quite a herd of them!" cried Dykeexcitedly. 

They stood watching a little group of springbok playing about beyond theherd of zebra--light, graceful little creatures, that now came careeringdown toward them, playfully leaping over each other's backs, and provingagain and again the appropriate nature of their name. 

And now, as if quite a migration of animals was taking place across theplain, where for months the brothers had wandered rarely seeing a head, herd after herd appeared of beautiful deer-like creatures. They cameinto sight from the dim distance--graceful antelopes of different kinds, with straight, curved, or lyre-shaped horns; fierce-looking gnus, withtheirs stumpy and hooked; ugly quaggas; and farthest off of all, buteasily seen from their size, great, well-fed elands, ox-like in girth. 

"I never saw anything like this, Joe, " said Dyke in a whisper. 

"Few people ever have in these days, old fellow, " said Emson, as hefeasted his eyes. "This must be like it used to be in the old timesbefore so much hunting took place. It shows what an enormous tract ofunexplored land there must be off to the north-west. "

"And will they stay about here now?"

"What for? To starve? Why, Dyke, lad, there is nothing hardly to keepone herd. No; I daresay by this time to-morrow there will hardly be ahoof. They will all have gone off to the north or back to the west. Itis quite a migration. "

"I suppose they take us for some kind of six-legged horse, or they wouldnot come so near. "

"At present. Be ready; they may take flight at any moment, and we mustnot let our fresh-meat supply get out of range. "

"'Tisn't in range yet, " said Dyke quietly. 

"No, but it soon will be. "

"What are you going to shoot at?--the springbok, and then mount andgallop after them and shoot again, like the Boers do?"

"What! with big antelope about? No, boy; we want our larder filling uptoo badly. Look: impalas; and at those grand elands. "

"I see them; but they must be a mile away. "

"Quite; but they are coming in this direction. Dyke, boy, we must makeup our mind to get one of these. "

"But we could never get it home. They're bigger than bullocks. "

"Let's shoot one, and then talk of getting it home. What about a spanof oxen and a couple of hurdles! We could drag it back, and it wouldmake biltong, and so last us for weeks. "

"Ugh! Leather!" cried Dyke. 

"And give us plenty of fresh meat for present eating, and fat to cookfor months. "

"Don't make my mouth water too much, Joe. "

"Hush! Be quiet now; move close up to your horse's shoulder, rest yourgun across it, and then you will be better hidden. Are you loaded allright?"

"Bullet in each barrel. "

"That will do. Now mind, if we do get a chance at one, you will aimjust at the shoulder. Try and don't be flurried. "

"All right. "

"Give him both barrels, so as to make sure. Try and fire when I do. "

Dyke nodded, and they waited for fully two hours, during which timezebras, quaggas, and various kinds of antelopes charged down near them, startled by the sight of the two curious-looking horses, standing sopatiently there in the middle of the plain, and after halting nervously, they careered away again, the trampling of their feet sounding like therush of a storm. 

Again and again the hunters had opportunities for bringing down goodly, well-fed antelope, when a herd bounded up, wheeled, halted, and stood atgaze; but there in the background were the great eland, each comingslowly and cautiously on, as if they had also been surprised by theaspect of the horses, and were curious to know what manner of creaturesthese might be. 

Dyke wanted to say "Let's shoot;" but his lips did not part, and hestood patiently watching at one time, impatiently at another, feeling ashe did that his brother was letting a magnificent chance go by. 

Twice over the position was startling, when first a herd of quaggas andthen one of gnus charged down upon them, and Dyke felt that the nextminute he would be trampled under foot by the many squadrons ofwild-eyed, shaggy little creatures. But the horses stood fast, comforted and encouraged by the presence of their masters, while thefierce-looking herds halted, stood, stamped, and tossed their heads, andwent off again. 

At last, when hundreds upon hundreds of the various antelopes hadpassed, the elands were still browsing about, nearly half a mile away, and seemed not likely to come any nearer. A herd of smaller antelopeswere between them and the hunters, and there appeared to be nolikelihood of their firing a shot. 

"I'll give them a few minutes longer, Dyke, " whispered Emson, "and thenwe must, if they don't come, go after them. "

"Wouldn't it be better to pick off a couple of these?" said Dyke softly. 

"No; we must have one of those elands. We shall have to ride one down, and when we get close, leap off and fire. Be ready for when I say`Mount. '"

Dyke nodded smartly, and waited impatiently for a full quarter of anhour, during which they had chance after chance at small fry; but theelands still held aloof. 

All at once Emson's voice was heard in a low whisper: "Do you see thatfat young bull with the dark markings on its back and shoulders?"

"Yes. "

"That is the one we must ride for. --Ready! Mount, and off. "

They sprang into their saddles together, and dashed off to follow theelands, while at their first movements the whole plain was covered withthe startled herds, one communicating its panic to the other. There wasthe rushing noise of a tremendous storm; but Dyke in the excitement sawnothing, heard nothing, but the elands, which went tearing away in theirlong, lumbering gallop, the horses gaining upon them steadily, and theherd gradually scattering, till the young bull was all alone, closelyfollowed by the brothers; Emson dexterously riding on the great brute'snear side, and edging it off more and more so as to turn its head in thedirection of Kopfontein; hunting it homeward, so that, if they weresuccessful at last in shooting it, the poor brute would have beenhelping to convey itself part of the way, no trifling advantage with soweighty a beast. 

On and on at a breakneck gallop, the horses stretching out likegreyhounds in the long race; but the eland, long and lumbering as itwas, kept ahead. Its companions were far behind, and the plain, whichso short a time before had been scattered with herds of various animals, now seemed to have been swept clear once more. 

At last the tremendous pace began to tell upon both horses and eland, while the difficulty of driving it in the required direction grow less. But all at once, rendered savage by the persistency of the pursuit, thegreat antelope turned toward the horses and charged straight at Dyke. 

The boy was so much astonished at this sudden and unexpected attack thathe would have been overturned, but for the activity of Breezy, whowheeled round, gave one bound, and just carried his rider clear. 

It was no light matter, and Dyke wondered that, in the sudden twistgiven to his loins by the cob's spring round, he had not been unhorsed. 

But the eland did not attempt to renew the attack, gathering up itsforces and bearing away for the distant herds, with Duke snapping at itsflank; and the chase was again renewed, with Emson's horse beginning tolose ground, while Breezy seemed to have been roused to greater effort. 

Emson shouted something to Dyke, who was some distance to the left, butwhat it was the boy did not hear. He had one idea in his mind, and thatwas to secure the game so necessary to their existence, and to this endhe urged his cob on, getting it at last level with the great antelope, which was a few yards to his right. 

It was all a chance, he knew, but Emson was beaten, and the antelopeseemed ready to go on for hours; so, waiting his time, he checked hisspeed a little, and let the animal go on while he rode to the other sideand brought it on his left. 

There was good reason for the act. He could now let the barrel of hisheavy piece rest upon his left arm, as he held it pistol-wise, and atlast, when well abreast, he levelled it as well as he could, aiming atthe broad shoulder, and fired. 

A miss, certainly, and then he galloped on for another hundred yardsbefore he ventured to draw trigger again, this time watchfully, for fearof a sudden turn and charge, and not till he was pretty close andperfectly level. 

Breezy was in full stride, and going in the most elastic way in spite ofthe long run, but the eland was labouring heavily, as Dyke drew trigger, felt the sharp, jerking recoil shoot right up his arm to the shoulder;and then to his astonishment, as he dashed on out of the smoke, he wasalone, and the eland lying fifty yards behind, where it had come downwith a tremendous crash. 

CHAPTER NINE. 

A QUEER PREDICAMENT. 

"Bravo! splendid!" panted Emson, as he and his brother met by the sideof the dead eland, upon whose flank Duke had mounted, and stood with hisred tongue out, too much run down to bark. "Why, Dyke, lad, how did youmanage it? Right through the shoulder. You couldn't have done betterat a stationary target. "

"All chance, " said the boy, panting as heavily as the dog; and loweringhimself off his nag, he loosened the girths, and then sank at fulllength upon the sand. 

"Tired?"

"Thirsty, " replied the boy. 

"That you must bear, then, till I come back. "

"Where are you going?"

"To fetch Jack and a span of bullocks. I won't be longer than I canhelp. Keep Duke with you, but don't leave the game. One moment: make afire, and cook yourself a steak. "

"Stop and have some, Joe. "

"No time, " said Emson, and he strode away, leaving his brother alonewith the great antelope and his two dumb companions. 

"Well, I didn't reckon upon this, " said Dyke, as he lay upon his sidewatching his brother's figure grow slowly more distant, for he waswalking beside his horse, which hung its head, and kept giving its tailan uneasy twitch. "Not very cheerful to wait here hours upon hours; andhow does he know that I've got any matches? Fortunately I have. "

There was a pause during which his cob gave itself a shake whichthreatened to send the saddle underneath it, an act which brought Dyketo his feet for the purposes of readjustment. 

This done, and feeling not quite so breathless from exertion andexcitement, he walked round the great antelope. 

"Well, it was all chance, " he said to himself. "The first shot was anawful miss. Good job for us there was so much to shoot at. I couldhardly miss hitting that time. What a bit of luck, though. A big bitof luck, for we wanted the fresh meat very badly. "

After scanning the goodly proportions of the animal for some time, itstruck the boy that he had not reloaded his rifled gun, and this heproceeded to do, opening the breech, taking out the empty brasscartridges, carefully saving them for refilling, and then putting hishand to the canvas pouch in which the cartridges were packed. 

His hand stopped there, and, hot as he was, he felt a shiver passthrough him. 

There was not a single cartridge left. 

Dyke stood there, half-stunned. 

Had he forgotten them? No, he had felt them since he started; but wherethey were now, who could say? All he could think was that they musthave been jerked out during the violent exertion of the ride. 

How his heart leaped. They were in the leather pouch, which he hadslung from his shoulder by a strap, and the excitement had made himforget this. "What a good--"

That pouch was gone. The buckle of the strap had come unfastened, andit was lost, and there was he out in the middle of that plain, with thecarcass of the antelope to act as a bait to attract lions or otherfierce brutes, and he was without any means of defence but his knife andhis faithful dog. 

The knife was sharp, so were Duke's teeth, but--

Dyke turned cold at the thought of his position, and involuntarily beganto sweep the plain for signs of danger, knowing, as he did full well, that beasts of prey always hang about the herds of wild creatures intheir migrations from feeding ground to feeding ground; the lions totreat the strong as their larder when on their way to water; the hyaenasand jackals to pick up the infirm and tender young. Then the boy's eyeswere directed to the distant figure of his brother, and his firstthought was to shout to him and ask for ammunition. 

But no cry, however piercing, could have reached Emson then, as Dykewell knew, and acting upon sudden impulse, he ran to his horse totighten the girths of his saddle to gallop off after him. 

"And if I do, " he said to himself, "the minute I am gone, the sneakingjackals and vultures will appear as if by magic, and begin spoiling thebeautiful meat; Joe will laugh at me first for being a coward, and thenturn angry because I have left the eland for the animals to maul. "

Dyke stood with his forehead puckered up, terribly perplexed. He didnot mind the anger, but the thought of Emson thinking that he was toocowardly to stop alone out there in the plain and keep watch for a fewhours was too much for him, and he rapidly loosened the girths again. 

Then came the thought of a family of lions, which had perhaps beenunsuccessful, scenting out the eland, and coming up to find him in thatunprotected state. 

It was horrible, and, with a shiver, he tightened up the girths, sprangupon the cob, pressed its sides, and went off after Emson at a gallop, followed by Duke, who barked joyously, as if applauding his master'sdecision. 

Dyke felt lighter hearted and as if every stride took him out of danger, and he gave a glance round, saw dots here and there in the sky which heknew were vultures hurrying up to the banquet, and drawing his leftrein, he made Breezy swing round, and rode in a semicircle back to theeland with teeth set, a frown on his brow, and determination strong: forhe had mastered the feeling of panic that had assailed him, and thoughhe did not grasp the fact himself, he had made a grand stride in thosefew minutes toward manhood. 

"Let 'em come, " he said bitterly; "I won't run away like that. Why, Icould only have done this if a lion as big as that one we shot werealready here. "

In another five minutes, with the dots in different parts around growingplainer, Dyke was back by the eland, and hobbling his horse's forefeet, he loosened the girths again with almost angry energy; then unstrappingthe bit, left the cob to crop such green shoots as it could find. 

As the boy performed these acts, he could not help stealing a glancehere and there; and then standing on the eland, so as to raise himself alittle, he shaded his eyes and carefully swept the plain. 

He could see distant patches, which he made out to be herds, graduallygrowing fainter, and several more dots in the sky, but no sign of dangerin the shape of lions; but he derived very little comfort from that, forhe knew well enough that the tawny-hided creatures would approach intheir crawling, cat-like fashion, and a dozen might be even then hiddenbehind the bushes, or flattened down in the sand, or dry, shrubbygrowth, with which their coats so assimilated as to make them invisibleto the most practised eye. 

Dyke's teeth were pressed so hard together that they emitted a peculiargrinding sound with the exertion as he leaped down, and the dog lookedup in a puzzled way, and uttered an uneasy bark. 

Dyke started. The dog must scent danger, he thought, and the nextglance was at Breezy, whose instinct would endorse the dog's knowledge;but the cob was blowing the insects off the tender shoots at everybreath, and browsing contentedly enough. 

It was fancy. The great, foul birds were coming nearer, but Dyke knewthat he could keep a thousand of them away by flourishing his empty gun. 

Then a sudden thought occurred to him, and he turned excitedly to thedog, taking off his canvas pouch the while, and shaking it. 

"Hi, Duke! Hey there, good old boy! Lost--lost! Seek them! Good dog, then! Seek--seek! Lost!"

The dog barked excitedly, sniffed at the pouch, looked up at his master, whined and barked, sniffed again at the pouch, and finally, in answer toDyke's shouts and gestures, took another sharp sniff at the canvas, andbounded away, head down, and following the track made by the eland, thehorses, and his own feet. 

"What an idiot I was not to think of that before!" said the boy tohimself. "He'll find it, as sure as sure. "

Then he gave another glance round, to stand repentant as he followed thefigure of the retiring dog, and felt ready to call it back, for he wasincreasing the terrible loneliness by sending away his dumb friend, onewho would have instantly given him warning of the approach of danger. 

Once more Dyke went through a mental battle. He was mastering thestrong desire to call back the dog, and forcing himself to take out hisknife and use it as a bill-hook to cut a quantity of the dry, shortbush, piling it up until he had enough to make a fire. This he started, and felt better, for the flame and smoke would keep off animals, showwhere he was, and cook his dinner, about which he had begun to thinkeagerly, as well as of his position. 

"I wonder whether other fellows of my age are so ready to take fright ateverything. It's so stupid, just because the place is open and lonely. Fancy wanting to keep Duke back when he is pretty well sure to find mycartridge pouch, and bring it here. It's a good job no one knows whatwe feel sometimes. If any one did, how stupid we should look. "

The fire burned briskly, with the white smoke rising steadily up in thestill air, as, after trying whether the edge of his sheath-knife hadbeen blunted by cutting the bush wood, he attacked the great antelope tosecure a good steak to broil. 

"Plenty to cut at, " he said with a laugh; and his mouth watered now atthe thought of the juicy frizzle he could make on the glowing embers, which would soon be ready for his purpose. But he went to workjudiciously. His experience in the lonely, wild country had taught hima little of the hunter's craft, and he knew the value of the magnificentskin which covered the eland; so making certain cuts, he drew back thehide till a sufficiency of the haunch was bared, and after cutting apair of skewer-like pieces from a bush, he carved a good juicy steak, inserted his skewers, spread out the meat, and stuck the sharper ends ofthe pieces of wood in the sand, so that the steak was close to, and wellexposed to the glow. Then leaving it to roast, Dyke carefully drew theskin back into its place and set to work washing his hands. 

Only a dry wash in the soft reddish sand, but wonderfully cleansing whenrepeated two or three times, and very delightful as a make-shift, wherethere is no water. 

By the time Dyke's hands were presentable, and he had piled-up some morebush where the fire had burned into a hole, the meat began to sputter, and drops of fat to drip in the hot embers, producing odours soattractive to a hungry lad, to whom fresh meat was a luxury, that Dyke'sthoughts were completely diverted from the loneliness of his position, and he thought of nothing but the coming dinner as he took from hispocket a lump of heavy mealie cake which had been brought by way oflunch. 

"Wish I'd brought a bit of salt, " he said to himself and a few minuteslater, as he saw the full pound and a half steak beginning to curl upand shrink on one side, another thought struck him. Wasn't it a pitythat he had not cut a bigger slice, for this one shrank seriously in thecooking?

But concluding that it would do for the present, he carefully withdrewthe sticks from the sand, and turning them about, replaced them so as tocook the other side, congratulating himself the while upon the fact thatthe meat tightly embraced the pieces of wood, and there was no fear ofthe broil falling into the sand. 

"Don't want that kind of salt peppered over it, " he said in a mixedmetaphorical way, and after a look at Breezy, who was browsing awaycontentedly, Dyke smiled happily enough. Then inhaling the deliciousodours of the steak, he knelt there, with the fire glancing upon hisface and the sun upon his back, picking up and dropping into placeswhere they were needed to keep up the heat, half-burnt pieces of theshort, crisp wood. 

It was so pleasant and suggestive an occupation that Dyke forgot allabout danger from wild beasts, or trampling from a startled herd comingback his way. For one moment he thought of Duke, and how long he wouldbe before he came back with the cartridge pouch. He thought of Emson, too, in regard to the steak, wishing he was there to share it, anddetermining to have the fire glowing and another cut ready to cook. 

Then, springing up, he ran to where Breezy raised his head with apleasant whinny of welcome, took the water-bottle he always carried fromwhere it was strapped to the back of the saddle, and returned to thecooking. 

"Done to a turn, " he cried, as he caught up the two pieces of wood whichheld the steak, bore his dinner away a few yards from the fire, sat downholding the skewers ready, and then placing his cake bread in his lap, he began to cut off pieces of the meat. 

"De--licious!" he sighed, "but a trifle hot, " and then everything wasresolved into the question of meat--rich, tender, juicy meat--gloriousto one whose fare had been dry, leathery, rather tainted biltong for along while past. 

Dyke ate as he had never eaten before, till the last fragment wasreached--a peculiarly crisp, brown, tempting-looking piece adhering toone of the skewers. This he held back for a few moments in company withthe last piece of mealie cake, wishing the while that he had cookedmore, and brought a larger piece of the cake. 

"Roast beef's nothing to it, " he said softly. "Wish old Joe had beenhere to have a bit while it's so tender, and poor old Duke, too. Nevermind, he shall have double allowance when he does come--triple if hebrings my pouch. I wonder whether he has found it. It's wonderful whathe can do in that way. "

He raised his eyes to gaze in the direction taken by the dog as he satthere near the fire, and the huge carcass of the eland behind him, andthen he seemed to have been suddenly turned into stone--sitting with thebit of cake in one hand, the skewer in the other, staring, with whiterings round his eyes, straight at a full-grown, handsomely maned lion, standing about twenty yards away, gazing at him straight in the face. 

CHAPTER TEN. 

THE HUNTER HUNTED. 

Dyke was completely paralysed in body, but his mind was wonderfullyactive, and he noted that the horse even had not divined the approach ofthe great beast, but was puffing away with snorting breath at theinsects upon the tender shoots, and browsing contentedly enough, whilethe lion had stolen softly up nearer and nearer, without a sound, afterperhaps following on the track of the antelopes for weeks, and takingtoll from time to time, which might have accounted for its sleekcondition and glistening hide. 

In spite of the feeling of horror which chilled the boy, he could nothelp admiring the beauty of the magnificent beast before him, with itsfull flowing mane, and sunny, yellowish eyeballs intently watching him, as the long lithe tail, with its black tuft of long hairs at the tip, swung to and fro, now seen upon the left side, now upon the right, inother respects the great animal being as motionless as the boy. 

For many moments Dyke could not even breathe, but at last he uttered agasp, followed by a sharp, catching sound, as he inspired with a sob, and the lion raised the hair about his ears, as if to frown, and uttereda low, deep, growling noise. 

Dyke's heart seemed to stand still as, with his eyes still fixed uponthose of the beast, he waited for it to spring upon him, and drive himback. What then?

He shuddered softly, trying hard not to move, and irritate the lion intohastening its aggression at a time when life was so sweet, and everymoment was greedily grasped before the end. He was horribly frightened, but this did not trouble him so much, for he felt stunned, and a greatdeal of what passed was dreamy, and seen as if through a mist. But onething he knew, and that was that he would have some little warning ofthe attack, for the lion would crouch and gather its hind-legs wellunder it before it made its spring. 

Then a wave of energy ran through Dyke, who, though still motionless, felt his heart throb with greater vigour as he began to think ofself-defence. There was his gun close at hand, so near that he couldhave reached it; but it was useless. He might make one bold stroke withit; but the stock would only snap. Any blow he could deliver would onlyirritate the beast. And now a dawning feeling of admiration began tobroaden as he gazed at the great, massive head and the huge paws, recalling the while what he had seen since he had been in South Africa--a horse's back broken by one blow, the heads of oxen dragged down andthe necks broken by another jerk; and he felt that he would be perfectlyhelpless when the brute made its first spring. 

And still the lion stood, with the tail swinging in that pendulum-likemotion; the great eyes gazing heavily at him; while during those painfulminutes Dyke's brain grew more and more active. He thought of mice inthe power of cats, and felt something of the inert helplessness of thelesser animal, crouching, as if fascinated by the cruel, claw-armedtyrant, waiting to make its spring. And he knew that at any moment thisbeast might come at him as if discharged from a catapult. But all thesame the brain grew more and more acute in its endeavours to find him away of escape. If he had only had a short bayonet fixed at the end ofhis gun, that he might hold it ready with the butt upon the ground, andthe point at an angle of forty-five degrees, so that the lion might atits first bound alight upon it, and impale itself, just as it had beenknown to do upon the long, sharp, slightly curved prongs of the blackantelope, piercing itself through and through, and meeting the fateintended for its prey. 

But then he had no bayonet at the end of his gun, and no weaponwhatever, but his strong sheath-knife. He could hold that out beforehim; but he knew well enough that he could not hold it rigid enough toturn it to advantage against his foe. 

It might have been so many seconds only, but it appeared to Dyke a longspace of time numbered by minutes, as he waited there, expecting thegreat animal to crouch and spring, making short work of him before goingon to gorge itself upon the carcass of the eland. There was nopossibility of help coming, for it must be hours before Emson couldreturn, and then it would be too late. 

At last the power to move came back, and Dyke's first thought was toturn and run, but second thoughts suggested that it would be invitingthe great active beast to spring upon his back, and he remained firm, never for a moment taking his eyes off those which stared so fixedlyinto his, although he was longing to look wildly round for the help thatcould not be at hand. 

Then his heart gave one great leap, for he saw a quiver run through thelion, which crouched down, gathering its hind-legs beneath it, andoutstretching its fore; but it was some moments before the boy graspedthe fact that the brute's movement was not for the purpose of making atremendous bound, but only to couch, as if it would be easier and morecomfortable to gaze at him in a seated position after making a very longstalk. 

"He can't be hungry!" came to Dyke's brain on the instant, and then boyand lion sat opposite to each other, gazing hard, till the great cat'shead and mane seemed to swell and swell to gigantic proportions beforethe boy's swimming eyes, and they appeared misty, strange, and distant. 

Then came another change, for the animal suddenly threw itself over, stretched, and turned upon its back, patted at the air with its paw, andgazed at the boy in an upside-down position, its lower jaw uppermost, but keeping a watchful eye upon him, as if expecting an attack. Amoment or two later it was drawing itself over the sand to where Dykesat, and made a quick dab at him with one paw, striking up the sand in ashower; and as the boy started away, the brute sprang to its feet, shookitself, and with two or three bounds plumped itself down upon the eland, and buried its teeth in the dead antelope's throat. 

Dyke uttered a hoarse sigh of relief, and rested himself by pressing hishands down beside him, breathing heavily the while. 

It was a temporary reprieve, but he dared not move for fear of drawingthe attention of the lion to him, and clung to the hope that perhaps thegreat creature might be content to glut itself upon the game. 

The beast was well-fed and not savage, that was plain enough, but itsaction might change at any moment, and, worse still, there was theprospect of others arriving at any moment to join in the feast. 

For a full hour Dyke sat there, watching the great animal, and listeningto it as it tore off pieces of the neck from time to time, the crack ofa bone every now and then making him start violently, and shudder at thethought of certain possibilities connected with himself. And all thistime the beast was in such a position that one eye was toward him, and agleam therefrom made it apparent that he was carefully watched the wholetime. But at last the lion turned itself more away to get at a moremeaty portion, and a thrill of excitement ran through Dyke. 

Grasping his knife firmly in one hand, his gun in the other, he turnedover, and fixing upon one of the low bushes a short distance away, beyond which was other good cover, he began slowly and silently to crawlsidewise away, keeping a watchful eye the while upon the lion, so as tostop short at the slightest movement on the part of the great beast. 

It was an exceedingly difficult mode of progression, and it was hardwork to keep to it, for with every yard the desire to get up and runtoward where Breezy would be grazing increased. Once he could reach thecob, take off the hobbles which confined its forefeet, tighten thegirths, and slip the bit between its teeth, he did not care. But therewas a great deal to do, he knew, before he could achieve this. 

Yard by yard he crept on, the sand hushing every sound, and he hadnearly reached the low bush cropped short all over the top by the horseor some passing animal, when there was a quick movement and a low growlwhich made him feel that all was over. 

But a sharp _crick, crack_ of a broken bone nipped in the powerful jawsreassured him, and after waiting a few minutes, he crept sidewise againa little farther, and he was behind the bush, which shut out all view ofthe lion and smouldering fire, and of course hid him from his enemy. 

He could now make better progress, for if the lion turned, he would beinvisible; and taking advantage of this, he crept on from bush to bush, till he was quite a hundred yards away. And now the longing was intenseto stand erect and look out for Breezy, but the bushy growth had been soclosely cropped that it was nowhere a yard in height, and to stand upmight have meant to bring him full in his enemy's sight. 

There was nothing to be done, then, but to crawl on to a more open spot, and as he was going in the direction taken by the horse in feeding thelast time he saw it, the boy felt not the slightest uneasiness, beingsure that he should come in sight of it directly. 

Still the minutes glided on as he made for the more open part where thesand lay bare, and he began now to grow uneasy at not seeing the cob, and at last, like a crushing disaster, he saw that the poor animal musthave scented the lion, or been alarmed at the cracking of the bones, and, in consequence, it had quietly shuffled as far away as it could inthe time. There it was, a couple of miles away, right in the openplain, and though at that distance its movement could not be made out, it was in all probability shuffling its way along to save its life. 

Dyke's heart sank in his breast as he knelt there in the sand, feelingas if his case was as hopeless as ever, and for the moment he feltdisposed to creep right into the densest place he could find, and liethere till darkness set in, when he would take his bearings as well ashe could from the stars, and then try to reach Kopfontein. But at thatmoment there came to him his brother's words, and the little absurdstory about trying till to-morrow morning. A trifling thing; but atthat moment enough to make Dyke sling his gun over his back, thrust theknife into its sheaf, mark down the position of the fire by the faintsmoke, and then start off crawling on all-fours straight away, not afterthe horse, but so as to keep the bushes well between him and the lion. 

The exertion was great and the heat terrible. Never had the sand seemedso hot before, nor the air so stifling to breathe; but he crept onsilently and pretty quickly, till, glancing back over his shoulder, hefound that he might move straight at once to where he could see Breezylooking distant and misty through the lowest stratum of the quiveringair. For the low bushes hid him no longer; there was the faint smoke ofthe fire still rising, and just beyond it the big carcass of the eland, made monstrous by the great maned lion, crouching, tearing at the neck. 

At the sight of this, Dyke dropped down flat, and lay panting andmotionless for a few minutes. Then he began to crawl straight for thehorse, grovelling along upon his breast. But this soon proved to be fartoo painful and laborious a mode of progression, and he rose to hishands and knees, feeling that it must be that way or nohow, though fastgrowing desperate enough to rise to his feet and run. 

A minute's anxious reflection brought the feeling that this would be amad act, and might rouse the lion into following him, so he keptsteadily getting farther and farther away, and more and moreforeshortened, as the artists term it, till he was pretty well end on tothe lion, and he felt that he must present a singular aspect to themonster if it looked across the plain. 

"I shall never do it, " muttered Dyke. "Poor old Breezy! he wasfrightened. I can't blame him, but I don't get any nearer. He's goingon as fast as I am, and I shall be obliged to get up and run. "

But he did not. He kept up the uneasy crawling, putting hundred-yardspace after hundred-yard space between him and the fire, while, when hedid glance back, it was after dropping flat behind some bush and raisinghis head till he could see the eland lying like a low hummock or patchof bush, and with the lion growing less distinct. 

On he went again, refreshed by the trifling rest, but far more by thefact that he was really getting more distant from the great danger. Forit was in vain to try to assure himself that as the lion did not molesthim before it had fed, it was far less likely to do so now. 

As he crawled onward, wishing he could progress like the baboons whichhaunted some of the stony kopjes in the neighbourhood, he tried to thinkhow long it would be before he overtook the cob, and in spite of thedanger and excitement he could not help smiling, for his positionreminded him of one of the old problems at school about if A goes somany yards an hour and B so many, for twenty-four hours, how long willit be before B is overtaken by A?

"A fellow can't do that without pen, ink, and paper, " he said tohimself. "It's too big a sum to do on sand, and, besides, I don't knowhow fast I am going, nor B for Breezy either. But oh, how hot I am!"

At last he could bear it no longer; he was apparently getting no nearerthe cob, but he certainly must be, he felt, sufficiently far from thelion to make it safe for him to rise and trot after the nag. He had hiswhistle, and if he could make Breezy hear, the horse would come to him. But he dared not use that yet; besides, he was too far away. 

At last he did rise, gazed timorously back, and then started onward at asteady trot--a means of progression which seemed quite restful after thepainful crawl, and gaining spirit by the change, he went on with so goodeffect that he saw that he was certainly gaining on the cob. Thisinfused fresh spirit within him, and congratulating himself on the factthat he must soon get within whistling distance, he had another glanceback to see that eland and lion were an indistinct mass, or so it seemedfor the moment. Then he turned cold again in spite of the heat, forthere, moving slowly over the sand, about a quarter of a mile back, wasa tawny, indistinct something which gradually grew clearer to hisstartled eyes, for unmistakably there was a lion stealthily stalkinghim, taking advantage of every tuft to approach unseen, and before manyminutes had passed he felt that it would be within springing distance, and all would be over in spite of his almost superhuman toil. 

There was only one chance for him now, he felt, and that was to run hisbest. 

He did not pause to look, but began to run over the burning sand, hisbreath coming hot and thick; but he must go on, he knew, for at everyaffrighted glance behind, there was his enemy keeping up its stealthyapproach, and the cob was still so far away. 

CHAPTER ELEVEN. 

BEING STALKED. 

Those were minutes which would have made the stoutest-hearted man feelthat his case was hopeless; and Dyke struggled along, feeling his legsgrow weaker, and as if his feet were turned to heavy weights of lead. Still he kept on at what was no longer a good run, for his pace haddegenerated into a weary trot, and there were moments when he fanciedthat the cob was disappearing in a mist of distance, while at the sametime he felt a constant inclination to check his speed, so as to be ableto gaze back at his pursuer, which every now and then sent his heartupward with a tremendous throb, as it made a few rapid bounds to gainthe shelter of bushes, and disappeared, but, as the boy well knew, tocome into sight again much nearer. 

The later part of that terrible flight was dreamlike in its strange, wild confusion, and was dominated by a despairing feeling that he hadnow done all that was possible, and must throw himself down and yield tohis fate. 

But the instinctive desire for life, the horror of being seized by themonstrous beast, and the thought of Emson and their home, which, shabbyand rough as it was, now seemed to be a glorious haven of refuge, kepthim struggling on in spite of his exhaustion. Life was so sweet; therewas so much to do; and poor Joe would be so lonely and broken-heartedwhen he found out his brother's fate. It would be, he knew, the lastterrible blow of all to the expedition. For himself, he was so stunnedby horror and exertion that he could not feel that there would be muchpain; all he hoped for was that the seizure would be sudden and the endinstantaneous; but still he kept up that slow, steady double over theburning sand, with his heavy gun going jerk, jerk, giving him, as itwere, regular blows across the loins to urge him on. 

Another wild glance back, and the lion growing bigger; and another wearystare in advance, and the cob still so distant, but clearer now to hisvision, though certainly shuffling away. 

Again he looked back, to see the savage beast grovelling itself along, with its lower parts almost touching the sand, and seeming more thanever to keep up that stealthy, cat-like approach, so as to get withinspringing distance. 

And now a reaction began to take place, and through his teeth Dyke's hotbreath panted out:

"I don't care; I'll die game. He shan't kill me for nothing. "

His hand went to his belt, and he snatched out his keen sheath-knife, determined to hold it with both fists before him, and face the lion whenthe beast sprang. It would not save his life, he felt; but the brutewould suffer, and that was some consolation, even then. Then his lefthand went to his throat, to tear open his collar, so that he couldbreathe more freely; but it did not reach the button, for it struckagainst the big metal whistle which hung from his neck by a twistedleather thong. 

His next act was almost involuntary. He placed the metal to his lips, and blew with all his might a long, trilling whistle, despairing as heblew, but still with a faint hope that the shrill sound would reachthrough the clear air to where the cob was labouring along with itshobbled feet. 

The result sent a thrill through the boy, for to his great joy he sawthat the cob had stopped. 

No: it was fancy. 

No: it was no imagination, no fancy of his disordered brain; for themoment before, the horse was end on to him; now, it had turnedbroadside, and was gazing back; and in his excitement Dyke whistledagain with all the breath he could put into the act. 

The horse still stared back. It had heard the familiar call, and Dykefelt another thrill of hope, for on looking back he saw that the whistlehad had a double effect: the lion had stopped short, sprung erect, andstood at gaze with bristling mane, staring after him, its head lookingdouble its former size. 

But Dyke did not pause; he ran on, dragging his leaden feet, till he sawthat the cob was once more moving away, and the lion crawling rapidlyalong in his track. 

Another shrill, trilling whistle with the former effect, and the animalsin front and rear stopped again, giving the boy a few yards' gain. 

But the reprieve was very short. The lion soon recovered from itssurprise at the unwonted sound, one which might mean danger, and resumedits stalk, while the cob again went on. 

How long that terrible time lasted Dyke could not tell, but thewhistling was resumed over and over again, always with the same effect, and with the hope growing that perhaps at last he might reach the horse, Dyke toiled on. 

Despair came, though, in company with the hope; for at any moment theboy felt that the cob might wildly rush off as soon as it realised hownear the lion was behind its master--fear getting the better of the longtraining which had taught it to obey its master's call. But still Dykewas getting nearer and nearer, and the whistle did not seem to lose itseffect, always checking horse and lion as well, till to Dyke's great joythe cob uttered a loud whinnying sound, answered by a deep mutteringgrowl from the lion. 

"I can go no farther, " panted Dyke at last, and his run degenerated intoa weary stumble, as he raised the whistle once more to his lips, blewwith all his feeble might, and then began to walk. 

Hope once more, for the whinnying sounded loudly now; and in spite ofthe presence of the lion a couple of hundred yards behind its master, Breezy suddenly came toward where Dyke stood, advancing in a stumblingcanter. Dyke tried to call to it, but no words would come; and heglanced back to see the lion gliding over the ground nearer and nearer. 

How long would it be before it was near enough to make its bound?

Long before he could get down by the cob's forelegs to loosen thehobbles from its fetlocks, and mount. 

Dyke felt that as he staggered to meet the cob, and the beautiful littleanimal stumbled toward him, whinnying joyfully, seeing for the timenothing but its master, to whom it looked for protection. 

"I shall never do it! I shall never do it!" he panted, and he glancedback to see the lion stealing on, with its eyes glaring in the sunshine. And there was no friendly, playful look here, for now Dyke noticed thatthis was not the lion which he had encountered by the eland, butanother, evidently one which had been following the droves of antelopes, and, fierce with hunger, had turned aside after the first object that ithad seen. 

At that moment Dyke dropped upon his knees, throwing one arm round thefettered legs of his favourite, which had ceased its whinnying, andbegan to tremble violently, snorting and starting, and, yielding to itspanic at the sight of the approaching enemy, threatened to bound away. 

To get the hobbles undone was impossible, for Dyke's hands trembled fromweakness and excitement; but spurred again by despair, he made a coupleof bold cuts, severed the leather thongs, and sprang to his feet. 

But there was much yet to do: the bit to fasten, and how could he get itinto the mouth of the horrified beast?--the girths to tighten, while thecob backed away. 

Neither was possible, and glancing once over his shoulder, Dyke snatchedat the mane, but missed it, for the cob started violently, but stopped acouple of yards away, paralysed with horror at the approach of thegreat, stealthy beast. 

Another clutch at the mane, and the cob started again; but Dyke hadseized it fast, and was dragged a few yards before Breezy stopped, trembling in terror; as making one last effort, the boy made a leap andscramble to mount, dragging the saddle half round, but getting his legover, clinging now with both hands to the mane. 

Nothing could have been narrower. 

The lion had given up its stealthy, creeping approach, and risen at lastto commence a series of bounds, ending with one tremendous leap, whichlaunched it through the air, and would have landed it next upon Dyke andhis brave little steed; but horror drove off the trembling, paralyticseizure, and Breezy made also his frantic bound forward, with the resultthat the lion almost grazed the horse's haunches as it passed, andalighted upon the sand. The beast turned with a savage roar; but, urgedby fear, and spurred by its master's hoarse cries, the cob wasgalloping, with its eyes turned wildly back, and every breath comingwith a snort of dread. 

Certainly nothing could have been narrower, for, enraged by its failure, the lion was in full pursuit, keeping up bound after bound; but swiftlyas it launched itself forward, its speed fell short of the pace at whichthe brave little cob swept over the sand, spurning it at every effort ina blinding shower right in the lion's face, while Dyke, lying prostrate, clinging with hand and knee, was in momentary expectation of beingthrown off. 

The pursuit was not kept up for more than three hundred yards. Then thelion stopped short, and sent forth a series of its thunderous, full-throated roars, every one making Breezy start and plungefrantically forward, with the sweat darkening its satin coat. 

But the danger was past, and for the next ten minutes Dyke strove hardto master a hysterical sensation of a desire to sob; and then gainingstrength, and beginning to breathe with less effort, he drew himself uperect, and tried by voice and caress to slacken the frightened animal'sheadlong speed. 

"Wo-ho, lad! wo-ho, lad!" he cried, and the speed slackened into acanter. 

"My word!" muttered the boy to himself, "I don't know how I managed tostick on!"

Ten minutes later he managed to stop the cob, and sliding off wearily, he stroked and patted its reeking neck, unbuckled and slipped in thebit, attached the reins to the loose side, and arranged them ready formounting. Then dragging the saddle back into its place, he properlytightened the girths, and gave two or three searching glances backwardthe while. 

But the lion, far or near, was well hidden, and they were well out inone of the barest parts of the plain, which now spread tenantless as faras eye could reach, while the eland was quite out of sight. 

And now, as he proceeded to mount, Dyke awoke to the fact that his backwas bruised sore by the gun, which had beaten him heavily; he wasdrenched with perspiration; and it was an effort to lift his foot to thestirrup, his knees being terribly stiff. He was conscious, too, of astrange feeling of weariness of both mind and body, and as he sank intothe saddle he uttered a low sigh. 

But he recovered a bit directly, and turning the cob's head, began toride slowly in the direction of Kopfontein, whose granite pile lay likean ant-hill far away, low down on the eastern horizon. 

He was too tired to think; but he noted in a dull, half-stunned way thatthe sun was getting very low, and it struck him that unless he hurriedon, darkness would overtake him long before he could get home. 

But it did not seem to matter; and though it hurt him a little, therewas something very pleasant in the easy, rocking motion of Breezy'scantering stride, while the wind swept, cool and soft, against hischeeks. 

Then he began to think about the events of the day--his narrow escape, which seemed to be dreamlike now, and to belong to the past; next hefound himself wondering where the dog was, and whether it had found hiscartridge pouch. Lastly, he thought of Emson, and his ride back tofetch Jack and the oxen--a long task, for the bullocks were so slow anddeliberate at every pace. 

But it did not seem to matter, for everything was very restful andpleasant, as the golden sun sent the shadow of himself and horse faraway along the plain. He was safe, for the lion could be laughed at byany one well mounted as he was then. At last the pleasant sensation ofsafety was combined with a dull restfulness that grew and grew, till, moving gently in that canter over the soft sand, which hushed the cob'spaces to a dull throb, the glow in the west became paler and paler, andthen dark. 

Then bright again, for Dyke recovered himself with a jerk, and satupright, staring. 

"I do believe I was dropping off to sleep, " he muttered. "That won'tdo. I shall be off. --Go on, Breezy, old boy. You had a good long rest, and didn't have to crawl on your knees. How far is it now?"

Far enough, for the kopje was only just visible against the sky. 

But again it did not seem to matter, for all grew dull again. Dyke hadkept on nodding forward, and was jerked up again, but only for him tobegin nodding again. Soon after he made a lurch to the left, and Breezyceased cantering, and gave himself a hitch. Then followed a lurch tothe right, and the cob gave himself another hitch to keep his masterupon his back, progressing afterwards at a steady walk, balancing hisload: for Dyke was fast asleep, with the reins slack and his chin downupon his chest, and kept in his place by the natural clinging of hisknees, and the easy movement of the sagacious beast he rode. But all atonce he lurched forward, and instinctively clung to the horse's neck, with the result that Breezy stopped short, and began to crop the shootsof the bushes, only moving a step or two from time to time. 

CHAPTER TWELVE. 

DYKE IS AGGRIEVED. 

"Fine chance for a lion, " said Emson, as at dusk he left the oxen, beingslowly driven by Kaffir Jack, and cantered off to his left to draw reinin front of Dyke, the boy sitting upright with a start. 

"Eh?"

"I say a fine chance for a lion, " cried Emson again. 

"No: couldn't catch, "--_snore_. 

"Here! Hi! Little one. Wake up!" cried Emson. 

"Yes; all right!--What's the matter?"

"Matter? why, you're asleep, you stupid fellow: a lion might have comeupon you in that state. "

"Lion? Come upon? Did--did you speak to me?" said Dyke thickly. 

"Speak to you? of course. Why, you foolish, careless fellow, what wasthe matter? Afraid to stay by the game?"

Dyke looked at him drowsily, striving to catch all that had been said, but only partially grasping the meaning. 

"Don't know--what you mean, " he said thickly. 

"I mean it was very cowardly of you to forsake your charge, boy, " saidEmson sternly. "It's vital for us to save that meat, and I trusted youto watch it. Now you've come away, and it will be horribly mauled bythe jackals; perhaps we shall find half a hundred vultures feeding uponit when we get there. Hang it, Dyke! you might have stayed till I cameback. "

Dyke was too much confused to make any reply. Utterly exhausted as hehad been, his deep sleep seemed to still hold him, and he sat gazingvacantly at his brother, who added in a tone full of contempt:

"There, don't stare at me in that idiotic way. Come along; let's tryand save something. Look sharp! One of us must ride on, or we shallnot find it before it's dark. "

Dyke rode beside him in silence, for Breezy eagerly joined his stablecompanion, and in a short time they were up to, and then passed Jackwith his plodding oxen, which were drawing a rough sledge, somethingsimilar to that which a farmer at home uses for the conveyance of aplough from field to field. 

The angry look soon passed away from Emson's face, and he turned toDyke. 

"There, look up, old chap, " he said; "don't pull a phiz like that. "

Dyke was still half stupefied by sleep, but he had grasped his brother'sformer words, and these were uppermost, rankling still in his mind as hesaid heavily:

"You talked about the jackals and vultures, Joe. "

"Yes, yes; but I was in a pet, little un--vexed at the idea of losingour stock of good fresh meat. That's all over now, so say no more aboutit. Began to think I was never coming, didn't you? Well, I was long. "Emson might just as well have held his tongue, for nothing he now saidwas grasped by Dyke, who could think of nothing else but the formerwords, and he repeated himself:

"You talked about the jackals and vultures, Joe. "

"Yes, yes, I did; but never mind now, old chap. "

"But you didn't say a word about the lions. "

"What?" cried Emson excitedly. "You have had no lions there, surely?"

"Yes, " said Dyke, bitterly now, for he was waking up, and felt deeplyaggrieved. "Two great beasts. "

"But in open day?"

Dyke nodded. 

"Then why didn't you fire? A shot or two would have scared them away. "

"Yes, " continued the boy in the same bitter tone; "but you can't firewhen your gun's empty, and you have no cartridges. "

"But you had plenty when we started. I filled your pouch. "

"Yes, but it came undone in the ride after the eland. It's lost. Isent Duke to try and find it, and he didn't come back. "

"My poor old chap!" cried Emson, leaning forward to grasp his brother'sshoulder. "I did not know of this. "

"No, you couldn't know of it, but you were precious hard upon me. "

"My dear old chap, I spoke to you like a brute. I ought not to haveleft you, but I was so delighted with the way in which you had broughtdown the game, and, as it were, filled our larder, that I thought youought to have all the honour of keeping guard, while I played drudge andwent to fetch the sledge to carry the meat home. But tell me: the lionscame?"

"One did, " said Dyke, "and gave me turn enough, and when I got away fromhim to try and catch Breezy here, another savage brute hunted me andnearly struck me down. Oh, it was horrid!" he cried, as he ended hisrough narrative of what he had gone through. 

"Dyke, old chap, I shall never forgive myself, " said Emson, grasping hisbrother's hand. "I'd do anything to recall my words. "

"Oh, it's all right, " cried the boy, clinging to the hand that pressedhis; "I'm better now. I was so exhausted, Joe, that I suppose Icouldn't keep awake. I say, how was it I didn't fall off?"

"The cob was standing quite still when I came up, and looked half asleephimself. "

"Poor old Breezy! He had such a fright too. I thought I should nevercatch up to him. But I did. "

"Can you forgive me, old fellow?"

"Can I what? Oh, I say, Joe! Don't say any more, please. Here, giveme some cartridges to put in my pocket. I'm all right now, and thereare sure to be some more lions there. But, I say, I don't think Ishould like to shoot at that first one. "

Emson handed a dozen cartridges, and then shouted to Jack to stop, whichthe Kaffir and his two dumb companions willingly did. 

"What are you going to do, Joe?"

"Discretion is the better part of valour, " said Emson quietly. "Itwould be dark by the time we got there, and on your own showing, thefield is in possession of the enemy. Why, Dyke, old fellow, it would beabout as mad a thing as we could do to drive a couple of bullocks up towhere perhaps half-a-dozen lions are feasting. I ought to have knownbetter, but it did not occur to me. These brutes must have beenfollowing the herds. There's only one thing to do. "

"What's that? Go near and fire to scare them away?"

"To come back again, after they had left us the mangled remains of theeland. No good, Dyke: we shall be safer in our own beds. It's onlyanother failure, old chap. Never mind: we may get game to-morrow. "

Dyke tried to oppose this plan of giving up, but it was only in ahalf-hearted way, and they rode back slowly towards Kopfontein, pausingfrom time to time for the oxen to catch up, Jack growing more and moreuneasy as the night came on, and running after them and leaving theoxen, if they came to be any distance ahead. 

The result was that he was sent on first with the slow-paced bullocks, and Dyke and his brother formed themselves into a rearguard, necessitated from time to time to come to a full stop, so as to keep inthe rear. 

It was nearly morning when they reached home, and after fastening theircattle safely behind fence and rail, they sought their own beds, whereDyke sank at once into a heavy sleep, waking up when the sun was quitehigh, with some of the previous evening's confusion left; but the wholeof the day's adventure came back in a flash as his eyes lit upon Duke, fast asleep upon a skin, and with the lost cartridge pouch between hispaws. 

CHAPTER THIRTEEN. 

JACK BEHAVES HIMSELF. 

The necessity for providing fresh provisions took the brothers out againnext day, but there were no more herds visible, as far as their glasswould show, anywhere out upon the plain; but at last they caught sightof half-a-dozen of the graceful little springboks, and after a longgallop got close enough to try a couple of shots, which provedsuccessful; and a little buck was borne home in triumph, a portioncooked, and Dyke sat watching his brother eat that evening, till Emsonlooked up. 

"Why, hullo!" he cried; "not well?"

"Oh yes, I'm quite right, " replied Dyke hastily. 

"Then why don't you eat?"

"Because I wanted you to make up for the past, " said the boy, laughing. "I'm a meal ahead of you. I had such a splendid dinner yesterday offthe eland. "

Next morning, upon their visit to the ostrich-pens, Emson's facebrightened, for there was excitement among the birds, the great henhaving hatched every egg of those they had brought home in the net; andfor the next few days everything possible was done in the way offeeding, so as to help the young brood on into a state of strength. 

"Oh, it's all right, Joe, " said Dyke; "all we've got to do is to keep onscouring the plain and finding nests. We shall succeed after all. "

"Yes, but you must scout off after some meal and coffee; we can't get onwithout those. "

"And sugar. "

"And sugar. What do you say to starting to-morrow?"

"I'm ready, " said Dyke; and after warning Jack, and making the necessarypreparations over night, they sought their couches, and rose beforedaybreak to go and rouse up the Kaffir and his wife. 

The latter soon had her fire glowing; Jack grumpily fetched water, andthen proceeded to yoke the bullocks to the wagon, after which he settleddown to his breakfast; and after feeding his stock, Emson mounted hishorse to ride a few miles with his brother, both keeping a sharp lookoutfor game; while Duke, who was of the party, kept on hunting through thehushes, and now and then starting a bird. 

It was getting toward mid-day before anything was shot, and then anotherlittle springbok fell to Emson's piece, just as they reached the waterwhere they were to make their first halt. 

The buck was divided, part to go back to Kopfontein and some to formpart of Dyke's provision, while another portion was cooked at once andeaten. 

"There, " said Emson at last, "I don't think I need say any more to you, old fellow. Jack knows the way well enough. Set him to drive thebullocks, and you ride beside and drive him. Keep a tight rein, and ifhe shows his teeth and isn't obedient, tell him you'll shoot him, andtake aim at once, or he won't believe you. "

"Rather sharp practice, Joe, isn't it?"

"Not with a man like that. He'll be ready to play upon you in everyway, and you must let him see that you do not mean to be imposed upon. Sounds harsh, but I know Master Jack by heart. "

"You do think he'll take me straight to all the water?"

"I haven't a doubt about it, old fellow, " said Emson, smiling. "Jackisn't an ostrich, and must drink at least once a day, so you need not benervous about that. --There, " he continued, mounting; "I must be off. Good-bye. "

"Not yet; I'm going to ride a little way back with you, " cried Dyke. 

"No, you are not, lad. Rest yourself and your horse. --Here! Hi!Jack!"

The Kaffir came from under the wagon, grinning. 

"Drive your bullocks carefully, and bring them back in good condition. "

The man smiled and showed his teeth. 

"That's right. Go along and have your sleep. "

The Kaffir went back and crept under the wagon, and Emson clasped hisbrother's hand. 

"Take your time, but don't lose any, old fellow, " he said; "for I shallbe glad to see you back. Take care of yourself. I wish I were goingwith you, but I can't. There, you are man enough to manage everything, so good-bye. "

He urged his horse forward and went back swiftly along the trail, hisnag cantering steadily along one of the broad ruts made by the wagonwheels in the sand, while Dyke went and seated himself just under thewagon-tilt, and watched him till he was out of view. 

"Six days and nights at the least, " said Dyke to himself with a sigh, "and perhaps a fortnight, before I get back. Never mind; every day willbe one less, and I don't suppose I shall mind its being lonely, afterall. Duke's good company, and so is Breezy, without counting Jack, andit isn't so very bad after all to go riding through the country withone's own tent on wheels. Why, some fellows at home would be mad withjoy to get such a chance. Ah, look at that. Why, if I'd been ready, Imight have got a couple of Guinea-fowl for the larder. "

For a flock of the curious speckled birds came and settled amongst thebushes on the other side of the water pool, but catching sight ofvisitors, went off with a tremendous outcry. 

"Don't matter, " said Dyke; "there's plenty of the buck. "

The sun was sinking low in the west, as after a long, toilsome journeyfrom the last water, Dyke, with the great whip held aloft like a largefishing-rod and line, sat on the wagon-box shouting to the weary oxenfrom time to time. He was apparently quite alone, save that Breezy wastethered by a long leathern rein to the back of the wagon. There was noKaffir Jack, no Duke; and the boy, as he sat driving, looked weary, wornout, and disconsolate. 

For days past he had been upon a faintly-marked track leadingsouth-west--a track in which hoof-marks and the traces of wagon wheelshaving passed that way were faintly to be seen, quite sufficient to showhim that he was on the right track for civilisation in some form, and hefelt pretty certain that sooner or later he would reach OomMorgenstern's store and farm. 

But it had been a terrible task that managing of the team alone, andurging the sluggish animals to drag the wagon when they reached heavypatches of sand. Then, too, there was the outspanning--the unyoking theoften vicious animals from the dissel-boom or wagon pole and trek chain, when he halted by water, and let them drink and feed. Then theinspanning, the yoking up of the oxen again, and the start once more. 

That huge whip, too, had been such a clumsy thing to handle, but highlynecessary, for without it he would never have reached the end of hisjourney. Then at night there had been the same outspanning to see to;the feeding of the bullocks; the collection of wood and lighting of asbig a fire as he could contrive, to cook his food, boil his coffee, and, finally, make up to scare off wild beasts. In addition to this, a thornprotection ought to have been made to keep off danger from Breezy, butthat was impossible; and hour after hour Dyke had sat in the darkness, where the cob's rein was made fast to the wagon tail, and, gun in hand, had watched over the trembling beast, keeping him company when thedistant roaring of lions was heard on the veldt, and the bullocks grewuneasy. 

Little sleep fell to Dyke's lot by night; but in the daytime, when thebullocks were going steadily along the track, which they followedwillingly enough for the most part, the boy's head would sink down uponhis breast, and he would snatch a few minutes' rest, often enough tostart up and find the wagon at a standstill, and the bullocks croppingsome patch of grass or the tender shoots of a clump of bushes. 

Then on again, with at times the great whip exchanged for the gun, andsome bird or another laid low, so as to find him in extra provisions bythe way. Once, too, he managed to hit a little buck. 

A long, doleful, and weary journey, without meeting a soul, or beingpassed. On and on, over the never-ending plain, often despairing, andwith the oxen groaning, empty as the wagon was, for the sun flashed andwas reflected up with blinding force, and there were moments when Dykegrew giddy, and felt as if he must break down. 

But those were only moments. He set his teeth again, and trudged on orrode, thinking of Joe waiting patiently away there in the lonely, corrugated iron building, tending the ostriches, and feeling in perfectconfidence that the journey would be achieved, and the necessary storesbrought back. 

There were moments, though, when Dyke brightened up, and told himselfthat he would do it if he tried till to-morrow morning; and at suchtimes he laughed--or rather tried to laugh--for it was rather a painfulprocess, his face being sore and the skin ready to peel away. 

But at last, after escaping danger after danger by a hair's-breadth, thegreat weariness of the almost interminable journey was coming to an end, for, far away in the distance, there was a building visible through theclear air. He could see a broad stretch of green, too, lookingdelightful with waving trees, after the arid wilderness through which hehad passed; and now, in spite of his great fatigue, Dyke plucked upcourage, for the building must be Oom Morgenstern's farm, and in an houror so the traveller felt that the first part of his journey was at anend. 

Once or twice a feeling of doubt troubled him, but that soon passed off, for reason told him that he could not be wrong--this must be the pointfor which he had been aiming. 

The bullocks began to move more briskly now, for they could see greenpasture in the far distance, and there was a moister feeling in the air, suggestive of water not far away. 

So Dyke's task grew lighter, and an hour or so later he could see a big, heavy, grey man standing outside an untidy-looking building, litteredabout with cask and case, and who saluted him as he halted his team:

"Ach! das is goot. How you vas, mein bube?"

"Here, I say, " cried Dyke, as the big German shook hands with him, "whoare you calling a booby, Uncle Morgenstern?"

"Hey? You vas bube. Not gall yourself mans, long time ago to gom. Bube ist poy, goot poy. Zo you gom vrom Kopfontein all py youzelf topuy mealies and dea, and goffee and sugars?"

"Well, not quite all alone; I've got our Kaffir with me. "

"Ach! ten: why you not make him drive die pullock? Lazy tog!"

"He's in the wagon, bad. I've had to drive the bullocks, and inspan andoutspan all by myself. "

"Ach! wonterful! All py youself. Goot poy. Ant you are hot, und sehrdursty. "

"Oh yes, horribly thirsty. "

"Goot! Die Frau shall make you zom of mein beaudiful goffees. Das isgood vor dursdy. --Hi!" he shouted; and a couple of Kaffir boys came frombehind a rough shed, to whom he gave instructions to outspan the oxenand drive them to the abundant pasture by the river side. 

"Goot! Now led me see der pad mensch. Zo you haf put you Kaffir in youwagon, and give him a pig ride. "

"Yes; I thought he was going to die. "

"Zo? Ah! zom beebles would haf left him oonter a dree, und zay do him:`Mein vrient, you had petter make youself guite well as zoon as you gan. I muss nicht shtop. Goot-bye. ' But you did bring him in dem wagon, hey?"

"Oh yes: I could not leave him. "

"You are a goot poy, my young vrient. And how is der big bruder?"

"Quite well, " said Dyke, looking uneasy as the big, frank-faced, fat, German Boer questioned him. 

"Why did he not gom too? I like den big bruder. "

"Too busy minding the young ostriches. "

"Ach zo! Of goorse. Ant you make blenty of money--you gut off dervedders, and zend dem to der Gape?"

"Oh no. We're doing very badly: the young birds die so fast. "

"Zo? Das ist sehr, very bad. You had petter zell mealie und gorn, unddea und sugars. It ist mooch petters as neffer vas, and you not haf togom five, zigs, zeven days to me. Now let us zee den Kaffirs. "

The old man had approached the back of the wagon as he spoke, and nowdrew the canvas aside, to be greeted by a low growl which made him startback. 

"Tunder!" he cried. "Der Kaffir tog is gone mad!"

"No, no; that is our dog Duke. "

"Ah! Und is he pad too?"

"Yes: a leopard came and seized him one night and carried him off fromunder the wagon; but I ran out and fired, and I suppose I hit the beast, for there was a lot of snarling and Duke got away; but I thought hewould have died. "

"Ach! boor togs den. What you do to him?"

"Bathed the places with water. "

"Goot!"

"And he licked the wounds himself. "

"Besser. "

"And curled himself up, and went to sleep. "

"Das vas der best of all, mein young vrient. Aha! Goot tog, den. Youlet me zee how you vas pad. I am your master's vrient; das ist zo. "

He advanced his hand to where Duke lay just inside the canvas, and thedog gave the skin on which he lay two thumps with his tail. 

"Das ist goot, " said the old German trader. "Ach! yaas; you haf beenpite on dem pack, und scratch, scratch along bofe your zides; boot youare a prave tog, and zoon be guite well again. "

Duke's tail performed quite a fantasia now, and he uttered a low whineand licked at the great, fat, friendly hand which patted his head. 

"Und now vere is der poy?"

"Get into the wagon, " said Dyke; and the German climbed in, followed byDyke, and stooped down over the figure of Kaffir Jack, who lay on ablanket, with his head toward the front part of the wagon, through whichopening the evening light still streamed. 

The Kaffir's head was tied-up with a bandage formed of the sleeve of ashirt cut off at the shoulder, split up lengthwise at the seams, tiedtogether so as to make it long enough, and this was stained with blood, evidently days old. 

The Boer gazed down at the Kaffir, and Jack gazed up at him, screwing uphis face in the most piteous fashion. 

This scrutiny on both sides went on for some time in a silence which wasat last broken by the Kaffir uttering a dismal groan which went right toDyke's heart. 

"Ah, " said the trader softly, "boor vellow! How you vas?"

Jack uttered a more dismal groan than before. 

"Ah, vas it den? Boor mans! you zeem as bad as neffer can be. Youdoomble off dem vagon, und dread on your vace like dot?"

"Oh!" groaned Jack. "Baas killum. "

"Did he den. Der baas kill der boor vellow dead?" Then suddenlychanging his tone from one full of soft sympathy to a burst of fierceanger, he roared out: "Dunder und lightning! You get oot of dis, youoogly black, idle tog. You got sore head, und lazy as big bullock. Outyou vas!"

He accompanied the fierce words with a sharp kick, and Jack bounded upand sprang clear over the wagon-box, to stand out on the trampledground, staring wildly. 

"Ah, you vait till I gom und get das 'noceros whip, und make you tance, you lazy tog. You go take den pferd to water, or you haf no zopperto-night. Roon!"

Dyke stood staring at the change that had come over the Kaffir, who ranto where the horse was tied, unfastened the rein, and led him offwithout a word. 

The old trader chuckled. 

"I know whad is der madder mit dose poy. He is guide well as neffervas, und lie und shleep and say he gannod vork a leedle pid. How gamehe do domble und gut den kopf?"

Dyke coloured. 

"He did not tumble, " said the boy. "I hit him. "

"Zo? Mit dem shdick?"

"No, " faltered Dyke; "with the barrel of my gun. "

"Ach! das ist not goot. You mide break den gun. Der whip handle is derbess. Why you vas hit him on dem het?"

"He would not see to the bullocks. Almost directly after we hadstarted--I mean the next day--he got at the meat and ate all there was. "

"Ach! yas. He look as if he had den gros shdomach. And zo he eat himall?"

"Yes; everything. "

"Und what den?"

"Then he went to sleep and wasted a whole day, and I had to doeverything, and cut wood for the fire, and watch to keep off the wildbeasts. "

"Ach! boor vellow! he vas shleepy, after eat himself so vull. "

"Yes. "

"Und der next day?"

"The next day he said it was too soon to start, and that I must go andshoot something for him to eat, while he kept up a good fire. "

"Zo? He is a glever vellow, " said the Boer, nodding his head, and withhis eyes twinkling. "Und did you go and shoot zom more meat vor denboor poy?"

"No. I told him he must get up, and help to get the wagon along. "

"Und he said he vould not move?"

"Yes, " said Dyke; "and at last I got angry, and kicked him to make himget up and work. "

"Ah zo; und what den?"

"He jumped up, and threatened to spear me with his assegai. "

"Zo; und what den?"

"I hit him over the head with the gun barrel, and he fell down, and hasnot been up since. I was afraid I had killed him, for he lay with hiseyes shut. "

"Und you goot oop your shirt to die oop his het, und you veed him, unddrink him, und waid upon him effer since as neffer vas. "

"Yes; I've had to do everything, " said Dyke sadly; "but I ought not tohave hit him so hard. "

"Vot? My goot younger vrient, you should, und hit him more hart as dot. A lazy, pad tog. He is a cheating rascal. A man is neffer bad when helook guide well as dot. I know dot sort o' poy, und he shall pe ferrysorry when he go pack, or I keep him here. Now you gom und wash, andmeine alt voman shall give you blendy do eat und drink, und den youshall haf a creat big shlafen, und wake oop do-morrow morning as guidewell as neffer vas. Gom along. Und zo die ozdridge birds go todt?"

"Go how?" said Dyke wonderingly. 

"Todt, dead--vall ashleep, and neffer wake oop no more. Ah, vell, I amzorry for den pig bruder. He ist a ver goot mans. He bay for all hepuy at mein shdore, und dot is vot die oder beobles do not alvays do. --Frau, " he continued, as they entered the homely and rather untidy butscrupulously clean house, "dis ist mein younger vrient: you dake him undwash him, und make him a pig evening's eating, vor he has gom a long waydo zee us, und he will shday as long as he like. "

Frau Morgenstern, a big, fat woman, greeted him warmly, and confined herwashing to giving him a tin bucket, a lump of coarse yellow soap, and apiece of canvas perfectly clean, but coarse enough to make a sack. 

That bucket of water was delicious, and so was the hearty meal whichfollowed, and after being assured by the hearty old German that thecattle were properly tended, and seeing to Breezy himself--an act whichbrought the old trader's fat hand down upon his back with "Goot poy:alvays dake gare of your goot horse youzelf, "--the house was re-entered, the door shut, and the host stood up, closed his eyes, and said a prayerin his native tongue, ending by blessing Dyke in true patriarchalfashion. 

That night Dyke slept as he had not slept for weeks, and woke up thenext morning wondering that he could feel so fresh and well, andexpecting to see Kaffir Jack at the other end of the wagon, curled up ina blanket; but though the dog was in his old quarters, Jack was absent, and Dyke supposed that he was asleep beneath. 

CHAPTER FOURTEEN. 

A RESTING-PLACE. 

"You are petter as offer you vas, heh?" cried the old trader, thrustinghis face in between the canvas curtains of the wagon end. "Yes, quitewell. Good-morning. "

"Ach zo. It is a goot mornings. Ant how is der tog? You vill say howto you are to dem alt Oom Morgenstern. He is goot tog ten, and gettinghimself mended ferry quickly. How vas it he shall pe scratch and piteall ofer hims, heh?"

The old man patted and stroked the dog with his big fat hand, as hespoke in a soft soothing tone, which had the effect of making him thebest of friends with Duke, who whined and licked at the hand, and keptup a regular throbbing pat-pat-pat upon the floor of the wagon. 

"Ach yes, ten, he is a ferry goot togs, and he shall pe effer zo muchpetter zoon. Ant zo der pig spotty gat gom und dake him, heh?"

"Yes, poor fellow, one of the great brutes pounced upon him suddenly, and fetched him from right under the wagon, " said Dyke. "You were bad, weren't you, Duke, old chap?"

The dog threw up his head and uttered a loud howl, and then began tolick the cuts torn by the leopard's sharp claws. 

"Ach! he vas pad, den, " said the old man. "But das ist goot vizzick forgoots und pites. Der tog's tongue ist as goot as his tooses ist pad. Ant zo you zhoot hims, heh?"

"What!--the leopard?" said Dyke. "Yes, I shot and hit him, I suppose;but I was afraid of hitting the dog. I fired, though, as a lastchance. "

"It was guide right, " said the old man, nodding his head. "You do notshoode--you do noding, and der leopards garry away den hund. You doshoode, und if you shoode him, it is petter than for hims to be eatenoop alife, und you may shoode den leopard. Zo! I am happy das you hafezave den tog. He is a goot tog, und a goot tog ist a goot vrient out inder veldt. Now you gom mit me, und die alte voman give us bode zomfruhstuck. You know what ist das?"

Dyke shook his head. 

"Das ist goot Deutsch for breakfass, mein young vrient. "

"Oh, I see, " cried Dyke. "I never learnt Dutch. "

"Nein, nein, nein, goot bube. Not Dutch. I did say Deutsch--Sharmans. "

"But you are a Boer, are you not?"

"Nein. I did gom ofer from Sharmany dwenty year ago. Dere ist blendyof Dutch Boer varder on. I am Deutsch. "

"I'll recollect, " said Dyke eagerly. --"But how is Jack the Kaffir? Ishe lying down under the wagon?"

"Nein, " cried the old man sharply. "As zoon as he zee me gom, shoostwhen it ist morgen, und he zee mein big shdick, he shoomp oop und go undveed den pferd horse, as he know he should. He's guide well, dank you, now, and work ferry hart, like a goot poy. "

The old man wrinkled up his face, shut his eyes, and indulged in ahearty, silent laugh. 

"I am zorry, " he said, suddenly growing serious; "und I veed and nurse aboor mans, und I zay to him: `Lie you there und go to sleep dill you arebesser. ' Boot Meinheer Jack he ist a pig hoomboogs, and I gan zee allfroo him. Dunder and lightning! I gif him der shdick. Now gom und hafden breakfast, und den you shall gom indo mein shdore, und puy diemealies, und gorn, und dea, und goffee, und rice, und zhugars, und bayme den money, und we will load den wagon. Den der vorks is done, undyou shall gom und sit und dalk do me about die osdridge birds, while Ishmoke mein bibe und you rest yourself, und resht die bullocks for twoday. Den you go pack to your pig bruder, who want to see you ferrypad. "

"Yes, I want to get back again, " said Dyke. 

"Das ist goot, bud you moost haf a goot long resht, und go guide wellagain. Und now, my younger vrient, I will dell you zomedings to delldem bruder. You dell him der osdridge ist no goot. I haf dried, bootdey go zick, und guarrel, und fight, und ghick von anoder und eferybodies, und preak die legs; und die hens lay dere nests vull of pigeggs, und die ghocks gom und shoomp upon 'em, und make der feet allovaire gustard und shell, und den no jickens gom. You dell dem bruderdot your beebles haf been vinding die diamonds in der veldt, und he hadpetter go und look vor die brescious shdones, und nod preak hish hartlike der gock osdridge preak die eggs his weibs lays. "

"Yes, I'll tell him, Herr Morgenstern. I did want him to come and lookfor gold. "

"Ach! der golt ist no goot, bube. Effery potty goes to look for dengolt. You dell him to go und look for die diamonds. "

"Yes, but where?" said Dyke drily. 

"Dunder und lightning! If I know, I should dake two pig wagon to demplace, all vull of mealies und goot dings, und dell die beebles diediamonds vas here; und vhen dey gom to vind, I should zell mein gootdings und go und vetch zom move. You must go und vind die placeseveryvere all ofers, und dell me. I ken not, bood der are diamonds tobe found. Now you shdop dat ruck a dongue of yours, und do not dalk zomotch like an old vool, und gom und hafe zom breakfast, or the old frauvill gom after us mit a shdick. "

He winked comically at Dyke, and led the way to the house, where therewas a warm welcome, and a delicious breakfast of bread and milk andcoffee waiting, with glorious yellow butter and fried bacon to follow. 

CHAPTER FIFTEEN. 

OOM MORGENSTERN'S SERMON. 

Duke was fed directly after the meal, and curled up afterward to "gedhimselfs guide well again as effers. " Soon after Dyke came across Jack, who was returning from driving the bullocks down to the stream forwater, and now carefully saw to their being in the best bit of the oldman's pasture for a good feed and rest. 

"Ach zo!" cried the old man, "he ist a creat deal potter, mein youngvrient. --You Shack, you hafe work well. You gan go to mein haus, unddie frau will give you blenty of mealie gake und zom milk. You don'teat doo motch, or you will pe pad again, und want dem shdick. Youoontershdant?"

Jack, whose face had been very pitiful and pleading, brightened up atthis, and ran toward the house, while old Morgenstern turned andfavoured Dyke with one of his winks. 

"You zee now, my younger vrient, he ist like a pig shild dot has beenoop der shimney. You must hid him hart negs dime. You did hid doozoft. "

"Soft!" cried Dyke. "Why, I thought I had killed him. "

"Ach, yes, you dought zo; but der plack man's het is sehr dick. You hidan Englishman, or a Deutschman, or a Boer, and his het ist tin; but aplack man's het is dick. I dink zomdimes ven he ist so shdupid dot itist all hart bone right froo. But it ist not zo; it is only dot dey areshdupid liddle shildren, und dink of noting bud eat und drink und shleepdemselfs as long as ever dey gan; dot is all. You can neffer make awhide man oud of a plack man, if you wash him mid all der zoap in derworld. Now den, der tog is right, und der horse, und die pullocks, soyou shall gom to my shdore. "

He led the way to a barn-like building, where he kept the supplies hedealt in and prospered over, settlers and travellers coming from far topurchase of the old fellow again and again, for he bore the proud titleof honest man--a title that is known abroad as soon as that of rogue. And here Dyke produced his list, and corn, meal, bacon, tea, sugar, coffee, and salt were measured and weighed out by the help of a Kaffirboy, and set aside till all was done, when the old man, who had keptaccount all through with a clean, smooth box-lid and a piece of chalk, seated himself on a cask, added up and presented the wooden bill toDyke. 

"There, " he said; "it is a creat teal of money, und I feel ashamed tojarge so motch; but you dell der pig bruder it gost me as motch as effervas to get die dings oop to mein haus. I zend dwo wagon all der vays doder down, und dey are gone for months, und die men und die pullocks allhaf to cad, und zomdimes die lions ead die oxen, und zomdimes die wheelsgom off, und dere is vloods und die wasser, und I lose a creat deal. Igannod jarge any less for mein dings. "

"My brother knows all that, sir, " said Dyke frankly, as he paid themoney at once. "He said he would send me to you instead of to OomSchlagen, because, he said, you would be just. "

"Did your pig bruder say dot?" cried the old man eagerly. 

"Yes. He said I should come to you, though it was twenty long milesfarther. "

"Ach! den now I shall go und shmoke mein piggest bibe for a dreat. Dotdoes me goot. Oom Schlagen is a pig fool; zo ist effery man who doesnot lofe his neighbour and zay his brayers effery night. Youoondershtand, mein younger vriend. "

Dyke nodded, feeling at first half amused, then impressed by thesimple-hearted old German's manner. 

"Zom men gome out here into die veldt and zay: `Ach! it is a pig openblace, und nopody gan zee me here, und I zhall do whad I like, ' und dendey rob und sheat, und kill die plack poys, und drink more as ist gootfor demselfs, und all pecause they are pig fools. For you haf read foryouselfs, mein younger vrient, dot God is effery where und zees efferydings, und you gannot hide youselfs, or what you do. Und dot's meinsermon, und it is a goot one, hey? Pecause it is zo short. Bud dot'sall. Now den, " he continued, as he took down a great pipe, and began tofill it from a keg of tobacco, "I am going to shmoke mein bibe, pecauseI veel as if I vas a goot poy. "

He struck a match, lit up, and as he began to emit great clouds ofsmoke, he carefully stamped out the last spark from the splint of wood, reseated himself, and chuckled. 

"You wait dill I haf finish mein bibe, und we vill all go to vork, undpack dese dings in dem wagon. Now you look here. I dell you about diediamonds--und der is hartly any potty yet as know--und as zoon as I hafdell you, I zay to myselfs: `Ach! Hans Morgenstern, you are not a man:you are chattering old frau, who gannot keep a zecret. You go delleffery potty. ' Und I vas ferry zorry pecause I vas soch an olddumkopf--you know what dot is?"

"Something head, " said Dyke, smiling. 

"Yaas, it ist your thick head, poy, shdupid head, und I vas gross mitmyzelf, bud now I am glad. Der pig bruder zaid I vas honest mans, undjust. I am a magistrate, und I dry to be, und I vall out mit den Boers, und zom oder white men, pecause I zay der Kaffir is a pig shdupid shild, und you must make him do what you want; but you shall not beat und killhim for nodings. Ach! you laugh yourselfs pecause I use den shdick. Neffer mind. I am just, und die Kaffirs know it, und gom und work forden alt man, und gom pack again. I am glad now I did dell you about diediamonds. Your bruder ist a gendlemans, und you dell him not to wasdehis dime over die long shanks, and to go for die diamonds, und if hewands shdores, to gom mit his wagon, und get all he wands, und if hegannot bay me, id does not madder. Zom day he will ged das money, undhe gan bay me den. Ach! he zaid I vas a honest man, und he is meinvrient, und dot is der zweetest bibe of dobacco I ever shmoke. Now gomund help load den wagon, like a goot poy, and zom day, when you grow apig man, you may learn to shmoke doo. Boot it ist not goot for poys. "

CHAPTER SIXTEEN. 

A DEAD CHECK. 

Two pleasant, restful days under the green leaves at old Morgenstern'sfarm and store, and he was pressed to stay another; but Dyke was anxiousto get back to his brother, and with Duke limping about, the horse andbullocks looking quite fresh and well, everything loaded up carefully, and a cask of sweet, pure water slung at the back of the wagon, Dykestood at early dawn ready to start. 

The oxen were yoked and hitched on to the dissel-boom and trek tow, breakfast was over, and all was ready, with Jack flourishing his greatlong whip of hippopotamus hide, eager to start. 

Just then the hospitable old German signed to the Kaffir to comealongside, and a chirrup brought up the dog as well. 

"Now, mein vrient, " said the old man, "you gan oondershtand gootEnglisch, if you gannot shpeak him zo vel ash me, zo you listen. I am acreat magistrate, und know a lot. I am going to dalk to dot tog, undyou are to hear. --Now, my goot tog, you are better as effer you vas, heh?"

Duke barked. 

"Das ist goot. Now you are going to Kopfontein. "

The dog barked loudly. 

"Das ist good, too. Now I dell you dis: if Kaffir Jack--you know KaffirJack--dot is him. "

He clapped his hand on the black's shoulder, and the dog barkedexcitedly. 

"Yaas, you know him; und I dell you dot if he does not work, you are tobide him. "

The dog's hair rose up, and Jack made a movement to run, but the big fathand held him fast. 

"Und then, mein goot tog, if you do dot, he vill be ferry pad, undperhaps go mad. I mean, if you bide him, hey?"

The dog barked furiously, and Jack's blackish face turned of a horribledirty grey as he stood shivering, having pretty well understood everyword. 

"Dot is right; und now Kaffir Jack will drive die oxen, und pe a gootpoy. Now you go. _Trek_!"

The Kaffir sprang away, whip in hand, the willing oxen began to pull, and the wagon went off through the soft sand, Duke hurrying to his placebeneath, just in front of the water cask, while Dyke stood, rein inhand, waiting to shake hands with his host, who laughed softly. 

"I dalk all dot nonsense do vrighten him like a shild, " he said. "Hevill pe a goot poy now till he begin to forget, und den you mustvrighten him doo. Now goot-pye, und der goot God bless you, mein sohn. "

Dyke shook hands warmly with the friendly old man, sprang upon Breezy, and soon overtook the wagon, which was going steadily along the fainttrack. 

He glanced back several times, seeing the old trader standing in frontof his house smoking his big pipe, but at last he was invisible, and theboy set himself to achieve his long, slow, five or six days' journey, hopeful, rested, and ready, feeling as if all was going to be right, andmore happy in his mind than he had been for days. 

As he went on and on, fresh, light-hearted, and bright, every place madefamiliar by halts as he came, wore a very different aspect, and therewere times when he smiled at some of the petty vexations, though otherswere serious enough. For instance, by this water, where he had had somuch difficulty in getting wood, for the day's journey had been verylong, and it was growing dark when he halted, and a distant roar told ofthe possibility of a visit from lions, and perhaps the loss of one ofthe bullocks. But now all was smooth and pleasant, the evening wasglorious, the oxen not too weary, and Jack soon collected enough woodfor cooking and keeping up a roaring blaze. 

The next day, too, was hot and pleasant. Several guinea-fowl fell toDyke's gun, and he shot a dangerous viper which raised its headsluggishly from the sandy track, threatening, with gleaming eyes andvibrating tongue, the barking dog, which kept cautiously beyond strikingdistance. There were lions heard in the night, making the cattleuneasy, but they were not molested. 

It was wonderful as a contrast that journey back, and Dyke often askedhimself, as he cantered about, sometimes to the side, sometimes lettingthe wagon go for some distance forward, whether he had not been of poorheart, and had made too much fuss over his troubles; but second thoughtsconvinced him that he had had a terrible task, and he almost wonderedthat he had been able to reach Morgenstern's at all. 

Jack was the very perfection of a Kaffir servant now, drivingsplendidly, and taking the greatest care as to the pasturing andwatering of the cattle; his young master never having to find fault witha single thing. 

But there was the reason plainly enough; and Dyke smiled to himself ashe thought of how easily the black had been impressed by the big oldGerman, though he felt that Jack's guilty conscience had something to dowith it. 

Oddly enough, the dog's behaviour during the return journey helped tokeep Jack in order. For Duke, though his hurts were mending fast, wasstill very weak. He was ready to bark and make plenty of fuss over hismaster, but he did not evince the slightest desire to trot after himwhen he rode away from the wagon. Duke seemed to know his own powers, and went back directly to his place between the two hind wheels of thewagon. There he stayed, keeping step pretty well with the bullocks. But at every halt, when Jack proceeded to gather wood, drive the oxen towater or pasture, the dog followed close at his heels, making nodemonstration of friendliness, never barking, but walking with loweredhead and surly look, just behind, stopping when the black did, going onor returning, and never leaving him for a moment, and ending by goingback to his place under the wagon, and there resting his head upon hispaws. 

Of course, all this was the sick dog's natural objection to being leftalone; but to Jack it meant a great deal more. That dog had always beenrather unfriendly, and was evidently a very uncanny kind of beast, whichcould understand everything that was said to him, and would fully carryout the old German's instructions. Duke followed him about to see thathe did his work properly, and as Jack walked on, he often felt thesensation in his calves known as pins and needles, which made him winceand tremble; and on one occasion he uttered a yell of horror, for thedog's cold nose touched one of his bare ankles, and made him bound acouple of yards. 

For to him there was no doubt about the matter whatever. Duke waswatching everything he did, and the moment he relaxed his efforts, thosewhite teeth would close upon his leg; and if he had been talked to andargued with for a week, he would never have believed that he would notfor a certainty go mad, die, and be thrown out upon the sands to thejackals and vultures which hung about their nightly camps. 

The consequence was that, saving a few of the trifling mishaps whichbefall wagon travellers through the South African deserts, Dyke's returnjourney was peaceful and enjoyable, even if slow. He would often haveliked to gallop forward to get nearer home; but the wagon held him as amagnet does its bar, and he thoroughly fulfilled the trust placed in himby his brother. 

At last the morning dawned when a steady day's work would bring them toKopfontein, and starting at once, they got on a few miles before haltingfor breakfast. Then went on for three hours; halted again to dine andrest during the hottest part of the day. After which there was thelittle river to ford a couple of miles farther on, and then twelve mileswould bring them home, late in the evening perhaps, but Dyke wasdetermined to finish before he slept. 

Hardly had they settled down in the shelter of the wagon for thatmid-day halt, than Dyke found that the wagon-tilt would be useful forsomething else besides keeping off the sun. For some clouds which hadbeen gathering all the morning, centred themselves at last directlyoverhead; there was a succession of terrific peals of thunder followingupon blinding flashes of lightning, which seemed to play all round andabout the wagon, making Breezy stand shivering as he pressed close upalongside, and drew the cattle together with their heads inward, as iffor mutual protection. 

Then down came the rain in a perfect deluge, and for a good hour flashand peal seemed to be engaged in trying to tear up the clouds, fromwhich the great drops of rain poured down. 

The storm ceased as quickly as it had come on, and the rain having beensucked up by the thirsty, sandy earth, so that when they started again, save that the wagon-cover was soaked, drawn tight, and streaming, therewas no sign for a while of the storm. There were certainly the cloudsfading in the distance, but the sky overhead was of a glorious blue, thelittle herbage they passed was newly washed and clean, and the dropsleft sparkled in the brilliant sunshine. 

What followed, then, came as a surprise. 

They had gone on for some distance before it suddenly recurred to Dykethat they had to cross the little river; and now, for the first time, hebecame conscious of a low, soft murmur, as of insects swarming, butthis, though continuous, did not take his attention much, for he set itdown to a cloud of insects, roused from their torpor by the sun, and nowbusily feeding, perhaps, close at hand, though invisible as he rodegently along, breathing in with delight the sweet, cool air. 

But at the end of half an hour the murmur had grown louder, and itsounded louder still as he drew rein by some bushes to let Breezy cropthe moist shoots, while he waited for the wagon to come up, it beingabout half a mile behind. 

"How slowly and deliberately those beasts do move, " thought Dyke, as hewatched the six sleek oxen, not a bit the worse for their journey, plodding gravely along with the wagon lightly laden, as it was, for sixbeasts to draw, bumping and swaying every now and then as a stone or twostood up through the sand, he not being there to point them out to theblack, who sat on the wagon-box, with his chin upon his breast, rousinghimself from time to time to crack his whip and shout out some jargon tothe bullocks. These took not the slightest notice of whip-crack orshout, but plodded slowly along, tossing their heads now and then, andbringing their horns in contact with a loud rap. 

At last they came up abreast, and Jack turned his dark face, and grinnedmeaningly. 

"What is it?" said Dyke. "Glad you are so near home?"

"No see Tanta Sal night, " he said. 

"Oh yes, we will, " replied Dyke. "I mean to be home before we sleep. "

Jack shook his head. 

"You'll see, my fine fellow, " said Dyke to himself. "If you are goingto begin any games just for a finish off on the last day, you'll findyou'll be startled. I'll set Duke at him, and scare the beggar, " hemuttered, as he laughed to himself at the man's genuine belief in, andalarm about, the dog; and in imagination he saw Jack hopping about andyelling, and afraid to come down from the wagon-box in front on accountof Duke, who would be barking and dancing about as if trying to drag himoff. 

He let the wagon go on then for a few yards, and hung back so as to saya few cheery words to the dog, who responded with a sharp bark or two, but did not come from beneath the wagon. 

And now the noise grew louder and louder, till at last Dyke began todivine the cause. A short distance farther the open plain was crossedby an erratic line of trees and rocks, forming a green and grey zigzagof some three hundred yards wide, and down in a hollow, hidden tillclose up, there was the rivulet-like stream at which he had halted onhis outward way to let the animals drink. 

It was from there, then, that the now rapidly increasing murmur arose, and pressing his nag's sides, he rode rapidly on to reach the side ofthe tiny bourn, which now proved to be a fierce torrent nearly a hundredyards wide, raging amongst rocks, tossing up beady spray, and putting anend to all his hopes of reaching home that night, for even as he lookedhe could see that the water was rising still, and any attempt to fordmeant certain death to man and beast. 

Dyke's heart sank. He knew now the meaning of the Kaffir's grin. Itwas the first trouble of the homeward way. 

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN. 

OUT OF PATIENCE. 

The wagon came slowly up as Dyke stood watching the roaring river, fullfrom side to side with the waters, which resulted from a cloud-burst inthe distant mountains, where storms had been raging on the previous day, that which they had encountered a short time before being the remains ofone of the drifts which had passed over the great plain. 

As he drove up, Jack sat grinning pleasantly upon the box, and of hisown will turned the bullocks into a meadow-like opening, whose freshherbage, sparkling still with clinging raindrops, set the animals lowingwith satisfaction before stooping from time to time to snatch a mouthfulof the grass. 

Jack evidently thought it would be a splendid place for a camp, andwithout waiting for orders, shouted to the bullocks to stop, anddescending from his seat, after laying aside his whip, began to outspan. 

Dyke took in every action, knowing that it was only an endorsement ofhis own thoughts that the full river meant in all probability a halt fordays. There was the possibility of his being able to swim his horseacross somewhere higher up or lower down; but after a few minutes'inspection he felt that this was quite hopeless, though, even if it hadbeen practicable, he knew that he could not leave his charge. 

So vexatious when so near home!

"Might have known, " he said to himself bitterly. "Everything was goingon too easily. But the rain might have stopped for another day or two. "

He tried hard to be philosophic and to take matters calmly, but it wastoo hard work, especially, too, when the Kaffir seemed in such highglee, and bustled about the outspanning, as if looking forward to somedays of rest, with nothing to do but eat and sleep. 

The boy thought hard as he dismounted, hobbled his cob, and let himbegin to graze in company with the draught oxen; but he soon gave thatup, and went and stood watching the rushing river, knowing full wellthat he was completely shut away from Kopfontein, and that he could donothing but wait patiently till the river sank to its old level. 

"And that, " he said dismally, "will be quite a week. "

Things might have been worse. In fact, some people would have beendelighted with the position. For the spot was beautiful; the wagonformed a comfortable sleeping tent, provisions and water were plentiful, and there was ample opportunity for adding to the larder by tying inwait at early morning and late evening for the birds and animals whichcame from far out in the desert to drink. 

In fact, during his dreary wait, Dyke tried to amuse himself by watchingthe various animals that came down one deeply trampled track, on eitherside of which the place was thickly bushed and dotted with fine foresttrees, well grown, from their nearness to water. 

Antelopes of many kinds came down, from tiny gazelles up to the greateland. One morning he was delighted by the coming of a little herd ofabout a dozen giraffes, and he crouched among the bushes, watching themdrink; the towering bull of about eighteen feet in height began bystraddling out its forelegs in the most ungraceful way, till it couldlower itself enough to reach the water with its lips. 

Another time he was startled by the coming of a huge white rhinoceros, which careered through the bushes in a fierce, determined way, displaying its great power and indifference to every other beast of theforest. 

Lions, too, came once and pulled down an antelope, making the wagoncattle extremely uneasy, but going away after their banquet, andtroubling the camp no more. 

But the river remained as full as ever, the waters rushing furiouslydown, and Dyke grew angry at last against his brother. 

"Joe knows I'm overdue, " he said, "and he ought to have come to see whyI am detained. Why, after that rain he ought to have known that theriver would be full. It's too bad. I thought better of him; butperhaps he'll come to-day. "

And with this hope the boy climbed one of the biggest rocks to where hecould gaze across the river and over the plain on the other side, looking out in expectancy of seeing the big weedy horse his brother rodecoming toward the ford, but he watched in vain day after day, while Jackkept the fire going, and cooked and ate and slept without a care, noteven seeming to give a thought to the wife waiting at Kopfontein, or, judging from appearances, to anything else but his own desires. 

"I should like to kick him--a lazy brute!" Dyke said to himself; "butthere's nothing to kick him for now. He does all there is to do. Isuppose I'm out of temper at having to wait so. Here's a whole weekgone, and the river higher than ever. "

Dyke had one other novelty to study--a novelty to him, for previously hehad seen but little of them. This novelty was a party of baboons of allsizes, from the big, heavy males down to the young ones, whichapproached from some distance on the other side, clinging to theirmothers' backs and necks. These strange, dog-like creatures came downfrom a high clump of rocks or kopje regularly every evening in the sameway; and though they had been heard and seen frequently during thedaytime, chattering, barking, and gambolling about, chasing one anotherin and out, and over the stones, as if thoroughly enjoying the sport, toward the time for their visit to the river all would be very silent, and in a cautious, watchful way a big old male, who seemed to be thecaptain or chief of the clan, would suddenly trot out on to a big block, and stand there carefully scanning the patch of forest and the plainbeyond for danger. Then he would change to a nearer naturalwatch-tower, and have another long scrutiny, examining every spot likelyto harbour an enemy, till, apparently satisfied, he would descend, godown to the river and drink, and then trot back to his lookout. 

After a few minutes' watch, he would then give a signal, a quick, short, barking sound, at which the rocks beyond, which the moment before hadappeared to be deserted, suddenly became alive with baboons of allsizes, which came running down to the water in perfect confidence thatall was well, and that their old chief high up on the rock would givethem fair warning of the approach of any of their feline enemies, leopard or lion, with a taste for the semi-human kind. 

Upon one occasion Dyke suddenly started up, shouted, and fired his gun, for the sake of seeing what effect it would have. 

Instant flight he felt sure; but he was not prepared for all thatfollowed. 

At the first sound there was a rush--a regular _sauve qui peut_; butthere was a method in it. Mothers caught up their little ones, whichfled to them for protection, and one big male made a kind ofdemonstration to cover the flight, while the old fellow on the rocksprang about, barking, shouting, and making little charges at theinterrupter, not leaving his post till all had reached their sanctuary, when he followed to the kopje, and turned with others to stand, barkinghoarsely, and picking up and throwing stones, with every sign of angrydefiance, till their persecutor disappeared. 

Nine days had passed, and then the river began to shrink rapidly. 

Dyke hailed the change with eagerness, for he had been growing terriblyanxious, and more and more convinced that something must be wrong, orEmson would have come down to the flooded ford; while at last histhoughts had taken a definite shape, one so full of horror, that hetrembled for the task he had to perform--that of going home to putmatters to the proof. 

He shivered at the idea, for now he could only place this terribleinterpretation upon his brother's silence--he must have come to meethim, tried to swim his horse across the river, and have been swept away. 

That last night was almost sleepless, for whenever the boy dropped off, with the light of the fire they kept up glancing on the canvas, hestarted back into wakefulness again, wondering whether the river wasstill going down, or some fancied sound meant a fresh accession to theflood-waters coming down from the mountains. 

The morning broke at last, and leaping out of the wagon, Dyke ran downtoward the river, closely followed by the dog, now nearly recovered, scaring away a buck which had been lurking in the covert, the gracefullittle creature bounding away before him giving pretty good proof of thesatisfactory state of the river by dashing over the thick bed ofintervening sand and stones, splashing through the water, and boundingup the other side. 

The waters were down, leaving a deep bed of sand, and with a place toford that was evidently not knee-deep. 

Dyke ran excitedly back, gave his orders, and to Jack's great disgust hehad to inspan, mount on the wagon-box, and shout to the oxen to _trek_, the well-rested beasts willingly dragging the wagon through the heavyloose drift and down into the water, which did not rise to the naves ofthe wheels. It took rather a hard pull to get up the other side, butthe difficulty was soon mastered, the bullocks following Breezy, as hismaster led the way, and in half an hour after starting they were at lastwell on the road to Kopfontein, whose rocky mound stood up clearly inthe morning light. 

Dyke restrained his impatience a little longer--that is, till the wagonwas well on its way over the plain; then touching Breezy's sides he wenton ahead at a gallop, the roofing of the house and sheds graduallygrowing plainer; then there were the ostrich-pens, with a few dimly seenbirds stalking about, and object after object coming rapidly into sight. But there was no one visible: there appeared to be no blue thread ofsmoke rising in the morning air, where Tanta Sal was boiling the kettle;all looked wonderfully still, and had it not been for the ostriches hereand there, Dyke would have been disposed to think the place wasdeserted. 

On, still nearer and nearer, but no one appeared, and again stillnearer, and his lips parted to utter a loud shout to announce hiscoming. 

But somehow the cry froze in his throat, and he dared not utter it; theplace was deserted, he felt sure. Tanta Sal must have gone off to seekher tribe after the terrible catastrophe, for Dyke felt sure now thathis surmise was right, and that Emson had been drowned in trying to fordthe river and come to meet him. 

The boy's spirits sank lower and lower as he checked his horse's pace toa canter, hushing the beat of its feet upon the soft sand as he rode on, seeing no one stirring, and at last, in the deepest despair, feeling asif he dare go no farther. But just at that moment a low crooning soundfell upon his ear, and the reaction was so sudden and so great that Dykenearly shouted aloud as he pressed on to the door, feeling now that hehad been letting his imagination run riot, and that there was nothingwhatever the matter. In fact, that was his brother's tall gaunt horsegrazing where it had been hidden from his sight by one of the low, shed-like buildings. 

"What a lot of stuff one can fancy!" said Dyke to himself. "Why, it'searly yet, and poor old Joe hasn't got up. I'll give him such arouser. "

The next minute he had pulled up, thrown his rein over the cob's head, as he dismounted, and ran to the open doorway from whence came thecrooning sound. 

"Morning, Tant, " he cried to the woman, who sat crouched together on thefloor. 

Then as his eyes caught sight of the pallet in the corner of the room, he shouted:

"Joe, old man, what is it? Are you ill?"

"No makee noisy, " cried the woman; "shoo, shoo, shoo. Baas Joe go die. "

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN. 

A TEST OF MANHOOD. 

Dyke uttered a cry of horror as he ran to the bedside and sank upon hisknees, gazing wildly in his brother's dark, thin face, with its wildeyes, in which was no sign of recognition, though Emson kept onmuttering in a low voice. 

"Joe--Joe, old fellow, don't you know me?" There was no reply, and inhis agony of spirit Dyke caught his burning, dry hand, and pressed it. 

"Speak to me!" he cried. "How long have you been ill? What is it, Joe?Tell me. What am I to do?"

No answer; but the muttering went on, and Dyke turned to the Kaffirwoman. "How long has he been ill?"

"Baas Joe go die, " said the woman, nodding her head. 

"No, no; he will be better soon. When was he taken ill?"

"Baas Joe go die, " said the woman with horrible persistence. "No eat--no drink--no sleep. Go die. "

"Go away!" cried Dyke wildly. "You are as bad as one of those horriblebirds. Get out!"

The woman smiled, for she did not understand a word. The gesture ofpointing to the door was sufficient, and she went out, leaving thebrothers alone. 

"Joe!" cried Dyke wildly. "Can't you speak to me, old chap? Can't youtell me what to do? I want to help you, but I am so stupid andignorant. What can I do?"

The muttering went on, and the big erst strong man slowly rolled hishead from side to side, staring away into the past, and sending a chillof horror through the boy. 

For a few moments Dyke bowed his head right into his hands, and uttereda low groan of agony, completely overcome by the horror of hisposition--alone there in that wild place, five or six days' journey fromany one, and hundreds of miles from a doctor, even if he had known whereto go. 

He broke down, and crouched there by the bedside completely prostratefor a few minutes--not for more. Then the terrible emergency stirredhim to action, and he sprang up ready to fight the great danger for hisbrother's sake, and determined to face all. 

What to do?

He needed no telling what was wrong; his brother was down with one ofthe terrible African fevers that swept away so many of the whites whobraved the dangers of the land, and Dyke knew that he must act at onceif the poor fellow's life was to be saved. 

But how? What was he to do?

To get a doctor meant a long, long journey with a wagon. He felt thatit would be impossible to make that journey with a horse alone, onaccount of the necessity for food for himself and steed. But he couldnot go. If he did, he felt that it would be weeks before he could getback with medical assistance, even if he reached a doctor, and couldprevail upon him to come. And in that time Joe, left to the care ofthis half-savage woman, who had quite made up her mind that her masterwould die, would be dead indeed. 

No: the only chance of saving him was never to leave his side. 

Fever! Yes, they had medicine in the house for fever. Quinine--Warburgh drops--and chlorodyne. Which would it be best to give? Dykehurried to the chest which contained their valuables and odds and ends, and soon routed out the medicines, deciding at once upon quinine, andmixing a strong dose of that at once, according to the instructionsgiven upon the bottle. 

That given, the boy seated himself upon a box by the bed's head, askinghimself what he ought to do next. 

He took Emson's hand again, and felt his pulse, but it only told himwhat he knew--that there was a terrible fever raging, and the pulsationswere quick and heavy through the burning skin. 

A sudden thought struck him now. The place was terribly hot, and hehurriedly opened the little window for the breeze to pass through. 

There was an alteration in the temperature at once, but he knew that wasnot enough, and running to the door, he picked up a bucket, and calledfor Tanta Sal, who came slowly. 

"Baas Joe go die. --Jack?"

She pointed away over the plain, and Dyke nodded. 

"Yes, Jack is coming. Go, quick! fetch water. "

The woman understood, and taking the bucket, went off at once towardswhere the cool spring gurgled among the rocks at the kopje. 

The feeling of terrible horror and fear attacked Dyke again directly, and he shrank from going to his brother's side, lest he should see himpass away to leave him alone there in the desert; but a sensation ofshame came to displace the fear. It was selfish, he felt; and with anew thought coming, he went to the back of the door, took down the greatheavy scissors with which he and Emson had often operated upon theostrich-feathers, cutting them off short, and leaving the quill stumpsin the birds' skins, where after a time they withered and fell out, giving place to new plumes. Then kneeling down by the head of the roughbed, he began to shear away the thick close locks of hair from about thesick man's temples, so that the brain might be relieved of some of theterrible heat. 

This done, he went to the chest, and got out a couple of handkerchiefs. 

His stay in that torrid clime had taught him much, but he had neverthought of applying a little physical fact to the purpose he nowintended. For he knew that if a bottle or jug of water were surroundedby a wet cloth and kept saturated, either in a draught or in the sun, the great evaporation which went on would cool the water within thevessel. 

"And if it will do this, " Dyke thought, "why will it not cool poor Joe'shead?"

He bent down over him, and spoke softly, then loudly; but Emson wasperfectly unconscious, and wandering in his delirium, muttering wordsconstantly, but what they were Dyke could not grasp. 

In a few minutes Tanta Sal re-appeared with the bucket of coolspring-water. 

"Baas Joe go die, " she said, shaking her head as she set it down; andthen, without waiting to be told to go, she went round to the back, andbegan to pile up fuel and fan the expiring fire, before proceeding tomake and bake a cake. 

Meanwhile, Dyke had been busy enough. He had soaked one of thehandkerchiefs in the bucket, and laid it dripping right across Emson'sbrow and temples, leaving it there for a few minutes, while he preparedthe other. The minutes were not many when he took off the first to findit quite hot, and he replaced it with the other, which became hot inturn, and was changed; and so he kept on for quite an hour, with theresult that his brother's mutterings grew less rapid and loud, so thatnow and then the boy was able to catch a word here and a word there. All disconnected, but suggestive of the trouble that was on the sickman's mind, for they were connected with the birds, and his ill-luck, his voice taking quite a despairing tone as he cried:

"No good. Failure, failure--nothing succeeds. It is of no use. "

And then, in quite a piteous tone:

"Poor Dyke! So hard for him. "

This was too much. The tears welled up in the boy's eyes, but hemastered his emotion, and kept on laying the saturated bandages upon hisbrother's brow, watching by him hour after hour, forgetful ofeverything, till all at once there was a loud, deep barking, and Duketrotted into the house, to come up to the bedside, raise himself up, andbegin pawing at the friend he had not seen for so long. 

"It's no good, Duke, old chap, " said Dyke sadly; "he don't know you. Goand lie down, old man. Go away. "

The dog dropped down on all-fours at once, and quickly sought hisfavourite place in one corner of the room, seeming to comprehend that hewas not wanted there, and evidently understanding the order to lie down. 

The coming of the dog was followed by the approach of the wagon, and thelowing of the bullocks as they drew near to their familiar quarters; thecows answered, and Duke leaped up and growled, uttering a low bark, butreturned to his corner as soon as bidden. 

At first Dyke had felt stunned by the terrible calamity which hadovertaken his brother; but first one and then another thing had beensuggested to his mind, and the busy action had seemed to clear hisbrain. 

This cool application had certainly had some effect; and as he changedthe handkerchief again, he saw plainly enough what he must do next. 

Wiping his hands, he sought for paper and pencil, and wrote in a biground hand:

"_I came home and found my brother here, at Kopfontein, bad with fever. He does not know me. Pray send to fetch a doctor_. "

He folded this, then doubled it small, and tied it up with a piece ofstring, after directing it to "Herr Hans Morgenstern, at the Store. "

This done, he once more changed the wet handkerchiefs, and went out tofind Jack outspanning the cattle, and talking in a loud voice to hiswife. 

"Jack, " he said, "the baas is very bad. You must go back toMorgenstern's and take this. "

He handed the tied-up paper to the Kaffir, who took it, turned it over, and then handed it back, looking at his young master in the mosthelplessly stupid way. 

Dyke repeated the order, and pointed toward the direction from whichthey had come, forcing the letter into Jack's hand. 

It was returned, though, the next moment. 

"Jack bring wagon all alone, " he said. 

"Yes, I know; but you must go back again. Take plenty of mealies, andgo to Morgenstern's and give him that. "

"Jack bring wagon all alone, " the black said again; and try how Dykewould, he did not seem as if he could make the Kaffir understand. 

In despair he turned to Tanta Sal, and in other words bade her tell herhusband go back at once; that he might take a horse if he thought hecould ride one; if not, he must walk back to Morgenstern's, and carrythe letter, and tell him that the baas was bad. 

"Baas Joe go die, " said the woman, nodding her head. 

"No, no; he will live if we help, " cried Dyke wildly. "Now, tell Jackhe must go back at once, as soon as he has had some mealies. "

"Baas Joe go die, " reiterated the woman. 

"Hold your tongue!" roared Dyke angrily. "You understand what I mean. Jack is to go back. --Do you hear, Jack? Go back, and take that toMorgenstern's. "

The Kaffir and his wife stared at him heavily, with their lower jawsdropped, and after several more efforts, Dyke turned back to the houseto continue his ministrations. 

"They understand me, both of them, " he cried bitterly; "but he does notwant to go, and Tant wants him to stay. What shall I do? What shall Ido?"

He changed the handkerchiefs, and rushed out again, but the Kaffirs wereinvisible; and going round to the back, he found Jack squatted on hisheels, eating the hot cake his wife was baking. But though Dyke triedcommand and entreaty, the pair only listened to him in a dazed kind ofway, and it was quite evident that unless he tried violence he would notbe able to make the Kaffir stir; while even if he did use force, he feltthat Jack would only go a short distance and there remain. 

"And I can't leave here! I can't leave here!" groaned Dyke; "it wouldbe like saying good-bye to poor Joe for ever. "

Clinging to the faint hope that after he had been well-fed and rested, the Kaffir might be made to fulfil the duty required of him, Dyke wenton tending his brother, with the satisfactory result of seeing him dropat last into a troubled sleep, from which, two hours after, he startedup to call out for Dyke. 

"I'm here, Joe, old chap. Can't you see me?" said the boy piteously. 

"No use: tell him no use. Madness to come. All are dying. Poor Dyke!So hard--so hard. "

Dyke felt his breast swell with emotion, and then came a fresh horror:the evening was drawing on, and he would be alone there with the sickman, watching through the darkness, and ignorant of how to act--what todo. And now the thought of his position, alone there in the greatdesert, seemed more than he could bear; the loneliness so terrible, thatonce more, in the midst of the stifling heat, he shuddered and turnedcold. 

CHAPTER NINETEEN. 

STERLING COIN. 

Dyke Emson sat in the darkness there along. He had seen no more of Jackand Tanta Sal since the evening. The latter had looked in, staredstupidly, said "Baas Joe go die, " once more, and roused the boy intosuch a pitch of fury that he came nigh to throwing something at her. Then she left the room with her husband, and Dyke was alone. 

He felt ready to give up, and throw himself upon his face in his greatdespair, for hour by hour the feeling strengthened that his brother wasindeed dying fast; and as he sat there in the midst of that terriblesolitude, shut in, as it were, by the black darkness, his busyimagination flooded his brain with thoughts of what he would have to do. 

The fancy maddened him, for it seemed cruel and horrible to think ofsuch a thing when his brother lay there muttering in the delirium; butthe thought would come persistently, and there was the picture vividlystanding out before him. For his mind was in such an unnatural state ofexaltation that he could not keep it hidden from his mental gaze. 

There it all was, over and over again: that place he had selected whereit was nearly always shaded--in that rift in the kopje where the softherbage grew, and climbed and laced overhead, while the low murmur ofthe water gurgling from the rocks in the next rift fell gently upon hisear. He had selected that spot because it was so calm and peaceful, anddrawn poor Joe there upon the little sled. He saw it all--the shallow, dark bed he had dug in the soft earth, where his brother was to rest inpeace, with all the suffering at an end. There were big, mossy piecesof granite there, which would cover and protect the poor fellow'sresting-place, and a smooth, perpendicular face of rock above, on whichhe saw himself, chipping out with hammer and cold chisel the one word"Joe. "

And then--

Back came the terrible scene, and over and over again, till, setting histeeth hard, Dyke sprang up, and went to another bucket of water which hehad made Jack understand he was to fetch before he left him some hoursago, and drank long and deeply before returning to the rough pallet, renewing the cold bandage again, and then sinking upon his knees to buryhis face in his hands. 

For a full hour Dyke knelt there in the black darkness as if asleep, exhausted by the great mental and bodily fatigue, but hearing everymovement--thrilled by the piteous words which came from his brother'slips. Then with a strange feeling of calm rest filling his breast, heraised his head, bent over the sick man, and took the hot, burning handto hold it to his cheek. 

"I won't be such a coward as to break down now, Joe, old chap, " he saidsoftly, and as if it were a confidential whisper which his brotherheard. "I was so tired, and I was frightened to see you like this, butI'm going to try and play the man now, and--and I'll stick to you, Joe, to the--"

He was going to say "last, " but he checked it, with something like a sobrising to his lips. 

"Till--till you get better, old man, and I can help you to go and sit inmy old corner in the shade among the rocks. For you're going to bebetter soon, old chap; and though you're very bad, and it's dark, andhelp is so far away, we're not alone, Joe--we're not alone. "

No: not alone!

For as the boy knelt there, holding that burning hand, there came thelong, low, yelping wail of the jackals prowling around, as if theyscented death in the air; and as the dismal sound swept here and thereabout the lonely house, coming and going, and at times apparently quiteclose, Dyke shuddered. But the next moment there arose the deep-toned, fierce roar of a lion, far away possibly, yet in its tremendous powersounding so near that it might have been close at hand. 

Then the yelping of the jackals ceased, as if the foul creatures hadbeen scared away by the nobler beast; and after a few uneasy movementsamong the frightened cattle in the pens, all was still with a greatsolemnity, which thrilled the boy to his deepest depths. 

And then it seemed to Dyke that it was not so dark, and he rose andwalked softly to the open door to stand looking out, wondering andawe-stricken at the grandeur of the scene above his head. For it was asif the heavens were marked across the zenith by a clearly cut line--theedge of a black cloud--and on one side all was darkness, on the other adazzling sheen of stars, glittering and bright as he thought he hadnever seen them before; while the darkness was being swept away, andfresh stars sprang out from the dense curtain minute by minute, andseemed to rain down myriads of points of light. 

He stood there till he heard a low, weary sigh from the rough bed, andturned back in time to hear a few muttered words, and then all wassilent once again. 

Dyke trembled, and something seemed to hold him fast chained, as if in atroubled dream. 

Then with a wild cry he fell upon his knees, and stretched out histrembling hands to touch his brother's brow, and the reaction came, forit was not as he thought. The head was cooler, and there was a faintmoisture about the temples, while the muttering was renewed for a fewmoments, and ended with a sigh. 

Dyke's hands were softly passed then to his brother's breast, which roseand fell gently, and when he let his fingers glide along the arm thathad been tossed to one side, there the tell-tale pulse beat rapidlystill at the wrist, but not--certainly not so heavily and hurried inevery throb, for Joe Emson was sleeping as he had not slept for manydays. 

The hours went on till, as Dyke sat there, the darkness began to pass, and the watcher was conscious of a double dawn. The first in himself, where, as he crouched by the bed, and thought of words that had neverimpressed him much before, it was as if Hope were rising slowly, and itstrengthened in its pale, soft light, and mingled with the faint greywhich began to steal in through the narrow window. And this toolengthened and strengthened, till it began to glow. The fowls--the fewthey had left--told that it was day. Once more he could hear theostriches chuckling, hissing, and roaring, and the lowing of the cowsand bullocks sounded pleasant and welcome, as a fresh, soft air began toplay through the door. 

The shadows within the room grew paler, till, all at once, they darkenedagain in the corners, for the full beams of the sun suddenly stole inthrough the window, and played upon the opposite wall, which glowed inorange and gold. 

But Dyke did not see the refulgent hues with which the shabby white-washand prints were painted, for he was watching his brother's face, all soterribly changed since their last parting. The eyes were sunken, andhollows showed about the temples and cheeks. There was a terrible dryblackness, too, about the skin; while the hands that lay upon the bedwere thin and full of starting tendons, all tokens of the fever whichhad laid the strong man low. 

But he was sleeping, and sleep at such a time meant life; while thehead, bared now by the rough shearing Dyke had given the previousevening, was hot, but not burning with that terrible fire which scorchesout the very life where it has commenced to glow. 

"Baas Joe dead?" said a voice at the door, and Dyke started to his feetto seize a short, heavy whip; but Kaffir Jack did not stop to see itseized. He turned and fled, while a low muttering growl roused the boyto the fact that the dog had been there in the corner all the night, andnow came forward to thrust a cool nose into his master's hand. 

"Why, Duke, old chap, I'd forgotten you, " said Dyke softly. The doggave his tail a series of rapid wags, and then came to the bedside, looked at the sick man, whined softly, and then sat and rested hismuzzle upon one of the feeble hands, watching the face intently, and asif meaning to keep guard there. 

Dyke followed, and laid his hand on the dog's head; but the faithfulanimal did not stir. 

"No, Duke, old man, Baas Joe is not dead yet, " whispered Dyke, as hegazed at his brother's face; "and, please God, we're going to bring himsafely back to what he was. "

Duke did not move his head; but he raised his tail once, and brought itdown upon the floor with a heavy--_whop_!

CHAPTER TWENTY. 

A SORE STRAIT. 

"Stop and watch, " said Dyke; and leaving the dog in charge, he went outinto the glorious light of day, feeling strong now, but horribly weak. 

A contradiction, but a fact, for though he had drunk of the cool freshwater several times, he had taken nothing since the previous morning, and if he had to nurse Emson back to life, he knew that he must gatherforce by means of food. 

He had to carry on the work of the place still, he felt, as his brotherwas helpless; and as he walked round to the back of the premises, hebegan to feel something like wonder at the terrible despair from whichhe had suffered since his return. For everything looked so bright andcheery and home-like, and the world around him so beautiful, that hefelt ready for any new struggle in the great fight for life. 

"She's always squatting over a fire, " said Dyke to himself, as he wentround to the back, for there was Tanta Sal down in a wonderfullyfrog-like attitude, turning herself into a very vigorous naturalbellows, to make the fire glow under the kettle. 

She looked up and smiled, drawing back her thick lips as the ladapproached. 

"Baas Joe die?" she said. 

"Look here!" roared Dyke fiercely: "don't you say that to me again. No--_No_--No--No!"

Tanta Sal stared at him and shook her head. 

"Breakfast!" cried Dyke laconically. 

That she understood, and Dyke hurried away to take a sharp glance roundbefore going back to his brother's side. 

It was needed. The cows were not milked, and not likely to be; thehorses had not been fed, and the ostriches were clamouring for food. 

Just then he saw Jack peeping at him from round the corner of one of thesheds; but as soon as he caught sight of his young master, he drew back. 

Instead of going on, Dyke darted round to the other side of thebuilding, knowing full well that if he ran after him, Jack would dashoff more quickly than he could. So stopping and creeping on over thesand, he peeped round and saw the man before him just about to performthe same act. Consequently Dyke was able to pounce upon the Kaffir, whom he seized by the waist-cloth. 

"Here, I want you, " he cried sternly, and in a gruff voice which hehardly knew for his own. 

"Baas want?"

"Yes: go and begin milking the cows. I'll send Tant to you directly. "

The man showed his teeth, and stood shaking his head. 

To his utter astonishment Dyke shifted his grasp, and caught him by thethroat with one hand, and shook his fist in his face. 

"Look here, " he said; "you can understand English when you like, andyou've got to understand it now. Baas Joe's sick. "

"Baas Joe go die, " said the man. 

"Baas Joe go live, " cried Dyke fiercely, "and he'll flog you well if youdon't behave yourself. You go and milk those two cows, and then feedthe ostriches and horses, or I'll fetch Duke to watch you, so look out. "

Jack's jaw dropped at the mention of the dog, and he hurried away; whileDyke, after a glance at the wagon, which stood just where it had beendragged with its load, was about to re-enter the house, when he caughtsight of three Kaffirs watching him from beyond one of the ostrich-pens. 

"Who are you?" he said to himself. "What do they want?"

He went quickly toward them, but they turned and fled as hard as theycould go, assegai in hand, and the boy stopped and watched them for sometime, thinking very seriously, for he began to divine what it all meant. 

"They have heard from Tant that Joe is dying, and I suppose I'm nobody. They are hanging about to share everything in the place with our two;but--"

Dyke's _but_ meant a good deal. The position was growing serious, yethe did not feel dismayed, for, to use his own words, it seemed to stirhim up to show fight. 

"And I will, too, " he said through his teeth. "I'll let 'em see. "

He went back into the house to find Emson sleeping, and apparentlyneither he nor the dog had moved. 

"Ah, Duke, that's right, " said Dyke. "I shall want you. You can keepwatch for me when I go away. "

Just then Tanta Sal came in, smiling, to tell him that breakfast wasready, and he began to question her about when his brother was takenill. But either from obtuseness or obstinacy, he could get nothing fromthe woman, and he was about to let her go while he ate his breakfast ofmealie cake and hot milk; but a sudden thought occurred to him. Hadthose Kaffirs been about there before?

He asked the woman, but in a moment her smile had gone, and she wasstaring at him helplessly, apparently quite unable to comprehend thedrift of his questions; so he turned from her in a pet, to hurry throughhis breakfast, thinking the while of what he had better do. 

He soon decided upon his first step, and that was to try and get Jackoff to Morgenstern's with his letter; and after attending to Emson andrepeating the medicine he had given the previous day, he went out, tofind that the animals had been fed, and that Jack was having his ownbreakfast with his wife. 

There was a smile for him directly from both, and he plunged into hisbusiness at once; but as he went on, the smiles died out, and all hesaid was received in a dull, stolid way. Neither Jack nor his wifewould understand what he meant--their denseness was impenetrable. 

"It's of no use to threaten him, " said Dyke to himself, as he went back;"he would only run away and take Tant with him, and then I should be tentimes worse off than I am now. I must go myself. Yes, I could take twohorses, and ride first one and then the other, and so set over the roundfaster. I could do it in a third of the time. "

But he shook his head wearily as he glanced at where Emson lay. 

"I dare not leave him to them. I should never see him again alive. "

It was quite plain: the Kaffirs had marked down the baas for dead, andunless watched, they would not trouble themselves to try to save him bymoving a hand. 

Dyke shuddered, for if he were absent he felt the possibility of one ofthe strangers he had seen, helping them so as to share or rob. No: hedared not go. 

But could he not have the wagon made comfortable, store it withnecessaries, get Emson lifted in, and then drive the oxen himself?

It took no consideration. It would be madness, he felt, to attempt sucha thing. It would be fatal at once, he knew; and, besides, he dared nottake the sick man on such a journey without being sure that he would bereceived at the house at the journey's end. 

No: that was impossible. 

Another thought. It was evident that Jack was determined not to go backalone to Morgenstern's, but would it be possible to send a more faithfulmessenger--the dog? He had read of dogs being sent to places withdespatches attached to their collars. Why should not Duke go? He knewthe way, and once made to understand--

Dyke shook his head. It was too much to expect. The journey was toolong. How was the dog to be protected from wild beasts at night, andallowing that he could run the gauntlet of those dangers, how was thepoor brute to be fed?

"No, no, no, " cried the boy passionately; "it is too much to think. Itis fate, and I must see Joe through it myself. He is better, I amsure. "

There was every reason for thinking so, and nurturing the hope that hisbrother had taken the turn, Dyke determined to set to work and go on asif all was well--just as if Emson were about and seeing to thingshimself. 

"You know I wouldn't neglect you, old chap, " he said affectionately, ashe bent over the couch and gazed in the sunken features; "I shall beclose by, and will keep on coming in. "

Then a thought struck him, and he called the watchful dog away and fedhim, before sending him back to the bedside, and going out to examinethe ostriches more closely. 

Dyke's heart sank as he visited pen after pen. Either from neglect ordisease, several of the birds had died, and were lying about the place, partly eaten by jackals; while of the young ones hatched from the nestof eggs brought home with such high hopes, not one was left. 

"Poor Joe!" sighed Dyke, as he looked round despondently, and thought ofhis brother's words, which, broken and incoherent as they were, told ofthe disappointment and bitterness which had followed the long, wearytrial of his experiment. 

And now, with the poor fellow broken down and completely helpless, themiserable dead birds, the wretched look of those still living, and thegeneral neglect, made Dyke feel ready to turn away in despair. 

But he set his teeth hard and went about with a fierce energyrearranging the birds in their pens, and generally working as if thiswere all a mere accident that only wanted putting straight, foreverything to go on prosperously in the future. 

It was hard work, feeling, as Dyke did, that it was a hopeless task, andthat a complete change--a thorough new beginning--must be made for thereto be the slightest chance for success. But he kept on, the taskbecoming quite exciting when the great birds turned restive or showedfight, and a disposition to go everywhere but where they were wanted. 

Then he fetched Jack, who came unwillingly, acting as if he believedsome new scheme was about to be tried to send him off to the oldtrader's. But he worked better when he found that he was only to dragaway the remains of one or two dead birds, and to fetch water and do alittle more cleaning. 

Dyke divided his time between seeing that the work was done, and goingto and fro to his brother's couch, now feeling hopeful as he fanciedthat he was sleeping more easily. At the second visit, too, his hopesgrew more strong; but at the third they went down to zero, for to hishorror the heat flush and violent chill returned with terrible delirium, and the boy began to blame himself for not doing something more aboutgetting a doctor, for Emson seemed to be worse than he was at hisreturn. 

By degrees, though, it dawned upon him that this might not be a sign ofgoing back, only a peculiarity of malarial fever, in some forms of whichhe knew that the sufferer had regular daily fits, which lasted for acertain time and then passed away, leaving the patient exhausted, butbetter. 

This might be one of these attacks, he felt, and he sat watching andtrying to give relief; but in vain, for the delirium increased, and thesymptoms looked as bad as they could be, for a man to live. 

And now once more the utter helplessness of his position came upon Dyke, and he sat there listening to his brother's wild words, trying to fitthem together and grasp his meaning, but in vain. He bathed the burninghead and applied the wet bandages, but they seemed to afford no reliefwhatever; and at last growing more despondent than ever, he felt that hecould not bear it, and just at dusk he went outside the door to try tothink, though really to get away for a few minutes from the terriblescene. 

Then his conscience smote him for what he told himself was an act ofcowardice, and he hurried back to the bedside, to find that, short ashad been his absence, it had been long enough for a great change to takeplace. 

In fact, the paroxysm had passed, and the poor fellow's brow was coveredwith a fine perspiration, his breathing easier, and he was evidentlysinking into a restful sleep. 

Dyke stood watching and holding his brother's hand till he couldthoroughly believe that this was the case, and then tottered out oncemore into the comparatively cool evening air, to find Jack or his wife, and tell them to bring something for him and the dog to eat, for he hadseen nothing of either of them for many hours. 

He walked round to the back, but there was no fire smouldering, and noone in the narrow, yard-like place; so he went on to the shed in whichthe servants slept, and tapped at the rough door. 

But there was no answer, and upon looking in, expecting to see Jacklying there asleep, neither he nor his wife was visible. 

How was that? Gone to fetch in fuel from where it was piled-up in astack? No: for there was plenty against the side of one of the sheds. 

What then--water? Yes, that would be it. Jack and Tanta Sal had gonetogether to the kopje for company's sake to fetch three or four bucketsfrom the cool fresh spring, of whose use he had been so lavish duringthe past day. They had gone evidently before it was quite dark; and, feeling hungry and exhausted now, he walked round to where the wagonstood, recalling that there was some dry cake left in the locker, andmeaning to eat of this to relieve the painfully faint sensation. 

He climbed up into the wagon, and lifted the lid of the chest, but therewas no mealie cake there; Jack or Tant must have taken it out. So goingback to the house where Emson was sleeping quietly, the boy dipped apannikin into the bucket standing there, and drank thirstily beforegoing outside again to watch for the Kaffir servants' return, feelingimpatient now, and annoyed that they should have neglected him for solong. 

But there was no sign of their approach. The night was coming on fast, and a faint star or two became visible, while the granite kopje rose up, softly rounded in the evening light, with a faint glow appearing frombehind it, just as if the moon were beginning to rise there. 

He waited and waited till it was perfectly plain that the man could notbe coming from fetching water, and, startled at this, he shouted, andthen hurriedly looked about in the various buildings, but only to findthem empty. 

Startled now, more than he cared to own to himself, Dyke ran back to theKaffir's lodge, and looked in again. There were no assegais leaningagainst the wall, nothing visible there whatever, and half-stunned bythe thought which had come upon him with terrible violence, the boy wentslowly back to the house, and sat down by where Duke was watching thesleeping man. 

"Alone! alone!" muttered Dyke with a groan; "they have gone and left us. Joe, Joe, old man, can't you speak to me? We are forsaken. Speak tome, for I cannot even think now. What shall I do?"

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE. 

DYKE SETS HIS TEETH. 

No answer came from the couch where Emson lay exhausted by his lastperiodical paroxysm of fever. The dog whined softly, and in his wayunintentionally comforted his master by comforting himself. That is tosay, eager for human company, he crept closer, so that he could nestlehis head against him, and be in touch. 

That touch was pleasant, and it made Dyke pass his arm round the dog'sneck and draw him nearer, Duke responding with a whine of satisfaction, followed by a sound strongly resembling a grunt, as he settled himselfdown, just as the answer came to the lad's question, "What shall I do!"

It was Nature who answered in her grand, wise way, and it was as if shesaid:

"There is only one thing you can do, my poor, heartsore, weary one:sleep. Rest, and gain strength for the fight to come. "

And in the silence and gathering darkness a calm, sweet insensibility toall his troubles stole over Dyke; he sank lower and lower till his headrested against the skins, and the coarse, sack-like pillow, formed ofrough, unsaleable ostrich-feathers; and it was not until twelve hoursafter that he moved, or felt that there was a world in which he occupieda place, with stern work cut out for him to achieve. 

It was the touch of something cold upon his cheek that roused thesleeper, and that something cold was the dog's nose. 

Dyke did not start; he merely opened his eyes quietly, and looked up atthose gazing at him, and, thoroughly comforted and rested, he smiled inthe dog's face. 

"Get out, you old rascal, " he said. "You know you've no business to dothat. "

Duke uttered a satisfied bark, and then began to caper about the room toshow his delight at the solemn silence of the place being broken; butstopped directly, and made for the door in alarm, so sudden was thespring his master made to his feet--so wild and angry the cry the boyuttered as he bent over the bed. 

For full consciousness had returned like a flash, and as he cried, "I'vebeen asleep! I've been asleep!" he gazed down at his brother, horrifiedat the thought of what might have happened, and full of self-reproachfor what he felt to have been his cruel neglect. 

But Emson was just as he had seen him last--even his hands were exactlyas they had lain in the darkness the previous night--and when Dykeplaced his hand upon the poor fellow's head, it felt fairly cool andmoist. 

Dyke's spirits rose a little at this, but his self-reproach was as greatas ever. 

"Oh!" he muttered angrily, "and I pretend to care for him, and promisehim that I will not leave him, and go right off to sleep like that. Why, he might have died, and I never have moved. --Here, Duke!"

The dog sprang to him with a bound, raised himself, and placed his pawsupon his master's breast, threw back his head, opened his wide jaws, lolled out his tongue, and panted as if after a long run. 

"Here, look at me, old chap, and see what a lazy, thoughtless brute Iam. "

But Duke only shook his head from side to side, and uttered a low whine, followed by a bark. 

"There: down! Oh, how could I sleep like that?"

But by degrees it was forced upon him that Emson had evidently passed aperfectly calm night, and looked certainly better, and he knew that itwas utterly impossible to live without rest. 

He awoke, too, now to the fact that he was ravenously hungry, while theway in which the dog smelt about the place, snuffing at the tin in whichhis master's last mess of bread and milk had been served, and then ranwhining to lap at the water at the bottom of a bucket, spoke plainlyenough of the fact that he was suffering from the same complaint. 

At the same time, Dyke was trying to get a firm grasp of his position, and felt half annoyed with himself at the calm way in which he treatedit. For after that long, calm, restful sleep, things did not look halfso bad; the depression of spirit had passed away, his thoughts weredisposed to run cheerfully, and his tendency of feeling was towardmaking the best of things. 

"Well, " he found himself saying, as he ran over his last night'sdiscovery, "they're only savages! What could one expect? Let them go. And as to its being lonely, why old Robinson Crusoe was a hundred timesworse off; somebody is sure to come along one of those days. I don'tcare: old Joe's better--I'm sure he's better--and if Doctor Dyke don'tpull him through, he's a Dutchman, and well christened Van. "

He had one good long look in his patient's face, felt his pulse, andthen his heart beatings; and at last, as if addressing some one who hadspoken depreciatingly of his condition:

"Why, he is better, I'm sure. --Here, Duke: hungry? Come along, oldman. "

The dog shot out of the door, giving one deep-toned bark, and Dykehurried to the wagon, opened a sack of meal, poured some into the bottomof a bucket, carried it back to the house, with the dog sniffing abouthim, his mouth watering. Then adding some water to the meal, he beat itinto a stiff paste, and placed about half on a plate, giving the bucketwith the rest to the dog, which attacked it ravenously, and nothesitating about eating a few bits of the cold, sticky stuff himself. 

He gave a glance at Emson, and then went to the back, scraped a littlefuel together, lit it, and blew it till it began to glow, hung thekettle over it for the water to boil, and then, closely followed byDuke, ran to feed the horses, just as a low, deep lowing warned him thatthe cows wanted attention. 

Fortunately only one was giving much milk, for Dyke's practice in thatway had been very small: it was a work of necessity, though, to relievethe poor beasts, which followed him as he hurried back for a pail, onethat soon after stood half full of warm, new milk, while the soft-eyed, patient beasts went afterwards calmly away to graze. 

"Here, who's going to starve?" cried Dyke aloud, with a laugh that was, however, not very mirthful; and then going back to the fire he kneadedup his cake, placed it upon a hot slab of stone, covered it with anearthen pot, swept the embers and fire over the whole, and left it tobake. 

His next proceeding was to get the kettle to boil and make some tea, atask necessitating another visit to the wagon stores he had brought fromMorgenstern's, when, for the first time, he noticed that a little sackof meal was missing. 

At first he was doubtful, then he felt sure, and jumped at once to thereason. Jack and Tanta Sal must have gone off to join the blacks he hadseen watching, and not gone empty handed. 

Dyke's brow wrinkled up for a few moments. Then his face cleared, foran antidote for the disease had suggested itself, one which he feltwould come on in periodical fits. 

"Here, Duke, " he cried. "Up!"

The dog sprang in at the back of the wagon, and looked inquiringly athim. 

"Lie down: watch!"

Duke settled himself upon the wagon floor, laid his outstretched headupon his paws, and stayed there when his master left to go back to thehouse, fetch in the boiling kettle, make tea, and after sweetening halfa basinful and adding a little milk, he took it to his patient's side, raised his head, held it to his lips, and all unconscious though he was, found him ready to drink with avidity, and then sink back with a wearysigh. 

"There, old chap, " cried Dyke, ignoring the fact that he had not tried, "you couldn't have tipped off a lot of tea like that yesterday. It'sall right: going to get better fast, and give Master Jack such a lickingas he never had before. "

Trying to believe this himself, he now thought of his own breakfast, fetched in the hot cake and a tin pannikin of milk, and sat down to thisand some tea. 

The first mouthfuls felt as if they would choke him, but the sensationof distaste passed off, and he was soon eating ravenously, ending bytaking Duke a tin of milk for his share, and a piece of the hot bread. 

That was a weary morning, what with his patient and the animals aboutthe place. But he had set his teeth hard, and feeling that he mustdepend fully upon himself and succeed, he took a sensible view of hisproceedings, and did what he could to lighten his responsibility, so asto leave him plenty of time for nursing and attending to his invalid. 

The first thing was to do something about the horses and cattle; and, feeling that he could not do everything by himself, he at once let allloose to shift for themselves, hoping that they would keep about thelittle desert farm, and not stray away into danger. Horses then andcattle were loosened, to go where they pleased, and the openingsconnecting the ostrich-pens were thrown open to give the great birds asmuch limit for feeding themselves as he could. Then he fetched water inabundance for the house, and loaded and laid ready the three guns andthe rifles, with plenty of cartridges by their sides, but more from ahope that the sight of his armament would have the effect of frighteningKaffirs away when seen, than from any thought of using them as lethalweapons, and destroying life. 

Then he was face to face with the difficulty about the wagon. Thesestores ought not to be left where they were, and he felt that he was toomuch worn out to attempt to carry them into the rough-boarded room thatserved as store. He was too much exhausted, and the rest of that day hefelt belonged to his patient. 

But a thought struck him, and fetching up a yoke of the oxen which werebrowsing contentedly a half-mile away, Dyke hitched them on to thedissel-boom, and, after some difficulty, managed to get the wagon drawnclose up to the fence, and within a few yards of the door. 

"Duke will be there, and I should hear any one who came, " he said tohimself, and once more set the oxen free to go lowing back to their poorpasture with the rest of the team, which he had had hard work to keepfrom following him at the first. 

And now, tired out with his exertions at a time when the hot sun wasblazing on high, and beginning to feel a bit dispirited, he entered thehouse again, to be cast down as low as ever, for once more Emson wassuffering terribly from the fit, which seemed to come on as nearly ascould be at the same time daily. Dyke knew that he ought to have beenprepared for it, but he was not, for it again took him by surprise, andthe medicine which he administered, and his brother took automatically, seemed to have no effect whatever. 

He bathed and applied evaporating bandages to the poor fellow's temples, but the fever had the mastery, and kept it for hours, while Dyke couldat last do nothing but hold the burning hand in his, with despair comingover him, just as the gloom succeeded the setting of the sun. 

Then, just as the boy was thinking that no fit had been so long as this, and that Emson was growing far weaker, the heat and alternate shiveringsuddenly ceased, and with a deep sigh he dropped off to sleep. 

Dyke sat watching for a time, and then, finding that Emson was gettingcooler and cooler, and the sleep apparently more natural and right, hebegan to think of his plans for the evening. He was determined to keepawake this time, and to do this he felt that he must have company. TheKaffirs were hardly likely to come by night, he felt, and so he wouldnot leave the dog to watch, but going out, called him down out of thewagon, tied down the canvas curtains back and front, fed the dog well, and stood at the door waiting until the faithful beast had finished, watching the while. Then once more he noticed the peculiar light at theback of the kopje, looking as if the moon were rising, though that couldnot be, for there was no moon visible till long after midnight. 

But Dyke was too weary to study a question of light or shadow, and assoon as Duke had finished he called the dog in, closed the door, didwhat he could to make poor Emson comfortable, and sat down to pass thenight watching. 

But nature said again that he should pass it sleeping, and in a fewminutes, after fighting hard against the sensation of intensedrowsiness, he dropped off fast as on the previous night, but startedinto wakefulness in the intense darkness, and sat up listening to thelow growling of the dog, and a terrible bellowing which came from thepens, where the cattle should be, if they had returned after their manyhours' liberty. 

Returned they had for certain, and one of the great, placid beasts wasevidently in a state of agony and fear, while a rushing sound of hoofsclose to where the wagon stood, suggested that the horses and bullockshad taken flight. 

The reason was not very far off from the seeker, for all at once, justas the piteous bellowings were at their height, there came the terrificroaring of a lion, evidently close at hand, and this was answered by adeep growling by the cattle-pens, telling that one lion had struck downa bullock, and was being interrupted in his banquet by anotherapproaching near. 

Dyke rose, and went to the corner of the room where the loaded riflesstood, then walked softly toward the door to stand peering out, but nota sign of any living creature was visible. In fact, a lion could nothave been seen a couple of yards away, but, all the same, the loudmuttered growlings told plainly enough that both the fierce beasts wereclose at hand. 

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO. 

A BIT OF NATURE. 

There seems plenty of reason in supposing that the tremendously loud, full-throated roar of the lion at night is intended to scare the greatbrute's prey into betraying its whereabouts at times, at others toparalyse it with fright and render it easy of capture. Much has beenwritten about the fascinating power of the snake, but this fascination, from quiet observation, appears to be nothing more nor less than theparalysis caused by fear, and suffered by plenty of objects in theanimal world. One might begin with man himself, and the many instanceswhere, in the face of a terrible danger, he becomes perfectly weak andhelpless. He is on a railway track, and a fast train is coming. Onespring, and he would be safe; but how often it happens that he nevermakes that spring. 

Take another instance. There is a fire at some works. It is spreadingfast, and the cry arises, "Save the horses in the stables!" Men rushand fling open the doors; the halters are cast loose, but too often thepoor brutes will not stir even for blows: fascinated by the danger, theystay in the stable and are burned. 

Go into the woods on some pleasant summer day, in one of the pleasantsandy districts, where the sweet, lemony odour of the pine-trees floatsthrough the sunny air, and the woodland slope is dotted with holes, andfreshly scratched out patches of yellowish sand abound. Sit down anddon't move, and in a short time, quite unexpectedly, you will seerabbits seated in front of these holes. You have not seen them comeout, for they seem to arrive there instantaneously--first one or two, then several; and if there is neither movement nor noise, more and morewill appear, to begin nibbling the grass at the edge of the wood, orplaying about, racing after each other, almost as full of pranks askittens. Now and then one will raise itself upon its hind-legs like adog begging, ears erect and quivering, now turned in one direction, nowin another. Then, all at once, _rap, rap_!--that sharp alarm stampgiven by the foot--there is a wild race, and dozens of white cottonytails are seen disappearing at the mouths of holes, and in anotherinstant not a rabbit is to be seen. 

What was it? You listen, but all seems still. You can hear thetwittering of birds, perhaps the harsh call of a jay, or the laughingchatter of a magpie, but those familiar sounds would not have startledthe rabbits; and if you are new to such woodland matters, you willconclude that some one of the nearest fur-coated fellows must havecaught sight of you, called out danger, and sent the colony flying. Butif you are accustomed to the woods and the animal nature there, you willlisten, and in a short time hear that which startled the little animals, the cry reaching their sensitive ears long before it penetrated yourduller organs. 

There it is again--a fine-drawn, shrill, piercing cry as of some animalin trouble. This is repeated at intervals till it comes nearer andnearer, and develops into a querulous, frightened scream uttered by somelittle creature in fear or pain. 

Both, say; for in another moment a fine grey rabbit comes into sightrunning slowly, and looking in nowise distressed by over-exertion as itpasses on in front of where you sit, going in and out among the treetrunks and ferns, paying no heed to the many burrows, each of whichwould make a harbour of refuge and perhaps save its life, though that isvery doubtful. It might, too, you think, save itself by rushing off atfull speed, as it would if it caught sight of you, or a dog chased it. But no, it goes on running slowly, uttering at times its terrifiedscream, which you hear again and again long after the rabbit hasdisappeared--a cry which seems to say: "It's all over; I am marked down, and though I keep on running, I can never get away. It will catch mesoon. "

And it is so, for poor bunny is doomed. He is being hunted down by aremorseless enemy who is on his scent, and now comes into sight in turn, running in a leisurely way exactly along the track taken by the rabbit, though this is out of sight. There seems to be no hurry on the part ofthe little, slight, snaky-looking, browny-grey animal, with its piercingeyes, rounded ears, creamy-white breast, and black-tipped tail. 

The weasel--for that it is--does not seem above an eighth of the size ofthe rabbit, a kick from whose powerful hind-leg could send it flyingdisabled for far enough. But the little, keen, perky-looking creatureknows that this will not be its fate, and comes loping along upon itsleisurely hunt, pausing now and then to look sharply around for danger, and then gliding in and out among the undergrowth, leaping overprostrate pieces of branch, and passing on in front just as the rabbitdid a few minutes before, and then disappearing among the ferns; itskeen-scented nostrils telling it plainly enough the direction in whichthe rabbit has gone, though the screams might have deceived the ear. 

Not long since I was witness of an instance of so-called fascination inthe homely cases of cat and mouse. Not the ordinary domestic mouse, forthe little animal was one of the large, full-eyed, long-tailed gardenmice, and my attention was directed to it by seeing the cat making whatsporting people call "a point" at something. Puss was standingmotionless, watching intently, ready to spring at any moment, and uponlooking to see what took her attention, there at the foot of an oldtree-stump stood the very large mouse, not three feet from its enemy, and so paralysed or fascinated by fear, that it paid no heed to myapproaching so closely that I could have picked it up. It was perfectlyunable to stir till I gave puss a cuff and sent her flying without hernatural prey, when the mouse darted out of sight. 

The roaring of the lions seemed to exercise this fascination even uponDyke, who made no movement to fire, while he could hear the otherbullocks, evidently huddling together in mortal fear--a fear whichattacked him now, as the bellowings of the unfortunate bullock becamemore agonised, then grew fainter, and died off in a piteous sigh. 

Then, and then only, did Dyke seem to start back into the fullpossession of his faculties; and raising the gun, he stood listening, soas to judge as nearly as possible whereabouts to fire. 

A sharp crack, as of a bone breaking, told him pretty nearly where thespot must be, not fifty yards from where he stood; and, taking a guessaim--for he could not see the sight at the end of the barrel--he wasabout to draw trigger, when, at almost one and the same moment, Dukeuttered a frightened snarl: there was a rush, and the boy fired now atrandom, fully aware of the fact that a lion must have crept up within afew yards, and been about to spring either at him or the dog, when thefierce, snarling growls made it alter its intention. 

They say that discretion is the better part of valour, and it would behard to set Dyke's movement in retreat down to cowardice, especiallywhen it is considered that he was almost blind in the darkness, whilehis enemy was provided by nature with optics which were at their best inthe gloom of night. 

Dyke moved back into the house, where, partly sheltered, and with thedog close to his feet, watchful as he was himself, and ready to givewarning of danger, he waited, listening for the next sound. 

This was long in coming, for the lions seemed to have been scared awayby the report of the piece--it was too much to believe that the beastwhich had charged was hit--but at last _crick, crack_, and a tearingnoise came from out of the darkness toward the stables, and takinganother guess aim, the boy fired and listened intently as he reloadedhis piece. 

Once more there was silence till a distant roar was heard, and Dyke felthopeful that he had scared away his enemy; but hardly had he thoughtthat, when the cracking and tearing noise arose once more, tellingplainly enough that if the beast had been scared away, it had only beenfor a short distance, and it had now returned to feed. 

Dyke's piece rang out again, as he fired in the direction of the sounds, all feeling of dread now being carried away by the excitement, and asense of rage that, in all probability, one of the best draught oxen hadbeen pulled down and was being eaten only a few yards from where hestood. 

Crack went a bone once more, as the noise of the piece died out, showingthat the lion had ceased to pay attention to the report. 

And now Dyke fired again, and backed right into the house, startled bythe result, for this time his bullet had evidently told--the lionuttering a savage, snarling roar, which was followed by a crash, as ifcaused by the monster leaping against one of the fences in an effort toescape. 

Then once more all was still. The tearing and rending had ceased, andthough the boy listened patiently for quite an hour, no animal returnedto the savage banquet. 

At last, tired out, Dyke closed and secured the door, to sit down andwait for day, no disposition to sleep troubling him through the rest ofthe night. Once or twice he struck a match to hold it near hisbrother's face, but only to find him lying sleeping peacefully, thereports of the gun having had no effect whatever; while as the lightflashed up, Dyke caught a glimpse of the dog crouching at the door, withhead low, watching and listening for the approach of a foe. 

But no enemy came, and at the first flush of dawn Dyke opened the doorcautiously, to look out and see one of the cows, all torn and bloody, lying half-a-dozen yards from its shed; and just within the first fence, where a gap had been broken through, crouched a full-grown lioness, apparently gathering itself up for a spring. 

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE. 

DAYLIGHT. 

Dyke's first movement was back into the house, and to put up the baracross the closed door, his heart beating violently; his next, to watchthe little window, and stand there with his double gun, ready to send acouple of shots at the brute's muzzle, when it tried to get in, as hefelt sure that it would. 

A minute--two minutes--passed, but he heard nothing, though he did notfeel surprised at this, for he knew from experience the soft velvety wayin which the animals would creep up after their prey. At any moment hefelt that the great, cat-like head and paws would appear at the opening, which would just be big enough for creeping through; and unless his twoshots killed or wounded desperately, he knew that his fate was sealed. 

"I must be firm, and not nervous, or I shall miss, " he said to himself;but how was he to be firm when gazing wildly at that narrow opening, momentarily expecting to feel the puff of hot breath from the savagebrute's jaws, and be face to face with the terrible danger?

He knew he must be firm, and not lose his nerve; but how could he masterhis senses at a time when he was watching that grey opening, with hiseyes beginning to swim, and the cold perspiration gathering upon hisforehead?

All at once there was a sound behind him, and he swung round, fullybelieving that the stealthy creature had bounded on to the roof, and wasabout to try to obtain entrance down through the big, low, granite-builtchimney, which had been made for cooking purposes, but never used. 

"You wretch! how you startled me, " muttered Dyke, as he saw that the doghad caused his alarm by making a bound toward the door, with the thickhair about its neck standing up in a bristling way, as it snuffled aboutthe bottom of the entry, and then uttered a low whine, and looked up atits master, who felt that the lioness must be there. 

Dyke turned to the window again, annoyed with his want of firmness, feeling now that if the enemy had tried to take him in the rear likethat, he must have heard the bound up on to the iron roof. 

Resuming his watchful position by the window, he waited again, and nowas he stood, with every nerve on the strain, he began to feel that theinaction and suspense were more painful than trying to attack; so takinga long, deep breath, he advanced closer to the window, with finger ontrigger, ready to fire on the instant. 

Closer and closer, and now resting the barrels on the sill, graduallyprotruding the gun muzzle a little, till he could look out between theopen wooden bars, unglazed for the sake of coolness, a small shutterstanding against the side below. 

It was a cautious piece of reconnoitring, but from his position he couldsee very little. There was the kopje, and the sky beginning to flamegolden; but there was plenty of room for the lioness to be crouchingbeneath the window unseen, or on either side close up to the wall, wherehe could not get a view without thrusting out head and shoulders, and soplacing himself in position for the enemy to make one lightning-like dabat him with the claw-armed paw, and drag him out as a cat would a mouse. 

Dyke drew back a little, and waited, listening to the neighing of one ofthe horses, which started the remaining cows into a long, protestingbellow, as the poor beasts asked to be relieved of their load of milk. 

Then the boy's heart started beating again violently, for he felt thatthe moment for action was fast approaching, if not at hand. He startedround listening, and as he did, he saw that the place was fairly lit upnow, and Emson's face stood out clearly as he lay peacefully asleep. 

Duke snuffled at the crack at the bottom of the door, and uttered anuneasy growl; while, plainly enough to be heard now, there was astealthy step, passing along beside the building, and making for theback. 

"Safe there!" thought Dyke; and the dog uttered his uneasy growl, whilehis master listened intently for the creature's return. 

And now that the peril seemed to be so close, Dyke's nerve grew firmer, and ready to fire as soon as the lioness came round the other way, as hefelt sure she would, he encouraged himself with the thought that if hewere only steady, he could not miss. 

He was not long kept waiting. There was the stealthy, soft step again, and the sound of the animal's side brushing lightly against thecorrugated iron wall. But, to the overturning of the boy'sexpectations, the sounds were not continued round from the back towardthe window, but in the same direction as that in which they hadpreviously been heard. 

Duke uttered a low, muttering growl, and glanced round at his master, thrusting his nose again to the bottom of the door, where the stealthypace ceased, and there was the sound as of the beast passing its muzzleover the door. 

The dog uttered a loud bark, and Dyke presented the muzzle of the gun, half prepared to fire through the boards, but raised it, with his facewrinkling up from a mingling of annoyance, surprise, and amusement, forin answer to the dog's sharp bark, came:

"Ah-ah-ah-ah! Wanter bucket: milk. "

"Tant!" cried Dyke, laying his hand on the bar. "Mind! there is alion, " he said, as he opened the door cautiously. 

"Eh? Eat a lot. Eat cow. "

The woman, who seemed to have suddenly remembered a great deal ofEnglish, smiled blandly, and took hold of the dog's muzzle, as Dukeraised himself on his hind-legs and placed his paws on her chest. 

"Did you see the lion?"

"Yes; no hurt, " said Tanta pleasantly. "Too much eat. Baas Joe die?"

"No!" cried Dyke, angrily, annoyed with the woman, and against himselffor his unnecessary fear. "But what do you want?"

"Milk cow--say moo-ooo!"

She produced a capital imitation of the animal's lowing, and laughedmerrily as it was answered from the shed. 

"Only one cow. Lion eat much. "

"Oh yes, I know all about that, " cried Dyke; "but I thought you hadgone. "

"Jack take away. No top. Jack tief. "

"Yes, I know that; but do you mean Jack made you go away?"

The woman nodded. 

"No top. Come back along, baas. Make fire, make cake, make milk. "

"Make yourself useful, eh?" cried Dyke, to whom the woman's presence wasa wonderful relief. 

"Come top baas. "

Tanta Sal picked up one of the buckets standing just inside the door, and nodded as she turned to go. 

"Look here!" cried Dyke; "you can stay, but I'm not going to have Jackback. "

"No! no!" cried the woman fiercely; and banging down the bucket, shewent through a pantomime, in which she took Dyke's hand and placed itupon the back of her woolly head, so that he might feel an enormous lumpin one place, a cut in another; and then with wondrous activity wentthrough a scene in which she appeared to have a struggle with somepersonage, and ended by getting whoever it was down, kneeling upon hischest, and punching his head in the most furious way. 

"Jack tief!" she cried, as she rose panting, and took up the pail. 

"Yes, I understand, " said Dyke; "but you must not go near the cow. Thatlioness is there. "

The woman laughed. 

"Baas shoot gun, " she said. 

Dyke carefully took out and examined the cartridges in his piece, replaced them, and went forth with the woman, the dog bounding beforethem, but only to be ordered to heel, growling ominously, as they camein sight of the lioness, crouching in precisely the same position, andbeginning now fiercely to show her teeth. Then, as Dyke presented hispiece, she made an effort to rise, but sank down again, and draggedherself slowly toward them, snarling savagely. 

And now Dyke saw what was wrong. His bullet, which he had fired in thenight, had taken terrible effect. The brute had made one bound afterbeing struck, and crashed through the fence, to lie afterwardscompletely paralysed in the hind-quarters, so that a carefully-directedshot now quite ended her mischievous career, for she uttered one furioussnarl, clawing a little with her forepaws, and then rolled over dead, close to the unfortunate cow she had dragged down and torn in the mosthorrible way. 

Tanta ran up and kicked the dead lioness, and then burst out with atorrent of evidently insulting language in her own tongue; after whichshe went, as if nothing had happened, to where the remaining cow stoodlowing impatiently, and proceeded to milk her in the coolest way. 

Dyke examined the dead beast, and thought he should like the skin, whichwas in beautiful condition; but he had plenty of other things to thinkof, and hurried back to the house, followed by Duke, to see how hisbrother was. 

There was no change: Emson was sleeping; and, reloading his piece, theboy went out once more to see to the ostriches, which seemed in a sorrycondition, and as he fed them, he felt as if he would like to set themelancholy-looking creatures free. 

"But Joe wouldn't like it when he gets better, " thought Dyke; and atlast he returned to the house to find a pail half full of milk standingat the door, while the smoke rising from behind the building showed thatTanta had lit a fire. 

The boy's spirits rose, for the misery and solitude of his position didnot seem so bad now, and on walking round to the front of the shed-likelodge, he found the woman ready to look up laughingly, as she kneaded upsome meal for a cake. 

"Where did you get that?" cried Dyke. 

"Wagon, " said the woman promptly. "Jack get mealie wagon. Jack tief. Tanta Sal get mealie for baas. "

"Yes, that's right; but you should ask me. But, look here, Tant, Jackshan't come here. You understand?"

"Jack tief, " cried the woman angrily, and jumping up from her knees sheran into the lodge, and came back with an old wagon wheel spoke in herfloury hands, flourished it about, and made some fierce blows. 

"Dat for Jack, " she said, laughing, nodding, and then putting the stoutcudgel back again, and returning to go on preparing the cake forbreakfast, the kettle being already hanging in its place. 

Dyke nodded and went away, and in an hour's time he was seated at a mealat which there was hot bread and milk, fried bacon and eggs, and aglorious feeling of hope in his breast; for poor Emson, as he lay there, had eaten and drunk all that was given him, and was sleeping once more. 

"Bother the old ostriches!" cried Dyke, as he looked down eagerly at thesick man. "We can soon get some more, or do something else. We shan'tstarve. You're mending fast, Joe, or you couldn't have eaten like that;and if you get well, what does it matter about anything else? Only youmight look at a fellow as if you knew him, and just say a few words. "

Emson made no sign; but his brother was in the best of spirits, andfound himself whistling while he was feeding the ostriches, starting up, though, in alarm as a shadow fell upon the ground beside him. 

But it was only Tanta Sal, who looked at him, smiling the while. 

"Jack tief, " she said; "teal mealie. "

"Yes, I know, " cried Dyke, nodding. 

"Jack tief, " said Tanta again. "Kill, hit stritch. "

"What!" cried Dyke. 

"Tant feed. Jack knock kopf. "

"What! Jack knock the young ostriches on the head?"

"Ooomps!" grunted the woman, and picking up a stone, she took hold ofthe neck of an imaginary young ostrich, and gave it a thump on the headwith the stone, then looked up at Dyke and laughed. 

"The beast!" he cried indignantly. 

"Ooomps! Jack tief. "

Tanta looked sharply round, then ran to where some ostrich bones lay, picked clean by the ants, and stooping down, took something from theground, and ran back to hand Dyke the skull of a young bird, pointingwith one black finger at a dint in the bone. 

"Jack, " she said laconically--"Jack no want stritch. "

"No wonder our young birds didn't live, " thought Dyke. Then to thewoman, as he pointed to the skull: "Find another one!"

Tanta nodded, showed her white teeth, ran off, and returned in a fewminutes with two, Dyke having in the meantime found a skull with thesame mark upon it, the bone dinted in as if by a round stone. 

Both of those the woman brought were in the same condition, and shepicked up a good-sized pebble and tapped it against the depression, showing that the injury must have been done in that way. 

"Yes, that's it, sure enough, " said Dyke thoughtfully; "and we knew nobetter, but fancied that it was disease. "

He looked glum and disappointed for a few moments, and then brightenedas he took the gun from where he had stood it against a fence. 

"Look, " he said, tapping it. "If Jack comes, I'll shoot;" and he addedto himself: "I will too. I'll pepper him with the smallest shot I'vegot. "

"Yes; ooomps, " said the woman, nodding her head approvingly; "Jack sayBaas Joe die. Have all mealie, all cow, all bull-bull, all everyting. --Baas Joe not go die?"

"No. "

"No, " assented the woman, smiling. "Tanta top. Tant don't want um anymore. Tief. Shoot Jack. No kill. "

"Oh no! I won't kill him; but don't let him come here again. "

Dyke went back to the house in the highest of spirits. 

"It's all right, " he said to himself. "We know now why the ostrichesdidn't get on. Nice sort of disease that. Oh! I do wish I had caughtthe nigger at it. But never mind, Joe's getting on; and as soon as Ican leave him, I'll hunt out some more nests, and we'll begin all overagain, and--"

The boy stopped just inside the door, trembling, for as he appeared, thevery ghost of a voice whispered feebly:

"That you, little un? How long you have been. " The next moment Dykewas on his knees by the rough couch, holding one of the thin hands inhis and trying to speak; but it was as if something had seized him bythe throat, for not a word would come. 

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR. 

BLACK SHADOWS. 

"What has been the matter, young un?" piped Emson feebly. "I say, don'tlook like that. Have I had a fall from my horse? I can't lift myhand. "

Dyke told him at last as he clung to that hand, and Emson's face grewmore and more troubled. 

"Don't, " he whispered excitedly--"don't stop. You--you may catch--thefever--too. "

"What!" cried Dyke, with a forced laugh, "me catch the fever! Well, whocares? I don't. Bother! Who's going to catch it, old chap? Why, Ishould have caught it a hundred times before now. "

"You--you've been--nursing me?"

"I've been here, but it hasn't been much of nursing, " cried Dyke, laughing in a half-choking way, as his breast swelled with joy. "I'vefed you with a spoon and washed your face. Oh Joe, old man, you've beenjust like a big, stupid old baby. "

"And have I been ill long?"

"Yes, ever so long. I was a terrible while before I got back, becausethe little river out yonder was flooded, and when I did come, I--I--I--oh Joe, old chap, I do feel so happy once more. "

It was a wise addition to his speech, for Dyke never looked much moremiserable in his life; but there was enough in his aspect to make Emsonsmile faintly, and then close his eyes. 

That brought back Dyke to the responsibilities of his position, and hesprang up. 

"Here! I've been letting you talk too much while you're so weak, " hecried excitedly. 

Emson's lips parted to speak, but his brother laid a hand upon them. 

"No, " he said, "you mustn't: you'll have to get stronger first; and I'vegot to feed you up, old chap. "

Just at that moment a dark shadow crossed the doorway, and Tanta Sal'sblack face appeared looking in. 

"Baas no go die, " she said. "Jack tief. Baas Joe go get well. Look!"

She held out a rough basket, in which were half-a-dozen new-laid eggs. 

"Jack find eggs, " said Tanta. "Do so. "

She took one egg, gave it a tap, deftly broke the shell in two halves, let the white run out, and swallowed the yolk like an oyster. 

"Here, hold hard!" cried Dyke angrily. "You mustn't do that. "

"No. Tant mussen. Jack find eggs, do so. Jack tief. "

"Well, I'm glad I know where the eggs went, " said Dyke, taking theremainder. "I thought our hens ought to lay some. But why didn't youtell us before?"

"Jack say killum, " replied the woman. "Baas Joe hungry?"

"Not yet; I'll see to him, " said Dyke, dismissing the woman, and heturned now to his brother with a strange dread creeping over him, forEmson lay back with his eyes closed, looking utterly exhausted, and asif the awakening from the long stage of delirium were only theflickering of the light of life in its socket. But by degrees Dykerealised that it was the fever that had burned out, and Emson had onlyfallen asleep--a restfully, calm sleep, from which he did not awakentill toward evening, when Dyke shivered with apprehension of theterrible attack that would come on about that time. 

But there was no attack, and after talking feebly in a whisper, theinvalid partook of a little food, then lay watching the glow in thewest, and soon went off to sleep again as calmly as an infant. "It'sall right, " cried Dyke excitedly; "all I ought to do now is to keep onfeeding him up with good, strengthening things, given a little at atime. I believe I was cut out for a doctor after all. "

He stood watching the sleeper for a few minutes, thinking of howperfectly helpless the strong man had become, and then a thoughtoccurred to him. In an hour's time the guinea-fowl would be coming toroost in the trees beyond the kopje, and a couple of these stewed downby Tanta Sal would make a delicious kind of broth, the very thing forthe sick man. Going out, he called to the Kaffir woman, and sent her towatch over Emson; while, gun in hand, he prepared to start for thekopje, so as to get into a good hiding-place before the guinea-fowl camehome to roost. 

His first act was to whistle for Duke, but the dog did not appear, andthis set the lad wondering, for he remembered now that he had not seenit for hours. 

But he was too intent upon the task he had in hand to think more of thedog just then, and hurried on past the kopje, and into the patch offorest growth which nourished consequent upon the springs which trickledfrom the granite blocks that sheltered the spring and fertilised a fewdozen acres of land, before sinking right down among the sand and dyingaway. 

Dyke felt as if a complete change had come over his life during the pastfew hours. The golden light of evening had transformed the desertveldt, and everything looked glorious, while his spirits rose so, thathad he not wanted the birds, he would have burst out shouting andsinging in the exuberance of his joy. 

"Who says Kopfontein isn't a beautiful place?" he said softly. "I did, and didn't know any better. Why, it's lovely, and Joe and I will dowell yet. "

A cloud came over his brow as he made for the patch of trees. Hismemory was busy, and he began to recall the past--his discontent, andhow trying he must have been to his big, amiable, patient brother. 

"But never again!" he said to himself. "I didn't know any better then:I do now;" and, forgetting the dangers and troubles, or setting themaside as something of no consequence at all, Dyke passed on, and at lastentered the trees just as there was a glint of something bright fromwhich the sunset rays flashed. 

But Dyke did not see the glint, neither did he hear the bushes beingparted as something glided through the low growth, and anothersomething, and then another, and again another--four dark, shadowyfigures, which glided softly away, and then seemed to drop down flat andremain silent, as if watching. 

Dyke saw nothing and thought of nothing now but the broth for hisinvalid, but picking out a good hiding-place, he cocked his piece andwaited for the birds; while at the _click, click_ of the gun-locks, something bright was raised about fifty yards from where he was hidden, and the bright thing quivered above the bushes for a few moments beforeit disappeared again. 

That bright object, which was gilded by the sun's rays now flashinghorizontally through the trees, was the head of an assegai, sharp andcruelly dangerous; but Dyke's eyes were gazing straight away, over thedesert veldt, while he felt as if he should like to whistle. 

At last there was a distant metallic clangour; then came the rushing ofwings, the alighting of a noisy flock of birds which began to cry "_Comeback! Come back! Come back_!" and Dyke's gun spoke out twice, bringingdown twice as many birds. 

"Now, if I had old Duke here, he might have retrieved those for me, "thought the boy, rising to take a step or two toward the spot where hisbirds had fallen, the rest of the flock having departed with a wildoutcry, and as he moved, four assegais were raised into a horizontalposition. But, taught caution by the wild life he had been accustomedto, he stopped to recharge his gun. 

Before he had quite finished, there was a loud barking at a littledistance. 

"Why, there he is, tracking me out, " cried Dyke; and, whistling sharply, the barking came again more loudly, a shout bringing Duke to his side, while, as soon as the dog understood what was wanted, he darted offafter the fallen birds, bringing in two directly from close to where theassegais had been poised. 

"Good dog! Two more! Seek!" cried Dyke. "Off with you!"

The dog bounded away again, and Dyke stood whistling softly to himselfas he examined his prizes, and admired their clean-looking, speckledplumage. 

Duke was back directly, gave up the birds, coughed his teeth clear offluffy feathers, and then turned and stood looking in the direction fromwhence he had fetched the guinea-fowls. 

"Oh yes, " said his master, "there'll be plenty more soon, but we've gotenough; so come along. "

Dyke shouldered his gun, carried the speckled birds in a bunch by theirlegs, and walked away toward the edge of the forest patch, the doglooking back from time to time, and barking uneasily. But the mastercould not read the dog's warning; he attributed it to the guinea-fowlcoming to roost, though black-faced lurkers, armed with assegais, wereon the dog's trail till they were safely out of the forest, at whoseedge the four Kaffirs paused to watch, while Dyke went on toward home. 

And now the dog forgot that which he had seen in the wood. The openveldt, with the kopje on their left, made him recall something else, andhe began barking and trying to lead his master away beyond theostrich-pens, Dyke understanding him well enough; but with his game inhand, and the purpose for which it was intended in mind, for a long timehe refused to go. 

At last, though, he yielded to the dog's importunity, feeling sure thata portion of their stock must be in trouble, and that Duke had beenwatching it for some time past, till he heard the reports of the gun. 

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE. 

DUKE'S FIND. 

Dyke had not far to go--the dog running on and looking back from time totime to see if it was followed, and then going on again. "He has founda snake, perhaps, " thought Dyke, as he looked in every direction, butcould see no sign of the bullocks. Duke went on. 

"Here! I want to get back with these birds, old fellow, " cried Dyke atlast. "Come along back. "

But the dog stood fast, and began to bark; then plunged in amongst somemilk-bush, and barked louder than ever. 

"Well, I must see what he has found, " thought Dyke, and just as it wasgetting dark, he ran on the hundred yards which separated him from thedog, and found him in a state of great excitement. 

"Now then, stupid, what is it?" cried Dyke. "I shan't go any farther, mind. --Why, hullo! old chap, what have you got? Why, they're lioncubs!"

Sure enough they were; a pair of big, chubby, whimpering cubs, that intheir heavy way resembled puppies more than creatures of the cat family. 

"Here, come away, " cried Dyke, after kneeling down to examine thestupid-looking, tawny things, "We shall make the mother feel as fierceas can be, and there'll be no mercy for us then, old chap. But how inthe world did they come to be here? Their mother must be prowling aboutthe place, and--Oh, I see, " he cried, as the light came. "It was theirmother I shot, and the poor little creatures are starving. It would bea mercy to kill them. "

But the cubs whimpered and whined, and seemed so amiable, that Dyke feltas if he could not be merciful in that way. 

"Seems stupid, " he muttered, "but I can't go murdering things withoutthere's a good reason for it. "

Slinging his gun over his back, he took a piece of leathern thong fromhis pocket and tied the legs of his birds together, noticing that, as hedid so, Duke was poking the young lions about with his nose, and the fatlittle creatures, which were about a third of his size, were snugglingup to him for comfort, whining like puppies the while. 

"Here, Duke!" he cried; "carry. "

He slung the birds on either side of the dog's neck, and then stoopingdown, picked up the fat, heavy cubs, tucked one under each arm, wherethey nestled to him, and then started for home. 

"Nice position for me if I'm wrong, " he muttered. "Suppose their motherisn't dead, and she finds me stealing her young ones. Ugh!"

But he was not wrong, and soon after entered the house with his prizes, to find Emson awake and watching him; while Tanta Sal crouched on thefloor, gazing at the lamp which she had lit and seemed to admireintensely. 

"How are you?" was Dyke's first question, and on being assured in afaint echo of a voice that his brother was better, he handed two of thebirds to the woman to take and stew down at once. 

"Take lion's babies too?" she said, shaking her head severely. "Notgood eat. "

"Who wants to eat them?" said Dyke. "No: I'm going to keep them. Come, make haste. I want to see those birds cooking into soup. "

"Soup? Ooomps. Tant know make tea--coffee--dinner. "

"No, no; soup. "

"Ooomps; make bird tea, coffee? Baas Joe drink in spoon. "

"Yes, that's right; you understand, " cried Dyke, and the woman hurriedout with the birds, the dog following her, his instinct teaching himthat there would be the heads and possibly other odds and ends to fallto his share. But before going, he went and poked at the two cubs anduttered a low bark. 

"What do you think of these, Joe?" said Dyke, picking up his prizes, andplacing them on the bed. 

"Dangerous, little un, " said Emson feebly. "The mother will scent themout. "

"No: I feel sure it was their mother I shot last night. She lies outyonder where Tant and I dragged her. "

"Ah!" said Emson softly, "it was her skin Tant brought in to show me. She stripped it off to-night. "

"She did? Bravo! well done, Tant! But look here, Joe: couldn't I bringthese cubs up?"

"Yes, for a time; but they would grow dangerous. Try. "

That night, after finding very little difficulty in getting the cubs tosuck a couple of pieces of rag soaked in milk, Dyke dropped asleep, todream that the lioness had come to life again, and was waiting at thedoor for her cubs; but it proved to be only Tanta Sal once more, just atdaybreak, with a tin of the bird soup, which she had set to stewovernight, and woke up early to get ready for the baas. Of this Emsonpartook with avidity as soon as he woke, his brother laughing merrily ashe fed him with a wooden spoon, while Tant grinned with delight. 

"Jack say Baas Joe go die, " she cried, clapping her legs with her hands. "Jack tief. "

Dyke endorsed the words that morning when he visited the still unladenwagon, for a bag of sugar and some more meal had disappeared. 

He stood rubbing his ear viciously. 

"It's my fault for not taking the things indoors, " he said in a vexedtone of voice; "but I can't do everything, and feeding those cubs lastnight made me forget to set Duke to watch. "

Then a thought struck him, and he put his head outside the tilt andshouted for Tant, who came running up, and at once climbed into thewagon. 

"Did you fetch some mealies from here last night?" asked Dyke. 

"No: Jack, " cried the woman excitedly--"Jack tief. "

"Yes; I thought so, " said Dyke thoughtfully. "There, that will do;" andmaking up his mind to watch that night, he went back to the house, had afew words with his brother, and then went round to see that all wasright, coming back to breakfast after Tanta had shown him the lioness'sskin pegged out to dry. 

Dyke watched that night, but in vain; Duke watched the next night alsoin vain, for there had been too much to do for the wagon to be emptiedand the stores brought in. 

For Emson required, in his weak state, an enormous deal of attention, which, however, was a delight to his brother, who had the satisfactionday by day of seeing him grow slightly better; while the Kaffir womanwas indefatigable, and never seemed to sleep, Dyke's difficulty being tokeep her from making the patient travel in a retrograde path by givinghim too much to eat. 

"Baas Joe muss plenty meat, tea, coffee, " she said. "No eat, Baas Joedie. "

Hence Dyke had hard work to keep the larder supplied. Fortunately, however, the guinea-fowls' roosting place proved to be almostinexhaustible, and twice over a little buck fell to the boy's gun. 

Then there was an ample supply of milk, some eggs, and dried meat tostew down, so that the patient did not fare so badly, as his returningstrength showed. 

But progress with the ostrich-farm was at a standstill, and Dyke used tolook at the great stilt-stalking birds with a sorrowful air, and wishthey were all running wild. 

"But you are getting better fast, Joe, " he said one evening as he sat bythe couch. 

"Getting better slowly, not fast, little un, " replied Emson sadly. "Heaven knows how I pray for strength, so as to relieve you, boy. "

"Who wants to be relieved?" cried Dyke roughly. "All I mind is notgetting on better with the work, because now I have not Jack to help. Iget on so slowly. "

"I know, Dyke, " said Emson sadly, as he lay there propped up on his bed. 

"Hullo! What's the matter? What have I done?"

"Nothing but what is patient and persevering. "

"Oh, no! don't say that, " cried the boy. "I've always been adiscontented grumbler ever since I've been here, Joe. But, I say, don'tcall me Dyke. It sounds as if you were getting formal with me, and asif we were not as we used to be before you were taken bad. "

"But we are, old chap. Better and more brotherly than ever. I neverknew till now how brave, and true, and manly--Ha! he's gone, " sighedEmson sadly; for Dyke had made a sudden bound, and dashed out of theplace, keeping away for fully half an hour, before he thrust in his headonce more. 

"Ah, there you are, " said Emson. "Come and sit down. I want to speakto you. "

"Look here, Joe, " cried Dyke. "I'm baas now, and I shall do as I like. Are you going to talk any more of that nonsense? I am going if youare. "

"I shall not talk nonsense. I only said--"

"You stop, sir. Don't you get only saiding again, for I won't have it. It's weak, and sickly, and sentimental. Who wants to be told that hehelped his brother when he was ill? Such rot! Why, wouldn't you havefed me and washed my face if I'd grown as stupid and weak as you?There, shake hands. I'll forgive you this time; but if ever--Hooray-y-y-y! He's getting some muscle in his arm again. You can feelhim grip! Why, a fortnight ago it was like shaking hands with a deadchicken. I say, Joe, old man, you are heaps better. "

"Yes, I'm getting better. I feel as if I shall live now. "

"Live? Now there's a jolly old stupid. Just as if you were ever goingto feel anything else. Look here, Joe: I shall have to make analteration. I've been spoiling you, giving you too many good things. And to begin with, I think I'll cut your hair. "

"Isn't it short enough?" said Emson rather piteously, as he feeblyraised his hand to his temples. 

"Yes, there: it looks nice and fashionable. But all down at the backit's like Breezy's mane. "

"Then you shall cut it, Dyke. "

"Ah-h-h!"

"Well then, young un. But how is poor Breezy?"

"Getting wild for want of riding. I went toward her yesterday, and shebegan dancing a _pas-de-deux_-legs on her fore-hoofs, and sparred at thesky with her hind. Wait a bit, and you and I'll take some of the steamout of her and Longshanks. We'll hunt out no end of ostriches' nests inthe farther-off part of the veldt. Here, what are you shaking yourjolly old head for? It's been quite shaky enough, hasn't it?"

"I was thinking of the ostrich-farming, little un, " said Emson sadly. "No, my lad, no more time wasted over that. Two hundred years hencethey may have got a more manageable strain of domesticated birds thatwill live well in confinement. We've had our try, and failed. "

"Bah! Not half tried. I haven't. No, Joe, we won't give up. We'll doit yet. Why, it was that black scoundrel Jack who caused half themischief. Oh, Joe, if I could only have caught him when he was knockingthose poor young birds on the head, and had my gun with me. "

"What! would you have shot at him, young un?"

"If I'd had small shot in one of the barrels. They'd have just gonethrough, and peppered his hide nicely. I say, Joe, his clothes wouldn'thave stopped the shot corns. "

"No, " said Emson, smiling; "his clothes wouldn't have stopped them. "

"Hooray-y-y-y!" shouted Dyke again, and the two lion cubs looked overthe packing-case in which they were confined, wonderingly. 

"Look at him! A regular half laugh. We shall have the whole laughsoon. But there, I mustn't stop, wasting time here. "

"Yes; stay a little longer, little un. I want to talk to you, " saidEmson. 

"About my being such a nice, good boy--so brave and so noodley? No, youdon't. I'm off!"

"No, no; I will not say a word about that. I want to talk to you. "

"But the ostriches want feeding. "

"They must wait, " said Emson sadly. "They've made us wait for profit. Look here, little un; sit down. "

"Well, if you want it. But, honour bright: no buttering me. "

"I want to talk about our future. "

"Well, I can tell you that, Joe. We're going to make a big success ofthe farm. "

"No, boy; we are going to give it up. "

"What! Sell it?"

"No; I should be ashamed to take money off a man for so worthless abargain. We are going to scrape together what skins and feathers areours, so as to pay our way, and going home. "

"What! empty?" cried Dyke. "That we won't. "

"We must, boy. I shall never be myself till I have been under a gooddoctor. "

"What nonsense, Joe. There, let's talk about something else. --I say, how playful the cubs get; but they're more like big Saint Bernard pupsthan kittens. "

"Let us talk about our future, boy, " said Emson rather sternly. "I wasthinking bitterly of our prospects when I was sickening for this fever, and I have thought more about them since I have been lying herehelpless; and as soon as I can get about, we must prepare for goinghome. "

"Beaten! Go home, and say: `It's of no use, father; we're a poor, helpless pair. '"

"We must accept the inevitable, little un. "

"There isn't any inevitable when you're my age, Joe. One always used tofeel on a bad day that sooner or later the fish would begin to bite. "

"Yes, but we used to change to another place. "

"Sometimes. Well, let's change to another place, then. But it would bea pity. We've got never-failing water here, and even if the lions andbaboons do come sometimes, it's a capital place. I say, Joe, haveanother try. "

"You've quite changed your tune, old fellow, " said Emson mournfully. "Do you remember?"

"Why, of course. What fellow doesn't remember what a donkey he hasbeen? I've often thought of it while you were ill, Joe, and of what anuisance I must have been while you were so patient. And I said tomyself--There, never mind that--I say, Joe, do you really mean for us togo back beaten?"

"Yes. "

"Not have one more try!"

"No: I am too much broken down. "

"But I'm not. I'm getting full of pluck and work now, and I'll doanything to keep things going till you come round. "

Emson shook his head sadly. 

"I say it is of no use, my lad; we are trying an impossibility. "

"Then let's try something else. What do you think old Morgensternsaid?"

"That we were wasting time over the ostriches. "

"Well, yes, he did say that. But he said something else. "

"Yes? What?"

"That he heard they were finding diamonds out on the veldt, and that heshould advise you to have a good try. "

"Moonshine, boy. The other day it was gold. Do you think we should bewise in spending our days hunting for diamonds?"

Dyke scratched his ear, glanced at his brother, and then shook his head. 

"Come, you are wise in that. Old Morgenstern is a good, honest, oldfellow, but it does not do to take anybody's advice on your own affairs, about which you know best yourself. There, I must not talk any more;but don't go dreaming about diamonds, little un. You and I did not comeout here to make a fortune, but to get a straightforward, honestliving. "

Emson closed his eyes, and Dyke sat watching him till his regularbreathing told that he was fast asleep, and then the lad went out to goand busy himself about the place, meaning to take his gun that eveningand make for the patch of forest beyond the kopje, so as to shoot acouple or so of the guinea-fowl; but a sharp storm came on and preventedhim, though at bed-time, when he looked out, after seeing that the lioncubs and dog were curled up happily enough together, the stars wereshining brilliantly, and a dull, soft light in the east told that thefull moon would soon be up. 

Five minutes later he was in his corner, feeling very drowsy, and alittle troubled in his mind about his brother's determination. 

"But Joe'll think differently when he gets better, " Dyke said tohimself; and then began to think whether he ought not to have watchedthe wagon. 

"One can't work and watch, too, " he thought as he yawned, "but I mighthave made Duke sleep in the wagon, and I will. "

But he was so utterly wearied out that he kept putting off the gettingup from minute to minute, till he forgot all about it in sleep, plungingat once into a troubled dream, in which he saw his brother standing, angry and threatening with a big stick in his hand, and about to bringit down upon him with a heavy thud for neglecting their valuable stores, when he awoke to find that there was some substance in that dream. 

CHAPTER TWENTY SIX. 

THE NIGHT ATTACK. 

For a few moments Dyke could not collect himself sufficiently to speak, but stared at the black figure leaning over him, with what seemed to bea heavy club, while the shadow cast by the feeble lamp upon the wall tohis left looked prodigious. 

"Get up! Come!" was whispered in his ear, and he felt the stout cudgelpressed upon his legs. "You, Tant?" he faltered. "Oomps. Jump. Jackcome. Jack tief. "

"What!" cried Dyke springing up, half-dressed, as he had lain down. 

"Shoo!" whispered the woman. "Bring gun, shoot. "

"You want me to shoot Jack?"

"Oomps. Wagon. Kaffirs take all mealies. "

"You're a pretty sort of a wife, " thought Dyke, as he caught up hisloaded gun from the corner, and wondered that the dog had not stirred. 

Just then Tanta Sal touched his arm, pointed to the light, and made apuffing sound with her lips. 

"Put it out?" he whispered. 

She nodded, and Dyke turned down the wick, so that the place was onlylit up by the pale rays of the moon. 

"Where are they?" whispered Dyke. "At the wagon?"

"No, not come; Jack come say Tant Sal go 'way to-night 'long o' Jack. Gone fetch Kaffir, carry mealies. Come. "

She took his arm tightly and led him to the door, which he found ajar, and as soon as they were outside she closed it after them. 

"Stop a moment. Let's have the dog. "

"No: dog make noise, and Jack top. Come. "

The woman led him to the wagon, and mounting on to the box, opened thecanvas and crept in silently, while the boy hesitated to follow. 

Suppose it was a trap, and Tanta had her husband and two or three men inwaiting there. 

"Absurd!" he thought the next moment. "Why should they hurt me? Theycould have robbed the wagon without. "

Mounting then quickly, he felt his arm seized, and he was half drawninto the wagon, where all was black on one side, while the canvas tiltshowed faintly in the moonlight on the other. 

Dyke was just able to make out that the woman was watching by thecanvas, which hung over the front; then she reached back to him. 

"Jack say try kill Baas Dyke, but dog come. Kill Baas Dyke some day. "

"That's nice, " whispered the boy. "What for?"

"Jack tief. Want wagon, want horse, want all. "

"Then it's war, " said Dyke, "and he shan't have them. "

"Shoo!" whispered the woman, and she leaned forward with her head halfout of the opening. Then turned quickly. 

"Jack come, Jack one, Jack one, Jack one. "

"Four of them?" whispered Dyke. 

"Oomps. Baas Dyke shoot. "

The boy pressed the triggers as he drew up the cocks of his piece, sothat the clicking made was extremely faint, and then stood ready andexpectant. But he had not long to wait. For almost directly there wasa dull sound as of footsteps; a heavy breathing, and hands tugged at thetightly fastened canvas at the back of the wagon. Then there was a lowwhispering. Whoever it was passed along to the front of the wagon, andthen there was a heavy breathing as the visitors swung themselves up onto the wagon-box, Dyke judging from the sounds that either three or fourpeople had climbed up. Then the canvas was dragged back, and as Dykepointed his gun, hesitating about firing, and then deciding to shootoverhead to startle the marauders, one crept in. 

At that moment there was a whizz and the sound of a tremendous blow, followed by a loud yell of pain and a perfect shower of blows deliveredwith wonderful rapidity upon the attacking party, who sprang out andfell from the wagon front. 

It was all almost momentary, and then Dyke was leaning out through thecanvas, and fired twice at random. 

"It won't hit, only frighten them, " he thought; and then he turned cold, for at the second report there was a yell, the sound of a fall, ascuffling noise, and a series of cries almost such as would be utteredby a dog, and growing more and more distant, as the boy listened, feeling convinced that he had shot Duke. 

Tanta Sal was of a different opinion. 

"Dat Jack, " she said, laughing softly. "Jack tief. No come kill Tantnow. "

Dyke was silent for a few moments. He was thinking about whatcartridges he had placed in his gun, and remembered that they wereNumber 6, which he had intended for the guinea-fowl. 

"Those wouldn't kill him, " he muttered, "and he was a long way off. "

"No get mealies now, " said the woman, interrupting the boy's musings. "Baas Dyke go bed?"

"Stop! suppose they are waiting?" whispered Dyke. 

"Wait? What for?" she replied. "No. All run away. No come now. "

She climbed out on to the box and held the canvas aside for Dyke tofollow, which he did, and then tied the opening up again, and leapeddown to stand listening to the dog's barking within the house. 

"Tant go sleep, " said the woman; and she hurried off, while Dyke openedthe door for the dog to bound out growling, and ready to rush off at aword, but Dyke called him in and shut the door, fastening it now; thefact of the dog sleeping inside being, he thought, sufficientprotection--the coming of the woman not being noticed by Duke, who, ofcourse, set her down as a friend. 

But Dyke did not lie down for some time after assuring himself that thenoise had not roused his brother from his heavy sleep. The boy wasuneasy about the woman. She had told him that Jack had threatened tokill her. Suppose he came back now with his companions to take revengeupon her for betraying their plans. 

"She wouldn't know, " he said to himself, after carefully weighing thematter over in his mind, to decide that they would be afraid to comeagain after such a reception. 

So, concluding at last that the woman would be quite safe, Dyke reloadedhis gun, placed it ready, and lay down once more, conscious of the factnow that the dog was awake and watchful. 

Five minutes after he was asleep, and did not wake till the Kaffir womancame and tapped at the door, to show him, with a look of triumph, fourassegais left behind by the visitors of the past night. 

"Dat Jack, " she said, holding up one. "Dose oder fellow. "

"Will they come for them?"

"No. Jack no come again. Get other wife. Tant Sal don't want anymore. "

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN. 

OOM STARTLES HIS FRIENDS. 

The days glided peacefully by, with Dyke kept busy enough supplying thelarder, especially for his brother's benefit, and under his treatmentthe poor fellow grew better. 

But so slowly; and he was the mere ghost of his former self when hebegan to crawl out of the house by the help of a stick, to sit in theshade and watch Dyke as he was busy about the place. 

There was very little to vary the monotony of their life. A lion cameone night, but did not molest horse or bullock. They had visits, too, from the jackals, but Tanta Sal was right--Jack came no more, and theysaw nothing of the Kaffirs who had been his companions, though Dykefound a rough hut and traces of a fire in the patch of forest close towhere he went to shoot the guinea-fowl, showing that he must often havebeen pretty near the Kaffirs' hiding-place. 

In fact, Jack had had a very severe peppering, and felt not theslightest inclination to risk receiving another. 

The subject of giving up Kopfontein was often discussed, but even if itwere done, it seemed evident that many months must elapse before Emsonwould be fit to travel; so the subject was talked of less often, thoughone thing was evident both to Dyke and his brother--their scheme ofostrich-farming had completely broken down, and unless a bold attemptwere made to start afresh, they would gradually become poorer andpoorer, for alone, all Dyke's efforts to collect valuable skins weredisposed to be rather unfruitful, try hard as he would. 

Months had passed, and they had had no more black visitors, but one dayTanta Sal rushed into the house where the brothers were seated atdinner, with such a look of excitement upon her features, that Dykesprang up, seized one of the guns and handed another to his brother, whostood up, looking weak, but determined to help if danger were at hand. 

But Tanta gesticulated, pushed the guns away, and signed to Dyke tofollow. 

The cause of the woman's excitement was evident directly, for there, amile away, was a wagon drawn by a long team of oxen, and it was evidentthat they were to have visitors at the farm. 

"Some poor wretch going up in the wilds to seek his fortune, " said Emsonrather sadly. "I wish him better luck than ours, young un. "

"Oh, I say, Joe, don't talk in that doleful way, " cried Dyke excitedly. "This is so jolly. It's like being Robinson Crusoe and seeing a sail. Here, wait while I fetch the glass. "

Dyke returned the next minute with his hands trembling so that he couldhardly focus and steady the "optic tube. " Then he shouted in hisexcitement, and handed the telescope to his brother. 

"Why, it's that fat old Dutchman, Morgenstern! Who'd have thought ofseeing him?"

Sure enough it was the old trader, seated like the Great Mogul in theold woodcuts. He was upon the wagon-box, holding up an enormously longwhip, and two black servants were with him--one at the head of the longteam of twelve oxen, the other about the middle of the double line ofsix, as the heavy wagon came slowly along, the bullocks seeming tocrawl. 

"I am glad, " cried Dyke. "I say, Joe, see his great whip? He looked inthe glass as if he were fishing. "

"Tant make fine big cake--kettle boil--biltong tea?" asked the Kaffirwoman hospitably. 

"Yes, " said Emson quietly. "But, " he continued, as Tanta Sal ran off tothe back of the house, "it may not be Morgenstern, young un. FatGermans look very much alike. "

"Oh, but I feel sure this is the old chap. --I say, what's the German forfat old man?"

"I don't know. My German has grown rusty out here. Dicker alte Mann, perhaps. Why?"

"Because I mean to call him that. He always called me booby. "

"No, bube:--boy, " said Emson, smiling. 

They stood watching the wagon creeping nearer and nearer for a minute ortwo, Dyke longing to run to meet the visitors; but he suddenly recalledthe orderly look at Morgenstern's, and rushed back into the house to tryto make their rough board a little more presentable; and he was still inthe midst of this task, when, with a good deal of shouting from theKaffir servants, and sundry loud cracks of the great whip, the wagon, creaking and groaning, stopped at the fence in front of the house, andthe old German shouted:

"Ach! mein goot vrient Emzon, how you vas to-day? Vere is der bube?"

"Dicker alte Mann!" said Dyke between his teeth, and hurriedly brushingaway some crumbs, and throwing a skin over the chest in which variousodds and ends were kept, he listened to the big bluff voice outside asMorgenstern descended. 

"It is goot to shack hant mit an Englander. Bood you look tin, meinvrient. You haf been down mit dem vever?"

"Yes, I've been very ill. "

"That is nod goot. Bood you ged besser now. Ach, here is der poy!Ach! mein goot liddle bube, ant how you vas?"

Dyke's hands were seized, and to his horror the visitor hugged him tohis broad chest, and kissed him loudly on each cheek. 

"Oh, I'm quite well, " said Dyke rather ungraciously, as soon as he couldget free. 

"Ov goorse you vas. Grade, pig, oogly, shtrong poy. I am clad to zeeyou again. You did got home guite zave?"

"Eh? Oh yes. But that's ever so long ago. "

"Zo? Ach! I haf been zo busy as neffer vas. Now you led mein two poysoutspan, eh?"

"Of course, " said Emson warmly. --"Show them where the best pasture is, toward the water, Dyke. --Come in, Herr. You look hot and tired. "

"Ja, zo. I am sehr hot, and you give me zomeden to drink. I haf zompeaudivul dea in dem vagons. I give you zom to make. "

An hour later, with the visitor and his men refreshed, Morgensternsmiled at Dyke, and winked both his eyes. "You know vad I vants?" hesaid. 

"Yes; your pipe. "

"Ja, I wand mein bibe. You gom mit me do god mein bibe und mein dobaccodin; und den I light oop, und shmoke und dalk do you, und you go allround, und zhow me den ostridge-bird varm. "

They all went out together, the visitor noticing everything; and layinghis hand upon Emson's shoulder, he said: "You muss god besser, meinvrient. You are nod enough dick--doo tin. "

"Oh, I'm mending fast, " said Emson hastily, and then they stopped by thewagon, with Morgenstern's eyes twinkling as he turned to Dyke. 

"You haf been zo goot, " he said; "you make me ead und trinken zo mooch, dat I gannod shoomp indo den vagon. I am zo dick. Good! You shoompin, and get me mein bibe und dobacco din. "

Dyke showed him that he could; fetched it out, and after the old man hadfilled, lit up, and begun to form smoke-clouds, he said: "You dake menow do see if mein pullocks and my poys is ead und trink. "

"Oh, they're all right, " cried Dyke. 

"Ja. Bood I always like do zee for meinzelf. Zom beobles ist nod asgoot as you vas, mein vrient. A good draveller ist kind do his beastund his plack poy. "

The visitor was soon satisfied, for he was taken round to where TantaSal was smiling at her two guests, who, after making a tremendous meal, had lain down and gone to sleep, while the oxen could be seen at adistance contentedly grazing in a patch of rich grass. 

"You haf no lions apout here, " said the old man, "to gom und shdeal meingattle?--Ah, vot ist das?" he cried, turning pale as he heard a peculiarnoise from somewhere close at hand. Quigg! "You ged der goon undshoot, or der lion gom und preak von of der oxen's pack. "

"It's all right, " cried Dyke, laughing. "Come and look here. "

The old man looked rather wild and strange, for, as Dyke threw open arough door in the side of one of the sheds, the two lion cubs, nowgrowing fast towards the size of a retriever dog, came bounding out. 

"Ach! shdop. Do not led them ead der poor alter pecause he is zo niceund vat. Eh, dey will not hurt me?"

"No!" cried Dyke; "look here: they are as tame and playful as kittens. "

Dyke proved it by dropping on his knees and rolling the clumsy, heavycubs over, letting them charge him and roll him over in turn. 

"Ach! id is vonterful, " said the old man, wiping the perspiration fromhis face. "I did tought dey vas go to eat den alt man. You make demdame like dot mit dem jambok. "

"With a whip? No, " cried Dyke; "with kindness. Look here: pat them andpull their ears. They never try to bite. You should see them playabout with the dog. "

"Boor liddle vellows den, " said the old man, putting out his handnervously. "Ach, no; id is doo bat, you liddle lion. Vot you mean pyschmell me all over? I am nod for you do ead. "

Dyke laughed, for the cubs turned away and sneezed. They did notapprove of the tobacco. 

"There, come along, " he cried; and the cubs bounded to him. "I'll shutthem up for fear they should frighten your oxen. "

"Das is goot, " said the old man with a sigh of satisfaction, as he sawthe door closed upon the two great playful cats. "Bood you zhall mind, or zom day I zhall gom ant zee you, but vind you are not ad home, vordie young lion haf grow pig und ead you all oop. "

"Yes, " said Emson; "we shall have to get rid of them before very long. They may grow dangerous some day. "

"Ach! I dell you vot, mein vrient Emzon, I puy dose lion ov you, or youled me shell dem, to go do Angland or do Sharmany. "

"Do you think you could?"

"Do I dink I good? Ja, I do drade in effery dings. I gom now to puyiffory und vedders. You shell me all you vedders, und I gif you goodbrice. "

"I have a very poor lot, Morgenstern, but I'll sell them to you. Dykeand I have done very badly. "

"Zo? Bood you will zell do me. I zaid do myself I vould go und zeemein vrient Emzon und den bube. He zay I am honest man. --You droostme?"

"Of course, " said Emson frankly. "I know you for what you are, Morgenstern. "

The old man lowered his pipe, and held out his fat hand. 

"I dank you, Herr Emzon, " he said, shaking his host's hand warmly. "Idis goot do veel dot von has a vrient oud here in der desert land. BoodI am gonzern apout you, mein vrient. You haf peen very pad. You dolook sehr krank; unt you zay you haf tone padly. I am moch gonzern. "

"We've been very unlucky, " said Emson, as the old man seated himselfupon a block of granite, close to one of the ostrich-pens, while an oldcock bird reached over and began inspecting his straw-hat. 

"Zo I am zorry. Bood vy do you not dry somedings else? Hund vor skinsor vor iffory? I puy dem all. Und not dry do keep den ostridge-bird indem gage, bood go und zhoot him, und zell die vedders do me. Or der isanodder dings. Hi! You bube: did you dell den bruders apout dendiamonts?"

"Oh yes, I told him, " said Dyke sadly; "but he has been so ill. Ithought once he was going to die. "

"Zo! Den tunder! what vor you no gom und vetch me und mine old vomans?Die frau gom und vrighten avay das vevers. She is vonterful old vomans. She make you like to be ill. "

"I was all alone, and couldn't leave him, " said Dyke. "I was afraid hewould die if I did. "

"Ja, zo. You vas quite right, mein young vrient Van Dyke. You are agoot poy, unt I loaf you. Zhake mein hant. "

The process was gone through, Dyke shrinking a little for fear he wouldbe kissed. 

"Und zo die pirts do nod get on?" said Morgenstern after a pause, duringwhich he sat smoking. 

"No, in spite of all our care, " said Emson. 

"Ach! vot ist das?" cried the old man, looking sharply round, as his hatwas snatched off by the long-necked bird which had been inspecting it. "You vill gif dot pack to me, shdupit. Id ist nod goot do eat, und I amsure id vould not vid your shdupid liddle het. --Dank you, bube, " hecontinued, as Duke rescued and returned the hat. "Eh? you dink it goot. Vell, it vas a goot hat; bud you go avay und schvallow shdones, undmake vedders for me to puy. Ach! dey are vonny pirts, Van Dyke. Und zodey all go die?"

"We lost a great many through the Kaffir boy we had, " said Dyke, as theywalked slowly back to the house. 

"Zo? He did not give them do eat?"

"We saw that the birds had enough to eat, " said Dyke; "but he used toknock their heads with a stone. "

"Zo? Dot vas nod goot. Shdones are goot for die pirts to schvallow, bud nod for outside den het. I dink, mein younger vrient, I should hafknog dot shentleman's het outside mit a shdone, und zay do him, `You goavay, und neffer gom here again, or I zhall bepper your black shkin midsmall shot. '"

"That's what Dyke did do, " said Emson, smiling. 

"Zo? Ach! he is a vine poy. "

"Hah!" sighed the old man as he sank upon a stool in the house. "Now Izhall shmoke mein bibe, und den go do mein wagon und haf a big longschleep, vor I am dire. "

He refilled his pipe, and smoked in silence for a few minutes, and thensaid thoughtfully:

"Emzon, mein vrient, I am zorry to zee you veak und krank, und I amzorry do zee your varm, und I should not be a goot vrient if I did notdell you die truth. "

"Of course not, " said Emson; and Dyke listened. 

"All dese has been a misdake. You dake goot advice, mein vrient. Youled die long-legged pirts roon vere dey like, und you go ant look fordiamonts. "

Emson shook his head. 

"No, " he said, "I am no diamond hunter. It would not be fair for mybrother, either. I have made up my mind what to do. I am weak and ill, and I shall clear off and go back home. "

"Nein, nein. Dot is pecause you are krank. Bube, you make your bruderquite vell und dry again. Dot is der vay. You shall nod go home toyour alt beobles und say, `Ve are gom pack like die pad shillings. Nogoot ad all. '"

"That's what I say, " cried Dyke eagerly. "I want to hunt for diamonds, and collect feathers, and skins, and ivory. "

"Goot! Und gom und shell all to alt Oom Morgenstern. "

"Yes, " cried Dyke. "I say: help me to make my brother think as I do. "

"Of goorse I will, bube; I know, " said the old man, winking his eyes. "It ist pecause he has got das vevers in his pones; bud I haf in meinwagon zix boddles of vizzick to vrighten avay all dot. I zhall give himall die boddles, und I shall bud indo each zom quinines. Id ist pordwein, und he vill dake two glass, effery day, und fery zoon he villlaugh ad dem vevers und zay: `Hi! Van Dyke, get on your horse and gomit me to get iffory, und vedders, und skins, und diamonts, till we hafgot a load, und den we vill go und shell dem to alt Oom Morgenstern--dodem alt ooncle, as you gall him. '--Vot haf you got dere, bube?"

"Two or three of the ostrich skulls that I found with the marks made inthem by the Kaffir with a stone, " said Dyke, who had just been andopened the door of his case of curiosities. 

"Zo!" said the old man. "Ah, und negs time you see dot Kaffir poy youmake zome blace like dot upon der dop of his het. Und vot else have youthere?--any dings to zell me?"

"Oh no; only a few curiosities I picked up. Look! I took these all outof the gizzard of an old cock ostrich we were obliged to kill, becausehe broke his leg. "

Dyke handed a rough little wooden bowl to the old man. 

"Ach! Mein cracious!" he cried. 

"You wouldn't have thought it. And here's a great piece of rusty ironthat he had swallowed too; I picked it out when I had lost a knife, andthought he had swallowed it. "

"Mein cracious!" cried the old man again, and he let his pipe fall andbreak on the rough table. 

Dyke laughed as the visitor turned over the stones and the bit of rustyiron. 

"One would have thought it would kill them to swallow things like that, but they're rare birds, Herr Morgenstern; they'll try and swallowanything, even straw-hats. "

"Mein cracious, yes!" cried the old man again. "Und so, bube, you didvind all dose--dose dings in dem gizzard ov dot pirt?"

"Yes, all of them. I've got another bowlful that I picked up myself. There are a good many about here. "

"You vill let me loog ad dem, mein younger vrient?"

"Of course, " said Dyke, and he fetched from the case another roughlittle bowl that he had obtained from one of the Kaffirs. 

There were about ten times as many of the stones, and with them piecesof quartz, shining with metallic traces, and some curious seeds. 

Morgenstern turned them over again and again, and glanced at Emson, wholooked low-spirited and dejected. 

"Ach, zo! Mein cracious!" cried the old man; then, with his voicetrembling: "Und zo there are blendy of dose shdones apout here?"

"Yes; I've often seen the ostriches pick them up and swallow them. Isuppose it's because they are bright. "

"Yes, I suppose it ist pecause they are zo bright, " said the old man, pouring out a handful of the stones into his hand, and reverentlypouring them back into the rough wooden bowl. Then rising, he shookhands silently with Dyke. 

"Going to bed?"

"No, mein younger vrient, nod yed. I haf somedings to zay to yourbruder, " and turning to Emson, who rose to say good-night to him, hetook both his hands in his own, and pumped them up and down. 

"Yoseph Emzon, " he said, in a deeply moved voice, "I like you when youvirst game into dese barts, und I zay dot man is a shentleman; I loafhim, unt den bube, his bruder. Now I gom here und vind you ill, myheart ist zore. I remember, doo, you zay I vas honest man, ant I dankden Lord I am, und dot I feel dot I am, und can say do you, mein youngvrient, zom beobles who know what I know now would sheat und rob you, but I vould not. I vont zom days to die, und go ver der Lord vill say, `Vell done, goot und vaithful zervant. ' Yoseph Emzon, I am honest man, und I zay do you, all your droubles are over. You haf been zick, butyou vill zoon be quide vell und shdrong, vor you vill not haf das soreheart, und de droubles which make do hair drop out of your het. "

"Thank you, Morgenstern. I hope I shall soon be well enough to go, "said Emson, sadly. 

"Bood you vill not go, mein vrient, " cried the old man. "You vill notleave here--mein cracious, no! You vill shdop und get all die ostridgeyou gan, und shend dem out effery day to big oop zom shdones, und denyou vill dig oop der earth vor die pirts to vind more shdones, und whendey haf shvallowed all dey gan, you und der bube here vill kill dem, undempty die gizzards into die powls of water to vash dem. "

"No, no, no: what nonsense!" cried Emson, while Dyke suddenly dashed tothe table, seized one bowl, looked at its contents, and banged them downagain. 

"Hurray!" he yelled. "Oh! Herr Morgenstern, is it real?" For like alight shot from one of the crystals, he saw the truth. 

"Nonsense, Yoseph Emzon?" cried the old man. "Id is drue wisdom, asgoot as der great Zolomon's. Yoseph Emzon, I gongradulade you. You hafhad a hart shdruggle, but it is ofer now. Die ostridge pirts haf madeyou a ferry rich man, und I know dot it is right, for you vill always dogoot. "

"But--but--do I understand? Are those--those--"

"Yes, Joe, " roared Dyke, springing at his brother. "There is no moreroom for despair now, old chap, for you are rich; and to think we neverthought of it being so when you were so unhappy, and--and--Oh, I can'tspeak now. I don't care for them--only for the good they'll do to you, for they're diamonds, Joe, and there's plenty more diamonds, and allyour own. "

"Yes, und pig vons, too, " said the old trader, with a look of triumph;"und now I must haf somedings to trink. I haf dalk so much, I veel as Ishall shoke. Here, bube, you go und shoomp indo dem vagon, und bringone of die plack poddles out of mein box py vere I shleep. Id is derbruder's vizzick, bud ve vill trink a trop to-night do gongradulade him, und you dwo shall trink do der health of dis honesd alt manns. "

The bottle of port was fetched, a portion carefully medicated withquinine, and Morgenstern handed it to the invalid. 

"Mein vrient, " he said, "das is wein dot maketh glad das heart of man. I trink do your goot health. "

A few minutes later the old trader said softly:

"I go now to say mein brayer und get mein schleep. Goot-night, meinvrients, und Gott pless you both. "

It was about an hour later, when the faint yelping of the jackals washeard in the distance, that Emson said softly:

"Asleep, young un?"

"No, Joe; I can't get off nohow. I say, am I dreaming, or is all thistrue?"

"It is true, lad, quite true; and I suppose that you and I are going tobe rich men. "

"Rich man and boy, Joe. I say: are you pleased?"

"More thankful than pleased, Dyke, for now, when we like, we can startfor home. "

"Without feeling shamefaced and beaten, eh, Joe? Then I _am_ glad. Ididn't quite know before, but I do know now; and we can make the oldpeople at home happy, too, Joe. "

"As far as money can make them so, little un. "

"Hullo!" cried Dyke; "you are a bit happy after all, Joe. "

"What makes you say that?"

"You called me `little un' just in your old way, and I can feel that, with all the worry and disappointment gone now, you'll be able to getwell. "

Emson was silent for a few minutes, and then he said softly:

"Yes: I feel as if I can get better now; not that I care for the richesfor riches' sake, Dyke, but because--Are you listening, little un?"

Dyke was fast asleep, and a few minutes later Emson was sleeping too, and dreaming of faces at home in the old country welcoming him back, notfor the sake of the wealth he brought, but because he was once more ahale, strong man. 

CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT. 

THE CHANGE THAT CAME. 

"It's to-morrow morning, little un. "

Dyke did not stir, but he seemed to hear the words. 

"Do you hear, little un? Tumble up and bustle. Let's have acomfortable meal when he joins us. Do you hear, sir? Are you going tosleep all day?"

Certainly he was not, for Dyke had sprung up, and was staring across theplace at where, half-turned from him, Emson lay gazing at the goldeneast, where the sun was about to rise. 

"Little un: are you going to get up?"

Dyke sprang from his bed, darted to his brother, caught him by theshoulder and pulled him round so as to look him in the face. 

"What's the matter, sleepy head?" said Emson, smiling. 

"Why, it's himself again, " cried Dyke excitedly. "Oh Joe, old man, youare better and no mistake. I haven't heard you speak like that since Iwent to old Morgenstern's. --Oh!"

"What is it?" cried Emson. 

"I'm not quite awake yet. Yes I am, but I forgot that he was here, andabout the diamonds; and--Joe, Joe, old chap, I don't believe preciousstones ever did so much good before. "

"Don't talk about them, boy, " said Emson, holding his brother's handtightly in his. "But I do seem as if a terrible load had been taken offbody and brain. I feel this morning that I shall see home again; and Ihave talked about going, but never felt that I should see it till now. "

"Then hooray for being rich! But, I say!"

"What?"

"Suppose any one one should come and rob us now. "

Emson laughed aloud. 

"The first trouble that attends wealth, little un. There, we've bornesorrow and disappointment like men. "

"Man and boy, Joe. "

"Like men, Dyke, for you have been a better man than I. Now then, we'llbear prosperity, please God, as patiently and well. "

"Why, of course, " cried Dyke; "but what did you do with the jolly oldstones?"

"Put them in your bowl, and then in the case. Now see that thebreakfast is got ready. I'm far better, but I feel too weak to help. "

"Ah, but you won't long, if you go on like this, " cried Dyke, dressinghurriedly, and beginning to have his morning wash in the bucket. "I sayJoe, though, let's have some luxuries, now, as soon as we can. What doyou say to a wash-hand basin?"

"Oh yes, we'll have that. "

"And a sponge? Here, I say: I wonder whether old Morningstar has gotany sponges: we'll buy one. New boots, too: mine are getting likePaddy's ride in the sedan-chair; I'm on the ground. "

"All in good time, little un; all in good time: the first thing now isbreakfast for our good old visitor. "

"Ah, we'll have another spoonful of coffee in the pot this morning, Joe. "

The old trader met them at breakfast and smiled as he shook hands. 

"Ach ten!" he cried, "but you haf geschlafen wohl, mein vrient. Derbeace of mind is a goot ding. You are besser. You need not speak, foryour eyes are delling me all der dime what dey dink, bube. "

"I'm sure he's better, " said Dyke eagerly. 

"Und he vill zoon be guite himselfs again. I zee you half been do meinoxen, Van Dyke. "

"Oh yes, I had a look at them; they were feeding well. "

"Ja; die poys dell me zo. Now I go do ask you do let me shday dilldo-morrow, und den die peasts vill pe rested, und I go on again. "

"Don't hurry, Herr Morgenstern, " said Emson. "You and I must have along talk about--about--"

"Die shdones? Nein, mein good vrient, you go do zay you must share zommid me, but I zhall dake none. Look at me: I am zeventy jahrs alt, undI have blenty do leave my old vomans ven I die, zo should I dake whatvill do you zo much good?"

"But we owe everything to you. "

"Nein. It ist not zo. You have work hart, und you have got your gootdimes ad last. You keep vot you haf found. I zhall dake noding booddie hant of mein vrients. "

"Oh, but you ought to have a good share, Herr Morgenstern, " cried Dyke. 

"Ach ten! what for you go shpeak like dot, you bube. You wand to makeme gross, und get in a big passion. Tunder! No, I vill dot dake vonshingle shdone. You shpeak again, I go away in a gross anger. Aha! yousee, mein vrient Yoseph, I zoon zed die dot imbudend bube, who go toshpoil my breakfass. I do not wand my breakfass shpoil. Youoondershtan. You say diamont again, I gall my poys, und inspan und goaway. "

He frowned, as if he meant all he said, went on eating fiercely for afew moments, and then with his mouth full:

"I have blenty, " he cried, "und I am glad you have blendy, doo. Now, von vort, von leedle vort, und I haf done. You dake a long shdockingund pud die shdones in, and den you vind all you gan. You make mooch asyou gan before die beoble gom. It is got to be know dot dere are blentydiamonts in der veldt, und tousands und tousands gom to vind. Vell, youare virst; you pick oop all you gan pefore dey gom, und nopody know, foryou shoot oop your mouth and hold your dongue. Wise man don't cry `Lookhere!' when he vind. He go und vind again, eh? Dot is all, und I haveenshoy der bess breakfass I effer vas haf. "

"But, really, Morgenstern. "

"Oof! I am going to get in soch a big passion!" roared the old manfuriously. "I gom here und vind you all down in die doomps. I gif youvizzick do make you shdrong, und I dell you you are ridge mans; und nowyou vill not led me haf any beace. I haf not mooch hair left upon meinhet: do you vant me to dear it all oud; zo as mein old vomans zhall nodknow me when I go pack?"

"No, no, no; but--"

"Nod anoder vort. I am going to shmoke mein bibe. --Ah, you bube, VanDyke, you laugh pecause I preak him last night! You dink I haf nod godanoder? Ha, ha! I haf god zigs, und one made of wood zo as he gannodpreak. --Now, mein tear vrient Yoseph Emzon, led me rest und enshoymyself. --You bube, go und dell dot plack vomans do gook me a goottinner. I zhall go und shmoke mein bibe und shdudy close long, shdupid-looking pirts, und you gan both gom und dalk do me. "

Old Morgenstern had his own way, sitting about in different parts of thefarm where there were suitable resting-places, and longest in the chasmof the granite by the water spring in the kopje. 

"So dis vas a vavoride blace of yours, eh, bube?" he said, as he sat andsmoked in the shade. 

"Yes; it is so nice, and moist, and cool. "

"Ja, zo. You are nod a shtupid poy at all. Bood look here, dot vos agoot tinner: und I enshoy him mooch pecause I shall nod ged anoder dillI go pack to mein old vomans. Now I do nod dink you and der pig brudervill shdop ferry long at Kopfontein. You will go pack to Angleland. "

"Oh yes, some day, of course, " said Dyke. 

"Ja, zo. When you haf vound blenty of shdones. When you go pack, youvill nod dake dot voman?"

"Oh no! Poor old Tanta Sal; we shall be sorry to leave her behind. "

"Den you do nod go to leave her pehind. You shall gom py me to gohome. --Ah, heim! mein vaterland! I zhall neffer go pack to her, bube: Iam doo alt und dick. I shall go vrom here do der great vaterland--doHimmel, I hope. Bood you shall bring Tanta Sal to alt Oom Morgenstern. My alt vomans shall pe fery goot to her, und she shall gook tinners, undhelp. Bood she vill haf to vear more glothes. Mein alt voman vill nodled her go apout like dot. "

The next morning that plan regarding Tanta Sal's future was ratified, subject to the woman's agreement, and Emson thought that as they wouldgo very slowly, he might be able to sit upon his horse, and ride withold Morgenstern for a few miles on his long round. 

The old man beamed with satisfaction, and Emson and Dyke mounted, andwalked their horses, one on each side of the wagon-box, where the oldfellow sat holding his big whip. 

They went to the first water, where the oxen were refreshed, a good sixmiles from Kopfontein, and then departed, the old man blessing them bothin patriarchal manner, ending by kissing Dyke on each cheek. 

"Dill we meed again, mein sohn, " he said, and the great team of oxenslowly moved away, guided by the two Kaffir boys. 

Emson and Dyke sat watching the wagon for some time, but the old man didnot look back, and as Dyke sat gazing, he said to himself:

"I suppose it is the German custom. It seems queer to me, but I don'tthink I minded it so much just then. "

"What are you thinking about, little un?" said Emson huskily. 

"That old Morgenstern must be a very good old man. I wish he wouldn'tkiss me, all the same, and make me laugh at his ways. "

"It is only at his words and looks, Dyke. God bless him! We neither ofus smile at him in our hearts. "

The sun was setting as they walked their horses up toward theshabby-looking corrugated iron buildings; but now, in the evening light, everything seemed glorified, and they drew rein to look around, neitherspeaking for some time. 

It was Dyke who broke the silence. 

"You are tired out and done up, Joe, " he said. "Let's get in, so thatyou can have some tea, and lie down and rest. "

Emson started from his reverie, and there was a bright light in hiseyes, a smile upon his lip, which made Dyke's heart leap with pleasure, while, when he spoke, his words sounded almost as they did of old. 

"Tired, little un, " he said, "and so stiff that you'll have to help meoff the horse; but it is the good, honest weariness that makes rest oneof the greatest pleasures of life. Look here, old chap, I feel as if Iam going to be a man again. "

He held out his hand, which Dyke caught and gripped without a word, listening as his brother went on. 

"We've found wealth, little un, and I suppose that is good, but it seemsto me like nothing compared to health and strength. One wants to havebeen pulled down very low to know what he is worth. "

Dyke said nothing, but sat looking round him still at the wide veldt, and skies one scene of glory, as the sun illumined the great granitekopje, and seemed to crown it with rays of gold. 

"Joe, old chap, " he said at last, "I used to sit over there and sulk, and hate the hot old place and everything here, but--I don't think Ishall like to leave it after all. "

"The time for leaving has not come yet, boy, " said Emson quietly. "Weshall see. At present it is home. "

It was three years later when they rode away, with their wagon lightlyladen with the curiosities they wished to take back. The stones theyhad collected were safely there before, sent home from time to time. 

For old Morgenstern had prophesied correctly. The news had spread fastenough, and by degrees the country was overrun, and a busy city sprangup not many miles away. They saw it with sorrow, certainly not fromsordid motives--for within three months of the night when the old manvisited Kopfontein, Dyke and his brother had picked up here and thereall they cared to seek--but from a liking for the quiet life and theirhome on the veldt. 

But as it grew more and more changed, the time seemed to draw nearer forsaying good-bye to the little farm, where, from old associations, theystill bred ostriches, and with far better fortune, leading a simplelife, tended by Tanta Sal and a Kaffir whom they found that they couldtrust. 

At last the time came. 

"Home, little un?" said Emson laconically. 

"Yes: Old England now, " said the great strapping fellow six feet high. "Everything has changed, and I don't like the people who come alwayshanging about. "

So they rode away one day, with Duke and the Kaffir at the head of theteam, and Tanta Sal seated in the wagon-box behind, smiling and happy atthe thought of the change, and giving the two young lions in their cagea scrap from time to time. 

The homeward-bound pilgrims reached old Morgenstern's farm, where theywere warmly welcomed, Tanta Sal arriving just at the right time. 

"Vor you see we are gedding ferry old beobles now, mein sohn, " saidMorgenstern; "und as I am a ridge man, I do not like to zee mein oldvomans vork zo hart. --Aha! und zo yo dake die gubs mit you?"

"Yes, " said Dyke, "we are going to try and get them to England as apresent for the Zoo. "

"Zo!" said the old man. 

Tanta Sal smiled contentedly when they rode off, a week later. She hadno compunction about staying, while the Kaffir man was to come back withthe empty wagon and team when the pilgrims reached the big town, fromwhence travelling was easy to the Cape. 

And as the brothers mounted to go, Emson said:

"This is cutting the last string, little un?"

The stalwart "little un" nodded his head gravely. 

"Yes, old chap, " he said, "but the Kopfontein of the past is gone. Itonly lives in one's memory now. "

They turned to look back--their wagon slowly crawling on in front, withthe patient oxen, fat and sleek, following the black vorloper--homeward-bound; and as they sat in their saddles they could see the oldGerman standing by the place with his wife, waving their hands, and Dykealmost fancied he could hear the old man saying, as he had said atparting:

"You are young und shdrong, und you haf die vorlt pefore you. Mein altvomans und I are goming nearly do der endt. I do not zay dry und dogoot mit vot you dake avay, vor I know you vill. Vonce more, meinsohns--goot-pye. "

Just then Duke gave a sharp bark, as if to say, "Come on!"

"Right, old dog, " cried Dyke. "Now, then, for home!"

THE END.