pered Jack.

"Eh? what, ain't that enough, sir? Well, what is it?"

"Turn your head very gently, so that you can look at the fire."

"Yes, sir.--Well, it's out."

"Don't you see anything there?"

"Whoo!" ejaculated the man in a tone full of horror, "snakes, hundreds
of 'em! Oh, we mustn't stand that, sir; they're waiting till it's cool
enough, so as to get our 'taters."

"Nonsense: after the warmth. Now you see, Ned. What's to be done?"

The man was silent for a few moments. Then softly--

"This is nice, Mr Jack; we can't get up and run away because of the
niggers, and we can't stop here because of the snakes. Yes; what's to
be done?"

Jack was silent in turn for a few moments.

"Let's crawl a little way off, Ned."

Jack set the example, and it was very willingly followed, till they were
a dozen yards farther from the fire; but before half the distance was
covered, the shouting of the blacks was heard again.

"I say, Mr Jack," whispered Ned, as they subsided, "you're a very
clever fellow over your books."

"Am I, Ned?" said Jack sadly.

"Oh, yes, I've often heard the guv'nor and Doctor Instow say so. Well
then, there's me. I'm sharp enough over my work--sort of handy chap."

"Yes; but what's the good of talking about that now?"

"I was only thinking, sir. Here's you and me making no end of a fuss,
and starving, and all the rest of it, and getting into a state o'
melancholy, because we've lost our way, while these poor ignorant
savages go about without any clothes, and regularly enjoy themselves in
the same place."

"Yes, Ned, they are a deal cleverer than we are after all."

"That they ain't, sir. We've only got to use our brains more, and we
can beat 'em hollow. I ain't going to dump it any more. It's like
saying a nigger's a better man than a white; and he ain't. Now then, as
the boy in the book I once read used to say, take it coolly, and let's
see if we haven't got more brains than they have."

"Very well, Ned; but now, if we don't mind, they'll kill us."

"Then we will mind, sir. I should like to catch 'em at it. First thing
is we must now be cool. Well, we've got enough for to-morrow, only
those snakes are watching it. Well, while we're waiting for those
niggers to go by, let's give the snakes notice to quit."

"How? Pelt 'em?"

"There; look at him!" said Ned. "Only wants a bit of thinking. Come
on, sir, we can do it as we lie here; they'll soon scatter."

"But supp