, though, it was fully as big in body as a man, though double
the length.

It was not going to poison the air long, for already it was covered with
something red, and a long red line extended from it right away into the
jungle. Each tiny red object was an ant, and from experience I knew
that very soon every particle of flesh would be devoured.

Keeping within easy reach of the river we journeyed steadily on, finding
the country grow more beautiful at every step. The trees were bigger,
the bamboos taller and more feathery. In the sunny patches flowers were
in abundance, and we had no want of opportunities for supplying our
larder, large pheasant-like birds, with long tails and crests, and
plumage of the most beautiful tints, being plentiful.

It seemed a pity to shoot them, but it was a necessity, for our supply
of powder, shot, and ball was looked upon by us as so much condensed
meat, ready to be expanded when opportunity served.

We encountered nothing particular that day except Gyp, who turned up all
at once with a piece of furry skin in his mouth, all he had been able to
carry of some deer that he had run down; and at the sight of his friend
Jack Penny became more himself, throwing off a good deal of his gloom.
In fact I saw the tears stand in his eyes as he saw him once more; but
catching sight of me looking at him he scowled, and, running to the dog,
kicked him over and over again quite savagely.

"Just you run away again," he drawled angrily, "and I'll 'bout kill yer.
That's what I'll do with you."

Gyp closed his eyes and winced and crouched down close to the ground
till his master had ceased punishing him, and then he rose dejectedly,
and followed quite in the rear of our party with drooping head and tail.

I noticed at the time that Jimmy had watched all this with sparkling
eyes, wonderfully intent, but I thought no more of it till I saw the
black glance at us all in turn, and then begin to slink back.

"What is he after now?" I said to myself; and stepping aside among the
thick leafage, I let our party go by and stopped to see what Jimmy was
about to do.

I had not long to wait, for the fact was that the black had snatched at
the opportunity to tyrannise over something. He had been summarily
checked when amusing himself by sticking his spear into the New Guinea
men, and, as we have seen, one of them resented it; but here was a
chance. Gyp had been beaten, and had cowered down under his master's