ah-ah-ah! Wanter bucket: milk."

"Tant!" cried Dyke, laying his hand on the bar. "Mind! there is a
lion," 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 of
English, smiled blandly, and took hold of the dog's muzzle, as Duke
raised 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 himself
for his unnecessary fear. "But what do you want?"

"Milk cow--say moo-ooo!"

She produced a capital imitation of the animal's lowing, and laughed
merrily 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 had
gone."

"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 was
a 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 Jack
back."

"No! no!" cried the woman fiercely; and banging down the bucket, she
went through a pantomime, in which she took Dyke's hand and placed it
upon the back of her woolly head, so that he might feel an enormous lump
in one place, a cut in another; and then with wondrous activity went
through a scene in which she appeared to have a struggle with some
personage, and ended by getting whoever it was down, kneeling upon his
chest, 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. That
lioness 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 before
them, but only to be ordered to heel, growling ominously, as they came
in sight of the lioness, crouching in precisely the same position, and
beginning now fiercely to show her teeth. Then, as Dyke presented his
piece, she made an effort to rise, but sank down again, and dragged