for a
tender, well-fed breakfast off a delicate, well-bred white.

"It's of no use," thought Nic. "I must summon up courage and do it.
He'll be waiting breakfast for me, and--Ugh! how cold!"

Nic involuntarily turned his head to gaze in the direction of the trees
where the fire was blazing, uttered a faint cry of surprise and horror,
and turned and dived off the bank into the hole, to feel quite an
electric shock run through him, while the water thundered in his ears,
and he formed a graceful arch in the depths.

Out popped his head directly, yards away from where he had taken his
header, and he began to swim with a calm, vigorous stroke right away for
the middle, gazing sideways the while and muttering to himself as he saw
that the object which had startled him, shamefaced, into seeking the
protection of the water, had walked close to the edge, taken up his
favourite, crane-like attitude, and was watching him swim, with his lips
drawn from his teeth and displaying them in a broad grin.

It was something after the fashion of a conjuring trick. One moment a
white figure had stood there in the dawning day; the next there was a
loud splash, the white figure had disappeared, and a black one stood in
its place, not in the least ashamed, though almost as nude as Nic. For
the black had followed, stood watching, and studied with great enjoyment
the appearance of one of his white masters wearing the natural garb
which he himself generally affected.

There were neither crocodiles, alligators, nor serpents in the water
now, so far as Nic's fancy was concerned. After the first plunge his
whole nature had awakened to a sense of vigorous vitality. The sharp
touch of the electric water sent thrill after thrill of energy through
him, and he swam half across the river-hole, and turned back feeling as
active as an eel.

"Here, who's to get out and dress with that fellow staring at me?"
thought Nic, as he neared the black. "I shall have to stop in till he
goes. Hi! you, sir! Be off!"

The black's grin ceased, and he turned and fled, while Nic sprang out,
had a vigorous rub, began to glow, and then dressed, to run back to the
waggon as hard as he could go, finishing off his head the while.

Five minutes after his short hair had obeyed the comb, he made for the
fire, where a pleasant odour saluted his nostrils, and he felt that he
must have made a mistake or been deceived.

But no: it was a fact. Brookes and Leather had b