ass for them to
crop, while the little Zulu party seemed happiness itself.

A goodly portion of the gnu had been given over to the General, and
despising the frying-pan, he and his boys toasted the pieces of flesh in
the fire, and ate them hissing hot; the effect upon Coffee being that he
did nothing but grin, and rub the portion of his brown person which he
called his "tum-tum," while his brother gave vent to his excitement and
pleasure by either lying down and rolling himself over and over, or else
by trying to stand upon his head, a very agreeable style of acrobatic
trick, but decidedly inconvenient at breakfast-time.

As, however, just when he had arrived at a perfect equilibrium, and had
his heels straight up in the air, he overbalanced himself, and instead
of coming back upon his toes he went over upon his heels, which he
planted in the hot ashes, Chicory thought the performance had gone
sufficiently far, and went on eating his breakfast in what Dinny called
a more Chrishtanly-like way.

Just as they had finished, and Jack had thoroughly recovered from a
violent fit of coughing and choking, consequent upon seeing Chicory
stick his heels in the fire, while he--Jack--was drinking his coffee,
there came from behind them the crack of a whip, and Peter's harsh voice
shouting, "Trek, boys! trek!" accompanied by the rustling, scrambling
noise made by a great branch being drawn over the ground; and directly
after the slow, patient oxen came into sight, chewing away at their
cuds, as they used their tails to whisk away the flies, and dragged
Jack's game into camp.

It proved to be a splendid young gnu, and the boys examined with
curiosity its shaggy head, with its curiously bent down and curved up
horns, and general likeness to horse, antelope, and bull, as if it were
related to each. Then the Zulu, with Dirk's help, rapidly skinned it;
portions were set apart for immediate use, some of the best cut up in
strips by the General, and hung in the sun upon the bushes to form what
is called "biltong," that is, strips of sun-dried meat, the sun baking
it up so quickly that it has not time to go bad, and the rest was left
for another fate.

For it was most amusing to watch the dogs, sitting all four in a row,
hungrily looking at the skinning and cutting up of the gnu. They
watched with the most intense interest the whole process, following the
General to and fro, and thankfully swallowing any scraps he threw them.

When