, no, give me; show more big snake," cried Coffee.

Just then Dinny came up with two old pairs of the lads' boots, which he
threw down upon the sandy earth; and reading consent in their young
masters' eyes, the Zulu lads pounced upon them with cries of triumph,
Coffee obtaining the two rights, and Chicory the two lefts, with which
they danced about, flourishing them over their heads with delight.

"Come here, stupids!" cried Jack; and after a little contention, the
boys being exceedingly unwilling to part as they thought with their
prizes, he managed to make them understand that the boots ought to go in
pairs; and the exchange having been made, each boy holding on to a boot
with one hand till he got a good grip of the other, they proceeded to
put them on.

"Ugh! the haythen bastes," said Dinny, with a look of disgust. "Think
of the likes o' them wearing the young masthers' brogues. Ah, Masther
Dick, dear, ye'll be repinting it one of these days."

"Dinny, you're a regular prophet of evil," said Dick, quietly.

"Avic--prophet of avil!" cried Dinny. "Well, isn't it the truth?
Didn't I say avore we left the owld counthry that no good would come of
it? And avore we'd been out here two years didn't the dear misthress--
the saints make her bed in heaven--go and die right away?"

"Dinny! how can you!" cried Jack, angrily, as he saw the tears start
into his brother's eyes, and that in spite of the sunburning he turned
haggard and pale.

"Don't take any notice, Dick," he whispered, in a tender, loving way, as
he laid one arm on his brother's shoulder and drew him aside. "Dinny
don't mean any harm, Dick, but he has such a long tongue."

Dick looked piteously in his brother's face, and one tear stole softly
down his cheek.

"I say, Dick," cried Jack, imploringly, "don't look like that. It makes
me think so of poor mamma. You look so like her. I say don't, or
you'll make me cry too; and I won't," he cried, grinding his teeth. "I
said I'd never cry again, because it's so childish; and I won't."

"Then I'm childish, Jack," said Dick, as he rubbed the tear away with
one hand.

"No, no. You have been so weak and delicate that you can't help it.
I'm strong. But I say, Dick, you are ever so much stronger than when we
came out here."

"Yes," said Dick, with a wistful look at his brother's muscular arms.
"I am stronger, but I do get tired so soon, Jack."

"Not so soon as you did, Dick; and father says you'll be a