h a good shot with a rifle could hold the king of beasts
at his mercy.

As for Coffee and Chicory, the General several times punished them for
being so daring and running such risks, especially as they were in a
part of the country where lions really were plentiful, although, so far,
little molestation of the travellers had taken place.

It had been decided that upon the next day they would trek onward for
some distance, and perhaps on and on for days, according to the
attractiveness of the country they were passing through, and the
plentifulness of the game.

The General heard Mr Rogers' decision with a smile of satisfaction.

"I want to take you where the great tusker elephants are," he said, "and
let you shoot the giraffe and rhinoceros. We have hardly begun yet."

He made the boys' eyes glow with excitement as he told them of the size
of the hippopotami and elephants they would encounter, the height of the
giraffes, and the furious nature of the rhinoceros, which beast seemed
to be always mad if it saw a human being.

As they were going to start next day it was decided to let the horses
graze in peace with the oxen, which, after a fortnight's rest, looked
sleek-coated and in far better condition; but Peter, Dirk, and Dinny
were bidden to keep a strict watch over the cattle, for just before
starting the General announced that he had seen a lion-spoor, apparently
two days old.

The day was passed very pleasantly, collecting, by Mr Rogers and his
sons, several very beautiful birds falling to their guns, and their
boxes being filled with splendidly burnished beetles; and at last tired
out, they turned to get back to the little camp by midday, hoping to
find a satisfactory meal ready, for the General had gone out with a
rifle in search of a bok; and his two boys had taken their kiris and
assegais, to see if they could not knock down a few of the large
partridge or quail-like birds.

What was their disappointment then to find that neither the General nor
his sons had returned, while Dinny was in great distress.

"Sure," he said, "I thought I'd take a fishing-line and a shtick, and go
to the big pool by the little river over yonder, and catch a few of the
fish things; bad cess to 'em, they're no more like the fine salmon and
throut of my own country than this baste of a place is its aiqual."

"Well, Dinny, and you went and didn't catch anything," said Dick.

"Sure, Masther Dick, an' you weren't there," said Di