pay for the
expenses of the trip.

The party had hardly turned their backs upon the denuded birds before
the vultures, which had been gathering for some time, suddenly began to
drop down to act their part of scavengers; and before night fell, there
were only a few scattered bones to show where the ostriches had been.

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO.

LOOK BEFORE YOU STEP: 'WARE SNAKES.

Coffee was gathering strength every day, and the wounds in his healthy
young flesh healing rapidly. So much better was he that there was no
occasion to study him any longer on the question of danger in moving, so
the well-fed oxen were in-spanned, and a few more treks brought the
party to one of the tributaries of the Limpopo, whose main stream they
hoped to reach on the following day.

The country here was much less regular, and the work for the oxen grew
more difficult, but they found capital quarters, with plenty of good
grass, strong thorn bush for a kraal; and as the place promised sport,
and plenty of natural history specimens amongst the rocks and rifts into
which the land was broken, Mr Rogers determined to rest here for a day
or two.

So a kraal was formed, the cattle sent to graze; the boys mounted Shoes
and Stockings, and starting to get something in the way of game, were
pretty successful, bringing in a plump young bok; and as evening came on
and they were resting, Dinny suddenly made his appearance with a long
stout stick and a line.

"I've been looking," he said, "and there's some moighty foine water
close by here, and a bit of salmon wouldn't be amiss."

"There are no salmon here, Dinny," said Dick.

"Then there are some good big fish, anyhow," said Dinny; and he went off
some fifty or sixty yards to where the narrow little stream ran at the
bottom of rather a steep declivity.

"Mind you don't have any of the gintlemen throwing stones at you,
Dinny," shouted Dick.

"Ah, you'd better be careful," said Mr Rogers, smiling; "Those rocks
look a likely place for baboons."

"Whist, schah!" exclaimed Dinny contemptuously; "as if I'd be afraid of
a monkey;" and he soon disappeared from sight.

The soft coolness of the evening was creeping on, the occupants of the
little camp were restfully listening to the _crop_, _crop_! of the
cattle, and Mr Rogers was about to give orders for them to be driven
into the kraal, when the peace of the camp was broken by a loud cry from
towards the little river.

"Murther! help! masther