at the cattle are
watched when they go down to drink. The crocodiles are most
objectionable beasts, and I suppose the Limpopo and its tributaries
swarm with them."

They seemed now to have got into quite a reptilian paradise. Low down
by the river the land was swampy, hot, and steamy to a degree; and here
amidst the long rank reeds, canes, and herbage the crocodiles revelled,
while water-lizards of great size made their tracks along the banks.
Higher up out of the ravine where the river ran, the land was rocky and
full of nooks and corners, which the sun seemed literally to bake. Here
came flies innumerable, buzzing and stinging viciously when their abode
was invaded, and over and about the sun-parched rocks the various kinds
of lizards swarmed, and preyed upon the flies and beetles.

They were very beautiful, these flies and beetles, and lizards--the
former with their brilliant colours and gauzy wings, the latter in their
jewelled and polished armour, often of the most brilliant metallic
tints, and always glistening in the sun.

Hundreds of the brightly armoured beetles were captured, and transferred
to the boxes kept for the purpose; but it was dangerous work, for
poisonous snakes lurked amongst these sun-baked rocks, twisted in sleepy
knots, and so like in hue to the stones amongst which they lay that a
foot might at any moment be inadvertently placed upon them.

Jack had an adventure of this kind the very day after their arrival.

There had been some talk of going, as the General proposed, after one or
other of the herds of antelope feeding upon a plain a couple of miles
distant; but Mr Rogers said the larder was well filled, and his idea of
a pleasant hunting trip was not one where mere butchery was the rule,
but where a sufficiency was killed for their daily use.

"By all means, let us destroy such noxious animals as we come across,"
he said; "and I am keen sportsman enough to want to shoot some of the
large game; but let us be naturalists, boys, and not simply slayers of
all we see."

The result was that they spent that day collecting insects and small
reptiles, Chicory accompanying them to carry a large open-mouthed bottle
of spirits with stopper and sling, and the glass protected by a stout
network of soft copper wire.

Into this spirit-bottle little vipers, scorpions, spiders, and similar
creatures, were dropped, Chicory holding the stopper, and throwing back
his head and grinning with delight as s