then it whisked round, and charged straight at the fire, rushing through
it, trampling the embers, and tossing the burning sticks in all
directions.

"Murther! master, help! Here's a big thief of a--Murth--"

Dinny did not finish his sentence, for, seeing him standing there
shouting as his cooking-place was "torn all to smithereens," as he
afterwards expressed it, the rhinoceros dashed at him, and with one lift
of his horn sent poor Dinny flying into the thorny hedge of the
cattle-kraal.

The rhinoceros now stood snorting and squeaking, in search of some other
object upon which to vent its rage; and seeing this in some newly-washed
clothes laid out to dry upon a bush, it charged at them, dashing through
the bush, and carrying off a white garment upon its horn, with which it
tore right away, never stopping once while it was in sight.

"Well, when you have done laughing, young gentlemen," said Mr Rogers,
"perhaps you will let me pass and see what damages we have suffered."

"Laugh!" cried Jack. "Oh, father, I ache with laughing. Did you ever
see such a comical beast?"

"It certainly has its comical side," said Mr Rogers; "but it is
terribly mischievous and dangerous."

"But you should have seen it toss Dinny, father," said Dick, wiping his
eyes. "I hope he wasn't hurt."

They leaped out of the waggon rifle in hand, just as a piteous groan
came from the top of the kraal fence.

"Ah, masther, and that was the only dacent shirt I had left. Oh,
masther, dear, help me down. I'm kilt and murthered here wid the great
thorns in my back."

The boys could hardly help for laughing, poor Dinny's aspect was so
ludicrous; but by dint of placing the broken dissel-boom up to where he
was sitting, and crawling up to him, Dinny was aided to drag himself
out.

"Aisy then, Masther Jack, aisy," he cried; "don't ye see the nasty
crukked thorns have got howlt of me? Ye'd be pulling me out of my
clothes, instead of my clothes out of the thorns. Arrah, sor, d'ye
think that great pig baste wid a horn on his nose will ever bring me
clane shirt back?"

"Very doubtful, Dinny; but are you much hurt?" said Mr Rogers.

"An' am I much hurt?" cried Dinny, "whin there isn't a bit of me as big
as saxpence that hasn't got a thorn shtuck in it?"

"Oh, never mind the thorns," said Mr Rogers, laughing.

"Shure, I don't, sor; they moight all be burnt for the bit I'd care.
But shure, sor, it isn't at all funny when you've got the thorn