hey were joined directly after
by their father, who with the help of Dick had been doing a little
amateur farriery work, and freshly nailing a couple of loose shoes on
his horse's hoofs. Then, after providing themselves with some dried
meat and biscuit, they rode off through the forest on to the plain,
leaving the General, Coffee, and Chicory, to provide something for the
larder.

This was to be their last day here, for Mr Rogers was anxious that they
should get on, for the twofold object of seeing the great falls of the
big river, and also getting amongst the elephant.

He could not help smiling with satisfaction, as he saw Dick raise one
foot to the stirrup, and spring into the saddle; the boy seeming to have
grown lithe and strong as the young leopard with his healthy life in the
open air.

There was no need to coax his appetite now with luxuries, for his father
used to banter him laughingly about its wolfishness, and compare his
food-assimilating powers to those of Coffee and Chicory--boys who could
literally graze upon meat by the hour together, and then grin, and show
their teeth with satisfaction.

With his returning health, Dick had grown daring to a degree that was
almost rash, so that Jack felt at times quite thrown into the shade.

Dick winced a little upon this occasion, for the tremendous scratching
he had had from the thorns had left him rather sore; but he soon forgot
all this, and away the party rode, to have a sort of naturalists'
equestrian ramble, to see if they could pick up anything fresh before
they went away.

They rode right off to the plain, noting the various birds among the
bushes, and snakes and lizards wherever there was a dry sandy patch
amongst rocks and stones. As they reached the part where the trees were
scattered in park-like patches they encountered one of the
bees'-honey-guides too; but as they had an ample supply at the waggon,
and all the buckets being, to Dinny's great annoyance, still in use, the
bees were left in peace.

Game seemed to be scarce upon the plain that morning; but after a time
as they rode round the edge of a clump of trees, so beautiful in their
disposition that they seemed to have been planted there for ornament,
Mr Rogers saw, a couple of miles away upon the open plain, a herd of
something different to any of the animals they had before encountered.

He took out his glass and carefully inspected them, but declared himself
no wiser.

"Well, boys," h