and over
again. But Dinny never seemed to realise that his own want of care got
him into trouble, always declaring that it was "a baste of a place," and
no more to be compared to Ould Oireland than a beggar was to a king.

Dinny's grumblings would soon have proved to be a nuisance, but for a
certain quaintness of humour in the man, which supplied matter for mirth
when he was most disagreeable; and in spite of his defects, he was very
useful in his way.

While camp was kept up near the great falls, Jack and Chicory had some
splendid nesting expeditions, the pendulous weaver, birds' nests coming
in largely for their attention. They disturbed very few though, for, as
Jack said, it was hard upon the poor birds, seeing what a lot of enemies
they had--artful monkeys slipping down the long thin branches, till they
could hang by one hand, and thrust the other little thin brown extremity
up the bottle-neck shaped opening, to forage for eggs or young birds, as
the case might be.

Then there were the snakes--long, thin, twining creatures, a yard or a
yard and a half long, but no thicker than the finger. These showed no
little cleverness in ascending trees, and proceeding along the branches
till they found their way to a nest, where, in spite of the frantic
cries and flutterings of the birds, the little serpent would glide in,
and the parents might go and start afresh, for their labours would prove
to have been only to find the little snake a pleasant larder, where it
could coil up and glut itself with food.

Many of these twining little creatures fell victims to Jack's shot-gun,
as well as to that of his brother, the guns being constantly in use as
well to bring down the brilliantly plumaged birds that abounded in the
rich forest growth of this well-watered land.

The glorious scenery of wood, rock, and water had to be left, though, at
last; and at the General's suggestion, and by way of change, the more
rugged part of the country was now sought; though even here there was
plenty of wood, and they passed along the banks of a pleasant stream
that had its rise somewhere in the mountainous region ahead.

And now Mr Rogers began to look out anxiously for a danger that, though
small, was terribly insidious, and one which, if not avoided, would
bring a misfortune upon them that they would have given anything to
avoid.

This danger was the notorious tsetse fly, whose bite was generally fatal
to horses, the poisonous nature of