nd swayed about, creaking
dismally beneath its heavy load, and making the casks and pots slung
beneath clatter together every now and then, as it went over some larger
stone than usual. They saw too the value of a good foreloper; for if a
careless man were at the head of the oxen, the waggon might at any
moment be wrecked over some rugged rock or sunk to the floor in a black
patch of bog.

The dogs seemed rather ashamed of themselves after the chase of the
lynx, and went with lolling tongues to trot behind the waggon, Pompey
now and then making an angry snatch at Caesar, while Crassus threw up
his muzzle and uttered a dismal yelp. Rough'un, too, did not seem
happy, but to have that lynx on his conscience; for he kept running out
from beneath the waggon, and looking back as if bound to finish the
chase by hunting the cat-like creature out; but he always altered his
mind and went under the waggon once more, to walk close to the heels of
the last pair of oxen, one of which looked back from time to time in a
thoughtful meditative way, with its great soft eyes, as if in
consideration whether it ought to kick out and send Rough'un flying.

This act made Rough'un run forward, and as the ox bent down snuffing at
it, the dog leaped up at its muzzle, then at that of the next ox, and
went on right along the whole span, saluting all in turn without getting
trampled, and ending by retaking his place beneath the waggon front.

For Rough'un was a dog of a different breed to his fellows, and though
he hunted with them he did not associate with them afterwards, but kept
himself to himself.

There was not much to interest the boys after the first excitement of
the start was over, for they had to travel over plain and mountain for
some distance before they would reach ground that had not been well
hunted over by the settlers; but every step took them nearer, and there
were endless matters to canvass. For instance, there were the
capabilities of their horses, which grew in favour every time they were
mounted; the excellences of their guns, presented to them by their
father for the expedition, light handy pieces, double-barrelled
breechloaders, the right-hand barrel being that of an ordinary shot-gun,
the left-hand being a rifle sighted up to three hundred yards.

It would be hard to say how many times these guns were loaded and
unloaded, slung across their owners' backs and taken down again, while
the eagerness with which they look