Dinny!
Shout, man! Where are you?" he cried.

"Sure, I'm here. How'll I get over at all?" came back.

"What! Are you ashore?" cried Mr Rogers.

"Yis, sor."

"Then wade across, man. It isn't deep."

"Sure, sor, and I daren't."

"Dare not!" cried Jack. "Why we did."

"Yis, sor; but a great baste of a thing laid howlt o' me, and I had to
go back."

"Are there any crocodiles here?" said Mr Rogers, to the Zulu.

"No, boss; no crocodile. All in Limpopo river."

"I thought so. Here, Dinny."

"Yis, sor."

"Come across directly, man! There's nothing to be afraid of!"

"Sure, sor, I'm not afraid a bit!" yelled Dinny.

"Then come over."

"If I did, sor, the crockydiles would be aiting me, and thin what would
you do?"

"Let me fetch him, father," cried Jack. "I'll wade over."

"No, let me," said Dick. "I'm not afraid."

"I don't think a second wetting will do either of you any good," replied
their father. "Here, Dick, take the bay and go across, and make the
stupid fellow hold on by your stirrup-leather. Take care to go
straight."

"Help. What'll I do now? Are ye going to lave me?" cried Dinny, in
piteous tones.

"He really deserves to be left," said Mr Rogers. "We shall have to
cure him of this cowardice. Go on, Dick."

Dick leaped into the saddle, touched the willing bay's sides, and the
horse began to ford the rapid stream, hesitating just a trifle as they
reached the middle, where the current pressed most hardly against his
flanks; but keeping steadily on till he was safe across.

"Ah, Masther Dick, dear!" whined Dinny. "An' it's you, thin?"

"Yes, it's me, my brave Irish boy!" said Dick.

"An' ye didn't bring another of the horses for me, sor?"

"No, Dinny, I didn't," replied Dick, smiling at the other's cowardice.
"My father said you were to hold on by the stirrup-leather."

"What, and walk acrost?"

"To be sure."

"Saints alive! I daren't do it, Masther Dick, dear. Sure the bottom of
the say--I mane the river--there's paved wid crockydiles; an' every step
I took I could feel them heaving up under me."

"What, as you were going across, Dinny?"

"Yis, sor. Not as I minded as long as they kep' quiet; but whin one
hungry baste laid howlt toight o' me trousers, and scratched me leg wid
his ugly teeth, I felt that it was time to be off back, and I jist
escaped."

"Hoi, there, Dick! Look sharp!"

"Coming!" roared Dick. "Now then, Dinny. There are no crocodivils
her