Off to the Wilds Part 40

"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 thorns in ye."

"No, no, of course not, Dinny," said his master, "and it is unfeeling to laugh. But are you hurt anywhere?"

"Shure, sor, I'm telling ye that I'm hurt all over me, ivery-where."

"But the rhinoceros--"

"The which, sor? Sure, I didn't know that any part of me was called a rhinoceros."

"No, no, I mean the animal that charged you."

"An' that's a rhinoceros is it, sor? Shure, I thought it was a big African pig wid a horn in his nose."

"Yes, that's a rhinoceros, Dinny. Come, did it hurt you when it charged you?"

"Shure, I'd like to charge it the price of me best shirt, I would,"

grumbled Dinny, rubbing himself softly. "No, he didn't hurt me much; he lifted me up too tinderly wid his shnout; but that was his artfulness, the baste; he knew what the crukked thorns would do."

"Then you have no bones broken, Dinny?" said d.i.c.k.

"An is it a pig I'd let break me bones?" cried Dinny, indignantly. "A great ugly baste! I'd like to have the killing of him any day in the week. Just look at me fire flying all over the place. Shure, I'll be very glad when we get home again;" and he went grumbling away.

The damage to the waggon was not serious. The horn of the great beast had gone right through the plank of the forepart, where the chest generally stood on which the driver sat, and that could easily be repaired; while they were carpenters enough to splice the broken dissel-boom, or if needs be, cut down a suitable tree and make another; so that altogether there was nothing much to bemoan. A good deal of laughter followed, d.i.c.k and Jack being unable to contain their mirth, as they thought of Dinny's discomfiture.

"Oh, yis; it's all very foine, Masther Jack; but if you'd been sent flying like I was then, it isn't much ye'd have laughed."

"No, I suppose not, Dinny," said the lad frankly; "but never mind about the thorns."

"Shure, it isn't the holes in me shkin," said Dinny; "they'll grow again. I was thinking about me shirt."

"I'll ask father to give you one of his, Dinny," said d.i.c.k.

"One o' thim flannel ones wid blue sthripes?" said Dinny eagerly.

"Yes, one of those if you like, Dinny."

"Whoop! good luck to the big pig and his horn on his nose," cried Dinny.

"He's welkim to me owld shirt; for it was that tindher that I had to put on me kid gloves to wash it, for fear it should come to pieces, Masther d.i.c.k. But, Masther d.i.c.k, asth.o.r.e, d'ye think the big baste will come back and thread on me fire again?"

"I think we shall have to be on the look out for him to stop him," said d.i.c.k. "But his skin's so thick there's no getting a bullet through."

"An' is it a pig wid a shkin as thick as that!" said Dinny, contemptuously. "Arrah, I'll be after shooting the baste meself. I wouldn't go afther the lines, but a big pig! Shure, if the masther will let me have a gun and powther, I'll go and shute the baste before he knows where he is."

CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE.

HOW DINNY HANDLED HIS GUN.

In expectation of another visit from the rhinoceros, the greatest precautions were taken; but the days went by, and hunting and collecting took up plenty of attention, and no more visits from the rhinoceros were received.

The boys were certain that this was not the animal that had charged them out upon the gra.s.s plain, and proof of this was found one day when, in company with their father, the boys were following a honey-guide.

Coffee and Chicory were with them, and eagerly joined in the pursuit, till the bird which had been flitting from bush to bush, and from tree to tree, suddenly perched itself upon one at the edge of a patch of forest.

Then Chicory ran right to a particular tree, and pointed to a spot where, about twenty feet from the ground, the bees could be seen flying in and out.

To the great disappointment of the bird, the wild hive was left for that occasion, it being a pity to waste any of the honey, so they returned by another route towards the camp, the bird twittering and showing no little excitement at what it evidently looked upon as the folly of men at neglecting the sweet treasure.

The place was, however, marked, and with the intention of returning next day, armed with hatchet, fire, and a couple of zinc buckets to hold the spoil, they rode round the other side of the forest-patch, looking out for brightly-plumaged birds, whose skins could be added to the collection already made.

"Yes," said Mr Rogers, "it is a curious natural history fact, but there it is, plainly enough. The bird knows that man can get at the honey when it cannot, so it leads him to the place hoping to get its share of the spoil."

"Then you don't think it is done out of love for man, father?" said Jack.

"What do you think, d.i.c.k?" said Mr Rogers.

"I think it's done out of kindness to the bird," said d.i.c.k, smiling.

"So do I," replied his father, "and that bird its own self."

"Look at the vultures," cried Jack, just then, as quite a cloud of the great birds rose from a clump of trees on their left; and upon riding up there lay a great rhinoceros, or rather its remains, for, in spite of its tough hide, the carrion birds had been busy at it; but not so busy but that the marks of a couple of bullets were seen in its neck and fore-shoulder, from the effects of which it had evidently died.

"That's our rhinoceros," cried Jack eagerly.

"You shall have your claim, boys," said Mr Rogers drily; "my shot shall not count."

"I said `our,' father; so let's share it amongst us."

The boys would have liked to have the horn hacked off, but the animal was in such a terrible state that their father thought it unfair to set either of the Zulus to execute the task; so they had to be content with the trophy in expectation; the boys promising to have off the horn from the next that was shot.

While they were enjoying a hearty meal after their return to the camp, Dinny suddenly began to make advances to Chicory, giving him pieces of cake, and choice bits of meat, which he had roasted, and all to the boy's great surprise, for heretofore Dinny had been anything but civil to him. But Chicory took it all in good part, and smiled and nodded; and when at last Dinny signed to him to come away from the camp, the boy followed without a word.

"Look ye here, my little naygur," said Dinny confidentially, as soon as they were in the shelter of the trees; "d'ye undherstand what I'm saying to ye?"

Chicory nodded eagerly.

"Yes, yes; understand," he said.

"Then look here, ye dark-looking little image; I want ye to help me."

"Yes; help," said Chicory wonderingly.

"Iv ye'll help me, I'll help you, little naygur; and ye shall always have plenty of what's good out of the pot, and roast mate, and cake.

D'ye understand that?"

"Yes; Chicory know. Give him plenty meat."