outside it. Round and round he flew, darting in, 

 jumping back, snapping and dodging, but never 

 getting right home. The baboon was as clever as 

 he was : at times it jumped several feet in the air, 

 straight up, in the hope that Jock would run under- 

 neath ; at others, it would make a sudden lunge with 

 the long arms, or a more surprising reach out with the 

 hind legs to grab him. Then the baboon began gradu- 

 ally to reduce its circle, leaving behind it slack chain 

 enough for a spring ; but Jock was not to be drawn. 

 In cleverness they were well-matched neither scored 

 in attack ; neither made or lost a point. 



When Jim rushed up to save Jock, it was with eager 

 anxious shouts of the dog's name that warned Seedling 

 and made him turn ; and as the boy ran forward the 

 white man stepped out to stop him. 



" Leave the dog alone ! " he shouted, pale with 

 anger. 



" Baas, Baas, the dog will be killed," Jim called 

 excitedly, as he tried to get round ; but the white 

 man made a jump towards him, and with a back- 

 hand slash of the sjambok struck him across the face, 

 shouting at him again : 



" Leave him, I tell you." 



Jim jumped back, thrusting out his stick to guard 

 another vicious cut ; and so it went on with alternate 

 slash and guard, and the big Zulu danced round with 

 nimble bounds, guarding, dodging, or bearing the 

 sjambok cuts, to save the dog. Seedling was mad with 

 rage ; for who had ever heard of a nigger standing 

 up to a Field Cornet ? Still Jim would not give way ; 



398 



