A CHILD S PLUCK. 229 



have no doubt that they were the parents, so their 

 offspring, screaming, biting, and kicking, was 

 carried off by them, much to my sorrow, for he had 

 become useful and very amusing. 



The way this young elf would tease the juvenile 

 rhino, and still keep beyond the length of the tether 

 of this testy and most irascible termagant, was 

 worthy of being seen many times, and not likely to 

 be forgotten ; moreover, I had constituted him my 

 pipe-lighter, and nothing seemed to afford him more 

 pleasure than to be sent for a coal, and to all but 

 burn his fingers when placing it on the bowl. 



Black children are far more precocious than 

 white, and certainly much more comical. 



Well, my boy was lugged off, and assuredly, I for 

 one, thought that I had seen the last of him ; not so. 

 While I was absent up the river the juvenile toddled 

 into camp with sore feet, an empty stomach, and 

 altogether in a most pitiable state. 



How far he had come, how he had found his 

 way, how he had existed during the journey, and 

 how he had not been devoured by wild beasts while 

 making it, were all questions that might well be 

 asked, but quite impossible to answer. This little 

 episode in the young darky's existence had addi- 

 tionally endeared him to me, for it was an evidence 

 of pluck, endurance, and skill, combined with 

 affection for his white master that, deserved more, 

 than ordinary appreciation. 



