152 "ALL TOGETHER." 



"You were fortunate," he remarked, halting his pony beside Pongo, who climbed 

 to his feet, none the worse for his violent fall. 



"Yes; he good hog," was the satisfied reply of the native, who remounted his 

 animal a moment later. 



" If it had been any other brute, you would not have fared so well, which inclines 

 me to remark that a wild boar isn't always the hog that some other animals are." 



The face of the Bushman showed that he hardly grasped the full meaning of the 

 facetious remark, though it cannot be supposed he failed to appreciate the chivalry 

 of his foe. 



" My gun was at my shoulder when he turned to leave you," added the director, 

 " but I hadn't the heart to shoot, after seeing how kindly he treated you." 



The brisk encounter with the boar did not drive from the minds of the sportsmen 

 the errand that had taken them thither. They drew their ponies close to the edge 

 of the jungle, and held them down to a walk, while their eyes searched the gloomy 

 depths for whatever could be found. 



As Mr. Godkin anticipated, they had not gone far when they discerned a denizen 

 of the most frightful kind, in the shape of an immense boa-constrictor, coiled around 

 the limbs of a tree so close to the plain that they sheered to the left, to avoid 

 tempting him to make a dart at them. 



The director had no thought of attempting to capture any such specimen as that 

 for my exhibition, but he paused and debated with his assistant whether they should 

 give it a shot or two. Standing at a safe distance, the white man could have riddled 

 its head with balls, without any risk to himself, but he did not care to do so, pre- 

 ferring that Bob Marshall and Dick Brownell should see the monstrous reptile 

 before disposing of it. 



This conclusion was hastened by the sight of a drove of zebras, grazing and 

 frisking at the base of the hill from which the party had taken their observation of 

 the surrounding country. A second glance showed there was at least one colt 

 among them, and Mr. Godkin was hopeful that, by careful maneuvering, they might 

 be able to make it and its mother captives, somewhat after the manner of the taking 

 of the giraffes, though they had no prospect of the use of Jack Harvey's lasso. 



You are so familiar with the zebras, that I am sure you will not expect me to 

 give a description of them. You have seen its black and white stripes, with the 

 same colored rings around its legs. The quagga is brown, with black stripes, and 

 with white belly and legs, while the animal known as BurchelPs zebra differs from 

 the ordinary kind only in having white legs. 



There was nothing to be feared in attacking these animals, which are among the 

 most harmless in South Africa, though almost untamable. Their peculiar appear- 

 ance renders them interesting members of any exhibition, and Mr. Godkin would 

 not have felt his work finished until he had secured at least one specimen. 



" You see the dam with her foal ? " he said to Pongo, as they drew near the drove, 

 which did not notice their approach until they were quite close ; " we must separate 

 her from the rest and drive her to camp." 



