steam-engine at full speed, and his eyes with all the 

 wickedness of fight but none of the watchfulness- 

 gone out of them, nickered incessantly from the buck 

 to me : one sign from either would have been enough ! 

 It was the same old scene, the same old performance, 

 that I had watched scores of times ; but it never grew 

 stale or failed to draw a laugh, a word of cheer, and pat 

 of affection ; and from him there came always the same 

 response, the friendly wagging of that stumpy tail, 

 a splashy lick, a soft upward look, and a wider split 

 of the mouth that was a laugh as plain as if one heard 

 it. But that was only an interruption a few seconds' 

 distraction : it did not put him off or satisfy him that 

 all was well. His attention went back to the buck, 

 and the everlasting footwork went on again. With his 

 front to the fallen enemy and his fore-legs well apart 

 he kept ever on the move forwards and backwards, 

 in quick steps of a few inches each, and at the same 

 time edging round in his zigzag circle, making a track 

 round the buck like a weather chart with the glass at 

 ' Changeable.' 



" Silly old fusser ! Can't you see he's finished ? " 

 He could not hear anything, but the responsive wag 

 showed that he knew I was talking to him ; and, 

 dodging the piece of bark I threw at him, he resumed 

 his ridiculous round. 



I was still laughing at him, when he stopped and turn- 

 ing sharply round made a snap at his side ; and a few 

 seconds later he did it again. Then there was a thin sing of 

 insect wings ; and I knew that the Tsetse fly were on us. 



The only thought then was for Jock, who was still 

 441 



