"You haf been zo goot," he said; "you make me ead und trinken zo mooch, dat I gannod shoomp indo den vagon. I am zo d.i.c.k. Good! You shoomp in, and get me mein bibe und dobacco din."

d.y.k.e showed him that he could; fetched it out, and after the old man had filled, lit up, and begun to form smoke-clouds, he said: "You dake me now do see if mein pullocks and my poys is ead und trink."

"Oh, they're all right," cried d.y.k.e.

"Ja. Bood I always like do zee for meinzelf. Zom beobles ist nod as goot as you vas, mein vrient. A good draveller ist kind do his beast und his plack poy."

The visitor was soon satisfied, for he was taken round to where Tanta Sal was smiling at her two guests, who, after making a tremendous meal, had lain down and gone to sleep, while the oxen could be seen at a distance contentedly grazing in a patch of rich gra.s.s.

"You haf no lions apout here," said the old man, "to gom und shdeal mein gattle?--Ah, vot ist das?" he cried, turning pale as he heard a peculiar noise from somewhere close at hand. Quigg! "You ged der goon und shoot, or der lion gom und preak von of der oxen's pack."

"It's all right," cried d.y.k.e, laughing. "Come and look here."

The old man looked rather wild and strange, for, as d.y.k.e threw open a rough door in the side of one of the sheds, the two lion cubs, now growing fast towards the size of a retriever dog, came bounding out.

"Ach! shdop. Do not led them ead der poor alter pecause he is zo nice und vat. Eh, dey will not hurt me?"

"No!" cried d.y.k.e; "look here: they are as tame and playful as kittens."

d.y.k.e proved it by dropping on his knees and rolling the clumsy, heavy cubs over, letting them charge him and roll him over in turn.

"Ach! id is vonterful," said the old man, wiping the perspiration from his face. "I did tought dey vas go to eat den alt man. You make dem dame like dot mit dem jambok."

"With a whip? No," cried d.y.k.e; "with kindness. Look here: pat them and pull their ears. They never try to bite. You should see them play about with the dog."

"Boor liddle vellows den," said the old man, putting out his hand nervously. "Ach, no; id is doo bat, you liddle lion. Vot you mean py schmell me all over? I am nod for you do ead."

d.y.k.e laughed, for the cubs turned away and sneezed. They did not approve of the tobacco.

"There, come along," he cried; and the cubs bounded to him. "I'll shut them up for fear they should frighten your oxen."

"Das is goot," said the old man with a sigh of satisfaction, as he saw the door closed upon the two great playful cats. "Bood you zhall mind, or zom day I zhall gom ant zee you, but vind you are not ad home, vor die young lion haf grow pig und ead you all oop."

"Yes," said Emson; "we shall have to get rid of them before very long.

They may grow dangerous some day."

"Ach! I dell you vot, mein vrient Emzon, I puy dose lion ov you, or you led me sh.e.l.l dem, to go do Angland or do Sharmany."

"Do you think you could?"

"Do I d.i.n.k I good? Ja, I do drade in effery dings. I gom now to puy iffory und vedders. You sh.e.l.l me all you vedders, und I gif you good brice."

"I have a very poor lot, Morgenstern, but I'll sell them to you. d.y.k.e and I have done very badly."

"Zo? Bood you will zell do me. I zaid do myself I vould go und zee mein vrient Emzon und den bube. He zay I am honest man.--You droost me?"

"Of course," said Emson frankly. "I know you for what you are, Morgenstern."

The old man lowered his pipe, and held out his fat hand.

"I dank you, Herr Emzon," he said, shaking his host's hand warmly. "Id is goot do veel dot von has a vrient oud here in der desert land. Bood I am gonzern apout you, mein vrient. You haf peen very pad. You do look sehr krank; unt you zay you haf tone padly. I am moch gonzern."

"We've been very unlucky," said Emson, as the old man seated himself upon a block of granite, close to one of the ostrich-pens, while an old c.o.c.k bird reached over and began inspecting his straw-hat.

"Zo I am zorry. Bood vy do you not dry somedings else? Hund vor skins or vor iffory? I puy dem all. Und not dry do keep den ostridge-bird in dem gage, bood go und zhoot him, und zell die vedders do me. Or der is anodder dings. Hi! You bube: did you dell den bruders apout den diamonts?"

"Oh yes, I told him," said d.y.k.e sadly; "but he has been so ill. I thought once he was going to die."

"Zo! Den tunder! what vor you no gom und vetch me und mine old vomans?

Die frau gom und vrighten avay das vevers. She is vonterful old vomans.

She make you like to be ill."

"I was all alone, and couldn't leave him," said d.y.k.e. "I was afraid he would die if I did."

"Ja, zo. You vas quite right, mein young vrient Van d.y.k.e. You are a goot poy, unt I loaf you. Zhake mein hant."

The process was gone through, d.y.k.e shrinking a little for fear he would be kissed.

"Und zo die pirts do nod get on?" said Morgenstern after a pause, during which he sat smoking.

"No, in spite of all our care," said Emson.

"Ach! vot ist das?" cried the old man, looking sharply round, as his hat was s.n.a.t.c.hed off by the long-necked bird which had been inspecting it.

"You vill gif dot pack to me, shdupit. Id ist nod goot do eat, und I am sure id vould not vid your shdupid liddle het.--Dank you, bube," he continued, as Duke rescued and returned the hat. "Eh? you d.i.n.k it goot.

Vell, it vas a goot hat; bud you go avay und schvallow shdones, und make vedders for me to puy. Ach! dey are vonny pirts, Van d.y.k.e. Und zo dey all go die?"

"We lost a great many through the Kaffir boy we had," said d.y.k.e, as they walked slowly back to the house.

"Zo? He did not give them do eat?"

"We saw that the birds had enough to eat," said d.y.k.e; "but he used to knock their heads with a stone."

"Zo? Dot vas nod goot. Shdones are goot for die pirts to schvallow, bud nod for outside den het. I d.i.n.k, mein younger vrient, I should haf knog dot shentleman's het outside mit a shdone, und zay do him, 'You go avay, und neffer gom here again, or I zhall bepper your black shkin mid small shot.'"

"That's what d.y.k.e did do," said Emson, smiling.

"Zo? Ach! he is a vine poy."

"Hah!" sighed the old man as he sank upon a stool in the house. "Now I zhall shmoke mein bibe, und den go do mein wagon und haf a big long schleep, vor I am dire."

He refilled his pipe, and smoked in silence for a few minutes, and then said thoughtfully:

"Emzon, mein vrient, I am zorry to zee you veak und krank, und I am zorry do zee your varm, und I should not be a goot vrient if I did not dell you die truth."

"Of course not," said Emson; and d.y.k.e listened.

"All dese has been a misdake. You dake goot advice, mein vrient. You led die long-legged pirts roon vere dey like, und you go ant look for diamonts."

Emson shook his head.