one a
big, bluff, manly-looking fellow, well bronzed by the sun, and with
Englishman stamped upon every feature, forming a striking contrast to
his companion, a flat-nosed, half-bred Hottentot, who grinned at them
stupidly.

"We just want another look round, my lad," said the doctor.

"All right, sir," said the big driver, endorsing his appearance by his
speech; and taking the lead, he showed the little party and expatiated
upon the qualities of the leading and pole oxen, upon how sleek and well
they looked, and gave to each its name, while the Hottentot driver, who
confined himself to Dutch, helped to call up bullock after bullock, all
of which answered sluggishly to their names.

Then the boys were made acquainted with the novelties, to them, of
dissel-boom, trek-tow, and yokes.

"But I say," cried Mark, "you don't call that a whip, do you?" And he
pointed to one that might have been used in Brobdingnag.

"Yes, sir; that's the whip," said the Englishman, laughing. "You see,
one wants a long one to touch up an ox who may be the leader twelve
bullocks' lengths away from where you are sitting on the box."

"Let's try," said Mark.

The man smiled as he took down and handed the gigantic thong.

"Mind what you are doing, sir," he said. "A waggon whip is rather an
awkward thing, until you are used to it; but when you are you know it is
a nice, neat, handy little tool. You see, it's a two-handed weapon."

"That's plain enough," said Dean, laughing. "Let's have a try after
you, Mark."

"Yes," said his cousin, giving the whip a wave round, its heavy lash
whistling through the air.

"Here, stop!" cried Sir James angrily. "What do you think you are
doing? Salmon fishing? It's a good thing, doctor, that there's no hook
at the end."

"Oh, I'm very sorry, father," said the boy, colouring.

"Very sorry, indeed! Why, you nearly cut my ear off. Here, doctor, we
had better go."

"No, no, don't go, father. I won't try any more;" and Mark hastily
handed the great whip back to the driver.

"Here, but I want to try," said Dean.

"Well, you are not going to try now," said his uncle, half irritably.
"You will have plenty of chances, both of you, when you have got a field
to yourselves. You will be scaring the bullocks."

"All right, sir," said the big fellow, replacing the whip by the great
tilted waggon. "I'll teach you how to handle it when we get out on the
veldt. Like me to show you, perhaps, now?"

"