No, no," said Sir James; "not while we are here."

"It's quite safe, sir," said the man good-humouredly. "I could give a
flip to any one of the bullocks you like to point out without the thong
coming near anybody."

"Oh, let him, please, father."

"Very well," said Sir James, rather grumpily. "Shall we stand farther
off?"

"Oh, no, sir," replied the man.

"Let's pick out that one with the white nose," whispered Dean. "I don't
believe he can hit it;" and he pointed to one fat beast that was
standing almost alone blinking its eyes and ruminating over its cud.

"Yes; hit that one," said Mark.

The man seemed to give the long whip an easy wave in the air, and the
point of the lash alighted on the bullock's smooth neck, making the
animal start and toss its head; and then in response to a command which
sounded like _Barrk_, it slowly sidled close up to the nearest of its
fellows, and then went on chewing the cud again.

"Ay, ay, Jacob!" shouted the driver, and he uttered a few words in a
patois that was probably a composition of Dutch and Hottentot, which
made the little yellow flat-nosed driver come shambling up, grinning, to
take the big whip pitched to him and go off to a distance of some
five-and-twenty yards, where, after uttering a few incomprehensible
cries which had the effect of making such of the bullocks as were
crouching in the sand rise slowly to their feet and sidle up together,
the strange looking driver gave the whip a wave or two where he stood,
and began to crack it, at every _whish_ producing what sounded like a
series of rifle shots, watching the English driver the while until he
was told to desist.

"Bravo!" cried Mark, and Dean clapped his hands.

"I say, can you crack a whip like that?" cried Dean.

"Oh, yes, sir. Teach you too, if you like."

"Well, I do like," said the boy; "but when uncle isn't here."

When the interiors of the two great tilted waggons that were close at
hand had been examined with some curiosity, as they were to be
storehouses and dwelling-places combined, the little party went off in
another direction, Mark eagerly enquiring what was to be their
destination now.

"Oh, I was going to show you the little cobs the doctor has bought--
ponies, I suppose I ought to call them."

"What, has he got them already?" cried Mark.

"Oh, yes; it has been very short work," said the doctor. "The officer
who has charge of the little garrison here introduced me to a dealer,
a