e the smile was yet on his
visage, his blood was curdled and his face elongated by a most appalling
yell! It was not exactly a war-whoop, nor was it a cry of pain, though
it partook of both, and filled the entire family with horror as they
rushed to the tent on the mound from which the cry had issued.

The yell had been given by Junkie, who had been bitten or stung by
something, and who, under the combined influence of surprise, agony, and
wrath, had out-Junkied himself in the fervour and ferocity of his
indignant protest.

The poor child was not only horrified, but inconsolable. He wriggled
like an eel, and delivered a prolonged howl with intermittent bursts for
full half an hour, while his distracted nurse and mother almost tore the
garments off his back in their haste to discover the bite or the brute
that had done it.

"It _must_ have bin a serpent!" cried the nurse, agonising over a
knotted string.

"Perhaps a tarantula," suggested Gertie, who only clasped her hands and
looked horrified.

"Quick!" exclaimed Mrs Brook, breaking the unmanageable tape.

"Ze chile is growing black and vill bust!" murmured Scholtz in real
alarm.

It did seem as if there were some likelihood of such a catastrophe, for
Junkie's passion and struggles had rendered him blue in the face; but it
wes found that the bite or sting, whichever it was, had done little
apparent damage, and as the child cried himself out and sobbed himself
to sleep in half an hour without either blackening or bursting, the
various members of the family were relieved, and resumed their suspended
labours.

The shades of evening had fallen, and, among other orbs of night, the
stars of that much too highly complimented constellation, the "Southern
Cross," had for some time illumined the sky before these labours were
completed, and the wearied Brook family and household retired to rest,
with weapons ready at hand and fires blazing. Wild beasts--to whose
cries they were by that time accustomed--soon began their nightly
serenade and carried it on till morning, but they were not wild enough
to disturb the newcomers with anything more formidable than sound.

Next morning early, George Dally was the first to bestir himself. On
taking a general view of surrounding nature he observed a thin column of
smoke rising above the tree-tops in the direction of the stream or river
to which reference has already been made.

"Perhaps it's Kafirs," thought George.

Followi