[Charge! by George Manville Fenn]@TWC D-Link bookCharge! CHAPTER ONE 5/8
Little holes like this just where I put in these pegs .-- You keep him in hand, Val.
I never saw such a strong fellow before." The great black fellow grinned and dug away, making the rich and soft dry earth fly as he turned it out; while he laughed with delight every time I checked him, and followed me to another place. By that time he had finished his sandwich, and a thought occurred to me. "Here, Bob," I said; "put down those pegs"-- for he was marching about with us, looking very serious, with the bundle of pegs under his arm. "Go and ask Aunt Jenny to cut another big bit of bread and a very large slice of bacon, and bring 'em here." Bob ran off, and the big black looked at me, threw back his head, and laughed, and laughed again, as he drove the spade deeply into the rich loamy soil; and when the bread and bacon came he laughed, and bit with those great white teeth of his, and munched and chewed like the lying-down oxen, and dug and dug, till my father said, "No more to-night," and bade me carry in the spades. That night, before going to bed, tired, but happy with the thoughts of our orchard to come, I walked with father beneath the great stars, going round the place--father with his rifle over his shoulder--to see if all was safe. We went straight to the wagon, to find the oxen all lying down chewing their cud, and from under the tilt there came a deep, heavy snore; but there was also a rustling sound, a big black head popped out, and the man said, in a deep, thick voice: "Boss, hear lion ?" "No," said my father sharply.
"Did you, boy ?" "Iss.
_Oom! Wawk, wawk, wawk_.
Boss, lissum." We stood there in the silence, and for a full minute I could hear nothing but the deep snore of the Boer and chewing of the oxen.
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