They came like shadows, so departed--a great many times: but
at last being re-enforced, they lessened the distance, and got so close,
that Ucatella withdrew her head, and bleated faintly inside the wagon.
The men turned, levelling their rifles, and found the troop within
twenty yards of them. They wheeled directly: but the four barrels poured
their flame, four loud reports startled the night, and one jackal lay
dead as a stone, another limped behind the flying crowd, and one lay
kicking. He was soon despatched, and both carcasses flung over the
patient oxen; and good-by jackals for the rest of that journey.
Ucatella, with all a Kafir's love of fire-arms, clapped her hands with
delight. "My child shoots loud and strong," said she.
"Ay, ay," replied Phoebe; "they are all alike; wherever there's men,
look for quarrelling and firing off. We had only to sit quiet in the
wagon."
"Ay." said Dick, "the cattle especially--for it is them the varmint were
after--and let 'em eat my Hottentots."
At this picture of the cattle inside the wagon, and the jackals supping
on cold Hottentot alongside, Phoebe, who had no more humor than a cat,
but a heart of gold, shut up, and turned red with confusion at her false
estimate of the recent transaction in fur.
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