Dinny's story was hardly believed when he walked into camp, but Chicory
was there to corroborate his words, and the astonishment felt was
intense.
"You--you shoot a rhinoceros, Dinny!" said his master.
"Shure and why not, yer hanner?" said Dinny. "Didn't I borry the gun a'
purpose for that same? and didn't the big baste stale my gyarments in
the most ondacent way?"
"But how? Where? Where?" was asked by father and sons, in a breath.
"Shure an' I'm the laste bit weary wid my exertions," said Dinny, "and
I'll jist light me pipe and sit down and rest, and tell ye the while."
All in the most deliberate way, Dinny proceeded to light his pipe and
rest; and then, with Chicory sitting in front with his arms tightly
embracing his knees, and his eyes and mouth open, Dinny related his
adventure with the rhinoceros.
The late Sir Walter Scott in speaking of embellishing and exaggerating a
story called it adding a cocked-hat and walking-stick.
Dinny put not merely a cocked-hat and walking-stick to his story, but
embellished it with a crown, sceptre, and royal robes of the most
gorgeous colours. It was wonderful what he had done; the furious
conduct of the rhinoceros, the daring he had displayed, the precision
with which he had sought out vital parts to aim at. A more thrilling
narrative had never been told, and Chicory's eyes grew rounder and his
mouth wider open in his astonishment and admiration, the hero going up
wonderfully in the boy's esteem, especially as he read in Dinny's looks
the promise of endless snacks and tastes when he was hungry.
But all the same, Dinny's flights of fancy grew a little too lofty for
his other hearers.
"Oh, I say, Dinny, come now," said Dick, as his father sat back
listening with a good-humoured smile upon his lip. "I'm not going to
believe that a rhinoceros rose up on its hind legs and fought at you
with its fore paws, while you stood still and aimed at it."
"Shure, Masther Dick, dear, did you ever know me say anything that
wasn't thrue? If ye doubt me word, there's Masther Chicory there, as
brave a boy as ever stepped in--I mane out of shoe leather, and spread
his little black toes about in the sand. He was there all the toime,
and ye can ax him if he didn't see it."
"Yes," said Chicory, "nosros try to get through big tree, and Dinny
shoot um."
"There," said Dinny triumphantly, "what did I tell you? Why, if ye
don't believe me, there's the baste itself lying as dead as a hammer
where I shot him."
"Then it's only a little pig or a young rhinoceros, Dinny," said Jack.
"Little pig!" cried Dinny. "By this an' by that, he's as big as the
waggon there, tub an' all. Sure a bigger and more rampaging baste niver
fought wid a human man, and tried hard to ate him."
"Why that shows what stuff you are telling us, Dinny. A rhinoceros
wouldn't eat a man; he'd trample him to death," cried Dick, who had been
a studious boy for years. "A rhinoceros is an herbivorous beast, and
has a prehensile upper lip."
"A what sort o' baste?" said Dinny, staring.
"Herbivorous."
"Shure an' what's that got to do wid it? I tell you it tried to ate me
at one mouthful, in spite of his what sort o' upper lip. Shure the poor
baste couldn't help having that the matter wid his lip. Why as soon as
I set eyes on him, `Ah, Dinny,' I says, `yer work's cut out, me boy,' I
says, `for if ever there was a baste wid a stiff upper lip that's the
one.'"
"But I said a prehensile upper lip, Dinny," cried Dick.
"Shure I heard what ye said, Master Dick. I know. And a pretty
rampaging baste he was. Wirra! If ye'd seen him foight. If ye'd heard
him roar, and saw how I battled wid him till I'd laid him low wid tin
bullets in his jacket. Ah, it was wonderful. But ye shall see the
baste."
"Yes, I want to see him, Dinny," said Jack.
"Shure an' I'll be glad to take ye, Masther Jack, as soon as it's light.
But he was a brave baste, and fought well; and I felt sorry-like when I
seen him go down."
"Did you though, Dinny?"
"Shure an' I did, Masther Dick, for I says to myself, `Ye're a brave
boy, an' I dessay ye've got a mother somewhere as is very proud of ye,
just as I've got wan meself. But I must shute ye,' I says, `for the
sake of the gintlemen wid the waggon, and the mischief ye've done,' and
so I did; an' there he lies, Masther Dick, stretched out on his side;
and pace to his ashes. I've done."
"Well, boys," said Mr Rogers, speaking for the first time for some
minutes, "I think we ought to congratulate ourselves upon the great
accession we have discovered in Dinny. In future he shall accompany us
in our attacks upon the lions and other furious beasts. I should not
think of going after elephant now without Dinny."
That gentleman's face was a study, as he listened to his master's words.
His nostrils twitched, his brows grew full of wrinkles, and his jaw
dropped, letting his pipe fall from his lips; and though he picked it up
directly after, the tobacco had gone out, and Dinny looked as if all the
enjoyment had gone out of his life.
Beyond the roaring of a lion or two, the night passed off very quietly,
and as soon as it was broad day Chicory stood ready to lead the party to
see the rhinoceros.
"Come, Dinny, aren't you ready?" cried Dick.
"Shure an' I don't want to go, Masther Dick. I seen enough of the baste
last night."
"Yes, but you must come and show us."
"Shure an' Masther Chicory there will lade you to the very spot, and I
couldn't do any more. He lies did bechuckst two big lumps of sthone,
an', as I said, he's as big as a waggin."
"Oh, but Dinny must come," said Mr Rogers.
"Shure an' how will I get the breakfast riddy if I come, sor?" persisted
Dinny. "I did my duty last night. You gintlemen must go and fetch him
home."
But Dinny's protestations passed unheeded, and he had to go with the
party, shouldering his rifle like a raw recruit, but glancing uneasily
to right and left as they went along.