"GOOD TASTE FOR A SAVAGE."
Rifle felt obliged in the morning to join cousin and brother in the
announcement to the captain, who looked as if he could hardly believe it
at first, but ended by walking straight to the paddock, to find the colt
looking more distressed than ever; and on a closer inspection there
plainly enough, though it had remained unnoticed before, on account of
the dry time, were the marks of the nightly gallops on the hard
sun-baked soil.
"That explains it all, eh, Jack?" he said to his brother.
"Yes; the black scoundrel! I had noticed for some time past how fond he
was of horses."
"Yes," said Norman; "nothing pleased him better than petting them and
giving them bits of his damper."
"Very good taste for a savage to appreciate how noble a beast is the
horse, but I'm not going to introduce the said noble animal for the
delectation of black savages."
"But you will not be very hard upon him, father?"
"No," said the captain, tightening his lips, "not very."
"What shall you do?" said Uncle Jack.
"Lay wait for his black lordship to-night, and give him a sound
horse-whipping."
Rifle's face twitched a little, and the three boys exchanged glances.
"Better be careful, Ned," said Uncle Jack. "These fellows can be very
revengeful."
"I am not afraid. He must have a severe lesson, and as I am his
master--Marmi, as he calls me--I shall give it at once."
"But you will not sit up for him alone?" said Uncle Jack.
"Oh no. I shall want you all to help me; and so as to make sure of him,
there is to be no riding out to-day. He is, of course, hiding in the
scrub somewhere, and I don't want him disturbed."
Rifle looked very hard at Norman, who turned to his father.
"Well, Norman?"
"We all like Shanter, father," he said. "He is not much better than a
child in some things."
"Exactly; I know that."
"We want you to let him off, father--forgive him."
The captain looked more stern, and tightened his lips.
"I appreciate your generosity, my boys, but it must not be looked over.
I must punish him. Words will be of no use. I am afraid it must be
blows. But look here; I will be as mild as I can. Will that satisfy
you?"
"I suppose it must, father," said Rifle, dolefully.
"Yes, my boy, it must; and now look here: not a word to them indoors.
It would only startle mamma and the girls. Your uncle and I will be
going to keep watch to-night, and you can slip out of your window as you
did last night."
Hence it was that about ten o'clock that night the little party were all
crouching by the palings watching, as well as the darkness would allow,
and listening for the faintest sound, not a word being uttered for fear
the black's abnormally sharp ears should detect their presence, and make
him keep away.
Time glided by, till an hour must have passed, and then they heard a
sharp neigh, followed by the trampling of feet, as if the horses had
been startled. Then came the low murmur of a voice, followed by a few
light pats as of some one caressing a horse; and, a minute later, in
spite of the darkness, Norman made out that his father had passed
through the rails into the paddock.
Then, just as he was in agony for fear the captain should be ridden
over, or some other accident should befall him, he heard the approaching
pace of a horse, but only at a walk.
Like the others, he was crouching down, and it seemed to him that his
father was doing the same, when, all at once, the faintly-seen figures
of man and horse towered up close by them, and what followed was the
work of moments.
There was the loud _whisk_ of a hunting-whip, the darting forward of a
figure, followed by the plunge of a horse, as it galloped away, drowning
the noise of a heavy thud, though the struggle which followed was quite
plain.
"Hold still, you dog!" roared the captain. "I have you tight.--Here,
Jack, come and help to hold him."
"Baal baal mumkull mine," cried the black, piteously. "Give in then,
you scoundrel. Take hold of his hair, Jack. I have him by his
loin-cloth."
It was no question of giving in, for the black made no further struggle,
but stood up writhing and twisting up his right shoulder, and rubbing it
with the back of his left hand passed behind him.
"Don't hit him again, father," cried Norman, quickly.
"Silence, sir!--Now you--you black fellow!"
"Baal black fellow," shouted Shanter, indignantly; "baal black fellow."
"How dare you come stealing here in the dark and meddling with my
horses?" roared the captain.
"Baal steal a horse fellow, Marmi," cried the black, indignantly.
"Horse fellow all along all lot."
"Sneaking there in the darkness, to ride my poor horses to death."
"Marmi no let Shanter ride when piggi jump up."
"Not let you ride in the day, sir? Of course not. Do you suppose I
keep horses for you?"
"Baal plenty mine know."
"You don't understand?"
"Mine want ride horse fellow like white fellow."
"Then you are not going to learn to ride on mine. Now then, I've done
with you, sir. Be off and don't show your face here again. Go!"
"Mine want damper, Marmi. Gib big soff damper."
"I'll give you the whip, sir, if you don't go."
Shanter flinched, and gave himself another rub, looking about in the
darkness from one to the other.
"Let me fetch him a bit of damper, father," whispered Rifle.
"No," said the captain, sternly. "The scoundrel has nearly ruined a
fine young horse, and he must be taught a lesson.--Now, sir, be off!"
"Baal gib mine big damper?" cried the black.
"No; only the whip," said the captain, giving the thong a sharp crack,
and then another and another in all directions near the black's naked
shoulders, with the result that at every crack Shanter winced and leaped
about.
"Marmi Man gib mine damper."
"I can't," said Norman.
"Marmi Rifle, Marmi Tim, gib mine damper."
"No--no--no," shouted the captain. "Now go and never come here again."
The black gave another writhe, as if smarting from the pain of the blow
he had received, and ended by snatching boomerang and club from his
waistband, uttering a fiercely defiant yell as he clattered them
together, leaped the fence and darted off straight across the paddock,
shouting as he rushed on toward the horses, and sending them in panic to
the end of the enclosure.
"The scoundrel!" shouted the captain; "those horse will cripple
themselves on the posts and rails. No; they're coming back again," he
cried, as he heard the little herd come galloping round. "Steady
there--woho--boys! Steady, woho there--woho!" he continued; and the
horses gradually ceased their headlong flight, and turned and trotted
gently toward the familiar voice.
The captain was joined by the boys, who all went toward the horses,
patting and caressing them for a few minutes before leaving the paddock
and going back toward the house.
"Now," said the captain; "who is to say that this black fellow will not
come to-morrow night, or perhaps to-night, take out a rail or two, and
drive off all our horses?"
"I can," said Norman.
"So can we," cried Rifle. "I don't believe old Shanter ever could
steal."
"Well done, boys, for your belief in savage nature," cried Uncle
Jack.--"No, Ned, you are wrong. I believe that the poor fellow is
honest as the day."
"Thank you, uncle," whispered Tim.
"Well," said the captain, "we shall see. But I think I have let the
poor fellow off very easily. I came out to-night meaning to give him a
tremendous horse-whipping, but out of weakness and consideration for you
boys' feelings, I've let him off with one cut."
"Enough too," said Uncle Jack, "for it was big enough for a dozen."
"Well, it was a tidy one," said the captain, laughing. "There, come
back to the house. But no more black pets, boys. If you want to make
companions, try the horses."
"And perhaps they'd run away with one."
"Or throw us."
"Or kick us."
So cried the boys one after another, and the captain uttered a grunt.
"Look here," he said; "I'm not going to sit up and watch to-night, but
if those horses are driven off by that black scoundrel, I'll hunt him
down with a gun."
"Not you, Ned," said Uncle Jack, with a chuckle.
"Don't you believe him, boys."
"We don't, uncle," they chorused.
"Ah, well," said the captain, laughing; "we shall see."