The dog threw up his head and uttered a loud howl, and then began to lick the cuts torn by the leopard’s sharp claws.
“Ach! he vas pad, den,” said the old man. “But das ist goot vizzick for goots und pites. Der tog’s tongue ist as goot as his tooses ist pad. Ant zo you zhoot hims, heh?”
“What!—the leopard?” said Dyke. “Yes, I shot and hit him, I suppose; but I was afraid of hitting the dog. I fired, though, as a last chance.”
“It was guide right,” said the old man, nodding his head. “You do not shoode—you do noding, and der leopards garry away den hund. You do shoode, und if you shoode him, it is petter than for hims to be eaten oop alife, und you may shoode den leopard. Zo! I am happy das you hafe zave den tog. He is a goot tog, und a goot tog ist a goot vrient out in der veldt. Now you gom mit me, und die alte voman give us bode zom fruhstuck. You know what ist das?”
Dyke shook his head.
“Das ist goot Deutsch for breakfass, mein young vrient.”
“Oh, I see,” cried Dyke. “I never learnt Dutch.”
“Nein, nein, nein, goot bube. Not Dutch. I did say Deutsch—Sharmans.”
“But you are a Boer, are you not?”
“Nein. I did gom ofer from Sharmany dwenty year ago. Dere ist blendy of Dutch Boer varder on. I am Deutsch.”