Chapter Thirty Nine.
How Dick captured four Yards of Animal.
Mr Rogers’ description of the death of the gentle, harmless beast—its piteous looks, the great tears rolling from its expressive eyes, and its many struggles to get away, somewhat damped the ardour of Dick and Jack, who settled in council that it was too bad to shoot giraffe, and as they had a skin of the great creature, which was stretched out to dry, they would shoot no more.
As for that magnificent skin, Rough’un seemed to consider that it was placed there for his especial benefit; and to the great disgust of Pompey, Caesar, and Crassus, who were tied up and could not join, but had to be content at straining at their chains and looking-on, Rough’un amused himself by licking the skin, especially where there were little bits of fat, till he was tired, and then creeping under the hairy side to sleep.
This he kept up for a whole day. The second day he gave it up, for the skin was rapidly assuming the character of a hard board; but the triumvirate were as impatient as ever, and barked incessantly.
This annoyed Dinny, who borrowed Peter’s great whip to administer punishment; but at the first crack and howl, Rough’un, who was loyalty itself to his kind, left the hard skin that he had been smelling and scratching with his forepaw, and flew at Dinny, exclaiming in dog language,—
“Let them alone, you coward; you wouldn’t dare to hurt them if they were free.”
“Ah, get out, ye ugly murthering baste,” roared Dinny, cracking the whip, but in no way intimidating Rough’un, who seemed to know that he was perfectly safe, the whip being only available for use at long distances, and Rough’un keeping close to, and baying and charging at Dinny’s legs.