`Come, my boy,' I said, `no one must be idle here, even for a moment; you will have riding practise enough hereafter; dismount and come and help us.'
Jack was soon on his feet. `But I have not been idle all day,' he said, `look here!' and he pointed to a belt round his waist. It was a broad belt of yellow skin in which he had stuck a couple of pistols and a knife. `And see,' he added, `what I have made for the dogs. Here, Juno, Turk,' the dogs came bounding up at his call, and I saw that they were each supplied with a collar of the same skin, in which were fastened nails, which bristled round their necks in a most formidable manner.
`Capital, capital! my boy,' said I, `but where did you get your materials, and who helped you?'
`Except in sewing,' said my wife, `he had little assistance, and as for the materials, Fritz's jackal supplied us with the skin, and the needles and thread came out of my wonderful bag. You little think how many useful things may be had from that same bag; it is woman's duty and nature, you know, to see after trifles.'
Fritz evidently did not approve of the use to which his jackal's hide had been devoted, and holding his nose, begged his little brother to keep at a distance. `Really, Jack,' he said, `you should have cured the hide before you used it, the smell is disgusting, don't come near me.'
`It's not the hide that smells at all,' retorted Jack, `it is your nasty jackal itself that you left in the sun.'
`Now, boys,' said I, `no quarrelling here; do you, Jack, help your brother to drag the carcase to the sea, and if your belt smells after that you must take it off and dry it better.'
The jackal was dragged off, and we then finished our work of unloading our boat. When this was accomplished we started for our tent, and finding there no preparation for supper, I said, `Fritz, let us have a Westphalian ham.'
`Ernest,' said my wife, smiling, `let us see if we cannot conjure up some eggs.'
Fritz got out a splendid ham and carried it to his mother triumphantly, while Ernest set before me a dozen white balls with parchment-like coverings.