‘I have not done much at present to earn a name for myself. If ever I become a rich man, I will try and do good with my money. I have always found there is a lot of pleasure in helping other people.’
‘You always manage to get on with people,’ said Will. ‘You have even made a staunch friend of Yacka. How did you manage it?’
‘By treating him more like a human being than a dog,’ said Edgar. ‘Of course, Yacka is not like most of the natives. They are a dull, stupid lot, what I have seen of them so far, and it would be almost impossible to teach them anything. I believe Yacka could be taught just the same as a white man.’
One night, as they were camping under the shade of some bushes, Edgar was awakened by something cool touching his face. He put out his hand and felt a cold, smooth substance, which he at once knew must be a snake. He sprang to his feet, clutching the snake and flinging it from him. The noise roused Will, and Yacka was quickly on the alert. It was too dark to see anything, but Yacka shifted their camping-ground. In the morning Yacka came across a venomous yellow snake, which he killed and brought to Edgar.
‘Yellow snake,’ he said; ‘dangerous! Deadly poison! Almost as bad as a death adder! Yacka skin him,’ which he at once proceeded to do.
Edgar congratulated himself upon a lucky escape, for had the snake bitten him there would have been but little chance of his continuing the journey. For breakfast Yacka was busily engaged in roasting strips of flesh, but neither Edgar nor Will could think what animal he had killed to provide their meal.
‘What have you got there?’ asked Will. ‘I hope you’re not toasting that snake.’
Yacka shook his head and said:
‘You try it first, then I will tell you what it is. Very good indeed!’ and he smacked his lips.
They enjoyed the tasty morsels, and Yacka informed them it was the flesh of a species of iguana, one of the lizard tribe.