"But never again!" he said to himself. "I didn't know any better then: I do now;" and, forgetting the dangers and troubles, or setting them aside as something of no consequence at all, Dyke passed on, and at last entered the trees just as there was a glint of something bright from which the sunset rays flashed. But Dyke did not see the glint, neither did he hear the bushes being parted as something glided through the low growth, and another something, and then another, and again another--four dark, shadowy figures, which glided softly away, and then seemed to drop down flat and remain silent, as if watching. Dyke saw nothing and thought of nothing now but the broth for his invalid, but picking out a good hiding-place, he cocked his piece and waited for the birds; while at the _click, click_ of the gun-locks, something bright was raised about fifty yards from where he was hidden, and the bright thing quivered above the bushes for a few moments before it disappeared again. That bright object, which was gilded by the sun's rays now flashing horizontally through the trees, was the head of an assegai, sharp and cruelly dangerous; but Dyke's eyes were gazing straight away, over the desert veldt, while he felt as if he should like to whistle. At last there was a distant metallic clangour; then came the rushing of wings, the alighting of a noisy flock of birds which began to cry "_Come back! Come back! Come back_!" and Dyke's gun spoke out twice, bringing down twice as many birds. "Now, if I had old Duke here, he might have retrieved those for me," thought the boy, rising to take a step or two toward the spot where his birds had fallen, the rest of the flock having departed with a wild outcry, and as he moved, four assegais were raised into a horizontal position. But, taught caution by the wild life he had been accustomed to, he stopped to recharge his gun. Before he had quite finished, there was a loud barking at a little distance. "Why, there he is, tracking me out," cried Dyke; and, whistling sharply, the barking came again more loudly, a shout bringing Duke to his side, while, as soon as the dog understood what was wanted, he darted off after the fallen birds, bringing in two directly from close to where the assegais had been poised. "Good dog! Two more! Seek!" cried Dyke. "Off with you!" The dog bounded away again, and Dyke stood whistling softly to himself as he examined his prizes, and admired their clean-looking, speckled plumage. Duke was back directly, gave up the birds, coughed his teeth clear of fluffy feathers, and then turned and stood looking in the direction from whence he had fetched the guinea-fowls. "Oh yes," said his master, "there'll be plenty more soon, but we've got enough; so come along."