Fritz and I sprang up, and seizing our guns
rushed out. There we found a desperate combat going on, our
gallant dogs, surrounded by a dozen or more large jackals,
were fighting bravely, four of their opponents lay dead, but
the others were in no way deterred by the fate of their comrades.
Fritz and I, however, sent bullets through the heads of a couple
more, and the rest galloped off. Turk and Juno did not intend
that they should escape so cheaply, and pursuing them, they
caught, killed, and devoured another of the animals, regardless
of their near relationship. Fritz wished to save one of the jackals
that he might be able to show it to his brothers in the morning;
dragging therefore the one that he had shot near the tent, he
concealed it, and we once more returned to our beds. I told him
that in justice, if Turk and Flora were still hungry, we should
give this last jackal to them. But they, surfeited, curled up to
sleep.
Soundly and peacefully we slept until cock-crow next morning, when my
wife and I awoke. I observed to her that I could not but view with
alarm the many cares and exertions to be made. `In the first place, a
journey to the vessel must be made. This is of absolute necessity, at
least, if we would not be deprived of the livestock and other useful
things, all of which from moment to moment we risk losing by the first
heavy sea.
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