Ou' Jackalse takes Ou' Wolf a-Sheep Stealing

“But he hatto walk some anyhow, ’cause de man he’s heerd de shouts, an’ he wake up, an his dogs an his Koranna boys, an dey all rush out for de kraal. Ou’ Wolf he hear ’em comin’ an’ he make a slope for de waterlet hole, an’ he dive head fust into dat.

“De head part’s a’ right; dere ain’t no trouble about dat part goin’ in. But his body!—Allah Crachty, man! but dat body ain’t a-gun’ to begin a-goin’ into, let alone troo, dat hole. An’ fust ting he know de man has him f’m behind.

“Well, I’s tole you mo’ dan once o’ de lammins an’ de bashins Ou’ Wolf’s had afore dat, an’ he’s been knock pretty sick in his time. But all de biffinest bashins what he ever had was yust pettin’ an’ strokin’ alongside o’ what he get dis time, till at last, when de dogs tink dey’s worried de last life outen him, an’ de man tinks he’s kill’ all der is in him, den de Koranna boys pick up de carcase an’ chuck it over de wall on to de veldt outside, an’ dere it lie, lookin’ de deadest ting dat ever was alive, while de man an’ de boys an’ de dogs go back to sleep.

“Ou’ Jackalse he’s been a-watchin’ all dat, an’ along about de break o’ day he see Ou’ Wolf stir a leg. Den come sun-up an’ Ou’ Wolf stir his tail, an ahter dat it ain’t but a little while ’fore he pulls de pieces of hisse’f togeder an’ ’gins to crawl off somehow, ’cause he know if de man find him lyin’ dere when he get up he’ll skin him for a kaross.

“‘Ou’ Wolf’s off for home now,’ ses Ou’ Jackalse to hisse’f. ‘So’s I—but I ain’t a-walkin’; dat ’ud be too bad, I’s dat full. Watch me now,’ an’ he wink to hisse’f dat same ole wink.

“Well, Ou’ Wolf he drag hisse’f along, an’ he hump hisse’f along, an’ he wish hisse’f along, an’ den of a sudden he come plump right onto Ou’ Jackalse, lyin’ lookin’ like he’s quite de nex’ skyline toder side o’ dead. ‘By de jimminy!’ ses Ou’ Wolf, ‘dead or ain’t dead, I’s yust a-gun’ to bite his year off for shoutin’ out de farmer an’ de dogs on to me. I will dat.’

“But he hadn’t no sooner come closer to worry him dan Ou’ Jackalse open his eyes.