XIX A DISASTER AVERTED 409 



the surrounding country. From my exalted position 

 I could see a hollow about 300 yards away in the 

 midst of some thick bush, to which I directed my 

 companions, from whom a loud hurrah a tew minutes 

 later informed me that, as I had hoped might be the 

 case, they had found a little water. It was not 

 much to boast of, being just the dregs of a large 

 shallow pan, that in another few days would have 

 been quite dry. Nevertheless, these few gallons ot 

 muddy water were of inestimable value to us, and 

 averted what might have been a great disaster. 

 After letting the horses drink their fill first, we then 

 brought the oxen down three at a time, for if they 

 had been allowed to go down in a body, they would 

 have trampled the water into mud, and none of 

 them got any at all. The poor, thirsty beasts drank 

 the little pan quite dry, and though they did not 

 even then get enough to satisfy them, they at any 

 rate washed a little of the dust out of their parched 

 throats, and were able to feed a bit, and put a little 

 strength into their worn-out limbs. I then let them 

 feed on the green grass round the first little pan for 

 about three hours, and late in the afternoon again 

 inspanned. Early in the night, we passed the 

 numerous splendid deep pans, known collectively 

 under the name of Scio, in which Ai-eetsee-upee 

 had held out strong hopes of our finding water. 

 They were, however, all dry. Matters now began 

 to look desperate, for the nearest place where we 

 could hope to get water was in one of the large 

 deep pans close to the upper end of the Mababe 

 Flat, and many a weary mile of heavy sand lay 

 between Scio and the nearest of these pans. 



All through this night we journeyed on, and all 

 the next day. The poor oxen were now wellnigh 



